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Brickbears.nl EXPOSED – Fake or Real? Store Investigation

By Thomas Orsolya7 min read

What makes you pause on Brickbears.nl is the price. Stylish clothes, home gadgets and gifts go for a fraction of what they normally cost.

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Everything looks great in the pictures. The item in your mailbox is often something else, and getting your money back tends to be much tougher than buying.

Brickbears.nl scam

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Overview

A dropshipper, not a real brand

Brickbears.nl isn’t the maker of what it sells. It works like thousands of other shops, listing low-cost supplier items that ship directly out of warehouses in China.

The store never handles stock. It prices the items, runs the ads and takes your money, while a supplier you’ll never hear from packs the order and sends it off.

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Brickbears.nl is just one face of a bigger operation: a scam network of near-identical stores that recycle templates, product photos and return policies and come back under new names.

Cheap items that don’t match the ads

Expect very low quality and an item that looks nothing like the ad. The photos are usually lifted from other sellers or brands, so they picture something you won’t get.

Sending items back isn’t worth the price

On the surface, the refund policy can sound reassuring. The details say otherwise:

  • The return address is overseas. In most cases, items go back to China, and the postage is at your expense.
  • Shipping eats the refund. International postage on a $25 item can be higher than the item’s own price.
  • Partial refunds replace full ones. Request a return and you’ll usually get an offer of 15% to 30% back if you keep the item, not your full money back.
  • Getting answers takes time. Contact is usually by email alone, and days can pass between replies.

Brickbears.nl is high risk, full stop. Do not buy from it. You’ll likely spend far more than the item is worth, and a practical return just isn’t on the table.

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What We Found on Brickbears.nl

Here’s what we noticed when we looked at Brickbears.nl:

  • Brickbears.nl was registered on October 17, 2025, about a year ago.
  • The MalwareTips URL scanner gives Brickbears.nl a Safety Score of 38/100, rated High Risk (full report).

What Happens When You Order from Brickbears.nl

The pattern behind most orders is predictable. Seeing it in advance can spare you both the cost and weeks of trading emails.

Step 1: An ad promises a price that’s hard to believe

It usually starts while you scroll Facebook, Instagram or TikTok. A short video or polished photo flashes a steep discount on the product, often next to a “limited time” tag.

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Scroll a little longer and the same video often turns up again, promoting dozens of different shops. Each one buys from the same suppliers and reuses the same marketing material.

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Step 2: A big-looking store with little behind it

Brickbears.nl puts on a convincing show of being established, with categories, star ratings and a friendly About Us page. Its substance is often just a template and supplier list.

The About Us page usually comes from a template too. Its tale of a small family business or a passionate founder appears, in the same words, across many unrelated shops.

Step 3: Delivery takes much longer than promised

The site promises 5 to 7 days, but delivery can take three or four weeks. Your parcel ships from China, and tracking can stay frozen on one update for days.

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Some orders are shipped in several small packages, with a separate tracking number for each. The trouble starts if one never shows: proving what’s missing can be hard.

Step 4: The real item differs from the website photos

Eventually the package comes. Inside is an item that’s smaller, thinner or simpler than advertised, much like ones you could find elsewhere for pocket change.

Complaints center on clothing more than anything else. Fabric feels cheap to the touch, stitching loosens, and sizing follows a chart that ignores the website’s.

Step 5: Postage that swallows the refund

To get a refund, you’ll need to send photos and then ship the item to China. That shipping cost alone can leave the refund worth nothing.

Their usual way out is a 15% to 30% refund, provided you keep the item. Fair at first glance, except most of your money went on something you didn’t want.

This is where many buyers call it quits, and that’s exactly why the policy reads as it does.

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Red Flags at Brickbears.nl

Each of the signs below takes a minute to check, and each one shows Brickbears.nl isn’t the bargain it looks like. Do it before you pay.

A mismatch between price and product

Nobody stumbles onto a genuine bargain with a leather bag at $29 or a smartwatch at $19. Those prices pay for a much cheaper version than what’s photographed.

The crossed-out “original” price makes the deal look even sweeter. That higher number is rarely real. It’s there so an ordinary price passes for a discount.

Photos you’ll spot on other websites

Other stores, marketplaces and even a brand’s own website often carry the very same pictures. A reverse image search is how you find them.

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Found the photo on a brand’s site? Your product won’t come from that brand. Found it on a marketplace? The same item is often sold there for less.

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No business details to look up

Look for a registered company name, tax number or local address and you’ll rarely find one in this network. That makes the seller hard to pin down when problems start.

Help is limited to email

With no phone number or live chat, support usually runs through an email address or a contact form. A problem that needs a quick fix can drag on for weeks.

Meanwhile, your chance to open a dispute with PayPal or your bank is shrinking. Check those deadlines as the days go by.

Ticking clocks and made-up stock limits

The urgency is staged. Timers reset with a page reload, every listing claims “only 2 left,” and no store with real stock looks like that.

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The easiest test is to close the tab and check back later. Still the same “sale”? Then it was never a limited offer.

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Extra charges at checkout

A second item, shipping protection or priority handling can be ticked for you before you even notice. Read every line of the total before you hit pay.

Faster delivery? Real protection? Those add-ons rarely provide either. They just stack more cost onto an order that may already be worth far less than its sticker price.

Checkout hands you off to a different name

Here’s a simple test: if the payment page wears a different, unrelated name, stop. Your card details are on their way to a company you’ve never heard of.

Run as part of a lookalike-store scam network

These aren’t separate businesses with separate stories. The same About Us text, policies and photos sit on dozens of shops, and a closed one returns renamed with the same catalog.

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How to Check an Online Store Before You Buy

A few minutes of checking can tell you whether an online shop is worth your money. Start with these questions before you pay:

  • Who is selling to you? Look for a company name, a registration or tax number and an address. A shop that names nobody is hard to hold to a promise.
  • Where do returns go? Find the return address in the refund policy. If it’s overseas or missing, assume a return will cost more than it’s worth.
  • How old is the website? Paste the address into the MalwareTips Website Scanner. It shows the domain’s age and any known warning signs in seconds.
  • Are the photos original? Run a reverse image search on a product photo. If the same picture appears on many sites, the item is a generic product.
  • What do buyers say elsewhere? Search the store on Trustpilot and in search results, not just the reviews on the shop itself.
  • Is the ad real footage? Many shop ads now use AI-generated videos and photos. If the product only ever appears in slick renders, expect something plainer.
  • Does the price make sense? Compare it with the same item on a major marketplace. A huge markdown on an unknown shop is a reason to slow down.
  • Can you reach a person? A phone number or live chat is a good sign. An email address alone means problems will take a long time to solve.

If several answers come back wrong, close the tab. There’s almost always a seller with a clearer return policy and a company you can actually look up.

For extra protection while you browse, Malwarebytes Browser Guard warns you about many known scam and phishing sites before they load.

Where to Buy Instead

There are safer ways to get anything that caught your eye on Brickbears.nl:

  • Start your search on a big marketplace. There you get real reviews, buyer protection and, often, a much lower price for the very same item.
  • Favor a seller who lists a local return address. Cheap return postage means the return option is one you’ll really use.
  • Find pictures taken by real buyers. Those show the item people actually received, not the version in the ad.
  • Look up the seller’s shipping location. Marketplaces display it. If it’s a local warehouse, delivery is faster and returning an item is actually doable.
  • Keep a dispute option open. Pay with a credit card or PayPal so you can challenge the charge if needed.

Yes, the price may be a little higher. You’ll also get exactly what you ordered, from a seller that honors refunds.

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What to Do If You Already Ordered from Brickbears.nl

Ordering from a shop like this doesn’t mean the money is gone. Acting early gives you the best chance of fixing the order or getting a refund.

  1. Save everything. Keep the order confirmation, the tracking number, every email from the store and screenshots of the product page as it looked when you bought.
  2. Photograph what arrives. Take clear photos of the item, the label and the packaging, especially anything that doesn’t match the listing.
  3. Ask the store in writing. Email support, describe the problem plainly and say what you want: a full refund or a replacement. Give them a short deadline.
  4. Don’t pay for an overseas return yet. If the store asks you to ship the item to China, check with your card issuer or PayPal first.
  5. Don’t accept a token refund. Offers of 15% to 30% back to keep the item are common. If the item isn’t as described, a dispute may get you more.
  6. Open a dispute if the store stalls. Use “item not received” or “not as described” with your card issuer or PayPal, and attach your evidence.
  7. Watch the deadlines. Card disputes often allow around 120 days, and PayPal generally accepts claims within 180 days of payment. Don’t let weeks of unanswered emails use them up.
  8. Ignore “customs fee” texts. Fake delivery messages asking you to pay a fee or update your address often follow online orders. Don’t pay or click.
  9. Leave an honest review. A short review on an independent site, with photos, helps the next shopper decide.
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If you paid by bank transfer, contact your bank right away and ask whether the payment can be recalled. The sooner you call, the better the odds.

If the store won’t cooperate, file a complaint at econsumer.gov, which handles cross-border shopping complaints, or at ReportFraud.ftc.gov in the US.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Brickbears.nl a scam?

Do not buy from Brickbears.nl. It’s a high-risk store in a scam network, and while orders may ship, the items are very low quality and returns cost too much.

Where does Brickbears.nl ship from?

In most cases, a supplier in China ships the item to you directly. Delivery can therefore take several weeks, and tracking updates are often slow to appear.

Why does the product look so different from the photos?

You’re usually looking at photos taken from other sellers or brands. The item you get is a cheaper version, made to land at a low price.

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Can I return an item to Brickbears.nl?

Expect to pay for shipping to China yourself, since that’s usually the only option. On low-cost items, the return postage can exceed the refund you’d receive.

Check with your card issuer or PayPal before anything goes in the mail, and ask whether a “not as described” dispute would cover you instead.

My order never arrived or isn’t as described. What now?

Send the store a written complaint first. A refusal or endless delay? Open a dispute with PayPal or your card issuer, including item photos and listing screenshots.

Are the reviews on Brickbears.nl real?

Treat them with a healthy dose of caution. On-site praise is easy to stack up, so turn to independent sites where buyers post their own photos and comments.

The Bottom Line

The ads look nothing like what Brickbears.nl sends. It’s a high-risk store in a scam network of lookalike shops, its items are very low quality, and returns rarely make sense.

Do not buy from Brickbears.nl. If something there caught your eye, search for the same item on a marketplace that offers buyer protection.

Ordered already? Hold on to your confirmation email and listing screenshots. Photograph the package when it lands, and if the store won’t fix things, dispute through your card or PayPal.

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Written by

Thomas Orsolya

Thomas is an expert at uncovering scams and providing in-depth reporting on cyber threats and online fraud. As an editor, he is dedicated to keeping readers informed on the latest developments in cybersecurity and tech.

45,913 articlesWriting since 2023
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