Consumer Warning on eBay Counterfeit Products
Counterfeits common, consumers fooled.
Los Angeles, CA, September 15, 2014 - Consumers are often easily deceived and unknowingly purchase counterfeit products from eBay. It’s no surprise; counterfeiting is a profitable $1 trillion global criminal enterprise and e-commerce websites including eBay are an ideal distribution platform. US Consumers lose billions to counterfeit product purchases which often go undetected until the product fails, is returned for warranty, or causes an injury. Some are deadly.
While eBay reaps billions in revenue, and profits from these transactions, counterfeit product protection is lacking and the sales continue says The Counterfeit Report®, a popular consumer protection website providing a visual guide on identifying counterfeit products of over 250 global brands.
The Counterfeit Report® regularly purchases counterfeit products from eBay with ease. Many are easily found using eBay’s own automated search engine. The automated eBay system provides an email alert for selected products without any sleuthing. While the automated system is equally available eBay’s Trust and Safety Team, the counterfeit listings (and transaction fees) continue.
Some counterfeits are instantly identifiable on eBay, and with a little knowledge, many others are easy to spot. For instance, “fake” products – products that bear a manufacturer’s brand name but never existed in the manufacturer’s product line are easy listings to find on eBay. But, after hundreds of complaints, they are still for sale.
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Apple iPhone® USB Chargers Be wary of eBay sellers claiming to sell authentic Apple products. The eBay seller of this counterfeit charger claimed it was an authentic OEM Apple iPhone Charger, but sent this counterfeit. Counterfeit USB chargers have damaged equipment, caused injuries, and one death. The Counterfeit Report purchased various “OEM Apple Chargers” from eBay and submitted complaints to eBay when counterfeit products were received, yet the listings continue. |
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These Supra High-Top Skateboard shoes are listed on eBay as a “Justin Bieber” model shoe, but Supra® never made a Justin Bieber model. Justin Bieber does wear the popular Supra® brand shoes, but the company confirms that there was never a Justin Bieber model Supra shoe. Misleading advertising deceives consumers, and damages Supra’s brand and reputation. |
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This “Nail–Skin–Body” Lamisil over-the-counter (OTC) anti-fungal medication is a fake. While there are many authentic Novartis® Lamisil OTC products sold in supermarkets, drug stores and online globally, this “Nail, Skin, Body” product never existed in the Lamisil product line -- it is a fake, and its ingredients are unknown. Over 50 complaints from The Counterfeit Report were submitted to eBay on potentially dangerous Lamisil medications and soap, yet the listings continue. |
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Iain Sinclair’s Cardsharp2® Folding Safety Knife is a very common counterfeit sold on eBay. The counterfeits are poor quality and damage Sinclair's brand and reputation. Counterfeits do not have a warranty. Pink Cardsharp2 knives were never manufactured by Sinclair and obviously easy to spot on eBay, as are fake knives with the “QC Passed” sticker shown here. Over 100 complaints have been submitted by The Counterfeit Report to eBay, yet the listings continue, and consumers continue to be duped out of their money. |
eBay’s Office of the President spokesperson, Alynna Wesley, advised that “eBay receives 1000’s of item reports a week,” and that the removal of counterfeit or prohibited product listings on eBay could take months. “Once through the system, we’ll get to the listings as soon as possible” said Wesley -- hardly a confidence builder for eBay consumers.
Consumers are further challenged when they try to dispute an eBay counterfeit purchase. Consumers can expect a “work it out” response from eBay and delays up to a week to open purchase disputes. eBay consumers are usually burdened with the cost of return shipping of as a condition of obtaining a refund. In doing so, consumers immediately lose their only proof of the counterfeit purchase, which can now be disputed by the seller. The seller can easily re-list the counterfeit product for sale to the next unsuspecting eBay consumer.
Therese Randazzo, intellectual property rights director at U.S. Customs and Border Protection warns " consumers need to be familiar with the genuine product, where it's sold and what it looks like."
Trafficking in counterfeits is a crime with criminal and civil penalties. The Counterfeit Report offers this advice to consumers;
Consumers can easily submit information to TheCounterfeitReport.com website for the appropriate notifications.
eBay has a serious counterfeit problem to solve. The eBay Community would be much better served if eBay put consumer protection before profits with aggressive proactive research, harsh penalties for sellers, and appropriately staffed anti-counterfeiting efforts.
Website: www.TheCounterfeitReport.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Counterfeit-Report/131568053660579
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The Counterfeit Report®is the first and only website to provide consumers a free and informative visual guide to detecting counterfeit products and promote consumer awareness. Manufacturers can immediately list and update their counterfeit product information in a central venue for the greatest mass-consumer exposure, and benefit from enhanced brand protection and direct consumer education. The Counterfeit Report uses thousands of authentic and counterfeit product photos to show consumers the sophistication of counterfeiters, and their ability to create visually identical counterfeit products and packaging specifically designed to deceive. Consumers can also report seeing or purchasing counterfeit products and the source directly to the manufacturer and authorities on the website.
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