Amazon Still Has a Counterfeit Problem • Hacker News Board

Re: Amazon Still Has a Counterfeit Problem

#11

Post by mitthrowaway2 » Wed, Aug 28, 2024, 4:50 PM UTC

mrsilencedogood wrote: post #2

Is amazon's model even profitable for these low-price high-volume parts without its binning system? I literally do not buy things off amazon that fall into these "binning problem" categories, or anything easily counterfeitable. I'll buy from amazon for things that essentially cannot be counterfeit (GPUs, hard drives, things where counterfeits would be more likely to be a brick of the same weight rather than something…

In my area at least, even garden spikes on Amazon generally cost at least $14.99, while I can get them at my dollar store for $3.99. I think prices on Amazon are pretty absurd for "counterfeit"-grade stuff. But they apparently expect you aren't going to do any price comparison, because that would require getting up and going to the dollar store to see if they have garden spikes.

(HN entrepreneurs: I'd love a map-based consumer-products search engine where I could just type an item description into a search bar and see a map of stores in my area with prices and inventory.)

Re: Amazon Still Has a Counterfeit Problem

#12

Post by 2OEH8eoCRo0 » Wed, Aug 28, 2024, 4:54 PM UTC

ProllyInfamous wrote: post #3

Louis Rossmann just released a video on this about Toshiba hard disks [1]. I canceled my Prime account in 2018, after my last online order for memory. Now, I only purchase in-person from large vendors with direct-from-manufacturer custody [this costs more, obviously]. [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeUNC7z5MM0

I've had better luck buying memory on EBay from Shenzhen recyclers! I'm done with Amazon.

Re: Amazon Still Has a Counterfeit Problem

#13

Post by ilamont » Wed, Aug 28, 2024, 4:56 PM UTC

This why I buy Brother cartridges from Staples, and one of the reasons I cancelled Prime. Amazon can’t be trusted thanks its inability to manage 3rd party sellers and grey market inventory.

Re: Amazon Still Has a Counterfeit Problem

#14

Post by tanjtanjtanj » Wed, Aug 28, 2024, 5:01 PM UTC

mrsilencedogood wrote: post #2

Is amazon's model even profitable for these low-price high-volume parts without its binning system? I literally do not buy things off amazon that fall into these "binning problem" categories, or anything easily counterfeitable. I'll buy from amazon for things that essentially cannot be counterfeit (GPUs, hard drives, things where counterfeits would be more likely to be a brick of the same weight rather than something…

> GPUs

I wouldn’t be so sure, a good friend of mine ordered a GPU and it was an older and much cheaper model with the shroud replaced and flashed to call itself the newer model in windows. He would not have found out except he immediately ran a benchmark that returned an extremely low score and then investigated from there.

Re: Amazon Still Has a Counterfeit Problem

#15

Post by dudus » Wed, Aug 28, 2024, 5:05 PM UTC

ProllyInfamous wrote: post #3

Louis Rossmann just released a video on this about Toshiba hard disks [1]. I canceled my Prime account in 2018, after my last online order for memory. Now, I only purchase in-person from large vendors with direct-from-manufacturer custody [this costs more, obviously]. [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeUNC7z5MM0

Ask about price match. Often times they are happy to match the price with Amazon as long as it's shipped from Amazon.

Re: Amazon Still Has a Counterfeit Problem

#16

Post by dehrmann » Wed, Aug 28, 2024, 5:06 PM UTC

> Amazon, which reaps ad revenue from the infringing competitors

I've actually found ads on Amazon to be more detrimental to my experience than marketplace shenanigans and ALLCAPS sellers.

Re: Amazon Still Has a Counterfeit Problem

#17

Post by marxisttemp » Wed, Aug 28, 2024, 5:09 PM UTC

tanjtanjtanj wrote: post #14

mrsilencedogood wrote: post #2

Is amazon's model even profitable for these low-price high-volume parts without its binning system? I literally do not buy things off amazon that fall into these "binning problem" categories, or anything easily counterfeitable. I'll buy from amazon for things that essentially cannot be counterfeit (GPUs, hard drives, things where counterfeits would be more likely to be a brick of the same weight rather than something…

> GPUs I wouldn’t be so sure, a good friend of mine ordered a GPU and it was an older and much cheaper model with the shroud replaced and flashed to call itself the newer model in windows. He would not have found out except he immediately ran a benchmark that returned an extremely low score and then investigated from there.

I’ve heard tell of people doing the same with CPUs at Walmart.

Re: Amazon Still Has a Counterfeit Problem

#18

Post by nothercastle » Wed, Aug 28, 2024, 5:11 PM UTC

Ordered 2 flash drives both are probably counterfeit the first 1-2gb of write are at spec and then the speed drops to 1/3 of spec.

Anything you order from Amazon has to be tested for counterfeit. If you can’t verify it’s not counterfeit then assume it is. Even if Amazon is listed as the seller they are clearly swapping in someone else’s fakes. Mine has a secondary retail barcode label on them.

I’m going to send them back with a note in a text file saying they are fake. See if Amazon resells them.

Re: Amazon Still Has a Counterfeit Problem

#19

Post by devsda » Wed, Aug 28, 2024, 5:12 PM UTC

tanjtanjtanj wrote: post #14

mrsilencedogood wrote: post #2

Is amazon's model even profitable for these low-price high-volume parts without its binning system? I literally do not buy things off amazon that fall into these "binning problem" categories, or anything easily counterfeitable. I'll buy from amazon for things that essentially cannot be counterfeit (GPUs, hard drives, things where counterfeits would be more likely to be a brick of the same weight rather than something…

> GPUs I wouldn’t be so sure, a good friend of mine ordered a GPU and it was an older and much cheaper model with the shroud replaced and flashed to call itself the newer model in windows. He would not have found out except he immediately ran a benchmark that returned an extremely low score and then investigated from there.

I wonder how the conversation with Amazon customer support goes in that situation.

If it says X model on the label, and OS also reports it as X it becomes tough to make a case for returns.

Re: Amazon Still Has a Counterfeit Problem

#20

Post by nextos » Wed, Aug 28, 2024, 5:16 PM UTC

ProllyInfamous wrote: post #3

Louis Rossmann just released a video on this about Toshiba hard disks [1]. I canceled my Prime account in 2018, after my last online order for memory. Now, I only purchase in-person from large vendors with direct-from-manufacturer custody [this costs more, obviously]. [1]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeUNC7z5MM0

What freaks me out is that clearly many large manufacturers design boxes so that it is easy to resell returned products as new. Lots of mobile phones are packaged with weak seals that do not damage the cardboard once taken out. Google does this and it looks intentional to me. Apple, which I don't like for other reasons, seems to be an exception.

I am very uncomfortable buying electronics and hygiene products from many places because of this problem. For example, years ago, on what became my final Amazon purchase, I received used underwear (yuck!). Knowing that Amazon tends to sell returned products as new, I had explicitly bought a brand that is sealed, shrink wrapped, and promises to dispose returned items, but that wasn't enough.

Recently, I was reading a newspaper article where they described how a criminal gang bought Google Pixel and high-end Samsung phones from reputable online and department stores. They opened them, installed malware, returned the product, and you can guess what happened next. Lots of stolen bank credentials. People tend to buy stuff, test drive it for a few days and return it as new abusing pro-customer regulations. Many shops are unwilling to take a loss and resell these things as new. Very dishonest, should be better regulated.