Firewood and pellet scams: verify the offer before paying
Fake shops and dishonest sellers exploit seasonal demand for firewood, pellets and briquettes. An offer may include professional design, company details, photos, reviews and a phone number. Verify the real seller, payment recipient and exactly what will be delivered.
What is happening?
Choose the closest option. Problems can involve a fake shop or an actual delivery with the wrong quantity or quality.
I am choosing a seller
The offer is much cheaper than competitors or the website seems new.
What to verify →The seller wants advance payment
They request a transfer before delivery or refuse another payment method.
View the steps →I paid, but nothing arrived
Communication stops, delivery is postponed or the seller cannot be reached.
Open urgent response steps →The delivery arrived, but the quantity is wrong
Quantity, type or quality differs from the order.
What to do →How firewood and pellet fraud usually works
The offender moves you from an attractive offer to a first payment before you verify the seller’s identity and history.
Attractive offer
The price is much lower than comparable sellers or the offer is time-limited.
Professional presentation
The site or advert includes photos, reviews, company details and promotional prices.
Quick contact
The seller replies helpfully and tries to close the order quickly.
Payment or deposit
Money must be transferred before delivery.
New explanation
A supposed payment error, missing reference or other excuse leads to another demand.
No delivery or a dispute
The goods never arrive, the seller vanishes or the delivered amount differs from the order.
Fraud can involve more than complete non-delivery
The goods do not exist
A fake shop or listing takes payment and stops responding.
“Pay again”
After payment, an alleged error triggers another transfer request with a promise to refund the first.
The delivery arrives, but too little is supplied
Goods are unloaded, but the actual quantity or value is much lower than agreed.
A risky website may use a real company’s information
A fake shop does not have to look anonymous
It may display a genuine registration number, address, company name and terms copied from another business.
Find the company outside the site
Search independently by its name or registration number.
Compare the domain
Check whether the genuine company’s website matches the shop you are using.
Compare contact details
Check phone and email through an independent source, not only the suspicious site.
Verify the payment recipient
The recipient name or company should make sense for the order. Investigate any mismatch before paying.
How to check a shop before sending money
Combine company records, domain, contacts, history and payment terms rather than relying on one check.
Company registration
Check whether the business exists and whether its details match the offer. Register availability differs by country.
Domain
Check whether the domain belongs to the genuine business or imitates it.
Website history
A new or barely traceable website calls for greater caution.
Phone and email
Search contact details independently and compare them with the site.
Independent reviews
Look beyond testimonials on the shop’s own pages.
Collection in person
Inspecting the premises and goods can reduce some risks, but does not replace checking the quantity and quality.
When to pause the order and verify
Price far below the market
The offer is much cheaper than comparable sellers.
Bank transfer only
The seller refuses alternatives or collection in person.
New or unknown domain
The site has little traceable history or was created recently.
Company information mismatch
The registration exists, but domain, phone or email points elsewhere.
Chat-only contact
The seller limits independently verifiable communication.
“Last stock” and pressure
The offer supposedly expires within hours.
Another payment due to an error
You are asked to pay again because of a reference number or another supposed error.
No collection possible
The seller refuses a place where you could verify the goods or business.
Check the firewood before the supplier leaves
Paying on delivery reduces non-delivery risk, but does not automatically protect against the wrong quantity, type or quality.
What to do at each stage of the purchase
I only found a suspicious offer
- Send no money.
- Verify the business through the relevant official register. For Czech companies, ARES and the public register are linked above.
- Check the domain, contacts and independent reviews.
- Check warnings from your consumer authority. Absence from a list is not proof of safety.
- Save the URL and a screenshot of the offer.
The seller wants advance payment
- Verify the company and payment recipient.
- Compare contacts with an independent source.
- Ask whether collection and inspection are possible.
- Do not pay because of time pressure.
- Stop the order if doubts remain.
I paid, but nothing arrived
- Contact your bank immediately through its official channel.
- Ask whether the payment can be reviewed or stopped. Recovery is not guaranteed.
- Send no further payment.
- Save the order, conversation and account number.
- Contact local police if you suspect fraud.
The goods arrived, but quantity or quality is wrong
- Photograph the delivery.
- Keep the invoice or other receipt.
- Record the actual quantity and delivery circumstances.
- Keep seller and vehicle identification where relevant and available.
- Raise the discrepancy promptly with the seller. Seek local consumer advice; report suspected deliberate fraud to police.
Do not make another “corrective” payment
If the seller claims a transfer failed or lacked a reference, do not send more money just because they tell you to.
A “missing payment reference” becomes a second demand
What to keep
Keep anything linking the offer, seller, payment and delivery.
Offer URL
Website address or specific listing.
Screenshots
Price, quantity, contacts, terms and other details.
Communication
Emails, texts, chats and phone numbers.
Payment information
Account, recipient, amount and payment reference.
Order and receipts
Order confirmation, invoice or receipt.
Delivery
Photos, quantity, time, vehicle and delivery circumstances.
Firewood, pellets and fake shops — FAQ
Is advance payment always fraud?
No. But it makes checking the seller’s identity, history, contacts and payment recipient especially important.
Is payment on delivery safe?
It reduces complete non-delivery risk, but does not automatically verify quantity, type or quality. Check the delivery and agreed units.
How do I check a company registration number?
Use the relevant country’s official register. For Czech businesses, ARES or the public register can help. Compare the details; registration alone does not prove the website belongs to that company.
What if a site uses a real company’s information?
Find the company independently and compare its actual domain, phone and email. Contact the real business through a known channel.
Does a very low price automatically mean fraud?
No, but a large difference from normal prices calls for checks, especially with a new domain and advance-payment-only terms.
What if the seller asks me to pay again?
Do not transfer again based only on their explanation. Check the original payment with your bank and independently verify the recipient.
What if less firewood arrived than ordered?
Document the delivery, keep receipts and record actual quantity and units. Contact the seller promptly and report suspected deliberate fraud to local police.
Where can I report a suspicious shop?
Contact the relevant consumer authority for consumer-rights concerns and local police for suspected crime or loss. You can also send a report to DPP.
Found a suspicious firewood, pellet or briquette offer?
Save the URL, screenshots, conversation and payment information. A report to DPP does not replace your bank, consumer authority or police. The DPP form and linked Czech resources are in Czech.