Ebay Rant

[Mgdoug3]

A friend of my uncle's gave him an Astro Pneumatic 40SL light. One can never have too many lights so i decided to buy one. I got on Ebay and thought they were super cheap so I ordered two. I didn't realize the light I got a was fake until I got the item today. I hopped on Ebay again and all the listings were fakes.

I'm not against saving money but I am not a fan of companies, especially Chinese companies, blatantly copying products and marketing it as an original. I did file a report with Ebay but I don't anything happens. The listing I bought was actually a sponsored listing. Rant over.

 

[M6erfan]

That *****. Did you let Astro know?

 

[Davefr]

If you can substantiate it was counterfeit, then Ebay sends you an immediate refund and tells you to destroy the item.

 

[SARG]

Going through the same scenario with PayPal on counterfeit Seresto flea collars.

 

[Skin]

That *****. Did you let Astro know?

Astro knows. Chris even said that's partly why they moved on to the 40SLMAX and 65SL. I believe any 40SL still available is either old stock or a knock-off.

Ebay doesn't care about fakes unless there is an abundance of complaints. I dealt with this last year with Samsung SD cards. Pretty much any listing that was even a dollar below what legitimate stores sell them for were Chinese knock-offs with horrendous data transfer performance. They're still all over the place.

Ebay loves their Chinese sellers. They generate a lot of money for them.

If you can substantiate it was counterfeit, then Ebay sends you an immediate refund and tells you to destroy the item.

Despite what that says when I filed a claim that the item was counterfeit with proof I was instructed to return, not destroy.

 

[Astro_Pneumatic_Tools]

Astro knows. Chris even said that's partly why they moved on to the 40SLMAX and 65SL. I believe any 40SL still available is either old stock or a knock-off.

We still make and sell the 40SL, our sales on 40SLMAX and 65SL are just by far the lion's share now.

Yeah, in the beginning we would dispute these listings with Ebay (even on Amazon sometimes), especially when it showed our brand. But eventually it's like whack-a-mole, takes us longer to take down a posting than for them to make a new one, even make a new seller/company account.

If it's under $36, it's 100% going to be fake - not made in Taiwan, made from plastic that will disolve from chemicals, and certainly not have protected LG/Samsung cells or PCB's with overcharge or other protections. If you burn your shop down, there's no one to go after.

Sorry guys - we see the demand at these $15-25 prices, but there's no way to make this light that cheap. If you want assurance, buy from a tool website not Ebay, Wish, or Amazon.

Our solution is to move on. 40SL is an old light by tech standards, our newest lights would be damn hard to replicate feature for feature.

OP, send me a PM and I'll ship you the real deal free of charge.

 

[Renchi]

OP, send me a PM and I'll ship you the real deal free of charge.

This is just another example of why I love your company and your products!

 

[tarbellb]

Stand up biz right there.

Really appreciate the info and insight on this, Ill be buying one soon.

 

[M6erfan]

Astro knows. Chris even said that's partly why they moved on to the 40SLMAX and 65SL. I believe any 40SL still available is either old stock or a knock-off.

Ebay doesn't care about fakes unless there is an abundance of complaints. I dealt with this last year with Samsung SD cards. Pretty much any listing that was even a dollar below what legitimate stores sell them for were Chinese knock-offs with horrendous data transfer performance. They're still all over the place.

Ebay loves their Chinese sellers. They generate a lot of money for them.



Despite what that says when I filed a claim that the item was counterfeit with proof I was instructed to return, not destroy.

Good to know, I'm sure it's a PITA for manufacturers like Astro.

And it's not just eBay, AMZN too. They love their Chinese vendors. I left a negative review on an AMZN item months back and they wouldn't post it. I referred to the item "Chinese garbage". I think that phrase didn't pass muster with AMZN. But I stand by my assessment.

We still make and sell the 40SL, our sales on 40SLMAX and 65SL are just by far the lion's share now.

Yeah, in the beginning we would dispute these listings with Ebay (even on Amazon sometimes), especially when it showed our brand. But eventually it's like whack-a-mole, takes us longer to take down a posting than for them to make a new one, even make a new seller/company account.

If it's under $36, it's 100% going to be fake - not made in Taiwan, made from plastic that will disolve from chemicals, and certainly not have protected LG/Samsung cells or PCB's with overcharge or other protections. If you burn your shop down, there's no one to go after.

Sorry guys - we see the demand at these $15-25 prices, but there's no way to make this light that cheap. If you want assurance, buy from a tool website not Ebay, Wish, or Amazon.

Our solution is to move on. 40SL is an old light by tech standards, our newest lights would be damn hard to replicate feature for feature.

OP, send me a PM and I'll ship you the real deal free of charge.

Awesome Chris. What a stand up move!

 

[Mgdoug3]

Thank you, Chris. I'll send a DM shortly. One reason why I wanted the Astro Pneumatic light was because of your customer service and the high quality tools you manufacture.

It's my fault for not looking close enough but here's what I ordered and what I received. Lesson learned though. I stopped by my uncle's to compare the fake and original. The original is probably twice as bright and the fake has more of a yellow tint.

 

[ooba tooba]

They fake Shure microphones too, for our musically inclined members. I just buy new when it comes to that sort of thing. Not worth saving a few pennies.

 

[Legion Prime]

Does anyone selling new stuff on ebay NOT sell chicom knockoff trash? If so it's news to me.

 

[neophyte]

A friend of my uncle's gave him an Astro Pneumatic 40SL light. One can never have too many lights so i decided to buy one. I got on Ebay and thought they were super cheap so I ordered two. I didn't realize the light I got a was fake until I got the item today. I hopped on Ebay again and all the listings were fakes.

I'm not against saving money but I am not a fan of companies, especially Chinese companies, blatantly copying products and marketing it as an original. I did file a report with Ebay but I don't anything happens. The listing I bought was actually a sponsored listing. Rant over.

The same thing can routinely happen with Amazon.
In my experience, refunds are way quicker with Ebay though.
Amazon used to mix stock that had the same item number, with Amazon owned stock in their warehouse, so purchasing directly from Amazon, or from an Amazon Marketplace seller “fullfilled by” Amazon, could wind up getting you counterfeit goods even when Amazon was an authorized retailer.
There are numerous items on Amazon with reviews saying the items are knockoffs.

 

[measuredtwice]

A friend of my uncle's gave him an Astro Pneumatic 40SL light. One can never have too many lights so i decided to buy one. I got on Ebay and thought they were super cheap so I ordered two. I didn't realize the light I got a was fake until I got the item today. I hopped on Ebay again and all the listings were fakes.

I'm not against saving money but I am not a fan of companies, especially Chinese companies, blatantly copying products and marketing it as an original. I did file a report with Ebay but I don't anything happens. The listing I bought was actually a sponsored listing. Rant over.

A "sponsored listing" just means that the seller paid to have their auction promoted. It has nothing to do with authenticity or the reputation of the seller. The seller just paid for advertising. Why do you mention that it is "actually a sponsored listing"??

Do you have a link to the auction? Are you sure there weren't any indications that it was not original? Often there are subtle and sometimes buried indications that it is a clone.

It's ironic how Taiwan knock offs of USA tools are common and often promoted as long as they only tie the product to the original with slick "compare to" marketing (Harbor Freight). But when a Taiwan product gets copied, there's moral outrage. LOL.

 

[measuredtwice]

The same thing can routinely happen with Amazon.
In my experience, refunds are way quicker with Ebay though.
Amazon used to mix stock that had the same item number, with Amazon owned stock in their warehouse, so purchasing directly from Amazon, or from an Amazon Marketplace seller “fullfilled by” Amazon, could wind up getting you counterfeit goods even when Amazon was an authorized retailer.
There are numerous items on Amazon with reviews saying the items are knockoffs.

A lot of buyers don't understand that they are buying from a 3rd party and not Amazon. I suspect it's 3rd parties, not Amazon. I've never gotten a fake from Amazon.

 

[Mgdoug3]

I posted a screenshot of the ad. You tell me if the seller blatantly tried to copy Astro Pneumatic's light.

 

[neophyte]

A lot of buyers don't understand that they are buying from a 3rd party and not Amazon. I suspect it's 3rd parties, not Amazon. I've never gotten a fake from Amazon.

There have literally been news articles about the problems causes by Amazon warehouses mixing stock from Amazon Marketplace sellers who use Amazon warehouses for fulfillment.
Amazon also occasionally purchases other companies to expand their product offerings, as well as closeout lots of tools, so sometimes you purvhase genuine products from Amazon, but not from the original business reseller, and wind up with no warrantee support.
I don’t know how common it is currently, but Amazon sold grey market goods in the past, and not just Marketplace sellers.

 

[measuredtwice]

I posted a screenshot of the ad. You tell me if the seller blatantly tried to copy Astro Pneumatic's light.

That looks like the title only, not the full text. Do you have a link to the auction?

There have literally been news articles about the problems causes by Amazon warehouses mixing stock from Amazon Marketplace sellers who use Amazon warehouses for fulfillment.
Amazon also occasionally purchases other companies to expand their product offerings, as well as closeout lots of tools, so sometimes you purvhase genuine products from Amazon, but not from the original business reseller, and wind up with no warrantee support.
I don’t know how common it is currently, but Amazon sold grey market goods in the past, and not just Marketplace sellers.

I should mention that I was only talking about tools. I've bought a lot of tools from Amazon and have never gotten a fake. I've also never seen any news about fake tools. It wouldn't surprise me if there were mixups with other products, especially electronics. If it ever does happen to me, I'd just do a free return but I doubt it ever will happen to me. I have gotten broken tools and tools missing parts but I've never gotten a fake from Amazon.

 

[Mgdoug3]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/333254474516

I also noticed there's no mention of it being made in China in the description but it says made in China on the box it was delivered in.

 

[measuredtwice]

https://www.ebay.com/itm/333254474516

I also noticed there's no mention of it being made in China in the description but it says made in China on the box it was delivered in.

I agree that it's intended to deceive but there's a subtle indication.

"Brand: Unbranded"

 

[Mgdoug3]

I didn't review the light before ordering. I had a real one in my hands and liked everything about it. I saw the title and ordered it. I wasn't aware of fakes or what the going price was for an Astro Pneumatic light. When I got it and looked at the ad they're are some subtle clues but only if you're looking for it.

Someone like me who isn't aware of what the orginal costs or that Ebay only sells fakes, it's hard to know until after the fact. I'm still a little mad about Ebay letting sellers get away stealing a name brand to sell their junk.

 

[finn]

eBay is off my list. I just won’t buy anything through them unless I can verify the sellers integrity.

Amazon has been ok, but I only buy things from them directly, with prime. Never resellers using their portal.

 

[mr.lemons]

Ebay tip for anyone who doesn't know.

Ignore the part where it says where the item is located. In this case New Jersey US.

Click on the sellers name.

Then you will see where the seller is located.

Sometimes the sellers in China do ship from warehouses in the US but I think the 'item location' on Ebay in these cases is mostly a lie.

 

[measuredtwice]

Does anyone selling new stuff on ebay NOT sell chicom knockoff trash? If so it's news to me.

Grainger and Zoro (some stuff is made in China but nothing is misrepresented), KC Tool, Detroit Metalworking, Zephyr Tool Group and many others. It's usually best to buy direct but I have sometimes gotten better deals from Ebay than their own stores, especially with Ebay promotions... best promotion that I've gotten so far is $50 worth of $10 Ebay coupons for selling 5 items for $10 or more during the promotional period.

My best Ebay deals have been from individuals and from liquidators but you have to be careful.

Ebay tip for anyone who doesn't know.

Ignore the part where it says where the item is located...

Good catch.

 

[karoc]

OP, send me a PM and I'll ship you the real deal free of charge.[/QUOTE]

This is why from now on I will be looking Astro brand when I need something

 

[egdede]

Good to know, I'm sure it's a PITA for manufacturers like Astro.

And it's not just eBay, AMZN too. They love their Chinese vendors. I left a negative review on an AMZN item months back and they wouldn't post it. I referred to the item "Chinese garbage". I think that phrase didn't pass muster with AMZN. But I stand by my assessment.


You ever leave a review that said 'merican garbage'?

 

[M6erfan]

You ever leave a review that said 'merican garbage'?

On AMZN specifically? Not that I can remember. Most of the stuff I buy on AMZN is made in China. And I've left plenty of positive reviews on Chinese made items. I've been uber critical of some made in the U.S products, right here on GJ. Much to the chagrin of some of our forum members. I'm an equal opportunity criticizer, regardless of COO.

 

[Rinspeed]

OP, send me a PM and I'll ship you the real deal free of charge.

Classy move Chris.

 

[Davefr]

I agree that it's intended to deceive but there's a subtle indication.

"Brand: Unbranded"

Using Astro's name to sell an unbranded product is clearly a DRM violation and Ebay should remove the listing if Astro contacts them. However if they remove one listing there'll probably be another listing that pops up using a different seller's name.

 

[Mgdoug3]

Every single listing I saw on Ebay used Astro Pneumatic's name. I reported a few of them but it would take all day to report every single one. From now on, if I want an Astro Pneumatic product, I'll go to their page to order. Ebay was just an easy option with all my info saved.

 

[Aaron_W]

They fake Shure microphones too, for our musically inclined members. I just buy new when it comes to that sort of thing. Not worth saving a few pennies.

I'm finding more and more that vendors on Amazon and Ebay often offer just as good or better prices through their own websites. The internet has evolved greatly from the days when Amazon and Ebay came into existence making website sales much more available for smaller companies.

I think the main value of Amazon / Ebay for sellers is the wider exposure as there are a lot of buyers who want that one stop shopping experience and still think these sites offer the best prices.

 

[Ton ton]

I agree with the OP.

 

[Mgdoug3]

Just an update. Astro Pneumatic sent me a real 40SL light. There's no comparison between a real one and a fake. Thank you again, Chris for sending me the real deal. Astro Pneumatic has awesome customer service.

 

[Bacon!]

Originally Posted by measuredtwice I agree that it's intended to deceive but there's a subtle indication.

"Brand: Unbranded"

But it also reads "BRAND Astro"

IMO, the better indication is price. Sometimes I'll see someone selling a niche widget for a fraction of retail just to get rid of it, but I trust that more if it has unique seller-taken pics of the actual item instead of stock photos, and only has 1 for sale.

 

[chipjumper]

Also DO NOT buy or at least be very very cautious of buying new auto parts on eBay. I’m referring to small items like spark plugs, sensors, and brake pads etc. The counterfeit parts come in counterfeit OEM identical bags and boxes.
YouTube sensation FordTech Makoloco just did a video on this:

 

[472scout]

Ebay tip for anyone who doesn't know.

Ignore the part where it says where the item is located. In this case New Jersey US.

Click on the sellers name.

Then you will see where the seller is located.

Sometimes the sellers in China do ship from warehouses in the US but I think the 'item location' on Ebay in these cases is mostly a lie.

I didn't know that. Thanks.

 

[dogdog]

Ebay tip for anyone who doesn't know.

Ignore the part where it says where the item is located. In this case New Jersey US.

Click on the sellers name.

Then you will see where the seller is located.

Sometimes the sellers in China do ship from warehouses in the US but I think the 'item location' on Ebay in these cases is mostly a lie.

Not really a lie, they might not have a warehouse per se, they might be called freight forwarders...

 

[Farmall450]

If you can substantiate it was counterfeit, then Ebay sends you an immediate refund and tells you to destroy the item.

Yup, pretty good trade deal for you. I've also seen them wipe out entire sellers for one or two (known) fake posts.

 

[Pontiac787]

Not really a lie, they might not have a warehouse per se, they might be called freight forwarders...

Yes. The location in NJ would make sense due to the proximity to a large shipping area. I found out about freight forwarders when I googled the return address on a Milwaukee impact I receive. It’s an interesting concept.

 

[Farmall450]

Speaking of Astro knockoffs, I needed to air up a tire near the shop and one of my colleagues/friends said to tryout his new digital gauge. i was shocked to see a near identical Astro to my 3081 but the digital brother, the 3018. I don't know about you, but I doubt there was a 3018 for $15 on Amazon, which is what he said he paid (I had originally assumed he had the Mac truck rebrand). Damn good clone, if I was blindfolded I wouldn't know the difference. Or maybe there was a glitch?

https://www.astrotools.com/tpms-dial-tire-inflator-w-stainless-hose-0-65psi.html
https://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-lis...1&keywords=astro+pneumatic+3018&condition=new

Amazon is pegged a t$60, making his find 1/4 the going rate.