Buyer Beware: TikTok Shop Is Filled With Fakes

OTL - On The Lookout

TikTok faces complaints of counterfeit products being sold on TikTok Shop.

Weren’t we taught if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is? That seems to be the case with newly launched TikTok Shop. After launching early September of this year, TikTok Shop has faced a lot of criticism for the surge of counterfeit products available on the app.

One of the biggest stories circulating the app, is the sale of counterfeit COSRX snail mucin. Korean skincare has been a viral trend for the better part of 2023, snail mucin being a key product to use as part of your Korean Skincare routine. COSRX sells their product for $25 on their website, but some TikTok Shop sellers are listing their mucin for as low as $5. People have shared their experiences with the fake mucin on TikTok, sharing that it’s causing breakouts and of course overall dissatisfaction with the fact they were sold a fake product. Here’s how to tell authentic from fake snail mucin.

Other users have shared similar experiences with products like perfumes, haircare, beauty products, Stanley Cups, teeth whitening strips, clothing and more. People have also seen health & weight loss products that are not approved by the Food and Drug Administration being sold.

There are authentic sellers on TikTok shop. Mainly small businesses who are trying to leverage the social platform to grow their businesses. Ones you might also find on sites like Etsy. If it’s a mainstream product for a price far below retail then we recommend steering clear. Even if they reviews seem positive, it’s unclear if it’s possible to manipulate those reviews, or post ones as fake as the product being sold.

If you are considering a purchase on TikTok Shop, do you research, and do it both on and off the platform. Google is still a thing, (crazy right?) and can lead you to other social posts, Reddit threads, and other outside resources that can give you more insight on if the product, and seller, can be trusted.

For those of you who have impulse purchased off TikTok Shop and feel like they were duped with counterfeit product, make sure you understand your rights as a consumer on the app. Beyond the standard 30 day refund policy, TikTok Shop offers a 90 Day Buyer Protection Program. If you are unable to resolve the issue with the seller you can request a refund directly through TikTok Shop under this program. There is also a form where you can report sellers you believe are selling counterfeit product.

It’s unfortunate that TikTok Shop has gotten off to such a rocky start as we do see a lot of potential in the feature. It’s clear that other big players in the online marketplace space agree. Amazon has recently started their Influencer program, where you can create TikTok-like content and post it on their app. Users that advertise products can earn an affiliate commission on sales, or sellers themselves can create content to advertise their products.

We believe that TikTok Shop either lacks the manpower and algorithm required to effectively shut down potential counterfeit sellers, or they do not have a stringent enough application process for becoming a seller on the platform. While you can still find fake products being sold on Amazon, eBay, and other marketplaces, they are few and far between compared to TikTok Shop. Both of these problems can be solved if TikTok takes swift action to clean up their marketplace and make it a safer environment for consumer.

With goals to do over $20 billion in sales this year alone they are going to need to make adjustments to their Shop strategy if they want to regain the trust of buyers on the app. Until further notice, we're avoiding most products on TikTok Shop. We will wait for sellers to be more regulated and reassess from there.