DT310 DataTraveler USB Flash Drives Being Withdrawn From Internet Sites. Why? How Cheap Are Kingston DT310 USB DataTraveler Flash Drives Wholesale? Counterfeiters Have Hijacked The DT310. Expect Hacked Memory And To Be Scammed With A Fake If You Buy From An Internet Wholesaler For Flash Memory.
Posted by flashchiptutor on March 15, 2011
A lot of internet sites are withdrawing the DT310 USB flash drives from Kingston Technologies. Reputable internet sites. The question is…. why?
Is there a shortage of DT310 DataTraveler usb flash drives? No.
A genuine DT310 can not be sold for under $700 US. An honest seller is no longer able to list or make a profit. Counterfeiters in Asia have hijacked the DT310 flash drive. You can buy fakes for under $10 US. Unfortunately they contain flash memory chips with a real capacity of under 8GB, usually 4GB or even less. If anyone uses these fakes, they will lose their data, their files. Attention is given to the packaging, less to the actual casing of the flash drives. The chips inside are recycled Grade C or Grade D flash memory, sizes nobody wants to buy anymore.
On eBay seller reputations are being destroyed daily as SOSFakeFlash documents and reports them. There is no mercy, zero tolerance is in effect. Meanwhile FakeMemorySentinel reports eBay sellers are closing their ids at an astonishing pace after they issue a warning on a seller listing DT310’s. What is happening? Why are eBay sellers abandoning their ids?
No one in the FrankenFlash project has the details on the counterfeiting of the DT310, or how it was possible. It is obvious there are serious problems for Kingston Technologies in China. Security issues. Is this a flaw in outsourcing? We don’t know. We think it is very possible. Outsourcing is risky. Especially if you are looking for the minimum cost and the maximum profit.
Where can Kingston Technologies go to product their products? They are currently at the mercy of the Fabs in China. If they pressure too hard, the Fabs will show them the door. They are caught between a rock and a hard place, the price of having chosen China to produce their products. Western standards and business ethics do not apply.
All we can say is what we have observed. Genuine sellers are delisting the DT310. They can’t sell them. Nobody is buying them. Everyone, both consumer and reseller is rushing to buy the fakes.
It’s a sad day for the DT310 for Kingston. A lot of R&D went into making the DT310 DataTraveler usb flash drive. Who knows how much money they have lost? Research is expensive. Manufacturing costs for 256GB usb flash drives are high.
Will Kingston Technologies develop better security? Stop fraudulent counterfeiters in China from stealing their brand, their hard work and innovation? This is a burning question. Consumer confidence in the Kingston band name for flash technology is going down. This is not good. Unfortunately only Kingston can address the issue by ensuring counterfeiters do not get their hands on packaging, logo’s or casings.
If you are a potential seller interested in selling DT310 usb flash drives, STOP! Do not consider it! Do not waste your time or capital. It is just not safe. If you do acquire the genuine items, you will be unable to sell as people are think they can buy it for less than $200 US. Some are foolish enough to think they can buy one for only $25 US. So what chance do you have to sell the real DT310? You will be stuck with your inventory.
SOSFakeFlash just recently published an article aimed at eBay sellers as part of their education and awareness program. We are republishing it here by permission from SOSFakeFlash. If you are interested in selling the DT310 on ebay read it carefully!
Did you know selling DT310 usb flash drives on eBay is Hot? You can buy them cheap, sell them high! For a small investment you can make up to 5X return for each item you buy wholesale. Even with eBay listing fees and the percentage eBay and PayPal charge you, the return is at least 400%.
There is only one little problem you face as an eBay seller selling DT310 256GB flash drives on eBay……
Your 4~5X profit will be lost if you did not buy them from a recognized Kingston authorized source. You will be selling fakes. Your usb flash drives will fizzle and pop shortly after your buyer tries to store data on them. Many hacked counterfeit DT310 usb flash drives lock up as soon as the real capacity is exceeded. Most don’t have more than 4GB of flash memory chips inside.
What happens when your buyers discover you sold them fakes? You will get negative feedback, they will raise a dispute, PayPal might lock your account and dip into your bank account to reclaim the money you owe buyers. PayPal can have very sharp teeth and fraudulent sellers fear them more than Americans do the IRS.
eBay might banish you from selling, a suspension up to one year. Is it worth the temptation?
If you buy from a Kingston authorized source you won’t be making a large profit, only a modest one. You won’t be able to list them for under $700 US unless you are in the business of loosing money.
A lot of people are buying these hot fakes on eBay, in all buyer countries. When they discover the truth, they will not be returning them to you. They no longer have to. eBay changed the rules.
It’s not rocket science for a frauded buyer to do a validation with Kingston for the DT310 you sold them.
If it proves a “Counterfeit” not just fake capacity you loose, your buyer wins the case. You won’t be able to con them by saying the DT310 was defective or faulty. The Kingston validation will make things crystal clear.
In Asia wholesaling internet sites offer fake Kingston DT310 usb flash drives routinely. Just how cheap?
Important Notice To eBay sellers:
SOSFakeFlash has a zero tolerance policy. If you read this site carefully, you will understand why.
eBay members are not responsible for your mistake(s). Nor should they share in your misfortune. If you have been contacted by a buyer to test, do so immediately. If you discover you acquired fakes and or counterfeits, withdraw all your listings immediately, begin contacting and refunding your buyers with an apology. Note: they are no longer obliged to return the fake to you. You may suffer a financial loss, but you do have the possibility to save your reputation, if you react in time… before you are reported to SOSFakeFlash.
Should you be reported here, you can add a comment on the alert, list your corrective actions to all buyers. No alert has ever been removed. It is documented history on the sale of fake flash memory products on eBay.
Please avoid the temptation of a quick profit. Do your homework and avoid selling flash memory products on eBay.
FakeMemorySentinel does not want to issue a warning about you. SOSFakeFlash does not want to issue an alert on you.
Becareful. Research your product. Test your flash memory items using H2testw, it doesn’t cost you anything to use the programme. To learn what it does, read:
H2testw 1.4 – Gold Standard In Detecting USB Counterfeit Drives
If you are selling brand names, please consult their internet sites to find out what the list prices are. Profit for selling flash memory is small, not BIG! If you want a BIG profit, expect to be recorded at SOSFakeFlash and have your eBay reputation ruined forever.
Be a smart eBay seller! Stay away from the fake flash memory wars raging on eBay!
Additional Reading:.
About Kingston DT310 256 GB Flash Drives On eBay:
Kingston Technologies Offers Help To eBay Victims Frauded With Counterfeit Flash Memory
Kingston DataTraveler 310 DT310/256GB Fake USB Flash Drives Flooding eBay! Fraud Warning.
Flashchiptutor's Flash Drive Facts 
Leave a Reply