How the Amazon Counterfeit Program Works

Last updated on June 5th, 2023

Written by Himanshi Raj

Extensive counterfeiting is a significant problem on Amazon. You must have bought one too without knowing it. Chances are, frequent shoppers might have purchased a fake item from a malicious seller at some point and you can always avoid such problems by legit Amazon brand protection services. 

Accordingly, based on the findings of Counterfeit Reports, 13% of products sold on the platform are not genuine. Due to the gravity of the issue, Amazon has doled out $400 million to combat counterfeiting and abuse. Eventually, the dedication and sincerity of the E-Commerce giant to crack down counterfeiters have led to the implementation of Project Zero.

Analyzing the Probable Root of the Problem

The presence of counterfeiters may be traced to the platform’s third-party sellers. Typically, these sellers have no direct connections with the brands they market. At times, their listings appear alongside originals because unlike other platforms, Amazon crams all the listings of a single product on one page.

That is why, when you look for a particular item, for example, Gator Cable, you will find other brands carrying either the same model or a similar item also featured on the same page. It is in the buyers’ discretion to click on any brand they prefer.

If customers want to find out if a product is from a third-party seller or not, they only have to check the details concerning its origin. This information can be easily identified because it usually starts with either Ship from or Sold by.

This method of cramming all related listings on one page benefits Amazon by allowing them to maintain an affordable price range. It has also paved the way for the success of their prompt fulfillment system. The downside is it exposes the buyers to counterfeiters whose offerings appear alongside authentic Amazon product listings.

Fighting Counterfeits with Project Zero

The adverse effects of counterfeiting harm well-established brands, customers, and Amazon. That is why to help put a stop to it; the latter has created a brand-empowerment program called Project Zero.

Rolled out in 2019, the program, which is supported by Amazon’s machine learning, uses three tools: Automated Protections, Self-Service Counterfeit Removal Tool, and Product Serialization.

Automated Protection combs through stores meticulously. On average, it scans 5 billion listings daily and takes out potential counterfeits in the process. After testing the protections on several brands, Amazon has found out that this new program works 100 times better than their previous method of removing counterfeits reported by legitimate brands.

With the Self Service Counterfeit Removal Tool, legitimate brand sellers no longer have to report suspected fraudsters. The tool gives them the ability to immediately remove the counterfeit listings, hence giving them control over the listings featured in the store. Every use generates critical information that is fed into Automated Protections. The latter compiles this data for use in proactively spotting and apprehending potential counterfeits in the future.

Last but not least is Product Serialization. It works via unique codes, which it provides for every manufactured product. The brand manufacturer puts these codes on the units during the manufacturing process. Once purchased, the tool scans choosing a product with the code to confirm its authenticity.

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