Fcrafter.com is an online retailer that sells board games, trading cards, roleplaying games, miniatures, and puzzles at heavily discounted prices. The site claims to bring users “the Best Games at Crazy Prices.”
At first glance, Fcrafter.com appears to offer some incredibly low prices on popular games. For example, the site lists Wingspan for just $7.19 and Gloomhaven for $30 – prices that seem too good to be true when compared to major retailers. This has led some in the board gaming community to question whether Fcrafter.com is a scam.
In this extensive review, we’ll take an in-depth look at Fcrafter.com to determine if it is a legitimate retailer or a scam to avoid.
Investigating Fcrafter.com
To start our investigation of Fcrafter, let’s take a look at some key background details of the site:
✔️ Domain History
Fcrafter.com was registered on October 10, 2023 through Namecheap Inc. This is a fairly recent registration date, as the site has only been active for a few months. New domains are common with scam websites.
✔️ Business Address
The site lists a business address of 1715 Post Oak Blvd, Houston, Texas 77056. Searching this address shows it is an office building. There are no indications an online board game retailer is located here.
✔️ Contact Information
Fcrafter.com provides an email of [email protected] and a phone number of +1 817-589-1811. The phone number has a Texas area code, matching the listed address.
✔️ Social Media
The site does not link to any social media profiles. Legitimate businesses typically have some social media presence these days.
✔️ About Us
There is no About Us page or company information provided. Scam sites often lack background details.
✔️ Prices
As mentioned earlier, the prices on Fcrafter.com are suspciously low compared to MSRP and prices at major retailers. For example, Catan 3D Edition for $35.99 when it retails for $60+ everywhere else.
This cursory look at the site raises some immediate red flags. Next we’ll examine the site in more detail.
Analyzing the Fcrafter.com Website
Looking closer at the Fcrafter.com website itself, several questionable factors stand out:
No Company History
Fcrafter.com provides no information about when it was founded, who operates it, or its company background. Legitimate retailers highlight their history and team.
Stock Photography
The site uses generic stock images of board games. Other than the product images, no original photos are shown.
No Shipping Details
There is no information provided about shipping costs or methods. Only that there is free shipping on orders over $39.
No Return Policy
No policies are listed regarding returns, exchanges, or refunds. This would be risky for customers if items arrive damaged or defective.
No Payment Policy
The site shows Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, and PayPal logos. However, there are no details concerning how payments are processed or secured.
Poor Website Design
The site looks hastily put together. There are grammatical errors, inconsistent formatting, and other signs of a sloppy design.
No Reviews
There are no reviews, forums, or community for the site. Without any reviews, it’s impossible to verify experiences from past customers.
Limited Selection
Despite the homepage touting a wide range of products, the actual selection appears very limited with only around 100 items.
No Sales or Promotions
The site does not promote any sales, deals, or coupon codes. This is unusual for a retailer offering such large discounts.
Evaluating the Security of Fcrafter.com
To further evaluate Fcrafter.com, we need to examine the security measures of the site:
✔️ Valid SSL Certificate: The site uses an SSL certificate and the checkout is served over HTTPS. This provides basic encryption; however, free certificates are easy for scammers to obtain.
✔️ No Customer Account System: There is no ability to create an account or login. Orders must be checked out as a guest, which provides less security.
✔️ No Guarantees: No guarantees are provided regarding security or privacy. There are no certifications like Norton or McAfee to verify security.
✔️ No Payment Logos: Though some payment processors are named, their logos and badges are missing from the checkout. This makes it unclear how payments are handled.
✔️ High Risk Merchant Category: Online gaming and gambling merchants are categorized by banks as “high risk” due to the potential for disputes and chargebacks. Scammers often use shell companies set up under such categories.
✔️ No Age Verification: There are no attempts to verify customer age or restrict those under 18 despite selling games with age restrictions.
✔️ No Verified Customer Reviews: Without verified reviews, customers have to risk their money and see if they actually receive an order. Independent reviews can help identify scam stores.
Assessing Fcrafter.com Delivery Claims
A major concern with scam websites is whether they actually deliver orders to customers. Here are some warning signs related to Fcrafter.com’s delivery promises:
No Order Tracking
No order tracking is provided and customers have no ability to check the status of their order after checkout.
No Shipping Confirmation
The site claims items usually ship within 3 business days but there is no automated shipping confirmation sent to the customer.
Long Handling Times
For items “in stock” a 3 business day handling time before the order ships is suspicious. Most major retailers ship within 24 hours.
Unverifiable Shipping Methods
Though free shipping is offered and a warehouse in Texas is indicated, no shipping carrier or method is specified at checkout.
No Delivery Estimate
No estimate is given for how long orders take to arrive at the customer’s location. Sellers normally provide this delivery time estimate.
Customer Complaints of Non-Delivery
There are complaints online of orders never arriving and no replies from customer service (more on this later).
No Guaranteed Delivery
No guaranteed delivery date is promised. When items may take weeks to arrive without tracking, customers have no recourse.
No Insurance Options
No delivery insurance or signature confirmation options are available at checkout to protect high value game orders.
These factors show that even if an order is placed, there is a high likelihood customers will never receive their purchases. Next, let’s look at external information sources.
Reviewing External Feedback on Fcrafter.com
To learn about other customers’ experiences, we can look at online reviews and complaints:
⛔ No Verified Reviews: As mentioned earlier, the site itself has no reviews or community forum. This makes it impossible to independently verify testimonials.
⛔ Negative Independent Reviews: Outside the site, independent review sites have overwhelmingly negative reactions, citing non-delivery of orders.
⛔ Scam Warnings: Online scam warning sites have identified Fcrafter.com as a likely scam operation. Some list the site outright as a confirmed scam website to avoid.
⛔ No Industry Presence: The site is not recognized or discussed within the board gaming industry. Major publishers and designers do not work with the site.
⛔ Lack of Social Engagement: Aside from the non-existent social accounts on the site itself, there is no engagement on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or anywhere else.
⛔ No Reputation: Searches turn up no background, history, or reputation for the site. There are no news articles mentioning or reviewing the business.
⛔ Fake Address: As mentioned earlier, the listed Houston address appears fictitious. This points to additional fraudulent conduct.
⛔ Customer Complaints: Across scam warning sites, Twitter, Reddit, and other sources, there are numerous unhappy customers reporting no delivery of orders and zero response from the site.
This overwhelmingly negative external feedback paints a clear picture – Fcrafter.com cannot be trusted.
Evaluating the Legitimacy of Fcrafter.com Prices
A major draw of the site is the low prices compared to competitors. But are these prices too good to be true? Let’s compare:
MSRPs – The listed prices are 70-90% lower than MSRP for almost all items. This level of discount is unheard of for new games.
Amazon – Prices average 50-70% lower than Amazon’s prices, even for Amazon direct items. This large gap is a huge red flag.
Major Retailers – Compared to popular board game sites like Miniature Market, Cool Stuff Inc, and Game Nerdz, the prices are discounted 30-60% lower.
FLGS Prices – Brick and mortar game stores typically pay distributors 40-50% off MSRP. Fcrafter’s prices would leave no margin for an actual retailer.
Hot Items – There is no scarcity premium on hot items. In demand games like Gloomhaven are hugely discounted.
Pre-order Items – Upcoming releases available for pre-order also see enormous 40-50% discounts.
Large Selection – Despite supposedly low supplier prices, the site claims to stock a wide selection of thousands of items.
High Volume Discounts – Even mass board game retailers don’t offer discounts this large, even on bulk orders of 100+ units.
No Coupons or Sales – With prices already discounted up to 90%, coupons, sales, and specials are not needed or promoted.
No Mention of Deals – The site does not explain how it can offer such amazing discounts. Scam sites often promise deals without justification.
Low Overhead – Without the overhead costs of a legitimate retailer, scam websites can offer fake discount pricing without repercussions.
This level of unrealistic discount pricing confirms that Fcrafter.com is very likely a scam operation.
Investigating the Company Behind Fcrafter.com
Digging into the company behind the website reveals further causes for concern:
🚩 Anonymous Domain Registration: As mentioned earlier, the domain was registered anonymously via Namecheap. This hides the owner’s identity.
🚩 No Public Information: Searches uncover no background about an actual company operating the site. There are no business registrations or corporate records available.
🚩 Fake Physical Address: The Houston address on the site appears invented. This is an additional piece of false information.
🚩 No Linked Personnel: There are no staff profiles, executives, or founder information. The entire team appears non-existent.
🚩 Contact Information Leads Nowhere: Customers who have tried contacting the phone number or email on the site report never getting an answer.
🚩 Not Listed: The business does not appear anywhere one would expect to find a real company like LinkedIn, Manta, or Buzzfile.
🚩 Copycat Name: The name Fcrafter sounds like a made up play on the term “games crafter” to appear legitimate.
🚩 Hidden Hosting Provider: The hosting provider and server details are obscured, not revealing where the site is actually hosted.
🚩 Fake Warehouse: Mention of a Houston warehouse cannot be confirmed. There are no signs of any operations at the address.
🚩 No Valid Business: Nothing indicates Fcrafter.com is run by an actual business entity selling games. All signs point to a false storefront.
With no verifiable company operating Fcrafter.com, it is almost certainly an illegitimate scam website.
Warning Signs Summary: Why Fcrafter.com Appears a Scam
In this extensive investigation of Fcrafter.com, we uncovered the following compelling evidence that the store is likely a scam:
- Anonymous domain registration in the past few months
- No company details or history provided
- Fake business address
- No staff or executives listed
- Missing policies for shipping, returns, etc.
- Poor unprofessional website design
- Identical product images to other sites
- Ridiculously low prices not seen anywhere else
- No shipping confirmation or delivery estimates
- No secure customer login or verified reviews
- Numerous negative independent reviews
- Warnings from scam monitoring sites
- Lack of mentions or presence within the industry
- No signs of a real company operating the business
Considering these multiple warning signs, Fcrafter.com exhibits all the characteristics of an illegitimate scam website that customers should avoid entirely. The low prices may be tempting, but more than likely any orders will go unfulfilled.
Safe Online Board Game Shopping Alternatives
Instead of risking your money at scam sites like Fcrafter.com, shop for board games at these reputable alternatives:
- Amazon – Wide selection with fast, reliable delivery and easy returns.
- Miniature Market – Reliable retailer with fair everyday pricing and cheap flat rate shipping.
- Game Nerdz – Discounted prices and excellent packing & shipping processes.
- Cool Stuff Inc – Huge selection and average 10-15% off MSRP prices.
- Cardhaus – Competitive pricing, huge inventory, and great loyalty program.
- Local Game Stores – Support small businesses in your community.
The bottom line is there are many legitimate options to find fantastic deals on board games that won’t take your money and run. Just make sure to research unfamiliar sites thoroughly first.
Final Verdict: Steer Clear of Fcrafter.com
In this honest investigation of Fcrafter.com analyzing the site from all angles, we’ve demonstrated the excessive amount of evidence that the store is an illegitimate scam operation.
Everything from the suspicious domain history, lack of business information, unrealistic pricing, missing policies, phony address, non-existent company, and negative independent reviews scream scam.
Fcrafter.com does not pass any reasonable legitimacy checks and displays every trait of fraudulent websites that prey on customers seeking discounted board games. Do not provide your personal or payment information to this high-risk site.
For your own protection, avoid Fcrafter.com entirely and only make purchases from reputable, established board game retailers. While the promised deals may be enticing, this unverifiable store would more than likely simply take your money. Shop smart and game on!
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