Who Owns Luxussound.com?

Unraveling the ownership of luxussound.com proves to be a challenging task, and this opacity is a significant concern for any discerning online shopper.

While the WHOIS information provides some technical details, it deliberately shields the registrant’s identity, and the website itself offers no clear corporate disclosure.

This lack of transparency is a common characteristic of less trustworthy online entities, contrasting sharply with established e-commerce practices.

WHOIS Information Analysis

• Registrant Anonymity: The WHOIS data for luxussound.com indicates that the domain is registered with IONOS SE, a legitimate domain registrar. However, the registrant’s name and organization details are not publicly disclosed. While domain privacy services are common, for a commercial website, this anonymity combined with other missing details becomes a red flag. It prevents direct verification of the legal entity behind the website.
• Contact Information: The WHOIS record provides a registrar abuse contact email ([email protected]) and phone (+1.6105601459). This is the contact for issues related to the domain registration itself, not necessarily for customer service or business inquiries related to luxussound.com’s operations.

On-Site Information Deficiencies

• Missing “Impressum” / Legal Notice: As previously mentioned, for any German-based commercial website (which luxussound.com implies it is by mentioning a Berlin store), an “Impressum” or legal notice is a mandatory legal disclosure. This section must contain the full legal name of the company, its legal form, business address, registration numbers (e.g., commercial register number), and contact details. Its complete absence on luxussound.com is a blatant violation of German e-commerce law and renders the website non-compliant and untrustworthy from a legal perspective.
• No “About Us” Page: Beyond legal requirements, a standard “About Us” page would typically introduce the company, its history, values, and team members. Luxussound.com lacks any such section, further obscuring the identity of its operators.
• Ambiguous Relationship with Bang & Olufsen Berlin: The site heavily features Bang & Olufsen and links to “beolife-berlin.de,” which appears to be a legitimate Bang & Olufsen partner store. However, luxussound.com does not explicitly state that it is the official online store for beolife-berlin.de, nor does it present itself as an official Bang & Olufsen online retailer. This ambiguity leaves consumers guessing about the true relationship and authorization. Is it an independent reseller? Is it a grey market importer? Is it genuinely connected to the physical store? Without clear disclosure, these questions remain unanswered.

Expert Opinion: Cybersecurity experts and consumer protection agencies consistently advise extreme caution when dealing with online vendors who do not clearly disclose their legal identity, business address, and comprehensive terms of service. The inability to identify who is legally responsible for a transaction significantly increases the risk of fraud and lack of recourse for consumers.

Data Point: A 2022 report by the Bundesamt für Sicherheit in der Informationstechnik (BSI) in Germany highlighted that non-compliance with “Impressum” obligations is a common characteristic of fraudulent or unreliable websites, making them difficult to hold accountable.