How to avoid buying false products on online markets

Given that more consumers prioritize the convenience and value of loyalty to the brand, experts say they turn more than ever to online markets to buy the things they need, which could inadvertently acquire a false product.

While false goods have exchanged hands on informal markets since antiquity, online market growth has contributed to the increase in counterfeits because of the way online purchases and online sales have become. A CNBC survey on WalmartThe market published on Friday discovered dozens of third -party sellers who had stolen the identity of another company, and some of them offered false health and beauty products.

After CNBC shared its relations with Walmart, the company began to tighten its verification process for certain products and sellers and said it had a “zero tolerance policy for prohibited or non -compliant products”.

Between 2020 and 2024, electronic commerce as a percentage of global retail sales in the United States has reached record heights, and goods entered for intellectual property violations have more than doubled during this general period, according to customs and the protection of American borders.

When shopping on online markets, consumers must be “very cautious” to avoid inadvertently buying for false, said Megan Carpenter, dean and intellectual property law professor at the Franklin Pierce School of Law at the University of New Hampshire.

“You buy from sellers, distributors, manufacturers all over the world by pressing a button,” said Carpenter, who previously practiced intellectual property law. “Sometimes you hear the sentence,” buy cheap, buy twice “, but there are also big security and danger problems” which come from the purchase of online false, she said.

Contrefait products have been endemic to third -party markets for as long as they exist, but it is difficult to quantify how common they are. While long -standing market operators have made many political changes over the years to suppress counterfeits, the nature of the platforms makes the eradication of counterfeits difficult. Amazon said he had taken measures to respond to counterfeits on his platform and is “proud of progress” he has made to prevent counterfeits. Walmart added in its declaration to CNBC that customers who are not satisfied with an item can return it for a full refund.

To ensure that consumers get the real thing, here are some guidelines that experts said that people should follow when buying on online markets.

Many brands sell their products directly to consumers via online markets. If the company that manufactures the article is the one that also sells it, experts said it was always the best bet of a consumer when buying on online platforms.

If the seller offering the article is not the brand, consumers should look for the company to ensure that it is legitimate.

In the past, the name or commercial information of a third -party seller offering a product was not always clear. But the Act of Informing Consumers, a law which came into force in 2023, now requires that platforms publish this information for certain sellers.

When shopping on markets like Walmart and Amazon, consumers can see the name of the seller offering the product on the right side of the page. When they click on the name of the company, they can generally see more information, such as its address, telephone number and certain information on what it does.

The seller’s page will offer a multitude of indices on consumers. Buyers can generally see where the company is based, review its articles catalog and read the criticisms it has received. If other buyers have left criticism by saying that the company sold false products, it is a good sign that consumers should find another seller or another place to buy the goods.

Buyers should also check the address of the company. For example, if the seller offers beauty products and the address does not exist or returns to a car repair workshop, it is a red flag.

The name of the company Matters also said that Kari Kammel, director of the Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection at Michigan State University.

“For example, if you buy online toys and the seller is called, you know, a cheap kitchen utensils shop, there is a difference there, right?” She said. “So it can be a red flag.”

If it is not immediately obvious if the brand sells the item, a quick Google search will generally reveal whether the market seller is an authorized product distributor. Many brands publish information on resellers on their websites.

When you buy health and beauty items, the types of products entering or on someone’s body, consumers should only buy directly from the brand or one of its authorized distributors to ensure that they get real products, experts said.

“With one of these counterfeits, you play, right? You can get one that does not cause harm, but maybe it will not last so long, if you are lucky,” said Kammel. “On the other hand, you can get something that failed completely in what would be a normal quality or safety inspection of a legitimate company and can cause serious damage.”

Many things sold on online markets are considered to be the first part, which means that the platform has and distributes the products themselves roughly. If consumers see “sold and shipped by Amazon” or “sold and shipped by Walmart”, they may feel comfortable buying the item, whatever the category, experts said.

When shopping on online markets, consumers should keep the old adage in mind: “If it seems too good to be true, this is probably the case.”

If a buyer sees a luxury beauty cream which is sold at a 91% discount compared to its typical retail price, as CNBC noted during its survey on the Walmart market, it is a major red flag that the item could be counterfeit.

“One of the strongest hooks to bring people to buy these counterfeit products, of course, is the price,” said Saleem Alhabash, Associate Director of Research at Michigan State Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Protection. “Make sure it’s too good to pass.”

Sometimes, the products that third -party sellers offer are reduced because they were purchased from liquidators or during a promotion directly from a retailer or a brand. In these cases, price reduction will generally be more modest and the cost of the item will be closer to the typical sale price, experts said.

However, counterfeiters become more informed and use market data to assess their products, said Alhabash. Sometimes false goods can be almost identical to the typical cost of sales, he said.

When consumers buy from third -party sellers on online markets and still do not know if they have bought a legitimate item, product packaging can also offer indices once it has arrived.

“Take a second to look at it and see if it seems correct,” said Kammel. “If they get it, and it is a product that they have used before and they always have the old packaging of the product, make a quick side by side.”

Sometimes the packaging could be different because the manufacturer has changed it. In other cases, red flags such as typing faults on the box could indicate that the product is counterfeit. If the brand has not changed the packaging, check if the design and size of the packaging are the same as what is sold in stores.

If in doubt, consumers can always call the brand to ensure.

If a buyer buys something they believe false, they should stop using it immediately and report it to the platform they bought, Kammel said. Here are some other steps that Kammel said that buyers should take:

• If you have a physical reaction to the product, consult a doctor to avoid more harm.
• Try to report it to a government office for investigation, such as the State Attorney General or the Center for Crime on the FBI Internet Crime.
• Document the seller’s information, including their name, commercial address and telephone number.
• Save other evidence, including the transaction receipt, the link to the list and the photos of the packaging and the product.
• Remember to report it to the brand to let them know what happened.