4 ms·

My issue with Amazon lately isn't just the prices no longer being the lowest, it's that a big chunk of their products are counterfeits. I honestly have no idea

My issue with Amazon lately isn't just the prices no longer being the lowest, it's that a big chunk of their products are counterfeits. I honestly have no idea how they haven't tamped down on that. If I shop at Wal-Mart, Target, Footlocker, etc, etc I know the products I buy aren't going to be fakes; no so with Amazon. I have started buying less stuff on there after a number of products have come back as fakes. I use Prime Video more than any other service now, but there's only maybe 2 shows I even care about on there.

EADGBE 9y ago
What kinds of things are you buying where counterfeits are a problem? Genuinely intrigued.
- SeanDav 9y ago
  Charging devices.
  - acuozzo 9y ago
    Are those charging devices both shipped and sold by Amazon?
- pp19dd 9y ago
  Everything. Just like the root poster, I am disgusted by clusters of knockoffs and increasingly more weary of seeing them. Just about anything common you run across on Amazon is probably not original (is there such a thing as an uncommon product these days?) The worst part is that I can't get myself to trust any reviews - good or bad - which was my go-to for feeling assured about a purchase. A knockoff competitor may review or pay reviewers to ding someone else's version of the product, and boost their own, and they've created a scorched earth of uncertainty from this seller ecosystem. For example, if you look up can openers, you'll see a bunch of ones that look exactly alike but are labeled as different brands. They contain slightly altered stock photos, but almost certainly all are stemming from the same original product. Mixed reviews give you cautions for some products, but not for others that are identical. Does it stay sharp, or doesn't it? Does it fail after 10 uses, or doesn't it? Does it work with lipped cans or doesn't it? If you look carefully, you can probably guess in which order a product imitation was born in, based on the progressively more distorted JPEGs of the cover photo. Look for a wire brush and you'll see same photo of the same product, "manufactured" by different companies. Senkary, Sucool, Tekton, eBoot, ABN, and a few dozen seemingly randomized names. I think I don't care about wire brush manufacturing consistency as long as it doesn't arrive wrapped in 1/4 lb of plastic and foam, and dripping with machine oil (I chuckled when I got it). On the other hand, I do care whether a sprinkler head I get is actually pressure regulated and calibrated to 30 PSI, that the variable arc nozzle is built to spec and won't decompose in sunlight and clog rest of the irrigation system, and I do care whether a phone charger might burn my house down. Unless I order those three products directly from the known manufacturer, I won't trust that it's genuine.
  - EADGBE 9y ago
    Sounds like you know exactly which kind of sprinkler head you need, but not a wire brush. After seeing some other replies, I think we use Amazon differently.
  - acuozzo 9y ago
    > Everything. The solution is to purchase products shipped and sold by Amazon. Avoid third party sellers unless you either know the seller well or if the seller is the manufacturer of the product.
- DamnYuppie 9y ago
  A few that I have experienced recently that have really turned me off of Amazon. - Charging cables, iOS and Android. - Memory cards, were supposed to be san disk but obviously were fake and didn't work well. - GoPro batteries. I am pretty much 100% skeptical of anything I buy on Amazon now, which is why I have drastically cut back my purchasing from them. Like most who are posting here I mostly go to Walmart and Costco or look for local retailers for my needs.
- partiallypro 9y ago
  Colognes, shoes, and watches, in my experience. I don't care much if a charging cable is a knock off, I usually buy a reputable cheap brand...but if I'm buying a cologne, or shoes they sure as hell better be legit.
acuozzo 9y ago
> a big chunk of their products are counterfeits The solution is to purchase products shipped and sold by Amazon. Avoid third party sellers unless you either know the seller well or if the seller is the manufacturer of the product. And remember: "SHIPPED by Amazon" isn't enough since Amazon assists third party sellers by storing and shipping products on their behalf under Amazon's fulfillment program. The product has to be "SOLD by Amazon" as well in order for the above advice to apply.
- Sleeep 9y ago
  Third party sellers get commingled with Amazon inventory so buying sold by Amazon doesn't fix the problem.
  - acuozzo 9y ago
    Amazon stores and ships products on behalf of third party sellers under their FBA program, but Amazon isn't listed as the seller in this circumstance. The SOLD part of "Shipped and sold by Amazon" is just as important as the SHIPPED part when shopping.
    - Sleeep 9y ago
      You're not understanding how comminging works here. Say I'm shady seller X, I'm sending in fakes to FBA (lol). Yes, I'd like to sell "Product Y." I'll list Product Y and enable "commingling," and send in fakes. Now when Amazon sells Product Y, Amazon will choose an item from it's shelves in a warehouse. Since shady seller X said "commingle my inventory" Amazon may choose the product(s) shady seller X's sent from it's shelves.

EADGBE 9y ago

What kinds of things are you buying where counterfeits are a problem? Genuinely intrigued.

SeanDav 9y ago
Charging devices.
- acuozzo 9y ago
  Are those charging devices both shipped and sold by Amazon?
pp19dd 9y ago
Everything. Just like the root poster, I am disgusted by clusters of knockoffs and increasingly more weary of seeing them. Just about anything common you run across on Amazon is probably not original (is there such a thing as an uncommon product these days?) The worst part is that I can't get myself to trust any reviews - good or bad - which was my go-to for feeling assured about a purchase. A knockoff competitor may review or pay reviewers to ding someone else's version of the product, and boost their own, and they've created a scorched earth of uncertainty from this seller ecosystem. For example, if you look up can openers, you'll see a bunch of ones that look exactly alike but are labeled as different brands. They contain slightly altered stock photos, but almost certainly all are stemming from the same original product. Mixed reviews give you cautions for some products, but not for others that are identical. Does it stay sharp, or doesn't it? Does it fail after 10 uses, or doesn't it? Does it work with lipped cans or doesn't it? If you look carefully, you can probably guess in which order a product imitation was born in, based on the progressively more distorted JPEGs of the cover photo. Look for a wire brush and you'll see same photo of the same product, "manufactured" by different companies. Senkary, Sucool, Tekton, eBoot, ABN, and a few dozen seemingly randomized names. I think I don't care about wire brush manufacturing consistency as long as it doesn't arrive wrapped in 1/4 lb of plastic and foam, and dripping with machine oil (I chuckled when I got it). On the other hand, I do care whether a sprinkler head I get is actually pressure regulated and calibrated to 30 PSI, that the variable arc nozzle is built to spec and won't decompose in sunlight and clog rest of the irrigation system, and I do care whether a phone charger might burn my house down. Unless I order those three products directly from the known manufacturer, I won't trust that it's genuine.
- EADGBE 9y ago
  Sounds like you know exactly which kind of sprinkler head you need, but not a wire brush. After seeing some other replies, I think we use Amazon differently.
- acuozzo 9y ago
  > Everything. The solution is to purchase products shipped and sold by Amazon. Avoid third party sellers unless you either know the seller well or if the seller is the manufacturer of the product.
DamnYuppie 9y ago
A few that I have experienced recently that have really turned me off of Amazon. - Charging cables, iOS and Android. - Memory cards, were supposed to be san disk but obviously were fake and didn't work well. - GoPro batteries. I am pretty much 100% skeptical of anything I buy on Amazon now, which is why I have drastically cut back my purchasing from them. Like most who are posting here I mostly go to Walmart and Costco or look for local retailers for my needs.
partiallypro 9y ago
Colognes, shoes, and watches, in my experience. I don't care much if a charging cable is a knock off, I usually buy a reputable cheap brand...but if I'm buying a cologne, or shoes they sure as hell better be legit.

acuozzo 9y ago

> a big chunk of their products are counterfeits The solution is to purchase products shipped and sold by Amazon. Avoid third party sellers unless you either know the seller well or if the seller is the manufacturer of the product. And remember: "SHIPPED by Amazon" isn't enough since Amazon assists third party sellers by storing and shipping products on their behalf under Amazon's fulfillment program. The product has to be "SOLD by Amazon" as well in order for the above advice to apply.

Sleeep 9y ago
Third party sellers get commingled with Amazon inventory so buying sold by Amazon doesn't fix the problem.
- acuozzo 9y ago
  Amazon stores and ships products on behalf of third party sellers under their FBA program, but Amazon isn't listed as the seller in this circumstance. The SOLD part of "Shipped and sold by Amazon" is just as important as the SHIPPED part when shopping.
  - Sleeep 9y ago
    You're not understanding how comminging works here. Say I'm shady seller X, I'm sending in fakes to FBA (lol). Yes, I'd like to sell "Product Y." I'll list Product Y and enable "commingling," and send in fakes. Now when Amazon sells Product Y, Amazon will choose an item from it's shelves in a warehouse. Since shady seller X said "commingle my inventory" Amazon may choose the product(s) shady seller X's sent from it's shelves.