Top USB Drives on Amazon are a Scam

Post by herbst » Sat, Oct 08, 2022, 8:02 AM UTC

RobertRies wrote: post #32

While I agree this is a problem - one which I have been the victim of as well - Amazon accepts the return with no questions and/or charges. This, of course, is not a great consolidation, especially for a novice who doesn't understand or encounters it too late. But I strongly disagree with "Amazon runs little to no risk selling the fraudulent products, but still makes money off of them." In the next paragraph the auth…

Post by herbst » Sat, Oct 08, 2022, 8:09 AM UTC

Arch485 wrote: post #2

Are there any good alternatives to Amazon that don't prominently feature fake products?

Post by atoav » Sat, Oct 08, 2022, 8:21 AM UTC

NavinF wrote: post #62

esses wrote: post #31

I think there's one thing that should be clarified from the article. "Sponsored" does not mean that the product is "sponsored by Amazon" as italicized in the article. It means the seller paid money to be at the top of the search query. Perhaps it is a healthy dose of old aged jadedness, but I have a habit of trying to avoid Sponsored items.

uBlock Origin blocks sponsored search results by default because like you said they're just ads. (Amazon will still return a duplicate result for the same product in the correct place further down the list so you're not missing out on anything by blocking sponsored search results)

Post by bo1024 » Sat, Oct 08, 2022, 8:29 AM UTC

RobertRies wrote: post #87

Ephil012 wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is true for obvious scams (e.g. a blender that breaks in a week). However, for subtle scams people often don't realize the scam. For instance, many people won't hit the actual size limit of the USB and won't realize it's not 1TB. In these cases, Amazon does not take a reputation hit for these individuals due to them being unaware of the scam. Only the technically inclined or those who research before buying will…

No one is arguing the scam isn't insidious and inherently difficult to detect for possibly even most customers. The argument is that Amazon is complicit because they're banking off those sweet counterfeit thumb drive profits, and that there's little risk to Amazon. I'm suggesting there is a significant risk, and anyone reasonable at Amazon would account for it. There's enough users (tech savvy, or heavy researchers a…

Post by 2muchcoffeeman » Sat, Oct 08, 2022, 8:34 AM UTC

barbazoo wrote: post #19

derefr wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The prices on Amazon might be "a few euros more", but where I live, the delivery fee for getting e.g. a 65" TV delivered from Best Buy or Costco, would be more like an extra $30-$50. (And I don't own a car, so I can't just go pick it up from the store, either.)

How often do you buy something that bulky though that would make this a good deal?