Do you live in Toronto? Are you planning to buy those fanciful dresses, blouses or shoes on Stellatoronto.com? Beware! It’s not a legit online store. The 50% closing sale discount offered is a bait to lure buyers to an online shopping scam.
Examining the website we spotted the following red flags;
- Recently created – Who.is (a website checker tool) show ashwoodmelbourne.com was launched on July 2024 by an anonymous person who kept his information redacted for privacy.
- No Business Address – Though Stella Toronto name and social media Ads targets Canada residents, there’s no physical address listed on the website.
- Dubious Discount Sale – A 50% discount on the kind of clothes displayed on the site is indeed too good to be true.
- Limited Contact Info – The only way to contact the store is through the email [email protected] which seems to be not working. There are no other contact options provided
- Fake Five Star Ratings – The website boasts of 1024 five star ratings, but these ratings and reviews aren’t available anywhere online or offline.
Is Stella Toronto a Scam Clothing Store?
Stella Toronto clothing store has the signs of an online shopping scam. Though the online store portrays itself as a Toronto based company, it’s actually a China based store and thats where the products are shipped from.
Stellatoronto.com uses huge discounts and limited sale timer to bait people into placing an order on the site. The store passes off clothings of other designers as theirs and makes a cheap imitation when customers place an order.
What Happens When You Shop From Stellatoronto.com?
There are complaints on Facebook from customers who shopped from this store. The experience shared is that of ‘What I ordered Vs What I Got’. The products received were below par, of poor quality, wrong sizing, and different design.
The return policy is also not favourable; unsatisfied customers are asked to (Option 1) pay shipping cost back to China which is almost 40% of the purchase price. Or (Option 2) keep the items and receive a refund of 10% of the purchase price.
Aside from receiving poor quality clothes, customers could get overcharged, receive nothing at all, or even get added to a shady VIP membership subscription.
A customer has this to say about Stella Toronto –
This company is a scam. You order somethiing and when it arrives it doesn’t remotely resemble what you ordered. You try to return it only to find that you have to return it to China, at your own expense. And you never see your money again. Oh and make sure you don’t pay with a credit card you value. They took mine and made all kinds of charges on it.
On Facebook.com
What To Do If You Fell For The Stella Toronto Scam
Cancel your credit card
Immediately call your financial provider and cancel your credit card. By so doing, the credit card details you used for your transaction would become null and void.
Request for a new card
After the old credit card has been cancelled, ask for a new card, it doesn’t cost much to get one.Your credit card issuer will issue you a new one with different numbers.
Report the Fraud To Relevant Authorities
Report the scam to relevant authorities and organizations. This includes:
- Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3): If you are in the United States, you can file a complaint with the IC3 at https://www.ic3.gov/.
- Your Local Consumer Protection Agency: Contact your local consumer protection agency or the equivalent regulatory body in your country.
- Better Business Bureau (BBB): File a complaint with the BBB if the online store is based in the United States.
How To Protect Yourself From Online Shopping Scams
- Check how long the website has been functioning – The domain age of a website tells a lot about a store’s legitimacy or transparency. Websites below 6 months old are often considered unsafe. You can find out a website’s age by checking on Who.is ( a free domain checker tool)
- When using retail websites, find out exactly who you are dealing with. Research the retailer address by copying and pasting it on your browser. Does it really exist? is the retailer registered in the address or is the address that of a family home?
- When making online payments, use secure payment service. Look for a URL starting with “https” and a closed padlock symbol, or a payment provider such as PayPal. If the padlock symbol doesn’t appear near the website’s URL, then it means your personal and financial information is at risk at the store.
- Avoid Too Good to be true Discounts – any product sold at very cheap prices compared to other online stores should be treated with caution. Low prices are baits scammers use to lure unsuspecting victims
- Check for reviews Online – Are there reviews or posts about the online store online? By searching for reviews online you could also come across warning posts or complaints.
See similar clothing scam – smithandbrown-toronto.com scam
maria