Cuts two ways. Why should I pay $200 for a BigBrand dog bed if this knockoff site shows SHRDLU has the same thing for $40? We all know that BigBrand gets it from the same supplier.

The real knockoff problem I see is that you buy what you think is BigBrand and get shipped Knockoff because someone is mingling inventory.

> We all know that BigBrand gets it from the same supplier

We don't know that. Look at Project Farm's review videos, he tests a lot of knock off and brand name products and it's almost always a get what you pay for situation. Knockoffs look similar, but use cheaper materials almost always.

The question is almost always, do you need the quality that you get from name brand. Not "why can I get name brand quality of half price"

“Knockoffs” can be of many different types:

- Coming from the same factory line with the same quality control, just rebranded (Costco famously does this a lot)

- Factory seconds, goods with very minor defects (sometimes not even in the product itself but in the box etc)

- Manufacturers copying specs and running illicit production lines without the company’s authorization

- Complete knockoffs, where the external design was copied but the product is totally different

Ultimately for most of these Amazon brands you have no idea which of these you are getting. Just because a product looks the same doesn’t mean it is the same. And in a lot of cases, e.g. with battery operated electronics the knockoff manufacturers skip a lot of safeguards and it ends up burning your house down.

Whenever I see keyboard-mashed company names I know I can go to Temu/AliExpress and get it directly there. You can tell when they are all sourcing from the same batch and instead of paying $40 the same thing is often $3.28 if you don't mind waiting a week.

Depends on your own taste for risk, should the knock off brand have worse QC: what big brand gets you is the ability to sue them should their products fail catastrophically or cause you harm:

https://www.geekwire.com/2019/lawsuit-ruling-dog-leash-purch...

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1k2ydn1rz8o

It seems like the retailers can be held responsible should "ASDAS_A!kr" drop off the radar, but might still be easier to sue local.

(I know "local" companies still find ways to settle / weasel their way out of responsiblities, but at least you know where to reach them...)

> this knockoff site shows SHRDLU[1] has the same thing for $40?

    Person: Grasp the knockoff.
    Computer: I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHICH KNOCKOFF YOU MEAN.

> Cuts two ways. Why should I pay $200 for a BigBrand dog bed if this knockoff site shows SHRDLU has the same thing for $40? We all know that BigBrand gets it from the same supplier.

in many cases may even be from the same factory made by the same hands with a slightly different supplier or quality of fabric, or lower QA.

Knockoff shnockoff. You get an upvote for SHRDLU!

Why not go down to your local independent pet store, keep your money local and support your neighbours instead of giving it to directors and shareholders sitting on beaches in French Polynesia?

Depends on the company. If it's a respectable Asian brand? I'm safe.

If it's an old and established US mark like Philips or Maytag or something? ZGGCD is the way to go.

"BigBrand gets it from the same supplier"

I don't think commerce (especially at Amazon) works the way you think it does.

There is a very good chance that when you buy something at Amazon that says it's BigBrand ... it's just a knockoff. Or a fake that has infiltrated another part of Amazon's supply chain. There is big money in lying to customers through Amazon.

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