uk-choice Ebay Fake Flash Seller Alert Devious – Internet ukmobi Kingston Technology Fraud – United Kingdom
Posted by techchips on August 1, 2009
uk-choice is an eBay seller of Counterfeit (Fake) Kingston DataTraveler Flash USB drives. Registered in the United Kingdom, uk-choice also has an independent website, ukmobi. This seller is ignorant of the technology he sells. One of the worse examples the FrankenFlash Project has uncovered so far. You will find this example astonishing!
Advertising at 8GB for this model,the photo is correct for the 8GB DataTraveler. Only they actually say the size is 4GB and in fact that is the tested capacity. The information on this fact has also independently been preserved.
Is it possible this seller simply has no understanding of the products he sells, or employee’s don’t?
On eBay uk-choice has released dangerous false capacity usb flash drives for sale. Furthermore, in using private actions for usb flash drives, uk-choice earns the classification of devious. This auction category is the most dangerous for nand based flash technology, it has allowed too many fraudlent sellers to victimize eBay members and to escape detection – increasing the number of victims.
As a result of complaint, what did uk-choice do?
1) Continue to list on eBay
But modify the title, yet show the same correct colour for the Kingston DataTraveler 8GB. Then further down in the listing shows:
Sorry there never was a 4GB Kingston DataTraveler in Black!
2) Makes similar changes at their own website.
Their website: http://www.ukmobi.co.uk/Product_info.asp?id=1501
The FrankenFlash Project has never seen such stupidity or ignorance of technology. Both uk-choice and ukmobi SELL technology. Are you frightened? If not you should be!
The test results for this usb flash drive:
Warning: Only 7983 of 7984 MByte tested.
The media is likely to be defective.
3.9 GByte OK (8285056 sectors)
3.8 GByte DATA LOST (8064128 sectors)
Details:2.8 GByte overwritten (6048096 sectors)
0 KByte slightly changed (< 8 bit/sector, 0 sectors)
984.3 MByte corrupted (2016032 sectors)
1.5 KByte aliased memory (3 sectors)
First error at offset: 0x00000000fcd70000
Expected: 0x00000000fcd70000
Found: 0x00000000aa55aa55
H2testw version 1.3
Writing speed: 6.45 MByte/s
Reading speed: 18.6 MByte/s
H2testw v1.4
We doubt very much that this fraudster has been staying up all night performing low level formats to return these usb flash drives to the correct size of the actual flash storage chips. Any consumer who uses this flash drive would lose data after 3.9 GB without a corrective to return the usb flash drives to their actual capacity.
Even if uk-choice and ukmobi did this it is fraud. Why? Contact Kingston to ask their opinions!
uk-choice and ukmobi stubborn resolve to unload these dangerous devices to unsuspecting consumers demonstrates just how low some sellers can be. Anything to make money, anything to recover their capital. It doesn’t matter that they are harming Kingston Technologies reputation or causing data loss to consumers.
Profit at any cost, is the mantra uk-choice and ukmobi chant.
Important Reading:
- PayPal Refunds Victim Of Fake – False Capacity USB Flash Drives Purchased On Ebay. 8 Month Battle Leads To Success.
- Escalation In False Capacity USB Fake Memory eBay! SOSFakeFlash News July 3rd, 2009
- eBay Victims do not leave positive Feedback or change FB to positive to get refunds!
- eBay – What To Do When Sellers Demands You Change Your Negative Feedback To Positive For A Refund Or Demands Positive As A Condition Of Refund – A Guide
- USB Flash Drives Best Price Bargains Fair Value To Sell Or Buy 8GB 16GB 32GB
- Why Leave Immediate Negative Feedback For an eBay Fake Flash Seller?
- MP Players On Ebay – Current Prices For Cheap Fake 2GB 4GB 8GB 16GB 32 GB SOSFakeFlash’s Report
- SOSFakeFlash Consumer Education Week 20090605 – 20090612. The Problem of Counterfeit and Fake Memory Sold On Ebay
Report in to SOSFakeFlash if your testing confirms you have a false capacity device.
Don’t forget to leave the calling card of “SOSFakeFlash” and “H2testw” in your feedback to help others. Do not change your feedback to get a refund – you will only create more victims. See what we have on file.
- PayPal Orders You To Return Fake MP Players, Fake MP Players , Fake USB Flash Drives, Fake Memory Cards To Get A Refund? Think Again!
- Genuine Verses Fake Counterfeit USB Flash Drives – A Guide – USB Flash Chips Used – Grades A B C D
- What Are The Real Costs For Flash Chips In China? Guide 2009
To see uk-choice’s negative feedback Please Click Here
August 1st, 2009 – we have 1 eBay listings confirmed fake.
The model sold under the eBay seller uk-choice confirmed as Counterfeit, recorded with eBayer ID and eBay Item Number – Standard Procedure. Presented as listed at auction. Counterfeit items tied to criminal activity enjoy no protection. If you bought one of these items from uk-choice, you should test immediately with the software H2testw 1.4 . Do not store any important information until you can confirm you have the advertised capacity (minus formatting overhead).Sold by uk-choice
|
|
Not yet investigated:
|
|
Should your device not report the true advertised capacity:
- Immediately attempt to move any data you have stored on it to another source. Be advised if you have stored more than the reported size from H2testw 1.4, you will not be able to recover it all – you can expect to see errors in the copy back.
- Immediately report to eBay and PayPal to add your voice against this seller.
If the eBay Item number has disappeared from your won list. Please go to PayPal and search through your transactions for the approximate time frame of your purchase. You will find the details of your transaction and ebay item number. PayPal keeps this information for a long time. Use the email address:
complaint-response@paypal.com
Please include:
-
PayPal Transaction Number
- Ebay Item Number
- Date Of PayPal Transaction
- Date Of eBay Item Listing
- Your eBayer Id
- Cite eBay Seller uk-choice
- The results from your testing with H2testw 1.4
- Any information concerning data loss and it’s value to you
You are to inform them you wish to be part of the investigation against this seller and are adding yourself to the evidence. You expect to be fully refunded for the purchase and shipping and if you can prove data loss compensation for it as well. Furthermore, it is a fact that PayPal and eBay are aware of cases pouring in. You are invited to copy:
SOSFakeFlashDrive@gmail.com
on your correspondence.
SOSFakeFlash 
Traveler said
This seller is not content on only selling you their counterfeit goods, but suggest you need a toolkit too. Is this so you can open up the drives for photographing in detail to send your results to sosfakeflash along with h2testw results?
Any seller using private auctions for usb flash drives is only trying to hide things for their own benefit.It is common practice in hiding counterfeit sales, seen often throughout ebay.
If you or I break the law and just plead ignorance, we get told ignorance is no excuse. Why then do all these ebay counterfeit sellers get away with it? Is it because ebay and paypal protect their counterfeit and fake capacity sellers due to revenue received from regular sales?
Kingston have been the most copied brand seen on ebay. Every model is sold in counterfeit form on a daily basis on ebay. The only reason I would ever buy a Kingston flash drive on ebay is to see what a counterfeit drive looks like compared to the original bought from a reputable, authorised seller.
Kingston strongly advise customers to not buy from ebay sellers. They force ebay on a daily basis to remove counterfeit listings.
If you want to buy any Kingston product, avoid ebay like the plague. Go to the Kingston website and find the authorised sellers to buy from. At least that way you get a genuine product from a reputable seller.
Hayden said
Dear Sir
we advised you that this product was withdrawn from sale back in August, once we had been advised that the item is not genuine,
why do you insist not working with UK based companies who quickly react to such reports and issues, UK based companies ensure any such complaint are investigated and addressed, ebay sellers who know there items are fake do not provide there company address or details and most are based over-seas and do not care less about Kingston or there customers or the fake products they sell, they come sell thousands and they go, we are there for the long term and do not come and go, we have done enough work to ensure our products are now tested and reviewed prior to sale, you will see us this year next year and in 10 years,
The ebay sellers who do not investigate customer complaints and address such concerns have probably already registered multiple more shops on ebay and websites and will never take any action to address complaints or withdraw any item from sale and carry on selling such products, and that’s the difference, any UK based company will simply react to a letter addressed to there registered office, or mail without complaints been escalated to trading standards or any other authority,
In any case we have 4000 different items listed, and our purchasing team should have ensured this product be reviewed prior to stoking and reselling, but many business learn from there experience and this item was certainly a bad experience not to be forgotten, we have chose not to resell any branded memory product unless its supplied from a registered dealer, however we do stock non-branded equivalents that are tested for internal IC size and errors, our technicians are using your tool for this testing, and has helped us to discover true IC size on the products we buy to insure they are as described, prior to reselling,
Best Regards
KittyFireFlash said
Hello Hayden,
Your case was sent for review. One of the problems we face is so many emails. This is a never ending problem. The first priority is to address new buyer victims. SOSFakeFlash, part of the FrankenFlash Project has a duty to document the issue.
We can’t remove alerts. However, we can add to the record.
You have done so by leaving your comment. We thank you for your courage, honesty and integrity.
For sellers, you need to understand something you may not know. The FrankenFlash project was not founded by buyers of fake flash memory items alone. It was co-founded, by both buyers and some eBay sellers who sold fake flash memory items to customers. Yes, by eBay sellers who sold fake flash!
In fact, one of the earliest articles published was:
The wonderful thing about uk-choice? He knows more about flash memory and is willing to test his items before selling to buyers.
For branded items, he only deals now with authorized sellers. For non branded, he makes sure to test the items.
Dear Readers, not one of us is perfect. We all have made mistakes in our lives. What matters is….. what do we do about them?
uk-choice has chosen be careful and to protect his buyers, therefore as far as SOSFakeFlash is concerned, you may buy from this seller with confidence. In fact he knows about flash memory now and will make sure that the product you receive IS the capacity he advertises.
To other internet sellers and eBay sellers, learn from uk-choice’s personal experience. Becareful. Test the items you sell to ensure true capacity. If you have accidentally sold fake memory, on eBay in particular, do the right thing (read the article in this comment), follow in uk-choice footsteps. Demonstrate integrity he has!
TechChips at his site has revealed that over 1 million fake flash memory chips are sold every month! Anyone can become a victim, buyer or seller!
We encourage everyone’s comments at SOSFakeFlash! So we can all learn, grow and become wiser.