BENTONVILLE, Ark.—Walmart’s third-party marketplace is leaving shoppers vulnerable to scammers and counterfeit goods, a CNBC investigation has found.
PYMNTS noted the report revealed instances of customers receiving fake or even dangerous products, and identified at least 43 vendors who allegedly used another business’s identity to set up shop on Walmart’s platform.
Current and former employees, along with several sellers, told CNBC the company has loosened its vetting of products and merchants in a bid to keep pace with Amazon.
“It’s very disturbing,” said Elaine Damo, owner of Lifeworks-ACS, which offers services for people with developmental disabilities.
“It’s a domino effect, and it trickles and affects everyone,” said Damo, who told CNBC she was sent returns from more than a dozen customers who’d bought counterfeits from the third-party seller that was posing as her business.