How we prevent counterfeit, fraud, and other forms of abuse
We recently released our Brand Protection report, which outlines our commitment to the authenticity of goods sold in our store and to holding bad actors accountable to protect your businesses and help you grow.
In 2023, we invested more than $1.2 billion and employed more than 15,000 people—including machine learning scientists, software developers, and expert investigators—dedicated to protecting customers, brands, sellers, and our store from counterfeit, fraud, and other forms of abuse.
The report outlines the progress we’ve made, including the following highlights:
- In 2023, we identified, seized, and appropriately disposed of more than 7 million counterfeit products worldwide, preventing them from harming customers or being resold elsewhere in the retail supply chain.
- Since its launch in 2020, Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit has pursued more than 21,000 bad actors through litigation and criminal referrals to law enforcement.
- Our proactive controls blocked more than 99% of suspected infringing listings before a brand ever had to find and report them.
- Since 2020, while the number of products available for sale in our store has continued to grow, we have seen more than 30% decrease in the total valid notices of infringement submitted by brands.
We remain committed to continued innovation and will not rest until we drive counterfeits to zero.
For more detailed updates on our strategic areas of focus and the progress we’ve made, go to Brand Protection report.
To report abusive customers or sellers, go to Report Abuse.
77 replies
Seller_r9wMm8LrE5iKj
* You redefine "counterfeit" as "not using our logo" then pat yourselves on the back for knocking off our products.
* Pursued <> stopped. And who know what percentage of bad actors you stop, or how long they behave badly until they're stopped, or what prevents them from simply reopening under a different shingle. And this ignores Amazon employees gone rogue from poor incentives.
* Those "suspected" listings probably include legit listings blocked by your Procrustean filters, and obviously not 100% of the ones you pass are legit, or we wouldn't be having this conversation. This is not Bayesian, and if you don't know that term, you shouldn't be in this position.
* Like with so many things Amazon, the word "valid" in "total valid notices of infringement" may be the rub. Is it simply harder for legit sellers to report bad actors? My experience with CS would indicate they're being paid to be a firewall between sellers and things getting done to help sellers.
The only way you achieve this: "drive counterfeits to zero" is to re-redefine a counterfeit as something that does not exist. This over-simplification of a problem is emblematic of everything Amazon fails to understand as a platform (or understands, but has no problem with the PR not aligning with reality).
If you really want to stop fraud, stop onboarding 1M sellers and B's of products per year, largely from a country that doesn't even grok the concept of IP rights. And clean up your own doorstep first (see also e.g. Sonoma Williams, All Birds, and those hilarious camera bags).
Seller_keSnEDesLFVwv
Will this be enforced by Amazon employees who understand the legal concept of 'counterfeit'? Or will they blindly enforce Amazon policy without really understanding it?
As a particular example: will Amazon employees regard an invoice from the manufacturer as proof of non-counterfet status when it is more than a year old? I have heard multiple examples indicating that Amazon employees believe that otherwise legitimate items suddenly become counterfeit on the 366th day.
How many of those 7 million items are judged to be counterfeit only by this silly definiition?
Seller_Y3lqu64qV7QRj
Amazon employees are the ones scamming sellers, change my mind
Seller_l7ZznHogKYJLH
How about proecting your sellers againt buyer abuse!!!
In your pusriite of relentless customer service you have allowed a portion of buyers to rob sellers blind and you made it so easy to do.... protect that people that pay you!
Seller_C9TzOxTwGSFUQ
You are thieves and liars!, I bet 98% of these are the famous "counterfeit without test buy" meaning an accusation with ZERO proof or evidence. Amazon's like the party girl that cries grape after a night of drugs booze and sex. I just lost my account (deactivated) because of this Chinese scam (it only takes 4 complaints), lost 5K in inventory and another 2K in my warehouse......get stuffed
Seller_iobipI6xASRkh
What about customers who buy a product, switch out the product to a cheap knock off, then return it for a full refund? Repeatedly. Several times a day. No matter how many times I report it nothing changed until it started risking our account health for excessive returns. Finally a mod stepped in and the guy, who I guess was investigated since it stops, starts a new account. Same name, same location, same actions.
Simply letting FBA sellers be able to block location by zip code would make a world of difference to stop these abusive buyers. We have hundreds being paid to us from Amazon for not getting our items back, and thousands lost in sales due to poor NCX ratings.
What is being done to protect sellers from scammers like this?
Seller_roNdLQpqbVoOH
You do talk a good game, Amazon, but all that fancy blather is nothing more than the usual corporate-speak that we have come to expect from you.
Unfortunately, all the candid, heartfelt comments here from sellers who have suffered at the hands of Amazon, will fall on deaf ears. 🙉
Nothing will change.
Seller_0xdtD36hDLHBC
I'm glad that I do not do FBA because when your bots "identify" "counterfeit" at least my inventory doesn't get "appropriately disposed of" (cough-sold).
Seller_1ZjQmvBmVkYSs
Yet, I can still find fakes, counterfeits and IP infringing items within 2 seconds on your website… The China floodgates made Amazon lots of money with all the fakes they sell on here.
Seller_cnvzeEubqrU9i
How do you prevent losing items out of a large percentage of my FBA shipments? I would really like an answer please!
How we prevent counterfeit, fraud, and other forms of abuse
We recently released our Brand Protection report, which outlines our commitment to the authenticity of goods sold in our store and to holding bad actors accountable to protect your businesses and help you grow.
In 2023, we invested more than $1.2 billion and employed more than 15,000 people—including machine learning scientists, software developers, and expert investigators—dedicated to protecting customers, brands, sellers, and our store from counterfeit, fraud, and other forms of abuse.
The report outlines the progress we’ve made, including the following highlights:
- In 2023, we identified, seized, and appropriately disposed of more than 7 million counterfeit products worldwide, preventing them from harming customers or being resold elsewhere in the retail supply chain.
- Since its launch in 2020, Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit has pursued more than 21,000 bad actors through litigation and criminal referrals to law enforcement.
- Our proactive controls blocked more than 99% of suspected infringing listings before a brand ever had to find and report them.
- Since 2020, while the number of products available for sale in our store has continued to grow, we have seen more than 30% decrease in the total valid notices of infringement submitted by brands.
We remain committed to continued innovation and will not rest until we drive counterfeits to zero.
For more detailed updates on our strategic areas of focus and the progress we’ve made, go to Brand Protection report.
To report abusive customers or sellers, go to Report Abuse.
How we prevent counterfeit, fraud, and other forms of abuse
We recently released our Brand Protection report, which outlines our commitment to the authenticity of goods sold in our store and to holding bad actors accountable to protect your businesses and help you grow.
In 2023, we invested more than $1.2 billion and employed more than 15,000 people—including machine learning scientists, software developers, and expert investigators—dedicated to protecting customers, brands, sellers, and our store from counterfeit, fraud, and other forms of abuse.
The report outlines the progress we’ve made, including the following highlights:
- In 2023, we identified, seized, and appropriately disposed of more than 7 million counterfeit products worldwide, preventing them from harming customers or being resold elsewhere in the retail supply chain.
- Since its launch in 2020, Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit has pursued more than 21,000 bad actors through litigation and criminal referrals to law enforcement.
- Our proactive controls blocked more than 99% of suspected infringing listings before a brand ever had to find and report them.
- Since 2020, while the number of products available for sale in our store has continued to grow, we have seen more than 30% decrease in the total valid notices of infringement submitted by brands.
We remain committed to continued innovation and will not rest until we drive counterfeits to zero.
For more detailed updates on our strategic areas of focus and the progress we’ve made, go to Brand Protection report.
To report abusive customers or sellers, go to Report Abuse.
77 replies
77 replies
Seller_r9wMm8LrE5iKj
* You redefine "counterfeit" as "not using our logo" then pat yourselves on the back for knocking off our products.
* Pursued <> stopped. And who know what percentage of bad actors you stop, or how long they behave badly until they're stopped, or what prevents them from simply reopening under a different shingle. And this ignores Amazon employees gone rogue from poor incentives.
* Those "suspected" listings probably include legit listings blocked by your Procrustean filters, and obviously not 100% of the ones you pass are legit, or we wouldn't be having this conversation. This is not Bayesian, and if you don't know that term, you shouldn't be in this position.
* Like with so many things Amazon, the word "valid" in "total valid notices of infringement" may be the rub. Is it simply harder for legit sellers to report bad actors? My experience with CS would indicate they're being paid to be a firewall between sellers and things getting done to help sellers.
The only way you achieve this: "drive counterfeits to zero" is to re-redefine a counterfeit as something that does not exist. This over-simplification of a problem is emblematic of everything Amazon fails to understand as a platform (or understands, but has no problem with the PR not aligning with reality).
If you really want to stop fraud, stop onboarding 1M sellers and B's of products per year, largely from a country that doesn't even grok the concept of IP rights. And clean up your own doorstep first (see also e.g. Sonoma Williams, All Birds, and those hilarious camera bags).
Seller_keSnEDesLFVwv
Will this be enforced by Amazon employees who understand the legal concept of 'counterfeit'? Or will they blindly enforce Amazon policy without really understanding it?
As a particular example: will Amazon employees regard an invoice from the manufacturer as proof of non-counterfet status when it is more than a year old? I have heard multiple examples indicating that Amazon employees believe that otherwise legitimate items suddenly become counterfeit on the 366th day.
How many of those 7 million items are judged to be counterfeit only by this silly definiition?
Seller_Y3lqu64qV7QRj
Amazon employees are the ones scamming sellers, change my mind
Seller_l7ZznHogKYJLH
How about proecting your sellers againt buyer abuse!!!
In your pusriite of relentless customer service you have allowed a portion of buyers to rob sellers blind and you made it so easy to do.... protect that people that pay you!
Seller_C9TzOxTwGSFUQ
You are thieves and liars!, I bet 98% of these are the famous "counterfeit without test buy" meaning an accusation with ZERO proof or evidence. Amazon's like the party girl that cries grape after a night of drugs booze and sex. I just lost my account (deactivated) because of this Chinese scam (it only takes 4 complaints), lost 5K in inventory and another 2K in my warehouse......get stuffed
Seller_iobipI6xASRkh
What about customers who buy a product, switch out the product to a cheap knock off, then return it for a full refund? Repeatedly. Several times a day. No matter how many times I report it nothing changed until it started risking our account health for excessive returns. Finally a mod stepped in and the guy, who I guess was investigated since it stops, starts a new account. Same name, same location, same actions.
Simply letting FBA sellers be able to block location by zip code would make a world of difference to stop these abusive buyers. We have hundreds being paid to us from Amazon for not getting our items back, and thousands lost in sales due to poor NCX ratings.
What is being done to protect sellers from scammers like this?
Seller_roNdLQpqbVoOH
You do talk a good game, Amazon, but all that fancy blather is nothing more than the usual corporate-speak that we have come to expect from you.
Unfortunately, all the candid, heartfelt comments here from sellers who have suffered at the hands of Amazon, will fall on deaf ears. 🙉
Nothing will change.
Seller_0xdtD36hDLHBC
I'm glad that I do not do FBA because when your bots "identify" "counterfeit" at least my inventory doesn't get "appropriately disposed of" (cough-sold).
Seller_1ZjQmvBmVkYSs
Yet, I can still find fakes, counterfeits and IP infringing items within 2 seconds on your website… The China floodgates made Amazon lots of money with all the fakes they sell on here.
Seller_cnvzeEubqrU9i
How do you prevent losing items out of a large percentage of my FBA shipments? I would really like an answer please!
Seller_r9wMm8LrE5iKj
* You redefine "counterfeit" as "not using our logo" then pat yourselves on the back for knocking off our products.
* Pursued <> stopped. And who know what percentage of bad actors you stop, or how long they behave badly until they're stopped, or what prevents them from simply reopening under a different shingle. And this ignores Amazon employees gone rogue from poor incentives.
* Those "suspected" listings probably include legit listings blocked by your Procrustean filters, and obviously not 100% of the ones you pass are legit, or we wouldn't be having this conversation. This is not Bayesian, and if you don't know that term, you shouldn't be in this position.
* Like with so many things Amazon, the word "valid" in "total valid notices of infringement" may be the rub. Is it simply harder for legit sellers to report bad actors? My experience with CS would indicate they're being paid to be a firewall between sellers and things getting done to help sellers.
The only way you achieve this: "drive counterfeits to zero" is to re-redefine a counterfeit as something that does not exist. This over-simplification of a problem is emblematic of everything Amazon fails to understand as a platform (or understands, but has no problem with the PR not aligning with reality).
If you really want to stop fraud, stop onboarding 1M sellers and B's of products per year, largely from a country that doesn't even grok the concept of IP rights. And clean up your own doorstep first (see also e.g. Sonoma Williams, All Birds, and those hilarious camera bags).
Seller_r9wMm8LrE5iKj
* You redefine "counterfeit" as "not using our logo" then pat yourselves on the back for knocking off our products.
* Pursued <> stopped. And who know what percentage of bad actors you stop, or how long they behave badly until they're stopped, or what prevents them from simply reopening under a different shingle. And this ignores Amazon employees gone rogue from poor incentives.
* Those "suspected" listings probably include legit listings blocked by your Procrustean filters, and obviously not 100% of the ones you pass are legit, or we wouldn't be having this conversation. This is not Bayesian, and if you don't know that term, you shouldn't be in this position.
* Like with so many things Amazon, the word "valid" in "total valid notices of infringement" may be the rub. Is it simply harder for legit sellers to report bad actors? My experience with CS would indicate they're being paid to be a firewall between sellers and things getting done to help sellers.
The only way you achieve this: "drive counterfeits to zero" is to re-redefine a counterfeit as something that does not exist. This over-simplification of a problem is emblematic of everything Amazon fails to understand as a platform (or understands, but has no problem with the PR not aligning with reality).
If you really want to stop fraud, stop onboarding 1M sellers and B's of products per year, largely from a country that doesn't even grok the concept of IP rights. And clean up your own doorstep first (see also e.g. Sonoma Williams, All Birds, and those hilarious camera bags).
Seller_keSnEDesLFVwv
Will this be enforced by Amazon employees who understand the legal concept of 'counterfeit'? Or will they blindly enforce Amazon policy without really understanding it?
As a particular example: will Amazon employees regard an invoice from the manufacturer as proof of non-counterfet status when it is more than a year old? I have heard multiple examples indicating that Amazon employees believe that otherwise legitimate items suddenly become counterfeit on the 366th day.
How many of those 7 million items are judged to be counterfeit only by this silly definiition?
Seller_keSnEDesLFVwv
Will this be enforced by Amazon employees who understand the legal concept of 'counterfeit'? Or will they blindly enforce Amazon policy without really understanding it?
As a particular example: will Amazon employees regard an invoice from the manufacturer as proof of non-counterfet status when it is more than a year old? I have heard multiple examples indicating that Amazon employees believe that otherwise legitimate items suddenly become counterfeit on the 366th day.
How many of those 7 million items are judged to be counterfeit only by this silly definiition?
Seller_Y3lqu64qV7QRj
Amazon employees are the ones scamming sellers, change my mind
Seller_Y3lqu64qV7QRj
Amazon employees are the ones scamming sellers, change my mind
Seller_l7ZznHogKYJLH
How about proecting your sellers againt buyer abuse!!!
In your pusriite of relentless customer service you have allowed a portion of buyers to rob sellers blind and you made it so easy to do.... protect that people that pay you!
Seller_l7ZznHogKYJLH
How about proecting your sellers againt buyer abuse!!!
In your pusriite of relentless customer service you have allowed a portion of buyers to rob sellers blind and you made it so easy to do.... protect that people that pay you!
Seller_C9TzOxTwGSFUQ
You are thieves and liars!, I bet 98% of these are the famous "counterfeit without test buy" meaning an accusation with ZERO proof or evidence. Amazon's like the party girl that cries grape after a night of drugs booze and sex. I just lost my account (deactivated) because of this Chinese scam (it only takes 4 complaints), lost 5K in inventory and another 2K in my warehouse......get stuffed
Seller_C9TzOxTwGSFUQ
You are thieves and liars!, I bet 98% of these are the famous "counterfeit without test buy" meaning an accusation with ZERO proof or evidence. Amazon's like the party girl that cries grape after a night of drugs booze and sex. I just lost my account (deactivated) because of this Chinese scam (it only takes 4 complaints), lost 5K in inventory and another 2K in my warehouse......get stuffed
Seller_iobipI6xASRkh
What about customers who buy a product, switch out the product to a cheap knock off, then return it for a full refund? Repeatedly. Several times a day. No matter how many times I report it nothing changed until it started risking our account health for excessive returns. Finally a mod stepped in and the guy, who I guess was investigated since it stops, starts a new account. Same name, same location, same actions.
Simply letting FBA sellers be able to block location by zip code would make a world of difference to stop these abusive buyers. We have hundreds being paid to us from Amazon for not getting our items back, and thousands lost in sales due to poor NCX ratings.
What is being done to protect sellers from scammers like this?
Seller_iobipI6xASRkh
What about customers who buy a product, switch out the product to a cheap knock off, then return it for a full refund? Repeatedly. Several times a day. No matter how many times I report it nothing changed until it started risking our account health for excessive returns. Finally a mod stepped in and the guy, who I guess was investigated since it stops, starts a new account. Same name, same location, same actions.
Simply letting FBA sellers be able to block location by zip code would make a world of difference to stop these abusive buyers. We have hundreds being paid to us from Amazon for not getting our items back, and thousands lost in sales due to poor NCX ratings.
What is being done to protect sellers from scammers like this?
Seller_roNdLQpqbVoOH
You do talk a good game, Amazon, but all that fancy blather is nothing more than the usual corporate-speak that we have come to expect from you.
Unfortunately, all the candid, heartfelt comments here from sellers who have suffered at the hands of Amazon, will fall on deaf ears. 🙉
Nothing will change.
Seller_roNdLQpqbVoOH
You do talk a good game, Amazon, but all that fancy blather is nothing more than the usual corporate-speak that we have come to expect from you.
Unfortunately, all the candid, heartfelt comments here from sellers who have suffered at the hands of Amazon, will fall on deaf ears. 🙉
Nothing will change.
Seller_0xdtD36hDLHBC
I'm glad that I do not do FBA because when your bots "identify" "counterfeit" at least my inventory doesn't get "appropriately disposed of" (cough-sold).
Seller_0xdtD36hDLHBC
I'm glad that I do not do FBA because when your bots "identify" "counterfeit" at least my inventory doesn't get "appropriately disposed of" (cough-sold).
Seller_1ZjQmvBmVkYSs
Yet, I can still find fakes, counterfeits and IP infringing items within 2 seconds on your website… The China floodgates made Amazon lots of money with all the fakes they sell on here.
Seller_1ZjQmvBmVkYSs
Yet, I can still find fakes, counterfeits and IP infringing items within 2 seconds on your website… The China floodgates made Amazon lots of money with all the fakes they sell on here.
Seller_cnvzeEubqrU9i
How do you prevent losing items out of a large percentage of my FBA shipments? I would really like an answer please!
Seller_cnvzeEubqrU9i
How do you prevent losing items out of a large percentage of my FBA shipments? I would really like an answer please!
