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PSA: Scammers have become prevalent on Amazon.

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N

NandoGip

Member
I've read around the net for a bit now that Amazon has fake scam listings, but I didn't really believe it until I saw it myself. I recently attempted to purchase a gaming laptop, and when I saw the low prices I was astounded but skeptical.

I checked out the seller, lo and behold they had barely any history of selling, and the >10 reviews were clearly fake.

I wanted to bring this to the attention of others, because I'm assuming my fellow basement dwellers-ahem- gaffers shop on Amazon a lot.

Here's an article breaking it down and what Amazon has done so far.:

Amazon Goes To War Against Scam Sellers -- And Appears To Be Winning

A seller opens a new merchant account on Amazon, which is incredibly easy to do and does not entail any sort of vetting process, and then begins selecting a large amount of popular items to sell at unbelievably low prices, which they can do with a few clicks using Amazon's streamlined seller's platform. When a customer places an order, the seller claims that the item was shipped and will arrive in around three or four weeks, and often provides a false tracking number. But they don’t actually ever ship anything. They merely sit back and wait for Amazon’s two-week payment cycle to run its course, whereupon they collect their cash. The customer often doesn’t get suspicious until after the scheduled delivery date, which is often enough time for the scammer to make off with the money.
Click to expand...

"Amazon is going to or has already started imposing limits on new sellers," he told me. "While previously a new seller could list hundreds of thousands of new products, often at super low prices, this is going away. Instead a seller will only be able to list a small amount of products, until they prove themselves and then the limit will rise. To us, it sounds like an obvious and easy fix."
Click to expand...

Have you come across this?
 
S

Stat Flow

He gonna cry in the car
If "New Seller" + Ridiculously low price doesn't raise a red flag, you were gonna get scammed at some point any way.

Too bad that it's poisoning the amazon well, though.

Customers are dumb.
 
C

Captain Pants

Killed by a goddamned Dredgeling
I haven't fallen victim to it, but I've noticed a lot HTC Vive listings for $350 from new sellers and assumed it was something along these lines. The funny thing is that if they'd listed it closer to the actual price, I might have been suckered into it.
 
V

Volimar

Member
I ordered my mum one of those banks where you put the coin on a box and a little cat paw comes out and takes it. She has cats and I figured they'd get a kick out of it. Long story short, it never came, checked the seller page and loads of people got stiffed. Amazon gave me a refund though.
 
L

Lucky Seven

Banned
I mean, you were a sucker OP. I buy used and refurbished all the time from third party sellers but I always know the signs of scammers. They should probably have some notice to help people spot telltale signs of scamming.
 
B

Ballistik

Member
I had to deal with this scam...I ordered a shirt from a random person and even though my address is in California, Amazon showed the package as "Delivered" somewhere in Kansas.

It was a new account when I first ordered it, and I just checked right now and yeah the user has like 90% negative feedback with people claiming the same thing about tracking info showing incorrect delivery address.
 
U

UFO

Banned
I only buy from reputable sellers with a fair amount of feedback, or from Amazon themselves.
 
M

Madness

Member
A lot of the times they also get information by selling something so ridiculously cheap they have no plan to fulfill but they are given things like email or mailing addresses and names etc. And then the order is cancelled and your money refunded but they have your information.

Then there is counterfeit stuff. Even fulfilled by Amazon is counterfeit for things like ac adaptors, memory cards (I only buy from Amazon LLC now), things like paid reviews where people are given free items that give them a verified purchase note and they give glowing 5 star reviews etc. Lot of shady stuff at Amazon these days.
 
R

riotous

Banned
99% of my purchases are from amazon or fulfilled by amazon.

I only buy things from outside sellers if they have a high/extensive rating; which I really only do for stuff like retro games/consoles.

Big ticket items are never done through outside sellers.

Above all that, I use a credit card with purchase protection (And points) that I pay off in full every month.

Easy to avoid; and no it's not surprising amazon has scam sellers.
 
M

MrDenny

Member
Yeah, I used to notice this a lot in the past.
Glad amazon is starting to crack down on this.
I noticed for certain products you have to have an upgraded account to sell an item like a MacBook Pro.
I guess they recently added more restrictions to crack down on scammers.
 
A

Altered Juice

Member
There was a nintendo switch listing for $1 i think and people on reddit took the bait like saps.

"It shipped! What's the worse than can happen?"

pathetic

fiddy.gif
 
R

rjinaz

Member
The_White_Rose said:
Only purchase from third party if it's fulfilled by Amazon.
Click to expand...

That's not necessary though probably the best option if you HAVE Prime. If you don't have Prime those items will require the $35 minimum and possibly tax. 3rd parties usually don't.

Just look at the seller rating before you buy. If it's a new seller avoid. If it's somebody with a good rating, go for it.

Edit: Also always check where it ships from and the expected delivery date. A lot of the 3rd parties ship from China or out of country.
 
J

JCG

Member
I haven't bought from third party sellers in a couple of years, but back then I only ever bought from experienced sellers with a lot of good feedback. My worst purchase was getting one bootleg DVD, which nevertheless worked as advertised.
 
A

adamy

Banned
No shit? I thought it was pretty much common knowledge to buy directly from amazon or fulfilled by amazon...?
 
T

Timedog

good credit (by proxy)
if it ain't sold in conjunction with amazon i'm probably not buying it. The VERY few times I do, I ALWAYS check the sellers ratings. Never had a problem.
 
D

dionysus

Yaldog
I've had problems with out-of-print books and refurbished phones sold by third parties through amazon. Basically egregious misrepresentation of the quality of the item. Though they have always refunded me. I always wondered what their angle is. Enough people don't return the item so that they make a profit I guess.

The booksellers always give the excuse they they just represent a third party processor and they are just the storefront (except amazon is the storefront.) A third party of a third party.
 
jm89

jm89

Member
Buying earphones from third parties is the worst, even fullfiled by Amazon and high ratings won't save you.
 
andythinkpad

andythinkpad

Member
I click on the Amazon prime free delivery check box and it pretty much filter out all tue craps.

BTW you can buy open box/return directly from Amazpn Warehouse too.
 
R

Retro

Member
NandoGip said:
Have you come across this?
Click to expand...

Literally yesterday. Was looking to pick up Xenoblade Chronicles for my wife and while most sellers are asking ~$50 for just a used cartridge, there's a "Just Launched" seller on there offering it "Brand new, factory sealed. Perfect condition!" for $49.99?

Nope.
 
S

smurfx

get some go again
i've only had 1 problem with a 3rd party seller. everything else has always been on the up and up.
 
N

NandoGip

Member
Lucky Seven said:
I mean, you were a sucker OP. I buy used and refurbished all the time from third party sellers but I always know the signs of scammers. They should probably have some notice to help people spot telltale signs of scamming.
Click to expand...

...how am I a sucker? I never bought anything because it was an obvious scam. I made this thread to notify others.
 
D

daxy

Member
I was recently sold a knock-off copy of the Castlevania Double Pack for GBA through the marketplace. Got a refund. Still, what the fuck.

It was also a new seller, but I didn't think much of it initially.
 
G

GrapeApes

Member
Captain Pants said:
I haven't fallen victim to it, but I've noticed a lot HTC Vive listings for $350 from new sellers and assumed it was something along these lines. The funny thing is that if they'd listed it closer to the actual price, I might have been suckered into it.
Click to expand...
Cause they looking for rubes. Only a dummy would think they getting a steal at those prices. A smart person would probably look for feedback from an unknown sellers. It's why those scam emails always sound dumb as hell. Only a dumb person would fall for it.
 
Giolon

Giolon

Member
This is exactly what happened to me around Christmas time trying to buy a copy of the original Nier for PS3. Amazon Customer service was infuriating insisting that I wait a full 3 weeks for the item to arrive (when it was supposed to arrive in 1 week), even though by that point the seller account was very clearly an obvious scammer following the exact tactics laid out in the article.

I told Amazon that if this was how they were going to operate with their third party sellers, I could no longer trust them as a vendor and would have to shop elsewhere where I know I'm not going to get scammed. They ended up giving me a $10 gift certificate for my troubles but still wouldn't refund my money "early".
 
T

TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared

Member
I brought a printer cartridge off a 3rd party seller recently, didn't look at the feedback just went for the cheapest one, paid for one day delivery. Absolute nightmare, took 4 weeks to show up, constant excuses and bullshit from the seller.
 
A

adamy

Banned
metalgear89 said:
Buying earphones from third parties is the worst, even fullfiled by Amazon and high ratings won't save you.
Click to expand...

maybe you have a shitty history with Amazon or Amazon hates you, but if I ever even slightly complain about anything fulfilled by Amazon, I get an immediate refund
 
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