Amazon's Business Is Counterfeit, Fraudulent, And Replica Products

A shocking pattern of behavior defines the e-commerce juggernaut.

February 24, 2022, Los Angeles, CA – Amazon has a problem, and it's a big problem if you know where to look. Amazon is the direct seller ("Sold and shipped by Amazon") of an inexhaustible supply of counterfeit, fraudulent, and replica goods.

Amazon's illusory claim, "Products offered for sale on Amazon must be authentic. The sale of counterfeit products is strictly prohibited," is patently false. In fact, counterfeit, fraudulent, replica, and stolen goods are so common, Amazon's highly manipulated marketplace is crumbling, its credibility evaporating, and its reputation dissolving.

Over 500,000 brands are fighting Amazon counterfeits -- a shocking revelation of the enormity of Amazon's counterfeit problem. The Counterfeit Report, a global award-winning consumer advocate and counterfeit watchdog, found over 1.3 million counterfeit, fraudulent, and replica items on Amazon, and removed over 823,000 for just a fraction of the trademark owners.

Let's look at a few examples;

There is no 32GB microSDXC memory card in the ADATA® product line. That doesn't stop Amazon from being the direct seller of the phony memory card on its worldwide websites, while also enabling third-party sales. Amazon ignored dozens of trademark-owner complaints about the fake item listings which indicate that over 100,000 were sold to consumers. And there are plenty of other counterfeit and fraudulent memory cards on Amazon (shown below) that do not exist in the manufacturer's authentic product lines. Capacities are usually a fraction of what is stated on the product, and the tiny devices may install a virus, malware, or keystroke grabber when used with your cell phone, camera, or laptop. When that happens, you are likely to lose your data, images, passwords, and damage your equipment.

Amazon prohibits the sale of all individual Lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries on its website. Yet, Amazon is a direct seller of the fraudulent, dangerous, and potentially deadly batteries despite injuries, lawsuits, and consumer complaints. The batteries are the source of fires on aircraft, injuries, explosions, and deaths. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission issued a warning in January 2021 advising consumers not to use the individual 18650 cells. While there is no 18650 Li-ion battery with a capacity over 3800mAh (milliamp hours), the easily identifiable fraudulent batteries below (with their wild capacity claims) are offered or purchased directly from Amazon. Listings claim over 340,000 sold, with some including the "Amazon's Choice" endorsement.

The Composite Resources patented Combat Application Tourniquet® (C-A-T®) has been supplied to the U.S. Military, police, first responders, and the public worldwide for the past decade. Counterfeit and replica versions of the C-A-T tourniquet have catastrophically failed during actual life-saving emergencies. The Counterfeit Report removed 11,500 infringing items on Amazon, yet counterfeit, replica, and non-FDA registered knockoffs of the critical medical device continue to be listed.

Drew Technologies' Mongoose® Pro programming software and interface cable is used by vehicle technicians and dealers to program vehicle computers. The device can alter or disable braking, emissions, airbag deployment, and safety equipment, and can reset odometers. Counterfeit Mongoose products may severely damage or destroy vehicle computers and install malware in your vehicle (or the vehicle next to you), causing a catastrophic accident. Listings for over 6,600 counterfeits were removed, yet over 7,550 complaints were ignored for worldwide listings. Amazon's Corporate Counsel, Annasara Purcell, confirmed Amazon will not remove counterfeit products from its worldwide websites unless the trademark is registered in each country the product is sold. Yet, counterfeits were purchased and delivered to The Counterfeit Report from worldwide Amazon sellers. That's OK, says Amazon. Listings for over 125 fakes remain.

Amazon and other online marketplaces have argued (mostly successfully) that they should not be directly or secondarily liable for the sales of counterfeit or infringing goods by third parties on their platforms. Amazon continues to escape liability under an umbrella of legal immunity while turning a blind eye to counterfeits, deceptive products, and the nefarious actions of its third-party Marketplace sellers. Amazon is not making a better marketplace that serves consumers; Amazon is no more than an arena of creative destruction, fueling a $4.5 trillion criminal enterprise and leaving consumers on their own to sort the legitimate, honest sellers from all the bad actors. They are voracious churners of counterfeit, replica, and fraudulent items, indifferent to the damage they cause to consumers, legitimate sellers, and manufacturers while fulfilling their desire to be the sole source of items for purchase. There is no incentive to clean up their websites -- they make too much money.