Are counterfeit Snap-On tools a thing?

[Jacobson]

So much fake designer stuff on Ebay (clothing, accessories, etc)
Are counterfeit Snap-On tools a thing?

 

[bob15]

Try the search function? Plenty of thoughts. Are you referring to to tools or merchandizing?

A couple oldie but goodie threads:

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=182289&highlight=fake+snap

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=269717&highlight=fake+snap

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=114695&highlight=fake+snap

 

[Brownsfan]

Except for the people putting snap on handles on cheap ratchets I think it would be way more expensive than its worth to fake them. Not as much demand as say fake purses.

 

[davethorik]

Yeah but the Chinese can rip us off for pennies on the dollar...funniest I've seen on here were fake Mitutoyo indicators and dial calipers labeled as Mitutogo lol

 

[Brownsfan]

I do remember back in the 90s when car stereo was huge there were some Chinese companies doing similar to what Dave said. Manipulating product names. Some I remember Aplhine, Kenford, Rockwood JBC.

 

[AnthonyJ124]

If they have enough time and energy to fake high end specialized road bikes, I'm sure they're out there trying to counterfeit high end tools...

 

[HighPlainsWrencher]

I wondered this also. I seen someone post a older Snap On ratchet the other day and thought it looked a little off.

 

[RedneckWelder]

The Chinese can counterfeit just about anything.

One of the problems we have in the shooting world is very expensive counterfeit accessories, such as electronic sights (Aimpoint and Eotech are both victims of such). They copy the logos and even warning labels closely. It's a threat for both buying online, and I have seen cases where a dishonest individual will purchase the real thing from a brick and mortar store such as Cabelas and return the fake in it's place to profit several hundred dollars and screw the next guy over.

It would not surprise me to see counterfeit Snap On tools, although I have yet to come across any at this point. It would be very possible for them to do so, but I do not know how close they could get it to match (usually there are a couple of tell-tales if you know what to look for on counterfeit products)

 

[PT Doc]

The Mititoyo contradicts and a big issue. There are step by step instruction on the Amit sire to spot the fake.

 

[Skin]

I've said it before and i'll say it again. Counterfeiting tools doesn't make sense. It costs a boatload of money to setup tool manufacturing. If you're going to go through all that work you may as well just make your own Asian brand and make boatloads of money selling to joe homeowners who don't want to spend much instead of trying to strike it rich through something like Ebay auctions (which would also be noticed quickly I might add).

The biggest thing in Snap-Ons favor is that they've kept hardline manufacturing largely based in the US. Most counterfeiting is done in areas where products are already produced.

 

[ADSR]

and I have seen cases where a dishonest individual will purchase the real thing from a brick and mortar store such as Cabelas and return the fake in it's place to profit several hundred dollars and screw the next guy over.

Wow! That's just so wrong. That guy is going to have hell to pay.

 

[jrobb316]

I had a snap on rep once, a few years back, come around with the route driver with pictures of fake snap on ratchets. They were not so much fake in the sense that they looked perfectly identical, but they stole the looks and the lines of the ratchets. Picture a snap on looking ratchet without a logo, thats what they looked like. I have never seen a fake in real life, I would have to think they are somewhat rare.

 

[Scott r c]

The Chinese can counterfeit just about anything.

One of the problems we have in the shooting world is very expensive counterfeit accessories, such as electronic sights (Aimpoint and Eotech are both victims of such). They copy the logos and even warning labels closely. It's a threat for both buying online, and I have seen cases where a dishonest individual will purchase the real thing from a brick and mortar store such as Cabelas and return the fake in it's place to profit several hundred dollars and screw the next guy over.

It would not surprise me to see counterfeit Snap On tools, although I have yet to come across any at this point. It would be very possible for them to do so, but I do not know how close they could get it to match (usually there are a couple of tell-tales if you know what to look for on counterfeit products)

I bought a Chinese Eotech a long time ago. It worked great....until you fired the rifle, the recoil would shut it off. POS.

 

[AA/FC]

I had a snap on rep once, a few years back, come around with the route driver with pictures of fake snap on ratchets. They were not so much fake in the sense that they looked perfectly identical, but they stole the looks and the lines of the ratchets. Picture a snap on looking ratchet without a logo, thats what they looked like. I have never seen a fake in real life, I would have to think they are somewhat rare.

You mean like this? lol

 

[hautpot]

They were not so much fake in the sense that they looked perfectly identical, but they stole the looks and the lines of the ratchets.

I noticed Harbor freight "steals" the designs and looks of other manufacturers.

Example:

Looks exactly like instinct screwdrivers.

 

[jrobb316]

lol yeah, just like that Its beyond me why people patronize that store

 

[ADSR]

You mean like this? lol

you mean that's not a dual 80?

 

[Adam.C]

Prices for SO items on ebay can sometimes appear to be too good to be true. but these are not neccessarily fakes. There are a couple of different scenarios:

SO offers pretty awesome special deals. My dealer had 3/8" metric 6pt sockets on sale last week buy one get one (buy shallow, get deep free). Sometimes people buy these, then list them on ebay (in this case) as seperate sets for 75% off list to make an extra $50-100. Maybe the guy just wanted the deeps. Now he can sell the shallows for almost nothing and make money.

Dealers too sometimes list stuff on ebay, even tho they shouldn't. The dealer may not sell the BOGO set. He may break open the box, sell the shallow set for 10% off to encourage a customer, then has a virtually free set of deeps he could auction off for next to nothing.

The other way these find their way to ebay is via the customers. The average SO customer buys everything on credit. So a guy may pick up a set of hammers on special, pay $20 to the driver on the spot, then auction them off on ebay and make $100-200. That puts instant cash in his pocket for drugs or whatever. Because the mechanic doesn't technically own the tools, hasn't paid full price for them, this is stealing. But it happens all the time. Some dealers even watch ebay to see if the toolbox they just sold on credit winds up on a short auction.

There's no easy way to determine if the NIB Snap On stuff on ebay is essentially stolen or not, aside from toolboxes which are serialized. Chances are, the NIB SO stuff you see on ebay is the real thing.

 

[warmpancakes]

Dealers too sometimes list stuff on ebay, even tho they shouldn't.

.

snap on will "fire them" if they are caught,

also all snap on cordless and air tools have a serial number so those can be tracked too, snap on watches ebay I know of one driver who lost his route in washington for selling on ebay. Its a direct violation of their franchise agreement

 

[djwyman]

Harbor freight try real close to make their tools look like Snap-on stuff like their new line of ratchets look a lot like a comfort grip Snap-on from a distance.

Sent from my XT1095 using Tapatalk

 

[goingtoarizona]

I bought a 10mm deep Snap On socket a month or so ago to replace a missing one. The new one had tooling marks inside where the bolt or nut grabs. What really did it for me was the matte finish where it has the name and logo. When I asked the seller he never responded, then issued a refund stating it wasn't worth the time to dispute it...I still think it's a fake. It was $10.00 with shipping and the real thing is like 20-30. It was new, never been used.

 

[malykaii]

I noticed Harbor freight "steals" the designs and looks of other manufacturers.

Er, why is almost everyone in th I thread convinced that harbor freight makes and designs tools.

Just about everything in their store is available elsewhere. Like their last ratchet they sold was also sold as an ez red product for 4x the price. It's the manufacturers who try to clone other tools.

 

[Flivver250]

lol yeah, just like that Its beyond me why people patronize that store

Boggles the mind. Makes you wonder about their preferences.

 

[dutchgray]

I would expect if you went to China you could find cheap tools stamped up with USA and what ever brand they thought they could sell, but their market for that stuff is not going to be first world countries.

 

[malykaii]

I would expect if you went to China you could find cheap tools stamped up with USA and what ever brand they thought they could sell, but their market for that stuff is not going to be first world countries.

I kind of doubt it. I have a friend who is living in China right now, he's Comming back to the US for a month. I'll ask him what kind of tools are available in the Chinese domestic market not intended for export. Maybe he'll bring something back for me.

 

[logical]

Those aren't fake Snap-On... they are Snap-On Tributes ��

 

[ybnormal70]

The other way these find their way to ebay is via the customers. The average SO customer buys everything on credit. So a guy may pick up a set of hammers on special, pay $20 to the driver on the spot, then auction them off on ebay and make $100-200. That puts instant cash in his pocket for drugs or whatever. Because the mechanic doesn't technically own the tools, hasn't paid full price for them, this is stealing. But it happens all the time. Some dealers even watch ebay to see if the toolbox they just sold on credit winds up on a short auction.

Exactly how would that be stealing? Even if he doesn't pay for it after buying it on credit it still doesn't make it stealing. Same as buying a TV from Walmart on black Friday with a credit card and selling it for a profit the next day. Even if you don't pay the credit card company the tv still isn't stolen. You still owe in both cases and the creditor will come after you and your credit record but that's a far cry from "stealing".

Kevin

 

[kblazer87]

Sorry, but taking something and not paying for it is actually the definition of stealing.

 

[Adam.C]

Exactly how would that be stealing? Even if he doesn't pay for it after buying it on credit it still doesn't make it stealing. Same as buying a TV from Walmart on black Friday with a credit card and selling it for a profit the next day. Even if you don't pay the credit card company the tv still isn't stolen. You still owe in both cases and the creditor will come after you and your credit record but that's a far cry from "stealing".

Kevin

The tools are the customers' collateral. See Snap On extends credit to people with no collateral. They use the tools as collateral. In the case of the black friday sale, the Walmart gets paid for the item with a credit card. If the customer doesn't pay the credit card bill, the bank won't typically go back to Walmart. And they don't typically repossess the customer's stuff tho I imagine they could try.

When you get a tool off the Snap On truck without paying full price for it, that tool technically belongs to Snap On until it is paid off. You can't can't sell it because it doesn't belong to the customer. And when the reps get a deadbeat customer, they go back and take their tools back. Like a car.

Sadly, this happens a lot. I've even seen youtube videos of Snap On reps trying to repossess tools.

 

[Fcvapor05]

Er, why is almost everyone in th I thread convinced that harbor freight makes and designs tools.

Just about everything in their store is available elsewhere. Like their last ratchet they sold was also sold as an ez red product for 4x the price. It's the manufacturers who try to clone other tools.

An organization the size of harbor freight most certainly has input on the design and features of the tools they buy.

 

[Lx460]

Sadly, this happens a lot. I've even seen youtube videos of Snap On reps trying to repossess tools.

Links please? I've only found one video of this.

 

[Dave455]

I don't know about Snap On, but on this side of the pond there were a load of fake Hazet sets around a couple of years ago!

They weren't that good a fake, and wouldn't have fooled anyone who was familiar with the product, but if someone was new to the product, and bought the cheapest online, they'd have lost their cash.

There used to be a warning, and some pictures of the dodgy sets, on the Hazet website!

 

[warweapon762]

The Yakima area in Eastern Washington had a problem about 10-15 years ago where someone was buying bulk Taiwanese tools without rollmarks on them, importing them over here and then rollmarking them with a Snap-On die.

These were often seen at tool sales/craigslist for awhile. I even met a couple of sleezebags selling them out of the back of a white ford winstar with the Snap-On logo painted on the side (probably the same morons counterfeiting the stuff).

I think they got chased out of town by the Tribal Police or so said some of the local Snap-On dealer right before I moved from the area.

That's about the only time I had encountered the fake Snappy stuff.

 

[NoUserName]

I remember Panasony

 

[Jack84]

Need some help. Is this SO ratchet the real deal?

Never mind. False alarm.


Sent from my iPhone using Garage Journal

 

[Mr_B]

Er, why is almost everyone in th I thread convinced that harbor freight makes and designs tools.

Just about everything in their store is available elsewhere. Like their last ratchet they sold was also sold as an ez red product for 4x the price. It's the manufacturers who try to clone other tools.

HF make active effort with OEM on some design points, ICON further proof of this (especially the sockets right down to font type, part number format, knurl bands, socket hieghts/broach depth etc etc .
Doubt ez red ratchets had same grip style .

 

[CafeTools]

It's illegial. They are getting strict on counterfit imported goods at ship yards. Seizures. I don't think there is much margin on heavy hard to make tools compared to designer makeup, clothing, purses, etc.

They are getting fakes to be really good in certain areas. Almost Impossible to tell.

That said, I don't think snap on fakes are or will be a thing.

 

[chrismenke]

The Mititoyo contradicts and a big issue. There are step by step instruction on the Amit sire to spot the fake.

Great....now we have counterfeit posts.

 

[Al Borland]

Found this site looking for info on "Snap-Off" knockoff tools after a co-worker brought in a wrench set. Script looked perfect...
Hilarious.

 

[seber]

Snap-on is sold only through truck dealers or direct. That makes it hard to sell new counterfeits.