Purchased an AMD 7950x3D from Amazon (Appario) for 65K. Got an unknown, decade old CPU with a Ryzen sticker on it. The package has t seal intact. Help

J

japjitsingh

Recruit
I purchased an AMD 7950x3D CPU from Amazon, which arrived in a sealed box with a visible plastic window. On inspection, it is clearly seen from the window that the CPU inside the box is a counterfeit and used product.

The absence of any branding on the CPU, the presence of an unauthorized sticker on the CPU, and the presence of scratches and glue marks on the CPU, the shape and size of the CPU confirm that it is not the product that was purchased, and is a used counterfeit product.

Furthermore, the serial number and QR code on the CPU do not match with the serial number mentioned on the CPU box and invoice.

Despite my attempts to seek assistance from Amazon, they have been uncooperative in providing a replacement. The CPU box has the seal intact as received from Amazon as I did not unbox it due to it being counterfeit and used. The customer care says that I have recieved the correct product. Apparently, they're experts with verifying CPUs from a photo of the CPU box.

It seems that it's a not as uncommon fraud/scam by these e-Retailers. I read an eerily similar case on TechEnclave on this post from 2022.

I am at a loss of words, strength and hope. Can someone with experience of fighting big ****ups by eCommerce websites provide some insight?
Here is the CPU video on my Twitter:
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1682031186250719235
 
There was an offer for Ryzen 5950x @ 42k and I was so tempted but glad that I did not go for it.
 
I sure hope you made an unboxing video of this because that will be a solid proof in your hands now. Recently I also bought a Ryzen 5600X from Amazon and made an unboxing video of it. Thankfully processor was legit and working.

Did the same with a Deepcool AK620 Digital CPU Cooler bought from PC Studio (Ankit Infotech, Bangalore) and a NUC bought last week from Flipkart. In fact the CPU Cooler shipped from PC Studio had 'UNBOXING VIDEO MANDATORY' written in big bold red letters on it's packaging!
 
enthusiast29 said:
I'm not gonna blame you but do you have anything to prove that the unit/box you're showing is the one you got from amazon?
Simply put, do you have an uncut unboxing video of the item?

It's very helpful to keep that video always especially when dealing with high value items.
I hope you get your money back if you're genuine.
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That is definitely a concern, but this photo showing the serial number on the packaging matches the invoice, but does not match the number on the CPU itself, should be enough to cover that.
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1682037823996858368
 
Black_Hawk said:
I sure hope you made an unboxing video of this because that will be a solid proof in your hands now. Recently I also bought a Ryzen 5600X from Amazon and made an unboxing video of it. Thankfully processor was legit and working.

Did the same with a Deepcool AK620 Digital CPU Cooler bought from PC Studio (Ankit Infotech, Bangalore) and a NUC bought last week from Flipkart. In fact the CPU Cooler shipped from PC Studio had 'UNBOXING VIDEO MANDATORY' written in big bold red letters on it's packaging!
Click to expand...
PCstudio are very good and have great Support. I am in Bangalore and have a couple of friends, got their PC assembled and shipped from them. They know the scam that some shipping companies do.
 
calvin1719 said:
That is definitely a concern, but this photo showing the serial number on the packaging matches the invoice, but does not match the number on the CPU itself, should be enough to cover that.
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Bruh, you and I both know what happened. Someone swapped the CPU, kept the packaging intact including the box seal (either preserved somehow or duplicated).
If the packaging is intact and matches a bill that doesn't prove it's from the biller. There's no proof of unboxing the sealed package received from amazon.

You cannot prove this exact box is from amazon just because a serial no. on a random product matches the serial no. on the bill unless you have an unboxing video.
 
enthusiast29 said:
Bruh, you and I both know what happened. Someone swapped the CPU, kept the packaging intact including the box seal (either preserved somehow or duplicated).
If the packaging is intact and matches a bill that doesn't prove it's from the biller. There's no proof of unboxing the sealed package received from amazon.

You cannot prove this exact box is from amazon just because a serial no. on a random product matches the serial no. on the bill unless you have an unboxing video.
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While I understand your skepticism, I think this kind of paranoia is like Russian dolls. Endlessly recursive. At what point does the paranoia stop? Actual scammers are smart enough to proctor an unboxing video. Do physical deliverables come with end to end encryption? Do they come with a sensor that logs exactly when a package is opened? If you say a threat actor could just reseal the product box, what stops them from creating a fake unboxing video? It's not even remotely difficult to heat seal a plastic packet or tape up a cardboard box. And sadly, I did not post this for your approval of my misfortune, I posted this as a cautionary tale and to get insight of people who had similar experience such as mine. Please do not take offense if anything I said erred you.
 
kalph09 said:
Was the purchase made using a credit card? Perhaps you can raise a dispute with your bank to get the money back.
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Yes, it was. Thank you for the suggestion, I am exploring that option. I've read that charge-backs are not applicable for duplicate/counterfeit/wrong products as the seller can simply send the bank the invoice and proof that the shipment was completed. As such a chargeback is for situations when you haven't received a product at all. This is what I have read although I have no clue about its accuracy. Please do weigh in as I have no experience with it.
 
Approach AMD service center, they will confirm if the proccy is fake. Do not let them open the box though. If it is a rampant scam they would know and advise accordingly.
 
japjitsingh said:
I purchased an AMD 7950x3D CPU from Amazon, which arrived in a sealed box with a visible plastic window. On inspection, it is clearly seen from the window that the CPU inside the box is a counterfeit and used product.
Click to expand...

I've had similar things happen to me — the best way is to not try and guess what the product is, you need to prove what it isn't. This isn't what you ordered and you need to prove that beyond a reasonable doubt using the listing photos and description.

Explain to customer care that the product in the image is different. Show them them difference. Break it down like the both of you are in kindergarden. There's a coloured sticker visible in what you received. There's no coloured sticked in the product photo. It's as simple as that.

If you try the 'counterfeit product' or 'fake item received' approach, they won't care. They'll think you're just another ill-informed user who doesn't know what he's talking about since that is what actually represents most of Amazon's customers.

This approach worked for me when I ordered a SAS drive and received a SATA drive, I had to show them the extra pins of the SAS drive that were in the product photos were missing from the SATA drive I received. They had asked for name and datestamped photos of what I received. It took about a week of correspondence. I had a unboxing video, but they didn't want it. Never mind that I got the pcb of dead, no-name SSD shoved in the casing of an enterprise ssd.

It also worked when I got a Core 2 Duo when I ordered a LGA1151 processor.
 
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Amazon customer service is awesome for protecting the company and sucks for the customer. Get on a call, record the convo of them opening a service request. They will ask for 5 working days or so, after which they promise a callback. They won't.

Then file a dispute with your credit card provider with all the evidence.

Amazon will unnecessarily delay refunds even when you are in the right. Let them and your bank fight it out.

Edit: When did unboxing videos by the customer become the norm? I mean I would like to see a shipping video of the product leaving the warehouse with the right product. Prefer to buy small high value products from actual shops for this reason.
 
I thought Amazon was much better compared to flipkart to resolve such issues.
more surprised that seller is Appario (one of the biggest electronic seller on Amazon)

check with AMD too and see if they can help .
Contact consumer forum and see if you can file a complaint too.

Making unboxing video is becoming a necessary step now.
 
japjitsingh said:
I purchased an AMD 7950x3D CPU from Amazon, which arrived in a sealed box with a visible plastic window. On inspection, it is clearly seen from the window that the CPU inside the box is a counterfeit and used product.

The absence of any branding on the CPU, the presence of an unauthorized sticker on the CPU, and the presence of scratches and glue marks on the CPU, the shape and size of the CPU confirm that it is not the product that was purchased, and is a used counterfeit product.

Furthermore, the serial number and QR code on the CPU do not match with the serial number mentioned on the CPU box and invoice.

Despite my attempts to seek assistance from Amazon, they have been uncooperative in providing a replacement. The CPU box has the seal intact as received from Amazon as I did not unbox it due to it being counterfeit and used. The customer care says that I have recieved the correct product. Apparently, they're experts with verifying CPUs from a photo of the CPU box.

It seems that it's a not as uncommon fraud/scam by these e-Retailers. I read an eerily similar case on TechEnclave on this post from 2022.

I am at a loss of words, strength and hope. Can someone with experience of fighting big ****ups by eCommerce websites provide some insight?
Here is the CPU video on my Twitter:
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1682031186250719235
Click to expand...
May I offer a (possible) solution?

In 2019, I got scammed by an Amazon seller. I purchased a Galax RTX 2070 Super. These were newly launched, and high in demand. The seller even WhatsApped me photos of the card prior to shipping. Guess what I got? A box of blank textbooks (the cheap kind lol).

I got in touch with the seller, who vehemently refused any wrongdoing on his part, and said the correct item was shipped on his behalf. Amazon CC did not help, delaying the matter endlessly, with more useless questions than actual solutions.

I then procured (through my own contacts) a golden egg. The email of Jeff Bezos. I shot across a scathing email.

In less than a few hours, I got an email from the head of Amazon CC, stating that " You had sent a mail to Mr. Bezos regarding deficiency in service, and it has been acknowledged. I will help you resolve the matter moving forward." I could sense from the tone of the email that they (cc) were shitting bricks.

I got my refund in less than a week.

I don't know if the email still works, but you can give it a shot.
 
Not a useful post but - Similar thing happened with me back around 2015 when I bought a Skylake i5 (6500) and got some different old CPU. I guess I dodged a bullet when I just called CC and they same day sent a person to pickup the fake one and the proper CPU was delivered after that. I don't know if it was because I was a long time regular customer with minimal issues/returns history with amazon (they do have profiles/scores/rating internally of customer purchase and issue patterns) or if it was just better days that have now gone downhill.
 
vishalrao said:
Not a useful post but - Similar thing happened with me back around 2015 when I bought a Skylake i5 (6500) and got some different old CPU. I guess I dodged a bullet when I just called CC and they same day sent a person to pickup the fake one and the proper CPU was delivered after that. I don't know if it was because I was a long time regular customer with minimal issues/returns history with amazon (they do have profiles/scores/rating internally of customer purchase and issue patterns) or if it was just better days that have now gone downhill.
Click to expand...
True - It's more of the latter though.
I know a few D2C sellers and they all have plenty of horror stories about how ecomm policies are misused by customers. All this has added up over time and has led to the current situation where genuine customers have to suffer because of few bad actors.

My return/complain rates are extremely low, like maybe 1 return per few hundred orders .
In the past, a simple call about an order issue would lead to an immediate resolution.

Recently I had an issue with a very small value order - a <500/- worth order on amazon fresh that didn't get delivered but was marked as delivered.
Just resolving this took at least 3 phone calls and one rather annoying CS agent who kept asking me why I called 3 days after order not getting delivered.
 
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