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Shampoo & conditioner is another big area that's easily scammed. Very easy to fake product, very hard for customers to detect, and the costs are so low that get

Shampoo & conditioner is another big area that's easily scammed. Very easy to fake product, very hard for customers to detect, and the costs are so low that getting caught isn't much of a deterrent.

ajross 9y ago
To be fair: that's largely because shampoo and conditioner are largely fake products to begin with, differentiating themselves on the basis of color and scent instead of performance.
- stordoff 9y ago
  You should still know what you are getting. If you are purchasing a specific product, it may because of (for example) a skin disorder and you know that specific brand does not cause you any problems. There's also the question of how many corners are being cut - you can cut some and still get a safe, working (if inauthentic) product, but cutting too many (which a manufacturer of fake products is more likely to do) may result in a product which either doesn't work or is actively dangerous.
nasredin 9y ago
Wouldn't perfumes be much more juicy targets for counterfeiters? Or do the perfume companies actually try to protect their brands? Shampoos are probably $10 a bottle while peefumes are at least 5 times that. (Also you can buy Alberto brand shampoos for $1 at a dollar store. Hopefuly nobody counterfeits $1 shampoos!)
- abalone 9y ago
  Some shampoos are at least 5 times that. But more importantly, most people buy at least 5 times as much shampoo and conditioner as they do perfume.
robryan 9y ago
Haven't seen this at all, even in the $100+ shampoos. Much more likely you will get a product that is past its shelf life with shampoos than a fake. Fakes are more likely in fragrances, and mid to high value but still high volume makeups and skincare.
- randycupertino 9y ago
  I've bought fake makeup on Amazon 3x. One was a fake urban decay eyeshadow box, another was fake Ben Nye powder that was supposed to be "banana powder" but was really just baby powder with yellow dye. And last week they sent me fake face cream. It's so annoying. Now I only use sephora.com. Sucks. Wish Amazon cared enough about customers to fix this.
- abalone 9y ago
  > Haven't seen this at all How exactly would you know? Are you testing the chemical composition of shampoo samples off of Amazon? I submit that shampoo & conditioner are a lot easier to fake than fragrances. Perfumes are delicate and average consumers can compare and contrast fragrance samples to see if they smell the same. But shampoo & conditioner fragrances are not as delicate, so it's easier to fake based just on texture and color. And there are plenty of high-end "salon" brands with high profit margins... and sell a LOT more volume than perfume.

Shampoo & conditioner is another big area that's easily scammed. Very easy to fake product, very hard for customers to detect, and the costs are so low that getting caught isn't much of a deterrent.

ajross 9y ago

To be fair: that's largely because shampoo and conditioner are largely fake products to begin with, differentiating themselves on the basis of color and scent instead of performance.

stordoff 9y ago
You should still know what you are getting. If you are purchasing a specific product, it may because of (for example) a skin disorder and you know that specific brand does not cause you any problems. There's also the question of how many corners are being cut - you can cut some and still get a safe, working (if inauthentic) product, but cutting too many (which a manufacturer of fake products is more likely to do) may result in a product which either doesn't work or is actively dangerous.

nasredin 9y ago

Wouldn't perfumes be much more juicy targets for counterfeiters? Or do the perfume companies actually try to protect their brands? Shampoos are probably $10 a bottle while peefumes are at least 5 times that. (Also you can buy Alberto brand shampoos for $1 at a dollar store. Hopefuly nobody counterfeits $1 shampoos!)

abalone 9y ago
Some shampoos are at least 5 times that. But more importantly, most people buy at least 5 times as much shampoo and conditioner as they do perfume.

robryan 9y ago

Haven't seen this at all, even in the $100+ shampoos. Much more likely you will get a product that is past its shelf life with shampoos than a fake. Fakes are more likely in fragrances, and mid to high value but still high volume makeups and skincare.

randycupertino 9y ago
I've bought fake makeup on Amazon 3x. One was a fake urban decay eyeshadow box, another was fake Ben Nye powder that was supposed to be "banana powder" but was really just baby powder with yellow dye. And last week they sent me fake face cream. It's so annoying. Now I only use sephora.com. Sucks. Wish Amazon cared enough about customers to fix this.
abalone 9y ago
> Haven't seen this at all How exactly would you know? Are you testing the chemical composition of shampoo samples off of Amazon? I submit that shampoo & conditioner are a lot easier to fake than fragrances. Perfumes are delicate and average consumers can compare and contrast fragrance samples to see if they smell the same. But shampoo & conditioner fragrances are not as delicate, so it's easier to fake based just on texture and color. And there are plenty of high-end "salon" brands with high profit margins... and sell a LOT more volume than perfume.