Report suspect ebay sellers
If you spot suspect listings by ebay sellers for flash memory items please leave a comment on this page. The reason this page has been added is that those in the frankenflash project who write the blogs are overwhelmed by the number of new sellers of fake flash memory members of the frankenflash project have discovered recently. Our fingers are worn to the bone with typing!
This page is mainly directed at existing frankenflash project members but other ebay members are more than welcome to join in – however if you are new to the project do not expect comments to appear immediately.
In your comment please give:
- The seller ID
- Item number
- a breif (no more than about 15 words) description of the suspect item
- reason you suspect it is fake (again please keep it short)
Please do not report more than one item for a particular seller. You can report several sellers in a single comment if you have noticed more than one.
On Ebay.
Seller- jiejie5544
items-32gb sd sdhc memory cards
item No.-220466452464
Reason- item location from usa but seller is from china plus he/she SELLING NOTHING BUT 32gb sd cards, over 650 of them goin at every 3 mins alot of ppl getting sucked in. im new to ebay dunno how to stop it.
http://stores.ebay.com.au/jiejie5544
Sean
August 14, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Sean,
As you are new to ebay there is very little you can do at the moment. It is too risky for new ebayers to do anything except report in here with any suspicious looking sellers you notice (as you have done) – our team will investigate and do what we can.
Thank you very much for reporting in to us. Please report in with any other suspicious characters you notice – best if you do it in batches of three or four so that the list of comments doesn’t get too long!
fightflashfraud
August 14, 2009 at 8:42 pm
Seller herbyher is selling 4GB SanDisk Cruzer U3 flash drives. There is no confirmation that they are fakes, just seem a little cheap. Check ..
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/San-Disk-4GB-Cruzer-Fleur-U3-USB-2-0-Flash-Drive-UK-B-S_W0QQitemZ260462757853QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Computing_FlashDrives_SM?hash=item3ca4ca47dd&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
Who is going to give one a go?
Micro
August 14, 2009 at 10:09 pm
To Sean,
To address a fake flash seller requires patience. It is simple. You are allowed to ’share’ your buying experience and also to ask others about theirs.
There is a quest on eBay. To find sellers who actually sell and deliver the advertised capacity – non fakes.
So wait for positivers to FB and ask them if they have tested it for capacity. Is their card really 32GB as the seller advertised? You see, you have hears so much about fakes… you want to make sure that is really 32GB before you bid for one.
This information exchange between members occurs for items for a wide range of merchandise. A happy buyer has no difficultly in recommending a sellers wares.
There is a possibility, that some where on eBay there is a seller selling the true capacity.
The best what is a neutral approach…how do you like your new card, is it really 32GB… you get the picture. If it is not, the buyer needs to report the fake with info to SOSFakeFlash, we will take care of the rest.
There is nothing worse Sean, then to see a seller unload an avalanche of fakes…you get a gut feeling over time and especially when you know the true prices for the chips.
There is nothing that can be done, until there is evidence of fraud. Those are the rules. Innocent until proven guilty.
So if you suspect a seller, contact some of his recent buyers and ask how they like what they bought and if it measures up to the advertised capacity.
KittyFireFlash
August 15, 2009 at 3:38 am
re my previous post about herbyher. The registered address of this member is Lancashire UK, yet looking at the auctions from that person, the later batch for SD cards etc shows the members address as NY (USA) ?
Am I getting paranoid…?
Micro
August 15, 2009 at 12:23 pm
seller id: skywarenet
item numbers: 180397220669
170372348697
I SUSPECT THIS SELLER IS SELLING COUTERFIET ITEMS(ACTUALY ALL THE ITEMS ARE IN QUESTION THAT THIS POWER SELLER IS SELLING)
prices low, different shipping costs for basically same product
example 32gb memory card is $26.99
16gb memory card is $14.99
both being shipped “standard intl flate rate shipping”
same starting bid at $8.34us or au $9.99 for both (Different brands)..
if you read the return & warranty policy towards the end it states: “if buyers leave negitve feedback, we offer the right not to refund you or replace your item in advance and regualar paypal dispute procedure will take place instead.” (in my opion is that a threat for negitive feed back)
also if you check the feed back about 95% are private except to headphone cables are not private…also it does not list that buyers listings are pivate until after you bid… (check out the other listings that have bids then it will say that the listing is privite but before you place the bid it does not state a private listing.
I highly suspect the stuff this seller is selling is counterfiet.. to many fishy things for a power seller not to mention from hong kong and check out the few negitive feedback about the cards failing and some positive ones also states the memory cards did not work properly but were refunded.
sorry so long but i wanted you to notice the different stuff from the same seller so you can tell why i suspect selling counterfiet goods.. and i only listed two items so you can comapare. this seller has other items listed too.
CAROL
August 18, 2009 at 6:09 am
Alpha2080 (Luton UK) is listing some flash items, although not as private listings. This seller does have previous NEGS for suspect fakes
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CnM-8Gb-USB-2-0-Flash-Drive_W0QQitemZ180396596159QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Computing_FlashDrives_SM?hash=item2a00799bbf&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14
Micro
August 18, 2009 at 7:39 am
Hi Carol,
We are aware of seller skywarenet – we published a short warning about this seller on July 21:
http://fightflashfraud.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/another-dodgy-looking-ebay-seller-of-flash-memory-from-china/
fightflashfraud
August 18, 2009 at 10:22 am
ISOFT-2009 is selling fake kingston 64gb sticks on ebay for £50 do not trust this seller
Ian Shute
August 19, 2009 at 1:24 pm
LOOKS LIKE I FOUND A VICTIM AND POSSIBLE ANOTHER FROM A NEW SELLER ON EBAY: FEEDBACK OF 10 POSITIVES AND ZERO NEGITIVES. I REFERED THE VICTIM TO THIS WEBSITE.
I SUGGESTED TO DO A FOLLOW UP AND LEAVE NEGITIVE FEEDBACK AND GET A REFUND BUT DONT MAIL BACK TO THE SELLER. (WE WILL SEE IF THEY DO)….I WONDER IF THIS SELLER IS LINKED TO W-MART888 THAT WAS SUSPENDED IN DEC 2008.
SELLER ID IS: WAL-MART88
ITEM NUMBER IS: 260465035380
THE VICTIM TOLD ME THAT THE MEMORY CARD FOR THE PSP SAID MAGIC GATE: UNKNOW
USER CAP. 7690
FREE SPACE 7178
THIS SELLER KEEPS ADDING NEW ONES AFTER THE AUCTIONS ARE OVER AND LIST ONLY A FEW AT A TIME. NOT TO MENTION CABLES FROM A DIFFERENT PART OF CHINA THAN THE MEMORY CARDS.
AS SOON AS I GET THE ADDRESS I WILL LET YOU KNOW SINCE I AM WAITING ON A USB HUB FROM THE SAME SELLER…MORE DETAILS LATER
CAROL
August 20, 2009 at 1:32 pm
gynkanshui33
Brand new seller on eBay. Claims to ship from Swainsboro, Georgia, Unites States. Has over 260 of these cards listed and people are buying them “cheap.” I wish I could warn them all…
Look for the broken English too.
Jason
August 23, 2009 at 8:23 am
Looks like another possible seller of fake 16GB cheermagun, not many items yet, but the usual .01P start though not with free postage..
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/16GB-USB-Memory-Flash-Drive-Pen-Stick-MC-05_W0QQitemZ260466658975QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Computing_FlashDrives_SM?hash=item3ca505ce9f&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
Micro
August 24, 2009 at 8:13 am
Yet another one with very suspect flash goods, plus the usual iPod junk.. “buyingculture”
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/16GB-USB-2-0-Memory-Stick-Flash-Drive-Pen-Disk-16Go-17_W0QQitemZ110427147859QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Computing_FlashDrives_SM?hash=item19b5f88e53&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14
Micro
August 24, 2009 at 8:24 am
Hi
Another seller with fake SDHC with 16GB and 32 GB.
Seller ID: kaykay268
I tested one memory and is fake. Another one is fully corrupted and I can not use it.
Please try to refund your money and put a negative feedback. It’s a new seller started on april 2009 and near 200 sell’s.
Selling SDHC every hour mixed with cheap iPhone Screen protecto, the typical behaviour.
I’m going to start to contact the other buyers.
James
PD: New on this things, thanks for the page, great work!! I’ll help a little on this.
James Lewis
August 24, 2009 at 6:16 pm
To James Lewis
Someone will be in touch with you soon about how you can help. If you have not yet reported in to sosfakeflash with your test results please do so immediately. Evidence is all-important!
fightflashfraud
August 24, 2009 at 8:26 pm
I’m trying to recover my money from the seller. Another buyer left a negative feedback too “celsodon”.he used the H2testw software too.
The seller “kaykay268″ offer me a partial refund, and a full refund if I send back the product. I put the claim against him on ebay and on paypal. Trying to contact more users, but I only can contact 5 every day. Please help with this task. 200 buyers and counting, that is not good.
Thanks for webpage
James Lewis
August 25, 2009 at 4:59 am
Yet another suspect seller lankwai_square selling flash drives with 0.01p starts and £9.99 postage
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/16GB-16GO-USB-2-0-Memory-Stick-Pen-Drive-Flash-Thumb-4_W0QQitemZ220470953314QQcategoryZ108982QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp4340.m183QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%252BS%252BIA%26itu%3DUS-BWR%252BUCI%252BUCC%252BSI%252BIA%252BPSS%252BCRS%252BIT%252BUA%252BIEW%26otn%3D12%26ps%3D33
Micro
August 25, 2009 at 2:04 pm
Hi Ian,
The frankenflash project now has evidence against isoft-2009 and an alert about this fraudster was issued on sosfakeflash today. You can see it here:
http://sosfakeflash.wordpress.com/2009/08/28/genuineworld-aka-isoft-2009-ebay-fake-flash-seller-alert-united-kingdom/
This fraudster changed ID to genuineworld (but it seems there is nothing genuine about this seller!) – it amazes us that so many fraudsters think a change of ID will stop them being found out! All a change of ID does is show that the fraud is deliberate.
fightflashfraud
August 28, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Seller sasquatchsales is advertising 16gb drives often seen advertised by known fraudsters and using private listings.
As the seller wishes to hide feedback on these drives, I would strongly advise against buying from this seller.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150370262738&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:GB:1123
Gordon
September 6, 2009 at 4:07 pm
Hmm – it seems sasquatchsales may not be the most reliable person to buy from – a buyer complained that:
Pillows slightly smaller than advertised…
Reply by sasquatchsales:
Measured with a tape measure,guess it must be faulty,shame you didnt tell me !!!
Hmm – I don’t have any faulty tape measures – do you? Guess this seller’s computer is probably faulty too – along with the flash drive Gordon has given a link to. If you can’t buy pillows from someone that meet the description would you buy a flash drive from that seller?
We certainly wouldn’t – especially as listings are private, often an indicator of fraudulent sales.
fightflashfraud
September 6, 2009 at 4:47 pm
techno_guys 16gb leather and chrome usb flash drive.
Here we have another seller using private auctions.
This seller advises us to beware of overseas sellers as they sell fakes. The seller also claims we should have trust in their 100% feedback and the fact they are UK based. Sound familiar? I’m surprised there is no union jack in the background!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330357648016&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:GB:1123
Traveler
September 7, 2009 at 12:58 am
Ho,ho,ho a new twist ! It must be getting nearer to Christmas?
“Picture shows actual drive,it will be fully tested before being sent and will be ready to use,just advise if you want the 15gb files left on.”
Well spotted Sir!
“Come sit on my knee, rest your head on my beard, let me tell you a STORY… Once upon a time there was this Scottish eBay seller….
Micro
September 7, 2009 at 6:45 am
Actually it was one of the infamous “NORTH YORKS GANG”
but never let the truth get in the way !
Micro
September 7, 2009 at 6:47 am
ussefad 32gb Black leather usb flash drive.
A concerned ebay member contacted this seller after noticing the suspected fake capacity drive and dodgy packaging to suggest testing with h2testw in case they had been sold fake capacity goods by a fraudulent seller. This was the reply they received:
“May i ask who are you and who asked your opinion,
we know our items and we tested them and they are
32GB we sold more than 70 of those and everybody
is happy with them. Thank you for your comment but
mind your own business.”
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350244396216&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:US:1123
Traveler
September 7, 2009 at 10:10 pm
I had a look at feedback for ussefad and it makes for awful reading, including a dirty, second hand pillow and counterfeit goods, second hand or reconditioned when advertised as new, parts missing, etc.
I used toolhaus.org to read negative and neutral feedback on this seller. One customer mentions in feedback about a 32gb flash drive acting funny. Obviously not 70 happy customers as the seller claims!
http://www.toolhaus.org/cgi-bin/negs
Traveler
September 7, 2009 at 11:12 pm
sasquatchsales update – New 16gb fake in fake packaging.
Don’t worry folks. This seller is an ex-Microsoft expert! Here is an extract of his reply when it was suggested his drives may be fake capacity.
“I worked for Microsoft for 3 years and do know what I am doing.I have sold pen drives for a longtime and thought I would try one on ebay. However it seems everyone is scared stiff of pen drives,thanks to Chinese robbers mainly. Thankfully mine are as I stated. If a drive is 15.6 gb empty and takes on 15gb of files and has 0.6 gb left,then its not been made as a hokey flash.”
If Microsoft employed this person for any length of time, it could explain why we all have so many problems with Windows!
Should I contact Microsoft and see if they will get ebay to remove him as they would any other fakes?
http://cgi.ebay.com/16GB-USB-FLASH-PEN-DRIVE-NEW-UK-SELLER_W0QQitemZ150371315905QQihZ005QQcategoryZ108982QQcmdZViewItem
Traveler
September 8, 2009 at 12:55 am
powerprogress 16gb black leather usb flash drive
Here is our fraudsters favourite, bought from upcomingtrend and offered for resale by this seller who claims it is definitely 16gb despite all evidence here to the contrary. The seller was advised and asked to test but still claims it is 16gb.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320420618264&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
Traveler
September 9, 2009 at 12:08 pm
gdlowe1 64gb Sony Micro Vault. Private listing.
I know there is no such thing. This seller also knows there is no such thing after being clearly informed and advised by a well meaning ebay member.
The seller is fully intent on carrying on with the auction of these counterfeit, fake capacity drives.
Private listings are a favourite with fraudsters.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120467572840&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT
Traveler
September 10, 2009 at 11:32 pm
realwebmedia 64gb Kingston DT150
This is a seller from the USA to avoid. Several drives already listed by this seller have already been removed by ebay as counterfeits.
Traveler
September 11, 2009 at 5:52 pm
Well done Traveler, I was not familiar with the Sony range. The private listings make it difficult to persue afterwards I guess this one will have to take it’s natural course.
Micro
September 11, 2009 at 7:13 pm
Hello Micro,
If you ever see a Sony in this style (or any style with capacity above 16gb), just point the seller or buyer to the site and tell them to enter Sony in the search box. Their drive will be in there somewhere.
I like your terminology on these Sonys taking their natural course. Very fitting when comparing it to waiting for something swallowed that cannot be digested to reappear. Very fitting indeed!
Traveler
September 11, 2009 at 9:12 pm
China seller, US ebay, lhhshop168 is dumping a lot of fakes right now, no proof, just knowledge. Need to contact some of these buyers and shut him down.
Earl Smith
September 11, 2009 at 10:17 pm
Seller jsan3000 selling counterfeits, had one customer return the faulty drive, even after I warned her of the dangers and offered her information she continued her listings and selling the drive. Unfortunately the person left her a positive. Her response to my email was this “I have tested the drives and there is no problem” Just didn’t test the right way. We need to follow up on this one and keep an eye out.
Earl Smith
September 11, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Hi Earl,
Before you leave a comment here enter the seller id in the search box – there may already be a post (there is one about lhhshop168.
If there is a post please leave any comment about the seller on the post about them rather than here – helps get the post picked up by search engines.
fightflashfraud
September 12, 2009 at 8:35 am
markzta2006 64gb Kingston DT150 £29.99 buy it now.
This seller has already had a couple of counterfeits removed earlier this week by ebay, courtesy of Kingston.
Traveler
September 13, 2009 at 1:30 am
“Midland_giftware” had 4 Open listings and 0.99p start. for DT150 flash drives
Reference item num: 270456089303
Seller cancelled all bids and ended listings ” 22:02 16 Sept
I have captured data in a spreadsheet format captured just before they were removed.
Did the seller do the HONEST thing, or was he PUSHED?
Micro
September 17, 2009 at 9:14 am
Hello Micro,
A concerned ebay member contacted midland_giftware and asked if the seller was aware the drives could possibly be counterfeit.
As a result, the seller decided to remove the drives until checks were made.
Traveler
September 17, 2009 at 9:45 am
To Micro and Traveller.
A post about this seller had been scheduled but it was pulled in light of the seller removing the listings.
If midland_giftware was a victim of a fraudulent supplier and has not defrauded anyone then we certainly do not want to persecute this seller.
We all make mistakes!! No doubt we will learn the truth after a while.
fightflashfraud
September 17, 2009 at 11:19 pm
The buyer that brought the counterfeit Kingston DT150 from make_paper has confirmed it was not correct.
They advised they contacted the seller, before starting a claim with eBay. The buyer was also asked to report the results to sosfakeflash report a fake.
Item number while it is still on eBay is 260475813711
Micro
September 18, 2009 at 12:46 pm
make_paper
If you look over feedback for make_paper you will see one previous counterfeit 64gb DT150 drive has already been removed at Kingston’s request as well as others that got removed before end of auction.
Anything sold by make_paper is counterfeit and fake capacity. He has also bought a counterfeit from another known fraudster bilalalimohamed.
Both sellers already feature in these pages of infamy.
I look forward to an alert being issued on this seller.
Traveler
September 18, 2009 at 2:17 pm
borris1982_123 a new seller of Kingston DT150 flash drives, advertises that he has 9 on offer in one SINGLE listing. This seller has too had private purchases from another seller suspected of handling counterfeit items.
Micro
September 18, 2009 at 2:53 pm
“coptic11″ has at this moment two Kingston flash drives, one 32GB and one 64GB both private listings at very low buy it now prices. There is evidence of purchases from a suspended known fraudster well documented on the fraud sellers list “fastmemoryman” One worth watching I think!
Micro
September 18, 2009 at 9:39 pm
machiavelliseven 128gb DT200
This seller is presently listing 5 128gb DT200’s with a £0.99 start bid and private listings.
Earlier today Kingston forced ebay to remove the seller’s original listings for a 128gb DT200 and a 16gb Kingston mini slim flash drive. They were definite counterfeits.
Traveler
September 18, 2009 at 9:45 pm
coptic11 64gb DT150 and 32gb DT150
This seller already had these two same counterfeit drives removed last week after ebay were made to remove them by Kingston. Another repeat offender.
Traveler
September 18, 2009 at 10:00 pm
2009trader2009 32gb DT150’s
This seller sold 6 of these counterfeit drives. All have been removed by ebay after pressure from Kingston, but not before they were sold. The seller’s feedback is at 6, one positive for each fake capacity counterfeit sold.
If anyone is able to let the buyers know, it would be appreciated both here and no doubt by the buyers themselves.
Traveler
September 18, 2009 at 10:32 pm
firstfortechnology 32gb usb flash drive
This seller has these drives listed and clearly showing packaging known to only ever contain fake capacity drives.
The seller was advised to test by a well meaning ebay member but has decided to carry on with the auctions regardless. Not very bright.
Traveler
September 18, 2009 at 11:46 pm
Love to help traveler, but I’m out of chances AGAIN, have to wait another 24 hours at least.
Micro
September 19, 2009 at 7:15 am
Hello Micro,
Not to worry. I’ve been informed that 5 out of the 6 2009trader2009 buyers have been notified.
Traveler
September 19, 2009 at 1:53 pm
mbenaron 64gb DT150
I have confirmation from an ebay member that the seller has confirmed these drives are counterfeit. The seller claims to have tested and still maintains they are 64gb. They obviously were never tested with h2testw.
Traveler
September 19, 2009 at 1:59 pm
ebay seller: fantasic-ac
ebay item #: 320428585717
ebay item: 32 GB SDHC Memory Card
Please check on this. Of course I do not know but seems to have the “red flags”
which you advise about.
thankyou4warning
September 27, 2009 at 10:10 am
Hello thankyou4warning,
ebay seller: fantasic-ac
There was an alert issued on this confirmed fake capacity drive seller on the 22nd of June.
This can be seen over at SOSFakeFlash pages. It can be easily accessed with the link on the right hand side of this page under “Our Sites”.
Sometimes sellers appear there who have not been featured here first.
Traveler
September 27, 2009 at 12:43 pm
bgb7263 64gb Sony Vaio Flash memory drive.
Item no. 220485867845
This USA seller was contacted and advised by an ebay member about these drives being fake capacity and counterfeit.
The question and answer can be seen in the Q&A section of the listing.
Traveler
September 28, 2009 at 10:40 am
flashdrives4less1 64gb DT150 Job lots of 10
Item no. 250504965361
This USA seller was using the infamous 64gb DT1 picture in the listing until advised they were counterfeits by a well meaning ebay member. All the seller did was change the picture in the listing.
Traveler
September 28, 2009 at 10:55 am
frendbuy 128gb DT1
Item no. 270462131292
Despite good advice from a well meaning ebay member, this seller still insists the drives are genuine.
Traveler
September 28, 2009 at 11:01 am
themarron 128gb DT100
300351442705
Another seller who goes against good advice and claims drives are tested and genuine 128 gb.
Traveler
September 28, 2009 at 11:04 am
dominic2116 64gb DT100
320427835776
This seller has claimed to have tested and been in contact with supplier after being contacted by a concerned ebay member. To carry on listing these fake capacity counterfeits is fraudulent.
Traveler
September 28, 2009 at 11:07 am
Item number 160362691346
firstfortechnology
Fake 32gb USBstick. Data added then USBstick not recognised as USB device.
Michele Caldinez
September 28, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Hi Michele
There is already a post here about about firstfortechnology – the idea of the report a suspect page is to alert people about fraudsters we had not yet spotted.
Be sure to leave a the seller a negative feedback comment to alert other buyers – or a follow-up comment if you already left positive feedback. Be sure to claim a full refund through paypal – the best place to hit a fraudster is in the pocket!
fightflashfraud
September 28, 2009 at 6:15 pm
kljc56 selling Kingston 64GB Item No 270462157522, one that Kingston missed I guess: Reports 3 sold, this looks like the master item with nearly 29 days to run.
Micro
September 28, 2009 at 8:54 pm
tri-tech 16gb, 32gb and 64gb badged flash drives
Why not just say they are SanDisks like it says on the packaging? Because they are all fake capacity counterfeits? Seller has 27 seperate listings for these drives.
Traveler
September 28, 2009 at 10:28 pm
I beleive tri-tech has been warned that these are likely to be fakes. No doubt there will be a post here about this seller soon enough if the seller pays no heed! If I remember rightly someone said these were 24 hour listings? That sounds dodgy to start with!
Frank
September 28, 2009 at 10:34 pm
Hello Frank,
The seller has sold 14 so far of these drives and the rest are on 24 hour listings. A common practice amongst fraudsters.
Traveler
September 28, 2009 at 11:14 pm
In a recent investigation into 32GB Kingston flash memory being sold by seller roudh, buyers were advised to test with H2testw. Item no 230374016170 proved to have only 256Meg capacity. The buyer has successfully claimed a refund and has reported via one of the “flash angels” the following message
“Hi! Thanks for your advice ! You saved my bacon…
My pen drive was also fake with just 256MB in it !!
But I’ve got refund now. Thank You ”
Another successful completion for this buyer, and a narrow escape for another buyer that reported a refund received when the seller was advised he was
selling counterfeits.
This concludes my investigation into roudh, who did the honest thing.
Micro
September 30, 2009 at 9:10 pm
overbuiltbarns 32gb DT1 (hacked 4gb DT1)
Item no. 220486605848
This USA seller has been selling fake capacity and counterfeit Kingston and ipods. Use Goofbay to see previous items sold. Seller fully aware as advice was given by ebay member. Intentional fraud.
Traveler
October 2, 2009 at 12:29 pm
paseo88 128gb DT100
Item no. 120475969605
Ignore what this seller in Australia claims about the drives offered for sale. They are not generic, as claimed by the seller (Kingston branding can just be made out on drive), nor are they a genuine 128gb.
Traveler
October 2, 2009 at 10:50 pm
shahzad81 120gb Sony Vaio usb flash drive
Item no. 220480767199 (UK seller)
A well meaning ebay member contacted the seller to advise the drive was counterfeit and fake capacity, including link to Sony articles here.
The seller replied:
“Sorry to say i think u need some more information about usb drives. If u go to usa u will find it easilly. IT is fully checked and confirmed.”
Traveler
October 4, 2009 at 1:20 pm
worxpace 128gb DT200 AU $0.99 start bid.
Item no. 120476367699
Seller has to be taking very big risk with this if genuine. Others 10 available listed by seller at AU $450.00 buy it now.
Traveler
October 4, 2009 at 3:24 pm
trading-oz 64gb DT150
Item no. 140350138135
Australian seller who claims drives are 100% genuine and guaranteed 64gb has received negative feedback clearly stating the seller is a fraudster and the drives are fakes.
Traveler
October 4, 2009 at 3:40 pm
cantareballare 64gb DT100
Item no. 190338828297 (Australian seller)
5 of these drives listed presently and 3 just sold.
Traveler
October 4, 2009 at 4:08 pm
claudetteowens 128gb DTG2 Kingston
Item no. 200390103509 (USA seller)
I had my doubts on the 32gb DTG2’s from this seller. I no longer have doubts after seeing this listing.
Traveler
October 4, 2009 at 8:54 pm
claudetteowens 128gb DTG2 Kingston update
After being directed to Kingston configurator and this site and advised to test with h2testw, the seller has simply changed the listing to a claim the drive has been tested and is a genuine 128gb but that it is merely a “clone” of the DTG2. The word “counterfeit” would be more apt!
Traveler
October 5, 2009 at 11:40 am
Hello, OBIETEN here, Helped uncover a 128 GB Fake ebay user id jujucatty Item number: 110433329733
Item location: Shenzhen,Guangdong Province, China
Received this email from an ebayer I provided information to.
Dear obieten,
Hello,
yes…The 128 GB Flash Drive is Fake!
Best regards
Harald
I have been contacting sellers and buyers trying to warn them about these drives. One suspect seller told me to F**K off. Not very friendly. I also received my first negitive from an ebayer from the UK If anyone cares to try to help get it removed I would appreciate a little support. Ebay USER shane_bhafc ( 4 ) Stated they did not receive the item when it was information emailed, listed under everything else/Other. Did not send any email, did not request refund, just left negitive. Difficult to have listings world wide when people buy and can not read english.
Earl
October 5, 2009 at 6:01 pm
Hi there Earl,
A member of the team has sent this message to shane_bhafc who left a positive for known fraudster pigpingxian the same day he left you a neg. We hope it helps – but it may not – some people are too thick to read anything properly! We did warn you that you were choosing a dangerous road!!
Dear shane_bhafc,
You have made a big mistake. You left a neg for the wrong seller! Seller pigpingxian is a well known fraudster selling fake capacity flash memory. The flash drive you bought from this seller is undoubtedly fake and will corrupt your files after a while.
Seller obieten (who you left a neg for) was warning people about such fraudsters. He was trying to help other ebayers avoid buying fakes that would corrupt their files – and you gave him a neg!
Had you taken the advice obieten no doubt gave you about downloading the free program h2testw you would know the flash drive from pigpingxian was a fake that will corrupt your files eventually.
I suggest you read the email obieten sent, it should have some useful information. If you deleted it search the internet using the terms pigpingxian and sosfakeflash to learn the truth about your attractive looking leather flash drive!
Maybe then you will realise what a big mistake you made and revise feedback for both sellers!
fightflashfraud
October 5, 2009 at 6:40 pm
As I have said MANY times before, it’s the old Horse & Water situation: Buyers are in serious need of EDUCATION I feel our efforts need to be more effective in getting the message across. The 5 a day (where did I read that before?) is a serious limit to success, even worse when the “yabe” is watching you like a hawk!!
Micro
October 5, 2009 at 7:21 pm
Hi Micro,
Just get that ‘ol fruit and veg down yer neck! We need all the nutrition we can get if we are going to overcome the obstacles ‘beya’ puts in our way!
fightflashfraud
October 5, 2009 at 7:38 pm
I contact 5 people every day. Often people ask me “who are you? Why did you send me email? How did you get my name?” I reply, I contact 5 purchasers every day to inform them about fake and counterfiet drives, today was your lucky day.
Often I walk them through the testing process and even the refund process. No everyone is so computer literate. It makes me feel great when someone say”s I got my money back. One question Do you know how I file a complaint against the seller? And I walk them through the process. Sometimes it is more complicated than just sending them a link.
I have been called a lot of names (not good) people accuse me of spaming them. I always ask the question “Did I ask you for anything?” Everything I offer is free. You have to take the bitter with the sweet. The sweet always taste better, but we always have to get past the bitter.
Earl
October 5, 2009 at 8:11 pm
Hi Earl,
Hope you don’t mind but I edited your comment above to put in paragraph spacing and make it easier to read!
It is indeed both bitter an sweet. Very sweet when you manage to help someone and rather bitter when you get bitten in the bum as a reward for your efforts!
fightflashfraud
October 5, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Some of the replies I have had from both sellers and buyers have been colourful.
Some of their suggestions have not been physically possible. (I knew without trying!)
I can sympathise with what you say on the level of the computer literacy of the target audience. For some it is a breeze, for others not so easy.
You are a stranger offering a helping hand. Some will view you with suspicion, others will welcome you and be glad of your help.
The question on how to get a refund is one often asked. I suggest the “Safety Centre” option.
The reward, for me, comes from knowing I am trying to help, whether welcome or not.
Traveler
October 5, 2009 at 9:12 pm
pickabargain09 16gb DT100 Counterfeit
Item no. 170389327643 (Australian seller)
Here we have a seller who makes it clear in the listing these drives are most likely counterfeit. Instead of taking a loss, the seller is offering to sell in bulk (over 100 available) to anyone willing to take them off his hands, regardless of the consequences for unsuspecting victims (the seller was advised).
Traveler
October 5, 2009 at 9:25 pm
vibhi2068 32gb DT1 (hacked 2gb DT1)
Item no. 260485314555 (Indian seller)
When advised by an ebay member this drive was counterfeit, the seller replied:
“dear buyer dont interfere in my items ok. this is green kingstone pendrive. it has 32GB capacity ok.”
Traveler
October 5, 2009 at 9:29 pm
cantareballare 64gb DT100 update
Item no. 190339266655 (Australian seller)
After being couteously advised by an ebay member these drives were definite counterfeits and buyers should be informed, the seller replied:
“get your feact right before you speeck this device the are been tested . and the are 63.4 gb.this device are factory made and sealed. your should be carefull wath you say. I do not need to contact no buyers becouse the devices are right”
Traveler
October 5, 2009 at 9:39 pm
alicemaypang (Australian seller)
32gb DT101 Item no. 140349878320
16gb DT100 Item no. 140349731193
This seller is listing these 2 drives, the first a guaranteed counterfeit and the second is one of 6 drives bought from a seller removed from ebay for selling counterfeit usb flash drives.
Despite being advised by an ebay member, the seller has continued the listings. Intentional fraud?
Traveler
October 5, 2009 at 9:48 pm
Recently removed ebayers are reported as having unauthorized access to someone else’s account. These are ebayers that I contacted about fake drives.
kensington153
larastop1982
mr.sixty7_onlineshop
This is the kind of email is sent to report ebayers that have been removed for selling fakes. They do not state that they did anything wrong, they state that an unauthorized user accessed the account. What is up with that?
Earl (Obieten)
Earl
October 5, 2009 at 10:07 pm
This ebay user jawadkamal75 is selling 16 GB Flash Drives, I suspect they are fake because one person stated item not as described and got a refund.
He just sold a “USED” 64 GB Kingston that I also suspect is a fake.
I sent him an email and he has not responded. We need to check this one out.
Item 250507881395
Earl
October 5, 2009 at 10:14 pm
ebay id fairnufftrader is selling 64 GB Kingston DT 100’s.
Even though I offered him information he has failed to respond to my emails and his listings are still there.
Just have to wait for the feedback.
Earl
October 6, 2009 at 4:00 am
looks like listings from fairnufftrader have vanished – possibly removed at Kingston’s request.
fightflashfraud
October 6, 2009 at 7:09 am
durotan.76 does not appear on any site as I can see and is offering the fraudsters favourite black leather goodie but only as 16GB so may have escaped the current focus on larger fake capacity. Also the familiar FLIP metal flash drive, also known to be 1.9GB only.
Item 270464980191 is an example. This seller says they are in QC Canada.
Micro
October 6, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Hi Micro,
A post about this seller is scheduled here for tomorrow morning.
fightflashfraud
October 6, 2009 at 5:29 pm
Information on the suspect seller sayeepro88 Selling 16 Gb Flash drives from china.
Yeah! Thanks a lot for you information! I already suspect that!
The seller just refunded me too!
I will be careful for the next busness!
Thanks a lot for your time and your kindness, and good luck with your busness too!
- senhsueh
Earl
October 7, 2009 at 6:26 pm
Hi Earl,
Can’t see any current flash memory items listed by sayeepro88. Did you get the buyer to test and report in to sosfakeflash so they can issue an alert?
fightflashfraud
October 7, 2009 at 6:56 pm
Ebay user shane_bhafc has removed the negitive from my feedback and offered an apology, also requesting me to resend the information on the fake flash drives.
Thank you for your help in getting this turned around.
obieten
Earl
October 7, 2009 at 9:16 pm
currently sayeepro88 does not have any listed, but if you look at his feedback he has sold plenty.
Of the 5 emails I sent only one replied.
He must have sold over 50 already.
Earl
October 7, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Could use a little help on this one. This ebay user flworldseller (US) Listing 180413999979.
He is selling 128 GB Kingstons for an unbelievable 63.00. Need I say more. I sent him an email and so far he has ignored me.
Earl
October 8, 2009 at 5:47 am
Currently I am watching seller stephenmaddog14 he has five Kingston 64GB travellers listed, has ZERO feedback
These have been bid up to £26 & £20 for the first two at this moment. First item number is 110442722840.
My guess, looking at the other items for sale, is this person has been doing some fake shopping.
Micro
October 9, 2009 at 7:28 am
OK I see you got it already… I miss-typed the name in the search box…
Micro
October 9, 2009 at 7:32 am
bigdaddy185 64gb DT150 fakes (x10)
Item no. 330366362509 (Australian seller)
By the way, that is the seller’s description, not mine!
Traveler
October 9, 2009 at 12:08 pm
Well at least he is honest, I feel sad for these people, they invested a lot of money, and lost badly all for the lack of the right education.. Pity!!
Micro
October 9, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Can’t say I feel too much sympathy for a fraud victim that is prepared to sell 10 fakes to someone who may well act fraudulently and go on to sell the drives individually as genuine!
This sort of action creates even more victims – people just don’t think about the knock-on effect of what they are doing sometimes.
Mary
October 9, 2009 at 3:13 pm
780freshthreads Canadian seller.
Item no. 250509791069 120G Sony Micro Vault
Item no. 250509799195 64g Sony Micro Vault
A well meaning ebay member has been in touch to advise this seller these are definite fake capacity counterfeits, but the seller has decided to ignore good advice and continue with the listings.
Traveler
October 9, 2009 at 9:55 pm
780freshthreads Canadian seller update
I have just been notified the seller did reply. This was the seller’s response:
“thanks. unfortunetly i bought 50 of these soo im going to continue to sell them. as i did not know this and not have all these i wil sell them and not ever bring more”
Traveler
October 9, 2009 at 9:59 pm
tjisbz 64gb DT150 USA seller
Item no. 120477936898
This seller had 2 drives removed as counterfeits earlier this afternoon at the request of Kingston. This one has remained only because it was on a seperate list.
Traveler
October 9, 2009 at 10:07 pm
asaran25 64gb DT150 (x10) Turkey (location, not seller, honest!)
Item no. 250510523880
This seller has already had a similar listing for 10 64gb DT150’s removed. The seller is also listing 32gb DT200’s in batches of 5 or 10 and 16gb Sony Duo’s in batches of 10. Nothing from this seller will be genuine.
Traveler
October 9, 2009 at 11:34 pm
patrizia7205 64gb DT150
Item no. 260486842231
This seller had 5 drives removed at the request of Kingston earlier today. This one is still remaining.
Traveler
October 9, 2009 at 11:47 pm
eric_rick 16gb DT200
Item no. 180417491758
Since there is no such thing as a 16gb version of the DT200, I would suspect the 32gb and 64gb versions offered for sale as being from the same source and therefore counterfeit and fake capacity.
Traveler
October 9, 2009 at 11:58 pm
eric_rick 16gb DT200 Update
Item no. 180417491758
A closer look over the listing and I spotted this at the bottom. Confirmation from the seller these are indeed counterfeits.
Q: Hi seller! Is it an original product? And if not original, is it functional alright?
A: Hello,dear It is not an original product. The function is alright. Thanks! Yours’ Rick
Traveler
October 10, 2009 at 12:11 am
kwh352 512gb Kingston usb flash drive
Item no. 280407730213
Seller has a selection of swivel drives all 128gb and above, all fake capacity and three of them definitely counterfeit.
Traveler
October 10, 2009 at 12:29 am
eugenyz1976 128gb Corsair Flash Voyager
Item no. 320434462592
Seller clearly states at bottom of listing that warranty may not apply as there is no serial number where there should be. Could that not be because it is a fake capacity counterfeit?
Traveler
October 11, 2009 at 6:53 pm
bassamfh2007 32gb DT1 (hacked 2gb DT1) USA seller
Item no. 250511470884 Private listing.
Seller states they are aware the drives listed are not original Kingston but claims Kingston assembled them.
Traveler
October 11, 2009 at 8:17 pm
I guess this might be possible, if the failed final test Kingston flash devices escaped from the factory scrap bin. With a fairly high sub-performance rate of these devices, could be tempting to make a little bit extra by shipping unbranded to unscrupulous dealers in the orient, who knows? Doesn’t sound likely, but when the squeeze is on anything is possible.
Micro
October 11, 2009 at 8:40 pm
No, the seller is just a scabby little liar!
That makes more sense!
Traveler
October 11, 2009 at 9:20 pm
samfadhel06 32gb DT1 (hacked 2gb DT1) Item no. 230386751255
bassamfh2007 32gb DT1 (hacked 2gb DT1) Item no. 250511470884 Private listing.
One seller, two ID’s to sell fake Kingstons as above as well as other flash drives including other DT’s and HP 32gb drives.
Traveler
October 11, 2009 at 9:21 pm
makingithappen-2009 64gb usb flash drive (hacked) Kingston style.
Item no. 220491315800 USA seller
Here we have a hacked drive which the seller still thinks is fine for all data and pictures (stuff you really do not want to lose or corrupt!) but not ok for music or video files (stuff you may not worry about as much, unless it is home videos).
You cannot trust a hacked drive for ANY files or data.
Traveler
October 12, 2009 at 12:14 am
bassamfh2007 32gb DT1 (hacked 2gb DT1) USA seller
Item no. 250511470884 Private listing. (Update)
When a well meaning ebay member advised this seller the drives were indeed counterfeit and the claim of these being made and built by Kingston as likely to be considered as fraudulent, the seller was none too pleased:
“First of All, who are you to tell me this? Second, it has been assembled by Kingston you moron, and it clearly says in my description it is not the original. Third, Kingston is a chinese company and the supplier sold me them, so obviously they’re not “fraud”. Thank you and have a wonderful life, you miserable fuck!!”
Traveler
October 12, 2009 at 2:09 pm
fastmce has 16GB “flip” flash drives for sale, but the item specifics state drive capacity 2GB, this could be just a mistake of using a previous proforma to list the item, however looking at the recent feedback negatives, I’d guess there is NO smoke without here!!
Micro
October 20, 2009 at 5:07 pm
fairy_662 has two long standing auctions for the fraudsters friend, says one sold see item number 150379872786. Is offering to post item as a “GIFT” to avoid custom tax (Illegal act) The lack of the word “the” in some of the sentences in the sellers terms seems to remind me of the old “pidgin” English used in far eastern countries.. Says 24 sold already.. I can only find TWO so suspect up to 24 disappointed customers somewhere in the World.
Micro
October 20, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Seller: id1_pro
eBay item number – 280391893672
New 8GB USB 2.0 Flash Pen Drive Memory Stick Green
Price: US $11.99
I ran a test using H2TESTW and it failed. The results of the test are below.
The media is likely to be defective.
1.9 GByte OK (4046680 sectors)
5.8 GByte DATA LOST (12193960 sectors)
Details:5.8 GByte overwritten (12193920 sectors)
0 KByte slightly changed (< 8 bit/sector, 0 sectors)
20 KByte corrupted (40 sectors)
1 MByte aliased memory (2048 sectors)
First error at offset: 0×000000007b6eb000
Expected: 0×000000007b6eb000
Found: 0×0000000000000000
H2testw version 1.3
Writing speed: 3.21 MByte/s
Reading speed: 7.87 MByte/s
H2testw v1.4
John Tod
October 23, 2009 at 4:05 am
Hi Jon,
We are aware of this seller – there are already posts here about this fraudster. In order to enter your proof of fraud in the database the frankenflash project needs the following information:
Send this information directly to sosfakeflashdrive@gmail.com
fightflashfraud
October 23, 2009 at 7:58 am
coolbuy88 US Ebay, has been removed, he refused to listen to my warnings, hopefully he is a little smarter today.
Earl
November 2, 2009 at 4:40 pm
There is a new fake flash seller on ebay, Kingston 64 GB, I know they are fake because I am the one that did the listing. It is listed as used and very specifically states READ DISCRIPTION.
I did not list them with the intent on selling them, unless someone really wants a fake drive. I sold the information on ebay with a money back for any reason refund and it caused me trouble, so I will just wait until ebay cancelles this listing for some reason.
If you would like to look at the listing and offer advice it is under USER ID OBIETEN Item number 260500741348.
I avoided links in the listing, just a recommendation to do a internet search for the H2testw software. I am also not offering world wide shipping because of the language barriers.
Wish me luck.
Earl
November 3, 2009 at 2:43 am
fairy_662 I couldn’t find anything under that listing and the last thing shown is in Aug. It also states they are no longer a registered user.
Earl
November 3, 2009 at 2:48 am
bassamfh2007 Sent out emails to five buyers, let’s see what happens.
Earl
November 3, 2009 at 3:04 am
Earl
There is a post on bassamfh2007 already. The seller was using two ID’s to sell the same 32gb Kingston fakes.
Traveler
November 3, 2009 at 12:18 pm
My listing was cancelled very quickly by ebay. So much for that ideal.
I contacted stp354 ebayer, he had purchased a fake drive from bassamfh2007.
He stated he has got the refund from pay pal and thanked me for the information.
What I want to know is how does bassamfh2007 get away with it?
Hopefully the other 4 contacts will put a nail in his coffin.
Earl
November 3, 2009 at 3:58 pm
cloe2064 (as noted elsewhere on the site) was selling 64GB Kingston DataTraveller 150s – They ARE fakes.
2GB native capacity. Listing has been pulled by eBay. Item number was 230392228706.
Nick Cutmore
November 6, 2009 at 7:48 pm
I have reasons to believe that it-superstore located in Birmingham may be getting prepared to sell fake flash.
Currently they are offering all kinds of electronic items and jewellery tools, a usual collection of far eastern items, at relatively high prices. They do not seem to have sold very much, currently have ZERO feedback, but the suspicious thing is most items are PRIVATE listings, for example item 110455241938.
I think this is a seller that needs watching carefully, I have made a test purchase, and already they have advised me that do not send invoices (formal proof of a traders intent to supply).
It is always a good idea if you suspect a seller, to ask for an invoice, if they cannot be bothered to send you one, then are they going to be bothered to supply your goods?
Micro
November 8, 2009 at 10:37 pm
Additional comments re it-superstore. As with all sellers that use private listings, it is essential when issuing feedback for a purchase that you mention the item and the item number in the feedback, and or follow up feedback if you need more space, this allows others to follow up the transaction from the feedback that would normally be hidden.
Micro
November 8, 2009 at 10:46 pm
Kingston 128GB DataTraveler 200 USB 2.0 Flash Drive NEW
Location: New York
Item: 130343442454
Seller User ID: nivipromi
These drives are $420 on Amazon and are selling for less than $100 on eBay.
Tom Keith
November 12, 2009 at 5:17 pm
New Kingston 128GB Data Travler 200
Location: Florida
Item: 280420430731
Seller User ID: johnnyallandavis
Feedback: 1 | 100%
View similar active items | Sell one like this
I paid $81 for this one on eBay. Fake?
oletom
Tom Keith
November 12, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Looks as though it is probably a fake – if not then it seems the seller made a loss by selling to you.
People selling genuine ones seldom risk selling at auction as these are very expensive.
The best way find out for sure (for either sellers or buyers) is to check the serial number with Kingston.
If Kingston cannot verify a drive then testing about a quarter of the capacity with the free program h2testw usually reveals the real capacity of fakes.
fightflashfraud
November 12, 2009 at 6:49 pm
If they are real I will take 100 of them.
There is no way possible they could be real.
People know what it is to sell on ebay, they know they would loose their shirts on auction.
It is a big drive with a small chip. If it sounds too good to be true it probably is.
We all know what we can expect from these kinds of sellers.
Good luck with your drive.
Earl
November 12, 2009 at 7:02 pm
Hi Earl
There is always the possibility that the seller didn’t know it is fake – I try not to be too harsh on sellers unless there is some evidence of deliberate fraud.
After all, as you know, there are many people who sold fakes on ebay without realising at the time.
fightflashfraud
November 12, 2009 at 7:27 pm
64G 64GB Data Traveler 200 DT200 USB U Flash Drive
Item: 250519348646
Seller User ID: menglong699
Price:$25.80
Only 2GB drive!!
Evgeny
November 23, 2009 at 11:27 am
One we missed!!! dropship2009 Kingston 64GB Data travel 200 Three sold, private listings, Barnsley South Yorkshire, the Yorkshire hotbed of fraudulent activity.
items 110460393371, 110460393173, 110460393082
Micro
November 24, 2009 at 9:14 am
Even further on it-superstore. The test purchase I arranged (not flash memory) arrived, was as per description, except it was a loose item, not in the usual plastic bubble. Comments made to the seller about the unnecessary use of private listings on everyday electronic items were taken on-board in a feedback response. The inability to supply an invoice was just down to unfamiliarity of the ebay auction features, a simple link to the ebay help page was sent to the seller.
Micro
November 25, 2009 at 9:40 am
Complaint to Ebay on buyers to be soon ripped off:
220507399972
260502390342
220508143457
260500887638
270472093775
260510268693
320453367886
170411280969
DO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE FAKES. I’M CURRENT WATCHING AT LEAST 100 HONG KONG SELLERS SELLING THESE FAKE CARDS AND YOU AID AND ABET THESE CRIMINALS. WILL REPORT TO YOUR ATTONEY GENERAL IF YOU DON’T STOP THE PEOPLE SELLING THESE CARDS WITH BAD REVIEWS. ITS VERY OBVIOUS WHEN SOME ARE SELLING DOZENS AT AT TIME TO BUY TIME AND RAKE IN THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS DURING THE SHIPPING TIME. I’M KEEPING SCREEN-PRINTS OF ALL RECORDS OF ACCOUNTS YOU HELP AID IN FRAUD.
scwam
November 26, 2009 at 9:28 am
128GB Data Traveler USB Flash Drive
Item: 300371795978
Seller User ID: notebookmd
Price:$89.00
Price is way below the street price of $400
fight_fraud
November 29, 2009 at 10:02 am