Gotcha! Or how I was duped Oukitel, line and sinker

"He went like one that hath been stunned
And is of sense forlorn;
A sadder and a wiser man
He rose the morrow morn" (The Rime of the Ancient Mariner).

I considered myself savvy concerning scams, phishing and hoaxes on line - once. But pride comes before a fall….

It all goes back to the end of last year when my wife’s faithful old Alcatel flip-shut phone came to the end of its days. I had been promising I’d get her a smartphone next year, and in the circumstances it seemed mean to delay the purchase. At much the same time we were visited by a professionally techy chap and his family whom we’d not seen for years. In conversation he mentioned this amazing smartphone developed by some former silicone valley boffins, without all the frills and bells - at less than half the price of its rivals. He had one. I thought he said it was the XOnePhone. Remembering this, I searched the internet and soon found it.

Wow! It did look good - and it was only £152 on a half-price offer. I read the reviews - all good, although in retrospect seemingly copied and pasted from the manufacturer’s blurb. I seem to have missed various warning entries.
 

Don't be fooled as I was!

For example:
“Fake news, fake hype.
The Adformercial on YouTube tries to imply some fictional hotshot from a company implying Apple, doesn't actually say the brand name, got so annoyed by their increasing prices and decreasing quality, that he gave up his job because he felt brApple were taking the mick out of its customers, so he made a company to make phones that were out of this world but at a great price. (Hijacking OnePlus' mission statement).
MediaTek CPU? Cutting edge? Sounds like they just did a parts bin raid of old Amazon tablets and slapped a phone circuit in it.”

And here’s a recent review from Jamie on Trustpilot
"AVOID
I would give zero stars if I could. Like the many other reviewers, I saw a Facebook ad about an ethical company of ex-Apple engineers producing a high quality sustainable (X-One) phone that would last a long time. Thanks to Trustpilot, i almost immediately realised this was a scam of a new sort, in which having got your money they play for time for as long as possible. Probably everything in the ad is fake. You will see their responses here. Sorry you're having problems, please return for full refund (to China!), 10% discount etc etc. Nearly two months after my being stupid enough to order without checking with Trustpilot first, I'm pleased that Paypal have reimbursed me in full. Three lessons: 1. Beware Facebook ads - it's not just about Brexit that you can be lied to 2.Always check with Trustpilot (or other review sites) before buying. 3.Be wary of positive reviews that may also not be what they seem.
Above all, avoid this company.” (The company is Hyperstech.)

It turns out the phone we received is an Oukitel C15 Pro, which is all right - and costs £79.99 on Amazon. It’s easy to be wise after the event. I’m sorry, dear wife. 

And I'm sorry that the excess I paid will none of it go to the low-paid Chinese factory workers who produced it (that wouldn't be bad) but all of it to the fat-cat scammers who duped me.

Beware, reader! Be warned by me.