eBay Buyers Due Millions In Counterfeit Product Refunds
The eBay Guarantee Is Clear, but …
September 1, 2015, Los Angeles, CA - eBay buyers are entitled to millions in refunds under eBay's Money Back Guarantee and may not know it, even when eBay® knows the buyers purchased a fake product, according to The Counterfeit Report®, a website assisting consumers in identifying counterfeit products.
Each eBay listing clearly proclaims "Get the item you ordered or get your money back" but, that only happens if the buyer knows they received a fake and undertakes a time consuming, dysfunctional and arbitrary eBay counterfeit refund process.
While consumers would expect to be notified by eBay® if they may have received a fraudulent, dangerous or deadly counterfeit product and are entitled to an eBay money back guarantee refund -- the fact is, that doesn't happen.
In reality, a buyer viewing their eBay purchase history is deliberately misled with a deceptive eBay message for removed counterfeit products. The counterfeit purchase on eBay is hidden from the buyer with the published eBay statement;
"If you've already sent payment, the sale should process as normal and you don't have anything to worry about."
The opposite may be true, and buyers could have a lot to worry about. The purchased item may be a dangerous or deadly product. The Counterfeit Report website shows consumers a visual guide to hundreds of difficult to identify and deceptive counterfeit products, many purchased on eBay.
For example;
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Counterfeit Apple iPhone® USB Chargers have caused one death, injuries, fires, and damaged equipment, yet are common on eBay. Just one of many sellers identified by The Counterfeit Report® test purchases has sold over 4,600 chargers, yet remains |
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Counterfeit SD flash memory cards may damage your phone or camera, destroy data, or erase your once in a lifetime photos. Just one small seller group identified on eBay has sold over 40,000 fake memory cards, yet remains. |
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Counterfeit fragrances are common on the internet and eBay. Consumers would be alarmed to know that counterfeit fragrances and cosmetics have been found to contain hazardous ingredients including arsenic, beryllium, DEHP (a plasticizer with health risks) and cadmium (a carcinogen), urine and antifreeze, along with high levels of aluminum and dangerous levels of bacteria. |
If a buyer actually discovers they purchased a counterfeit, eBay directs the buyer to return the counterfeit item to the seller for a refund -- a violation of US Postal regulations and Federal Law. Counterfeit products are easily recycled and resold by the seller, and the resold counterfeits generate eBay transaction fees.
If a buyer challenges eBay's return demand, eBay refuses the refund, allowing just 3-5 days to obtain a manufacturer's written confirmation. If provided, there is an eBay demand for a destruction of the counterfeit item declaration. However, destroying evidence is a crime.
A two-year investigation by The Counterfeit Report® included over 1,000 counterfeit products purchased from eBay sellers. One manufacturer reported over one-million counterfeits of their $29.95 MSRP product sold on eBay. The counterfeit complaints fell on deaf ears, and many of the products and sellers remain on eBay and continue to sell to unsuspecting eBay consumers. Prior buyers were never notified.
eBay's response;
"Counterfeits are not welcome on eBay and we have a number of sophisticated tools, policies and other measures in place to keep them off our site."
What should you do if you receive an eBay counterfeit?
The Counterfeit Report® files arbitration cases, under the guidelines of eBay's restrictive user agreement, for unsatisfied refunds.
Wimo® Labs, an Irvine, California manufacturer, recently filed a federal trademark infringement and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) lawsuit against eBay after 150,000 of their counterfeited products were sold on eBay. A copy of the eBay/PayPal complaint, Case 8:15-CV-01330, can be downloaded here (.pdf).
Buyer beware
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