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Imitaty.com EXPOSED – Safe Store or Scam? Our Findings

By Thomas Orsolya7 min read

On Imitaty.com the selling point is the price: clothing offered for much less than a normal store would ask.

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The photos do their job well. The delivery often tells a different story, and getting money back can be a lot harder than handing it over.

Imitaty.com scam

Overview

Selling, not making: a dropshipping store

Behind the storefront, Imitaty.com makes nothing. Like thousands of comparable shops, it lists items from low-cost suppliers and arranges shipping straight from warehouses in China.

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Products don’t go through the store at all. It controls the prices, the ads and the payments, while a supplier you’ll never hear from packs and sends your order.

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Behind Imitaty.com sits a scam network. Its stores look almost identical, run on shared templates, product photos and return policies, and resurface under new names.

What arrives is far below what the ads show

What arrives is very low quality and looks nothing like the ads. Those photos are usually borrowed from other sellers or brands, so they show a product you won’t receive.

Why returning an order doesn’t pay off

The refund policy can sound like a safety net, but the details don’t back that up:

  • Returns head abroad. You’ll usually have to ship items back to China and cover the postage yourself.
  • Shipping costs more than you get back. Mailing a $25 item overseas can cost more than the item is worth.
  • Expect a counteroffer. Ask for a return and you’ll usually hear back with 15% to 30% to keep the item instead of your money back in full.
  • Don’t expect quick help. Support usually runs through email only, and a single reply can take days.

Imitaty.com 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 Imitaty.com

Here’s what we noticed when we looked at Imitaty.com:

  • Imitaty.com was registered on May 26, 2026, about 5 months ago.
  • The MalwareTips URL scanner gives Imitaty.com a Safety Score of 32/100, rated High Risk (full report).

What Happens When You Order from Imitaty.com

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

Step 1: You spot an ad with an unusually cheap price

The story usually opens on Facebook, Instagram or TikTok. A short video or neat photo puts the product on display at a steep discount, often with a “limited time” tag.

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Look closely and you’ll often spot that exact video in ads for dozens of other shops. They share the same suppliers, so they share the same marketing material too.

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Step 2: A store dressed up to look bigger

Imitaty.com feels like a store that’s been around a while. It has categories, star ratings and a friendly About Us page, but often little beyond a template and supplier list.

You’ll find the same About Us wording on many unrelated shops. That’s because the story of a small family business or a passionate founder is usually a template.

Step 3: Delivery drags well past the estimate

What’s sold as 5 to 7 days can end up as three or four weeks. The package is coming from China, and its tracking can sit unchanged for days.

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Instead of one box, some orders arrive as several small packages, each tracked on its own. Lose one, and it can be hard to show what never came.

Step 4: Your order doesn’t match the listing images

The package does arrive eventually, but what’s inside is smaller, thinner or simpler than the ad showed, the sort of thing that sells for pocket change elsewhere.

Complaints about clothing bought from sites of this kind follow a pattern: thin material, seams that come apart after the first wash and a fit nothing like the photos.

Step 5: The return postage problem

Asking for a refund leads to a request for photos and then an address in China. Paying to ship there can erase the refund on its own.

Keeping the item for 15% to 30% back is the usual offer. It’s presented as fair, but you’re still paying most of the price for something you didn’t want.

That’s where many buyers give up, and the policy is written precisely to get that result.

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Red Flags at Imitaty.com

The deal at Imitaty.com looks good until you check a few things. Here they are, each one quick enough to confirm in a minute before you pay.

Deals too cheap to match the pictures

Deals this steep on clothing aren’t a stroke of luck. That kind of price buys a much cheaper version than the photos promise.

Next to the low price sits a higher one with a line through it. That “original” price is rarely real; it just makes an ordinary price look discounted.

Images you can track down elsewhere

Other stores, marketplaces and brand websites often use the very same pictures, and a reverse image search is how you find them.

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If the photo belongs to a brand, that brand won’t be the one behind your product. If it comes from a marketplace, the same item is often cheaper there.

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Missing company details

If your order goes wrong, who do you chase? With stores in this network it’s hard to say, because a company name, tax number or local address rarely appears.

Support only by email

Need help fast? Support here usually means an email address or a contact form, with no phone number or live chat. Urgent issues can drag on for weeks.

Those slow replies also cut into your window for opening a dispute with your bank or PayPal. Watch those deadlines while you wait.

Clocks and stock alerts meant to hurry you

Every product showing “only 2 left,” every timer starting over after a reload: that pattern exists to rush your decision. Real stock doesn’t behave that way.

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Close the tab for now. A truly limited offer would be gone when you return, so a “sale” that’s still running never was one.

Add-ons slipped into checkout

Before paying, read every line of the total. Shipping protection, priority handling or an extra item can be sitting in your cart, already ticked.

Those add-ons rarely deliver faster shipping or real cover. They inflate the bill for an order that may already be worth far less than what it costs.

When the payment page shows a different name

A sudden switch to a payment page carrying someone else’s unrelated name is your signal to stop. Whoever that unfamiliar company is, it would get your card details.

Linked to lookalike stores in a scam network

Dozens of shops carry word-for-word the same About Us story and policies, plus the same product photos. As soon as one closes, a new name opens 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

Still want something you saw on Imitaty.com? Here are safer ways to get it:

  • 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.
  • Go for sellers with a local return address. A return you can mail cheaply is a return you’ll actually bother to make.
  • Find photos taken by buyers. Those show what really arrives in the box, whatever the ad claims.
  • Look up the seller’s location. Marketplaces show it for you. If the item ships from a local warehouse, delivery is faster and a return stays within reach.
  • Pay with protection built in. If needed, a credit card or PayPal lets you file a dispute.

Your total may come out a little higher, but the package will hold what you ordered, and the seller will honor a refund if you need one.

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What to Do If You Already Ordered from Imitaty.com

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 Imitaty.com a scam?

High Risk is the right label. Imitaty.com sits in a scam network, and while orders may ship, the goods are very low-quality and returns cost too much. Do not buy.

Where does Imitaty.com ship from?

Chinese suppliers ship most items themselves, straight to the buyer. That long route is why you can wait several weeks, and why tracking often lags behind.

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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 Imitaty.com?

Technically, yes, but the return usually goes to China and you cover the postage. For something inexpensive, shipping it back can cost more than the refund itself.

Talk to your card issuer or PayPal before the package goes anywhere. Find out whether a “not as described” dispute would cover you instead.

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

First, message the store in writing. If it says no or keeps stalling, open a PayPal or card dispute with item photos and listing screenshots.

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Are the reviews on Imitaty.com real?

It’s wise to be cautious here. Reviews on the store’s site are easy to fill with glowing ratings, so check what buyers say and show on independent sites.

The Bottom Line

Imitaty.com is a high-risk store, one of many lookalike shops in the same scam network. Its very low-quality items look nothing like the ads, and returning them rarely makes sense.

Do not buy from Imitaty.com, however good the ad looks. Liked an item? Try finding it on a marketplace where buyer protection has your back.

Order already placed? Save the confirmation email and product screenshots, then photograph the delivery. If the store won’t fix it, open a dispute with your card or PayPal.

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Check the offer. Protect the next click.

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Written by

Thomas Orsolya

Thomas Orsolya investigates casino, shopping and other online scams as an editor at MalwareTips. Before joining MalwareTips, Thomas worked in public institutions on combating misleading advertising and on consumer protection.

46,032 articlesWriting since 2023
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