WARNING: Compact Flash Cards

[osdude]

I had heard a lot about bogus compact flash cards being sold on eBay. And at such an inexpensive price, I thought I would try one, it didn't cost much ($9 USD). I bought a CF card from eBay listed as Extreme IV. After a little testing, I would call it a 20X (3MB). I could see where one sticker was removed and another added to make it 'look' like the better card.

I'm not complaining, because I got what I thought I would get - a bogus card. But you all need to be aware there are counterfeit CF cards on the market, so order from a source you know and trust.

 

[Duke]

Contact Ebay, sellers like that should not be allowed to sell...

 

[lala]

its shame people do that

 

[Davidcowling]

damn straight.

for things like that tho, i would always go with ebuyer or overclockers. a real shop at least.

 

[rory]

I bought 3 MS Pro Duo's off eBay all from the same seller, and they're fake. I've got 3 official sony adapters from other official Sony cards, and the adapters that came with them had the same part number, but looked way different. No hassle to me, all I needed was the storage, but a few people coplained because they needed the magicgate which the fake cards obviously didn't have.

 

[ptechno]

Ebay has an insurance clause, therefore you guys can have your money back for that. I think the insurance covers 600€ or so.
Good Luck.

 

[Davidcowling]

if it didnt work i would claim insurance, but if it did work but wasnt what i was expecting. at something at this price point, i probably wouldnt bother.

 

[osdude]

It's more hassle than it's worth to get pissy about $9. I knew there was no way it was real, but I'm a glutton for punishment, just ask my wife :roll:

:lol:

:cry:

 

[Davidcowling]

rofl @ smileys :lol:

 

[rjm]

The trick in general is knowing for sure they are fake. Transfer speeds are a good indication, but only if you have a genuine version to compare it to, since often you might not achieve the rated speed due to other hardware limitations. Appearance isn't always conclusive, since slight packaging differences can exist from country to country.

Ebay has made quite a bit of effort to improve the scene and they also cleaned up the 1$ + 64$ shipping racket, but its still really easy to get burned. So much so that it's not worth the effort ... best to buy locally or online from a reputable dealer.

 

[JONYBOY]

you should post the sellers name/shop so we know who to avoid and everyone should do the same to avoid other members being tricked into buying fake rubbish,
thanks

- jon -

 

[Daijoubu]

Never ever buy memory cards off ebay, the risk of counterfeits is too high.
I will rather pay more from trusted sources than gamble