PB Swiss insert bits on Amazon - Beware

[nezzman]

I ordered the C6-900 PB bit set from Amazon EU, brand new, not a warehouse item.

It arrived today, and it looks like someone has bought it, took out the PB bits, and replaced them with cheap sh*t bits.

The bits weren’t even the same as what was supposed to be in the set.

Just a word of warning in case anyone orders PB Swiss bits from Amazon for the first time and has no idea what they should look like.

I called Amazon, and after some back and forward chat, got a refund, and was told to “dispose” of the item.

The bit box is pretty cool though!

The real bits are mine, for comparison.

 

[darkzero]

That's ***** what happened to you, I hate thieves that do **** like this!

But these aren't really a case of fake PBSwiss tools being sold by Amazon like your title implies. Seems more like some jackass that bought & returned something else. Happens all the time with Amazon US & ebay. Heck even local retail stores.

 

[nezzman]

That's ***** what happened to you, I hate thieves that do **** like this!

But these aren't really a case of fake PBSwiss tools being sold by Amazon like your title implies. Seems more like some jackass that bought & returned something else. Happens all the time with Amazon US & ebay. Heck even local retail stores.

I changed the title, you are right. Thanks for the heads up.

Yeh, it *****, tbh, I haven’t really had anything like that happen before.

 

[tarbellb]

Was it shipped and sold from Amazon (eu?)

Any 3rd party seller that is NOT Amazon you are rolling the dice, big time

 

[Professional Tool User]

Was it shipped and sold from Amazon (eu?)

Any 3rd party seller that is NOT Amazon you are rolling the dice, big time

You are giving Amazon too much credit. A lot of third party sellers use Amazon warehouses to store their products before shipment. The same people and returns handling procedures who fail to catch these problems could be at play.

 

[CGarage]

Supply chain integrity failure......Amazon needs to do better managing their third party sellers.

 

[tarbellb]

You are giving Amazon too much credit. A lot of third party sellers use Amazon warehouses to store their products before shipment. The same people and returns handling procedures who fail to catch these problems could be at play.

Supply chain integrity failure......Amazon needs to do better managing their third party sellers.

Absolutely. Amazon is pushing out as much product as possible with with as little oversite as they can get away with

I personally have yet to come across a product switch like this particular case- sold as "new". Warehouse Deals, definitely, its too easy.


That being said, if its not sold AND shipped by Amazon your odds of getting something not legit goes way up

 

[Moose-LandTran]

More likely someone else bought the set, stole the PB bits, put cheap ones in their place and returned it.

 

[darkzero]

I personally have yet to come across a product switch like this particular case- sold as "new". Warehouse Deals, definitely, its too easy.

Yup, has never happened to me buying "new". I buy a fair share of AWDs & it has only happened to me twice. But both times I don't think it was a customer switch-a-roo since they came in just Amazon bags. I think it was just whatever employee didn't know what the actual item was supposed to be & just tagged it with whatever product they thought was close enough. But whatever, no hassle at all to return anyway.

 

[neophyte]

Amazon had an issue with storing all items,
that had the same item number together,
No matter whether the items were purchased by Amazon from the manufacturer,
Or sent to Amazon by third party sellers Marketplace sellers, for Amazon fulfillment.
Amazon didn’t differentiate the source of the items.
Because of this, third party sellers could ship counterfeit goods toAmazon warehouses, and the counterfeit goods would get mixed in with genuine product, resulting in items Amazon legitimately sells and sources from the manufacturer, being counterfeit.
Amazon also may put returns back into general inventory, resulting in counterfeit product being substituted into legitimate inventory.
Unfortunately, to counteract this, every item would need to be barcoded with an individual trackable number, to track original supplier, as well as possible returns etc. to keep the supply chain clean.

 

[nezzman]

Was it shipped and sold from Amazon (eu?)

Any 3rd party seller that is NOT Amazon you are rolling the dice, big time

It was sold by, and shipped by Amazon EU, I made sure of that before I ordered.

 

[Brian Puccio]

Amazon had an issue with storing all items,
that had the same item number together,
No matter whether the items were purchased by Amazon from the manufacturer,
Or sent to Amazon by third party sellers Marketplace sellers, for Amazon fulfillment.
Amazon didn’t differentiate the source of the items.
Because of this, third party sellers could ship counterfeit goods toAmazon warehouses, and the counterfeit goods would get mixed in with genuine product, resulting in items Amazon legitimately sells and sources from the manufacturer, being counterfeit.
Amazon also may put returns back into general inventory, resulting in counterfeit product being substituted into legitimate inventory.
Unfortunately, to counteract this, every item would need to be barcoded with an individual trackable number, to track original supplier, as well as possible returns etc. to keep the supply chain clean.

Exactly. Amazon commingles stock. If Amazon is selling ProductX and has 1,000 in their warehouses and I want to sell 100x ProductX through Amazon, Amazon considers them fungible, so they all get mixed up. Now along comes a scammer who is introducing 100x ProductX — but half of them are counterfeit, defective, swapped out with lesser goods, used, etc. Again, all commingled.

Now someone buys an item from me, the legitimate seller (sold by Brian, fulfilled by Amazon) and they have a ~4% chance of getting a bad product. That someone now thinks I’m a scammer. So in the future they only buy things “sold by Amazon, fulfilled by Amazon) even though it might cost a little more. But there’s still 50 bad items in the giant warehouse with 1,200 items.

This doesn’t even get into returns being sold as new and other stuff.

Your comment about needing a unique barcode or other identifier to track something through the supply chain is spot on. Amazon does offer that for some categories of product. But do buyers know how to look for that?

 

[Brian Puccio]

My griping about Amazon aside, I do like PB Swiss but can’t justify the expense for myself as a hobbyist. But I have settled on their bit holders as my system for holding all of my quarter hex bits. : )

 

[Professional Tool User]

It was sold by, and shipped by Amazon EU, I made sure of that before I ordered.

Buying from third party sellers usually isn't an issue provided you do your due diligence like noting red flags such as Chinese sellers. Even if it isn't from a third party seller, there are still potential issues. Amazon's descriptions are inconsistent at best. Bottom line, that's what credit card charge backs and Amazon's return policy are for when SHTF. If you really want to avoid getting a dud, buy it off an authorized dealer and avoid Amazon while you are at it.

 

[ricleh]

One of the reasons I use Amazon is because their customer support is some of the best I have ever encountered. I have purchased over 1,000 items on Amazon and have had problems maybe 10 times. Each time I had a problem Amazon customer support was quick, efficient and very helpful. I can't think of another company I have dealt with that has that level of customer service. I have been ripped off by some shady merchants selling on Amazon, but Amazon made it right when I contacted them. That is why I continue to use Amazon. This is my personal experience. Someone else might have had a different experience.

 

[nezzman]

One of the reasons I use Amazon is because their customer support is some of the best I have ever encountered. I have purchased over 1,000 items on Amazon and have had problems maybe 10 times. Each time I had a problem Amazon customer support was quick, efficient and very helpful. I can't think of another company I have dealt with that has that level of customer service. I have been ripped off by some shady merchants selling on Amazon, but Amazon made it right when I contacted them. That is why I continue to use Amazon. This is my personal experience. Someone else might have had a different experience.

I will also continue to use Amazon.

My experience with their customer service has been outstanding.

Any problem I have had, it has been sorted right away, this for example.
I was told to dispose of the bits, though we all know I am going to keep them, specially the bit box

What I am not impressed about though, is my customer review being denied.

I posted a review warning other buyers about the potential of getting a dud, and to check it against photos if they are a first time PB buyer, nothing else.

 

[GirchyGirchy]

You are giving Amazon too much credit. A lot of third party sellers use Amazon warehouses to store their products before shipment. The same people and returns handling procedures who fail to catch these problems could be at play.

Right, but Amazon lists both "Sold by" and "Ships from." The poster you quoted called out both specifically. If both are Amazon, then it should be legit. If the "Sold by" is a 3rd party, anything goes. It's not like they're hiding that information.

 

[nezzman]

Right, but Amazon lists both "Sold by" and "Ships from." The poster you quoted called out both specifically. If both are Amazon, then it should be legit. If the "Sold by" is a 3rd party, anything goes. It's not like they're hiding that information.

Both are 100% sold and shipped by Amazon, my guess is, someone else has bought it, and returned it, and Amazon have not noticed. A non tool guy might not notice the bits are not PB.

I found the exact set on Amazon the PB bits where replaced with.

Draper 82406 Security Bit Set - Silver (33-Piece) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01GZWTHFK/?tag=atomicindustr-21


Note, the price changed on Amazon after I bought them… typical.

 

[tarbellb]

Oh lordy thats a difference in price

$5 vs $85

 

[allinon72]

Amazon is out of control with no sign of turning back. They have no systems in place to corral fake, counterfeit, or abuse like in this example. I gave up Amazon over a year ago because of this and a few other reasons. It's a glorified online Big Lots except you don't know what you're going to get. If you are looking for a name brand, you have to pour over pages of cheap Chinese junk before finding it, then you aren't sure if you're going to get a fake anyway.

I had to order 2 sets of 10 Richardson hats for work a few months ago and Amazon was the only place that had them in stock. Received first batch, then the second batch. First batch was very clearly a knock off when comparing the two.

 

[Professional Tool User]

Right, but Amazon lists both "Sold by" and "Ships from." The poster you quoted called out both specifically. If both are Amazon, then it should be legit. If the "Sold by" is a 3rd party, anything goes. It's not like they're hiding that information.

You are missing the point. The OP stated a case of someone stealing the bits by swapping them with inferior ones, hence why I mentioned returns handling procedures and people. I bet the Amazon employee responsible for processing the return didn't catch it.

 

[Professional Tool User]

One of the reasons I use Amazon is because their customer support is some of the best I have ever encountered. I have purchased over 1,000 items on Amazon and have had problems maybe 10 times. Each time I had a problem Amazon customer support was quick, efficient and very helpful. I can't think of another company I have dealt with that has that level of customer service. I have been ripped off by some shady merchants selling on Amazon, but Amazon made it right when I contacted them. That is why I continue to use Amazon. This is my personal experience. Someone else might have had a different experience.

You probably have been drinking too much Amazon Kool Aid. Any big box store with a 30 day or longer return policy is capable of handling a return. Buying sight unseen creates a long list of potential problems. Beyond taking your stuff back to keep you happy, Amazon customer service *****. You have to rely on their inconsistent and often misleading product descriptions. They let Chinese sellers sell no name and sometimes pirated junk that often isn't cheaper than buying name brand off a big box store, sometimes shipping directly from China. If I wanted these products, I'd buy them off Ali Express for made in China prices, not Amazon. They even play the pricing algorithm game on you, destroying any value proposition. And finally there's how irresponsibly they handle returns. A lot of Amazon returns end up in landfills.

 

[tarbellb]

You probably have been drinking too much Amazon Kool Aid. Any big box store with a 30 day or longer return policy is capable of handling a return. Buying sight unseen creates a long list of potential problems. Beyond taking your stuff back to keep you happy, Amazon customer service *****. You have to rely on their inconsistent and often misleading product descriptions. They let Chinese sellers sell no name and sometimes pirated junk that often isn't cheaper than buying name brand off a big box store, sometimes shipping directly from China. If I wanted these products, I'd buy them off Ali Express for made in China prices, not Amazon. They even play the pricing algorithm game on you, destroying any value proposition. And finally there's how irresponsibly they handle returns. A lot of Amazon returns end up in landfills.

30 day return- Amazon sure makes it easier then most, if you reach out they will except stuff outside of 30 days too

No name- eh, they have names, funny ones sometimes, but still names

Shipped from China- ive never seen Prime shipping from China, 3rd party only?

Pricing- yeah they can get you, even the Camels arent working like they used to
----------------

Really tho, I think Amazon is going in a direction I wont be supporting for very much longer. Catering to the off brand and mega brands only, leaving the rest out (the bulk of which I buy the most of).

Theyve flooded the site with so many options from cheap and poorly copied products its downright hard to find a new quality item. A shame. But they will keep evolving, so will the market. It went from books to products, to services and streaming.

 

[ricleh]

You probably have been drinking too much Amazon Kool Aid. Any big box store with a 30 day or longer return policy is capable of handling a return. Buying sight unseen creates a long list of potential problems. Beyond taking your stuff back to keep you happy, Amazon customer service *****. You have to rely on their inconsistent and often misleading product descriptions. They let Chinese sellers sell no name and sometimes pirated junk that often isn't cheaper than buying name brand off a big box store, sometimes shipping directly from China. If I wanted these products, I'd buy them off Ali Express for made in China prices, not Amazon. They even play the pricing algorithm game on you, destroying any value proposition. And finally there's how irresponsibly they handle returns. A lot of Amazon returns end up in landfills.

I simply stated my personal experience with Amazon. I have no problem with you not using them. That is your personal decision.

 

[Packard V8]

Given the astronomical volume Amazon does daily and the speed at which they do it, it's amazing there aren't more problems.

Having said that, there has to be a small circle of hell for the guy who'd go to the trouble of buying bits and then returning fakes. That's such trivial evil . . . go big or go straight.

jack vines

 

[neophyte]

Given the astronomical volume Amazon does daily and the speed at which they do it, it's amazing there aren't more problems.

Having said that, there has to be a small circle of hell for the guy who'd go to the trouble of buying bits and then returning fakes. That's such trivial evil . . . go big or go straight.

jack vines

The difference in price was about £80.
The saving on one return payed for the guys Amazon Prime subscription for the year.

 

[Packard V8]

The difference in price was about £80.
The saving on one return payed for the guys Amazon Prime subscription for the year.

Well, we can't know the exact accounting, but would he net the 80 in cash? Seems he either got a set of PB Swiss bits to use at a discount or to sell out of his boot for a fraction of the retail Again, poor return for the bad karma piling up, plus the too-and-from labor. Some of us learned long ago, you can't steal anything; ultimately, all debts must be paid.

jack vines

 

[Lassen Forge]

Yep... I ordered an air fryer from Amazon - fairly nice one, cost over a hundred bucks. I got a notification that it had been delivered and was in my mailbox. Air Fryer - in my mailbox?? What they sent me was a $2 apple phone charging cable. Said it was an air fryer.

I went to their online thing, complalined it was fraud... they wanted me to send back the cable at my own expense... So can we add more fraud to fraud?

I was finally able to talk to someone (took a couple hours of my time just to get a valid phone number) and after 20 minutes of back and forth, they decided to refund me.

 

[KnurledNut]

This thread brings back memories of my Amazon purchase of the 16” Knipex Cobras.
I had saved hard-earned money and was so excited when i could pull the trigger.
Only to get this:
.jpg

One of the few times I was disappointed to receive something USA made.

 

[gmcgeo]

I got s set of spun cam bearings from amazon......