If you suspect a product is counterfeit after a U.S. purchase, preserve the product and your records before returning or discarding anything. Start a refund or return request with the marketplace or seller, then contact the company that processed your payment if the issue isn't resolved. Report suspected deception to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) separately. Use CBP's e-Allegations program when you have facts suggesting imported goods or customs-related trade fraud.

These routes serve different purposes. A marketplace can review a listing, seller account, return, or refund. The FTC, CBP, and the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) collect reports for enforcement or intelligence. An agency report won't replace a refund request.

Choose your goal first

Goal First route What to expect
Get your money back Marketplace return or refund system You may need to provide photos, messages, or proof that you returned the item
Have a listing reviewed Marketplace reporting or support channel The platform decides whether to remove the listing or restrict the account
Report a deceptive seller FTC reporting route Reports can help identify patterns, but they aren't refund claims
Report suspected imported trade fraud CBP's e-Allegations program Specific information about the parties, product, shipment, and suspected violation is most useful
Report an online payment scam Payment provider and, when appropriate, IC3 The process depends on whether you used a credit card, debit card, ACH, wire, prepaid card, or P2P service

What makes an item a suspected counterfeit?

For a practical complaint, a counterfeit item is one presented as genuine, authorized, or compliant even though it likely is not. The item may misuse a brand name, logo, protected design, packaging, or trade dress to make buyers believe it came from or was approved by the brand.

eBay's counterfeit item policy uses a similar definition. It says possible marketplace actions can include removing content, issuing a warning, restricting activity, or suspending an account.

A low price, poor packaging, or bad seller reviews may be warning signs, but none proves that an item is fake. If you lack reliable authentication, describe it as a suspected counterfeit and identify the facts you can document.

Keep these complaint categories separate:

Accurate labels help the marketplace assign the case to the right team and make your account of events more credible.

1. Preserve the product and evidence

Stop using the item if it might be unsafe. Before returning it, don't clean, repair, alter, mark, or discard it. Photograph the product and packaging while they are in the condition in which you received them.

Capture clear images of:

Save digital records before the listing changes:

Keep the original files and make copies for uploads. Don't post full payment-card numbers, Social Security numbers, personal addresses, or private seller information publicly.

If the platform requires a return, photograph the item and package first. Follow the platform's instructions, use the provided return label or address when applicable, and retain the tracking record. Don't send the product to an unrelated address supplied through a private message or outside the marketplace.

2. Write a short timeline

A reviewer should understand the problem without sorting through dozens of screenshots. Record:

  1. When you found and purchased the listing
  2. What the listing promised
  3. When the item arrived
  4. What differences you observed
  5. Whether the seller or brand responded
  6. What return or refund steps you took
  7. Your case numbers and the dates of responses

An authentication message from the brand or an authorized specialist can strengthen the complaint, but it isn't the only useful evidence. Objective photographs, the listing language, the receipt, and the seller's messages may also support your account.

Don't buy another item just to gather evidence. Don't exaggerate a defect or say that a brand authenticated the item unless it actually did.

3. Report the order through the marketplace

Use the order history, return system, customer support, or listing-reporting tool for the marketplace where you paid. Select counterfeit when that accurately describes the issue. If that choice isn't available, choose the truthful not as described or equivalent category and explain that you suspect the item is fake.

Give the marketplace the order number, seller information, specific differences, and strongest evidence. Keep the case number and all subsequent messages.

Amazon

Start with the order's customer-service or return and refund options. Save the ASIN, seller name, listing screenshots, and order number. Describe the differences between the advertised product and the item you received rather than relying only on the word "fake."

A buyer refund case and a rights-owner intellectual-property complaint are different reports. If you own a brand, use the platform's current rights-owner process as well as any consumer transaction records. Don't claim to represent a trademark owner without that authority.

eBay

Use the order or listing support route and identify the item as a suspected counterfeit. Include photographs, the listing's claims, and any authentication information.

eBay's policy says the company may remove content, warn the seller, restrict activity, or suspend an account. Those examples don't guarantee a particular result or response time. Follow the policy instructions that apply to your account and keep your case number.

Shein and AliExpress

Use the order's support and return or refund process, then report the listing or seller through the platform's available complaint or safety channel. Save the item ID, seller information, product page, and messages. Menus can differ by account and region, so take screenshots of the steps you complete.

Temu

Temu's support instructions say to sign in, open Your orders, choose Return/Refund, select the reason, add photos or comments when applicable, and submit the request. Temu may ask you to return the item. Its instructions also say an approved refund may go to the original payment method or become Temu credit. See Temu's support instructions for the current steps.

Explain the suspected counterfeit issue in the comments. Don't select a reason that misstates what happened.

4. Ask the brand about authentication

Find the brand's customer-service or authentication contact information on its official website, not just in the questionable listing. Ask whether it can check the serial number, batch code, model, or photographs.

Send copies rather than irreplaceable originals. A brand may not be able to authenticate an item remotely, and a failure to respond doesn't establish that the product is genuine or counterfeit. If the brand confirms that the item isn't genuine, save the response and attach it to the marketplace or payment dispute.

Keep the request factual. Ask what the brand can verify instead of demanding a conclusion it can't support.

5. Contact the payment provider promptly

If the marketplace or seller doesn't resolve the issue, contact the company that processed your payment. Tell it accurately whether the merchandise was suspected counterfeit, not as described, defective, or never delivered.

If you authorized the purchase, don't describe it as an unauthorized transaction. Explain what you bought, what arrived, and why it doesn't match the listing or appears counterfeit.

The process depends on the payment method:

People often use "chargeback" as a general term, but payment methods have different workflows and time limits. Have the transaction date, amount, merchant descriptor, order number, seller messages, and marketplace case number ready. A dispute isn't a guaranteed refund, so respond to requests for supporting records.

The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency's consumer product and retail fraud guidance recommends contacting the seller or manufacturer, reporting online purchases through the platform, and using IC3 for appropriate online fraud reports.

6. Report the seller or transaction to the appropriate authority

FTC: deceptive sellers and consumer scams

Use the FTC's reporting system if the seller appears to be running a scam, making deceptive claims, or targeting multiple consumers. The FTC contact page directs people with illegal-business-practice or scam complaints to ReportFraud.ftc.gov.

The FTC says reports help investigators identify patterns and build cases. Include:

An FTC report is an enforcement report, not a request for a marketplace refund. Keep the marketplace and payment-provider cases open separately.

CBP: imported goods or customs fraud

Use CBP e-Allegations when you have information about a suspected trade-law violation involving goods entering or moving through U.S. commerce. It is most useful when you know something about the importer, shipment, country of origin, repeated shipments, or misleading customs information.

When known, identify:

Don't invent an address or identify a company based only on a guess. If a detail is unknown, say so and provide other traceable information. A statement such as "this seller sells fakes" gives investigators little to verify without product, shipment, or transaction details.

CBP's violations guidance separately addresses customs brokers. If you know that a customs broker committed a civil or criminal violation, the guidance directs you to contact Immigration and Customs Enforcement at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE. That specialized route isn't the normal refund process for a single marketplace purchase.

IC3: online fraud

If the transaction involved an online scam or other internet fraud, consider filing a report with IC3 in addition to contacting the platform and payment provider. Include the same timeline and transaction records. Don't wait to contact your bank or payment provider while preparing an agency report.

Marketplace complaint template

Replace every bracketed field with accurate information:

Subject: Suspected counterfeit item - order [order number]

I purchased [product name] from [seller name] on [date]. The listing described the item as [quote the relevant claim].

I believe the item may be counterfeit because:
- [specific, observable difference]
- [packaging, logo, serial-number, or labeling issue]
- [brand authentication result, if available]

Listing or item ID: [ID]
Listing: [listing URL]
Evidence attached: [photos, receipt, messages, authentication response]

Please review the listing and seller under your counterfeit or product-description policy. I am requesting instructions for an eligible return and a refund under your applicable policy. Please keep this request connected to order [order number].

CBP allegation summary

Use facts rather than conclusions. Attach or identify supporting records where the form allows:

I am reporting suspected trade fraud involving [product and brand].

Known seller, importer, or manufacturer: [name]
Address or location: [address, or state that it is unknown]
Other involved parties: [names, if known]
Shipment or tracking information: [details]
Country of origin: [country, if known]

The goods were advertised or described as [exact claim]. I suspect they are counterfeit because [specific facts]. I also observed [any suspected false description, valuation, quantity, or shipment detail, if applicable].

Supporting evidence includes [photos, listing screenshots, invoice, tracking record, brand response, and communications]. I cannot verify [unknown details], but I am providing [other information] to help identify the transaction.

Never include a full payment-card number, Social Security number, or unrelated private information in a routine complaint.

If the platform rejects or ignores the complaint

Work through the existing case before opening a new one:

  1. Read the decision and identify what evidence or information was missing.
  2. Reply through the case or appeal channel with a short timeline and the strongest documents.
  3. Ask whether the issue was treated as counterfeit, not as described, defective, or another category.
  4. Contact the payment provider promptly and ask about its applicable dispute process.
  5. Report the seller to the FTC, CBP, or IC3 only when the facts fit that agency's role.
  6. For a high-value purchase, repeated imports, threats, or a possible safety hazard, consider advice from a qualified lawyer or the appropriate government agency.

Don't submit contradictory versions of what happened. Don't threaten the seller with criminal charges, publish personal information, or close a dispute before a promised refund has actually cleared.

If you're a seller or brand owner

A seller accused of selling counterfeits should preserve invoices, purchase orders, supplier details, shipping records, and product photographs. Respond through the marketplace's designated process and support the supply chain with records that can be verified. Don't alter records or submit an invoice for a different product.

A brand owner should document the exact listing, seller account, product identifiers, and evidence of ownership or authorization. Rights-owner procedures may differ from the ordinary buyer refund process. Don't claim to represent a brand unless you have that authority.

Common mistakes that weaken a complaint

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to own the brand or trademark to report a suspected counterfeit?

No. A buyer can report the transaction and describe the evidence. Rights-owner reporting is a separate platform process, so don't claim authority you don't have.

Will the FTC or CBP refund my money?

Treat both as reporting and enforcement channels, not refund channels. Request money back from the marketplace, seller, and payment provider through the applicable process.

What if I can't prove the item is fake?

Use the phrase "suspected counterfeit" and list the observable differences. Ask the brand or an authorized source whether it can authenticate the item. If the evidence shows only a defect or mismatch, file a truthful not-as-described or defective-product complaint instead.

Is there one deadline for a counterfeit complaint?

No single deadline applies to every marketplace or payment method. Platform return windows and payment-dispute time limits differ, so save the records and contact the relevant provider as soon as possible.

Does this process apply outside the United States?

This page is for U.S. consumers. Other countries may use different agencies, deadlines, and payment rules. Don't assume that these routes or time limits apply to a purchase connected to another jurisdiction.

Save the listing and order records before they disappear. Open the marketplace refund case, contact the payment provider promptly, and then file any FTC, CBP, or IC3 report that matches the facts.