There are hundreds of sites on the web that appear to offer the entire Montblanc range at a fraction of the usual prices, under German domains as much as under every other suffix. The tell-tale signs are missing or incomplete company details, an implausibly wide range with three-figure quantities in stock for practically every item, prices far below market level, and a domain that cannot be traced in the relevant registries. What sits behind them is almost never a dealer but a fraudster: goods ordered are never delivered, payment details are harvested, or malware is distributed. The same racket runs in electronics and fashion.

In legal terms there is little to be done about such sites, since the operators stay anonymous and the domains are short-lived. About the only useful step is to pass the address on to the manufacturer, who can act against the misuse of its trade mark. Anyone who wants to buy safely goes to an authorised dealer or a boutique; anyone looking for a better price is far better served by the established auction platforms with their buyer-protected payment routes. The old rule of thumb still holds: if an offer looks too good to be true, something is wrong with it.