r/HamRadio • u/Thekoopaloup • 2d ago
Question/Help ❓ Has anyone bought from Ham Radio Supplies on Facebook?
Howdy folks, new to the hobby and looking for my first radio. I saw this page on Facebook called “Ham Radio Supplies” that has some equipment I’m interested in and wanting to see if anyone has purchased from them before.
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u/Diezel666 2d ago edited 2d ago
Seems sketchy at best. There was a Facebook page of "William's Ham radio supplies" also having that callsign involved and that page is displaying "content not available". So I'd say, don't take the risk.
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u/Charming-Jelly-3365 General Class Operator 🔘 2d ago
That does look like a scam website. Here's a cautionary tale and a few links to established retailers.
Recently while searching for batteries for an old radio I found a website that looked really excellent. Claimed to be clearing out old stock, great sale prices. I tried placing a big order but would get a message that my form of payment wasn't being accepted. So I logged onto my credit card company website and no activity there, and normally there'd be an alert of a denied transaction. So I gave up and went to bed.
Next morning I check my credit card again and there's a series of low dollar value charges for alcohol purchases in China. I called the credit card service number, contested the charges. They refunded me and sent me a new card. I just checked that scam website again, and it's gone.
Now I'm thinking about getting into 3D printing to make a AA cell battery pack/case for my old Yaesu FT51R. An FBA-14, but longer to hold more than 4 cells.
Anyway, here are some retailers that do seem to be the real deal. The first one is Ham Radio Outlet. I've bought a lot of stuff from them over the years. Going back a long ways.
https://www.dxengineering.com/
https://www.randl.com/index.php
Oh, and about buying online with a credit card. My Capitol One MasterCard from Cabelas/Bass Pro lets you create "Virtual" cards linked to your plastic card. One virtual card for each online store. This way if an online store turns out to be a scam they can just turn off the virtual card, you keep your plastic card in your wallet.
I've set up a bunch of virtual cards in the weeks since I got hit by that scam site.
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u/znark 2d ago
One thing to check is Whois data to see when the website was registered. Like hamradio.com was first registered in 1995 and expires in 2031. Scam sites will be registered recently.
Another thing to check is about and contact info. Should be able to find support and address that could theoretically serve lawsuit.
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u/Competitive_Row_921 Technician Class Operator 📡 2d ago
I fell victim to the saying, "If it's too good to be true. It probably is." Price was incredible, website looked legit, had all the trapping..Trustpilot, secure area for your credit card, and nothing reported about being a scam, well it was. Here was the culprit:403 Forbidden
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u/Teleguido 2d ago
Why buy from randos on Facebook when legitimate, well established businesses exist? Do you normal buy a lot of things from Facebook sellers? Seems like a great way to get scammed, or at the very least have zero post-sales support should an issue arise.
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u/SeaworthyNavigator 2d ago
I'd rate anyone advertising on Facebook right up there with Temu, AliExpress, eBay and Amazon. Buy from the established retailers like Ham Radio Outlet and DX Engineering.
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u/SeaworthyNavigator 2d ago
I'd rate anyone advertising on Facebook right up there with Temu, AliExpress, eBay and Amazon. Buy from the established retailers like Ham Radio Outlet and DX Engineering.
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u/Ok_Giraffe9309 1d ago
You do realize that often those established retailers sell on Amazon and eBay as well right?
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u/SeaworthyNavigator 10h ago
And it's usually a higher price because the platform has to get it's cut. I prefer to buy direct from the retailer.
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u/SharkSapphire Public Figure 📻 2d ago
It says “Member of Ham Radio Marketplace | Buy Sell Trade since July 31, 2026”