Shopping for pet supplements on Amazon is easy, convenient, and sometimes, a total ripoff. It’s sad but true that fake pet supplements on Amazon are a growing problem, so today we’ll talk about how to protect yourself from getting taken.
Did You Buy Fake Pet Supplements on Amazon?
Earlier this year one of the world’s leading pet supplement makers, Nutramax Laboratories announced that counterfeit versions of Cosequin® DS+MSM 132, Dasuquin® with MSM, and Proviable® DC were being sold by unauthorized third-party resellers on Amazon. The sellers were all based in China, and all selling through the giant marketplace.
“Our active ingredients were also not present in them; therefore, pets are not receiving any of the needed health benefits of authentic Nutramax products. For these reasons, we are treating these counterfeit products as a threat to pets’ safety and well-being.”
Fake CBD products are another big issue on Amazon
Amazon’s counterfeit pet supplement problem isn’t just affecting pets either. Fake human supplements, pharmaceutical medications and pet CBD pain relief products are also getting passed along at cut-rate prices, putting everyone’s health at risk. One of the biggest problem areas involves third-party sellers trying to pass off fake CBD products. Our friend Caleb from HempDaddy’s explains:
Amazon’s new Project Zero is one way the company claims to be cracking down on counterfeit supplement and product sellers. But fake products of all kinds are still getting through Amazon gatekeepers. Clearly we cannot rely on the retail giant to protect us from greedy counterfeiters.
Don’t risk the health of you or your pet. Here’s what you need to do to protect yourself against fake pet supplements on Amazon:
How to spot fake pet supplements on Amazon
Step 1: Beware of the cheapest prices.
Be skeptical if your favorite pet supplement is typically sold at a much higher price anywhere but Amazon. Odds are the dramatic price difference is because counterfeiters are selling it. “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is,” says Dr. Joseph Mercola.
Step 2: Check the product packaging carefully.
“It can be extremely hard to tell a counterfeit product from an authentic one,” says Nutramax representatives, “but among the red flags are misspellings on the label, slight differences in logos or other graphics, and differences in the appearance of tablets or capsules, sometimes even within the same package.”
Step 3: Look for reputable Amazon sellers.
When you’re on Amazon, make it a point to shop with a manufacturer’s Amazon storefront first. That way you know you’re getting the real deal.
You don’t have to avoid all third-party sellers, but if there’s any question in your mind about the seller’s affiliation with the company, then it’s best to follow your gut feeling and shop with the manufacturer’s Amazon storefront.
We know that getting the lowest price is tempting, but it isn’t always the safest way to go, for you or your pets.
As always, thanks for reading and for shopping for pet supplements on Amazon with the Tripawds Nutrition Store. All proceeds help keep this community online, we appreciate your support!
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Thank you for the heads up! I hopped in to see the seller for where I got Mitchell’s supplements to make sure, and thank goodness they were fulfilled by Amazon and from the manufacturer. I have had difficulties dealing with some vendors when the product is not good so I try to always buy from Amazon directly. They are a lot easier to deal with on returns, I found out the hard way.
Thank you for posting this. I was tempted a couple of times, but thought the price was too good. I decided to stick with K9 immunities. As far as CBD I order straight from the manufacturer. I was getting it from a smoke shop and it never worked for Brownie. Now I know why.
You are so welcome! When I saw my friend Hempdaddy’s post about it, I did some research and was just shocked that so many reputable supplements are being ripped off like this. It’s a crazy world, I’m glad we could be of help making it less crazy.
Such a bummer that rhis happens. Thanks for this alert! Very important!!
Just a note… The example image where you point to Nutramax (“Yes! The maker is seller”) is wrong. The “by Nutramax Laboratories” indicates the listed manufacturer. In your example image Amazon is the seller (“Ships and sold by Amazon.com”).
m78, I know it’s confusing, but the image is from the Nutramax store, which Amazon simply manages. Many companies contract with Amazon to sell and ship their products direct to consumer. What you don’t want is to have a reseller listed as the seller where the Nutramax Laboratories link is located underneath the product description. Make sense?
@jerry: Yes, 3rd party sellers pay Amazon to fulfill their orders. Those will state “Sold by XXX and Fulfilled by Amazon”. That image clearly states that it is “Shipped and sold by Amazon.com” under the “Want it Monday, Sept. 30?”
Amazon has “pseudo stores” too which are just showcasing products from one manufacturer. That screenshot may have been from one of the brand showcasing pages.
At any rate, you do NOT want any product if shipped/fulfilled by Amazon either. I used to buy Dasuquin from Amazon (shipped and sold by Amazon) as part of my Subscribe & Save. From what I understand, the problem with that is that they co-mingle their product stock with 3rd party seller stock (that is “Fulfilled by Amazon”) so you can still get bad product. Basically in the warehouses, anything with the same ASIN goes into a bin (the same product from any seller) and then orders are fulfilled from that bin for all sellers.