Ahead of the coming winter and the fear of the significant increase in the cost of heating with gas and fuel, the demand for firewood in Germany is breaking records. Since the summer, those who are able to heat the house with fireplaces have started ordering firewood of different quality, as well as wooden disks that are made from leftover materials in the cities and are supposed to be very efficient in heating over time. Now the German police are warning of a “catastrophic” wave of Internet scams, the main of which is promising wood shipments for burning at cheap prices, receiving payment – and disappearing.
According to the website of the “Spiegel” magazine, police in various states in Germany have reported in recent weeks dozens of complaints from consumers who were tempted by extremely cheap offers that are common on the Internet, either on websites for trading between companies or consumers or on websites that were set up ad hoc to deceive customers. On these sites, dry wood is guaranteed for sale for 60 to 70 euros per cubic meter, including free delivery throughout Germany up to 24 hours. This, compared to a current price of more than 250 euros per cubic meter (in Berlin for example) and significant shipping costs.
Despite the obvious disparities, many consumers are tempted. They are directed by the sites to pay online, either for the entire amount – which can reach hundreds of euros for the order of a large house – or for a down payment. At this stage, after the payment is digitally cleared, the sellers disappear and do not deliver the order. Their contact information, which is required to appear on the website according to German law, turns out to be copied from other stores that sell firewood. In recent weeks, police from Bavaria, Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia reported the phenomenon.
In the city of Vezel, the police reported a 34-year-old consumer who wanted to purchase two cubes of beech wood cut for heating. She searched and found a site on the Internet, which later turned out to be fictitious and directed her to pay through a French clearing site. “After making the payment, she called the number posted on the website to schedule the delivery, but it was not connected,” the police said.
“catastrophic situation”
The authorities in Germany recommend buying only from well-known stores that have been in the field for many years, checking customer recommendations on rating websites and above all – not being tempted by deals that seem too good to be realistic. “This is a catastrophic situation,” a representative of the association of firewood dealers in Germany told the site, “since the summer the situation has only gotten worse.”
He said that one of the member companies of the union is now receiving about 20 angry calls from customers demanding wood delivery, after unknown people copied its address to a fictitious website. “For companies that are affected, it is devastating to reputation and business.” The union warned against anyone who sells wood for less than one hundred euros per cubic meter, and in particular: “Anyone who promises free shipping for small quantities throughout Germany – this must be a fraud.”
One of the explanations given for the fact that the phenomenon has gained momentum now is that many in Germany are reusing their wood stoves, or planning to switch to using them primarily for heating, due to soaring energy prices. That is, there is a wave of new consumers in the market.
Half of the households in Germany heat their homes with gas, and its price has risen sharply in recent months following the war in Ukraine, the sanctions on Russia and the Russian response to them. Consumers whose contracts are ending are reporting new prices that are four and five times higher than the previous contract. There is great uncertainty among consumers as to how much they will pay this winter, because in many cases the payment will only be calculated next year, and a payment notice will be sent to them by the buildings’ management companies.