Is crowdfarming.com a Scam?

No, based on our thorough evaluation of the website and its publicly available information, crowdfarming.com does not appear to be a scam.

The platform exhibits numerous characteristics that are consistent with a legitimate and professionally managed online business.

Scam operations typically lack the transparency, longevity, and robust technical infrastructure that crowdfarming.com openly displays.

Absence of Scam Indicators

Several key indicators that typically signal a scam website are notably absent from crowdfarming.com.
Longevity: Scam websites rarely operate for over a decade. Crowdfarming.com was created in 2011, demonstrating a long-term presence and sustained operation.
Transparency: Scam sites tend to hide their true identity, contact information, and legal terms. Crowdfarming.com provides clear WHOIS data, a direct phone number, a physical address (via Imprint), and comprehensive legal policies.
Secure Connection: The presence of valid SSL certificates, verifiable through tools like crt.sh, ensures that data exchanged with the site is encrypted. Scammers often neglect proper security protocols.
Professional Design and Content: The website is well-designed, with high-quality images and clear, coherent language. Scam sites often feature poor grammar, generic stock photos, and inconsistent branding.
Genuine Business Model: The direct-to-farmer model, focused on organic and sustainable produce, is a viable and ethically appealing business concept, not a get-rich-quick scheme often associated with scams.

Presence of Legitimacy Markers

Conversely, crowdfarming.com displays several strong markers of a legitimate business.
Public WHOIS Information: The domain registration details are public and point to a known registrar (IONOS SE), which allows for accountability.
Robust DNS and Hosting: The use of Amazon Web Services (AWS) for DNS and hosting (indicated by NS records pointing to awsdns.org, awsdns.co.uk, awsdns.com, awsdns.net) signifies a professional hosting environment. Google’s MX records for email further enhance this.
Comprehensive Legal Documentation: Links to “Privacy and cookies policy,” “Imprint,” and “Terms of use and purchase conditions” are foundational for legitimate e-commerce businesses, outlining rights and responsibilities.
Direct Contact: Providing a readily available phone number (+44 20 3318 4317) offers a crucial channel for customer support and issue resolution, which scammers typically avoid.
Commitment to Transparency and Impact: The “Annual Impact Report” and “Economic transparency” blog post go beyond basic legitimacy, showing a commitment to ethical operations and accountability for their stated mission.

Addressing Minor Concerns

While not indicative of a scam, some minor points on the website could be improved to alleviate initial user apprehension.
Static “0” Statistics: The display of “0 adopted trees,” “0 boxes of fresh food sent,” and “0 farmers” on the homepage, while likely a placeholder issue, can momentarily create an impression of inactivity or lack of scale, which might cause some visitors to question the site’s vitality, though not its legitimacy as a scam.
External Reviews: While our review focuses on the website itself, a quick check of external review platforms (like Trustpilot, often mentioned when searching “crowdfarming.com reviews”) would likely reveal real user experiences, further confirming its legitimacy. Most legitimate businesses will have a mix of positive and negative reviews, whereas scam sites often have no reviews or an overwhelming number of suspiciously perfect ones.

Does crowdfarming.com Work?