Last week I ordered a Vortex Optics Razor HD AMG 6-24×50 MRAD scope from Amazon for a new project I am working on. The product was sold on Amazon by a third-party retailer and fulfilled by Amazon (as in it is inventory sitting in an Amazon warehouse). The third-party retailer is someone who is an authorized Vortex Optics dealer and I have purchased other Vortex scopes from this retailer in the past, including through Amazon.
When I received the scope, I noticed the box was completely different from any other Vortex Optics scope I purchased. It had a Vortex Optics label on the top and the side had a label with bar codes, product name and model number, and a serial number.
But upon opening the box, it was painfully obvious the box was a mock-up Vortex Optics box and the scope inside was some random Chinese-made no-name scope with a 3-9x magnification.
I immediately contacted Amazon and arranged for a return for refund based on the fact that the scope is clearly fake/counterfeit. Fortunately, Amazon accepted the return and refunded the money.
So one of two things happened that resulted in me getting this fake.
One is that a person bought a Vortex Optics Razor HD AMG 6-24×50 MRAD scope from Amazon and returned this fake one for a refund. They kept the real scope and the fake scope was reinserted into the Amazon inventory.
The second possibility is that Amazon fulfilled my order using the collective inventory of all third-party vendors that are selling Vortex Optics Razor HD AMG 6-24×50 MRAD scopes. There is probably one retailer that has the fake Vortex Optics Razor HD AMG 6-24×50 MRAD scopes in the Amazon inventory system and my order was simply pulled from that stock.
Either way, this highlights the dangers of “Fulfilled by Amazon” orders. Amazon does not have enough controls on product inventory that is not theirs and customers can get burned. In my nearly 20 years of ordering from Amazon, this is the first true fake product I ever received.
People need to be very cautious. Before, I would have said Amazon prime orders fulfilled by Amazon are safe. But now I obviously have a different opinion. The only saving grace of orders fulfilled by Amazon is that the return policy does seem to favor the purchaser.
I will continue to buy off Amazon especially when sold by Amazon. As far as fulfilled by Amazon purchases, I will be very selective in terms of what I buy from third-party retailers through Amazon (e.g. no high dollar items).
LARRY Boudrie
I too recently purchased from a 3rd. party @amazon. I returned the item but amazon would only refund most of the money. So i not only do not have the item but i also lost money out of my pocket. Only got the run around from both Amazon and MIDWAY