My personal, authentic AirPods Max removed as "counterfeit"
I recently decided to list my AirPods Max - in the Sky Blue color way - due to upgrading to the new USB - C version. Within 24 hours, they were removed as being "counterfeit", and I was warned not to re-list them. I realize that there are probably many fakes on eBay, but it's very disappointing to have my genuine item deemed "counterfeit".
I've decided to just keep them now, but my concern is having future authentic items removed with no way to appeal.
8 comments
gator08041971
·1 year agoI was going to add, if you do appeal and it gets accepted, take all new pictures if you relist.
And be sure to take plenty of pictures when dealing with items that could be subjected to this. It may help the Ai from being such a butt.
toysaver
·1 year ago"they were removed as being "counterfeit", and I was warned not to re-list them"
This is good advice. If you relist you may never be allowed to sell again. They may not have been removed by eBay but by Apple. Apple works hard to protect their brand. They sell some of the most knock offed products on the planet. They have a host of trained professionals that scour the internet looking for knock offs. They use giant computer screens and look for all sorts of secret little tells featured into the designs including proprietary fonts and other anomalies.
How did you determine yours were authentic? Where did you get them? How much did you pay? Do you have legitimate paperwork? Reputable stores are not immune from selling counterfeit goods. It's very profitable.
projectpurple007
OP1 year agoI determined they were authentic by purchasing them in person at Apple Carnegie Library in DC.
toysaver
·1 year agoMajor retail stores are not immune from selling counterfeit products. This is how it works - the counterfeiter buys real product and returns counterfeit product. The clerk responsible unknowingly puts it back into inventory ready for an unsuspecting buyer. This is worldwide criminal activity affecting multiple big business brands. They only have to be good enough to fool a clerk not a specialist trained to detect fakes.
ittybitnot
·1 year agoI determined they were authentic by purchasing them in person at Apple Carnegie Library in DC.
@projectpurple007
Unless you had a VERO takedown from Apple, this is likely just an eBay AI bot. Even if you get permission to repost from eBay, when they let the bot loose again, you find yourself with another violation. "Guilty because we say so" is the premise under which eBay operates. Thus diversification of your selling opportunities should be cultivated. Local for cash would be a good choice.
fbusoni
·1 year ago@projectpurple007
Yes, this is yet another hazard of selling on eBay.
Big name brands are and will always be subject to scrutiny and the authorities here will always err on the side of caution.
Why the authorities allow one seller to sell an item, and forbid another seller from selling the identical item, is often a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma. 😊
It's also possible that another seller reported your listing... that has been known to happen here.
projectpurple007
OP1 year agoAs an Apple enthusiast, I purchase a lot of products directly from Apple. When upgrading, I frequently sell my gently used products on eBay and have never had any issues with them being flagged as "counterfeit". I even purchased brand new ear cushions for these.
Due to the increasing popularity of AirPods Max, I'm sure there are a plethora of fakes on eBay. It's just unfortunate eBay's "automated" systems flags genuine products as counterfeit with no way to appeal.
pikabo-icu
·1 year ago@projectpurple007 If you still have your receipt or can do a print out of your order from the Apple Store history, you should be able to appeal.
Sorry this happened. Many times it's AI and/or an algorithm that makes the determination and sadly genuine items have been wrongly removed.
Including items eBay Authentication deemed genuine that still had their tag attached.
You can also try selling locally on FB Marketplace to avoid the hassle completely.
Good Luck