Counterfeit Listings on Amazon and Flipkart: A Removal Guide
Amazon and Flipkart run separate counterfeit-reporting systems with different evidence expectations. What each platform actually needs, and why a listing coming down is rarely the end of it.
Updated 8 min read
On this page
- Key takeaways
- Amazon's route: Brand Registry and Report Infringement
- Flipkart's route: seller verification and the counterfeit complaint process
- What strengthens a report on either platform
- Fake listings on Meesho and Instagram shops
- Fake product reviews on Amazon and Flipkart
- Why the same listing tends to come back
- How DiReFTY monitors across both marketplaces
- FAQ
Key takeaways
- Amazon and Flipkart each have their own counterfeit-reporting system - a report on one has no effect on the other.
- Flipkart's seller-verification and reporting process differs meaningfully from Amazon's Brand Registry route.
- A test purchase, where feasible, is the single strongest piece of evidence on either platform.
- Counterfeit sellers relist under new accounts, so single-listing removal is rarely a lasting fix on its own.
A brand finds a listing on Flipkart using its product photography and name, priced well below its own MRP, sold by a seller it has never authorised. It reports the Amazon side of the same problem the week before and assumes the process is similar enough to transfer. It isn't - Amazon and Flipkart run genuinely separate counterfeit-reporting systems, with different evidence thresholds and different timelines.
Both platforms act, but only against a report filed in the form each one actually expects.
Amazon's route: Brand Registry and Report Infringement
Brands enrolled in Amazon Brand Registry get access to faster, more structured reporting tools, automated protections that catch some counterfeit listings before a manual report is needed, and generally quicker turnaround because ownership has already been established once at enrolment.
Without Brand Registry, reports go through the general Report Infringement form, which works but is slower and requires establishing rights from scratch on every report. Either way, the report needs the specific ASIN, not a general complaint about a seller.
Flipkart's route: seller verification and the counterfeit complaint process
Flipkart's reporting process runs through its own brand and IP-owner tools, and its seller-verification standards differ from Amazon's - which means a seller account that gets flagged quickly on one platform can sometimes persist longer on the other before enforcement catches up.
As with Amazon, the report needs to be specific: the listing URL or product ID, evidence of the counterfeit nature of the goods, and proof of the reporting party's rights to the brand or product being counterfeited.
What strengthens a report on either platform
A test purchase, where it's feasible, is the strongest evidence available - a physical counterfeit item received under a documented order is close to conclusive, far stronger than an inference drawn from price or listing photography alone.
Screenshots of the listing, seller details, and product images, captured before the listing can be edited or taken down by the seller, matter because counterfeit sellers frequently alter or delete listings once a business starts engaging with the issue.
A registration number or clear ownership documentation for the brand or product in question, matched specifically to the class of goods listed, is required on both platforms - a mismatch between the registration's scope and the listed goods is a common reason reports get closed without action.
Fake listings on Meesho and Instagram shops
Meesho and Instagram shops are where many counterfeit operations move once Amazon and Flipkart enforcement tightens. Meesho has its own IP-owner complaint route; Instagram and Facebook shops go through Meta's intellectual property reporting forms, which cover counterfeits as well as trademark and copyright misuse.
The evidence standard is the same as on the larger marketplaces: the specific listing or post URL, proof of your rights to the brand, and ideally a test purchase. Instagram sellers often route orders through WhatsApp or direct messages, so capturing the full post, profile, and any payment details before reporting matters - they disappear quickly once the seller notices attention.
Fake product reviews on Amazon and Flipkart
Fake reviews on a product page are a separate problem from counterfeit listings and go through a separate route. Amazon lets sellers report suspicious reviews through Seller Central and Brand Registry's review-reporting tools; Flipkart handles review abuse through its seller support channels.
As with Google reviews, the test is a policy breach - incentivised, coordinated, or off-topic reviews - not whether the review is unfair. Clusters of reviews posted in a short window, reviews on a listing variant the reviewer could not have bought, and reviews referencing a competitor's product are the patterns worth documenting. India's IS 19000:2022 standard on online consumer reviews sets out the principles platforms are expected to follow.
Why the same listing tends to come back
A removed listing is frequently followed within days by a near-identical one under a different seller account on the same platform - and often a matching listing appears on the other platform too, since counterfeit operations rarely confine themselves to a single marketplace.
This is the part that determines whether the initial removal was worth anything on its own. Continuous monitoring for the same product photography, pricing pattern, and seller fingerprints is what catches the relisting - reporting alone, done once, tends to buy a business a few weeks at most.
How DiReFTY monitors across both marketplaces
DiReFTY tracks a brand's product images, names, and known misspellings across Amazon, Flipkart, and Meesho together, so a counterfeit operation running on more than one platform is visible as one connected pattern rather than separate, disconnected reports.
Each detection is documented to the standard the specific platform's reporting route expects, and enforcement is coordinated across marketplaces at once rather than filed one platform at a time as issues surface individually.
Frequently asked questions
If I report a counterfeit listing on Amazon, does Flipkart get notified too?
No. The two platforms run entirely independent reporting systems. A counterfeit operation active on both requires a separate report filed on each one.
Do I need Brand Registry to report a counterfeit listing on Amazon?
No, the general Report Infringement form works without it, but Brand Registry enrolment generally makes reports faster to process and adds automated protections that catch some listings before a manual report is even needed.
What's the strongest evidence for a counterfeit report?
A test purchase confirming the received item is counterfeit, where feasible - it's stronger than an inference drawn from listing photos, pricing, or seller behaviour alone.
How do I report fake products sold under my brand on Meesho or Instagram?
Use Meesho's IP-owner complaint route for Meesho listings, and Meta's intellectual property report form for Instagram and Facebook shops. Include the listing or post URL, proof of your brand rights, and screenshots captured before the seller can edit or delete the post.
The counterfeit listing came back under a new seller account. What now?
Report again - the evidence from the first report generally speeds up the second. Recurrence under a new account is the normal pattern for counterfeit operations, not an unusual edge case, which is why ongoing monitoring matters more than any single takedown.
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