Anyone used onbuy.com?

Posted 5th Dec 2019
Having to edit this , as I misread the name....
Hi, onbuy.com has a pretty good Trustpilot rating, and the website is very well designed, but something didn't look right. I started to buy something, and went to Paypal, but noticed the 'Cancel and Return to' was to Kardon Global Limited, rather than onbuy. The listed director at Companies House does not appear on the onbuy website. Incorporated Sept 2018, but the website says "Since launching in 2016". Strange that the domain name appears to be 14yrs old, owned by Visor Commerce Ltd. perhaps they bought the domain.
Ultimately, this is a 'marketplace' website, and I assume any problems would be taken up with the seller, but I wonder how well vetted the sellers are, and what happens if they 'disappear' after selling something.
The 'safety' relies on buying through PayPal, but how do I know that PayPal will 'protect' my payment?
Thoughts please ....
Community Updates
dab-kid's avatar
OnBuy is an online marketplace where people can buy everything from books to cars from household brands to small, independent companies. OnBuy launched in 2016 and since then has become one of the UK’s fastest-growing marketplace. If you’re wondering - is OnBuy.com legit? Then the best way to make sure you know you’re shopping safely is to follow a few rules when shopping online:


  • Is it a trusted shop? - If you can see a small padlock symbol before the URL in the search bar then this shows is a secure website and demonstrates the connection is secure. OnBuy features this symbol, therefore you could say that it is a secure and trustworthy website. OnBuy’s website is also secured by Sectigo, which is one of the leading online digital identity providers.
  • Can I pay with PayPal? - If you can pay using PayPal it means that you have Buyer Protection which is a secure method to pay and offers refunds if you are scammed. When paying online at OnBuy Paypal is an accepted method of payment so this can offer peace of mind to sceptical customers.
  • Are there good reviews? - Often the best way to get a good idea about whether a website is reliable and legit is to look at other peoples’ reviews. OnBuy has a good rating on Trustpilot and you can browse other customers’ OnBuy reviews to get an idea of what the company is like.


If you still want to learn more about staying safe when shopping online then you can check out our guide which covers how to spot a fake shop and also how to protect yourself from being scammed. Check out the guide here.


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OnBuy FAQs

What is on the OnBuy website?
The OnBuy company is a marketplace website with a large product range for buyers and sellers. Products come in the condition of either new or used.

Is OnBuy legit?
The best way to check whether a website is reliable is to look at other customers’ reviews, Trustpilot features a host of OnBuy.com Trustpilot reviews which are generally positive, though if you have had problems with OnBuy here is the place to see whether others have had the same issue.

Is OnBuy second hand?
OnBuy features products that are new or used, meaning there may be second-hand products on sale.

How to contact OnBuy customer service?
The best way to contact OnBuy is to use their online contact form found on their website, though you can also send a message to the OnBuy email address: customersupport-gb@onbuy.com
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62 Comments

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  1. Phsycronix's avatar
    michelle.miha20/11/2020 15:44

    I just Googled my own product that I make and sell here in the UK, to see …I just Googled my own product that I make and sell here in the UK, to see where it comes up in search. Low and behold, onbuy.com had stolen my product pictures and product description and it was on sale for twice the price that I charge. I can't imagine how they would actually sell it as they would have to copy my labels and insert some type of fake crap into the bottles (I sell moisturiser) or perhaps the item would never arrive. I have sent them an email threatening legal action. I'm fuming! STEER CLEAR!!



    I don't think OnBuy 'stole' your information - a rogue seller on the platform probably did and posed it as their own. OnBuy can only; without evidence to the contrary; take this as honest details from a seller. I'm sure after investigating your proof, the listing(s) and probably seller would be removed. It would be great if you returned to this site and updated on your progress to resolve the issue?

    People need to remember: OnBuy don't 'sell' you anything. They are effectively a 'catalogue' of sellers who sell what you are looking for. The same way Ebay don't sell you products - only links to people who do.
    .
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    axxxr05/12/2020 10:31

    As a business owner OnBuy recently contacted me to ask me to list me my …As a business owner OnBuy recently contacted me to ask me to list me my products on on their platform and after reading some of these comments here i don't think that would be a good idea anymore? I sell high ticket products so can't afford any mistakes and bad service on their part.



    What "bad service" do you think you would receive? OnBuy are just the platform to 'display' your items - just like Ebay. I can't see what harm can be done to you by listing your product(s)? People will either buy them - or not. The "service" is kind of yours to provide - not OnBuy's. If you're good, your feedback would reflect that. I guess OnBuy's service is effectively to you - the seller.

    If you just imagine OnBuy as a fleamarket - if you don't have a 'stall' set up, you aren't going to sell a thing. I'm not keen on their practices but considering they are having a mad advertising campaign at the moment, I'd say it's only going to boost seller profile. Now, as to whether this leads to a huge increase in China sellers...

    Regards, Phsy. (edited)
  2. chrizk's avatar
    Author
    you appear to be associated with hotukdeals, and so I assume you are representing hotukdeals marketing. I am a little confused by your statement saying that a Padlock confirms a "seal of approval by Google". Can you explain what you mean? I could be using any browser, and as far as I know, the padlock simply shows that the CONNECTION is secure (ie it is using an encrypted protocol to relay information from the device to the website). On what basis are you stating that a padlock indicates a 'seal of approval from Google'?
    MaverickUK2016's avatar
    haha google are hardly deserving of any "padlock" itself let alone issuing them to anyone else for a bung!!
  3. AndyRoyd's avatar
    chrizk05/12/2019 23:42

    Thanks AndyRoyd, appreciate the confirmation. My purchase was Apple …Thanks AndyRoyd, appreciate the confirmation. My purchase was Apple Airpods. Fortunately someone added a HotUKDeal @ o2 shortly after, so I went with that instead.


    No problem. Encouraging to see someone on HUKD actually perform some pre-purchase due diligence.
  4. deleted2546768's avatar
    AVOID this company.
    I had a bad experience with my purchase. The Supplier was not responding to my emails so I escalated the issue to PayPal. They found in my favour and I received a full refund from PayPal. So no issues on the transaction...

    However, I gave the Supplier a 1* review on the OnBuy website but it never appeared. I left it a while and then asked OnBuy Customer Services why the post was not on the site. I was told that all 1* & 2* reviews were sent to their review team.
    I waited and sent a follow up email and was again told that it was being reviewed.
    So I checked the OnBuy product and company reviews for high helling items but could not find any 3* or less reviews.
    I find this very strange as even the best suppliers on Amazon have a few low star reviews.
    So it looks like OnBuy only post 4* & 5* reviews which I believe is not very honest and is miss-leadiing their customers
    Check OnBuy and see if you can find a 3*, 2* or 1* review.
  5. michelle.miha's avatar
    I just Googled my own product that I make and sell here in the UK, to see where it comes up in search. Low and behold, onbuy.com had stolen my product pictures and product description and it was on sale for twice the price that I charge. I can't imagine how they would actually sell it as they would have to copy my labels and insert some type of fake crap into the bottles (I sell moisturiser) or perhaps the item would never arrive. I have sent them an email threatening legal action. I'm fuming! STEER CLEAR!!
    rachel.patten's avatar
    I know this was a few years ago but just out of interest how did you get on with the legal threat? I've just sent them a legal letter but now after reading all these reviews, concerned that I am wasting my time.
  6. chrizk's avatar
    Author
    Quercus5505/12/2019 10:52

    La who de heyyyyy


    You are being too young and trendy for an old fart like me. Does that mean 'who are they?' ... as mentioned, a 'marketplace' website, with supposedly good reviews.
  7. AndyRoyd's avatar
    chrizk05/12/2019 23:23

    Lol, even with an explanation, I dont get it! Anyway, I was referring to …Lol, even with an explanation, I dont get it! Anyway, I was referring to the 'stated' company name (as shown in the banner of the web page). The URL is https://www.onbuy.com/gb/If anyone has any experience, it would be interesting to hear.Is it odd that Trustpilot is getting so many reviews in such a short period of time?https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/onbuy.com?utm_medium=trustbox&utm_source=MicroCombo


    Yes, onbuy is a marketplace, describing itself as an "Amazon alternative".
    All the co disclosures as required by The Company, Limited Liability Partnership and Business (Names and Trading Disclosures) Regulations 2015 are stated in para 14 of t&c at onbuy.com/gb/…ms/
    The MD stated at CH is mentioned by name and photo on the "About Us" page at onbuy.com/gb/…ut/
    The geo location of the domain name IP is Manchester (says domaintools).
    A purchase funded by PayPal will have the usual "buyer protection" as defined by PayPal.
  8. DelMc's avatar
    Just an update, I left a review with Trustpilot regarding my experience with Onbuy.com. Received an email from Onbuy.com today letting me know that they had deleted my review. No wonder when you go on the Onbuy.com website you can only read positive reviews. Tried to contact Trustpilot in the UK to flag the issue. The Trustpilot phone number 44 203 8898444 does not exit. Buyer be warned.
  9. axxxr's avatar
    As a business owner OnBuy recently contacted me to ask me to list me my products on on their platform and after reading some of these comments here i don't think that would be a good idea anymore? I sell high ticket products so can't afford any mistakes and bad service on their part. (edited)
  10. kramvic's avatar
    Bought a board game from there last week. Dispatched next day, fully tracked and received in a few days. Cheapest price I could find anywhere. 1st time I have used but a good experience.
  11. Piec3_of_Toast's avatar
    So Onbuy are a bunch of Bournemouth kids that started a website building company (Visor Commerce) dealing mostly with scam mobile recycling sites, even started their own one which went bust, I believe. A mate of mine wanted them to build and host a site and they were nothing but awful, bad business overall. Seems they're now doing a lot better with their marketplace, not sure how they do business with their sellers though... It's not like Amazon is any better anyways.

    But it's a marketplace where you buy from sellers and not onbuy themselves, although you'll have to deal with Onbuy's support if anything goes wrong and from what I've heard (past and present) - I'd rather not deal with them
  12. Phsycronix's avatar
    deleted253752117/07/2020 11:56

    PLEASE JUST STAY AWAY FROM THEM.... DO NOT BUY. THEY DO NOT GIVE CUSTOMERS …PLEASE JUST STAY AWAY FROM THEM.... DO NOT BUY. THEY DO NOT GIVE CUSTOMERS SUPPORT AND THEY WILL NOT RESOLVE ISSUES FOR YOU. I AM NOT OUT OF POCKET BECAUSE OF THEM.



    Another signup - specifically to slate. Then says:

    "I am not out of pocket because of them." ???
    SleepyChris's avatar
    Could this not be legitimate? The "not" is presumably a miscorrection of "now". I'd join up to warn if I'd been burned.
  13. deleted2579602's avatar
    Totally agree - AVOID THIS COMPANY AT ALL COSTS

    Be warned, if you get a problem with a seller OnBuy are not interested and just tell you to contact PayPal, not so easy if you do not have any transaction ID. Even worse if you pay by credit card, Paypal will tell you to contact your card provider and the card provider will tell you to contact PayPal. So whose responsibility is it to sort out these issues. At least with eBay and Amazon you always have good customer support to turn to.OnBuy are only interested in taking their percentage cut from sales and with ABSOLUTELY NO interest in anything else.

    Yes, they only publish 4 & 5 star reviews.
  14. MynameisM's avatar
    michelle.miha20/11/2020 15:44

    I just Googled my own product that I make and sell here in the UK, to see …I just Googled my own product that I make and sell here in the UK, to see where it comes up in search. Low and behold, onbuy.com had stolen my product pictures and product description and it was on sale for twice the price that I charge. I can't imagine how they would actually sell it as they would have to copy my labels and insert some type of fake crap into the bottles (I sell moisturiser) or perhaps the item would never arrive. I have sent them an email threatening legal action. I'm fuming! STEER CLEAR!!


    Are you sure someone isn't buying the stuff from you and selling it at a profit or even it's a one off they purchased extra stuff and want too sell it on don't think onbuy sell there own stuff like Amazon. It's more like eBay .
  15. Resali's avatar
    I purchased a new mobile phone from Onbuy in December, The item came as described and on time. I had no issues.
  16. DelMc's avatar
    Warning, stay away from Onbuy.com


    In my experience, Onbuy.com is a platform used by fake sellers such as AukeyTechwho send you fake confirmation order, use a fake tracking number from Yodel Courrierand send you a fake Paypal transaction number. The customer support does notanswer back your email. I am out of pocket with this company. TOTAL SCAM. Trustpilot give them a good review but if you look further, you will find a number of site with comments of very unhappy clients. STAY AWAY FROM ONBUY.com
  17. Phsycronix's avatar
    DelMc05/02/2021 15:08

    Warning, stay away from Onbuy.comIn my experience, Onbuy.com is a platform …Warning, stay away from Onbuy.comIn my experience, Onbuy.com is a platform used by fake sellers such as AukeyTechwho send you fake confirmation order, use a fake tracking number from Yodel Courrierand send you a fake Paypal transaction number. The customer support does notanswer back your email. I am out of pocket with this company. TOTAL SCAM. Trustpilot give them a good review but if you look further, you will find a number of site with comments of very unhappy clients. STAY AWAY FROM ONBUY.com



    But DelMc, that's like saying "Stay away from Ebay - as it has fake sellers on there." Of course there will be. But there will also be many genuine sellers too. Both platforms are open to abuse. Amazon too.

    Don't forget - Onbuy don't "sell" anything. You don't buy your goods from OnBuy. Only sellers on the platform, as you rightfully pointed out. Unfortunately, it's full of drop-shippers and China-sellers so you do take a chance sometimes - just as you do on Ebay. Yet, you rarely seen anyone saying "Ebay scammed me." Why? Because everyone knows you don't 'buy' anything from Ebay themselves.

    Perhaps that's why OnBuy removed your review on TP. Because you were questioning their response as the "provider" of your goods? When; in fact; the problem was this AukeyTech seller? You never really said what your issue was but would Paypal not offer assistance?
  18. simon.quin's avatar
    This is a platform for criminals. You have no come back if you pay and get nothing. The shop I used was closed so I shall have to try Paypal to get a refund. Onebuy give no warranty and simply take a cut of the proceeds.


    Edit Delete Share



  19. triciauno's avatar
    Used them twice never an issue......
  20. Quercus55's avatar
    La who de heyyyyy
  21. deleted2537521's avatar
    PLEASE JUST STAY AWAY FROM THEM.... DO NOT BUY. THEY DO NOT GIVE CUSTOMERS SUPPORT AND THEY WILL NOT RESOLVE ISSUES FOR YOU. I AM NOT OUT OF POCKET BECAUSE OF THEM.
    rachel.patten's avatar
    This is exactly what is currently happening to me. I bought a product which was faulty within a few months. They send out fixes which only work temporarily and the reason for this is so they can stall the return of the product. They make you return the product and once returned will not give a full refund down to rubbish like depreciation. They fail to see that they have provided a faulty good. Currently I am going through a legal process to get my refund under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Like many are saying on this page, STAY AWAY
  22. niggly.romano's avatar
    Onbuy - Dreadful. Just dreadful. Took six weeks to send the wrong item from China. Send back to Ireland for a refund in 3 days? You won't get your full delivery back as per terms and conditions either. The wrong item sent was a much cheaper version. Box all damaged as we're contents. Absolute scumbags.
  23. wiz1's avatar
    rubbish company
  24. Brian_Luff's avatar
    Avoid. Purchased a PS4 controller and it was copy. Emailed them but no response.
  25. jmb0604's avatar
    I have used these on 3 or 4 occasions for buying, absolutely no problem at all with any of the orders. Very quick delivery and all exactly as described, prefer these to ebay to be honest.
  26. maxp's avatar
    I'll never use them again.
    Do not be swayed by their cheap prices. If there's a problem (i.e. the order never arrived or the merchant never processed a refund) their response is 'Not our problem - open a case with PayPal'. (edited)
  27. s4i's avatar
    I have bought from them twice in the last week. Both items came from the same supplier and I ordered from them as OnBuy wanted £9.79 for each item and Amazon, from the same seller, wanted £14.99 each and the delivery was the same 2-3 days. All goods arrived on time and as per the listing.
  28. andy8771's avatar
    I used Onbuy to buy a wardrobe recently (£399), smooth transaction, great product and good delivery times. I used their online dispute to ask the supplier to honour the sale price of the item I had bought a day before.
    This was agreed within the day, the refund came through really quickly. Was impressed how the dispute system worked
    Good customer service throughout, I would use them again without hesitation.
  29. stub1000's avatar
    i bought an iPhone 12 from the at Christmas (at a great price, so was nervous that it was a con!). It took a little while for the order to processed, but the tracking was great, item arrived before Christmas day and no issues with the item since.
  30. deleted648878's avatar
    I have had issues with sellers on eBay but eBay have promptly stepped in and sorted it out. I have not had any issues with market place sellers on Amazon. I probably wouldn't use onbuy.com to buy on their marketplace as I like to know there is the backing behind it from a large well known company like eBay or Amazon should something go wrong as they have to protect their reputation. I rarely trust online reviews for companies, market sellers, or the items they sell anymore since they have been shown to be open to abuse.
  31. MissMango's avatar
    I have used onbuy.com to purchase phones before. three of the same Samsung A51 (for me and my parents) as they were the cheapest that i could find and also had the colour i wanted (pink :D) had no problems with the three of the phones. My seller shipped with Hermes - was super fast to arrive!

    I also purchased bolts and nuts from another seller. again no issues.
  32. Olivia_Kennedy's avatar
    I bought some dumbbells from them a week ago. They came with broken collars rendering them useless and have since been gathering dust. They are also extremely dangerous without the right parts as they are heavy. Infuriating that onbuy.com only shows positive reviews for the seller, even after the fact i left my own review giving my honest experience. People are still buying this cheap item thinking it will be great and it’s actually completely useless. If you buy dumbbells from onbuy.com they will be poor quality and their terrible customer service will just fob you off and leave you having wasted your money. The item I bought is still live with only 3 stars and above, mostly 5 stars. My review does not even appear anywhere Disgusting. Will avoid from now on.
  33. n17d's avatar
    Used them several times. No issues at all. Goods tend to be shipped direct from another company, one of mine came direct from Amazon
  34. yahoohx's avatar
    n17d21/03/2021 13:28

    Used them several times. No issues at all. Goods tend to be shipped direct …Used them several times. No issues at all. Goods tend to be shipped direct from another company, one of mine came direct from Amazon


    And if the same product cost more on amazon, what the seller did is this and this is how they make money.

    The seller use a fake credit card or a copy of someone's credit card, made the purchase on Amazon and put your address as postage address.

    That is how they make money. They are criminals and conducting credit card frauds. And by buying from them, you would unknowningly helping them turning criminal proceeds to cash.

    This kind fraud is very common. Packages often come from Amazon or John Lewis directly, and the price on those websites are normally higher than what the seller's prices. The sellers offer buyer lower price than the price they are going to pay (normally 20 to 30%), and keep the remaining 70% criminal proceeds.

    This is like the new style of money laundering. They give the buyer a cut through discounted price, and in turn the buyer take goods from their crimes and give them clean cash. (edited)
  35. chrizk's avatar
    Author
    chrizk04/10/2021 11:13

    @dab-kid ... as far as I know, the padlock simply shows that the …@dab-kid ... as far as I know, the padlock simply shows that the CONNECTION is secure (ie it is using an encrypted protocol to relay information from the device to the website).


    Thank you for updating (I note that the certificate is issued by Cloudfare to cloudfaressl, indicating that the web hosting service has simply provided it to itself). It would be misleading to say (a possibly) respected (and mighty) organisation gives a seal of approval.
    I believe we have established that onbuy.com are simply a marketplace, and have little (nothing) to do with complaints, ultimately leaving any dispute to Paypal.
    It is however very concerning that it is reported that they do not publish low ratings for sellers. If this is true, their level of trust would rightfully be called into question.
  36. AndyRoyd's avatar
    chrizk05/12/2019 12:00

    You are being too young and trendy for an old fart like me. Does that …You are being too young and trendy for an old fart like me. Does that mean 'who are they?' ... as mentioned, a 'marketplace' website, with supposedly good reviews.


    Possibly means doublecheck the stated domain name / URL.
  37. chrizk's avatar
    Author
    Thanks AndyRoyd, appreciate the confirmation. My purchase was Apple Airpods. Fortunately someone added a HotUKDeal @ o2 shortly after, so I went with that instead.
  38. magggied's avatar
    I bought weights for a gazebo x 4 - so a weighty order. It never arrived. Said it went missing in transit. However Id never been sent shipping details. I used PayPal, and the vendor refunded me very quickly with no issues.
  39. strange's avatar
    i once was buying a amazon device from argos and something popped up saying join and get £15 off i presumed it was like quidco so did you was supposed to pay £15 a month but you got same in credit so effectively freef irst month free also, so i joined got my £15 then left they asked why i just clicked on the to expensive option not heard from them since did get £15 off tho, also noticed they are on check for stock sites ie price spy, didnt look at it tho .hope this is of use.
    NoSocks's avatar
    That is Complete Savings - they are really great provided you know what you are signing up for and remember to claim back your £15 every month (so it costs mothing to be a member)
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