eBay Sellers “No Returns” For USB Flash Drives. What Does This Mean? Is It Legal? Are Sellers Trying To Scam Buyers With Fake Memory? SOSFakeFlash Report On Changing Trends eBay Sellers And The War To Stop The Sale Of Counterfeit And Fake Memory On eBay. The No Returns On eBay Beware Of Fraud!

Recently, eBay sellers started to add “No Returns” in their listings for flash memory, especially for usb flash drives. What does this mean? Why would honest eBay sellers suddenly stop accepting returns for flash memory items? Do they have something to hide? Our report will help you understand the newest threat to members buying flash memory on eBay.

eBay flash memory listings stating “No Return” is just the newest scam, an attempt to avoid responsibility for selling potential false capacity. What honest seller would refuse a return? Flash memory is not underwear. Is it a new ploy to create the illusion of clearance, fast sale? SOSFakeFlash doesn’t think so.

In 2008 a group of eBay members and sellers decided to expose the issue of fake memory being sold on eBay. In googling the internet, there were clues about the problem on eBay but there no concentrated effort to “DO SOMETHING”. At that time, fake flash memory sellers were mostly power sellers with very high scores. “FakeFlashAngels”, began warning buyers to test their arriving products with H2testw. Buyers did and they left negative feedback to warn others.

At first the power sellers did not know what was happening, but they caught on and began using private listing auctions. The people who warned, adapted. Negative feedback continued against the fraudulent sellers and try as they would, using private auctions only delayed their suspension, it do not stop it from happening, frauded buyers made sure they were suspended.

eBay adapted too. They began sheltering the sellers, hiding the identities of auction winners. The FakeFlashAngels, adapted to their adaptation and changed their strategies. No matter how eBay and PayPal tried to protect the fraudulent power sellers, they were removed, one by one. eBay members committed to having them kicked off eBay.

By 2010 the power sellers adapted again. They realized high score id’s could no longer protect them so they began a new fake flash strategy – unleashing many ids with low scores to sell at the same time, even registering them in foreign countries less suspect.

In March 2011, the FlashDriveFacts site issued a report and warning:

Changing Trends In The Sale Of Fake Memory On eBay For USB Flash Drives, Memory Cards And MP Players. SOSFakeFlash Advises Do Not Buy From eBay Sellers With Low FeedBack Scores. Avoid Sellers with Scores Under 300+ To Protect Yourself From Potential Fraud. Learn Why.

Meanwhile FrankenFlash project sites continued to issue alerts and warnings. Brand names began pressuring eBay, more people were finally getting refunds. eBay was forced to take over “Buyer Protection”, everyone knew that “PayPal Buyer Protection” was only spin, not truth, designed to give false confidence to potential buyers.

In late fall 2010, due to pressure from brand names such as Sandisk, Kingston, Sony and Corsair, both eBay and PayPal had to change their rules. They could no longer deny the counterfeit items and they could not legally force buyers to return counterfeit items, especially as it a violation of postal laws in most countries around the world:

PayPal Refunds – Counterfeit Items Policy Change Nov 01 2010. What Does This Mean For Fake Flash Memory? MP Players, USB Flash Drives, Memory Cards? Hacked Memory Awareness Growing.

eBay sellers were advised buyers did not have to return counterfeit items as a condition of refund. So fraudulent sellers were going to lose their fake flash inventory.

A lot of eBay sellers tried to get around the rules. When buyers report receiving false capacity and sent them the testing results of H2testw, do these sellers stop selling? In a lot of cases they don’t. Instead they change the listings to read: “Defective” “For Parts Only” “Faulty”. It’s an old word game and project sites don’t fall for it. Most of these sellers find themselves suspended by eBay shortly afterwards. The word games did not work.

If you bought from an eBay seller who states “No Returns”, don’t think you can’t get your money back, you can. In fact you must not let them get away with it.

The FakeMemorySentinel site’s investigators send us these listings, they are just a few of the many “No Returns” suddenly showing up on eBay.

Do you want to have a look? To see how eBay sellers are trying to get away with a new scam?

This seller is offering a Kingston DT310 usb flash drive at $200 us. Can you buy one at that price?

Read: Kingston DT310/256 Counterfeits Sold On eBay!

Make sure you click on the newegg link to get the current price. It has gone up. The recent tragedy in Japan along with a weakened US dollar has caused flash memory prices to rise. Yes, increase. Not decrease in price.

The mark up for flash memory is small. So how could this seller offer it for 1/4 of the current price offered at the most reputable internet discount site? No returns? What does this have you thinking?

This seller is offering a Leather usb flash drive at an advertised 256GB capacity.

Just a quick look at the packaging has members of the FrankenFlash project feeling ill. It’s the oldest fake sold on eBay. It has been offered for more than 8 years. It’s usb flash controller chip is so easy to manipulate – to change it’s size from 256MB to 512GB. One again, the seller is not accepting returns.

This seller is offering a 64GB Corsair Voyager flash drive. Corsair never made this size. Once more, no returns accepted. Are you starting to get a clearer picture of what “No Returns” really means? Who it is trying to protect?

It is not clear if this is a new idea sponsored by eBay or something the sellers are dreaming up. Given the number of sellers using this “No Returns”, it is probably another desperate attempt by eBay to protect sellers, not buyers. There is just too much negative press and it is hurting eBay’s sales for flash memory. The internet exposure is justified, just talk to a victim of fake flash memory purchased on eBay. Actually the hundreds of thousands of victims… every year.

What nobody understands is eBay’s stubborn refusal to change listing rules for usb flash drives, memory cards and mp players. So sellers could be held accountable and forced to pay damages, to buyers, to eBay and PayPal, if they are caught selling false capacity memory that destroys user data. Of course, if they changed the rules to protect buyers, then there would be very few listings for flash memory on eBay. Most honest sellers go out of business on eBay in less than a year for flash memory, they can’t make a profit, especially with the cut both eBay and Paypal take from them.

In just one warning published by FakeMemorySentinel:

venzala2407 – vasilyan2010 – mjcseh – vlsh2 – saffronantique – evolutionen30 eBay Flash Memory Sellers – Test Immediately To Verify Advertised Capacity. Please Avoid Fake Memory Products! Fälschung?

How many of the sellers are trying to use the “No Returns” for Corsair Flash Voyager usb drives? 5 of these sellers are offering a capacity not made by Corsair for this model.

The “No Returns” are showing up in eBay listings for flash memory every where. It appears to be a new adaptation to get around eBay rules and to try and slide past responsibility for the items they are offering.

Where does that leave you as a buyer?

It means you have two choices:

1) Fall for the scam of no returns and lose your money.

2) Demand you refund. Report the seller to eBay and to the brand name.

The choice is yours.

The most severely and obvious are eBay sellers offering the DT310.

The most important thing for you to remember?

Do not be deceived by what flash memory sellers put as conditions in their listings. Fake memory, is exactly that, FAKE.

It’s also very dangerous to use as you risk loosing your files and data, for good.

The other interesting thing SOSFakeFlash has noticed is that sellers using the “No Return” often charge a lot more for the items, to try and appear real?

There is only one way you are going to know if you have a real capacity usb flash drive. To test it with the free program, H2testw.

Additional Reading:

H2testw 1.4 – Gold Standard In Detecting USB Counterfeit Drives

Can You Fix Fake DT310 USB Flash Drives?

Fake Flash Memory – Hacked! Top Articles SOSFakeFlash. Consumer, Reseller Education. Beware. Be Wise. Learn. Avoid Fake Flash Memory. Learn To Test For Real Flash Memory Capacity.

Genuine Verses Fake Counterfeit USB Flash Drives – A Guide – USB Flash Chips Used In USB Flash Drives – Grades A B C D

How Can You Spot Fake Flash Memory Chips? What Is the Key Factor That Determines If MP3 MP4 Players, USB Flash Drives Or Memory Cards Are Fake Capacity?