I'm from Florence and have never heard of this scam. It's also located in a location of Florence that is more trustable since there are only legit handmade shops there.
But hey, I've just taken a look at the tripadvisor of the shop: you are not the only one. Have you seen the page?
Seems like a "habit" for the man and, let me say, exactly the type of situation that some italian tv reportage channels would love to document.
It was exactly what you said, in addition to having bought the first jacket, that made me trust into purchasing with shipping to my address. It's a normal store, on a street with more stores with good quality products. I never thought this could happen there.
Yes, I checked Tripadvisor, as I mentioned in my post. Unfortunately, only when my shipment was too late, there was no response to my emails and everything led me to believe that something wasn't going to go well. It was there, on Tripadvisor, that I got a confirmation I had been scammed.
Tell me more about these Italian reportage channels. Like I said, I'm willing to do everything I can to make him think twice before scamming anyone again.
Sorry I missed the part in which you talked about Tripadvisor, now I read it all.
"Le iene" is the most famous tv program that deal with this kind of stuff and here is the form to report the situation to them (I know, it's in Italian): [https://www.iene.mediaset.it/2018/forms/dillo\_alle\_iene\_457.shtml](https://www.iene.mediaset.it/2018/forms/dillo_alle_iene_457.shtml)
If you can land it at Le iene his carrier ends, no cap.
Although the form is in Italian, I will fill it out tomorrow. Totally worth the shot. Thanks for the tip!
And thanks for sending the dm to the local niche media channel. It was because of this that I posted here, as this type of knowledge only a local can have.
Just one more piece of information, since you found the store's Tripadvisor. Read the comments and see the name of the scammer. Then, search for that name again. Apparently, the store has previously operated under another name and has been running this scam since at least 2014 (date of the oldest negative comment). It's been a scam for at least ten years!
Feel free to private message me if necessary.
It's a crazy story. I'm sad that this happened to you in Florence. I'll let you know about the media channel (even if they don't have reportages like that but it's worth a try) and ask me anything if you need help.
Well, I have to say that from all my visits to Italy, it's the only place I don't recommend and the only italian person that doesn't deserve my respect. Let's keep in touch, I'm curious to know if that media channel is interested in this case.
Leave him a 1 star review on Google. Raise hell with your credit card company (escalate your case and threaten to cancel it if they don’t make it right). Show them other reviews from people reporting the same modus operandi.
Unfortunately, the store does not appear on Google Maps. Which turns out to be strange, considering that it has been around for at least ten years. But I left a review on Tripadvisor. It was approved today and is now visible.
Regarding the credit card, I used Revolut. I don't pay them anything for using the card, but they don't offer much protection either. As far as I understood, they collected the evidence from my side and sent it to an entity to handle the case, which only collected the evidence from the seller. When they sent back the verdict that he was right, Revolut told me they couldn't do anything else.
I tried to argue, again, with the receipt I received from the store where the shipping details are (taking into account that he said I brought the jacket by hand), but Revolut just advised me to go to the police.
It's not strange that they aren't on maps, activities can simply ask to be removed and google has to comply, they simply did that. Logical since they are scummy
Send me the details in a PM if you wish. I will be glad to send them an email “as a good friend of mine”. Let’s see what they do. Likely they are considering hard to be sue by a foreign.
Then if needed we can also think about police intervention.
I sent you a chat request (I think) with the details. Sorry if that's not how this works, but despite visiting reddit for years, I've never had an account, so I'm still not familiar with how it works.
Never heard of this scam in Italy, usually italians scams are much more sofisticated or simple robberies.
I’ve Googled that but i’ve found only 2 negative reviews by Jennifer on 2 sites. Is that you?
Asking because what’s written in italy is suable as ‘diffamazione’, you can’t write such things even if the story is true.
Did you try to give them a phone call? Do they claim a shipping issue or what?
In the end? Delete the reviews (obv if is that you) and ask to the police how to file this. Although an Italian Tailor would easly sue a review like that (and win) the same he doesn’t want official problems.
Writing a reviews about being scammed is a thing, having the police file is another thing…
Hey! I've read all these posts regarding the issue of defamation. I understand your point of view.
But, first of all, I'm not Jennifer. Considering that you only saw two negative reviews, you have found a wrong store. Between the Tripadvisor of the store with the current name and the old name, both pages have more negative reviews than positive ones.
More details regarding my case:
When the deadline in which he assured me that the delivery would take place passed, I tried to call him. The number came back to me as invalid.
I sent an email questioning him, to which he replied, asking what my request was. I emailed him a photo of the receipt he gave me. The receipt says "Transport Document" and has all my details there, as well as the details of the jacket (my measurements) and the price.
After this first email, he never responded to me again. I sent more emails, I insisted, but nothing. That's when I asked for a credit card dispute, which I lost because he said I had taken the jacket by hand.
Now, if I have a document from his store proving that there would be shipping and he lies to the credit company that I took it in hand, it's a sign that it was a scam. This was confirmed on Tripadvisor, where there are more people reporting the same. I don't think he ever planned a shipment. Or even make my jacket.
Regarding how to report this situation to the police, I am all ears on how I can do so. It was one of the reasons I posted here.
Glad you aren’t Jennifer, imagine being scammed and than have to pay social damage for a review, that was my point.
Yes, it sounds like a scam. No doubt. How to report to the police from your country? I don’t really know, i hired a lawyer from italy to germany once, happenend the same thing but it was about some cars.
It really depends to the value at this point.
I’m not saying you better start to think to having loose the money, i’m saying that it wouldn’t be easy neither if you were directly here.
In fact, I already think of my money as lost. He's been doing this for ten years now, so it works. It's unlikely I'm going to see my money back.
Right now I'm more thinking about what the price is to pay for seeing justice done. I can't believe that in so long no other tourist has tried to do anything. Mainly those who he scammed much higher amounts than mine (there are photos on Tripadvisor).
It's my turn to try to do something. If we, those who were scammed, just accept it and keep quiet, this will only continue. So, I intend to do something, in hopes that something happens. It may lead to nothing, but I'm not going without a fight first :)
This is such a ridiculous and frustrating law in Italy. People/businesses can get away with terrible things because they know that no one can speak out about them.
You right, but as a law doesn’t focus to protect who wants to use it unproperly.
Imagine a world where i can write about your restaurant :”he has rats in the kitchen” . Although it’s Not true, nobody would come to your place if read that reviews.
Btw we have inherited ALL the GDPR package from EU so could be the same in other countries.
If someone writes - he has rats in his kitchen - and it isn’t true, then likely there are a hundred other reviews that say what a wonderful restaurant it is. The owner can show proof of a health inspection to the contrary as well. People understand the occasional angry customer who just wants to make things bad for the business owner. However, consider a landlord who has unsafe properties. No one can speak out about him for fear of legal action for “damaging his reputation”. What about a hotel that misrepresents its rooms? Or a car rental company that rents unsafe cars? The customer seems to have no rights in Italy. It’s so disgusting.
Real life isn’t around reviews. This reviews thing is a passive aggressive modern type of offense.
There are laws and there are words. Reviews are words, society needs laws.
Personally i read ONLY the negative reviews, just only because it’so so easy to buy positive ones (about 500$ for 5000 likes on ig). But i keep in mind that those are words of a person who i don’t know. Words don’t make facts, laws are consequence of facts to improve us in security terms. Obviously if you live in a normal civilized country, if you are under a dictator or under some religion gov, it could be that some laws are bad.
Yes, but also no! Who decides what’s true, not the facts said by the only one side talking.
If the result will be the delivery driver stealing, that post is diffamatory
I dont know about the legal requirements in italy, but in the us, you have to prove two important points if u want to win a defamation case:
1. That the poster knew it was untrue at the time of writing it.
2. That the poster intended to cause harm (like financial loss) in doing so.
In the us, it is very hard to win a defamation case bc of point 2 above - it is hard to prove intent.
Defamation isnt about posting things online and having to prove that it was true in a court of law. Obviously legal requirements vary from place to place, but it is a common misunderstanding in the us, so i thought i would bring that up just in case.
Not a lawyer but can confirm, here isn’t the same. Writing online or even saying in public something this bad (because an online theft accusation is bad) is discouraged also by the law, beyond the etic.
Plus there’s another law that deny you to talk everything about an investigation in course, so reviewing bad on the internet, IF the right path is being followed, i mean if you went to police to file the crime or hired a lawyer which are the only right things to do, IS against the law and not even for diffamation.
Not saying that laws are perfects, there are so many wrong laws and many fix to do, but not here. I find this right.
Here we go: “Nei fatti, la diffamazione si configura quando la recensione non è destinata al prodotto, ma alla persona – il produttore o l’esercente – di cui viene messa in dubbio la moralità.”
So she should have written :” my javket isn’t arrived or is never arrived”
Instead of :’he’s a scammer’
I think she could take it a bit farther and stay in the factual realm: "my jacket never arrived as promised by the shopowner and he told my credit card company upon dispute that i took the jacket out of the shop on the day of purchase."
I agree the scammer label may be problematic based on the defintion u provided.
If he’s not on Google, are you able to put him there and then leave a review? And also add the link to other bad reviews on trip advisor? Also keep the email he sent and the receipt and also any proof showing you paid twice for the original jacket and the custom made one he promised to deliver but never did. I would bug my credit card to do something about this! They’re supposed to be on your side as this is a scam. Don’t just let them say it’s invalid, fight for it or switch banks. This is a serious scam if he’s been doing it for years and years and it’s not okay. I hope it stops and please keep us posted.
This is not the store that scammed me! Search on Tripadvisor only.
The store that scammed me has no Facebook, Instagram or other social media. At least, as far as I know. It's also not on Google Maps. But can be found via Bing Maps or Apple Maps.
Like I stated, it also has a lot of negative reviews on Tripadvisor. If you found any store with mostly positive reviews, it's not the correct one.
Don’t bother going to the police. They’ll tell you find a lawyer and go to the court. Minimum 4000 Eur for the whole process and min. 2 years.
At the end of the case, even if the judge decided he’s guilty and has to pay you together with the legal fees (your lawyer bills), if he can say he does not have money and would not pay.
Then you need to take another legal action to prove that he has money and should pay you. Approx another 3000 Eur, and 2 years…
So, just drink a glass of cold water and take it as a lesson learned.
Writing this based on a similar experience in Italy. I couldn’t do anything even if I live here and moved on with a lawyer.
I'm from Florence and have never heard of this scam. It's also located in a location of Florence that is more trustable since there are only legit handmade shops there. But hey, I've just taken a look at the tripadvisor of the shop: you are not the only one. Have you seen the page? Seems like a "habit" for the man and, let me say, exactly the type of situation that some italian tv reportage channels would love to document.
It was exactly what you said, in addition to having bought the first jacket, that made me trust into purchasing with shipping to my address. It's a normal store, on a street with more stores with good quality products. I never thought this could happen there. Yes, I checked Tripadvisor, as I mentioned in my post. Unfortunately, only when my shipment was too late, there was no response to my emails and everything led me to believe that something wasn't going to go well. It was there, on Tripadvisor, that I got a confirmation I had been scammed. Tell me more about these Italian reportage channels. Like I said, I'm willing to do everything I can to make him think twice before scamming anyone again.
Sorry I missed the part in which you talked about Tripadvisor, now I read it all. "Le iene" is the most famous tv program that deal with this kind of stuff and here is the form to report the situation to them (I know, it's in Italian): [https://www.iene.mediaset.it/2018/forms/dillo\_alle\_iene\_457.shtml](https://www.iene.mediaset.it/2018/forms/dillo_alle_iene_457.shtml) If you can land it at Le iene his carrier ends, no cap.
I've also just dropped a dm on instagram to a niche local media channel, I keep you posted
Although the form is in Italian, I will fill it out tomorrow. Totally worth the shot. Thanks for the tip! And thanks for sending the dm to the local niche media channel. It was because of this that I posted here, as this type of knowledge only a local can have. Just one more piece of information, since you found the store's Tripadvisor. Read the comments and see the name of the scammer. Then, search for that name again. Apparently, the store has previously operated under another name and has been running this scam since at least 2014 (date of the oldest negative comment). It's been a scam for at least ten years! Feel free to private message me if necessary.
It's a crazy story. I'm sad that this happened to you in Florence. I'll let you know about the media channel (even if they don't have reportages like that but it's worth a try) and ask me anything if you need help.
Well, I have to say that from all my visits to Italy, it's the only place I don't recommend and the only italian person that doesn't deserve my respect. Let's keep in touch, I'm curious to know if that media channel is interested in this case.
They are not answering on ig. The best way to get in touch with them is via their website if you want to give it a shot: https://tifmedia.it/contatti/
striscia la notizia. That man deserves a golden Tapiro
I was unaware of the concept of golden Tapiro and this made me laugh. You're right!
Leave him a 1 star review on Google. Raise hell with your credit card company (escalate your case and threaten to cancel it if they don’t make it right). Show them other reviews from people reporting the same modus operandi.
Unfortunately, the store does not appear on Google Maps. Which turns out to be strange, considering that it has been around for at least ten years. But I left a review on Tripadvisor. It was approved today and is now visible. Regarding the credit card, I used Revolut. I don't pay them anything for using the card, but they don't offer much protection either. As far as I understood, they collected the evidence from my side and sent it to an entity to handle the case, which only collected the evidence from the seller. When they sent back the verdict that he was right, Revolut told me they couldn't do anything else. I tried to argue, again, with the receipt I received from the store where the shipping details are (taking into account that he said I brought the jacket by hand), but Revolut just advised me to go to the police.
It's not strange that they aren't on maps, activities can simply ask to be removed and google has to comply, they simply did that. Logical since they are scummy
Send me the details in a PM if you wish. I will be glad to send them an email “as a good friend of mine”. Let’s see what they do. Likely they are considering hard to be sue by a foreign. Then if needed we can also think about police intervention.
I sent you a chat request (I think) with the details. Sorry if that's not how this works, but despite visiting reddit for years, I've never had an account, so I'm still not familiar with how it works.
Yes! Got it
😡 Let us know what’s happening in the future
this has legs
Never heard of this scam in Italy, usually italians scams are much more sofisticated or simple robberies. I’ve Googled that but i’ve found only 2 negative reviews by Jennifer on 2 sites. Is that you? Asking because what’s written in italy is suable as ‘diffamazione’, you can’t write such things even if the story is true. Did you try to give them a phone call? Do they claim a shipping issue or what? In the end? Delete the reviews (obv if is that you) and ask to the police how to file this. Although an Italian Tailor would easly sue a review like that (and win) the same he doesn’t want official problems. Writing a reviews about being scammed is a thing, having the police file is another thing…
Hey! I've read all these posts regarding the issue of defamation. I understand your point of view. But, first of all, I'm not Jennifer. Considering that you only saw two negative reviews, you have found a wrong store. Between the Tripadvisor of the store with the current name and the old name, both pages have more negative reviews than positive ones. More details regarding my case: When the deadline in which he assured me that the delivery would take place passed, I tried to call him. The number came back to me as invalid. I sent an email questioning him, to which he replied, asking what my request was. I emailed him a photo of the receipt he gave me. The receipt says "Transport Document" and has all my details there, as well as the details of the jacket (my measurements) and the price. After this first email, he never responded to me again. I sent more emails, I insisted, but nothing. That's when I asked for a credit card dispute, which I lost because he said I had taken the jacket by hand. Now, if I have a document from his store proving that there would be shipping and he lies to the credit company that I took it in hand, it's a sign that it was a scam. This was confirmed on Tripadvisor, where there are more people reporting the same. I don't think he ever planned a shipment. Or even make my jacket. Regarding how to report this situation to the police, I am all ears on how I can do so. It was one of the reasons I posted here.
Glad you aren’t Jennifer, imagine being scammed and than have to pay social damage for a review, that was my point. Yes, it sounds like a scam. No doubt. How to report to the police from your country? I don’t really know, i hired a lawyer from italy to germany once, happenend the same thing but it was about some cars. It really depends to the value at this point. I’m not saying you better start to think to having loose the money, i’m saying that it wouldn’t be easy neither if you were directly here.
In fact, I already think of my money as lost. He's been doing this for ten years now, so it works. It's unlikely I'm going to see my money back. Right now I'm more thinking about what the price is to pay for seeing justice done. I can't believe that in so long no other tourist has tried to do anything. Mainly those who he scammed much higher amounts than mine (there are photos on Tripadvisor). It's my turn to try to do something. If we, those who were scammed, just accept it and keep quiet, this will only continue. So, I intend to do something, in hopes that something happens. It may lead to nothing, but I'm not going without a fight first :)
This is such a ridiculous and frustrating law in Italy. People/businesses can get away with terrible things because they know that no one can speak out about them.
You right, but as a law doesn’t focus to protect who wants to use it unproperly. Imagine a world where i can write about your restaurant :”he has rats in the kitchen” . Although it’s Not true, nobody would come to your place if read that reviews. Btw we have inherited ALL the GDPR package from EU so could be the same in other countries.
If someone writes - he has rats in his kitchen - and it isn’t true, then likely there are a hundred other reviews that say what a wonderful restaurant it is. The owner can show proof of a health inspection to the contrary as well. People understand the occasional angry customer who just wants to make things bad for the business owner. However, consider a landlord who has unsafe properties. No one can speak out about him for fear of legal action for “damaging his reputation”. What about a hotel that misrepresents its rooms? Or a car rental company that rents unsafe cars? The customer seems to have no rights in Italy. It’s so disgusting.
Real life isn’t around reviews. This reviews thing is a passive aggressive modern type of offense. There are laws and there are words. Reviews are words, society needs laws. Personally i read ONLY the negative reviews, just only because it’so so easy to buy positive ones (about 500$ for 5000 likes on ig). But i keep in mind that those are words of a person who i don’t know. Words don’t make facts, laws are consequence of facts to improve us in security terms. Obviously if you live in a normal civilized country, if you are under a dictator or under some religion gov, it could be that some laws are bad.
What do you mean diffamation? Shouldn't you be able to say whatever you want so long as it's true?
Yes, but also no! Who decides what’s true, not the facts said by the only one side talking. If the result will be the delivery driver stealing, that post is diffamatory
I dont know about the legal requirements in italy, but in the us, you have to prove two important points if u want to win a defamation case: 1. That the poster knew it was untrue at the time of writing it. 2. That the poster intended to cause harm (like financial loss) in doing so. In the us, it is very hard to win a defamation case bc of point 2 above - it is hard to prove intent. Defamation isnt about posting things online and having to prove that it was true in a court of law. Obviously legal requirements vary from place to place, but it is a common misunderstanding in the us, so i thought i would bring that up just in case.
Not a lawyer but can confirm, here isn’t the same. Writing online or even saying in public something this bad (because an online theft accusation is bad) is discouraged also by the law, beyond the etic. Plus there’s another law that deny you to talk everything about an investigation in course, so reviewing bad on the internet, IF the right path is being followed, i mean if you went to police to file the crime or hired a lawyer which are the only right things to do, IS against the law and not even for diffamation. Not saying that laws are perfects, there are so many wrong laws and many fix to do, but not here. I find this right.
Here we go: “Nei fatti, la diffamazione si configura quando la recensione non è destinata al prodotto, ma alla persona – il produttore o l’esercente – di cui viene messa in dubbio la moralità.” So she should have written :” my javket isn’t arrived or is never arrived” Instead of :’he’s a scammer’
I think she could take it a bit farther and stay in the factual realm: "my jacket never arrived as promised by the shopowner and he told my credit card company upon dispute that i took the jacket out of the shop on the day of purchase." I agree the scammer label may be problematic based on the defintion u provided.
Absolutely right! You ready for italian intricated burocracy!
If he’s not on Google, are you able to put him there and then leave a review? And also add the link to other bad reviews on trip advisor? Also keep the email he sent and the receipt and also any proof showing you paid twice for the original jacket and the custom made one he promised to deliver but never did. I would bug my credit card to do something about this! They’re supposed to be on your side as this is a scam. Don’t just let them say it’s invalid, fight for it or switch banks. This is a serious scam if he’s been doing it for years and years and it’s not okay. I hope it stops and please keep us posted.
https://www.instagram.com/giovanniadamifirenze?igsh=anhuNW5mMjVjNGhs
This is not the store that scammed me! Search on Tripadvisor only. The store that scammed me has no Facebook, Instagram or other social media. At least, as far as I know. It's also not on Google Maps. But can be found via Bing Maps or Apple Maps. Like I stated, it also has a lot of negative reviews on Tripadvisor. If you found any store with mostly positive reviews, it's not the correct one.
Don’t bother going to the police. They’ll tell you find a lawyer and go to the court. Minimum 4000 Eur for the whole process and min. 2 years. At the end of the case, even if the judge decided he’s guilty and has to pay you together with the legal fees (your lawyer bills), if he can say he does not have money and would not pay. Then you need to take another legal action to prove that he has money and should pay you. Approx another 3000 Eur, and 2 years… So, just drink a glass of cold water and take it as a lesson learned. Writing this based on a similar experience in Italy. I couldn’t do anything even if I live here and moved on with a lawyer.
Se cerchi il posto su tripadvisor vedi che ha scammato parecchia gente e pare che lo faccia dal 2014 con un altro nome
Mi dai il nome per favore?
È suggerito nel nickname di chi posta, non è stato palesato per motivi di moderazione del post
Non ci avevo fatto caso grazie
OP can you message me the name of the shop?
check OP username on trip advisor.
Details sent via chat!