SOME Amazon subscribers have compared the platform to a flea market in the latest complaints about the service.
In a recent Reddit post within the r/AmazonPrime community, one user called out Amazon on phony products.
"Amazon is turning into a straight-up flea market," the thread title reads.
"Latest example: Purchased some H7 headlight bulbs for my car. Install them and can barely see at night they're so dim (they're supposed to be brighter than normal bulbs)," the thread continued.
"Go to Walmart and buy the exact same bulbs, install them, and voila! Nice and bright."
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The thread owner, who goes by the handle @Residual_Variance, noted that while Amazon is good with refunds, it does require time and effort to return items that "turn out to be low-quality knockoffs."
"And normally I'd just assume I got a lemon, but it happens so regularly with Amazon that it really does feel like I'm shopping in one of those cheap flea markets where you know everything is counterfeit," they added.
Since going live, the post has been upvoted hundreds of times and received dozens of responses from other disgruntled shoppers.
"There's really no need to insult flea markets by associating them with today's Amazon," one Reddit user commented.
"There’s a huge problem with counterfeits on Amazon, and lawsuits going on because of it now," another illuminated.
"Even if you’re a legitimate seller, they’ll mix your inventory with the counterfeit stuff and who knows what you’re gonna get," they added.
Some Reddit users urged shoppers to "always check out the seller" and to "not buy unless it's sold by Amazon."
Amazon does have policies against counterfeits, noting on its website that products offered for sale on Amazon "must be authentic."
"The sale of counterfeit products is strictly prohibited," the policy reads, adding that failure to abide can have several consequences.
These include the loss of selling privileges, funds being withheld, and inventory disposal.
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In some instances, it can even lead to a referral to law enforcement, as well as civil action.
But because of the volume of counterfeit products sold on the internet, and that third-party sellers mostly run Amazon, the company places responsibility on sellers and suppliers.
"Even though many, many third-party sellers are upstanding merchants, an awful lot of them are peddling fakes," a 2020 report from the New York Times Wirecutter reads.
That same year, the Wall Street Journal found that Amazon had listed “thousands of banned, unsafe, or mislabeled products."
These items range from dangerous kid's products to expired foods to electronics with fake certifications.
Even some of Amazon’s listings were "getting hijacked by impostor sellers," The Verge reported.
This has since resulted in many major brands pulling their items from the online marketplace.
"Many consumers are … unaware of the significant probabilities they face of being defrauded by counterfeiters when they shop on e-commerce platforms," reads a 2020 report from the Department of Homeland Security.
The agency recommended measures that would force e-retailers to take counterfeits even more seriously.
"These probabilities are unacceptably high and appear to be rising."
Since then, Amazon's Counterfeit Crimes Unit (CCU) has reportedly been working to lower the number of phony products on its site.
“In 2022, the CCU worked with dozens of brands to sue or refer for investigation more than 1,300 criminals, but this represents the first time we’ve filed a suit protecting an Amazon product,” said Kebharu Smith, director of Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit in 2023.
"The suit shows that bad actors are not only targeting independent brand owners but Amazon products and devices, as well. We are grateful for the partnership with our colleagues at Fire TV as we continue to hold those accountable who would attempt to do harm to Amazon and deceive customers with counterfeit products."
The US Sun reached out to Amazon for comment and was referred to the company's 2023 Brand Protection Report, which outlines steps the company has taken to prevent and educate about counterfeiting.