NEW WHOLESALE ORGANISATION NAMES AND SHAMES FRAUDULENT SUPPLIERS
Wholesale scams are on the increase, according to a new website for UK and European retailers – and now TheWholesaleForums.co.uk is set to name and shame the con artists.
"The rapid growth of eBay, along with the ease in which new retailers can start trading online, has unfortunately led to a growth in the number of scams around," says James Nixon, who started TheWholeSaleForums.co.uk in order to combat the lack of information available to UK sellers.
"It's relatively easy for someone to set up a website claiming to be offering trade goods at wholesale prices," he adds. "Often these sites turn out to be nothing more than scams, with new retailers being conned into handing over cash and receiving nothing in return."
TheWholeSaleForums.co.uk has already identified several such scams – and has even contributed to the closure of one such site, which was shut down after a police investigation prompted by site member complaints.
"Our site is basically a meeting place which allows retailers to swap tips and recommendations about suppliers, and to ask for advice about the organisations they're thinking of doing business with," says James.
"One of the sections on the site allows members to ask for fellow retailer's experiences and opinions on suppliers. Often it turns out that the supplier in question is a "scammer", in which case the fraudulent company details are placed in our "Name and Shame" section to prevent other members being caught out by them."
It was thanks to TheWholeSaleForums.co.uk's discussion board that one such website was closed down earlier this year. Now site owner James Nixon is keen to involve more retailers and wholesalers in the community, both to help stop scams and to share information about those suppliers who offer a genuine service.
"TheWholesaleForums.co.uk is the ultimate resource for people who buy and sell, both online and off," says James. "Obviously, the more people who become involved in the community, the more value everyone takes from it."
In addition to the discussion board, TheWholeSaleForums.co.uk is also developing a directory of vetted suppliers, who members can trade with in confidence.
"A lot of money can change hands between wholesalers and retailers," says James. "It's important to make sure that buyers and sellers have as much information as possible about the people they're trading with before they go ahead with the deal."
Visit the site at
www.TheWholeSaleForums.co.uk
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March 2010
