
Welcome to the Era of Fake Products - zeveb
https://thewirecutter.com/blog/amazon-counterfeit-fake-products/
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rkagerer
Could this be mitigated if manufacturers included a "verify authenticity" QR
code inside the packaging, with a URL incorporating a very large random
number, that got flagged as "used" the first time someone browsed to it?

Counterfeiters would need to aquire large quantities of used packaging from
consumers who don't bother checking the code.

That might be further mitigated by arranging it so the code is exposed during
unpackaging, in a way that makes casual tampering obvious, but destroyed by
completely unpacking the item.

Another "perk" is it makes it harder for Amazon to resell returns.

Yes, it's a cat and mouse game, but my gut says counterfeiters would simply
move on to easier products. High value items could come with a bigger cat (eg.
Challenge/Authenticate RFID tag).

Sounds like a weekend project. Think there's a market for this business idea?

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BubRoss
Most people aren't going to register or check the QR code unless you have to
go use what they bought. Game codes are basically a version of this.

What could happen at some point is unique UPCs that show where and when
something was sold. If you checked the QR code and it was a log of when and
where it had been checked, then it might be usable.

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freepor
Once you have the slightest desire to avoid Amazon you notice how easy it is.
I order a ton of stuff from walmart.com and the only difference is it takes a
couple more days to arrive.

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ehPReth
Don't they have third party sellers as well?

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tartoran
Amazon, no wonder. I’ve stopped ordering from Amazon for this reason

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stebann
No Amazon. If you can, contact the seller directly and agree with them the
terms for buying and delivering. In most occasions they already have some
standard for this.

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dot1x
Easy: stop shopping on amazon. It's a cesspool.

1\. Buy local 2\. If buying online, buy directly from the seller's own website
and not via Amazon.

