Fraud or really Exoto?

[John S]

Last week I ordered a scalemodel from Exoto and after a couple of days I received the following email:


Dear Mr. S,
Thank you for the order you recently placed on exoto.com or exototifosi.com.
Because you are a first-time customer, it is necessary for us to verify your credit card and your credit card billing address. Furthermore, we must also identify that your shipping address is your official registered address with your bank and/or where you receive your credit card statements.

This is a preventative security measure that we are required to take with first-time customers only in order to prevent fraudulent usage of your credit card. Kindly provide us with the portion of your credit card billing statement that shows the Exoto charge. We do not need to see any non-Exoto transaction details on your statement; these can be blocked out if necessary. However, the partial or whole card number, your name and your billing address must be visible in order to help us expedite your order. Alternately, if you do not wish to provide your statement, your order will be held for 90 days to allow time to ensure the order is not fraudulent. After 90 days your order will be released for shipment.

Please fax your credit card statement to 1-805-530-3840 –or—send it to us via e-mail attachment to [email protected]. If you feel uncomfortable about replying directly to my email, you may alternately send your statement through Exoto’s general email address which can be located at www.exoto.com in the FAQ section.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Shane Meyer
5440 Atlantis Court
Moorpark , CA 93021
Phone - 800-872-2088
Fax - 805-530-3840
Email - [email protected]
Web - www.exoto.com or www.exototifosi.com




For a split second I thought okay company policy, but then I thought why would they need to do this. So I started studying the email more closely and a couple of things didn't seem right.
First of all this email was forwarded to me by someone else asking me if I had actually received this message.
Furthermore, I noticed they used the emailaddress sales309 at exoto dot com. Why use sales309 instead of a normal name as emailaddress?

So I replied that I would not give them my details, but investigate further. Upon me reply I received a reply from the forwarding person stating:


John:

Meanwhile, I had authorized the shipping of your replica. It was picked by UPS today. The tracking number ought to show on your account with us by tomorrow.

Sent from my iPhone.


Any of you familiar with this or similar experience with Exoto?

John

 

[Mike]

Wouldn't touch that with a 10 foot pole! Wouldn't respond to the email either. Pick up the phone and call them.

 

[SunDude (Brian)]

This happened to me as well, but the good news is that it's legit. Phone Exoto and ask for Shane and you can confirm.

IMO the bigger question is to confirm that Exoto actually has the model in stock. If it is you should be fine. But if it's a back order or preorder, get ready for a looooooooong wait. I know guys that have waited YEARS for a preorder that has yet to be delivered.

 

[John S]

Thanks!

I contacted Exoto directly and indeed they confirmed this is company policy.
Fortunately, they had already released my ordered model and it should be overhere within two days. Really looking forward to that.

Still a very suspicious email according to me. I never gave them any details as a reply to their email and never will in future replies.

John

 

[SunDude (Brian)]

I had the exact same reaction as you. At first I thought it was a phishing scam. Then, when I found out it was company policy for first-time customers, I just thought it was annoying. Never had any other online vendor do that.

But the worse may be yet to come. Now that I've ordered from Exoto, I receive several "junk emails" from them every day. Easy enough to delete, but you surely get my point...

 

[John S]

Haven't visited the forum that much lately, but the Exoto arrived overhere safe and nearly sound.
The rear clip had two bad spots so I contacted Exoto about it. At first they suggested I contact a valeting service and ask them to polish it out, but the damage was way too bad.
So they very kindly agreed to send me a new rear clip which was up to Exoto standards.

Needless to say I am very happy with my Exoto model and the customer service they supply. I now also bought the other great American racer form them the Cobra Daytona Coupe.

John