Can eBay Stop The Sale Of Fake And Counterfeit Memory? A Frauded Buyers Simple Insight To Solving The Problem For Fraudulent eBay Listings.

Why does eBay allow listings for fake memory cards, usb flash drives and mp players? Every year buyers around the world receive false capacity flash memory items. Is there a simple solution to put a stop to it? A buyer thinks so. His solution is amazingly simple. Will eBay do it?

Some facts about the fraud for flash memory on eBay:

The recent Q2 report from SOSFakeFlash reveals 80 eBay member countries affected:

Scam Report eBay Fake Memory Cards, USB Flash Drives, MP Players – SOSFakeFlash Q2 2011. Did You Buy On eBay?

The problem now in it’s ninth year on eBay.

eBay Flash Memory Fraud Continues. 8 Years later, eBay Continues Cover Up For Fraudulent Asian Sellers. 8GB 16GB 32GB 64GB 128GB 256GB Advertised Capacity = 4GB Real Capacity Or Less

What percentage of eBay listings are for fakes?

SOSFakeFlash – eBay Fraud Flash Memory Upgraded Digitally Altered Capacity. Status Report November 2010. Best eBay Prices For USB Pen sticks, Memory Cards, MP Players. Warning – 95% Of eBay Listings Are For Fake Memory.

A recent eBay victim, renamed ClearFlash revealed his personal insights to SOSFakeFlash based on his own experience of being frauded. Here is what he had to say about his seller(s) and the issue on eBay. It is interesting:

a) Even if a lot of buyers complained, ebay still doesn’t shut down this seller.

b) All together: since ebay doesn’t shut down this seller, the overall result for this fraudulent seller and ebay and paypal still may be positive: First only a maximum 20% notice within 45 days that this USB flash drive is faked / manipulated. Most let a positive feedback. 80% pay, ebay gets its fees and paypal and the seller too.

c) It would be necessary to file a case against ebay and paypal because of supporting fraud _in_not_warning_buyers_ of USB-sticks and memory cards after this since years ongoing frauds to first of all test them with h2testw before leaving a feedback. There are a lot of examples, where ebay warns sellers / buyers in case of problematic items (weapons, autographs, alcohol, tobacco, hard disk drives, drugs and so on).

It should be simple to implement an automatic messaging system or pop up window in case somebody bids or wins a auction in relation with an usb-memory-device that first of all he/she should test it seriously before leaving a feedback. This automated message should contain a link to a place where h2testw can easily be downloaded for free. To test a 256 GB device it takes hours and hours until the test is finished. This should be mentioned. Most buyers just copy “for test” a comparatively small file to the flash drive – and this works of course.

Furthermore ebay should be obliged to email all buyers of such devices as soon as the first fraud was detected, that all buyers till then are strongly advised to test their sticks bought from the same seller. The data-loss is the greatest loss, not the 30 € or so.

Both cases where settled from paypal and I will get my money back – but it took me such an amount of time not only to report the case to ebay and paypal but also to warn other buyers and answer their questions (I can supply a lot of examples) what they should do now that all together it would have been cheaper for me just to do nothing and waste no more time on thinking about the lost money.

About

A) eBay not shutting a seller down

Some times they do, if there are enough complaints but mostly they do not. It depends a lot in which eBay country the seller is located.

B) Buyers not noticing in the 45 day claim window

This is also true, part of the problem is buyers do not test properly, instead they take the quick route and verify what the operating system reports. The operating system often fooled reports the advertised capacity and as a result buyers leave positive feedback. Positive feedback can not be rescinded or taken back. So yes, eBay, Paypal get to keep most of the fees they charge and the seller his sales.

C) Filing a dispute for fake memory items

According to FrankenFlash project sites, filing a dispute is a problem for a lot of buyers, most have never needed to file one before. That is, until they bought fake flash memory products. Originally frauded buyers had to file with PayPal but now with eBay. eBay has put up even more road blocks to filing then PayPal ever did. It takes a very determined person to file a dispute.

So could eBay fix the problem, well as ClearFlash pointed out:

There are a lot of examples, where ebay warns sellers / buyers in case of problematic items (weapons, autographs, alcohol, tobacco, hard disk drives, drugs and so on).

So eBay already does this for some item categories.

Is it simple to implement an automatic messaging system pop window if somebody bids and buys usb flash drives, memory cards or MP Players on eBay?

Yes, any web programmer will tell you it is possible and not difficult. Since they already do it for other categories, they already have a blueprint on how to program it.

But there is one thing….

If you were buying these items on eBay what would your reaction be to receiving a warning pop up informing you to be sure to test the flash memory capacity upon arrival?

Given the accumulated evidence reported by FrankenFlash project sites and others in the internet about 95% of eBay listings in these categories are for fakes and counterfeits, what would happen to all the sales, the fees, the money these listings generate for eBay, PayPal and seller?

Sure the pop up warnings would educate buyers in a hurry and it would easily clean up the fraudulent listings. It would even allow the real sellers of true capacity flash memory to be seen, once the fraudulent ones were removed. Honest flash memory sellers on eBay are frustrated and having trouble staying in business, too much competition from the fakes.

Yes eBay should be obliged to send out automatic warning messages to all buyers when a fake flash memory seller is caught. Sometimes they do, but mostly they do not. If they do send a warning message it is almost always for an eBay seller registered in Asia. eBay is cautious, it is safer to go after fraudulent sellers in Asia as the sellers are unable to complain back.

So the answer to the original question:

Can eBay Stop The Sale Of Fake And Counterfeit Memory?

YES!

It means eBay listings for mp players, memory cards and usb flash drives are going to shrink down to 5% of what they are now.

Do you think eBay can live with that?

It means honest sellers will start to do well and have a decent income selling flash memory on eBay. It means brand name manufacturers will not have to continue threatening eBay with legal action. It means less people who buy flash memory will lose their important information. They might even make eBay the regular purchase source for flash memory products.

The easiest and most cost effective way for eBay to reduce and stop the sale of fake flash memory is by introducing the pop up windows. They do it for other product categories sold on eBay. So why don’t they really live up to the “Buyer Protection” they promote and do the same thing here?

Is it the easy money?