Operator glossary
Test buys
Buying from your own hijacker to document the counterfeit — photos, packaging, serials, order ID — the evidence packet that turns a takedown request from assertion into fact.
A test buy is the evidentiary purchase: order from the suspect offer, document the unboxing (photos of product, packaging, labels, defects against your genuine article), and file the counterfeit report with the order ID attached. Amazon weighs reports backed by test-buy evidence categorically differently from bare assertions.
Discipline matters: photograph systematically (same angles as your authenticity reference), keep the chain intact (order confirmation to unboxing), and never mark the review before the report resolves. For repeat offenders, test buys are also the raw material legal action and Counterfeit Crimes Unit referrals are built on.
The numbers
- Packet: order ID + systematic photos (product, packaging, labels) + comparison against genuine reference.
- Test-buy-backed counterfeit reports carry categorically more weight than assertions.
Primary sources: Amazon Brand Registry (official)