Sandisk memory cards - a LOT of fakes out there

Well it's my own fault, I recently bought what I thought was a 2Gb Sandisk Ultra II off Ebay. It turned up today, and although it looked fine at first, upon closer inspection the labels on the memory card looked a bit funny, with the text being a bit fuzzy, and the colours inconsistent.

Now that I've done a bit of searching on Google it turns out that that is a huge market in fake memory cards on Ebay.. can't believe I didn't realise this. After all £30 for a 2Gb memory card is too cheap.

I've just tested the card now, and it works, and it is 2Gb, but it's not as fast as my Sandisk 1Gb. In 10s my Sandisk 1Gb can cope with 14 photos, and they're all written within 12s. The fake 2Gb can only take 10 photos in 10s, and it takes around 16s to write them all.

The seller hasn't responded to my email yet.. but if he offers me a refund I'll take it. I'd rather spend £65 on a genuine card.
Although £30 seems cheap for a 2Gb card that works (albeit not ultra fast), I can't help but be a bit wary about it failing whilst i'm out and about, and i'd hate to lose a day's worth of shooting

Anyway it looks like the bulk of the cards on Ebay are fake. You can tell the difference here:
http://martybugs.net/articles/fakesandisk.cgi

Can't trust ebay at all for memory cards. Especially the bulk sellers.

It may work for the moment, but if you can't get your money back (and if you used paypal you should be able to) then bin it.

If its fake you can never trust it. And you know its going to fail when you've just photographed your best friends wedding or aliens landing....

yak.h'cir said:

Can't trust ebay at all for memory cards. Especially the bulk sellers.

It may work for the moment, but if you can't get your money back (and if you used paypal you should be able to) then bin it.

If its fake you can never trust it. And you know its going to fail when you've just photographed your best friends wedding or aliens landing....

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I'll give the guy another 24hrs to reply, then i'll try and contact Ebay or Paypal. I'll probably get negative feedback, but i'll sure as well give him some..

Raider said:

I'll give the guy another 24hrs to reply, then i'll try and contact Ebay or Paypal. I'll probably get negative feedback, but i'll sure as well give him some..

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Saying that are you sure this website isnt also a hoax? I've got a 1gb extreme III, a 2gb ultra II (both purchased from decent high street shop) and a 256mb I (came with my 350d from canon) and none of the cards have a serial number on the side...

Cheers for the headsup.

yak.h'cir said:

Saying that are you sure this website isnt also a hoax? I've got a 1gb extreme III, a 2gb ultra II (both purchased from decent high street shop) and a 256mb I (came with my 350d from canon) and none of the cards have a serial number on the side...

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The serial number thing isn't consistent I admit that (mine had no serial number either). But the slower speeds and poor quality copied labels are a give-away.

Check this picture out:
http://martybugs.net/articles/images/sandisk_back_large.jpg

That's the key for me. Nice crisp text on the right, blotchy copied text on the left.

In the movie poster collecting world I've learnt to spot badly copied print

I've just ordered a 2GB Sandisk Ultra II off eBay from a UK seller for a similar amount. I didn't order it from HK as if it is a fake the cost to send it back would make it a waste of time. At least in the UK the cost is more reasonable.

I'll update this thread to see if mine is a fake as well.

I've compared one of my 1GB Extreme III CFs to thw pic. My design is different but I did notice that both mine and the puker Sandisk CFs both do not have a TM symbol next to the CF icon. Maybe a way to spot fakes?

EDIT: Just seen that the TM is already pointed out in the link, missed that the first time.

doh i've just ordered a 2Gb Ultra 2 off ebay....

Although i just looked at the auction again and it says, SDCFH, which acording to your link is the real one, not the fake one. Hmm it then mentions a 5 year warrenty rather than the lifetime warenty you get with Sandisks, doh!

Ignore the serial number stuff. The main thing is the quality of the labels, plus the packaging.

The 5-year warranty is a give away for sure.

I don't think i'm sticking my neck out if I say that 99% of Sandisk Ultras on Ebay are fake. How else could they sell £75 cards for £25 + P&P?

Mine mentions 5 years as well so I don't have high hopes. The seller doesn't have any negative feedback and is a powerseller. To keep his powerseller status he needs to keep feedback about 98% so I don't think he will risk negative feedback.

^^Gord^^ said:

Mine mentions 5 years as well so I don't have high hopes. The seller doesn't have any negative feedback and is a powerseller. To keep his powerseller status he needs to keep feedback about 98% so I don't think he will risk negative feedback.

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Well my seller has perfect feedback too, at around 198.
My bet is that most don't notice that they're fake, and if they do they don't care or can't be bothered.

Cards are absolutely critical - So why try to cut corners of places like E-bay
I know you cant resist a bargain - But it isn't is it?
I have purchased all my xtra cards Compact/Smart/ etc., from one E-seller and stuck with them these past 5 years or so - I know if one is duff they change with out a quibble and they are good prices too - e.g. £17.50 for a 1gig Smart which although it has a nondescript label - displays as a 'Toshiba'.
Another point is of course high capacity memory means high capacity[lots of pics] loss if it does go down.
My motto - keep 'em smallish and lots of them.

jimpy said:

Cards are absolutely critical - So why try to cut corners of places like E-bay
I know you cant resist a bargain - But it isn't is it?

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I have brought two other Ultra 2's and an Extreme 3 off of ebay and they have all been perfect and real, plus i've saved a few quid. It's only recently that these fakes have come around.

No reply from the seller yet, i'll give him till the end of today then i'll have to decide what to do..

Grrr

yak.h'cir said:

Can't trust ebay at all for memory cards. Especially the bulk sellers.

It may work for the moment, but if you can't get your money back (and if you used paypal you should be able to) then bin it.

If its fake you can never trust it. And you know its going to fail when you've just photographed your best friends wedding or aliens landing....

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/runs to check if recently purchased Sandisk Ultra 2GB is a fake

Uh oh, I just bought a 2Gb CF card off Ebay to For some reason I just went on this morning on the off chance from a guy at work who has just had a 2Gb SD card.

Hope this is ok to post:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7629138475&rd=1&sspagename=STRK:MEWN:IT&rd=1

Wonder if I'll get a fake or not??

EDIT: Fortunately I pay through PayPal so I will be covered if it is a load of rubbish.

Tom

Same guy I've bought off. The 5 years warranty makes it sound like it and spent some time going back through his feedback and found a netural that stated an SD was a fake and a refund was given so I'm expecting mine is going to be. I've paid via paypal as well.

I was thinking, maybe we should get a sticky with the links on how to spot a fake and a list of known eBayers how have supplied fake cards in the past?

Yeah those look fake. Usual stuff

^^Gord^^ said:

Same guy I've bought off. The 5 years warranty makes it sound like it and spent some time going back through his feedback and found a netural that stated an SD was a fake and a refund was given so I'm expecting mine is going to be. I've paid via paypal as well.

I was thinking, maybe we should get a sticky with the links on how to spot a fake and a list of known eBayers how have supplied fake cards in the past?

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Damm

go to the sandisk website and buy from an authorised dealer, that way you will get a genuine one.
Personally I would avoid any website, even if they are a reasonably well known company, unless they are listed on the site.