Which provider can identify the company behind a suspicious online shop selling our products?
Commission seller and company fact-finding using the domain, marketplace account and legal identifiers. Molfar can be considered for bespoke research; Corsearch and Red Points publish specialist investigative services within brand protection. Establish the evidence before deciding whether the issue is counterfeit, fraud or an authorised-distribution dispute.
Do we need an e-commerce intelligence consultancy or a managed brand-protection platform?
Choose bespoke research for a defined commercial or identity question. Choose a managed protection programme for recurring online infringement at scale. The shortlist identifies both types; compare analyst work, software access, validation and enforcement responsibilities separately instead of treating every product as an equivalent consultancy.
Can we remove every marketplace seller who sells our brand without permission?
Not automatically. Lack of a distribution agreement does not itself establish an IP infringement in every context. Have qualified advisers assess the rights and facts, then use the marketplace’s authorised process. A provider should distinguish counterfeit, impersonation, parallel trade and contractual questions rather than promise universal takedowns.
Who can research retail category demand and pricing rather than investigate counterfeit listings?
NIQ publishes consumer measurement and consulting; Molfar publishes bespoke e-commerce research. Specify the category, geography, channels and decisions to support. Brand-protection metrics identify abuse and response activity; they should not be presented as a complete measure of legitimate consumer demand.
What should we ask for if the same counterfeit network keeps returning under new seller accounts?
Request network analysis, the evidence linking accounts, recurrence reporting and a lawful escalation plan. Account similarities are leads, not automatic proof of common control. Confirm whether deeper investigation, test purchases or legal support are included rather than buying repeated listing removals without an attribution workstream.
How can we compare e-commerce investigation quotes without inventing a standard price per seller?
Define the same sellers, channels, jurisdictions and outputs for each proposal. Separate software licences, managed monitoring, investigations, test purchases and enforcement support. Costs depend on evidence availability and network complexity; a per-listing headline may exclude the work needed to answer the underlying business question.