Watch out for fakes on Walmart, eBay and Amazon
When shopping on Amazon, eBay and Walmart, it’s hard to distinguish between good and bad sellers. Heck, even I’ve bought junk from third-party sellers … companies that use major e-commerce platforms to sell their products.
You’d think that Amazon, eBay and Walmart would vet folks selling on their sites. Nope. That’s why a new federal requirement is going into effect.
The Integrity, Notification and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers (INFORM Consumers) Act is hoping to keep the lowest of the low off online platforms. But come on, do you think the scammers will say, “We better not violate that law! We need to get our crap off Amazon now.” Me neither.
Tricks of the trade
When I say “counterfeit,” what comes to mind? Fake sneakers? A knock-off designer bag? Tech is a prime target for fakes, too, and some can be surprisingly hard to spot — especially when all you have to go off are a few pictures online.
Often fakes look very similar to name products from brands like Apple. It’s not just about the fancy name, either. Counterfeits might look similar, but the quality isn’t what you’d get buying the real thing.
Not a huge deal if we’re talking about a belt. Big deal if it’s a charger that could catch fire and burn your house down or an SD card with a fraction of the storage it claims.
Fakes as far as the eye can see
You’re a savvy shopper. But say you’re looking for a tech product you don’t know much about. What one person might know is a ridiculous price could seem like a smoking deal to someone else. Scammers target people in the market for the lowest price and won’t do much research.
A new law won’t protect you
- Look at customer reviews, ratings and feedback. Use FakeSpot to detect the fake ones.
- It’s worth Googling the brand, too, to see if anything pops up. I like to add the word “review” to these searches.
- Check the packaging or images for misspellings, missing or weird logos or anything else that feels off.
- Take a closer look at the photo quality, too. If they’re blurry, generic or inconsistent, bad sign.
- Compare the specs to those you find on another site. Counterfeits often have some mistakes or changes in the details.
I was leaving a friend’s BBQ the other day. A gentleman asked if I had a moment. He told me he was on Amazon looking at laptops. A few minutes later, he was on Facebook and got an ad for that laptop $400 cheaper than Amazon’s price of $1,799.
Chalk one up for social media
For over 27 years, a very outdated law has shaped the internet. It’s Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act. And it has some profound implications.
It protects online platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram and Twitter from being held responsible for what users post … even if that content encourages terrorist radicalization.
How Amazon, Target and Walmart will pay you for old stuff
Several online platforms help sell your old stuff. Tap or click for a few options that are better than Craigslist.
But most people aren’t aware that their favorite retailers can do a lot of the heavy lifting for you. Many offer superior trade-in value for your stuff. Chances are, you’ll be able to get rid of your clutter without venturing further than your local shopping center.