Evidence of a counterfeit product is usually a mismatch you can show, not a suspicion based on price. The useful record connects the exact item to the seller and transaction, identifies specific differences from the genuine product, and includes written confirmation from the brand, a qualified authenticator, or an agency when available.

If you're in the United States, preserve the product and records before returning, discarding, opening, or altering anything. A marketplace, brand, agency, or payment provider can do more with an organized record than with a general accusation.

What counts as evidence of a counterfeit product?

The strongest cases usually combine several kinds of evidence:

Tie the evidence to the particular product you received. For example, an agency seizure may establish that counterfeit goods were found in a shipment or seller network, but it doesn't automatically prove that every item from that seller is counterfeit.

Until the item has been authenticated, call it a suspected counterfeit. That describes the concern without presenting an unverified conclusion as fact.

Warning signs that deserve investigation

These clues can justify a closer check, but none proves counterfeiting on its own:

The Federal Trade Commission's guidance on buying from online marketplaces advises consumers to check the seller's contact information, read the description carefully, look for photographs of the actual item, and compare reviews across sources. A review badge or a seller's statement that an item is authentic still isn't proof that your particular product is genuine.

How to preserve the evidence

1. Save the listing and order records

Take screenshots of the full listing before it changes or disappears. Capture:

Save the order confirmation, receipt, shipping notices, and emails separately. Don't rely on the live listing remaining available after you complain.

2. Photograph the product without changing it

Use good light and take photos from several angles. Include the shipping label, unopened package if it remains sealed, barcodes, labels, serial or batch numbers, stitching, seams, connectors, safety marks, included parts, and defects.

Keep the original packaging and inserts. Don't remove labels, add marks, dismantle electronics, or test a suspected medicine simply to collect more evidence. If the product could be hazardous, stop using it and keep it away from children and pets.

3. Make a side-by-side comparison

Create a short record with two columns:

Seller or brand claim What you received
The model, material, size, color, or feature promised The model, material, size, color, or feature shown by the item

Use measurable details whenever possible: model number, dimensions, weight, materials, color, included components, or software version. Link to the official brand page or save a screenshot of the relevant specification.

A minor packaging difference may not mean much. Brands can change packaging, manufacture in multiple locations, or sell regional versions. A difference carries more weight when it's specific and supported by the brand's own documentation.

4. Ask the brand about authentication

Find the brand's contact information through its official website, not through a phone number or email supplied by the seller. Ask whether the brand offers authentication and what information it needs.

Provide the model, serial or batch number, purchase details, and a small set of clear photographs. If the brand says in writing that the item isn't genuine, keep that response with the rest of the evidence. Some brands won't authenticate products for individual consumers. A refusal to give an opinion doesn't establish that the product is either genuine or counterfeit.

5. Keep a timeline and the original files

Record when you ordered the item, when it arrived, when you noticed the problem, and when you contacted the seller, platform, brand, or payment provider. Note each reply, case number, and deadline.

Keep the original photos, screenshots, emails, and message exports when possible. Send copies rather than originals. Remove full card numbers, passwords, and unnecessary identity documents before sharing the packet.

What doesn't prove a counterfeit by itself?

Several popular clues are weaker than they first appear:

The higher the value or the more serious the safety concern, the more useful written brand confirmation or a qualified examination becomes. Visual impressions alone may not settle the question.

What to do after an online purchase

Preserve the records and product first. Then report the listing, seller, and transaction through the marketplace's official process. Keep messages inside the platform where possible, and attach the listing screenshots, receipt, photos, comparison notes, and any response from the brand.

Ask the seller or marketplace what remedy is available under its written policy. Reporting a suspected counterfeit doesn't automatically guarantee a refund; marketplace operators differ in how they handle payments, returns, delivery problems, and seller disputes. The FTC describes those differences in its online marketplace guidance.

Before returning the item:

  1. Photograph the product and packaging again.
  2. Save the platform's return instructions.
  3. Confirm the return address through the platform.
  4. Ask whether the marketplace wants the item kept for inspection.
  5. Use trackable shipping and keep the shipment and delivery records.

Don't send the item to an address supplied only in a private seller message if the platform has given different instructions. If the item is a medicine, cosmetic, food, children's product, battery, or another potentially dangerous product, don't use it while the complaint is being reviewed.

Payment disputes depend on the payment method

A marketplace complaint and a payment dispute are separate processes. Contact the payment provider promptly and explain that the product may not match the seller's description or authenticity claim. Give the provider the transaction date, amount, merchant name, and organized supporting evidence.

Credit cards

If you paid by credit card, ask the issuer which dispute process applies. If you use the federal billing-error process described by the FTC, your written dispute must reach the issuer's billing-inquiries address within 60 days after the first statement showing the error. The billing-inquiries address may differ from the address used for payments, so check the statement or the issuer's instructions.

The FTC's guidance on disputing credit card charges says the issuer generally must acknowledge the complaint within 30 days and resolve it within 90 days. Those steps don't guarantee that the issuer will reverse the charge. Keep a copy of the letter, attachments, and delivery record, and follow the issuer's requested format.

The credit-card billing-error deadline isn't a universal deadline for debit cards, prepaid cards, peer-to-peer payments, cash, or wire transfers. Those payment methods can have different contracts and dispute procedures. Contact the provider immediately, ask what fraud or purchase-dispute process is available, and record the case number.

Where to report a suspected counterfeit in the United States

The marketplace

Use the platform's official reporting form or help process. Include the exact listing, seller account, order number, and photographs. A platform may remove a listing or request more information, but that response is separate from a refund decision by the seller or payment provider.

The brand or trademark owner

Find the brand's counterfeit or intellectual-property reporting contact on its official website. Send the transaction details and only the photographs needed to identify the concern. Ask whether the brand can authenticate the item or wants it preserved for inspection.

The FDA

For a suspected counterfeit FDA-regulated product, use the FDA reporting route that matches the problem.

If someone became ill, was injured, or experienced another adverse event, consumers can report through FDA MedWatch. The FDA identifies Form 3500B for patients and consumers.

For a product complaint that isn't an adverse event, the FDA consumer complaint system guidance directs consumers to the appropriate form through FDA SmartHub. If you can't use SmartHub, the FDA says you can call 1-888-INFO-FDA and follow the prompts.

Seek medical care for symptoms or injury. A product report isn't a substitute for urgent medical attention.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection

If the concern involves imported merchandise, an importer, or possible customs fraud, consider filing a CBP e-Allegation. Include actionable information such as the seller or importer name, address, product description, shipment or tracking details, country of origin if known, and supporting documents.

A clear explanation of what the listing promised, what arrived, and which records support the concern is more useful than simply stating that the product is fake. An e-Allegation is an import or customs report, not a guaranteed refund process.

Put the evidence in a simple packet

Arrange the material so the recipient can identify the transaction quickly:

  1. Summary: Say that you received a suspected counterfeit and identify the brand, model, seller, and main reason for concern.
  2. Timeline: List the purchase, delivery, discovery, seller contact, and report dates.
  3. Transaction records: Include the receipt, order number, listing, seller information, payment record, and tracking details.
  4. Product photos: Use clear filenames such as package-front.jpg, serial-label.jpg, and comparison-side.jpg.
  5. Comparison notes: List each difference and identify the official source used for comparison.
  6. Brand or expert response: Add any written authentication result or explanation.
  7. Requested action: State whether you want return instructions, a refund review, a listing investigation, product inspection, or safety follow-up.

Redact full payment-card numbers and passwords, but leave enough information for the recipient to match the complaint to the transaction.

Limits to keep in mind

Evidence can answer different questions, and one answer doesn't settle all of them. A comparison may show that an item is inconsistent with the genuine product. Transaction records can show who sold it and how it was paid for. Neither necessarily proves who manufactured it or that the seller knew it was counterfeit.

A report also doesn't automatically establish liability or guarantee a refund. The result may depend on the product, seller, marketplace policy, payment method, and applicable law. The marketplace, brand, agency, and payment provider may each ask for different records and may reach different decisions.

Start by saving the listing, receipt, product photographs, and the exact differences you can document. Then ask the brand for a written authentication response and send the resulting packet to the marketplace and payment provider; use the FDA or CBP route as well when the product raises a health, safety, or import concern.