Amazon Warns That Align Probiotic Supplement May Be Counterfeit

Unknowing consumers receive suspected counterfeit "Amazon's Choice" supplement

July 9, 2019 - Los Angeles, CA – Amazon is notifying Amazon purchasers that some P&G Align® Probiotic Supplement (63 Count) products from a third-party Amazon marketplace seller "is likely not a genuine Align product." The suspected counterfeit carried Amazon's coveted "Amazon's Choice" endorsement.

Align is an unregulated supplement, not a drug or medicine, and can be freely distributed via e-commerce websites.

Amazon's consumer notification is a rare occurrence. Amazon normally does not notify buyers they bought a fake even after notification by the brand owner. Amazon's notification is conspicuously coincidental to the same day Federal Appeals Court ruling that Amazon can be held liable for third-party sales on its website.

Amazon is under fire for enabling and facilitating the sale of an inexhaustible supply of counterfeit, fraudulent, and replica goods, while hiding behind illusory counterfeit policies and ineffective website policing. Consumers have no guarantee of receiving authentic products from Amazon unless the product is sold and shipped directly from the product manufacturer.

Align's parent company, Procter & Gamble, provided a brief statement to The Counterfeit Report, an award-winning consumer advocate and industry watchdog; "Counterfeiting is illegal and P&G is fully committed to protecting the consumer from counterfeit product by working closely with legitimate retailers to ensure only genuine products can be purchased by our consumers."

P&G's response also recommends: "When shopping online, check that the product you are ordering is shipped directly from that retailer (i.e., “ships from and sold by Amazon”) for the Align brand to guarantee its quality" -- however that statement not accurate. Amazon has been repeatedly identified as a direct seller of counterfeit and fraudulent products, and has also come under criticism for commingling products "shipped and sold by Amazon" with items received from unvetted third-party marketplace sellers.

The items shown below were both purchased on Amazon. Could you identify the counterfeit product?

(Photo: ©The Counterfeit Report)

Consumers don't have a chance of identifying dangerous, deadly, and often visually indistinguishable counterfeit goods. Counterfeits may contain the wrong or no active ingredient, or may be contaminated. Amazon is flooded with counterfeit, fraudulent, and replica OTC drugs and medical devices missing the required FDA approval.

Everyone knows selling counterfeits is illegal, yet through huge legal loopholes, and virtually immune to prosecution, IP laws, and safety standards, Amazon continues to enable and facilitate criminal activity with impunity and profit from fraudulent sales which impact consumer safety, jobs and public trust. The consequence is destroyed U.S companies and retailers, lost U.S. jobs, and duped consumers. The value of counterfeit and pirated goods is forecast to grow to $2.8 trillion and cost 5.4 million net job losses by 2022 states a 2017 International Chamber of Commerce Report.

Consumers seeking authentic items would be safer and better served buying directly from the manufacturer or local authorized retailer.