Scams at Amazon.com

Do not be confused. I am not saying Amazon.com is conducting scam business. I am talking about scam business seen at Amazon Market Place. So, not "Scams of Amazon.com," but "Scams at Amazon.com."

iPhones have stopped charging!

My spouse and I are still using iPhone3GS that we bought 3 years ago. I charge mine in my car, on my workplace desk, and in other places. I always charge it as often and long as possible.

About a month ago, our iPhones started showing a warning message as shown in the picture below when we connect them to a charger with a regular iPhone charging cable. Actually, we had been seeing this even once in a while even before that. But in most case the cable was worn especially at the boot covering the connection from the cable to the connector, and it was fixed by simply replacing the cable. So I firstly suspected the cable, but I learned it was not the case any more. Next suspect was paid to the 120V to USB power adapter. I tried using Apple's genuine adapter, and it indeed worked, only for a while. Connecting to a PC's USB port also worked, but again only for a while.

When driving a vehicle, my spouse uses a 12V to USB cigar plug adapter with which she can still charge her iPhone, and I use an inverter with USB output which no longer works. I even tried replacing the inverter with a brand-new one, but no luck yet. Finally, I replaced my iPhone's internal battery to have not luck at all. This is how I concluded that the charging cables had a problem.

Giving more thoughts to my observations, I found a couple of interesting  phenomena.

• Although the warning says "Charging is not supported...," the iPhone is actually charged, at a very slow rate and not to its full charged state.
• Some cables work for charging but some don't.

I managed to discover the essential difference between usable and unusable cables. Loot at the picture below. The leftmost cable does not work for charging our iPhones, but the middle and right ones do. Can you tell the difference?

It may be difficult to tell, but the poor connector has only ^-shaped metal spring to create friction inside an iPhone, but the good ones have sawtooth-like locking clips that you have to release by pressing the buttons on the connector housing in order to remove the cable from iPhone. I don't know why this difference makes the charge-or-not-charge difference, but I now have a solution. The poor cable is found at many places including one of my favorite local surplus stores, but the good ones may not be so. Anyway, I decided to buy good cables at Amazon.com as usual.

Left：will not charge　Middle & Right：will charge
Notice the locks in circles

After a serious research, I chose "PREMIUM 2 x USB DATA CHARGER CABLE CORD FOR APPLE IPHONE 3G 3GS IPHONE 4 (ASIN: B002SOXBNE)." Its product picture indeed shows the locking mechanism I was looking for. It's sold for almost $10, a few time more than other iPhone USB cables, but it will come in pair and named "PREMIUM." Okay, let's go.

After placing an order, I was still waiting for it, longer than usual less-than-a-week delivery.

About 10 days after, I noticed that I had received an envelope containing unusable cheap iPhone cables. I wondered if I had ordered those cables before I found a clew about the difference between usable and unusable cables, but I could not recall such an order. Checking the sender's name on the envelope, I discovered those were the "PREMIUM" cables I had  ordered!

I know this kind of products are manufactured in small factories in China without official licensing from Apple, and it is the reason for the low prices. So, I was not too mad and I simply filed a return request to Amazon.com because the cables were unusable at all for me. The return request was immediately accepted. The actual return postage was 10 cents more than the credited amount, and I spent some money for printing a return label, an envelope, my time and gas to a post office, Well, it's life. I hoped it wouldn't happen often,

ASIN: B002SOXBNE
Product picture (top)
actual delivery (bottom)

Since the cables carrying my expectation failed, I needed to find replacements. Again, carefully examining Amazon.com product pictures, I chose two products with the necessary locking mechanism. Now the prices are cheaper.  Only $3 for one cable (ASIN: B001CSRBXS) and another is $3 for 5 cables (ASIN: B0030LQFJG). Good deal!

A few days later, I found an envelope in my mailbox which I had been tracking. I opened the envelope with excitememt.

O M G

What do you think I found in the envelope? Regular (unusable) cheap cables completely different from what I had ordered, again.

I was very angry about this, but what could I do other than returning the junk?

I  once more filed a return request. It was not immediately accepted this time, but a notification was sent to the Marketplace seller.

The seller fairly quickly responded, saying

ASIN: B0030LQFJG
Product picture (top)
actual delivery (bottom)

Did all of the 5 cables are not working well ? and could you please test it with other deceives ? such as iphone and ipod ,

please pay attention that the cable can't used with ipad .
and we can resend any faulty cable to you,

I responded.

It does not matter whether the cables are functional or not (I know they will not work for _MY_ iPhones - they may work with other iPhone/iPod/iPad, but I don't care).
My iPhones have recently exhibited a serious charging problem and I found that  only use of cables with a locking mechanism would solve the problem, so that I placed this order. But this is not your problem, of course.
The REAL PROBLEM is that the cables I received are DIFFERENT from what I ordered per your product picture.
Please either send me the same cables as what is shown in the product picture or refund me in full with return postage money. 

The seller eventually agreed to send me replacing cables. I have not received them yet. I will follow up as soon as they arrive.

Two days later, the remaining order arrived. This product had a buyer-posting product picture that confirms existence of the locking mechanism and it must be a good one.

I was too optimistic.

The only resemblance of the delivered cable to the product picture was black color. Just another cheap cable without the locking mechanism. Of course unusable for me. Returning again.

Mail exchange with the seller again.

It must have been a mistake in our warehouse which is highly unlikely to occur. We have sold hundreds of these items with no issues but it seems that there were a few defective ones that slipped through quality control. Would you like a replacement for the defective item or a refund?

ASIN: B001CSRBXS
Product picture (top)
actual delivery (bottom)

Who would believe such an excuse? Who would call something totally different from a product sample "defective"?

Well, it's no use to argue to an idiot.

As long as you are going to send me the exactly the same cable as shown I the product pictures, I will accept a replacement. Please do not send me another junk.

So, I am still waiting for the replacement before following up.

Now, I need to show my anger to Amazon.com. I wrote a complaint mail message.

I recently placed orders for iPhone cables to Amazon.com seller because my iPhone have recently exhibited a charging problem and I needed a specific type of cables with locking mechanism. I carefully examined product pictures to decide which ones to order. 
To my surprise, 3 out of 4 sellers sent me cables that are apparently different from, apparently cheaper than, and apparently inferior to what I ordered from the product picture. They lack the locking I needed, and I cannot use them. I already returned one order. For the second order, the seller is going to send me a replacement. And I just filed a return request for the last one
These are classic scams of "display good one, deliver bad ones." Is this normal at Amazon.com? I have been an Amazon.com customer for more than a decade, but I am very disappointed and angry.

Amazon.com replied with apologies and a suggestion to file a detailed complaint report. I will show this blog to them.。

Once again, I know this kind of products are manufactured in small Chinese factories probably without official licensing and it is the reason for the good price tags. Since the supplier often varies from time to time, actual products may actually vary. So, I would not complain as long as the product satisfies my expectation.

For example, I ordered the cigar lighter iPhone charging cable shown right two different times and I received quite different ones. I am still happy, however, because they provide the expected functionality. Actually the black one, quite different looking from the product picture is better to use because the curly cord is more flexible.

ASIN: B003TYCXFE
Product picture and
actual deliveries
(1st order: BLACK  2nd: WHITE)

The three cable orders, however, are real scams. I don't know much about the first one because my return request was immediately accepted. But the second seller's question of "Did all 5 cables not work?" apparently implies "We sent you iPhone cables. What's wrong?" And the third seller's "defective product" definition is just nuts. Although this is still within my imagination, I guess it is very common at Amazon.com that a seller displays a quality product's picture and actually sells cheaper and inferior "equivalent" product. How would you feel if you receive a Hyundai because it is the only inventory when ordered a Lexus (and paid for it)?