Philippe wanted to buy wood on the Internet but smelled the trick: "all the companies Google puts forward are scams"
Many of you have activated the orange button Alert us in order to warn of an increasingly recurring scam: the fake fuelwood and pellet dealers.
Phillipe, 54 years old and a trader in Walloon Brabant, was looking to buy wood on the Internet, but soon became aware of the scam he was waiting for if he ordered from some websites that claimed to sell this kind of merchandise. He wanted to press our orange button Alert us to send us his experience.
"the first site I came across was called Ecowooding. I'm suspicious in nature, especially on the Internet, and when I did a quick search, I realized that Ecowooding was a scam. I continued my search and it turned out that all the sites that Google AdWords offered me were scam sites! that there are scams, that is, we know, but that Google puts them forward, it's disgusting." the first site that I came across was called Ecowooding. I'm suspicious, especially on the Internet, and when I did a quick search, I realized that Ecowooding was a scam. I continued my search and it turned out that all the sites offered to me by Google's AdWords were scam sites! In other words, all Google sponsored links would be scams!
The "Google ADS" at the heart of the problem but then, what is "Google AdWords"? This service has simply been Google's advertising agency since 2000. Their presentation states that Google ADS can: "increase online sales, find qualified leads, or raise your brand profile through effective campaigns on Google search or YouTube. Ads can be posted on Google at the exact time when a user is looking for products and services offered by the company." Blessed bread for smart scammers who manage to circumvent Google's vigilance, rightly criticized by Philippe.
Phillipe sent several emails to Google's headquarters in Belgium to warn them of these many fraudulent sites, but so far, no response.
We also tried to contact Google's Belgian subsidiary, but they did not respond to our requests.
Fabienne and Thierry, ripped off by 174 euros
Fabienne 59 years old and Thierry 53 years old, live in a village near Waremme and have unfortunately been trapped by this so-called site of sale of timber of all kinds. "we had ordered a pallet of pellet, equivalent to 65 bags, for a total of 174 euros," explains Fabienne. "my husband had searched the Internet and found these prices very attractive and therefore placed an order. We received an invoice that seemed quite normal, but I began to have a doubt when I saw that our transfer had fallen into a French account. A French bank account for a Belgian company was weird!"
And indeed Fabienne's doubt was well founded. The days go by and the palette doesn't arrive. The couple tries to call the company, they also send e-mails, but nothing, radio silence on the Ecowooding side. "we then looked more closely on the Internet and realized that the name of the site is probably coming back with testimonies from other people … we know very well that we will not get our money back, but we wanted to warn others. We find it intolerable that such sites are still available on Google!" the editor tried to reach the website in question, but without success, as the voicemail constantly repeated to call back later.
"A timber merchant will never ask for a down payment" Jacques is a true timber merchant. Contacted by the editors, he gives us his bitter feeling about these scams that multiply on the web. "I've had a scammer usurp the identity of my company in order to do his tricks, and then it falls on me! I try as much as I can to get these sites removed, but it's not always easy."
According to him, the timber sector is heavily impacted by these scams as the price of the material continues to rise. So it's easy for scammers to offer an attractive price to attract potential victims. "in 2021, wood was 2.5 times more expensive than in 2020, and this year it will increase again!" an educator, he wanted to send a valuable piece of advice to future buyers of wood: "A real merchant will never ask for a down payment or to pay the sum until he has delivered the goods. If that happens, it smells like a scam!"
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