How to avoid buying a counterfeit SD card

Counterfeit products are common in most web stores that allow third-party sellers, such as Temu and Walmart, but the problem is especially prevalent in certain categories on Amazon, where counterfeit SD cards are especially prevalent. This is the result of Amazon allowing third-party sellers to list products on the Amazon store with little to no oversight.

Amazon also allows third-party sellers to pay for advertising, which allows their products to appear higher in search results. fake Products. Even if you buy a name-brand product sold by a third-party seller, you may encounter a counterfeit product.

So how can you be sure the SD card you order is genuine? I’ll detail the signs I personally look for to spot a fake.

1 Stick to popular brands

Beware of clone brands that imitate the most popular brands

Amazon has a large selection of no-name brand SD cards. Some of these brands try to look like the brands they are imitating. These fake brands often use color schemes such as the black and red of popular brand SanDisk. Clones of popular brands are common everywhere third-party sellers operate, including Temu, Walmart, Amazon, and eBay. However, Amazon allows third-party sellers to pay to advertise their listings, and a “Sponsored” badge appears next to the seller’s name. This can make counterfeit products look even more authentic.

Amazon monitors these listings and responds to complaints, but due to the large number of third-party sellers constantly listing products, it may take some time and sales before counterfeit products such as SD cards are removed. Of course, not all third-party sellers sell counterfeit products, but there are so many that it is almost impossible to distinguish counterfeit SD cards sold by third-party sellers from real SD cards.

Many copycat brands appear to work fine, but have issues with actual storage capacity and reliability. Take the brand 5-Star for example. 5-Star makes SD cards that look almost identical to SanDisk SD cards, but due to reliability issues, the brand was removed from Amazon. However, other sites that allow third-party sellers, such as Walmart, still sell the 5-Star SD cards that were removed from Amazon.

While SD cards from popular brands like SanDisk, Lexar, PNY, and Samsung are safe, there is still the issue of counterfeit SD cards being mixed in with genuine SD cards.

Counterfeit SD cards sometimes make their way into the fulfillment program.

Large e-commerce companies such as Amazon and Walmart allow third-party sellers to store inventory in their warehouses. This allows the third-party sellers to use Amazon’s warehouses, and Amazon handles shipping and storage on their behalf. As a result, counterfeit products can find their way into Amazon and Walmart warehouses. Genuine SD cards can be stored alongside counterfeit products, making it difficult to distinguish between the real and fake.

Buying SD cards in bulk can also mean receiving a mix of real and counterfeit cards from third-party sellers using e-commerce fulfillment programs. Inventory commingling is a complex issue that also affects brick-and-mortar retailers, but is especially problematic when third-party seller fulfillment programs mix with inventory from larger companies.

2 Direct purchase

SD card manufacturers have their own web stores

We recommend buying SD cards directly from the manufacturer. Brands like SanDisk can be purchased directly from the Western Digital webstore. The same goes for Samsung SD cards. Even major brands can have issues with faulty SD cards, but you can get a refund or replacement much easier than buying from a third-party seller. Buying directly from the manufacturer gives you peace of mind knowing you’re getting the genuine product.

If you have an Amazon gift card or want to take advantage of Prime membership benefits, you can still buy directly from manufacturers when shopping on Amazon. Most of the big brands have their own store on the Amazon page where you can buy SD cards. To ensure you are buying a genuine product, always make sure the SD card you buy says “Sold and shipped by Amazon.”

3 Be careful about the storage capacity of the SD card

I can’t believe you can buy a 1TB SD card for $20.

It’s possible to spot a fake SD card online if the storage capacity to price ratio seems too good to be true. There have been many reports of abnormally large fake SSDs being sold on Amazon, and SD cards are no exception. 1TB SD cards typically sell for between $130 and $200. If you see a 1TB SD card being sold for less online, especially around $20 to $50, it’s most likely a scam.

If you find a good deal on an SD card, be sure to read the customer reviews to make sure the SD card is being sold by a reputable seller. Reading customer reviews can give you clues as to whether the card is fake, but don’t automatically read the highest-rated reviews. Read a few 1- or 2-star reviews to see if others have received fake SD cards from a particular seller in the past.

4 Buy from an authorized retailer

Other options include B&H Photo and Adorama.

The easiest way to buy genuine SD cards online is to buy them from an authorized camera gear retailer. I personally buy most of my camera gear and accessories from Samy’s Camera in Los Angeles and everything I need online from B&H Photo.

These are reputable retailers who buy directly from manufacturers and are authorized to sell genuine SanDisk, Canon, Nikon, Samsung, etc. You can also read customer reviews to ensure you’re not buying a faulty product when shopping online, but the safest bet is always to buy from a reputable vendor.