>Can someone explain the fakes problem? I think J have literally never run into this on Amazon despite actively buying thousands of dollars of various items for years.
There are several things that could be described by the 'amazon fakes' problem.
First, i want to say that when I do "shipped and sold by amazon" I almost never have problems sometimes they pack inadequately. But usually not, and more than once, they've sent me a case/box of something when I bought a single something, so I'm going to say the "shipped and sold by amazon" products are usually pretty good, if often more expensive than usual.
The problems usually start with the "shipped by X, fulfilled by amazon" though they can be reliably returned. The problems get worse when it's "shipped and sold by X" - often it is a pain to return those, too.
1. it is often that the reviews for several "similar" items will be consolidated somehow, so you'll get these really great reviews for... a thing that this is not. (this was intended, I think, for different sizes of the same item, for example, but it is sometimes abused)
This, in my experience, is pretty common. It's less common that it's flagrantly abused; usually it's just three related things where all the reviews are crunched up. But sometimes, there's a real stinker in there. Again, I think that the 'fulfilled by amazon' makes the cost of fraud higher, just 'cause it's so returnable. (on the other hand, I'm lazy and I'm paying for convenience. returning garbage is a pain in the butt)
When it is done, it's like, you get your new digital camera or whatever, it's generic as advertised, but it got a bunch of credible, good reviews, and the unit you got is essentially garbage.
This might be the most common scam I've seen?
2. there are a lot of shady sellers that claim to sell you brand X thing and then you get it and it's a "brand X" thing.
This doesn't happen as often, and it happens more when it's shipped direct than when it's fulfilled by amazon, but it happens, and has happened to me. Someone was selling pretty okay "Apple" chargers... I mean, they worked mostly okay? but they certainly weren't genuine as they were advertised and priced.
There are several things that could be described by the 'amazon fakes' problem.
First, i want to say that when I do "shipped and sold by amazon" I almost never have problems sometimes they pack inadequately. But usually not, and more than once, they've sent me a case/box of something when I bought a single something, so I'm going to say the "shipped and sold by amazon" products are usually pretty good, if often more expensive than usual.
The problems usually start with the "shipped by X, fulfilled by amazon" though they can be reliably returned. The problems get worse when it's "shipped and sold by X" - often it is a pain to return those, too.
1. it is often that the reviews for several "similar" items will be consolidated somehow, so you'll get these really great reviews for... a thing that this is not. (this was intended, I think, for different sizes of the same item, for example, but it is sometimes abused)
This, in my experience, is pretty common. It's less common that it's flagrantly abused; usually it's just three related things where all the reviews are crunched up. But sometimes, there's a real stinker in there. Again, I think that the 'fulfilled by amazon' makes the cost of fraud higher, just 'cause it's so returnable. (on the other hand, I'm lazy and I'm paying for convenience. returning garbage is a pain in the butt)
When it is done, it's like, you get your new digital camera or whatever, it's generic as advertised, but it got a bunch of credible, good reviews, and the unit you got is essentially garbage.
This might be the most common scam I've seen?
2. there are a lot of shady sellers that claim to sell you brand X thing and then you get it and it's a "brand X" thing.
This doesn't happen as often, and it happens more when it's shipped direct than when it's fulfilled by amazon, but it happens, and has happened to me. Someone was selling pretty okay "Apple" chargers... I mean, they worked mostly okay? but they certainly weren't genuine as they were advertised and priced.