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Cheap junk flooding Amazon has brand names like MOFFBUZW

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Re: Cheap junk flooding Amazon has brand names like MOFFBUZW

#301

Post by flyaway123 »

derefr wrote: post #226
travem wrote: post #217

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> You'd expect, if you allowed someone to study your notes before a test, that they'd possibly end up using similar turns-of-phrase to yours on the test. You wouldn't expect that they'd end up learning to perfectly duplicate your handwriting. Consider a foreign seller who perhaps doesn't have a great grasp of the English language or the cultural context of the US. When you add your own spin to someone else's idea you…

What I'm saying is that it would take an immense amount of effort, looking at literally tens of thousands of Amazon listings, to even realize that "this is what everyone else is doing." I noticed these patterns because I personally went through the top 100 items in every leaf-node category of the Amazon store a few months back (because I treat "finding obscure solutions to problems I didn't know I had" as a hobby.) N…

> What I'm saying is that it would take an immense amount of effort, looking at literally tens of thousands of Amazon listings, to even realize that "this is what everyone else is doing."

You're assuming cause & effect here. To this point, imagine:

  - The crowd following the leader / a particular success story

  - Most individual sellers are not actually "individual": Same owner or network

  - "Educational" boot camps to "get rich". There are towns where people gathered to learn from "the pros" (search for related documentaries)

  - Learning from the same person, e.g. via tiktok-esque platform

  - Subscribed to update packages

  - Generator to fill forms
> That's implausible.

'thousands' is tiny in terms of scale at China.

Imagine yourself as a seller within a network of an extremely competitive network, with a "succeed or hunger" mindset, would you follow and immediately implement any changes that can improve your chance of success?

e.g. New gossip of the day: "Amazon is going to ban any seller using the characters 【】"

Try to relate why being on the first page on HN can bring certain websites down?

I think you are also underestimating what 'travem' mentioned about language and literacy.

Again, imagine you have a limited or zero grasp of the English language. The alphabetical letters are just gibberish to your eyes, but you know you can copy them as your native language characters on your PC/smartphone. Would you attempt to be creative or play it safe?

Re: Cheap junk flooding Amazon has brand names like MOFFBUZW

#303

Post by makeitdouble »

derefr wrote: post #288
makeitdouble wrote: post #281

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Either way, it seems like finding that entity, and preventing it from interacting with Amazon, would stop a majority of this in its tracks. From the comments I was expecting a flood of knock-offs or really problematic products, but it seems the main argument is they’re cheap and delivery takes a boat trip across the globe. Is there any solid reasons these vendors shouldn’t be on Amazon ? The knock-offs on AliExpres…

There's nothing inherent to these vendors (as people) and/or (most of) their products that would mean that they shouldn't be allowed on Amazon, no. The problem is instead with the shell game these vendors are playing — creating thousands of temporary brands, pumping them or "brushing" them with fake reviews, and then discarding those brands at a moment's notice when things go sour for them, only to replace them with…

Thanks.

The “hit and run” aspect, coupled with fake reviews are indeed problematic when they occur. It’s also baked into Amazon’s model: their whole goal was to make it more accessible to small and upcoming entities to go sell globally.

I was looking at the “baby mocassin” listing the tweet is mentioning, and picked one of the “small business” labeled ones that have probably been vetted as an actual US business: https://www.amazon.com/sp?ie=UTF8&seller=A1O25JS82TADDG&isAm...

The only info is about the last 12 months, and we don’t get much clues about the business behind it, even as it has a full store page in Amazon. And of course Amazon wouldn’t want you to get too involved in a any specific shop, as it would strongly lower their leverage as a marketplace (shops stop being replaceable)

Re: Cheap junk flooding Amazon has brand names like MOFFBUZW

#304

Post by jtolmar »

dreamcompiler wrote: post #182
lph wrote: post #10

Pro tip: If you absolutely must buy the junk being sold by MOFFBUZW and other randomly generated drop-shipper brands, the exact same product is usually available on AliExpress for 10% the price.

You've answered a question I've been asking myself for the past couple of years: Why is Amazon trying to become AliExpress? AliExpress already does a good job of being AliExpress. The answer is that Amazon has quietly pivoted: Their new business model is 1. Buy stuff from AliExpress. 2. Mark it up 5x-10x. 3. Profit! Amazon probably hopes their customers don't notice they can get the same stuff from AliExpress much ch…

> 2. Mark it up 5x-10x.

From the limited searching I did when I first noticed this, it seems to actually be a more or less flat $10 markup, regardless of whether that works out to 10x or 10%.

Maybe some sort of fixed cost is involved?

Re: Cheap junk flooding Amazon has brand names like MOFFBUZW

#306

Post by jrnichols »

elliekelly wrote: post #120
eslaught wrote: post #110

Is it correct to say that when you get something "shipped and sold by Amazon.com", it really comes from them? It's the "fulfilled by Amazon" (the infamous FBA) that you need to watch out for. It's a bit screwy, but you can filter by seller by clicking into a specific product category, and then selecting Amazon.com in the bar on the left. Then all the items should be "shipped and sold by Amazon.com". But I've been sor…

I’m actually not sure that’s a safe assumption. I could be wrong but I believe Amazon co-mingles products of the same SKU. So if Amazon is selling a book and other sellers have listed the same item as “new” and sent it to Amazon’s warehouse I don’t believe there is any distinction between the two at the warehouse. So the stock picker might grab Amazon’s (presumably authentic) item from the bin when they pack your ord…

> I could be wrong but I believe Amazon co-mingles products of the same SKU.

They do, and we have seen people get fake items. this is a huge problem for things like tourniquets. We tell people to go right to North American Rescue for example but so many people instinctively go to Amazon now and order things that it's a problem.

the fakes look almost like the real thing but have no quality control and break easily.

Re: Cheap junk flooding Amazon has brand names like MOFFBUZW

#307

Post by sgc »

gerdesj wrote: post #292
alangibson wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've listed a few things on Amazon. This is very much true. If you don't have a registered trademark youre a second class citizen. You can't upload a video, for example.

Amazon isn't eBay. In theory, for us punters: we should be flogged goods by Amazon that conform to local standards. Beyond that all bets are off. eBay doesn't even bother with ... anything - it's all caveat emptor. So even in the wild west of Amazon at least there are a few standards. Sorry if you feel aggrieved but I'd rather buy stuff that had to follow a few standards that I nominally trust. By registering a trade…

You are kind of deciding Amazon's business model for them, or describing what you would like them to be. But your description doesn't fit well with their "Do you have one of these to sell?" links etc. It seems fair to say they send out mixed signals.

Re: Cheap junk flooding Amazon has brand names like MOFFBUZW

#308

Post by colechristensen »

derefr wrote: post #179
thirtyseven wrote: post #167

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What’s hard to believe about several thousand sellers all copying each other’s homework?

Because it's not just the big things that are the same; it's the little points of style that a "marketplace of ideas" wouldn't think to share or copy. You'd expect, if you allowed someone to study your notes before a test, that they'd possibly end up using similar turns-of-phrase to yours on the test. You wouldn't expect that they'd end up learning to perfectly duplicate your handwriting. It'd both be too hard, and n…

Maybe there’s a $50 start your own business pdf going around that has precise instructions that people just follow.

Re: Cheap junk flooding Amazon has brand names like MOFFBUZW

#309

Post by hakfoo »

lph wrote: post #10

Pro tip: If you absolutely must buy the junk being sold by MOFFBUZW and other randomly generated drop-shipper brands, the exact same product is usually available on AliExpress for 10% the price.

I find it's turning into a continnuum for me,

If I can wait a month, it's cheaper on AliExpress, although their search/discovery is a mess.

If I want it in a week or two, I can usually find it for a few dollars more at eBay claiming 'US seller".

If I want it by the end of the week, I'll try to assemble $25 worth of "shipped by Amazon" items.

Re: Cheap junk flooding Amazon has brand names like MOFFBUZW

#310

Post by heliodor »

decafninja wrote: post #185
heliodor wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That kind of unimportant stuff is usually found on ebay for much cheaper. Usually things that cost no more than $10 or $20 on Amazon sell for much less on eBay. The trinkets category. I make a point of not engaging with that category on Amazon. It's the least I can do to feed the monster less.

eBay is also significantly more difficult and annoying to use than Amazon Prime. I don't disagree with the morality argument, but Amazon has made things so incredibly convenient for the consumer.

Most of the trinkets aren't needed fast, so I feel the experience is the same: click the buy button and the submit button.
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