6 ms·

Hopefully you don't buy anything that goes on or in your body from Amazon. Fake Dove Soap: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17217290 https://news.ycombinat

by dmm 8y ago

Hopefully you don't buy anything that goes on or in your body from Amazon. Fake Dove Soap: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17217290 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17217290 Fake Diapers: https://jenniferlabit.com/2016/07/21/counterfeit-baby-products-sold-at-amazon/ https://jenniferlabit.com/2016/07/21/counterfeit-baby-produc... Fake Eclipse Glasses: Tons of stories Amazon has a bad counterfeit problem. The way they co-mingle stock is crazy. You can't even trust reviews because the review might be describing a completely different product. EDIT: Counterfeit books! http://davidgaughran.com/2017/06/03/amazon-has-a-fake-book-problem/ http://davidgaughran.com/2017/06/03/amazon-has-a-fake-book-p...

matte_black 8y ago
Doesn’t happen enough to stop using Amazon. Sorry.
philg_jr 8y ago
If I could get back every block of 15 minutes I've spent on Amazon scrolling through the endless amount of options in order to avoid buying some crappy Chinese knock-off version, I'd be happy.
- com2kid 8y ago
  For home decor it is kind of amazing. Some of the higher quality knock off brands have become good products in their own right. My floor lamp is a knock off of a famous designer lamp. The particular knock off I have is rather desirable, to the point that other companies are making inferior knock offs of it! Searching through the gunk is incredibly time consuming though.
  - fma 8y ago
    If you don't mind waiting for shipping... Aliexpress is your friend for knockoffs at a better price. Buyer beware though, since you are dealing with Chinese sellers.
    - jimnotgym 8y ago
      Like you are not already dealing with them on Amazon and Ebay?
      - fma 8y ago
        I always pick the sellers that ship within the USA. It costs a few dollars more, but easier refunds and faster arrival.
ma2rten 8y ago
I don't think I ever got a counterfeit item on Amazon. The fact that there are news stories about specific counterfeit items (and not the problem in general), indicates to me that it's not as widespread.
- unimpressive 8y ago
  >I don't think I ever got a counterfeit item on Amazon. Well you wouldn't, if the counterfeit's were any good.
  - lkbm 8y ago
    Fair point, but if I can't tell that the good is fake, even after using it, I don't care that much. It could be I'll order Dove soap, get counterfeit, and incorrectly assume Dove soap sucks, but mostly I'm ordering brands too obscure to bother faking, or brands I'm familiar enough with to realize the bad counterfeit isn't the real thing. (But like ma2rten, I don't think I've ever gotten a counterfeit.)
    - bencollier49 8y ago
      If you're slathering it all over your body but you have no idea where or how it was made, do you suppose that you might suffer from deferred regret at some point in the future? (cf. today's talcum powder news item)
    - ceejayoz 8y ago
      > Fair point, but if I can't tell that the good is fake, even after using it, I don't care that much. Heavy metal poisoning may take years to show effects. Shoddily made laptop chargers may be a fire/shock hazard that kill in 100/1,000,000 instead of 1/1,000,000 cases. Not every dangerous counterfeit is immediately obvious as such.
- chc 8y ago
  I've gotten counterfeits of other products (for example, I once got a counterfeit DVD boxed set), and a lot of products I look at will have reviews noting that they received a counterfeit and what to look for to make sure you're actually getting the product listed. It seems to be reasonably common.
inanutshellus 8y ago
And don't forget resellers stealthily jacking up the price of commodities. I used to buy indiscriminately from Amazon. If Amazon had it, it was the best price. Why bother shopping around? I've been bitten multiple times now with ordering something only to realize some reseller has jacked up the price and I didn't notice. (e.g. buy baby wipes for $10, later re-order same baby wipes and think "hm, $18.50 seems higher than I remembered. Oh well, I need baby wipes!") So now I shop around for everything. Since Amazon is "forcing me" to shop around, I've started to exclude them out of spite. I get it, it's capitalism. If some Amazon reseller (including the "fulfilled by Amazon!" resellers) dupes me, I'm the sucker. Amazon's not to blame for capitalism. But... I still blame them. :)
- lagadu 8y ago
  There are a few browser extensions that automatically compare prices from some major retailers based on whether they ship to you. Give one of them a try, sometimes they find you nicer prices.
  - smt88 8y ago
    I like the idea, but the privacy implications scare me away. My Amazon activity and data says everything personal about me, including medical conditions.
- bitL 8y ago
  Amazon keeps constantly increasing fees in their marketplaces or warehouses, then there is a brutal competition on price via algorithmic repricers, so resellers try to compensate wherever they could. Increased price could be also a consequence of Amazon kicking out cheaper sellers and the remaining ones without doing anything by using a repricer would set a higher price, not mentioning some advanced repricers using game theory to find equilibrium as well.
paulcole 8y ago
I get my diabetes supplies through Amazon– generic glucose test strips and pen needles I use for insulin. The price is a fraction of what they cost at the pharmacy (even with insurance). I have no problem recommending them to anyone. Quality is acceptable and more importantly it's the only option at a price point I'm willing to pay. Edit: Thanks to whoever downvoted this.
- spenczar5 8y ago
  How do you know the quality is acceptable on something like test strips? I don't know anything about the specific here, but I would have thought that you especially would care about brand for single-use test supplies, because you just have to trust the manufacturer regarding their false positive/negative rates. (this sounds more combative than I mean because internet text is hard - i'm genuinely curious)
  - paulcole 8y ago
    There is a solution of known "sweetness" you can put on test strips. If the result comes up in a set range, they're acceptable. Basically my assumption is that if a random strip or 2 from a container is good, they're all good. Also, knowing blood sugar EXACTLY isn't really something I'm interested in. I want to know trends and where I'm roughly at.
- jonnycomputer 8y ago
  HN downvoting is stupid. they should remove it, or make it cost in their own karma.
  - jonnycomputer 8y ago
    how typical. HN's moderation system is broken.
rhacker 8y ago
Do any independent websites sell counterfeit? If so, then we're just comparing isolated cases on a large ecommerce site with what?
- seandougall 8y ago
  Independent (non-aggregator) web sites generally have some control over what suppliers they draw from. So of course there are counterfeits out there, but they’re the exception, unless selling counterfeits was the seller’s intention. You can generally judge based on how reputable the seller is. Amazon sources indiscriminately, because they’re not a seller in the traditional sense; they’re basically a flea market with warehousing and logistics. So you have no guarantees one way or another whether the thing they’re selling is genuine or not.
DoubleGlazing 8y ago
A friend of ours gave us a painting of Cú Chulain for our wedding. That painting was her specialty that went through many prototypes. She put prints of it on Amazon and within a few weeks hand made copies were being sold from far eastern sellers. She spent two year battling to get those sales taken down. In the end it only stopped because the sellers moved onto other pictures and not because Amazon took any action.
dv_dt 8y ago
So has the dept of commerce, or homeland security, or whoever is responsible in gov't for suppressing counterfeit goods ever raided an Amazon warehouse? Does there need to be complaint by the manufacturer first?
- mistermann 8y ago
  I would imagine Mr. Bezos figured out how to navigate Washington successfully long ago.
- ryanmercer 8y ago
  For stuff being sold domestic you go through the FBI, for stuff being imported you go through CBP and the USITC. For intellectual property it's OIPR. (I clear international freight through Customs for a living)
unclebucknasty 8y ago
Or razor blades. Bought some Gillette Fusion 5 blades on Amazon a few years ago for a good price. Didn't take long to realize that no way were they the real thing. First shave was horrible and it was downhill fast from there.

by dmm 8y ago

matte_black 8y ago

Doesn’t happen enough to stop using Amazon. Sorry.

philg_jr 8y ago

If I could get back every block of 15 minutes I've spent on Amazon scrolling through the endless amount of options in order to avoid buying some crappy Chinese knock-off version, I'd be happy.

com2kid 8y ago
For home decor it is kind of amazing. Some of the higher quality knock off brands have become good products in their own right. My floor lamp is a knock off of a famous designer lamp. The particular knock off I have is rather desirable, to the point that other companies are making inferior knock offs of it! Searching through the gunk is incredibly time consuming though.
- fma 8y ago
  If you don't mind waiting for shipping... Aliexpress is your friend for knockoffs at a better price. Buyer beware though, since you are dealing with Chinese sellers.
  - jimnotgym 8y ago
    Like you are not already dealing with them on Amazon and Ebay?
    - fma 8y ago
      I always pick the sellers that ship within the USA. It costs a few dollars more, but easier refunds and faster arrival.

ma2rten 8y ago

I don't think I ever got a counterfeit item on Amazon. The fact that there are news stories about specific counterfeit items (and not the problem in general), indicates to me that it's not as widespread.

unimpressive 8y ago
>I don't think I ever got a counterfeit item on Amazon. Well you wouldn't, if the counterfeit's were any good.
- lkbm 8y ago
  Fair point, but if I can't tell that the good is fake, even after using it, I don't care that much. It could be I'll order Dove soap, get counterfeit, and incorrectly assume Dove soap sucks, but mostly I'm ordering brands too obscure to bother faking, or brands I'm familiar enough with to realize the bad counterfeit isn't the real thing. (But like ma2rten, I don't think I've ever gotten a counterfeit.)
  - bencollier49 8y ago
    If you're slathering it all over your body but you have no idea where or how it was made, do you suppose that you might suffer from deferred regret at some point in the future? (cf. today's talcum powder news item)
  - ceejayoz 8y ago
    > Fair point, but if I can't tell that the good is fake, even after using it, I don't care that much. Heavy metal poisoning may take years to show effects. Shoddily made laptop chargers may be a fire/shock hazard that kill in 100/1,000,000 instead of 1/1,000,000 cases. Not every dangerous counterfeit is immediately obvious as such.
chc 8y ago
I've gotten counterfeits of other products (for example, I once got a counterfeit DVD boxed set), and a lot of products I look at will have reviews noting that they received a counterfeit and what to look for to make sure you're actually getting the product listed. It seems to be reasonably common.

inanutshellus 8y ago

And don't forget resellers stealthily jacking up the price of commodities. I used to buy indiscriminately from Amazon. If Amazon had it, it was the best price. Why bother shopping around? I've been bitten multiple times now with ordering something only to realize some reseller has jacked up the price and I didn't notice. (e.g. buy baby wipes for $10, later re-order same baby wipes and think "hm, $18.50 seems higher than I remembered. Oh well, I need baby wipes!") So now I shop around for everything. Since Amazon is "forcing me" to shop around, I've started to exclude them out of spite. I get it, it's capitalism. If some Amazon reseller (including the "fulfilled by Amazon!" resellers) dupes me, I'm the sucker. Amazon's not to blame for capitalism. But... I still blame them. :)

lagadu 8y ago
There are a few browser extensions that automatically compare prices from some major retailers based on whether they ship to you. Give one of them a try, sometimes they find you nicer prices.
- smt88 8y ago
  I like the idea, but the privacy implications scare me away. My Amazon activity and data says everything personal about me, including medical conditions.
bitL 8y ago
Amazon keeps constantly increasing fees in their marketplaces or warehouses, then there is a brutal competition on price via algorithmic repricers, so resellers try to compensate wherever they could. Increased price could be also a consequence of Amazon kicking out cheaper sellers and the remaining ones without doing anything by using a repricer would set a higher price, not mentioning some advanced repricers using game theory to find equilibrium as well.

paulcole 8y ago

I get my diabetes supplies through Amazon– generic glucose test strips and pen needles I use for insulin. The price is a fraction of what they cost at the pharmacy (even with insurance). I have no problem recommending them to anyone. Quality is acceptable and more importantly it's the only option at a price point I'm willing to pay. Edit: Thanks to whoever downvoted this.

spenczar5 8y ago
How do you know the quality is acceptable on something like test strips? I don't know anything about the specific here, but I would have thought that you especially would care about brand for single-use test supplies, because you just have to trust the manufacturer regarding their false positive/negative rates. (this sounds more combative than I mean because internet text is hard - i'm genuinely curious)
- paulcole 8y ago
  There is a solution of known "sweetness" you can put on test strips. If the result comes up in a set range, they're acceptable. Basically my assumption is that if a random strip or 2 from a container is good, they're all good. Also, knowing blood sugar EXACTLY isn't really something I'm interested in. I want to know trends and where I'm roughly at.
jonnycomputer 8y ago
HN downvoting is stupid. they should remove it, or make it cost in their own karma.
- jonnycomputer 8y ago
  how typical. HN's moderation system is broken.

rhacker 8y ago

Do any independent websites sell counterfeit? If so, then we're just comparing isolated cases on a large ecommerce site with what?

seandougall 8y ago
Independent (non-aggregator) web sites generally have some control over what suppliers they draw from. So of course there are counterfeits out there, but they’re the exception, unless selling counterfeits was the seller’s intention. You can generally judge based on how reputable the seller is. Amazon sources indiscriminately, because they’re not a seller in the traditional sense; they’re basically a flea market with warehousing and logistics. So you have no guarantees one way or another whether the thing they’re selling is genuine or not.

DoubleGlazing 8y ago

A friend of ours gave us a painting of Cú Chulain for our wedding. That painting was her specialty that went through many prototypes. She put prints of it on Amazon and within a few weeks hand made copies were being sold from far eastern sellers. She spent two year battling to get those sales taken down. In the end it only stopped because the sellers moved onto other pictures and not because Amazon took any action.

dv_dt 8y ago

So has the dept of commerce, or homeland security, or whoever is responsible in gov't for suppressing counterfeit goods ever raided an Amazon warehouse? Does there need to be complaint by the manufacturer first?

mistermann 8y ago
I would imagine Mr. Bezos figured out how to navigate Washington successfully long ago.
ryanmercer 8y ago
For stuff being sold domestic you go through the FBI, for stuff being imported you go through CBP and the USITC. For intellectual property it's OIPR. (I clear international freight through Customs for a living)

unclebucknasty 8y ago

Or razor blades. Bought some Gillette Fusion 5 blades on Amazon a few years ago for a good price. Didn't take long to realize that no way were they the real thing. First shave was horrible and it was downhill fast from there.