A DT200 256GB DataTraveler usb flash drive does not exist. Kingston never made one. There is no such thing as OEM Kingston DataTraveler flash memory usb pen sticks or thumb drives. Any internet site that advertises DT200 256 GB flash drives is engaging in fraud. This includes eBay, or an wholesaler site in Hong Kong, China or elsewhere.
The DT200 highest true capacity is 128GB as stated by Kingston Technologies at their website.
Fake DT200 256 flash drives are offered in many different colours: Pink, Yellow, Blue and Grey.
eBay seller, kennykcheng demonstrates ignorance by listing DT200 Data Traveler usb flash drives at an advertised capacity of 256 GB for only $125 US.
eBay consumers trust in eBay and their ratings of sellers. FakeFlashNews and SOSFakeFlash frequently expose how misleading seller rating can be on eBay. It gives buyers a false sense of confidence.
There is no such thing as a DT200/256 GB DataTraveler usb flash drive. Kingston never made one.
Many internet wholesaling sites in China and Hong Kong will tell you it is an OEM version, if you challenge them about no information being available at a Kingston website. There is no such thing. OEM is a term usually used for software products, not for flash memory.
Others will tell you it is “upgraded memory”. You can not upgrade the memory capacity of flash nand memory chips any more than you can upgrade the existing capacity of your fixed hard disk. In the early days of computers there was some tricky formatting to stretch the capacity of hard disks. It was a dare devil practice and everyone knew you better not fill it up to the last byte, because if you did, your hard disk and all of it’s contents would be toast!
Flash memory storage is very different. There is absolutely no way to stretch capacity. You can alter it’s reported capacity by using the right software programmes to digitally alter information on the usb flash memory controller chip. It tricks operating systems into believing the capacity is much higher then it really is. Operating systems, trust the information in the usb controller chip. They have too. If they didn’t and performed a full scan, you would wait a very long time, even hours before you could use your usb flash drive. If you have an older computer, you would lock up and wait forever. So in the spirit of “plug and play” operating systems rely on the information the usb flash drive controller chip reports. If the physical storage chip for the data is only 4GB, there is no way it can be upgraded to hold more!
All FrankenFlash project sites recommend that you test your usb flash drive before using it to store information. The most accurate program is H2testw. Depending on the reported size of your usb flash drive and the speed of your computer it can take a long time to run because it validates the reported size. To know why it is it the best software you should read
H2testw 1.4 – Gold Standard In Detecting USB Counterfeit Drives
to learn why. You will find links to download the software. It is free too.
If you see any Kingston 256GB DataTraveler 200 with this packaging – you are guaranteed to buy a fake, a counterfeit Kingston Technologies Product. Watch out!
You will find them available everywhere. Kingston counterfeiting of DataTraveler usb flash drives is big business.
Kingston according to sources we will not name, has severe security problems. Part of the problem is that they sub contract the manufacturing of their usb flash drives. In the Orient, especially in China, there are very few procedures and security guidelines to ensure that brand name products manufactured there can not be copied or counterfeited. In trying to deliver low prices to consumers, Kingston Technologies appears to have compromised itself. This is the opinion formed by people monitoring the Kingston counterfeiting flash memory problem.
There was a time when Kingston counterfeits were very crude and easy to spot. This is no longer true. Because Kingston Technologies is highly respected as a brand name and for quality, it is the first choice for counterfeiters of flash memory. A lot of money can be earned, and the profits high. The issue is not one of “looking like a real one”, it is the fact that these counterfeits do not deliver the advertised capacity. This means that people will lose their data and their files as soon as they exceed the real capacity of the flash storage chip.
SOSFakeFlash and FakeMemorySentinel report that consumers rush to buy DT200 Kingston fakes. Both groups say they can not keep up with the number of sellers who offer them. On eBay DT200 fakes are very common, in fact almost all are fakes. FakeFlashNews is keeping track of them and also tries to provide consumers with current information on pricing for genuine DT200 usb flash drives.
It’s hard to say if kennykcheng on eBay is aware he is selling fakes or simply just another eBay seller ignorant about the products he is selling. kennykcheng and many other eBay sellers do a lot of harm to buyers by listing Kingston fakes.
Sites in the FrankenFlash project are busy documenting sellers who sell DT200 fakes. They are issuing a lot of internet alerts. Recently both SOSFakeFlash and FakeMemorySentinel report that eBay is cracking down on sellers, who sell counterfeit Kingston Technologies products. If an eBay seller is caught by the FrankenFlash project, an alert is issued. It stays forever as a record on the internet.
How many people have been frauded with DT200 fakes and counterfeits? Nobody really knows the full magnitude. On eBay a lot of fraudulent sellers use multiple item listings. Some sell as many as 2000 DT200 fake usb flash drives before they are suspended. In some cases 128 GB DT200 fakes are sold as low as $20 US.
There is only one solution for buyers and sellers. Both need to test any DT200 usb flash drive sporting the Kingston brand with H2testw. No one should ever use a DT200 usb flash drive, before testing it with H2testw. Failure to do so, can lead to data loss. With so many Kingston DT200 fakes out there, it is the only smart thing to do.
Additional Information and Reading:
Kingston USB Flash Drives. How To Check You Have A Genuine One And Not A Counterfeit – Easy Guide. Kingston Technologies Fighting To Protect Consumers And Itself From Counterfeits.
Kingston DataTraveler 310 DT310/256GB Fake USB Flash Drives Flooding eBay! Fraud Warning.
Kingston DT310/256 Counterfeits Sold On eBay!
256GB Kingston DataTraveler Leather USB 2.0 256 GB – The Most Famous Counterfeit Fake Sold
eBay Erasing Evidence Of Fraud – Protection Of Fake Memory Sellers Increasing. DT200/128GB Kingston DataTraveler Fakes Continue To Be Sold On eBay.
Falso DT200 256 GB drakomoda eBay Flash Memory Seller España Spain – Test Immediately!
Warning KINGSTON DT200 DATA TRAVELER 128 GB USB FLASH DRIVE eBay Fakes – A Guide
Kingston Technologies Under Attack From Fake Flash Memory Seller Piranhas In The Orient. DT200 Counterfeits 8GB 16GB 32GB Flood Global Market.
Current Prices For Genuine Kingston DataTraveler 200 128GB USB2.0 Flash Drives DT200/128GB And For Fakes – A Guide
Buying A Kingston DataTraveler DT200 128GB Flash Drive On eBay? What You See Might Not Be What You Receive. Have a look.
Flashchiptutor's Flash Drive Facts 