Ottega Free Ring Scam – Part of a Whole Network of “Smooth Operators”

A clear exponent of a new and very real internet (social media) phenomenon, Ottega is part of a network of several sites which have been pushing an unconventional, scammy, yet somewhat creative business model, that essentially allows them to make money out of thin air, without any significant risks and investment on their part. What are we talking about though? Let us take a closer look at this “phenomenon.”

If you are a Facebook/Instagram user, you probably know about the free bathing suit/free watch/free rings deals that are sometimes floated through these social media channels by “brands” like Ottega. Such offers – incredibly attractive at first glance – peddle these items for free. Essentially, the cost of shipping is all one has to cover to get his/her hands on them. Why do companies pull such moves though and do they really leave free value on the table through them? There is no such thing as free money, so we can exclude that theory from the get-go. These guys do indeed make money on these “free” offers, but how do they do it?

The recipe is so simple, it is quite ridiculous and if you run a reverse search on the product images featured by vendors such as Ottega, you will probably realize on your own, what’s going on here…

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What that image search will reveal is that the products are all sourced from Alibaba, a Chinese mega-operation specializing in the bulk sale of cheap junk. Indeed, the rings and watches offered by Ottega are all made in China and they can be picked up for much less than the “shipping” price you’re paying for them through one of these smooth operators. In fact, the wristwatches Ottega have priced at $30-100, can be had for about $5.

So how exactly does the scheme work? Sites like Ottega are but mere fronts for the operation. What they do is called “dropshipping,” and it means they never even get their hands on the products they “sell.” They simply set up the sale, and combine their Alibaba sourcing with Shopify, a middleman who takes care of order- and credit card processing, and then delivers the information directly to Alibaba. That’s right. All these guys do is they operate a website and that’s about it.

Setting up the website itself and then relying on organic traffic to net “suckers” is not enough to provide a proper flow of revenue though, which is why the owners of these “brands” rely heavily on Facebook and Instagram to get the word out.

That’s a nice theory… you might say. Where is the proof though?

How can we be certain that Ottega and co. are indeed scams?

Above and beyond everything else, the proof of the pudding is in the eating as they say, which in this case translates to the quality of the products (jewelry, watches) you are given and the quality of the service itself.

As already mentioned, the quality of the products is abysmal. They are often delivered defective, and they generally look and feel extremely cheap. While it would indeed be reasonable to expect a $12 product in return for having paid that much, in this case, you’re getting an $2 product for a $12 price. It is just way too obvious that these are indeed cheap Chinese trinkets.

Ottega.com, the official website of the operation, is definitely part of a larger network of sites, which includes SofiCoastal and Folsom & Co, among others. There’s no way to be 100% certain of this, because none of the About Us pages of the sites offer any relevant information in any way. The whois information attached to the domains is kept private as well – one can’t help but wonder why?

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All the above mentioned websites use the standard default Brooklyn template offered by Shopify. They did not even bother to change up the fonts. The businesses that are allegedly behind the websites, are claimed to be located in different geographic areas, though there is absolutely no proof delivered in this regard. In fact, on at least one of the sites, a photoshopped image purported to be of the physical storefront of the operation serves as an even stronger reminder that we’re dealing with scammers here: it is a “Five Free Store Sign Mockups” psd file made available by inspirationfeed.com.

If you are still not convinced that these shops work on the same blueprint, just take a closer look at their actual sales pages. They all sport the same countdown timer and the same “items in stock” feature designed to induce urgency in visitors. There are just way too many coincidences there.

Efforts to track down the actual maker of the watches/rings (neither physical product carries any kind of a reference in this regard) will usually lead to Chinese companies, who produce cheap junk. Don’t be surprised if you find your ring somewhere, available for $2-5.

If you’re still doubting the above-described MO of Ottega and its sister-sites, take a look at the customer feedback available for instance at trustpilot. There are indeed scores of people screaming scam over there too.

Some less-than-content customers have actually contacted site owners/representatives, and they told them the products they were “selling” for $15 were available for $2 for all comers elsewhere. On at least one occasion, a site rep was unexpectedly candid about the whole setup, telling the complainer to take a hike, and that “that’s how capitalism works” (in his/her view).

The bottom line

Ottega and other websites of its ilk (they cannot really be called “brands”) are dropshipping operations, taking advantage of AliExpress’ affinity for the business model. They have Alibaba deliver $2 products, pocketing $10-$15 in shipping costs from their victims.

While the operation is not a scam in the traditional sense of the word (for the most part), it is definitely a predatory setup, playing on its victims’ greed and gullibility. Steer clear of these sites. If you really need that $2 watch or ring, just look it up (you can always reverse-search the picture of the product featured at Ottega) and pick it up directly from its main vendor.

When it comes to shopping online, make sure you use utilize online retailers backed by a strong corporate entity and one that provides a more fair and user-friendly consumer shopping experience, such as Amazon.com.

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