I got a call from my stepdad a few months ago, excited about a fishing kayak that he picked up for $100. Then there was the Stihl battery-powered garden pruner for $20 that hit quite a few of you. Now there’s a Milwaukee Tool scam running that you need to keep your eyes open for.
How Does the Milwaukee Tool Scam Work?
A lot of these sites are set up as legitimate-looking sites, often selling direct as the manufacturer. The first thing to note is that Milwaukee does not sell direct. If you see a site that looks like you’re getting a deal straight from them, it’s a sure sign that it’s a scam.
Other sites appear to be retailers, and they can be a little tougher to sniff out. These sites typically have deals that are too good to be true with some sort of deadline that gives you a sense of urgency. You’ll often see something like 80% or 90% off from the MSRP and a countdown that you’re in the last 24 hours of the sale.
Once you give them your credit card/debit card info, the best-case scenario is that they’ll send you a knockoff product in 8 to 12 weeks. The worst-case scenario is they charge more to your credit card and/or sell your info down the line.
You Can Help Fight the Milwaukee Tool Scam
Feel manipulated and mad? You should. These are absolute scum bag tactics (I have more colorful names, but this is a family-friendly website) and they’ve tricked a lot of people into thinking they got a great deal.
If you land on a website that you believe is fraudulent, Milwaukee has set up a page that you can report it to. When you get to it, the reporting process only takes less than a minute:
- Copy/paste the URL (website address) of the website in
- Select from the drop down menu how you found the site
- Attach a screenshot if you want to (totally optional)
- Type in your first and last name if you want to (totally optional)
- Type in your email address
- Click “report website” button
Click here to report a fraudulent Milwaukee Tool website.
Authorized Milwaukee Retailers
To help you out, we’ve compiled a list of known online Milwaukee retailers so you can shop with confidence. Note that Amazon is not an authorized Milwaukee retailer.
- Acme Tools
- CPO
- Northern Tool and Equipment
- Ohio Power Tool
- Rural King
- The Home Depot
- Tool Barn
- Tool Nut
There are 27 authorized online retailers, and you can search the full list here. It also lets you find local brick-and-mortar stores where you can shop in person.
What To Do If You Got Scammed
If you think you hit one of these websites, the first thing to do is contact your bank or credit card company and have them decline the purchase if they can.
Even if it’s too late to stop the transaction, ask what you can do to block any future transactions from unknown sellers and request new cards.
Dealing with a scam is a pain, but it’s better than your account being drained.
If you happen to get a call from someone at the company because you didn’t complete the transaction or something didn’t work right, do not engage them. Don’t give them any personal or bank information, and definitely do not give them your social security number. Just hang up.
Lastly, please report the fraudulent site to Milwaukee. The more they can stay on top of these sites, the more quickly they can work to shut them down and ensure that when you buy a Milwaukee product, you’re getting the real deal along with the performance and quality they’re known for.
Have a message you’d like to leave for the scammers? Drop them in the comments below!
