Scammers Game Amazon A-Z Policy By Replacing iPhones With Clay • Hacker News Board

Re: Scammers Game Amazon A-Z Policy By Replacing iPhones With Clay

#21

Post by AJ007 » Mon, Jun 20, 2016, 5:45 PM UTC

nabaraz wrote: post #7

I remember this being big on ebay days. How can retailers like Amazon/Ebay verify neither sellers nor buyers are not getting scammed? I cant think of any solution except intercept all packages and make sure the actual product is there.

One of my friends still sells on eBay and has buyers pulling scams regularly. He lists stuff on message boards and other sources first, and uses eBay as a last resort. Personally I haven't been a seller on eBay in close to a decade.

This isn't a solved problem but its certainly solvable because scammers should be pulling the trick repeatedly.

Re: Scammers Game Amazon A-Z Policy By Replacing iPhones With Clay

#22

Post by codecamper » Mon, Jun 20, 2016, 5:45 PM UTC

Amazon could set up some honey pots.. whereby they themselves send out the product. They know its good.

If a customer tries to scam that one... then Amazon has found their scammer.

Also... I'm surprised that Amazon just hands out these sorts of refunds on big ticket items. If I were them I'd require some sort of biometric data for the refund.

Re: Scammers Game Amazon A-Z Policy By Replacing iPhones With Clay

#23

Post by soyiuz » Mon, Jun 20, 2016, 5:46 PM UTC

brador wrote: post #14

The only solution is a verifying third party. Postal service could offer this for a fee to make some easy money.

I would use this service. However, see my comment above. How would the Postal Service verify counterfeit merchandise, for example?

Re: Scammers Game Amazon A-Z Policy By Replacing iPhones With Clay

#24

Post by joezydeco » Mon, Jun 20, 2016, 5:46 PM UTC

tomjen3 wrote: post #16

laksjd wrote: post #4

I'm going to guess this only works with sellers that aren't fulfilled by Amazon? It's an annoyingly effective scam: How can sellers protect themselves?

Some shipper has to provide verified shipment as a service: you packaged will be opened, a photo will be taken of the content and it will be packed and sealed by the shipper.

And the shipper can't be an accomplice in this adventure? A collusion between scammer and a dodgy shipper would work very well.

Re: Scammers Game Amazon A-Z Policy By Replacing iPhones With Clay

#25

Post by nkozyra » Mon, Jun 20, 2016, 5:46 PM UTC

codecamper wrote: post #22

Amazon could set up some honey pots.. whereby they themselves send out the product. They know its good. If a customer tries to scam that one... then Amazon has found their scammer. Also... I'm surprised that Amazon just hands out these sorts of refunds on big ticket items. If I were them I'd require some sort of biometric data for the refund.

But as the story relates, these people tend to set up new accounts each time. There's little risk here involved for the scammer.

Re: Scammers Game Amazon A-Z Policy By Replacing iPhones With Clay

#26

Post by w8rbt » Mon, Jun 20, 2016, 5:47 PM UTC

There are too many counterfeits and schemes like this on Amazon. Finding a reliable seller that has a legitimate product and a good reputation has become almost impossible.

Re: Scammers Game Amazon A-Z Policy By Replacing iPhones With Clay

#27

Post by AJ007 » Mon, Jun 20, 2016, 5:47 PM UTC

Interesting conclusion to the article. I stopped buying Apple items off Amazon a really long time ago because they let counterfeit chargers list as real Apple products and did jack shit about it. To some extent this has begun flowing in to other product categories for me as well.

"Meanwhile, the product page is flooded with fraudelent (sp) reviews, poisoning the well and moving future customers away from Amazon and towards trusted Apple retailers. Amazon and customers lose, but Apple possibly gets more customers."

Re: Scammers Game Amazon A-Z Policy By Replacing iPhones With Clay

#28

Post by codecamper » Mon, Jun 20, 2016, 5:47 PM UTC

Another thing that could be done... is that shippers could help out.

UPS, Fedex, USPS could all offer last step photo verification of packages, as a service. A few more dollars and you get a photo of what is inside and the handler packs the box up.

Re: Scammers Game Amazon A-Z Policy By Replacing iPhones With Clay

#29

Post by swanson » Mon, Jun 20, 2016, 5:47 PM UTC

Question: how should a seller document and defend that they indeed shipped an iPhone (not clay)?

Re: Scammers Game Amazon A-Z Policy By Replacing iPhones With Clay

#30

Post by coryfklein » Mon, Jun 20, 2016, 5:48 PM UTC

Someone1234 wrote: post #10

These might be buyer scammers, or sellers themselves have been scammed upstream. This article is right you'd have to be bonkers to try and pull this on Amazon as a seller. But he's assuming the seller knows there is no iPhone in the sealed box. Perhaps Amazon Sellers are attempting to buy iPhones on the grey market at a discount, in order to resell them on Amazon at a profit. However the person they're dealing with u…

> Perhaps Amazon Sellers are attempting to buy iPhones on the grey market at a discount, in order to resell them on Amazon at a profit. However the person they're dealing with upstream is actually shipping them clay or similar and plans to disappear when discovered.

I hadn't considered this possibility, but it is definitely possible as well. I see it as less likely, because the Amazon Seller that is the responsible party would probably get flagged for fraud and their account disabled. Additionally - the profiles of the buyers posting the reviews raises suspicion on their part.

> But why even post a review at all? The A-Z guidelines don't require it.

Claims that aren't resolved between buyer and seller involve a customer service individual from Amazon. If the buyer can point to pictures/reviews they posted, it likely strengthens their case and encourages the customer service to resolve in their favor, especially when the seller has no alternative picture evidence.