Sussex Police’s economic crime unit and trading standards officials are investigating Zavvi Direct Ltd., which owns and manages the website zavvidirect.co.uk, and charge it of being a scam. The Brighton based firm was offering the latest Nintendo Wii fitness game online. Law enforcement officials believe the company may have scammed hundreds of people across the country by not delivering the game and by pocketing their money collected as payment.
Investigating officials believe the website might have netted tens of thousands of pounds. It started selling Wii when the game started picking up sales and soon emerged as a hot-selling item in the market. It offered the game for £69.99 and within no time had orders by the hundreds. Customers who bought into the offer, however, initially received an email explaining that due overwhelming demand the firm was short of stock of the game. Their sets would be sent in four or five days, it promised.
When there was still no sign of their sets, customers went inquiring at the website and were greeted with the following message:
Zavvi Entertainment Ltd has no involvement with this website. Due to copyright laws we have had to remove this website.
Zavvi Entertainment Ltd, a popular chain of retail stores, had received calls from the website’s customers anxious about the fate of their orders. They had purchased the game from zavvidirect thinking it was affiliated to the famous retail chain. Zavvi Entertainment Ltd initiated legal proceedings against Zavvi Direct Ltd, and also arranged for their dubious website to be shut down.