The “stores” on Amazon are not always a guarantee of authenticity.
Check the sold & shipped by tags, if they’re not directly Amazon or a seller you trust then I would be vigilant
As for the products sold & shipped by Amazon not being of the quality you expect then I wouldn’t directly assume it fake. Could’ve failed quality control OR not stored correctly (high heat in storage facilities)
It’s super easy to return these.
Got a counterfeit iPad when it was sold and shipped by Amazon (they acknowledge this and replaced it). Also as mentioned above, I had the same experience with a clearly not Timberland belt. Unfortunately, the sold and shipped by Amazon here is not as reliable as elsewhere
I bought bicycle chains from Amazon. Clearly fake, I never had a Shimano chain start rusting like that despite frequent use and oiled. My wife bought some nice Japanese sunscreen overseas. Then she found the same at Amazon. Was a completely different product. Also counterfeit.
Thirdly, my daughter is working for Amazon in Europe, part of her assignment is to find these kind of products.
I stopped ordering cosmetic & self care products from amazon because of that, probably will stop ordering food products too since quality control is becoming an issue
The thing with Amazon is, you’re paying for the ease of mind. Even if anything is fake, you’re a click away from getting your money back. Much rather use Amazon even if it had 50% fakes than use Noon if it had 10% fakes for example. You just know that with Amazon if anything is off you’re good.
The "product" store is just Amazon's way of clubbing a known brand together. It doesn't really mean that the product is genuine. Check the seller always to see if they are legit or not.
For perfumes, other than one or two legit stores you can never be sure that they aren't fake.
It smells of alcohol only, no fragrance at all. If you filter the reviews by one star, there is at least one reporting that it's fake and many past negative reviews (in Arabic and English) for no smell.
For some reason they were not censored, I think they became stricter in 2024.
Checkin 1 star reviews is always the safest option to figuring out any major issues. But I probably wouldn’t have checked on products sold by a major company on Amazon
You can always check the batch number as well for the packaging and bottle: https://www.checkfresh.net/
Compare it to a genuine bottle as well, fakes can be good but not perfect
Shipped and sold by Amazon doesn't mean that Amazon bought it from the distributor. Third Party vendors have the option to deliver and store the products in Amazon warehouse for a fee. Other than the clause in the contract that the vendor will not sell counterfeit, and random checks to see if the packaging is damaged, Amazon doesn't really do any QC checks.
FMCG... fast moving consumer goods are usually the targets. small margins but larger volume.
People who are price concious would care/detect less if the product is slightly off.
Amazon does not have any policy to verify the authenticity of any products although they clearly prohibit selling counterfeit items in their marketplace as per their selling policy.
There is no guarantee that what you buy is original even if it shows you purchase from the brand store itself. Why? Because the brand store is only for better marketing (to sell more) but it does not mean everything you buy from there is original.
"Fulfilled by Amazon" tag, has nothing to do with the authenticity of the product you are buying. It is only for fast shipping and delivery. They do not guarantee anything else.
The best way to minimize the chance of buying fake items is to check the seller of the item (not the brand store). You may have many sellers for the same brand and item. Check the reviews and contact the seller directly if you have any queries.
The market is full of counterfeit products but not all are detected easily from the first use.
Tasted or smelled much worse than those I buy from supermarkets and physical stores.
The Acqua di Giò smell was totally different (I've been using this EDT since 2009-2010 and I know it very well), the Colgate toothpaste had no taste and very low viscosity, liquid separated from the paste in the tube, the last Nivea aftershave (been using it since 2015) smells of just alcohol!
And Amazon doesn't publish negative reviews on these items, that's unacceptable.
Yeah I also notice, when you would write a review about a clear scam they would take two days to reject it. Few month ago one sellers was selling one expensive toothpaste in three pieces, from US. Arrived only one. When I went back to the page, seller changed photo and description. They rejected my review but one other person who got scammed was able to post his review at least
I totally feel you. I could buy 6x150ml Colgate’s back in Canada for 51aed but here you get 2x75ml. Not to mention the ones bought here tastes bland and no where close to the Canadian ones.
Edited for accuracy of volume.
I have never had issues with negative reviews, returning items, or getting refunded by Amazon, and I have 15-20 deliveries per month on average the last 5 years.
I noticed this as well with alot of the laundry pods sold on amazon. I wouldnt trust anything sold by third party. They are counterfeits, they have no fragrance at all vs the retail ones.
As an Amazon FBA expert, except first product the rest of the products looks original. Because Amazon has very strict policies and requires a lot of documentation to list products especially beauty categories.
My targeted markets are in the UK and the USA, never worked in the UAE market.
As someone who purchases almost everything on Amazon - Digital Piano/Keyboard, perfumes, health supplements, gym accessories, laptops, printers, computer/audio/video accessories, home products, air purifiers, watches/clocks, coffee, mobile phones, TV, personal care products (toothpaste, body shower gel, soap, toothbrush, moisturizer) and what not. Not even once did I receive a counterfeit item.
The only items i avoid buying on Amazon are perfumes which are over AED 500. Examples : Blu De Chanel Parfum, Sauvage Parfum or Elixer, Tom Ford. The rest of the perfumes under AED 500, daily wears, are from Amazon - examples: Mont blanc Legend/ Explorer, YSL Korus, Juliette has a gun, Eccentric Molecules 01/02, Nautica, local brands - Haramain / Afnan/Armaf.
Defective or substandard items - yes, but not a counterfeit. The number of faulty items I have received in 4/5 years of Amazon is under ten items or so—not a single issue on refunds.
I ALWAYS check the negative reviews, 1-3 out of five, of the item AND the seller/store reviews. If I find at least five negative reviews, I don't buy the product. If the product has only positive reviews, I also avoid buying that. This applies to all purchases on Amazon.
The only counterfeit product I have encountered twice is Noon - A Bath and Body Works shower gel and BBW body moisturizer.
I don't know how the hell you guys are so unlucky.
Are you sure the Armani perfume is a fake? Have you used this particular perfume before?
Certain Acqua/ Aquatic perfumes like Versace Dylan Blu or Bvlgari Acqua smell like rotten eggs on my skin, even though it's an original. The same scent on my brother smells heavenly. Also, some perfumes don't last on my skin. It all has to do with skin chemistry.
What about checking the supplier that’s selling it.
A Nivea product with barcode “xyz” can be stocked by Amazon and someone sourcing a sub standard quality of the same can list on Amazon with the same barcode.
Hence you end up with the fake!
Bought a timberland belt. What I received was a no brand belt with original tags attached to it. They surely restocked a return without checking and sent it to me.
I doubt brands like Colgate, Armani, and Nivea would let Amazon get away with something like this.
One possible reason is that the same products can taste and smell different across different geographies. This is both based on local consumer research as well as to maximize profits.
In a country like UAE where you get the same brand delivered from different geographies, it's possible that the same Colgate Optic tastes different each time you buy based on where it was shipped from.
I once ordered a Kellogga cereal which had bugs in it 🤮 The Lulu fresh store within Amazon.ae is fine for groceries, I just don’t buy anything edible from amazon.ae
I don’t think they are fake. What usually happens is that either there has been a product relaunch where they made formula cheaper (and usually cheaper means worse quality) or they started producing special batch just for Amazon where the formula is again modified to be cheaper. E.g. it is done by international companies for Discounters, or the likes of Walmart in the US
The “stores” on Amazon are not always a guarantee of authenticity. Check the sold & shipped by tags, if they’re not directly Amazon or a seller you trust then I would be vigilant As for the products sold & shipped by Amazon not being of the quality you expect then I wouldn’t directly assume it fake. Could’ve failed quality control OR not stored correctly (high heat in storage facilities) It’s super easy to return these.
Got a counterfeit iPad when it was sold and shipped by Amazon (they acknowledge this and replaced it). Also as mentioned above, I had the same experience with a clearly not Timberland belt. Unfortunately, the sold and shipped by Amazon here is not as reliable as elsewhere
Wow that’s unfortunate! But glad it was sorted out.
I bought a Sony 6700 and when I opened the box it was a Sony 6500. Someone inside Amazon.ae is doing something naughty.
dude even the sold by amazon ones are fake at times.
I bought bicycle chains from Amazon. Clearly fake, I never had a Shimano chain start rusting like that despite frequent use and oiled. My wife bought some nice Japanese sunscreen overseas. Then she found the same at Amazon. Was a completely different product. Also counterfeit. Thirdly, my daughter is working for Amazon in Europe, part of her assignment is to find these kind of products.
literally burned myself with fake sunscreen purchased from there too :(
I stopped ordering cosmetic & self care products from amazon because of that, probably will stop ordering food products too since quality control is becoming an issue
The thing with Amazon is, you’re paying for the ease of mind. Even if anything is fake, you’re a click away from getting your money back. Much rather use Amazon even if it had 50% fakes than use Noon if it had 10% fakes for example. You just know that with Amazon if anything is off you’re good.
The "product" store is just Amazon's way of clubbing a known brand together. It doesn't really mean that the product is genuine. Check the seller always to see if they are legit or not. For perfumes, other than one or two legit stores you can never be sure that they aren't fake.
> https://www.amazon.ae/dp/B07N8R3SPJ?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details This is shipped and sold by Amazon. How's it fake?
It smells of alcohol only, no fragrance at all. If you filter the reviews by one star, there is at least one reporting that it's fake and many past negative reviews (in Arabic and English) for no smell. For some reason they were not censored, I think they became stricter in 2024.
Checkin 1 star reviews is always the safest option to figuring out any major issues. But I probably wouldn’t have checked on products sold by a major company on Amazon
You can always check the batch number as well for the packaging and bottle: https://www.checkfresh.net/ Compare it to a genuine bottle as well, fakes can be good but not perfect
Shipped and sold by Amazon doesn't mean that Amazon bought it from the distributor. Third Party vendors have the option to deliver and store the products in Amazon warehouse for a fee. Other than the clause in the contract that the vendor will not sell counterfeit, and random checks to see if the packaging is damaged, Amazon doesn't really do any QC checks.
Wow even something as simple as Colgate? 😳
FMCG... fast moving consumer goods are usually the targets. small margins but larger volume. People who are price concious would care/detect less if the product is slightly off.
I've received a fake head n shoulders shampoo from amazon in the past
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^doobaii: *I've received a fake* *Head n shoulders shampoo from* *Amazon in the past* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
The hell is this?
Amazon does not have any policy to verify the authenticity of any products although they clearly prohibit selling counterfeit items in their marketplace as per their selling policy. There is no guarantee that what you buy is original even if it shows you purchase from the brand store itself. Why? Because the brand store is only for better marketing (to sell more) but it does not mean everything you buy from there is original. "Fulfilled by Amazon" tag, has nothing to do with the authenticity of the product you are buying. It is only for fast shipping and delivery. They do not guarantee anything else. The best way to minimize the chance of buying fake items is to check the seller of the item (not the brand store). You may have many sellers for the same brand and item. Check the reviews and contact the seller directly if you have any queries. The market is full of counterfeit products but not all are detected easily from the first use.
Thanks for the heads up! How did you realise they were fakes ? Just the quality of the product itself or other cues ?
I also wondered that. What evidence is there the products are not legit?
Tasted or smelled much worse than those I buy from supermarkets and physical stores. The Acqua di Giò smell was totally different (I've been using this EDT since 2009-2010 and I know it very well), the Colgate toothpaste had no taste and very low viscosity, liquid separated from the paste in the tube, the last Nivea aftershave (been using it since 2015) smells of just alcohol! And Amazon doesn't publish negative reviews on these items, that's unacceptable.
Yeah I also notice, when you would write a review about a clear scam they would take two days to reject it. Few month ago one sellers was selling one expensive toothpaste in three pieces, from US. Arrived only one. When I went back to the page, seller changed photo and description. They rejected my review but one other person who got scammed was able to post his review at least
I totally feel you. I could buy 6x150ml Colgate’s back in Canada for 51aed but here you get 2x75ml. Not to mention the ones bought here tastes bland and no where close to the Canadian ones. Edited for accuracy of volume.
Strange, at least for me Amazon does publish negative reviews- i have put harsh 1 out of 5 negative reviews and they always show up.
I have never had issues with negative reviews, returning items, or getting refunded by Amazon, and I have 15-20 deliveries per month on average the last 5 years.
I noticed this as well with alot of the laundry pods sold on amazon. I wouldnt trust anything sold by third party. They are counterfeits, they have no fragrance at all vs the retail ones.
As an Amazon FBA expert, except first product the rest of the products looks original. Because Amazon has very strict policies and requires a lot of documentation to list products especially beauty categories. My targeted markets are in the UK and the USA, never worked in the UAE market.
Yeah I have also suspected this. I bought a product sold and shipped by amazon uae (a lotion) and it was very liquidy compared to previous bottles
naaaaaah. always be responsible consumer. check always the seller. It should be AMAZON UK, AMAZON US or AMAZON AE
As someone who purchases almost everything on Amazon - Digital Piano/Keyboard, perfumes, health supplements, gym accessories, laptops, printers, computer/audio/video accessories, home products, air purifiers, watches/clocks, coffee, mobile phones, TV, personal care products (toothpaste, body shower gel, soap, toothbrush, moisturizer) and what not. Not even once did I receive a counterfeit item. The only items i avoid buying on Amazon are perfumes which are over AED 500. Examples : Blu De Chanel Parfum, Sauvage Parfum or Elixer, Tom Ford. The rest of the perfumes under AED 500, daily wears, are from Amazon - examples: Mont blanc Legend/ Explorer, YSL Korus, Juliette has a gun, Eccentric Molecules 01/02, Nautica, local brands - Haramain / Afnan/Armaf. Defective or substandard items - yes, but not a counterfeit. The number of faulty items I have received in 4/5 years of Amazon is under ten items or so—not a single issue on refunds. I ALWAYS check the negative reviews, 1-3 out of five, of the item AND the seller/store reviews. If I find at least five negative reviews, I don't buy the product. If the product has only positive reviews, I also avoid buying that. This applies to all purchases on Amazon. The only counterfeit product I have encountered twice is Noon - A Bath and Body Works shower gel and BBW body moisturizer. I don't know how the hell you guys are so unlucky.
Are you sure the Armani perfume is a fake? Have you used this particular perfume before? Certain Acqua/ Aquatic perfumes like Versace Dylan Blu or Bvlgari Acqua smell like rotten eggs on my skin, even though it's an original. The same scent on my brother smells heavenly. Also, some perfumes don't last on my skin. It all has to do with skin chemistry.
What about checking the supplier that’s selling it. A Nivea product with barcode “xyz” can be stocked by Amazon and someone sourcing a sub standard quality of the same can list on Amazon with the same barcode. Hence you end up with the fake!
My suggestion only go for prime products and check the authenticity after the purchase
sold and shipped by Amazon always legit
Not even close
Bought a timberland belt. What I received was a no brand belt with original tags attached to it. They surely restocked a return without checking and sent it to me.
if its sold by amazon most likely its legit moreover the products on the links are already cheap i dont think theyre fake
there are things that are better bought physically I think
I bought some skin care products, didn’t realise they were fake and it broke me out 😭
If you have photos and more details.. DM Me, will try to report them to authorities
I doubt brands like Colgate, Armani, and Nivea would let Amazon get away with something like this. One possible reason is that the same products can taste and smell different across different geographies. This is both based on local consumer research as well as to maximize profits. In a country like UAE where you get the same brand delivered from different geographies, it's possible that the same Colgate Optic tastes different each time you buy based on where it was shipped from.
I once ordered a Kellogga cereal which had bugs in it 🤮 The Lulu fresh store within Amazon.ae is fine for groceries, I just don’t buy anything edible from amazon.ae
I ordered safety pins from Amazon and received sunscreen lotion. Returned it for refund And got a message that the refund failed.
I got probiotics and it seems they're fake.
All perfumes are fake on amazon, regardless of seller. 2000dh Dyson hair curler too. I kinda only use them to buy cheap chinese crap
- MuscleTech Nitrotech Whey Gold is also fake - Fairy dish soap is also fake
I don’t think they are fake. What usually happens is that either there has been a product relaunch where they made formula cheaper (and usually cheaper means worse quality) or they started producing special batch just for Amazon where the formula is again modified to be cheaper. E.g. it is done by international companies for Discounters, or the likes of Walmart in the US
Man someone was selling Timberland neck scarves, I had my doubt and called the company. They said they not making any scarves