Counterfeit goods on Amazon

https://www.engadget.com/2018/05/31/fulfilled-by-amazon-counterfeit-fake/

“While Amazon has made efforts to combat this issue, like requiring sellers to get permission from certain brands to list their products, there are still clearly thousands of fakes being sold on the site. That’s the main reason the high-fashion industry refuses to work with Amazon.”

I myself have purchased items that turned out to be fake – and in one case, the seller refunded my payment without even demanding that the item be shipped back. But its clear from reading Amazon reviews that many, many items (I shop cosmetics and electronics) have fake stock mixed in. Go read the 1 star reviews on Amazon … And if all those 1 star reviews are complaints about fakes… You could be looking at 10-20 pct fakes in the stock. I tried to take this chance with the Samsung note 8 stylus replacement and lost…

My confidence in Amazon is definitely wavering over the last year. This is actually driving me to buy at brick and mortar stores! And I basically stopped doing this years ago because it was such a waste of time! (Primarily due to desired items out of stock.)

Reports of the internet driving traditional retailing out of business are highly premature, I think. The pendulum’s gonna swing back.

“Earlier this year, upscale footwear designer Birkenstock said it would stop doing business with Amazon, citing an increase of counterfeit goods on the site and “a constant stream of unidentifiable unauthorized resellers.”

In an email to retail partners about the decision, Birkenstock CEO David Kahan wrote, “Policing this activity internally and in partnership with Amazon.com has proven impossible.” “