Merchants exploiting Takealot to sell dodgy products

[Daniel Puchert]

Takealot platform allegedly exploited to sell counterfeit goods

Unscrupulous merchants on Takealot's marketplace have allegedly been exploiting the platform's features to sell knock-offs and counterfeit goods under the banner of the genuine article, Carte Blanche reports.

In a segment that aired last Sunday, the investigative journalism programme showcased several examples ranging from first-aid equipment to protein powder.

 

[elf_lord_ZC5]

TEMU being sneaky ...

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

there is very little control when its called the free market economy,
happens everywhere, when there is so much money to be made from it,

when even the genuine article is made in the exact same factory as the Knock off and badge'd differently.
look at all those Dixon products sold at cash converters, those could all be knock off''s but you dont see people complaining.

same with AIM or Ottimo/sansui at PNP/Hifi corp, its done everywhere these days.

 

[Willie Trombone]

This is all on Takealot. It’s their algorithm. It’s their platform promoting fake goods above the real deal. Crooks. They should be nailed for false advertising.

 

[EL'Diablo]

MyBB support for Takealot is crazy!!!

 

[Willie Trombone]

there is very little control when its called the free market economy,
happens everywhere, when there is so much money to be made from it,

when even the genuine article is made in the exact same factory as the Knock off and badge'd differently.
look at all those Dixon products sold at cash converters, those could all be knock off''s but you dont see people complaining.

same with AIM or Ottimo/sansui at PNP/Hifi corp, its done everywhere these days.

Your example of Dixon is way off course. These aren’t being advertised as rebadged, they’re being punted as the real deal on takealot but something else is being sent. It’s deceptive marketing.

 

[Lupus]

there is very little control when its called the free market economy,
happens everywhere, when there is so much money to be made from it,

when even the genuine article is made in the exact same factory as the Knock off and badge'd differently.
look at all those Dixon products sold at cash converters, those could all be knock off''s but you dont see people complaining.

same with AIM or Ottimo/sansui at PNP/Hifi corp, its done everywhere these days.

Dixon and AIM are house brands, basically Dixon and AIM used to be made in the same factories just rebadged. They even used to go by the same codes.

 

[elf_lord_ZC5]

there is very little control when its called the free market economy,
happens everywhere, when there is so much money to be made from it,

when even the genuine article is made in the exact same factory as the Knock off and badge'd differently.
look at all those Dixon products sold at cash converters, those could all be knock off''s but you dont see people complaining.

same with AIM or Ottimo/sansui at PNP/Hifi corp, its done everywhere these days.

Been like that for many years ...

 

[elf_lord_ZC5]

Your example of Dixon is way off course. These aren’t being advertised as rebadged, they’re being punted as the real deal on takealot but something else is being sent. It’s deceptive marketing.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

Dixon and AIM are house brands, basically Dixon and AIM used to be made in the same factories just rebadged. They even used to go by the same codes.

my point exactly, nobody is shouting counterfeit there. people just accept they are cheaper versions of something more well known,
so if takealot sells counterfeits, who's to stop them, when many retailers do it.

same thing with all the weird stuff temu/shein and alibaba sell,

 

[Wrath of Khan]

without actually seeing this LifeVacuum cleaner (the fake one) then it's all hearsay, which is odd because in your TakeAlot account page all your orders are there with pictures and price etc. The article shows the real one from LifeVac, but unless it's a patented device then Mr. Shiwaaaa is allowed to make an identical one. If LifeVac is a registered trademark/name then you can also not use that name. But I can sell an identical one and call it the LungSucker5000 <--- that's perfectly legal in my brain.

You would need a person who specialises in business products etc to answer this

 

[My_King]

arme takealot, shame

 

[B-1]

my point exactly, nobody is shouting counterfeit there. people just accept they are cheaper versions of something more well known,
so if takealot sells counterfeits, who's to stop them, when many retailers do it.

same thing with all the weird stuff temu/shein and alibaba sell,

Thank you for explaining that you do not know the difference between knock-off and counterfeit.

 

[ISP cash cow]

my point exactly, nobody is shouting counterfeit there. people just accept they are cheaper versions of something more well known,
so if takealot sells counterfeits, who's to stop them, when many retailers do it.

same thing with all the weird stuff temu/shein and alibaba sell,

Its not counterfeit, it is its own brand "dixon"

Counterfeit is when you selling a "samsung" S24+ on takealot and when you get it is a knockoff of the samsung 24+ not the product manufactured from "Samsung"

 

[airborne]

without actually seeing this LifeVacuum cleaner (the fake one) then it's all hearsay, which is odd because in your TakeAlot account page all your orders are there with pictures and price etc. The article shows the real one from LifeVac, but unless it's a patented device then Mr. Shiwaaaa is allowed to make an identical one. If LifeVac is a registered trademark/name then you can also not use that name. But I can sell an identical one and call it the LungSucker5000 <--- that's perfectly legal in my brain.

You would need a person who specialises in business products etc to answer this

"Carte Blanche reported receiving a complaint from a shopper who said she clicked on Ventria’s LifeVac listing on Takealot but received a knock-off when her order arrived."

That's the problem right there, the customer clicked on the branded device expecting to get the branded item but what happens is multiple sellers can bid for the right to have their "buy box" on a listing, if you bid low enough you get the number one buy box(the cheapest price listed at the top). So what shady sellers do is they bid for a branded listing with no intention to supply the branded item but rather to either supply a generic or counterfeit item, essentially bait and switch.

 

[Jet-Fighter7700]

Its not counterfeit, it is its own brand "dixon"

Counterfeit is when you selling a "samsung" S24+ on takealot and when you get it is a knockoff of the samsung 24+ not the product manufactured from "Samsung"

but then what is the difference if its got a misspelled Samsung on it?
what is that if not counterfeit?

 

[Wrath of Khan]

"Carte Blanche reported receiving a complaint from a shopper who said she clicked on Ventria’s LifeVac listing on Takealot but received a knock-off when her order arrived."

That's the problem right there, the customer clicked on the branded device expecting to get the branded item but what happens is multiple sellers can bid for the right to have their "buy box" on a listing, if you bid low enough you get the number one buy box(the cheapest price listed at the top). So what shady sellers do is they bid for a branded listing with no intention to supply the branded item but rather to either supply a generic or counterfeit item, essentially bait and switch.

but then why doesn't the article show the item cart from TakeAlot from this specific person.

just do a test, go onto your profile and click on your orders, it shows all of them from decades ago. I'm sure this person thought she was buying a certain brand but actually bought a cheaper brand by mistake.

 

[Lupus]

but then what is the difference if its got a misspelled Samsung on it?
what is that if not counterfeit?

Cause you ordered a Samsung and got a Smasong instead that is the problem. Dixon making a TV isn't the same as you know you're buying a Dixon not a Samsung

 

[Aghori]

MyBB support for Takealot is crazy!!!

Pretty soon when Cakealot stop giving Jan money it will be "MyBB kisses Takealot goodbye"

 

[ISP cash cow]

but then what is the difference if its got a misspelled Samsung on it?
what is that if not counterfeit?

If you ordered a samsung and got a samsang - then it would be counterfeit

But thats not what you said though.

my point exactly, nobody is shouting counterfeit there. people just accept they are cheaper versions of something more well known,
so if takealot sells counterfeits, who's to stop them, when many retailers do it.

same thing with all the weird stuff temu/shein and alibaba sell,

Buying another brand which is a knock off of another brand like a "dixon" means I know what I am ordering and I know that it may be inferior to the brand it is knocking off as I bough the brand "dixon" and not a philips air fryer

the meaning of knockoff

Knockoff products are those that copy or imitate the physical appearance of other products but which do not copy the brand name or logo of a trademark. They may still be illegal under trademark laws if they confuse consumers or violate patents.

meaning of counterfeit

A counterfeit is an item that uses someone else's trademark without their permission. By making or selling a counterfeit, criminals seek to profit unfairly from the trademark owner's reputation. Counterfeiting is a fraudulent imitation (a forgery) of a trusted brand and product, and it is a serious crime.