Live data from Hacker News

Amazon's Tepid Response to Counterfeiters Frustrates Sellers

inc.com

171–180 of 364 posts

Re: Amazon's Tepid Response to Counterfeiters Frustrates Sellers

#171
Not necessarily counterfeit, but I purchased paints off of Amazon within the last year and the paints that arrived were expired. Amazon had no problem giving me a refund, but I suspect many people just buy the product and don't care, which is fine for them but makes it difficult for me to buy quality items from Amazon.

Re: Amazon's Tepid Response to Counterfeiters Frustrates Sellers

#172
post #13

It's trivially easy to run into counterfeit products on Amazon. Here's an example I pulled up in 2 minutes of searching: https://www.amazon.com/Apple-A1385-Adapter-Charger-iPhone/dp... I see two sellers offering an iPhone charger, ostensibly genuine and new, as low as USD 3.19. Compare with the Apple listing for the same item for USD 19: http://www.apple.com/shop/product/MD810LL/A/apple-5w-usb-pow... There is no way…

>There is no way you can be selling the genuine product at that price and be making a profit.

Am I missing where the ad says it's a genuine Apple product? I see that it says "compatible", but that's clearly a fake to me. Not that it wouldn't trick some people, but I can't really blame Amazon for that. It's a knockoff.

I think if someone goes onto Amazon and buys a phone charger for half the price of a genuine charger, that's a different problem than paying for and receiving a "genuine" charger that turns out to be fake.

Re: Amazon's Tepid Response to Counterfeiters Frustrates Sellers

#173
post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fall River is also extremely economically depressed. I thought that was a typical case but the list of locations suggests maybe that's not entirely true.

Massachusetts isn't as big a boomtown as some areas, but population grew about 4% in a region better known for losing population. Fall River isn't as much a backwater as it used to be.

Do you mean Fall River? I'm certainly not arguing that Massachusetts, as a whole, is economically depressed.

Re: Amazon's Tepid Response to Counterfeiters Frustrates Sellers

#174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There was a great Bloomberg Decrypted podcast a couple weeks ago weighing the costs and benefits for a small town in offering a multi-million dollar subsidy for thousands of low-skill Amazon warehouse jobs. Is it really worth subsidizing at all when the government will have to fund various welfare programs to cover the difference between the ~$10.00/hr paid and a livable wage? But since towns compete and prestige is…

The New York Times also did a big piece showing that these deals were almost always bad ones. The thing is that politicians have a simply ideological commitment to not intervene more directly.

Makes me wonder if political deals to bring in military-industrial complex jobs at military bases and arms manufacturing plants and the like are any better. They at least provide better compensation to the workers, right?

Re: Amazon's Tepid Response to Counterfeiters Frustrates Sellers

#175
post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amazon isn't going to take this seriously until a major company gets burned and the FBI gets involved. Then Amazon will experience what every other company does that gets burned for selling counterfeit goods... the FBI will raid their warehouse and hold all the inventory as evidence until they complete their investigation. Like you said, Amazon doesn't seem concerned that they're selling counterfeit goods -- probably…

8 out of 10 people cannot spot counterfeit goods. I bought a major brand perfume, Sold and fulfilled by Amazon. When i used it after 2 months i was suspicious a. One day i was in Macy's, saw the same perfume (on same price). I tried the tester and i realized that perfume at home is a cheap knock off. Initially i though that Amazon did not store it properly and warehouse heat must have destroyed the smell. Then i saw…

When I followed your link it says:

Sold by MSP Sales LLC and Fulfilled by Amazon.

Re: Amazon's Tepid Response to Counterfeiters Frustrates Sellers

#176
post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Try buying any Apple accessories. I wanted to buy the genuine Apple headphones, but it's absolutely impossible to on Amazon. "Sold by Apple" product shows up from a seller in Boston, clearly counterfeit. Report it to Amazon and they suggest mailing it back for a refund. Zero concern that the seller is labeling their goods as genuine Apple and then sending knock-offs. Prior to this I got a set of grey market Gillette…

Apple does not sell any products through Amazon. All Apple products listed on Amazon are through third parties.

This isn't very clear when you see pages like this - https://www.amazon.com/Apple/b/ref=w_bl_hsx_s_wi_web_2528944...

Also, some Apple products are shipped and sold by Amazon, not third parties - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00W5Q06VU/ref=s9_dcacsd_b...

I'm surprised Apple hasn't taken any action against them for this.

Re: Amazon's Tepid Response to Counterfeiters Frustrates Sellers

#177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't think that means that buying direct from Amazon can get you third party inventory.

>I don't think that means that buying direct from Amazon can get you third party inventory. I've sold on Amazon via FBA. Yes, it does. If you are selling a new item, you ship it to Amazon warehouses. Amazon informs you, the seller, that your item is not distinct from that of Amazon's or other sellers' FBA items. Inside their warehouse, it is just an item with no seller attached to it. If someone buys it, they just fi…

Oh. Well then I was misled by the wording of the article.

Re: Amazon's Tepid Response to Counterfeiters Frustrates Sellers

#178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The New York Times also did a big piece showing that these deals were almost always bad ones. The thing is that politicians have a simply ideological commitment to not intervene more directly.

Makes me wonder if political deals to bring in military-industrial complex jobs at military bases and arms manufacturing plants and the like are any better. They at least provide better compensation to the workers, right?

It's certainly not the most efficient way to generate employment but these guys know where their bread is buttered.

Re: Amazon's Tepid Response to Counterfeiters Frustrates Sellers

#179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>I don't think that means that buying direct from Amazon can get you third party inventory. I've sold on Amazon via FBA. Yes, it does. If you are selling a new item, you ship it to Amazon warehouses. Amazon informs you, the seller, that your item is not distinct from that of Amazon's or other sellers' FBA items. Inside their warehouse, it is just an item with no seller attached to it. If someone buys it, they just fi…

Wow! I do a lot of shopping on amazon but this gives me pause.

Same here. I always assumed buying direct from Amazon I was buying products sourced directly by them.

Re: Amazon's Tepid Response to Counterfeiters Frustrates Sellers

#180
post #166

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Amazon isn't going to take this seriously until a major company gets burned and the FBI gets involved. Then Amazon will experience what every other company does that gets burned for selling counterfeit goods... the FBI will raid their warehouse and hold all the inventory as evidence until they complete their investigation. Like you said, Amazon doesn't seem concerned that they're selling counterfeit goods -- probably…

8 out of 10 people cannot spot counterfeit goods. I bought a major brand perfume, Sold and fulfilled by Amazon. When i used it after 2 months i was suspicious a. One day i was in Macy's, saw the same perfume (on same price). I tried the tester and i realized that perfume at home is a cheap knock off. Initially i though that Amazon did not store it properly and warehouse heat must have destroyed the smell. Then i saw…

Never buy perfume from Amazon. It's one of the most commonly counterfeited items out there. Go only to the site of the manufacturer or an authorized retailer.
Post reply on HN