To be angry about Amazon selling illegal items

[SoloD]

I read this article on the BBC warning about fake illegal Iphone chargers.

www.bbc.com/news/technology-38167551

It turns out that Amazon do not take any responsibility for products sold on Amazon, so anyone can sell un-certified unsafe and illegal products, from sellers based overseas (often in China).

These sellers also send their products to Amazon warehouses in the UK, so it makes it difficult to spot, they don't register for UK or pay VAT, putting UK sellers out of business. www.ravas.org.uk

It seems in mad that this is allowed. If it was a retail shop then Trading Standards would have shut them down.

And yes I have brought a dodgy charger.

Amazon is a selling platform for millions (?) of independent sellers, just like ebay. There's no way they can police this sort of stuff, they never even see the goods.

No it doesn't say compatible. Says genuine.

I wouldn't buy Apple stuff from Amazon, as you have no idea what you are getting, likewise Ebay, I only get Apple stuff from Apple or John Lewis then I can have confidence it is OK

How hard is it to grasp that Amazon marketplace sellers, even those in which the delivery is fulfilled by Amazon, is not Amazon itself.

When looking for a new Apple charger I twigged immediately that Amazon does not sell them.

To get a genuine Apple charger you need to buy direct from Apple, from Argos or from John Lewis.

Yes, I had forgotten Argos and also Currys/PC World I would think would be OK

Ok, thanks for putting me in my place.

Obviously these things come easier to some people.

Sadly, I think even the ones that say official or genuine are also usually fakes.

Either the sellers don't care and most of the public don't care either, they just want cheap. It's worth it to the sellers because hardly anyone complains, because they can't be bothered, don't care, don't get round to it or don't want to make a fuss.

It's shit really. It used to be that if you bought something from a proper branded shop it was genuine and if you bought it cheaply from the market it was fake and obviously so.

Now there's this huge grey area in the middle where the fakes can be very hard to tell from the genuine article, plenty of sellers aren't 100% honest about what they are actually selling and deciding whether it is a proper branded shop when it's all online isn't that easy either.

Amazon marketplace and ebay both market themselves as shops rather than a platform for faceless individuals that are effectively running a knock off market stall, so it's no surprise that many people don't realise that a lot of what is sold are poor quality fakes.

Sorry, I should have said some sellers on ebay/Amazon marketplace are effectively running a knock off market stall. There are, of course, many honest sellers trading on there who sell only genuine and high quality products.

The cost doesn't come into it for me. I wasn't looking for a cheapo one. I've now managed to find one on the Apple Store for £19 so that sounds real.

Argos and John Lewis don't sell the one I need. It's a older model.

Yes, I hadn't really realised Amazon was like eBay. I thought it was a proper shop.

I just can't get over the fact that Amazon allow sellers who are VAT fraudsters to operate on Amazon, store their goods, pick & pack them in Amazon warehouses and send them out.

They know they don't have a VAT number, they know how much they are selling, yet they don't stop them or report them to HMRC. It's amazing what you find out when to scratch the surface.

Amazon seems more like a criminal enterprise.

Surely it's basic common sense, that if a charger costs £20 in the Apple Store, then one from an online marketplace, costing £2.99 may not be of the same standard?

" the amazon or amazon authorised suppliers."

The 'fulfilled by Amazon' doesn't mean anything. Unless it's directly sold by Amazon, it's likely to be fake.

Things like batteries, SD cards, etc., all fake.

Due to this thread I found the lead at the Apple Store for £19 after buying one for £4 with Amazon.

It's only the lead and honestly I had no idea of how much it would cost and that Amazon sold fakes.

Obviously this thread has highlighted my total lack of common sense. Thank you.

apple products are only sold at certain shop amazon isnt one

"Due to this thread I found the lead at the Apple Store for £19 after buying one for £4 with Amazon."

Which lead? No need to pay £19, that's just Apple ripping people off blind.

You can get a reputable branded generic, e.g.,

www.amazon.co.uk/AmazonBasics-Apple-Certified-Lightning-Cable/dp/B010S9M3L6/

www.amazon.co.uk/Anker-Lightning-Connector-Certified-Ultra-High/dp/B00UBLOJJG

Yes rosehippy that's the lead. Mine has frayed and the plug is fine, so I need a new lead. Thought I was buying a decent one from Amazon but pp ^^ have told me it will be unsafe to use and that I have no common sense.

My fake ones have lasted longer than the apple ones!
I have had 3 apple chargers break in 2 years, one actually blew up.(all purchased from apple).
Yet take them into
Apple and because they work sporadically there's nothing wrong with them.
I'll take my chance now.

I agree with Rose. There are lots of perfectly legitimate non-Apple but Apple-compatible brands. Belkin, Anker and Amazon Basics are all fine for examples - although you still need to be careful who you're buying from since people do sell fakes of them as well.