SOSFakeFlash Consumer Education Week 20090605 – 20090612. The Problem of Counterfeit and Fake Memory Sold On Ebay

SOSFakeFlash published a series of articles to educate consumers on the problem of fake mp players, usb flash drives and memory sticks sold on ebay during the week of June 5th 2009 to June 12th 2009. It includes information collected by the FrankenFlash Project over a 13th month period. The objective was to increase global awareness about the problem of false capacity devices being sold on eBay and to assist members to avoid buying false capacity items. These devices can be dangerous to files as they will be lost the moment the true capacity of the flash drive chips is exceeded.

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United States – Canada – Australia – Europe: eBay Sellers Of Fake MP Players, Memory Cards, USB Flash Drives. Blind Pursuit Of Greed and The Get Rich Quick Scheme.

Ebay Fake Flash Sellers in the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe are different from their Oriental cousins. Most Oriental fake flash sellers are just trying to move low capacity chips at their actual price with a modest mark up – to achieve this they just digitally alter the chips to appear the size consumers are interested in.

Fake flash eBay sellers elsewhere, only see Hugh dollar signs – get rich quick schemes. The majority do not do their product homework, they dive into the fake flash bargain bin at wholesaling internet sites in the Orient. Their goal? To buy a 32GB usb flash drive at $6 US and sell it at $40 US or more! Do you think the Project is pulling your leg? Read: Wholesale Prices For Fake Sony Kingston Counterfeit USB Flash Drives 16GB 32GB 64Gb 120GB 240GB 360GB 500GB

Their markup is unrealistic, but again greed blinds people. Times are hard and many just want to believe that selling flash based devices will quickly earn them many pots of gold. All financial woes to end, easy money here I come!

The number of eBay sellers who have been caught for selling fake flash in North America and Europe is not small. While some have been prodded into removing their listings quickly when good souls like you contact them to:

1) test
2) read up on the subject

others quickly flipped the switch on their auction listing to “Private Auctions” to avoid detection, refusing to allow anyone to spoil their profit objectives.

Worse still, are eBay fake flash victims who turn to the dark side. Having been sold fakes, they feel they have a right to sell them to others. Pass the Buck. If I got scr*wed why shouldn’t you. Diabolical, but true!

• Ebay Fake Flash Seller arifqammar – A Mystery In The Ukraine
• darnubiz Ebay Fake Flash Seller Alert USA – Mystery Of a Kingston DataTraveler USB Flash Drive

There are others but the stories depressing and miserable.

To the Project, the only thing worse than a fake flash seller is a fake flash victim who tries to sell his fakes to others.

The saddest case on file is a seller in Spain who sold his fake to a brand new eBay member – his very first purchase on eBay!

This might seem gloomy about eBay sellers outside of the Orient. You need to know there are positive outcomes. eBay sellers who having discovered they were selling fakes, make it a point to contact every single buyer and refund them! Apologize too. These sellers are classified as “Victim Sellers”. They helped to co-found the FrankenFlash Project with eBayer victims. Are you surprised?

eBay is a mirror of the world in which we live. The same applies to eBay and PayPal – as many companies that have followed the cost cutting mantra of this age, they have forgotten about who matters, who gives them business – YOU!

So what did you pay for your false capacity device from an eBay seller in United States or Canada or Australia or Europe? Did you pay a lot more than from Oriental fake flash sellers? The average bid prices up to the end of May 2009 are:

You will see that outside of the orient (under Asia) , the bid prices are higher for eBay sellers located on other continents. It makes little difference. A Fake is a fake. Only buyers attempting to avoid the orient thinking that they will get a true capacity flash device and who buy elsewhere, are just as likely to fall into the fake flash pit. Why? The prices paid are not in line with the true costs. There is little mark up or profit to be made selling these items, unless you can move in very large quantities.

We also need to be fair here. The current state of the global economy is partly due to a problem in values and beliefs. For too long everyone has believed you can get “more for less”. The fact is as we have said repeatedly – there is a rock bottom fair price. If you go below this, you will not get what you are expecting. It is impossible to deliver to you. No one sells to lose money.

The echo of all fake flash victims is the same. “I did not know”. Everyone including members of the FrankenFlash Project thought they were just cutting out the middle men. It is a rude surprise and awakening for all. In some cases with tragic consequences – permanent data loss. Most fake flash victims as a result of their ordeal and that includes members of the Project, became wiser as a result of this horrible experience.

If it is too good to be true, it usually is…

As a result of this experience many no longer buy on eBay and quite a few have left PayPal tool. Most victims are resolved to buy locally from reputable sellers and are now willing to pay the true and realistic prices for mp players, usb flash drives and memory cards.

Additional Reading:

• USB Flash Drives Best Price Bargains Fair Value To Sell Or Buy 8GB 16GB 32GB
• Genuine Verses Fake Counterfeit USB Flash Drives – A Guide – USB Flash Chips Used In USB Flash Drives – Grades A B C D
• What Are The Real Costs For Flash Chips In China? Guide 2009
• FAKE 16GB 32GB 64GB – Conversations Between A Fake Flash Seller and A Victim – The Truth About the Scam Exposed

The Orient – eBay Sellers Of Fake MP Players, Memory Cards, USB Flash Drives. Are You Not Getting What You Paid For?

Fake flash sellers on eBay are clever. The ones located in the Orient are professional, even polite. They have a long term view and have been in business for a long time on eBay – long before you bought your false capacity device!

Rarely rude, at least not at the at the start, they will apologize and do all they can to have you believe the item is defective or a mistake. Even point the finger at their wicked supplier for having deceived them to milk your tears of sympathy for all it is worth. They will plead saying their job is at stake. They will negotiate. They will bribe. They will tailor the story to your personality. It is an art form, part of doing business. You will not find the crude vulgarity displayed by North American scammers nor the obstinate short tempered nature of European fraudsters.

Many think the Oriental fake flash sellers are greedy. No they are not. They are moving product in volume. Since low capacity devices don’t sell, they simply dress them up to the capacity that will interest buyers.

The reality is, you simply pay a small premium for the value of possessing a counterfeit of false capacity. Known to victims as fake usb flash drives, fake mp players, fake memory cards Those who perform the digital alteration need to be be paid for their efforts. The data collected by the Frankenflash project supports this for items purchased in the Orient, for 16GB advertised capacity it is glaring. The true capacity of the flash chips are in line with the prices paid along with a small premium mark up added. Not what you were hoping to hear?

Consider the price you paid for your item then read:

• USB Flash Drives Best Price Bargains Fair Value To Sell Or Buy 8GB 16GB 32GB
• Genuine Verses Fake Counterfeit USB Flash Drives – A Guide – USB Flash Chips Used In USB Flash Drives – Grades A B C D
• What Are The Real Costs For Flash Chips In China? Guide 2009

Have a look at the average bid price a seller receives by the continent where the seller is located. Sellers in the Orient fall under “Asia”

The data is current up to the end of May 2009. Shipping charges are not tracked. If you read up on the cost of flash chips, now use the true capacity of your flash drive chip against the bid prices sellers in the Orient receive. What are your conclusions?

Unfortunately while fake flash eBay sellers in the Orient feel they are just “doing business” – the sad fact is, they are selling data poison. Buyers lose their files when it comes to usb flash drives and memory cards. The damage done has devastated many. For Buyers of MP Players, they receive aggravation and a loss of consumer confidence in buying ANYTHING that comes from the Orient.

You may find this article very interesting reading:

FAKE 16GB 32GB 64GB – Conversations Between A Fake Flash Seller and A Victim – The Truth About the Scam Exposed

6 Continents eBay Fake MP Players – USB Pen Drives – Memory Cards – SOSFakeFlash

The FrankenFlash Project has been tracking where fake Fake MP Players, USB Pen Drives and memory cards sold on eBay go. SOSFakeFlash has spend thirteen months investigating counterfeits. Presented by the six continents of Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania and South America the information is current ending in May 2009.

What were the average eBay bid prices for the fake usb memory sticks, MP Players and memory cards investigated by the advertised capacity on eBay?

The different sites in the FrankenFlash project have been researching the cost of flash drive chips. Recently FlashChipTutor learned that the cost has doubled per Gigabyte at the beginining of the year. Previously it was $1 US dollar per GB but now is $2 US. It should be noted that this is for the smaller chips and not the latest ones. Much also depends on the quality of the flash drive nand chip.

If one uses this rule of thumb it could mean that the current cost of an 8GB chip is? 8×2= 16 $US Dollars. What would it be for

Note that the average prices are over a 13 month period of data collection. Recently we had several resellers inform us that the cost for flash chips have been rising as FlashChipTutor predicted they would. To find out what the real costs are for flash chips please read:

• What Are The Real Costs For Flash Chips In China? Guide 2009
• USB Flash Drives Best Price Bargains Fair Value To Sell Or Buy 8GB 16GB 32GB

Afterwards you might be interested in reading through this article.

FAKE 16GB 32GB 64GB – Conversations Between A Fake Flash Seller and A Victim – The Truth About the Scam Exposed

Unpaid Item Strike eBay – What To Do When A Fake Flash Seller Gets Vindictive

You bought a fake MP Player, usb flash drive or memory card and discovered the Truth. You dragged the fake flash seller to the PayPal dispute console and forced him to return your money. Your money is refunded, then suddenly you find an unpaid item strike against you from eBay. What is going on? What should you do?