Amazon Counterfeit Enforcement Is A Sham -- A Case Study
Amazon snubs brand-owners, dangerous counterfeits remain
September 25, 2019 - Los Angeles, CA – Amazon has a credibility crisis; the global giant is flooded with counterfeit, fraudulent and replica products, scams and fake product reviews, along with allegations of data leaks and employee bribes.
In response, Amazon attempts to rebuff the allegations with its patently false self-congratulatory sanctimony; "Products offered for sale on Amazon must be authentic. The sale of counterfeit products is strictly prohibited." Why then are 130,000 brands fighting Amazon counterfeits?
When you make a claim, you better make sure it’s true and that you’re actually doing what you claim you’re doing -- Amazon is not. Amazon has been caught in repeated lies and continues to be a direct seller of counterfeits while enabling and facilitating unvetted third-party vendors to sell and deliver an inexhaustible supply of counterfeit goods worldwide to deceived consumers.
Behind every Amazon transaction, there is a manufacturer, retailer, and consumer. A review of Amazon's practices reveals a highly manipulative, deceptive marketplace that is destroying American businesses while Amazon takes its fee for each item sold.
The Counterfeit Report, an award-winning consumer advocate and counterfeit watchdog, has removed 380 million counterfeits from global e-commerce websites, including Amazon, on behalf of brand-owners. The Counterfeit Report's research reveals an all-too-common practice of ignoring or not acting on counterfeit complaints. Even if consumers wisely avoid Amazon, they are still at risk of injury or death from counterfeit products.
A case study;
For over 20 years, U.S. based Drew Technologies, Inc. has been a world leader in vehicle diagnostic and reprogramming interface tools, cables, and accompanying software used by manufacturers, dealers, experienced technicians, service centers, and independent mechanics. Their trademarked and patented Mongoose® Pro cable and software kits have integrated complex processors with accompanying software to program hundreds of critical vehicle functions including; braking, airbags, steering, safety features, emissions, and performance for the major automaker's vehicles.
Along with success come the counterfeits. The fake products may contain malware, damage or destroy expensive vehicle computers and components, and alter safety features on your vehicle, or the vehicle next to you.
The Counterfeit Report sent thousands of infringement notices, authorized by the brand-owner, for counterfeit Mongoose products offered on Amazon. Hundreds of counterfeits remained for months, including the counterfeit purchased below. For example; on September 20, 2019, Amazon Executive Customer Relations claimed; "Based on the information available to us, we have now removed the seller’s offer from our catalog." Another lie -- the listing offering thirty fakes remains;
Shown: Amazon Listing ASIN B07TT5KR5T 9-25-2019 -- Counterfeit Mongoose Pro diagnostic cable
Amazon's Corporate Counsel, Annasara Purcell, recently confirmed the deceptive practice in her response to The Counterfeit Report, writing; "We remove suspected counterfeit items as soon as we become aware of them, and we remove bad actors from selling on Amazon," but only some, adds Ms. Purcell; "trademark rights are jurisdiction specific and the fact that a brand has rights in one country is not indicative of comparable rights worldwide." The comments were echoed and endorsed by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos.
What makes this particularly appalling is that The Counterfeit Report, the authorized agent for the brand-owner, purchased 40 counterfeits of the real $495.00 Mongoose® kit to memorialize Amazon's shady practices;
Amazon's often touts its illusory response: "We work with manufacturers, rights holders, content owners, vendors, and sellers to improve the ways we detect and prevent inauthentic products from reaching our customers." When? Two Amazon Global Brand Relations Managers, Jason Noggle and Kaleigh Miller, assigned to support The Counterfeit Report haven't responded to complaints and correspondence for over nine months.
Amazon's "A-Z Guarantee" also joins the list of lies; "We stand behind the products sold on our site with our A-to-z Guarantee, and we encourage rights owners who have product authenticity concerns to notify us" didn't hold up when Amazon refused refunds for some of the fakes, claiming "you are not eligible for a refund under the A-Z Guarantee." Even more shocking, Amazon went on to fabricate and then deny a nonexistent appeal for its initial decision.
Amazon is not making a better marketplace that serves consumers. Amazon is no more than an arena of creative destruction, leaving consumers on their own to sort the legitimate, honest sellers from all the bad actors under an umbrella of legal immunity. They are voracious churners of counterfeit and fraudulent items, indifferent to the damage they cause to consumers, legitimate sellers, and manufacturers while fulfilling their desire to be the sole source of items for purchase.
Amazon provides a platform for fraud because Amazon makes money allowing fraud -- taking a transaction fee for each fraudulent item sold. And it's working -- Amazon made $11.2 billion in profit in 2018 and $5.6 billion in 2017, yet Amazon paid no federal income taxes. There is no incentive to clean up the cesspool of fakes, fraud, and scams.
Sadly, this dangerous and potentially deadly counterfeit and accompanying software probably won't gain any consumer attention. However, if used on your car, or the car driving next to you, the consequences could be severe or deadly.
Who will clean up Amazon?
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