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> The spread of cheaper knockoffs can also put pressure on authentic sellers and brands to lower their prices, helping Amazon win more customers. Ugh, how cyni

• snaky 8y ago
  That's complicated. In the world full of ODM and OEM manufacturing, some of the 'cheaper knockoffs' are actually exactly the same product, just with no brand label, or with the different one.
  • toss1 8y ago
    Which is often, especially in China, the same product made by the factory as extra production runs, but sold out the back door at night. Straight up theft on not only IP, but all the management admin costs to manage production, and the marketing efforts to build the brand. From every single account of people I've encountered who have worked in/with China, this and every other sort of ripoff is absolutely expected and par for the course unless you take serious countermeasures (e.g., make all critical components in another economy, ship over to China only the goods that just need final process and assembly). It's just how they do business. And obviously, now, they have significant hordes scanning Amazon for products selling well, which they'll promptly counterfeit. And Amazon's happy to help them undercut you.