7 Warning Signs of Scams When Buying Luxury Custom Eyewear on CustomMade

Material Grade Downselling: Be wary of sellers who claim to use premium materials but deliver eyewear made from lower-grade alternatives. This is particularly common with metals and acetates, where the visual difference might not be immediately apparent but impacts durability and perceived value. Always verify material certifications if possible.

Plated Metal vs. Solid Gold: A common deceptive practice involves presenting plated metal frames as solid gold. Scammers bank on the fact that distinguishing between the two without expertise can be difficult. Look for hallmarks and inquire about the plating thickness and base metal used.

Fake CAD Rendering Bait: Sellers may use sophisticated computer-aided design (CAD) renderings to showcase custom eyewear that doesn't actually exist or cannot be produced as depicted. These realistic images can entice buyers, but the final product may be vastly different or of inferior quality. Always ask for real-world photos or even video of prototypes if available.

Indefinite Production Delay: While custom orders naturally take time, be suspicious of sellers who provide vague or ever-changing production timelines. This can be a tactic to string buyers along, hoping they'll eventually give up or accept a subpar product after a prolonged wait. Legitimate artisans will provide realistic estimates and updates.

Sourced-from-China Resell: Some sellers may falsely advertise unique, handcrafted eyewear when their products are simply mass-produced items sourced from overseas manufacturers, often at a fraction of the cost. This devalues the 'custom' aspect and can lead to receiving a product of much lower quality than expected.

Design Modification Ransom: After you've commissioned a unique design, a scammer might demand additional fees to complete the work or threaten to alter the design unfavorably if extra payment isn't made. This exploits your investment in the initial concept.

Off-Platform Deposit Request: A significant red flag is a seller asking for a deposit or full payment outside of CustomMade's secure payment system. This is a classic tactic to avoid platform oversight and makes it much harder to recover your funds if something goes wrong.