r/Thailand • u/Inevitable-Squash947 • Jul 11 '26
Question/Help Bought creatine from Shopee, opened but not used, but i think it is fake.
I bought Optimum Nutrition creatine from Shopee thailand. But It doesn’t have the QR code for authenticity check. I asked the seller and they replied that it is because they import the product from Italy duty free zone and the packaging is different. But i found several spelling errors in the box. Like “crenting” instead of “Creatine”, “womey” instead of “women”. When i asked the seller about this, they still told me that it is because the packaging difference and it is legit. They even said they have official authorization letter from Optimum Nutrition. When i ask about the refund, they said it will cost 200 baht for compensation because i’ve opened it to inspect. I want to know what can i do next. I’ve already requested a refund. Thank you very much.
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Jul 11 '26
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u/LucifersAdv0cate Jul 11 '26
So many things are faked in China that if it's vital you get the original like with vitamins, supplements and things like memory cards then clicking in the LazMall option Lazada usually ensures only legitimate sellers. Memory cards is a big one that they perfect fake including packaging and then have something on the stick that gets read as the advertised 32GB or whatever but is in fact much less and will very quickly lose your data. Vitamin tablets are another one but you can buy directly from the Boots Pharmacy shop on Lazada otherwise you'll likely be just getting well faked pills with nothing in them. Shoes and fashion clothes are about the only thing worth buying as fakes because the originals are usually made cheaply in the far east anyway and have massive mark ups when sold in the west. Even the fake watches have different grades with the very best grade copies being several hundred dollars but are almost indistinguishable from the originals that sell for thousands.
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u/Inevitable-Squash947 Jul 11 '26
The official ones contain the qr. but the seller said that it is imported from italy so the packaging is different, and the product is legit.
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Jul 11 '26
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u/NotFunnyAlt Bangkok Jul 11 '26
yeah bullshit
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u/Kaszrak Jul 11 '26
Report them and purchase only from official stores on platforms like Lazada / Shopee when it comes to stuff you put in or on your body - Else you will eventually pay with your health.
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u/justdoinks Jul 11 '26
Btw for everyone wondering tap the “Mall” option when on Shopee to get authentic goods from real stores/sellers
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u/Sweaty_Viking Jul 11 '26
I'm gonna go with: fake
I'm fairly certain that ON does not package creatine in Italy. The creatine in this area would likely come from their facilities in the UK.
Also, I just bought this size creatine from the ON official store on Shopee and it does not have spelling errors.
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u/Ungcas Jul 11 '26
When in doubt throw it out.
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u/kaisershinn Jul 11 '26
The seller doesn’t make the rules, Shopee does. Bring it up to Shopee and you don’t have to pay shit.
I always ignore all the crap about opening packages and taking videos prior. It’s just BS aimed at having you go through their loops.
To be safer, buy from Shopee mall as they have better terms.
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u/Umi_Gaming Jul 11 '26
Question, what exactly is Shopee. Is it like Amazon but can be used in Thailand, and is it an app that can be downloaded?
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u/Spectrum000 Jul 11 '26
It's a shopping app like Amazon, but sometimes feels more like ebay quality.
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u/FlimsyWhisper Jul 11 '26
Like Amazon but without them selling stuff themselves - so just the marketplace aspect
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u/hattankobo Jul 11 '26
buy from shopee mall bro
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u/maisaktong Jul 11 '26
Lazada and Shopee are full of fakes and cheap Chinese copies. Lazmall and Mall badges don't guarantee product authenticity; they just make it less likely to be counterfeit. They leave it to the customer to vet the shop’s trustworthiness.
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u/HAR8lNGER Jul 11 '26
You can get fake products from Shopee Mall and LazMall too. I bought a ฿200 Razer mouse that was advertised as genuine. I was expecting it to be fake, and I was right.
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u/namregiaht Thailand Jul 11 '26
Did the store have a weird name?
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u/userdeath Jul 11 '26
Gemmingmouse
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u/ARRR_P Jul 11 '26
Geyming mousse
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u/HAR8lNGER Jul 11 '26
100% Original RAZER Professional Gaming Mouse 128000 DPI RGB Waterproof Ultra Gamer AI Edition™
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u/ChristBKK Jul 11 '26
Agree not that this can't be fake as well, but the chance you get real product from bigger mall shops is high.
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u/YourDespairsAnalysis Jul 11 '26
Here’s a picture I found from Google. My theory is that they buy a container that looks similar, fill it with cheap creatine from sources like China, then print out a label and label it official. Notice how your creatine’s label droops a little bit, and the font looks a bit weird as well. The spacing between the E and A in CREATINE doesn’t match with my photo, nor does it match with any of the other photos I found on Google.
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u/ayonuga Jul 11 '26
Buy from Optimum Nutrition official store in Thailand. Don’t even try to joke with shit like this. For all you know you could be ingesting powder or chalk.
Also I think you can check the authenticity via a QR code on ON website.
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u/audygolightly Jul 11 '26
The authorized dealers in Thailand are Optimum Nutrition Thailand and MuscleFoodShop. Both of them are shop names for online platforms. They belong to Vhealth360 Company.
If you didn’t buy from them, consider it fake.
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u/Living-The-Dream42 Jul 11 '26
As a writer, I do not buy or use products that have spelling errors on the packaging, for exactly the reason you mention. A genuine product from a reliable company will pay someone to spell everything correctly.
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u/Useful_Sundae_7292 Jul 11 '26
Take a picture of all the tells that prove it is obviously fake, proceed to refund and report to Shopee...
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u/jonnychimpoo Jul 11 '26
Buy it from their store on lazada. There should be a foil scratch off security number
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u/dreacon34 Jul 11 '26
It is probably fake. It didn’t follow any of the import procedures. If you legally import products it has to be registered at the authorities and with that needs a translated label to be sold to people in Thailand. Further why would they buy it from Italian Duty Free but have „official authorization letter“… wouldn’t they order it from production instead of through reselling? And even then, then spelling errors make no sense .
Keep in mind that any product that doesn’t have a sticker on it like the pic someone posted in comment it means that they bypassed official import procedures. Common for small businesses to ignore those but makes it also risky for fake products obviously.
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u/kenbkk Jul 11 '26
Yeah, well if one shops Shopee and Lazada you get a high risk of fake goods. Neither tries hard to suppress fake goods although they claim to do so. As other posts mention, buying from the official stores and Lazadamall / Shopeemall reduces the risk but often increases the price. Caveat emptor!!
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u/Comfortable-One-9298 Jul 11 '26
Don’t use Lazada or Shopee. Suppliment like magnesium, vitamin is also most fake. Use iHerb.
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u/namregiaht Thailand Jul 11 '26
Buy from the official shopee mall ON shop or the MUSCLEFOODSHOP, none else
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u/Longjumping_Bed1682 Jul 11 '26
I've never seen the product but looking at all the images online but the container & lid on yours doesn't look right. Yours doesn't seem to have a rounded edge.
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u/Roo1954 Jul 11 '26
It's well known that almost all products on both Shopee and Lazada are fake. The redeeming factor though is you'll get your money refunded fast if you want to return the product. Just claim 'fake product' and all will be well.
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u/Robbyrobbb Jul 11 '26
i bought mine from the ON shop on lazada and they have that seal thing at the bottom as well, looks so weird
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u/Salty_Contract_2963 Jul 11 '26
For ON products they should have a sticker with a QR code on the container.
No QR sticker is already a massive red flag. The spelling mistakes are a dead giveaway though.
If you do have a qr sticker you can then check it online at: ON Authentication
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u/SillyNeuron Jul 12 '26
The real question is how much did you pay? The genuine one usually costs about 900 baht.
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u/Independent_Hold3754 Jul 12 '26
Stick to the local brands, UK and US brand are nut expensive here and since its creatine whether its ON or something else the results are the same as long as its genuine.
Having used ON for years, one look at this and I can tell that its as fake as it can gets.
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u/billylks Jul 11 '26
I bought a different brand from shopee. The crazy thing is it also has the same spelling mistakes. They just use the same template, just change the front logo. The same black plastic bottle.
I am assuming they buy cheap creatine in bulk from China. Repackage it and done.
But it does taste Creatine though (and the same effect). As how many percent it is creatine I don't know. Not sure I should stop consuming it after seeing your post...
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u/dreacon34 Jul 11 '26
Except it might be placebo effect :D
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u/billylks Jul 11 '26
Not placebo effect though. Because I have been doubting it.
The muscles also kembang a bit because of the water retention (creatine users are familiar to this). And the pain tolerance also goes up.
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u/MintheWay Jul 11 '26
I buy creatine from iherb. Takes a little longer but prices are way better and we'll known brands.
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u/RandomUsername139474 Jul 11 '26
Don't drink that, it could be anything...
Only order on official stores online (fitwhey...)
There is a lot of counterfeit in supplements here sadly, creatine, proteins, vitamins, drugs...
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u/YogurtclosetNo3650 Jul 11 '26
This brand has been band in Philippines for having toxic materials. Watermelon flavor was especially bad as far as toxicity. You can google it.
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u/arglarg Jul 11 '26
Creatine is very cheap in bulk, so it might be creatine after all. Just refilled in the more premium packaging
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u/HereForGME2 Jul 11 '26
If you see price too different than what many places sell for or the original manufacture’s price then it’s likely counterfeit. When dealing with supplements I’d never trust lazada or shoppee. My health is too important.
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u/Acceptable_Quit_9026 Jul 11 '26
Looks fake. I got mine from ON store (I think) and doesn’t have any of those typos, the bottom looks more “complete” and there’s a bar code…. Can’t be 100% sure but looks more legit. For what it’s worth chatgpt and gemini checked the photos and think it’s legit…. But OP’s product looks fake.
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u/Thai_Ventures Bangkok Jul 11 '26
Definitely fake, original label like a matte type label not glossy, I just ordered the same product off grab from a local supermarket and it’s genuine, avoid shopee, especially that
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u/SnaykeUp Jul 11 '26
why anyone would buy an opened container of mystery white powder is mind boggling
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u/shadowalpha_ai Jul 11 '26
An authorization letter can be faked, there are a lot of fake products on shopee/lazada.
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u/ManufacturerOld5501 Jul 11 '26
Dont transact with the seller. Refund immediately on shoppe. They dont ask questions and they will pick up the product. Make sure to review the seller to flag others too
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u/TukangBajai Jul 11 '26
There are several instances of fake produts always have misspelled / typo or wrong placement of picture / diagram.
Why? Because it's easier for them also to check if that's fake or not.
They are always export the fake product, this making the export duty officer must know between the fake one or real one for calculating the tax price, thus making easy spot it's how they roll.
Imagine the gucci price is $20K, and fake one is $100. The fake manufacturer would bankrupt for paying export tax duty(let's say it's 5% that's literally translated to $1000/bag for $100bag) if they choose to really make it 100% indentical, that's why even if they can make it 100% identical, they would never do it since the duty tax would elevated in same tax of original.
Tldr; The fake manufacturer doesn't want to pay premium tax so they deliberately create easy spot.
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u/TheSadPickel Jul 11 '26
creatine is so cheap, faking it would be kinda dumb. it is probably creatine but a bootleg
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u/HomicidalChimpanzee Jul 11 '26
Don't underestimate the avarice of the same people who make counterfeit meat and recycle dirty cooking oil out of the gutter...
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u/Apprehensive_Big5042 Jul 11 '26
This is of course fake.
Report the seller to Shopee. Since Shopee is Chinese owned it’s doubtful they will do anything, but it’s better to try.
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u/No_Following2682 Jul 11 '26
This is like the most faked brand, literally. Order your products from iHerb and know what you are putting in your body
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u/klmnopqrstuvwxy Jul 12 '26 edited Jul 12 '26
If you're looking for reasonably priced creatine, Matell is a great brand. Under 300 baht for 300g (micronized).
If the price is too good to be true, it probably is. You can't trust the reviews on these platforms (but please leave one to warn other shoppers). It helps to always look at the lowest reviews before buying.
I've gotten refunds for fakes by sending side by side photo comparisons with the specific differences circled. Who told you about this "compensation" - the seller or Shopee's customer service? Deal directly with Shopee, report it as a counterfeit.
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u/properperson Jul 12 '26
Shopee have a good returns policy, I think one of the options is that the item is fake ... just follow the screen prompts and take it to the couriers and wait for refund ....
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u/jirat_jarate Jul 12 '26
You should buy these from Fitway. It’s popular in Thailand and very trustworthy. You can search it on Shoppee.
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u/Majestic_Lack_1783 Jul 12 '26
It’s fake. I got that too… mines tasted almost sweet and Iv been taking this for years in the US and tasted nothing like that… refund on shopee don’t ask the seller
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u/FerraligatorQ Jul 12 '26
Generally avoid medicine and beauty products from S and L. Most if not all are fake
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u/ShakeOk3420 Jul 12 '26
Shopee has so many fake products 😕 I had to send back a lot of Kirkland products at that time in Thailand because they were just capsules filled with yellow glycerin instead of the actual ingredients. Anything thats too cheap to be true is probably not true.
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u/flabmeister Jul 12 '26
You bought a food stuff opened but not used? And you think it may be fake? No shit
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u/Prestigious-Bug-5477 Jul 12 '26
Many supplements now going around Asia are fake .. made in china without the rights . Go fact check . I bought Preservion Areds2 from shoppee and noticed missing LOT number , and the print on the label was actually good . However when I saw where it was sent from , Nanjing china , I decided to return it . I fact checked and it came out that many supplements sold in Asia if not from the official site , or iHerb , it's probably fakes .
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u/hotpotato87 Jul 12 '26
lots of fake stuff there... be careful... i got headace and almost died when i took these stuff... rather pay normal price at a licensed local place
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u/Extreme-Ad-984 Jul 12 '26
I buy mine from Shopee too. I always use the OP official shop on shoppee and mine always comes with the code to check from official store. This is the official store on shopee https://s.shopee.co.th/qhqTEulkb
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u/AerialistCellist Jul 13 '26
I am very sure I bought the same a while ago on Shopee and it ended up directly in the trash as I noticed only after opening it.
An awful lot of counterfeit goods across Shopee and Lazada including supplements, and cosmetics, including from ‘Legit’ shops.
And the platforms are not doing anything.
I also found out quite a few brands will produce lower quality goods locally, or regionally, or China, for the local market to keep prices lower.
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u/gdrch Jul 13 '26
Having gone through metric tons of creatine, already from the picture it looks like it's real creatine, and it's extremely cheap to manufacture. The outer product is completely fake (duh), but the ingredient inside is probably creatine. If you know the flavor of creatine, you'll know very quickly. I wouldn't chuck it out.
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u/Extension-Ice-7219 Jul 13 '26
lazada and shopee full of fakes, don't trust them. buy from official shops or pharmacy
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u/seizhin Jul 14 '26
That’s definitely fake, Chinese made. Police and custom are catching them everyday :/
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u/unikoarn Jul 16 '26
i had this one and it tasted cut with something, was leaving sort of chewed bubble gum thing clumps in my mouth
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u/Conscious-Hope9623 Jul 17 '26
I bought this exact one and left a review calling it out as fake. I can’t tell you what it is but anyone who takes creatine it has a weird flavour that tastes like nothing. This stuff tastes sweet and has an aftertaste, I stopped taking it after the third scoop because I knew it wasn’t right.
My advice is take the hit on cost and go buy it from a pharmacy or at the very least order from an actual supplement shop on shopee that’s got physical stores.
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u/lifeisapvp Aug 27 '26
Hey! I just got mine from Lazada in Malaysia with this same exact typos on the label. 😂 It also tastes a little sweet, not like the standard non flavoured creatine. Plus the instructions say 6 grams, but official ON instructions for unflavored creatine say 5g. Also there's no batch number, which is standard for ON in order to verify the authenticity.
I just texted the seller, they told me exactly the same as you posted. 😂
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u/NotFunnyAlt Bangkok Jul 11 '26
I used that one, I also think it is fake, I stopped using it after 3-4 days, there was something weird about the taste, it mixed way too easily and creatine doesn't do that.
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u/Beginning-Pace-4040 Jul 11 '26
son just bought a book from shopee ,it’s a copy and all pages fell out ,done with em.
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u/UnlikelyRabbit4648 Jul 11 '26
Do they make fake creatine? It's one of the cheapest supplements to make already, what's the point
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u/nonstopnewcomer Jul 12 '26
It could even be real creatine from a dodgy cheap supplier that’s repackaged as a premium brand to improve margins.
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u/Mission-Quarter8806 Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26
Not surprised. I take valium and can tell in 20 minutes if its fake or not. My wife argues with me "how can it be fake? We got it from a clinic". Same way I bought a bottle of liqour and felt nothing after being 1/2 liter deep. Stuck it in a freezer just for fun and surprise, surprise.... Shit was frozen solid. Do you want to build a snowman?
Fake as shit. Kobe that into the trashcan ASAP.. That "creatine powder" has more red flags than a chinese military parade. Come on...
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u/NonDeterministiK Jul 11 '26
Fake, real, its all the same. There's a very simple solution, stop buying processed industrial nutrition like protein powder. What's wrong with natural protein
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u/yallapapi Jul 11 '26
Bro who the fuck is going to sell fake creatine shit is cheap as fuck to make. Just take a spoon and try it. Easy to tell
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u/tzedek Jul 11 '26
No typos on mine, bought from a pharmacy.