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Amazon Responds After Third-Party Sellers Put Bootleg Games on Its Store (venturebeat.com)

Posted by msmash on from the seeping-through-the-cracks dept.

Jeff Grubb, reporting for VentureBeat: Over the weekend, some thrifty gamers spotted a deal on Amazon. A downloadable version of the tough strategy survival sim Frostpunk was available on the Amazon Marketplace from a third-party seller for $3, which is a 90 percent discount from the standard $30 price. But after looking into the game, some customers who dropped the three bucks had some questions. For example, why does the metadata for this version of Frostpunk refer to the DRM-free version that people can buy from GOG. [...] So I reached out to Amazon, and it provided the following statement from a company spokesperson: "Our customers trust that when they make a purchase through Amazon's store --either directly from Amazon or from its third-party sellers -- they will receive authentic products, and we take any claims that endanger that trust seriously. We strictly prohibit the sale of counterfeit products, and these games have been removed." That's all it would say on this.

91 comments

  1. The games have been removed. by olsmeister · · Score: 4, Insightful

    And the sellers have been removed as well?

    1. Re:The games have been removed. by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 0

      And the sellers have been removed as well?

      Probably not... and they probably wouldn't have removed the games if public attention hadn't be made. They don't care about sellers selling counterfeits- they do care about the public knowing it though.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    2. Re:The games have been removed. by Only+Time+Will+Tell · · Score: 2

      Probably not... and they probably wouldn't have removed the games if public attention hadn't be made. They don't care about sellers selling counterfeits- they do care about the public knowing it though.

      Pretty much this. From board games to clothing to unlicensed materials, Amazon only seems to take fakes seriously if someone raises enough of a stink about it in the media.

    3. Re: The games have been removed. by houghi · · Score: 1

      Popping up as a new one. It is not as of their stock has been confiscated. Nothing a bit of scripting could not handle.
      Because it all depends how much they get, not how much they did not get.

      --
      Don't fight for your country, if your country does not fight for you.
    4. Re:The games have been removed. by rsborg · · Score: 1

      Best if Amazon removes itself from the counterfeit scene.
      Of course, that would dent their ability to be the "everything store".

      --
      Make sure everyone's vote counts: Verified Voting
    5. Re:The games have been removed. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That is hardly true.

      I've contacted support a number of times on sellers with questionable statements and products that were just lies. There was a specific place to report those things, but I've forgotten. Each time support told me I could do this a different way.

      Yeah, surprise, a huge catalogue of third party sellers and some of them are going to be dishonest. As a consumer, you have to have some sense. I know this goes against the 'raise my kids', 'censor everything "I" don't believe in' and 'I cannot be bothered to have sense.' generation. Well, tough.

    6. Re:The games have been removed. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Are you off your meds?

  2. What else did they need to say? by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 2

    >> "We strictly prohibit the sale of counterfeit products, and these games have been removed." That's all it would say on this.

    What else did they need to say? Someone violated their policy and they bounced them.

    Just be careful out there: when buying from Amazon/Walmart/NewEgg, NEVER buy from ANY of the marketplace folks and use the vendor filters if necessary, and they'll eventually just go away on their own.

    1. Re:What else did they need to say? by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      >> "We strictly prohibit the sale of counterfeit products, and these games have been removed." That's all it would say on this.

      What else did they need to say? Someone violated their policy and they bounced them.

      Except, they didn't say that at all!

    2. Re:What else did they need to say? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ..., and they'll eventually just go away on their own.

      Black and Gray Markets will never go away on their own. They might relocate, but they will never go away.

    3. Re:What else did they need to say? by Xenx · · Score: 1

      >> "We strictly prohibit the sale of counterfeit products, and these games have been removed." That's all it would say on this.

      What else did they need to say? Someone violated their policy and they bounced them.

      Except, they didn't say that at all!

      That was a direct quote from an Amazon spokesperson. It came from the article, and even made it into the summary. I don't see how you can say they didn't say that.

    4. Re:What else did they need to say? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Not sure if you're being willfully ignorant, or you just have bad reading comprehension: the quote doesn't mention anything about removing the *SELLERS*, only the *GAMES*. Got it?

    5. Re:What else did they need to say? by mangastudent · · Score: 2

      Just be careful out there: when buying from Amazon/Walmart/NewEgg, NEVER buy from ANY of the marketplace folks and use the vendor filters if necessary, and they'll eventually just go away on their own.

      This doesn't work with Amazon due to comingling with 3rd party vendors who use Amazon for fulfillment. To improve the efficiency of their logistics, everything gets thrown into one virtual and many physical bins, I'm not even sure they maintain any traceability. So when you think you're buying it from them, it's a crapshoot ... although as of late I've wondered if it's 3rd parties or Amazon that notoriously puts bare hard drives with nothing more than an anti-static bag into their inventory bins. NewEgg, as far as I know after they got acquired, doesn't do 3rd party fulfillment, and still packs their hard drives well, but I haven't bought anything from them in some time.

      For that matter, I've had very good luck with 3rd party Amazon vendors as long as their satisfaction rate in >= 96%, they've been in business for a while and have shipped "enough" orders to customers, and of course they do their own shipping. But the way Amazon has been raising their fees, more and more I judge their quality by Amazon feedback and then look them up on the Internet and buy direct, for often substantially lower prices including shipping.

    6. Re:What else did they need to say? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And you are confusing this thread with the one current above it. This one isn't talking about removing the sellers.

    7. Re:What else did they need to say? by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      My words were accurately explained to you by the other coward above. You're being willfully ignorant, is all.

      Perhaps you forgot about the existence of identity? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

      One of the reasons that English is such a popular language is that it is easy to talk about identity of both subject and object with arbitrary precision.

  3. Because... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Amazon didn't make enough of a profit from a $3.00 game.

  4. Amazon is garbage by DogDude · · Score: 1

    Amazon sells anything they can get paid for. They really don't care, just like their customers.

    --
    I don't respond to AC's.
    1. Re:Amazon is garbage by torkus · · Score: 1

      No doubt.

      FB ads are the same despite all the "cleanup" ... the other day i repeatedly got ads for a Raspberry Pi-based "SNES Classic alternative" which they bragged had every NES, SNES, etc. game. Basically your standard Pi emulator loadout of every (unlicensed) ROM for all the old systems.

      Not a bad deal TBH, but very much not legal...and oddly enough FB doesn't really even have a relevant reporting 'group' for that.

      In the end the platforms DGAF unless/until they're forced to act in the face of fines or lawsuits. I'm not sure if I like today's internet over the 'gritty' version of years past. Less useful info, but more interesting stuff.

      p.s. like any good geek I built my own :)

      --
      You can get rich if you own a politician, but you have to be rich to buy one in the first place.
  5. Authentic by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

    Our customers trust that when they make a purchase through Amazon's store --either directly from Amazon or from its third-party sellers -- they will receive authentic products

    We HOPE to get authentic products; however, I generally go by the belief that if it looks too good to be true, it probably isn't. Amazon sells a lot of pirated and counterfeited goods. I've seen a lot of sellers on Amazon even include in their description of a product "if you see this product sold by a different seller it is counterfeit"- sellers know just like we do that there is a lot of "not genuine" products out there.

    --
    "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    1. Re:Authentic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or the 'fake' seller is simply drop shipping. Or they bought the product and are selling their used item. Or they tracked their source down and are simply buying the exact same generic item and applying the same 3rd party label to it. Counterfeit doesn't mean as much as it used to since nearly all sellers are resellers. Even the sellers with custom labels are simply reselling the primary product.

    2. Re:Authentic by omnichad · · Score: 1

      The problem is that since Amazon mixes same-ASIN stock in its warehouse, you can buy directly from Amazon.com and still end up getting a counterfeit from a 3rd-party seller. There is no separation whatsoever. This is why a lot of legitimate sellers of eclipse-viewing eyewear unfairly lost a lot of money last year.

    3. Re:Authentic by pr0fessor · · Score: 1

      I have noticed that when on amazon multiples of the same product with a different label on them. You know it's a bulk item they have ordered on the cheap and branded.

      My brother owns a small skateboard company and buys his bulk branded items from the same manufactures that make the big label accessories.

    4. Re:Authentic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We HOPE to get authentic products; however, I generally go by the belief that if it looks too good to be true, it probably isn't.

      Yes, but I've also bought a number of things on amazon that were pricing errors.

    5. Re:Authentic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We HOPE to get authentic products; however, I generally go by the belief that if it looks too good to be true, it probably isn't.

      And when the counterfeiters start selling for $1 less than the competition? Not only do they get a bigger profit margin, they may get more nibbles too.

    6. Re:Authentic by lgw · · Score: 1

      Stuff "sold by Amazon" is not mixed with stuff from third party sellers, but that's different from "fulfilled by Amazon". And stuff from different third party sellers can theoretically get mixed, which is just frustrating for everyone. Most people aren't going to be looking for the difference between "Sold by" and "fulfilled by" either, especially for stuff that's "prime eligible". Sold on the main page and "prime eligible" really make it look like Amazon is selling it.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    7. Re:Authentic by DogDude · · Score: 1

      Why would you do business with a company where you "hope" to get authentic products? That seems pretty weird to me.

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
    8. Re:Authentic by mangastudent · · Score: 1

      Our customers trust that when they make a purchase through Amazon's store --either directly from Amazon or from its third-party sellers -- they will receive authentic products

      We HOPE to get authentic products....

      Before applying a lot of heuristics that allow me to (I think) safely buy various items from a small set of categories, I don't share that hope, my default assumption is that what Amazon will ship me is counterfeit. If it's safety critical in a way I can't judge until I've for example suffered a chemical burn (some herbicides are nasty acids, especially when shipped as a concentrate), I'm not willing to take a chance, I'll buy it from Walmart.com or for a purchase of a chemical resistant apron yesterday, Grainger (my default for safety equipment), companies who give a damn about their supply chains ... and nowadays for the same price or often less.

      I wonder how that eclipse sunglasses lawsuit is doing....

    9. Re:Authentic by omnichad · · Score: 1

      is not mixed with stuff from third party sellers, but that's different from "fulfilled by Amazon"

      Fulfilled by Amazon is still a third-party sale. Amazon is not selling the item. I was referring to FBA third-party sellers.

    10. Re:Authentic by lgw · · Score: 1

      They're working on keeping the 3rd-party sellers stuff straight, but it's kinda sad it wasn't that way from the beginning.

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
  6. Bane of the good. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    For example, why does the metadata for this version of Frostpunk refer to the DRM-free version that people can buy from GOG

    Because no good deed goes unpunished.

  7. Amazon doesn't care by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Amazon has a horrible track record of dealing with their 3rd parties. Complaints fall on deaf ears with the pushback that it wasnt them. They just provide the platform for people to rip you off and in my personal experience could care less when it happens.

    1. Re:Amazon doesn't care by jellomizer · · Score: 0

      3rd parties (The one guy "shop") are tough to deal with. Any company that deals with 3rd parties that has a good track record with them is probably out of business or soon will be.

      The problem that Amazon and others have, is this one guy shop, there are a bunch of them just trying to get rich quick, without any real work behind it, and combined with an amateurish and cynical understanding on how business works, means they are often trying scamming people because hey it cost Apple $100 to make a cell phone that they sell for $1000. Why can't I do that with some junk I got for $1.00 and sell it for $10.00 I just need to sell it as better then it is, that is what Apple does.

      Then when Amazon finds that this guy is doing this, selling crap advertised as much higher value, they take them off the list, and they complain that mean old Giant Amazon is trying to kill the little guy.

      --
      If something is so important that you feel the need to post it on the internet... It probably isn't that important.
  8. Fake Board Games by Only+Time+Will+Tell · · Score: 1

    Amazon has a poor track record in counterfeits for board games. Often Amazon will pool the games it sells along with any third parties into one inventory. When a customer buys one, even from Amazon itself, they get a game pulled from this inventory which has been a counterfeit from time to time. Amazon has a hard time tracking back where they got the fake from and customers can receive a poor quality reproduction thinking it is real. There are lengthy discussion topics over at www.boardgamegeek.com.

    1. Re:Fake Board Games by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Well, yes. Amazon's end tail business model is pretty scummy, because it beats up on little companies without the resources to fight back. Most recently I've seen it happen to a T-shirt shop whose designs took off in Amazon marketplace: as soon as sales got above a certain threshold, Amazon duplicated the designs on their own Asia-sourced T-shirts and kicked the shop off of marketplace.

      Some attorney will probably get rich someday with an IP-based class action vs. Amazon on this kind of thing, but until they do, it's best to support your favorite goods and shops directly.

  9. Amazon doesn't do quality control by jhecht · · Score: 1

    The real problem is that Amazon runs on the cheap. They don't do quality control like screening products being sold or police third-party sellers effectively. They may have some algorithms, but they're not very effective. Instead, they rely on buyers or other third parties to blow the whistle on scams. Sometimes they screw up and block legitimate third-party sellers or self-publishers. And they make it hard to complain effectively or reach a human because that would cost them money.

    1. Re:Amazon doesn't do quality control by FunkSoulBrother · · Score: 2

      Perhaps they should hire some people to do it then. Everyone would be rightly pissed if Target or Walmart was selling knockoff Chinese laptop chargers in their brick-and-mortar stores, yet they seem to be able to avoid this, and they have less cash and more overhead than Amazon.

    2. Re:Amazon doesn't do quality control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Amazon doesn't turn a blind eye to counterfeiting because they are cheap or lack quality control. They do it because it makes them money. End of story.

      The day counterfeiting risks losing Amazon money will be the day Amazon clamps down on counterfeits.

    3. Re:Amazon doesn't do quality control by Xenx · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Brick and mortar stores don't inspect each and every product as it comes into the store. That would be insane. Brick and mortar stores get their shipments from trusted sources and assume they won't get screwed over.The only way for Amazon to do the same would be to not allow 3rd party sellers at all.

      First, unless it goes through an Amazon warehouse, the product is handled and shipped by the third party. Amazon is only the store front. Second, the third party could always provide correct samples to Amazon while then provide fake ones to the customer, unless they manually test each and every product(Would be counter to the first point). Third, if it comes to digital products, the people they hire would have to be very knowledgeable about every digital product they check. They would also need to buy multiple copies of the product through "personal" accounts to verify they're getting what the customer gets and that each time it matches up. Then, determine if the digital product they receive is correct and contact the developer/producer/etc and verify. Again, this would be for every seller of every product.

    4. Re:Amazon doesn't do quality control by lgw · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Target doesn't allow third party sellers. You don't have these problems if you stick to stuff "sold by Amazon", but everything else is sort of a flea market. IMO, fraudulent sellers in general are a big problem. If the Chinese seller ships you anything you're better than average.

      Amazon needs to get on top of obvious patterns of fraud. If I can recognize that a seller is likely fraudulent, so can an algorithm. Some of the problems are more subtle and require a specialist to spot bad products (e.g., hard drives or camera lenses), but Amazon can hire those.
       

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    5. Re:Amazon doesn't do quality control by powerlord · · Score: 1

      In fairness they have a directly curated product supply chain, as well as an incentive since they purchase the goods till its sold (or so I would expect).

      The only way that sort of checking would happen, is if Amazon were required to purchase the goods sold and then resell them, instead of just acting as a middleman/facilitator.

      --
      This space for rent. All reasonable inquiries will be entertained at proprietors discretion.
    6. Re:Amazon doesn't do quality control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Third party sellers count for 50% of Amazon's retail sales.

    7. Re:Amazon doesn't do quality control by DogDude · · Score: 2

      Brick and mortar stores don't inspect each and every product as it comes into the store.

      That's bullshit. I work in an independent briack-and-mortar chain with 30,000 SKU's, and we know each and every product we bring in.

      Why are you so eager to defend Amazon, which is clearly interested in screwing over its customers? Amazon could absolutely verify all of the products they sell. They choose not to.

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
    8. Re:Amazon doesn't do quality control by Xenx · · Score: 1

      So, you're saying you open each and every individual item that comes into the store and test it?

    9. Re:Amazon doesn't do quality control by DogDude · · Score: 1

      So, you're saying you open each and every individual item that comes into the store and test it?

      Yes. That's what stores used to do. We still do it. That's probably why we're still in business (and doing well).

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
    10. Re:Amazon doesn't do quality control by Xenx · · Score: 1

      You're either lying, or not grasping what is being said. You're saying every single individual item is opened, tested, and then sealed back up before being stocked on the shelf for sale? Every single USB drive is pulled out of it's package and checked that it is in fact able to store the right amount of data. Every single TV is pulled out and tested that it works. On and on with every single possible product. Again, not by someone up the chain that you trust.. but by your store. I know from personal experience that just isn't true for any normal store.

      As for your earlier mention of defending Amazon, I'm not. At least, not all of their business practices. I was only explaining why Amazon testing literally every single item is just a stupid idea.

    11. Re:Amazon doesn't do quality control by DogDude · · Score: 3, Interesting

      We buy from known suppliers. We know who we're buying from and what we're buying. Amazon is selling anything from anybody. Those two things are opposites.

      I don't know what you're talking about, opening every product and testing it before selling it. I don't know what that has to do with this conversation.

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
    12. Re:Amazon doesn't do quality control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Then you're not following the conversation he's having with you. He said, in order for Amazon to police the 3rd party Sellers, it would be the same as a Brick & Mortar store inspecting every single product they put on their shelves. They cannot; it takes too much manpower. You just said it yourself, you trust your suppliers not to cheat. This is the same as how Amazon is doing it now. And some suppliers cheat. And neither Amazon nor your employer have allocated the resources to catch the cheating before the product goes to the consumer.

    13. Re:Amazon doesn't do quality control by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You actually *do* still have these problems if you stick to stuff "sold by Amazon" because they throw all the stock in a big bin together with everyone else selling the same product, including the counterfeit-peddlers. Then when you get a counterfeit and report it they legitimately have no idea which vendor it came from.

    14. Re:Amazon doesn't do quality control by GuB-42 · · Score: 1

      If the Chinese seller ships you anything you're better than average.

      From my experience, the Chinese are very reliable when it comes to shipping you something.

      I bought maybe a hundred different items from Chinese sellers, on eBay, AliExpress and Amazon. Only once I didn't receive what I ordered, and it was lost in shipping (I had a tracking number) and I didn't file a dispute on time. The other rare times I didn't receive anything, I just contacted the seller and they send me another one for free or a refund, no question asked. 1 month delays are common though.

      Counterfeit goods are the norm though, if it is branded and it is not a Chinese brand, it's fake.

    15. Re:Amazon doesn't do quality control by DogDude · · Score: 1

      And neither Amazon nor your employer have allocated the resources to catch the cheating before the product goes to the consumer.

      That's not true. You don't have to check every single item, if you know who you're buying from. Amazon doesn't know who they're buying from, because they don't take the time to check their suppliers.

      --
      I don't respond to AC's.
    16. Re:Amazon doesn't do quality control by lgw · · Score: 1

      I've had multiple problems with Chinese sellers on Amazon not shipping anything. I'll get a delivery data 6-8 weeks out, but then nothing ever arrives.

      At thin point I won't by anything off Amazon unless it's either fulfilled by them, or a very large seller (too many ratings to be fake).

      --
      Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
    17. Re:Amazon doesn't do quality control by Xenx · · Score: 1

      Went on vacation, wasn't able to respond timely. I just wanted to clarify. My original point was that Amazon likely has their trusted suppliers for the products sold through them directly. They don't have that option when dealing with 3rd party sellers.

      The only way for 3rd party sellers to be able to sell through Amazon, with the level of quality control you're talking about, would be for Amazon to require everything to ship through them. They would have to test each individual item, software included. Then, they would have to ship it out to the customer. This adds extra shipping costs to the overall product cost. It also requires the testers to fully understand and be able to confirm each individual product to confirm everything works correctly. This would be equivalent to a brick and mortar testing each product individually. It's just not fucking practical.

      I'm not saying getting rid of the 3rd party sellers isn't a solution. In terms of product control it's the best solution. I'm just saying the only practical method of handling counterfeit(or any other not-as-described) products, while keeping the 3rd party sellers, is to handle complaints from sales and punish sellers that appear to be doing it intentionally. As a business strategy the 3rd party sellers have their pros and cons. The customers should pay attention to what they're doing and understand the potential risks when purchasing from a 3rd party seller. It's no better/worse than buying from a stall at a farmer's market, flea market, convention, etc. You have to take the bad with the good. As long as Amazon is handling reported problems with 3rd party sellers, they're doing the best they can.

  10. Meanwhile fake USB drives abound on Amazon by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    with no easy way to report them. A 1TB for 20 dollars should be a clue that somethings off.

  11. Re:I am APK the LORD of HOSTS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Dear apk impersonator how come when the real apk asked you to prove you're a millionaire you say you are you ran https://tech.slashdot.org/comm... ?

  12. RoTfLmAo - no shit! He has a themesong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    RoTfLmAo - no shit! He has a themesong now due to his RUNNING RUN, JOWIE, RUN https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

    * Hahahahaha, man... My stomach HURTS from all the laughing I've done @ a UNIDENTIFIABLE anonymous STALKER of mine moron who ADMITS he posts these IMPERSONATIONS IMITATIONS of myself no less!

    Seriously - I am NOT kidding-> https://tech.slashdot.org/comm...

    APK

    P.S.=> To anyone reading: I've been online since the 1980's via academia & 1994 onward @ home - I've NEVER seen a place with more SERIOUSLY mentally "disturbed" individuals than /. (I mean some REAL f'ing weirdos, felons, transtesticle monstrosities, man - you NAME it) - unbelievable - so I have to laugh (only ArseHOLETechnica came close but /.'s collection of freaks SURPASSED even them)... apk

    1. Re:RoTfLmAo - no shit! He has a themesong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe you guys should go get a private room for your circle jerk. Out of the public view. Thanks.

    2. Re:RoTfLmAo - no shit! He has a themesong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Maybe the millionaire who can't back that claim of his up will buy that room hahahaha https://tech.slashdot.org/comm... since he's a millionaire!

    3. Re:RoTfLmAo - no shit! He has a themesong by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Hahaha ahahahahahahaha

  13. Not just games by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    This past week or two I've noticed a number of listings for the most recent seasons of several current TV series, available for purchase now, that won't see official release until later this year.
    e.g.
    CRIMINAL MINDS SEASON 13 (Ships from and sold by Film Fest Canada.)
    NCIS SEASON 15 (Ships from and sold by Film Fest Canada.)
    NCIS NEW ORLEANS SEASON 4 (Ships from and sold by Film Fest Canada.)
    MARVEL'S AGENTS OF SHIELD SEASON 5 (Ships from and sold by Film Fest Canada.)
    THE BLACKLIST SEASON 5 (Ships from and sold by Film Fest Canada.)
    SUPERNATURAL SEASON 13 (Ships from and sold by Film Fest Canada.)

  14. Re:I am APK the LORD of HOSTS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hey APK how come you have to pretend someone supports you?
    Also how come you are a giant chickenshit pussy keyboard warrior and demand people meet you so they can make you take back your words or so you can have forced violent butt sex with them but never provide your address?

  15. Jeff Bexos Don't Care by sexconker · · Score: 1

    Jeff Bezos don't care.
    Jeff Bezos don't give a shit.
    Amazon got their cut of the sale. Amazon LOVES fraudulent products and sellers. They profit from them.

  16. No they don't care about counterfeits by overnight_failure · · Score: 2

    I know this from personal experience.

    I bought a projector lamp from them (being sold by Amazon itself not a third party) and it overheated and melted the projector mirror. I sent the projector off to Optoma who examined everything and said the bulb was a counterfeit. Presented with this evidence Amazon said they believed their supplier that the bulb was genuine and refused to admit any liability.

    They literally said the people that make the product were wrong. I've never bought from them since (5+ years and counting).

    Amazon don't care unless it costs them money.

  17. Re:I am APK the LORD of HOSTS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why lie you are a millionaire https://tech.slashdot.org/comm... and can't back it up?

  18. Amazon river of counterfeits and they don't care. by BigBlockMopar · · Score: 3, Informative

    Popping up as a new one. It is not as of their stock has been confiscated. Nothing a bit of scripting could not handle.
    Because it all depends how much they get, not how much they did not get.

    I bought a microSD card from Amazon and I got a fake labeled with more capacity than it really had. Amazon really didn't care; they got their commission. I had to fight to get a refund from a Chinese seller who is still ripping people off many years later.

    I will never buy from Amazon again.

    You can say what you want about Walmart and Home Depot and other retailers, but bricks-and-mortar retailers hate thieves more than anyone else. If they accidentally sell counterfeits, they take it very seriously.

    Jeff Bezos may be the richest man on the planet but I feel like he's one of the most unscrupulous. I wish only the slowest and most painful of cancers on him.

    --
    Fire and Meat. Yummy.
  19. Re: This is theft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Because piracy isn't theft. You are a troll.

  20. making copies by originalGMC · · Score: 1

    I'm kind of okay with counterfeits as long as it works as advertised, and the originating talent gets a cut (which I know isn't the case). Sincerely put, if you're going to counterfeit, cut the devs a check why don't ya? Slip em a fat nickel every time you get a download please. Devs, please consider open sourcing your game apps after like 5/10 years, or when the hardware they're designed for is no longer physically made or otherwise inaccessible. Games should have a timer to enter public domain. Sharing is caring: https://www.rockpapershotgun.c...

    1. Re:making copies by originalGMC · · Score: 1

      short-er timer, if they already have one.

  21. Re:Amazon river of counterfeits and they don't car by Bob+the+Super+Hamste · · Score: 1

    That is part of the reason I shop for a good amount of things locally. While the microcenter branded SD, microSD, and USB drives aren't quite as cheap as the cheapest ones on amazon it isn't a crap shoot with what I am getting either. Add in that if one craps out I can get it exchanged so I end up getting a better overall product and experience. I've never had one crap out on me as I find they are usually too small to keep using long before that happens but it is nice that if one fails after 6 months I could get it replaced at a cost of a 3 minute drive out of my way to or from work. With microcenter I know what I am getting when I buy it, with amazon I know what I ordered.

    --
    Time to offend someone
  22. Re: This is theft by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It probably got an equal number of "flamebait" and "troll" ratings. In which case you stay at -1 (because that's the lowest score) but it can't definitively show why.

    Either way, the piracy vs theft debate is an old argument that's been had many times here and adds nothing to the discussion. Hell, I'm not even sure what the post had to with this article in particular in the first place.

  23. Nope, you're a "millionaire" LMAO by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You're a "millionaire" (not) https://tech.slashdot.org/comm... admitting you IMPERSONATE me https://tech.slashdot.org/comm...

    * Unbelievable... lol!

    (I've said it before & have to again: I've been online since the mid 80's in academia thru 1994 to present @ home - I've NEVER, ever in all that time seen a place more LOADED with utter LYING LOONS than /. - doesn't go for good folks here, they know who THEY are (& they're not "MILLIONAIRES" (lol, not) who can't backup their MILLIONS OF LIES)).

    Even ArseHOLETechnica (whom I considered the WORST of the lot of a FLOCK of congregating LOSERS I destroyed publicly several times outside their private playpen) PALES vs. the felons, transtesticle monstrosities, LIAR & fakes I've seen on /. - no joke.

    APK

    P.S.=> Winners concentrate on Winning (what I do) - LOSERS concentrate on harassing WINNERS (as the 'millionaire' I confront in the links above is - a lying loser)... apk

    1. Re:Nope, you're a "millionaire" LMAO by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      LOL!

  24. Re:I am APK the LORD of HOSTS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Stupid shit stick APK that wasn't me, you have lots of people who hate you. It is nice to see that you don't refute the proven statement that you are a bigger chickenshit pussy than you claim everyone else is since you demand they meet you so they can make you take back your words or so you can have forced violent butt sex with with them but never provide your address. You also keep pretending that someone supports you when everyone can easily tell it is you that posts that fake support for yourself. Keep deflecting there APK, it is a sure way to show everyone that you lost. You are just pissed that everyone can plainly see how much of a loser you are. You should also work on sentence structure there as it is lacking.

    So why don't you take your violent homoerotic fantasies elsewhere as no one wants to hear about how you want to ass rape a millionaire from Nebraska on his yacht while you are getting blasted in the ass by Zontar The Mindless, Ol Olsoc, or Khyber. It appears that you truly have descended into madness though.

  25. Ah, the "millionaire" who impersonates me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Prove your millions (of lies) https://tech.slashdot.org/comm... admitting you impersonate me https://tech.slashdot.org/comm... sicko!

    * ALL WHILE STALKING ME (or impersonating me)... lol!

    (BIG TOUGH GUY YOU ARE (not)).

    Winners (me) concentrate on WINNING - losers like you, knowing you're losers, concentrate on TRYING to harass winners like me (but true to your usual form, you LOSE (lol, as its ALL YOU KNOW HOW TO DO)).

    APK

    P.S.=> Little DO-NOTHING "ne'er-do-well" pusscake you are... apk

    1. Re:Ah, the "millionaire" who impersonates me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      ROTFLMAO!

    2. Re:Ah, the "millionaire" who impersonates me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Again neither of those were from me and I have never "impersonated" you, even by your own invalid definition. As previously stated lots of people hate you so the problem is with you not everyone else. Furthermore not everyone who mocks you is impersonating you either, and even then it is clear that there are several of each. Then again you are proven to be a little chickenshit pussy who wants to have someone kick your ass or wants to have violent butt sex with a random dude from the internet. You keep trying to deflect which means you lost and you can't actually make your point. Maybe the guy who told you he was a millionaire is right and you will blame him for 2 weeks but then you do stupid shit like that all the time.

      Hey Zontar, could you send APK another postcard I think he could use one?

    3. Re:Ah, the "millionaire" who impersonates me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But, but, but you're so BRAVE stalking apk by UNIDENTIFIABLE anonymous now like you prove you have millions https://tech.slashdot.org/comm... while admitting you IMPERSONATE apk too you PSYCHO https://tech.slashdot.org/comm...

    4. Re: Ah, the "millionaire" who impersonates me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He's right there are tons of people that APK. Count me in. I guess I could start impersonating him as well.

  26. Re: I am APK the BIG GAY BABY by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I actually think you're the 'millionaire' (liar you are) https://tech.slashdot.org/comm... who admits impersonating apk https://tech.slashdot.org/comm...

  27. Unsurprising. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Buy a Samsung branded phone charger off any amazon 3rd party seller.

    Open it up - it's counterfeit.

    Every. Single. Time.

  28. Re:Amazon river of counterfeits and they don't car by Darinbob · · Score: 1

    Some people shop locally, find what they want, then buy on Amazon. I do it the opposite way, I find a product on Amazon, read the reviews, check out the user guide, then do a search to see who has it locally and go there.

  29. Ah, my MILLIONAIRE stalker... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Ah, those MILLIONS you have (& can't PROVE) https://tech.slashdot.org/comm... admitting you IMPERSONATE me https://tech.slashdot.org/comm... too? Come on!

    * LMAO!

    APK

    P.S.=> Keep STALKING me "MILLIONAIRE" via your UNIDENTIFIABLE anonymous posts too as you're doing now (it's donig you "wonders" (not))... apk

  30. ok gramps by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    You can say what you want about Walmart and Home Depot and other retailers, but bricks-and-mortar retailers hate thieves more than anyone else.

    Spoken like a bigblockmopar fan. Get a real car, gramps.

    1. Re:ok gramps by BigBlockMopar · · Score: 1

      Spoken like a bigblockmopar fan. Get a real car, gramps.

      No wonder you're posting as AC. Even from here, I can smell the cheese under your foreskin.

      Half an engine, pointed the wrong way under the hood, and driving the wrong set of wheels... is that what you like to drive?

      Gramps is crazy, Gramps takes shit from no one, Gramps was on the Internet before it was even called the Internet, and Gramps will step on your face.

      Too bad you're not man enough to post under your own name.

      --
      Fire and Meat. Yummy.
  31. Re:Amazon river of counterfeits and they don't car by BigBlockMopar · · Score: 1

    Some people shop locally, find what they want, then buy on Amazon. I do it the opposite way, I find a product on Amazon, read the reviews, check out the user guide, then do a search to see who has it locally and go there.

    Amazon: the world's greatest catalog. I like it. :)

    --
    Fire and Meat. Yummy.
  32. Re:Amazon river of counterfeits and they don't car by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I had to fight to get a refund from a Chinese seller who is still ripping people off many years later.

    Why did you even bother? Just file an A-Z claim and be done with it.

  33. GOG is piracy, too, right? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Seriously! GOG does not have the authorization to sell many/most of the top commercially successful games that they offer, right?

    I cannot believe the indignation of someone acquiring a stolen game at a low price which was stolen from another thief! "It's the first thief's right to profit from it, because they stamped their name on it!" LOL