Internet Thieves

The Digital Highway Robbery: My Experience with Online Car Parts (Randburg)

Convenience is the ultimate goal of online shopping. We find the part we need, we pay, and we wait for the doorbell to ring. But as I recently discovered, the digital marketplace has dark alleys. My experience with Online Car Parts Pty Ltd in Randburg has been a masterclass in modern-day consumer ghosting—and a stark warning to anyone looking for automotive spares in South Africa.

The Anatomy of a Red Flag

On December 29th, 2025, I purchased a water pump. The website looked professional; the payment gateway was seamless. I received a PDF receipt and a delivery note promising a 2–5 day window via The Courier Guy.

Twelve days later, I have no pump, no tracking number, and no answers. What I do have is a series of "redirects" via WhatsApp that lead to nowhere:

1. The Silence: My first inquiry on January 5th was met with total radio silence.
2. The Runaround: After demanding a refund on January 6th, I was met with an automated "out of office" reply, followed by a message telling me to contact another number (069 777 5777).
3. The Ghosting: Eleven days in, the tone changed from helpful automation to cold indifference. No status updates, no feedback—just a void where my money used to be.

 

A Pattern of Deceit: What the Reviews Say

After digging deeper (something I wish I had done before clicking "pay"), I realized I wasn’t alone. A quick search reveals a mountain of evidence against Online Car Parts Pty Ltd. Across Facebook, Trustpilot, and consumer forums, the narrative is identical:

• The "Moving Target" Tactic: The company frequently changes its reported physical location—moving from North Riding to Randburg—making it nearly impossible for frustrated customers to show up in person.
• The "Vanishing" Act: Dozens of reports describe the same cycle: Payment is taken, a fake delivery window is provided, and then the company "ghosts" the client.
• The Refund Myth: Customers who manage to get through are often promised refunds that never materialize, or are sent incorrect, broken parts to "reset" the legal clock on the dispute.

Warning: Online Car Parts (onlinecarparts.co.za) is currently flagged by numerous consumer advocacy groups as a high-risk entity. The sheer volume of "non-delivery" complaints suggests this isn't just bad logistics—it’s a business model built on exploitation.

 

How to Protect Yourself

If you are currently searching for car parts, learn from my 12-day headache. Here is how to spot a "digital chop-shop" before they take your money:

• Check the "Contact Us" Reality: Before buying, send a WhatsApp or call the number. If they don't answer a simple sales question, they definitely won't answer a refund request.
• Trust the Aggregate, Not the Site: Don't trust the testimonials on their own website. Check independent platforms like Hellopeter or Trustpilot. If the word "Scam" appears more than once, close the tab.
• Verify the Address: Use Google Street View to see if the "warehouse" actually exists. If the business is constantly moving, it’s a sign they are running from the authorities or angry customers.
• Use Credit, Not Debit: If you must take a risk, use a credit card. Credit cards offer better "chargeback" protection through your bank if the goods are never delivered.

Final Verdict

To the team at Online Car Parts Randburg: A business that ignores its customers while holding their money isn't a business—it’s a trap. If you cannot fulfill an order for a water pump in 11 days or provide a simple tracking number, you have no business being online.

To my fellow drivers: Avoid this site at all costs. Don't let a "good deal" turn into a permanent donation to a company that has no intention of delivering.

 

Have you also been "ghosted" by this company? I am looking to gather more stories to escalate this to the relevant consumer ombudsman. 

INTERNET THIEVES

The internet is a very large virtual space where commodities worth millions, if not billions of dollars are traded daily. International transactions are only a few mouse clicks away and operates with the convenience of real time. Virtually everyone out there has jumped on the online bandwagon, hoping to get a piece of this action. But while millions of businesses benefit from the simplicity of online trading others are losing millions to fraudsters, scam artist and digital thieves.  

The reason for starting this blog was to inform other potential victims about the mischief perpetrated by their fellow Internet users, -con artists, scammers- because I've been taken for a ride more than once.

These miscreants are not hackers but unscrupulous  individuals, confidence tricksters and mere common criminals always looking for opportunities to thieve and steal. In fact the Internet has become a haven for crooks, shysters, fraudsters, scammers and thieves to operate with impunity, primarily due to cross border jurisdictional issues, and the non-existence of an Internet fraud task force. 

Even though the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C) formed an alliance, accepting on-line complaints,  I have yet to hear of Internet fraudsters that were prosecuted.  Besides when connecting to NW3C's website to lay a complaint, their server responds with:-

Your Suspicious IP    : 41.146.169.2XX
Suspicious Activities : Black Listed
Suspicious IP Address.

This page was displayed because we have determined that your IP is a source of suspicious activity (e.g. spam, email harvester, questionable requests, etc...)  If this is in error please feel free to contact us with your IP address (shown above) and tell us why you think our determination is incorrect. Thank You, and sorry if this is causing you any inconvenience.

What a joke! It's code for fu*ko*f! Internet crime is rife, and identity fraud, loan scams, Internet fraud, online shopping fraud, mail fraud, domain name scams, telemarketing fraud, romance scams, lottery scams, charity donation fraud, miracle cure  scams, click fraud, bank card and cheque fraud, clairvoyant and  psychic scams are merely scratching the surface. 

But when the "crime fighters" suspect the victims of suspicious conduct and black list them,  then you know complaining is futile.

I bought a digital 10 gram scale online, paid for it, including the overpriced postage via paypal. Tracking numbers were sent but the package never materialized. Complaining about this only resulted in the seller getting expelled from trading on ebay but I lost my money as a consequence. 

On another occasion I bought some 14kt gold jewelry online and when it arrived, it turned out to be electroplated plated junk. The sellers advert misrepresented the items which incidentally took 3 months to arrive via surface mail . 

By the time I wanted to complain to ebay, the listings ended hence not available for viewing after 90 or more days. Beside they charged me postage more than five times the price of the articles and sending it back at my cost wasn't an option and financially unfeasible. It would be throwing away good money after bad. So I just had to cut my loses.

The most egregious all-time scam  were the on-line cruise miles vouchers I bought on ebay and ebid over a period of several months, amounting to some £3 000.00 GBP which I redeemed  for 1.1 million cruise miles. This entitled me to a 13 day Transatlantic Cruise for two on the RCCL Adventure of the Seas in a Deluxe Balcony Suite from Southampton - England  to San Juan Puerto Rico with stop offs at Funchal - Portugal, Phillipsburg - San Martin, Baseeterra - St Kitts and Charlotte Amalie - St. Thomas.

The purchases were confirmed and tickets were issued in my name including the booking reference but the company mysteriously vanished from the Internet months before departure. Fortunately, I didn't book flights and accommodation through their website.

However notifying, Essex Police and the FBI via email produced no results, in fact I didn't even received acknowledgement that the email was even received. I know that there was a whole ship load of passengers that got scammed many of whom lodged complaints to the relevant authorities and on several websites, here, here and here, but I believe the perpetrators are still at large and living life lavishly and to the fullest.

And here's the culprit of the RCCL Adventure of the Seas scam,
who owns a chain of restaurants. Bon appetite you filthy swine!