Fake MicroSD Card from Shopping Express

Lserrin on 28/01/2015 - 21:29

So has anybody else recieved a fake MicroSD card from Shopping Express? I bought a Sandisk Ultra 64GB microSD card during their Boxing Day sale which promptly went out of stock and they didn't ship it for ~3 weeks. I recieved it last week but only really tested it out the other day. After formatting it, windows started throwing up errors and asking for a the card to be reformatted.
So I went in, and lo and behold, it's now recognising it as 32MB card. On closer inspection, the grey on the card has a slight reddish tinge to it, and the screen printing isn't quite as clear as others I have seen.

Pics or it didn't happen:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/serrin85/Other/IMG_20…
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/serrin85/Other/IMG_20…
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/serrin85/Other/format…

Did anybody else have a similar problem with MicroSD cards from Shopping Express or is it just me?

Computing

Related Stores

Shopping Express
Shopping Express

Comments

  • netsurfer on 28/01/2015 - 21:40

    Do you want to check the partition setup of the microSD card?
    Go to Computer Management, Disk Management, and check your microSD card. Ensure you don't have a really small FAT32 partition, followed by an unused partition or other types of partitions.

    If not, contact Shopping Express for a replacement.

  • serrin on 28/01/2015 - 21:58

    Cheers, didn't think about that.
    Shopping Express, as per usual, have not replied to numerous emails/support ticket. Their phone service is attrocious. I've lodged a paypal claim as well as that's probably the easiest way to get my money back.
    Anyway here's a screen shot of the partition setup (the 64GB isn't squirrelled away):
    http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v208/serrin85/Other/partio…

    And a log from rufus:
    http://pastebin.com/WbKB7sgL

    Windows formatting tool just failed without giving much info as to why.
    More of a wondering if this was an isolated incident or not. They seem to be a reputable company and the router that came with it is working well but I wouldn't have thought such a business would sell fake MicroSD cards.

    • Store RepShoppingExpress @ Shopping Express on 30/01/2015 - 11:01

      Hi serrin,

      We only sell Genuine MicroSD cards and have never receive a fake microsd complain since we started. Please try to contact us again as we are definitely happy to assist you to resolve the case & have no intention/reason to avoid taking responsibility.

      At the same time, would you mind PM me your ticket id as well as the date/time that you've called? We provide limited service from christsmas till 12-1-15 so not sure if your ticket & phone call came through between that period of time.

      Kind Regards
      SE

      • serrin on 30/01/2015 - 11:43

        I only have internet access through my phone right now, but the support ticket was in relation to the 3 week delay in what was supposed to be at worst 1 week to shipping. I called your phone line on 5/1/14 + 6/1/14 and all the phone service did was pick up and immediately hang up. I filed a ticket about this on the 5th as well. I did manage to get onto someone on the 12th, who said that the microSD card was out of stock and holding up the order, but was arriving in the next day or two. Fast forward a week and I ring again and I'm told that the discount for the switch had been applied to all the items, not just the switch and I had to pay half the difference, food the first time. Aside from the invoice shopping express have not once emailed me about any of this. If I didn't keep pestering them I would be still waiting for my stuff to arrive.
        I was referring to the PITA it was to contact you guys in order to find out where it was, rather than about the fake MicroSD card, because after that last run in, I wasn't keen on repeating the whole phone call/support ticket fiasco. Likewise my emails to shopping express have not been answered so I guess paypal is the only way to get a response.
        I didn't want to detract from the original topic which is the fake MicroSD card, so let's leave it at that.

      • serrin on 07/02/2015 - 14:27

        Turns out ShoppingExpress isn't a genuine sandisk retailer:
        http://www.sandisk.com/about-sandisk/find-a-retailer

        • eug on 07/02/2015 - 18:52
          +2

          I don't think that list is anywhere near complete. There are plenty of retailers like Umart, MSY, etc who definitely sell genuine products but are not listed there. Even Dick Smith isn't listed.

        • serrin on 12/02/2015 - 12:06

          @eug: Sorry I didn't realise that they said that to me over my paypal claim, not in the Ozbargain thread. There are plenty of retailers who sell sandisk products but aren't listed, but for those retailers there is no guarantee that they source their products from sandisk and not from a middle man. It is complete though as I have checked with sandisk themselves and shopping express are not a genuine sandisk retailer, but this does not mean they aren't selling genuine sandisk products (if that makes sense).

        • eug on 12/02/2015 - 12:43

          @serrin: Your wording is misleading. Saying a retailer is not a "genuine retailer" implies that they are selling non-genuine items.

          "Official retailer" would be more appropriate. In any case, IMHO it's a completely pointless term and list. There are a number of small companies on that list - what's to stop the store named "Cheap Chips" from buying from a middle man, i.e. a distributor?

          And more importantly, it is completely normal for retailers to buy from distributors like Ingram Micro and Synnex. Manufacturers don't normally sell direct to retailers, unless they have a large local presence AFAIK.

          The fact that Dick Smith isn't on that list really discredits the entire list for me. If they couldn't be bothered putting a huge retailer that definitely sells genuine Sandisk items on that list, the fact that a smaller company like SE isn't on that list is meaningless, isn't it?

        • serrin on 12/02/2015 - 13:20

          @eug: It's not my wording though, Shopping Express themselves claimed to be a genuine retailer in their paypal claim with me. Sandisk themselves used the term authorised reseller to describe those shops on their list and referred to Shopping Express as a third party online store and specifically said that Shopping Express were not an authorised reseller.
          Whether you feel the list is reputable or not is the point, I was pointing out the fact that Shopping Express claimed they were a 'genuine retailer' and asked me to check with Sandisk, who then refuted that claim.
          I even explained that in my previous post that Shopping Express might be selling genuine Sandisk products, but my main point is highlighting this duplicity in their communications with me.
          For what it's worth, I have purchased Sandisk products from MSY and Umart and I trust them, even if they're not authorised resellers.

        • eug on 12/02/2015 - 13:39

          @serrin: Mmm, now you're mentioning different terms. If a store says they're a genuine retailer, that tells me they sell genuine products. So far that hasn't been disproven yet, with SE.

          You mentioned Sandisk's term is "authorised reseller". Did SE claim to be an authorised reseller or a genuine retailer?

          This looks like just a problem with terminology and what seems to be Sandisk's poor attempt at maintaining a list. I'm guessing MSY, Umart, etc get their Sandisk products from Ingram Micro and Synnex.

          Evidently those distributors aren't telling Sandisk who their customers are, so Sandisk would have no real idea who their genuine retailers actually are.

          I see what you mean by SE asking you to check with Sandisk and Sandisk saying no, but it looks like Sandisk don't actually have a list of actual stores that sell genuine Sandisk products. Maybe SE should have said check with Synnex/IM instead, but that might not be easily done.

        • serrin on 12/02/2015 - 15:50

          @eug: It may or may not be Sandisk's poor attempt at maintaining a list of retailers or that the listed authentic retailers deal with Sandisk directly. With such a long distrobution chain, I doubt Sandisk could be bothered maintaining a list.
          Sandisk specifically said they were not an authorised retailer and called them a third party online store. They could not and did not verify if Shopping Express sell genuine products.
          Given the MicroSD card I recieved, there has to be some questions raised as to Shopping Express' supply chain.
          If you've looked at the pictures of the SD card, it has a Class 10 symbol, rather than the UHS 1 symbol that is seen on other Sandisk Ultra 64GB cards.
          https://www.google.com.au/search?q=sandisk+ultra+microsd+64g…
          My microSD card:
          http://smg.photobucket.com/user/serrin85/media/Other/IMG_201…

        • eug on 12/02/2015 - 16:57

          @serrin:

          I doubt Sandisk could be bothered maintaining a list.

          Yes I probably wouldn't be bothered too. But to make it fair for everyone, I would take down the incomplete list altogether.

          If you've looked at the pictures of the SD card, it has a Class 10 symbol, rather than the UHS 1 symbol that is seen on other Sandisk Ultra 64GB cards.

          Could it be old stock, like this Amazon listing?
          http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Ultra-MicroSDXC-Memory-Adapter…

          Then again, the new listing still uses the same render.
          http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Ultra-UHI-I-Class-Memory/dp/B0…

          I wonder where SE got it from.

          I've read about people sending close-up photos of their cards to Sandisk including the serial number on the back to find out if it's genuine. Have you tried that?

  • hippo2s on 29/01/2015 - 00:11

    Just contact them for a replacement. Not the first time i've seen part of the chip die, crippling and halfing the capacity. I've seen it with Sandisk USB sticks too.

    Certainly wouldn't think they would knowingly sell fake cards.

    • Axelstrife on 29/01/2015 - 00:21
      +1

      64gb down to 32mb thats a fake mate not a malfunctioning card.

    • amkssg on 29/01/2015 - 00:26

      If you paid via paypal, please lodge a paypal dispute before your time runs out. (60 days if I am correct.)

      If you wait any longer for them to reply, you can wave goodbye to your cash, and will have no avenue of recourse.

      • Axelstrife on 29/01/2015 - 00:30
        +1

        180 days mate

        • amkssg on 29/01/2015 - 00:38

          oops… I forgot that they extended the period.

        • serrin on 30/01/2015 - 11:51

          @bsmksg: yeah I was pleasantly surprised by that too. It used to be 45, then 30, good to see they've increased it.

  • amkssg on 29/01/2015 - 00:23

    It definitely looks fake. (I have one that looks exactly the same, that I bought from ebay a year ago.)

    If you paid by paypal, file a dispute.
    You MUST lodge the case as "Counterfeit/Fraudulant".

    Simple reason being, it is illegal to trade/ship counterfeit item, and therefore paypal will not ask you to return the item. And the seller has no right to ask for the item either.

  • Cheeper on 29/01/2015 - 00:57

    Have you tried a pm to their site rep on here or leaving a message on their FB page?
    If they had a batch of fake cards then they would certainly know about it by now… and it wont be good for their business image..

    Have you tried H2testw software to verify it as fake?
    Get it here..
    http://www.heise.de/download/h2testw.html

    • altomic on 29/01/2015 - 10:18

      H2testw software

      definitely

  • eug on 29/01/2015 - 03:25
    +2

    FWIW, the printing on mine doesn't look flash either. Pretty sure it's genuine.
    http://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/9075/28219/dsc03896.jpg
    http://files.ozbargain.com.au/upload/9075/28220/dsc03897.jpg

  • Denaz on 29/01/2015 - 19:52

    I hate being ripped off like that, I'd go further then paypal and go to consumer protection/affairs. Then send them an email telling them you've done so…. you'll probably get a pretty quick reply after that lol

  • serrin on 30/01/2015 - 11:35
    +1

    I've lodged a paypal claim, just waiting for the outcome.

  • perkinma on 12/02/2015 - 00:31

    Just found this thread. I bought a 64Gb Samsung Evo that wouldn't last more than a few hours before needing to be reformatted. Now it won't work at all, less than a week old.

    Will check mine out and see if it looks fake too.

    I emailed Shopping Express a few days ago but got no response. May have to do Paypal claim.

    • solidice on 12/02/2015 - 09:19

      Don't expect a response from them.

    • Store RepShoppingExpress @ Shopping Express on 12/02/2015 - 13:56

      Hi mate,

      Rest assured we only sell Genuine microsds and any DOA or warranty issues we will definitely be responsible for it.

      If you have not receive a response & need any help from me for the microsd, please PM me the ticket ID.

      Cheers
      SE

      • perkinma on 12/02/2015 - 20:57

        PM sent.

  • chromium on 13/02/2015 - 11:42

    My Samsung 64GB Evo that I ordered on 30/1 hasn't even shown up. I've emailed a couple of times and haven't had a response lately.

  • Noobist45 on 21/11/2017 - 12:29

    Thread is old but story is the same. Purchased 2 Samsung Evo 32Gb Micro SD cards from Shopping Express and both cards died within a week of each other. Replacement cards lasted a lot longer but eventually died as well.
    Ive got micro sd cards from when they were measure in MB instead of GB and they are still working just fine. I can rest assured that Shopping Express does sell fake memory cards - I'm not suggesting it's the only thing you sell but your kidding yourselves if you think your 100% perfect and selling only genuine cards.

    • eug on 21/11/2017 - 12:31

      Are you claiming they're fake because they failed twice?

      What did you use them in?

  • Noobist45 on 21/11/2017 - 13:59

    All 4 were used in smart phones.

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