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    The closing-down sale for a shop that never opened.

    The line is “Closing down. Everything 90% off today only.” In the fake version, the owner, the 31 years and the little shop on the high street were made up last month.

    Elsie Marlow Boutique

    Sponsored

    It is with a heavy heart that after 31 years we close our little shop for good. We just can’t compete with the big retailers. Thank you for everything. Everything must go.

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    elsiemarlow-clearance.test

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    Up to 90% off. Today only.

    Shop now

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    About this page

    Created 19 October

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    At checkout

    Pay by bank transfer for an extra 10% off

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    Exhibit / A sponsored post. Shop invented for this guide

    Five reasons to stop and check this post.

    1. 1

      A sob story with a number in it

      A heavy heart, decades in business, beaten by big retailers. Which? found this script on a fake boutique whose site was weeks old and claimed more than 30 years of trading.

    2. 2

      A page younger than the story

      New pages and new sites can be perfectly real, so age proves nothing alone. Here the claim is 31 years and the page is weeks old. That mismatch is what to chase.

    3. 3

      The address is a clearance site

      Check that the address belongs to the brand it claims to be. A big discount proves nothing on its own, so compare the same item on other sites and ask why this one differs.

    4. 4

      Nobody is allowed to comment

      A shop closing after 31 years would have customers saying goodbye. With comments off, you can’t see anyone at all.

    5. 5

      A discount for bank transfer

      Which? treats bank transfer only as a warning sign. A discount for choosing it asks you to give up the protection a card gives you.

    Which? warning signsScamwatch on fake sellers

    A month from sob story to silence.

    Fake shops don’t need you to believe them for long. The story only has to last until you’ve typed in your card number. Day numbers here are an example.

    1. Day

      1

      The ad finds you

      The seller pays to reach you. Which? found one fake boutique running more than 100 adverts at once, with photos taken from other retailers’ sites.

    2. Day

      1

      You pay

      The checkout is the one part of the site that has to work, so it does. The discount makes the spend feel too small to research.

    3. Day

      9

      Something arrives, or doesn’t

      The FTC’s description of where these ads lead: a counterfeit, a different product, or nothing at all.

    4. Day

      30

      The trail goes cold

      Your emails go unanswered. The ads may be gone by now while the site stays up, taking orders from the next person.

    Which? on a fake boutiqueFTC on social media ads

    Close the ad. Then look the shop up.

    1. Search its name with the word “scam”.

      Search the shop’s name and web address alongside “complaint”, “review” and “scam”. Do it in a new tab, away from the ad.

      FTC online shopping advice

    2. Find out when the site was born.

      A new domain is normal for a new shop. A new domain on a shop claiming decades of trading is a contradiction, and worth a closer look before you pay.

      Check a website

    3. Look for an address you could post a parcel to.

      Which? flags sites with no postal address or privacy policy. Scamwatch flags sites with no terms and conditions, and in Australia no ABN.

    4. Pay by credit card or not at all.

      The FTC says a credit card best protects you. A padlock only means the connection is encrypted, and scam sites encrypt too. Walk away if the seller wants gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps or crypto only.

      FTC on paying online

    Rules that help, by country.

    United Kingdom

    • Buying online from a trader, you can usually cancel for 14 days after the goods reach you.Regulation 30
    • Section 75 may cover an item priced over £100 and up to £30,000 bought on a credit card.Financial Ombudsman

    United States

    • With no promised date, a seller must ship within 30 days. If a card purchase never arrives, ask the issuer to withhold payment while it investigates.FTC shipping rule

    Australia

    • Be wary of reviews posted in a short burst, and of requests to pay into several PayIDs or accounts.Scamwatch

    1. Dispute it today

      Tell your issuer what you ordered, that it hasn’t arrived or isn’t what was shown, and that the seller has stopped replying.

    2. Save the ad now

      Screenshot the ad, the web address and the order email. Adverts can vanish while you’re still waiting for the parcel.

    3. Ask for a new card

      This site has your card details. Tell the issuer and ask whether to replace the card.

    Get a plan for how you paid

    Sources and review

    Reviewed
    2 November 2026
    Review due
    2 May 2027
    Owner
    Scam Finder

    General guidance, not legal or financial advice. Rules depend on your country, provider and payment. This guide names UK, US and Australian rules where it can. Elsewhere, check with your national consumer or fraud authority. Example companies, people and figures are invented.