Reasonable chance that the just-removed Samsung 64GB micro card deal is NOT fake

[Deactivated] on 15/06/2014 - 12:42
Last edited 15/06/2014 - 12:58

Life's a gamble…

On balance, at the stated price as it was - around AUD$12 - I believe that this would have been a reasonable one for many OzBargainers to take, including me.

The new 'EVO' and 'PRO' branding on their memory cards was only announced by Samsung two months ago. Cards have only been available in the marketplace for a month.

Good possibility that Samsung would do momentum-generating, inevitable forum-appearing deals with selected sellers in order to promote familiarity with the rebranding.

On the basis of recent NAND flash prices, there is a general glut in the marketplace. Without efforts to generate enthusiasm, this is not a great time to add/replace/re-brand product lines, when general competitor pricing is just so keen.

There is nobody more circumspect about Chinese counterfeiting than me. Authorities found faked aircraft components in Air Force One; there are probably some in your car; very likely some components in even branded electronic products that you have owned (just ask certain Dell customers for their tale of woe), and drug company security teams often find it difficult to identify real from faked holographic seals on counterfeit drugs.

I regularly get bemused at the (seems twice weekly) lithium powerbank deals on OzBargain that many people jump on.
Many carry with them a high safety risk if they contain poor electronics and wiring or faked common-use-in-powerbank-cells like LG and, yes, Samsung. Plenty of both out there.
Worse danger can be the regular China-scam of use high internal-resistance refurbed cells - be they genuine brands or faked - in powerbanks. Poor performance at best, explosion/fire at worst.

I'd rather take a gamble on a cheap memory card that, in the circumstance, just might be legit.

Either way, betwixt order and receipt, there might be a good $12 worth of in-between dreaming that the seller might actually send you a Mitsubishi EVO instead…

When you drive one of those, holding onto your life, licence etc. - also a gamble!

Anyway, Mods may like to at least consider reinstating the deal.

Electrical & Electronics

Comments

  • retiredfeline on 15/06/2014 - 12:58

    Either way, betwixt order and receipt, there might be a good $12 worth of in-between dreaming that the seller might actually send you a Mitsubishi EVO instead…

    :) Entertaining post. Fortunately I neither need a 64GB card nor a Mitsubishi EVO, so I'll pass. But yeah, I think all the comments in that deal should be sufficient caution for anybody who can read. I'd be interested in the outcome if someone actually buys. Good to know there's glut in the market though.

    • [Deactivated] on 15/06/2014 - 13:09

      Thanks, gp.

      I've pretty much given up on posting cautions in certain deal threads, but this one was both interesting and had plenty of heads-up people in it.
      I was about to post some of the above when the deal was pulled.

      There was a forum thread posted by someone yesterday that was deleted with re-direction to another thread and should NOT have been. (Very distinct discussion about alternative sourcing of Coles giftcards, not from 'Entertainment Book'.)

      I'm a bit worried about the modding on that one too.
      Left pondering the possible motivations at play.

      • Moderatorneil on 15/06/2014 - 15:09

        There was a forum thread posted by someone yesterday that was deleted with re-direction to another thread and should NOT have been. (Very distinct discussion about alternative sourcing of Coles giftcards, not from 'Entertainment Book'.)

        Link?

        There is no conspiracy. Counterfeit items are not permitted (by OzBargain and by law). We need to weigh the information on whether the likelihood of the item is counterfeit or not. For that deal, it was likely. If you provide information that shows it is not, then we are happy to re-publish.

        If you see a counterfeit item posted on OzBargain, then use the report button.

        • [Deactivated] on 15/06/2014 - 15:25

          Neil, all I know is that the closed forum thread from yesterday was redirected by hamza23 to 143319.

          The information in that thread was directly at odds with the question that was (very specifically) posed by the OP in the original post.

          In relation to both posts, I'm not suggesting an conspiracies. Just wondering - relative to other things - about the thought processes involved.

        • Moderatorneil on 15/06/2014 - 15:33

          I've had a look through.

          The original forum post asked where to buy discounted Coles gift cards apart from Entertainment book.

          It was unpublished and redirected to this current thread which says that Entertainment no longer offers 5% off Coles gift cards and where to buy discounted Coles gift cards?

          Seems pretty similar to me, no?

        • [Deactivated] on 15/06/2014 - 15:57
          -1

          Neil, is it not reasonable - and I've seen the opposite happen before on a number of occasions to other people - that info of some length and thought that is posted to help out someone AND is both specific to the question being asked AND not replicated (or likely to be by two-finger-typists like me!) in the other thread, that it is left to stand, as is and separate?

          Surely, that's a reasonable expectation?

        • Moderatorneil on 15/06/2014 - 16:55

          I'm not sure I understood what you wrote without specific examples. Can you rephrase?

          Keep in mind, most of the moderating of forum posts are done by acting on reports (1000/month) from users. Due to the sheer number of comments, deals, and forum posts, if you don't report it, we don't know about.

        • [Deactivated] on 15/06/2014 - 17:46

          In the case yesterday, I mentioned in some detail and with caution to the OP (referenced to both my experience and that of another OzBargainer - as relates delivery time and contact) that you could source Coles giftcards through KareKard for 5, occasionally 7.5, and very occasionally for even higher percentages-off. Useful and specific info, I would have thought.

          Here's a thought that may serve as a half-way remedy, and I am NOT re-typing this in the 'site suggestions' thread! Maybe you could paste it…

          Neil, in relation to the closing of threads that I and others might perceive as over-zealous modding - and hamza23 might have considered to be otherwise, yesterday - would it not be generally useful for mods to have the facility to indeed paste comments into existing threads before killing a new one and whatever information it contained?
          I can anticipate there being some issues with this, but would they be insurmountable?

          For anyone who spends any time on the forums and keeps an eye on the 'new forum post' display, this won't help foster new discussion (most forum posts die a death after they drop-off that), at least the 'half-way remedy' above would help people who specifically go searching for topics and information down the track in an otherwise dormant or close to dormant thread.

        • Moderatorneil on 15/06/2014 - 18:01

          Here's a thought that may serve as a half-way remedy, and I am NOT re-typing this in the 'site suggestions' thread! Maybe you could paste it…

          It's fine here. I'll flag this thread with other moderators if they wish to comment.

          Neil, in relation to the closing of threads that I and others might perceive as over-zealous modding - and hamza23 might have considered to be otherwise, yesterday - would it not be generally useful for mods to have the facility to indeed paste comments into existing threads before killing a new one and whatever information it contained?

          I don't think a moderator can determine what comments need to be in the new thread. We certainly will update price/expiry date/etc in original deal but I don't think it's reasonable feasible for a moderator to read every comment in a duplicate thread and make notes of what comments aren't mentioned in the original thread. We would also have a difficulty knowing what comments would be useful to be carried forward to the original thread.

          However, if you report/TWAM/PM us what comments you think need carried forward, we will certainly do so. I can add your Karecard comment to the new thread…or you can add to that thread.

          So I think what you are saying is that you know its a duplicate thread but you wouldn't have seen it as it wasn't posted recently (e.g. in the new forum thread section)? Would that be accurate?

        • [Deactivated] on 15/06/2014 - 19:07

          I regularly comment in the forums, but extremely rarely even look in the forum section proper. A glance or a specfic look for something, maybe once a month, if that.

          I rely, and I suspect many regular OzBargainers rely, on the too-short (especially in recent times) 'new forum post' display to prompt interaction. If I miss something, unless it pops up in the live feed, to me - and I suspect many other regulars who also spend 'too much time they don't really have' on OzB - it's gone. (A bit like my most of Sunday now. Jesus. It's dark outside…)

          Neil, I glanced through the old thread with disdain following the summary execution of the new one and saw no help for the new-thread poster there.
          I had posted my comment to help him just minutes after he posted the topic and then the whole post came down just minutes after that.

          So… absent any pasting of my comment, and his/her response to it to the older thread, the likelihood of any further interaction to help them - close to zilch.
          The momentum for discussion that comes from being in the 'new topic' sidebar - also gone.

          As am I right now. Sore eyes + must eat food.

  • Cheeper on 15/06/2014 - 14:45

    "Reasonable chance that the just-removed Samsung 64GB micro card deal is NOT fake."

    Damn good chance that a 64g card for $12 IS fake… LOL
    Buy one, test it, then post the deal.

    • [Deactivated] on 15/06/2014 - 14:58

      I read the thread, followed various links, read what I needed to read to gain a 'gut feeling', then the deal was pulled by one of the mods.

      If this post serves any purpose, it will be by way of the mods and the original poster - whose name I didn't catch.

  • p1 ama on 15/06/2014 - 16:03

    I think this is a fairly philosophical issue and comes back to why OzBargain exists in the first place. OzBargain exists, to me, as a means of propagating information. I see a great deal somewhere, I come here and post it to share with other people, everyone benefits.

    At the end of the day, that's all it is, the transfer of information. The decision whether to buy or not, should remain with the person making the purchase. For this reason, I don't think moderators should take down deals on the basis that they are counterfeits.

    It is up to the buyer, based on the information they have, to determine whether the product is a counterfeit and whether it is worth the risk.

    • Moderatorneil on 15/06/2014 - 16:46

      Except counterfeits are illegal and other than the ethical issues can get this site AND its members in legal issues.

      • p1 ama on 15/06/2014 - 17:11

        But you have judged this to be counterfeit and hence, are taking the information away from those who may wish to bite the bullet and make the purchase.

        Is there any set formula you use to judge whether a particular deal is counterfeit or not?

        • Moderatorneil on 15/06/2014 - 17:25

          Sure, its weighing up the evidence of fake vs. real.

          • Many items on Aliexpress are counterfeit/fake.
          • The majority of comments on the thread thought the item to be fake.

          Someone mentioned that if it is fake you can get a refund but…

          Yes, if you return it for a full refund. Cost of postage to China is around the same price as this SD card, so the scam relies on people not sending it back at their own expense. Return postage is not covered, and you can only claim the purchase price via alibaba dispute service.

          It should also be noted it would take 60 days to receive item:

          Too good to be true? Two points;

          I recall a few years ago fake capacities were an issue with cheap SD cards. The card would say 8GB and a computer would say the card had 7.xGB free, but when you tried to write 7.xGB to the card it would corrupt the file. Often the true capacity was <2GB.

          60 Days - could this to void any chance of you getting a refund if the product never arrives. Could be a scam.

          and also this comment of a person who just received a fake from Aliexpress:

          I made the mistake of ordering a 64gb card from aliexpress, it was a fake and took a lot of time to get my money back as they want you to return the fake product.

          Aliexpress is good for clothes and simple items, electronics not so much.

          and this funny comment albeit not sure if true:

          i brought a hoodie, it was missing a sleeve.

          Amazon, who generally sell things very cheaply have the same item for $40. Big price difference between $12 shipped and $40 + shipping.

          And then there were the numerous reports about this card being counterfeit.

          So on the basis of reading all the comments on the thread, comparing this item with other retailers, looking at past purchase experiences as well as recalling some other counterfeits removed from here, we concluded that this item is more of the side of being counterfeit than being real.

          Seriously, we aren't on powertrips here, we don't want others to get ripped off nor receive counterfeits.

        • [Deactivated] on 15/06/2014 - 18:21
          -4

          I'll just say that maybe relative to some in the canned thread, I seem to have developed a well-honed 'gut instinct', backed-up by alot of reading as relates counterfeiting. I am yet to be caught out.

          Relative to the price in question, I did frame the gambling element of this carefully, but on-balance - for the other reasons I put - I still think the deal should have stayed up.

          We should also never forget the entertainment value of OzBargain. Either way, I did sense a bit of cheap-deal fun on offer. Alas.

          Quite alot better than a potentially dangerous faked or refurb-cell-loaded juicepack.

        • p1 ama on 15/06/2014 - 20:44

          So in this case it was more clearcut, but what if the price had been something more believable such as $25 instead of $12, would it be less of a counterfeit scare then?

          That's the problem, that it depends on YOUR discretion as to whether a deal is "counterfeit" or not and at the moment, you don't know whether it is a counterfeit or not. And for the time being, that is simply your opinion, not a fact.

          If someone has bought from said seller before and the seller is known for counterfeiting, then fine, delete the deal. But until that happens, there's a chance that the deal might be legitimate and there are people who, for $12, might be willing to pull the trigger because the risk is "worth it" for them.

          That's a personal decision which I think they should be allowed to make, rather than have Big Brother control what deals they see and what they can't.

          Seriously, we aren't on powertrips here, we don't want others to get ripped off nor receive counterfeits.

          I know you're trying to protect the members of OzBargain. But members are all old and responsible enough to make the decision to buy on their own.

        • Moderatorneil on 15/06/2014 - 22:09

          I think in this case, there is far more evidence that this item is fake than a real Samsung card. However, you are right there are trickier situations such as the thread listed below. The OP received the item and after tested determined it was real. However, others on the thread think differently. So we need discussion, gather more evidence, contact reps etc.

          If someone has bought from said seller before and the seller is known for counterfeiting, then fine, delete the deal.

          Except as stated before, no one is going to send the thing back to China. And will Aliexpress act? Whats to prevent the seller from starting a new account (the account was fairly new)? Google Aliexpress fake SD cards. Lots of complaints from people. Some even link to the accounts that sold them the items. Those companies are still selling.

          That's a personal decision which I think they should be allowed to make, rather than have Big Brother control what deals they see and what they can't.

          If we were talking about anything else then fair point. People are free to decide what is a bargain and what is not. But when banned items are posted we need to act.

          Sorry, we will block spam, scams, sockpuppets and counterfeit items.

        • altomic on 17/06/2014 - 14:07

          Many items on Aliexpress are counterfeit/fake.

          I have bought about 8 USB memory sticks and micro sd cards from Aliexpress that were very cheap. I tested them all with H2Testw and they were all fake.

          My experience with cheap USB memory sticks and micro sd cards on Aliexpress is that they are fake.

          And I would confidently predict that all cheap USB memory sticks and micro sd cards on Aliexpress are fake.

          The problem is so many buyers will buy them. they can format them, look at properties and see they are X gb in size and be happy. and then they will post feedback stating "excellent item" and then a month later when they try to use the full capacity of the item they find there is a problem and it is too late.

          I have gone through the dispute resolution service with Aliexpress and have received a full refund on all fake USB memory sticks and micro sd cards which i had bought.

          You can format them to their correct size (between 6- 8 gb in size) but the effort is excessive.

          This is not to say all USB memory sticks and micro sd cards are fake, but if it is too cheap then I would believe they are fake. - always test capacity with H2Testw

  • Unorthodox on 15/06/2014 - 16:48

    Quick question:
    Are the non-genuine powerbanks considered fake? (Ie: recently there's been a lot of powerbanks deals and some have been proven as replicas)

    Those deals are still kept on ozbargain buy should a note be posted warning that those are fake? (When confirmed)

    • Moderatorneil on 15/06/2014 - 16:52

      If there are products that are counterfeits then certainly report them.

      If the deal has much discussion and it has proved to be counterfeit, we can put a warning in, remove all links to the offending site. This way members can discuss what they can do to resolve the situation.

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