A software developer made a Chrome and Firefox extension called Knockoff that automatically hides, grays out, or filters products from sketchy brands on Amazon, which highlights just how many shady brands are on the platform and how commonly they show up on searches for basic items.
Yeah absolutely agree. I always but hydroflask bottles, but never through hydroflask. The exact same bottles and exact same lids are sold under a rolling list of random Chinese companies like this. Usually these companies do have real names, they’re just super Chinese and not worth properly localizing.
Hell, I recently got a new fancy video monopod. The official US name brand that sells it is harlowe. It sells for about a grand
I bought this exact same model from “yc onion” with a nonsensical name the “pineta pro” (said “pine-tah”) for less than half that.
I literally brought mine into a store after realizing how similar they are and compared them side by side. Even the stamp and sticker placement is identical. Like they clearly come from the exact same factory just with a different color and a different name printed into the same box on the side.
Why the fuck would anyone pay the 60% price hike just to have a known US company sell it to you? The really shitty thing is that I’m not sure how b and h is allowed to sell it. When I talked to my local camera store they said that they weren’t allowed to sell it because they were a brand partner to the US brand and couldn’t sell non us products without getting fined or dropped by their suppliers. Maybe b and h is just big enough to not have to care anymore, but that’s just going to be one more nail in the already dying camera store market.
I have issues with your monopode having three legs. Mostly I think it’s funny.
Couple things.
First, those are likely “third shift” products. The Chinese company that’s making the original product does more than ordered, and off the books. Slap a different sticker on it, and you can sell it without worry of it being caught as a counterfeit.
Secondly, there is something to be said of going through the original manufacturer. They have warranties, and actually care about their name so will go to some extent to support you if something goes wrong.
Now is that worth doubling the price? Not likely. But it’s something to keep in mind.