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Amazon without the knockoffs

knockoff.shopping

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Re: Amazon without the knockoffs

#31

Post by lubujackson »

kjellsbells wrote: post #5

Cuts two ways. Why should I pay $200 for a BigBrand dog bed if this knockoff site shows SHRDLU has the same thing for $40? We all know that BigBrand gets it from the same supplier. The real knockoff problem I see is that you buy what you think is BigBrand and get shipped Knockoff because someone is mingling inventory.

Whenever I see keyboard-mashed company names I know I can go to Temu/AliExpress and get it directly there. You can tell when they are all sourcing from the same batch and instead of paying $40 the same thing is often $3.28 if you don't mind waiting a week.

Re: Amazon without the knockoffs

#32

Post by gortok »

I worked for a hardware startup ten years ago now, and a big problem that was rampant at the time (and seemingly has only gotten worse) is that basically the Contract Manufacturers (CMs) in China take the BOMs and plans they’re given, and since they already have the molds, the same product will mysteriously be produced with a knock-off name, within weeks of your product being produced in china. At the time (and still) I didn’t know enough about whether the CMs are doing it themselves or they’re selling the information to a company to produce, or what, but if you want to manufacture something in China, you’re begging for it to be copied immediately.

While I have my own disdain for the current length of copyright law, it’d be great if China at least had some variety of it. This sort of crap may be an eyesore for the big companies, but its a death-knell for small startups, and Amazon is enabling it.

Re: Amazon without the knockoffs

#33

Post by whilenot-dev »

datakan wrote: post #28
mjamesaustin wrote: post #11

Even better, buy direct from the manufacturer instead of Amazon. I've found most of the time you get the same price and free shipping without giving Jeff Bezos a dime.

I have tried desperately to do this and come up short about 75-80% of the time. I tried for years to buy local also and got screwed over every time I tried. Things just aren't like they used to be where people gave a shit about quality and service.

What do you mean? Where is the percentage of "75-80%" coming from? Local service is great, and I'm happy to pay a little extra to see my neighbors employed.

Re: Amazon without the knockoffs

#36

Post by Cyberdog »

IncreasePosts wrote: post #9
Cyberdog wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Make your burrito or bowl at home, and it'll cost $4 or less.

That sounds really cheap, if you don't consider that you need to do all the shopping, you need to prepare all the food, and deal with probably a bunch of food waste.

Are you someone who has the capability to be constantly making money any time you want to? If not and you just have a normal 9-5 job or something close to it, you have plenty of time to shop for an hour once a week, then spend 10-30 minutes a day making your own lunches and dinners and still come ahead financially -- way, way ahead.

I have no idea where you're coming from with the "dealing with food waste" part so I'll just ignore it.

Re: Amazon without the knockoffs

#37

Post by delichon »

0x457 wrote: post #25
mjamesaustin wrote: post #11

Even better, buy direct from the manufacturer instead of Amazon. I've found most of the time you get the same price and free shipping without giving Jeff Bezos a dime.

Every time I do that I get frustrated: - shipping sometimes goes to from day(s) to weeks - suddenly their ads start going to email - please review us emails I'd rather bezos get his cut.

I bought a weed whacker directly from the maker about 5 years ago, and since then have received literal tons of their catalogues in my tiny mailbox. They send > 80% of all the mail I receive. I've regretted it ever since. Now I feel like I need to keep my address a secret unless there's a good reason not to. Amazon has had it since the last century and has never abused it.

I'd buy more from such if it was easy to hide my personal info from them.

Re: Amazon without the knockoffs

#38

Post by stronglikedan »

mjamesaustin wrote: post #11

Even better, buy direct from the manufacturer instead of Amazon. I've found most of the time you get the same price and free shipping without giving Jeff Bezos a dime.

That hasn't been my experience. They are rarely cheaper, especially once you include the shipping fee. And the shipping experience is lackluster most of the time, and downright frustrating a lot of the time.

Re: Amazon without the knockoffs

#39

Post by mplewis »

IncreasePosts wrote: post #9
Cyberdog wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Make your burrito or bowl at home, and it'll cost $4 or less.

That sounds really cheap, if you don't consider that you need to do all the shopping, you need to prepare all the food, and deal with probably a bunch of food waste.

is this your first time being introduced to the concept of cooking?

Re: Amazon without the knockoffs

#40

Post by theflyinghorse »

gortok wrote: post #32

I worked for a hardware startup ten years ago now, and a big problem that was rampant at the time (and seemingly has only gotten worse) is that basically the Contract Manufacturers (CMs) in China take the BOMs and plans they’re given, and since they already have the molds, the same product will mysteriously be produced with a knock-off name, within weeks of your product being produced in china. At the time (and still…

Reminds me - I was working for a Canadian network equipment manufacturer and at one point a client in Asia was trying to get support for a bunch of units of uor hardware (modems). Long story short, turns out they bought knock offs that didn't even bother changing casing leaving contact info on modems for our company.
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