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Walmart Sells Fake 30TB Hard Drive That's Two Small SD Cards

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Re: Walmart Sells Fake 30TB Hard Drive That's Two Small SD Cards

#192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did stop using Amazon years ago except as an Aliexpress alternative after I found out about commingling. I moved my business to Best Buy/Costco/Target/Walmart/Home Depot/Staples/etc. But the reason Amazon probably does not care about that because they have much better profit margin opportunities (AWS, Prime Video and Music, warehouse infrastructure as a service and delivery as a service).

Hate to break it to you but both Target and Walmart sell third-party goods too. So does DigiKey…

I know, but as far as I know they do not commingle inventory.

Re: Walmart Sells Fake 30TB Hard Drive That's Two Small SD Cards

#193
post #46

Walmart is a retailer. Do people really think they (or Amazon, or anyone else) test every single one of the hundreds of millions of products sold on their site? If people choose to trust a hard drive made by "XGeek", well, that's on them. This is exactly why branding is a thing. Just stick to Seagate or WD next time.

Buying branded products is not a guarantee of quality, provenance, or authenticity on marketplace sites.

One my my close relatives recently purchased a "new" Dell computer from Amazon. I noticed the performance was very slow when I happened to be using it. I looked up the service tag, and sure enough, the parts inside of it were not the parts that Dell originally put into it in the factory. Turns out a third party seller made quite a business out of parting out Dell computers, replacing their innards with junk, and reselling them.

Also, there's plenty of fakes and counterfeits that I've received from Amazon/eBay/etc. They're almost trivial to find.

Re: Walmart Sells Fake 30TB Hard Drive That's Two Small SD Cards

#194
post #186

I'm shocked that the response to this is that people want curation of products, old retail style. Sure lets go back to the days when an HDMI cable cost $30 and things like phone chargers were overpriced. The better answer is that marketplaces should have to have reasonably consistent return policies. Push the risk back onto them so that it stops the fraudulent products. Keep the part that lets basically anyone start…

> The better answer is that marketplaces should have to have reasonably consistent return policies. Push the risk back onto them so that it stops the fraudulent products.

A good return policy is insufficient. Amazon is very good about accepting returns. Amazon also co-mingles their own inventory with that of their marketplace sellers. In the past, I have ordered items from Amazon, being careful to choose "Shipped and Sold by Amazon", and have received items that are obviously provided by a marketplace seller. It's great that I was able to contact Amazon and have them issue me a refund. They didn't even want me to bother shipping the item back. But that process still incurred a cost to me, namely:

* extra time not having the item I wanted and could trust

* time and effort to acquire a replacement item from a different retailer

* physical waste, since I discarded the item I received from Amazon because I couldn't trust it

* frustration

Personally, I think the better answer is a system that doesn't put this (minor but non-zero) cost, and its alternative of accepting an inferior and/or less trusted item, onto many, many consumers.

EDIT: formatting

Re: Walmart Sells Fake 30TB Hard Drive That's Two Small SD Cards

#195
post #186

I'm shocked that the response to this is that people want curation of products, old retail style. Sure lets go back to the days when an HDMI cable cost $30 and things like phone chargers were overpriced. The better answer is that marketplaces should have to have reasonably consistent return policies. Push the risk back onto them so that it stops the fraudulent products. Keep the part that lets basically anyone start…

The current situation is hardly better. The same HDMI cable that used to be $10 and worked well is now still $10 but will likely fail to work because it's actually $1.50 from Aliexpress.

It's not like people are complaining about a new super-cheap tier of products but rather about being ripped off by paying about the same for less quality. And that's before you consider knock offs that have the potential to kill your or burn your house down. For me, nothing that goes into my body or into a 120v mains comes from Amazon. The risk is just too high.

Re: Walmart Sells Fake 30TB Hard Drive That's Two Small SD Cards

#196

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The worst I've got recently is from the Amazon locker team. The recently sent me a notice that they'd "learned that my package had been delayed". I don't mind that much; shit happens, but that passive language just disgusted me. No, you weren't able to deliver my package on time Amazon. I'm sorry if Jeff Bezos sticks you in a solitary wellness pod or whatever Orwellian punishment he's dreamt up for people who delay p…

I would guess that many Amazon fulfillment employees did not feel they had options when seeking employment.

I don't know much about how Amazon is structured, but I doubt it's the low wage soldiers who are writing the automation that sends emails out to notify you of delays.

Of course, they're all working class stiffs compared to Bezos and the rest of the senior leadership.

Re: Walmart Sells Fake 30TB Hard Drive That's Two Small SD Cards

#197

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>sure, and people can draw their own conclusions about a "marketplace" allowing morally reprehensible products on it, and whether to purchase from them in the future. How can a piece of dyed cloth be "morally reprehensible"? I don't think books should be banned, nor should flags. If that's how folks want to express themselves, then so be it. That doesn't mean I need to be chummy with people who hold views in accord w…

that's quite a screed you wrote there. you must feel very strongly about it. amazon has made the choice to exclude ISIS flags, and exact copies of nazi flags, so it's curious why one is allowed and not the other. your position seems to be from the free-market/libertarian angle that people can print and publish anything they want, sure, okay, whatever... the logical conclusion of this in the free market is that amazon…

ah, but can we still buy flags representing the incorruptible, stable, and competent government of pre-2021 Afghanistan?

Re: Walmart Sells Fake 30TB Hard Drive That's Two Small SD Cards

#198
post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'll throw out my startup idea: A heavily curated amazon, with ~1 option per product type, sold at a premium, prioritizing things that are constructed well/last a long time. Obviously you can't do everything at once, and people want choice in things like fashion. A kitchen store would be great. One toaster, one oven, one coffee grinder.

Sure, it’s called Costco, it’s great

was gonna say, that sounds like costco. just that they don't usually deliver.

Re: Walmart Sells Fake 30TB Hard Drive That's Two Small SD Cards

#199
post #147

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I dropped Amazon (again) a while back. I'd gone back to using them during the plague, and got lazy. What jolted me back was multiple delivery failures in a row followed by a shitty "give me my money back" experience. Right now, Amazon combines the honesty of flea markets with the reliability of a stoned teenager. I'm back to shopping at physical stores, and am enjoying it, at least at the moment. And when ordering th…

Yup, I've been doing the same. Amazon is for things I don't care too much about if it's a knock off. But generally speaking, I'll try and by stuff directly from the manufacturer or in store. I really wish online shopping wasn't so messed up.

'Direct from manufacturer' can be much worse when they themselves have outsourced fulfilment to a warehouse in Ireland as their European agent with limited to no support contact.
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