Online shopping has significantly increased the sale of authentic brands and counterfeiters alike. It has made it easier for sellers to sell more fake products that have been deliberately made to look genuine. Counterfeiters have become more skilled that it's almost impossible to determine the fake from the real ones. That's why you're probably asking yourself, does Amazon sell fake products? And what is the Amazon fake products policy?
Well, Amazon is known for selling popular and high-quality products. However, fake products still manage to make their way into the platform. With that being a major problem on Amazon, let's look at the Amazon fake products policy and how customers can help Amazon enforce it.
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What is the Amazon Fake Products Policy
The Amazon fake products policy mandates that all products sold on Amazon must be authentic. Amazon strictly prohibits sellers from selling counterfeit products. Sellers who fail to adhere to this policy could lose their selling privileges, have their funds withheld, their account deactivated, and all their products disposed of from Amazon warehouses.
Keep reading to learn how to spot and protect yourself from buying counterfeit products on Amazon.
Does Amazon Sell Fake Products?
No, Amazon does not sell fake products. Amazon sellers are required to abide by the Amazon fake products policy by ensuring that they source, sell, and fulfill only authentic products. Any product that's deemed fake is strictly prohibited from being sold on Amazon. Some of the fake products prohibited from Amazon include
- Bootlegs
- Fakes or pirated copies of products or content
- Illegally replicated, reproduced, or manufactured products
- Products that infringe on another party's intellectual property rights.
Amazon will immediately suspend or terminate the Amazon account of any seller who is found listing counterfeit products. It will also withhold its funds and destroy any fake products in its centers. Amazon might escalate the matter by pursuing legal action. Therefore, Amazon does not sell fake products and usually takes strict action against anyone listing counterfeit products on its platform.
What to do If Your Amazon Purchase is a Fake?
Even with a strict fake products policy, there is a possibility of getting counterfeit products from Amazon. The fraudulent Amazon seller could be selling counterfeit products, or the delivery guy tampered with the packaging removed the product and repacked it again. Whatever the case, you can do a few things if you suspect your Amazon purchase is fake.
Carefully inspect your package
While taking your product, you should keenly examine it. Look for any cuts, extra taping, or any signs that your package was tampered with. You should not accept any package that has been altered in any way. To stay safe, you should also record a video while opening your package. You should ensure that the package and your information slip are visible. This can be used as evidence if it turns out to be a fake product.
Contact the Seller
If you realize that the product you bought from Amazon is fake, you should immediately contact the seller and request a refund. Amazon has a feedback section at amazon.com/feedback that lets you leave your opinion after a purchase. If the seller does not solve your issue with the product, you should escalate the issue further by filing an A-to-Z claim.
File an A-to-Z Guarantee claim
If you cannot get a refund from the seller, you can file an A-to-Z Guarantee against the seller. The A-to-Z Guarantee allows customers to receive a full refund for any product different from the one on the platform. All you have to do is contact Amazon customer service to activate the A to Z Guarantee and request a full refund. You'll have up to 90 days to request a refund from Amazon.
Write to the brand
You can then contact the brand in question for them to track down the seller and close their fraudulent operations. Brands will always want to take down counterfeiters who damage their reputation by selling poor-quality products. Therefore, a brand will investigate and ensure that the seller is dealt with accordingly.s
How to Identify Fake Products on Amazon?
While Amazon doesn't allow fake products on its platform, some counterfeits can swoop in on a company's legitimate Amazon product listing. Therefore, before buying an Amazon product, first check whether it's fake. Determining whether an Amazon product is counterfeit goes beyond looking at the product's photo.
You'll have to pay close attention to the product's small details, including reviews, product descriptions, ratings, and any other helpful information. Some of the signs to look out for include the following:
- The product is familiar, but the brand is different
- Inconsistent reviews
- Low-quality product images
- The price seems too good to be true
- The seller tries to direct you off-site
- Confusing or misspelled words in the product's title and description
- Too many negative reviews
You should also look at the other products the seller sells. If you notice anything suspicious, you should avoid buying products from a specific seller and look for alternative sellers.
How to Report a Fake Product on Amazon?
There is nothing more frustrating than buying a fake product. Fake products are not only of low quality but also unsafe and end up being a waste of money. Therefore, you can keep Amazon free from fake products by reporting any counterfeit items on the platform. You can contact Amazon customer service to report a counterfeit product.
You can take the following steps to report an Amazon purchase that you think is fake:
- After logging into your Amazon account, go to your Orders page
- Find the order with the fake item
- Click on Problem with your order
- Select Inaccurate product description and provide a detailed description of the fake item
- Then select Request return
Amazon will review your request and, in most cases, refund you for the counterfeit product. You should also take a step further to report the counterfeit product to Amazon so that it can be removed from the platform.
Conclusion
The Amazon fake products policy helps ensure the authenticity of Amazon products by banning counterfeit products. Sellers are not allowed to list fake, replicated, or reproduced products. Amazon keenly follows the negative review trail and takes serious action against sellers who try to violate the fake products policy. Customers who fall victim to counterfeits can contact Amazon customer service to report and request a refund.