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Buyer beware of fake cards offered by Marketplace Sellers
I purchased this "bulk packaging" 32GB micro SHDC card from Marketplace seller, KomputerBay. I was wary of purchasing this particular product from a marketplace seller because of the rampant availability of fake/counterfeit micro SDHC card being sold on eBay and other sales channels, but since this was being offered via Amazon fulfillment, I thought it would be a low-risk transaction.
I was wrong.
I was immediately suspicious when the product arrived, because the microSD to SD adapter card had a much older label than a more recent retail SanDisk microsdhc card that I purchased. When I inserted it into my computer, it reported a size of 30.6GB but states that it was unformatted and asked if I wanted to format it. I clicked yes, but it immediately stated that the card was unformattable. I tried different adapters and different computers, but it just wouldn't format. A closer look at the card also showed irregularities in the casing. This was a fake card. A little more internet research confirmed that at a minimum, a legitimate card has a serial number on it, although some fake cards do, too. The card I received had no serial number on it.
Do a search on fake microSDHC cards on the internet and you'll see a bunch of stories about it.
My advice to you is to stick to retail packages of these cards. Don't be fooled by the lower prices. Although there may be legitimate marketplace sellers offering cards in bulk packaging, it may be difficult figuring out who's selling the fake ones.
May 2011 · Electronics · verified purchase