Johannesburg – South African consumers shopping for cheaper computer storage are being warned to exercise caution after counterfeit solid-state drives (SSDs) were identified on Makro’s online marketplace.
According to MyBroadband, fake SSDs have been offered by third-party sellers on the platform, raising concerns about consumers paying for storage capacity or performance that the devices cannot actually deliver.
The report comes amid a broader squeeze on the global memory market, which has pushed up prices of SSDs and RAM.
MyBroadband previously reported that Syntech CEO Craig Nowitz had warned South African consumers about lesser-known memory brands, saying some manufacturers were turning to used or reworked chips because of difficulties securing new components.
“Smaller SSD and Memory manufacturers who cannot get stock of actual chips are resorting to using used chips,” Nowitz told MyBroadband.
He said some manufacturers were using “pulled”, used or reworked memory, potentially creating problems with compatibility, reliability and performance.
The concerns extend beyond Makro. MyBroadband has previously documented misleading or counterfeit products on several major online marketplaces, including Takealot and Amazon, where third-party sellers can list products alongside genuine goods.
Makro’s marketplace rules
Makro’s own Marketplace terms require sellers to source products directly from brand owners or authorised suppliers and maintain procedures to ensure products are authentic.
The rules specifically prohibit sellers from listing “stolen, counterfeit, misbranded or illegal products”. Sellers are also required to provide certificates of authenticity or documentation showing that they are authorised to sell particular brands or products.
Makro’s consumer terms of use state that, for products sold by third-party sellers, the seller is responsible for the sale and fulfilment of the product, while Makro provides the marketplace platform and facilitates customer queries.
The latest concerns follow earlier MyBroadband investigations into misleading products on Makro’s marketplace, including routers falsely advertised as supporting 5G and televisions with inaccurate resolution claims.
The developments underline the risks consumers face when buying unusually cheap storage devices from marketplace sellers, particularly as rising memory prices make seemingly bargain-priced SSDs increasingly attractive.
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
