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I think you're barking up the wrong tree. There may be ways to be greener by manufacturing near consumers... but that doesn't have much to do with amazon vs al

by netcan 6y ago

I think you're barking up the wrong tree. There may be ways to be greener by manufacturing near consumers... but that doesn't have much to do with amazon vs alibaba. These products are manufactured in the same places.

mcv 6y ago
Not sure what tree you think I'm barking up. I do think the issue of local production and less transportation is an important issue; not everything is just about Amazon and Alibaba. But even if you just focus on those, Amazon at least has to obey local standards for the country in which they sell. Products from Aliexpress only obey Chinese standards, which are very different. And sometimes they ship with misleading logos which could suggest to European customers that they obey EU rules when they don't.
- cptskippy 6y ago
  > Amazon at least has to obey local standards for the country in which they sell. In theory. In practice resellers are free to dropship whatever they want from AliExpress to Amazon and sell at a markup.
  - mcv 6y ago
    True. Amazon also clearly has a problem with counterfeit goods (as addressed on HN repeatedly in the past), and that's not sufficiently enforced. But at least it's possible to enforce. That's not to easy when the shop is outside your jurisdiction.
    - netcan 6y ago
      I'm still not seeing your point. This is an article about postage. It's not about counterfeits or locally produced goods.
      - cptskippy 6y ago
        Counterfeits are generally not locally produced and mostly come from China via the subsidized slow boat. The counterfeit industry exists on Amazon because the potential for profit is so high and the risk is almost non-existent.
      - mcv 6y ago
        This article is not just about postage. It's about how cheap postage from China has subsidized Chinese webshops selling cheap crap to Europe and the US.
- baybal2 6y ago
  > Products from Aliexpress only obey Chinese standards, Not necessarily... In cases something s not marketed for the domestic market, Chinese electrical (and many others) standards do not apply. And it is not something given even if they were...

by netcan 6y ago

mcv 6y ago

Not sure what tree you think I'm barking up. I do think the issue of local production and less transportation is an important issue; not everything is just about Amazon and Alibaba. But even if you just focus on those, Amazon at least has to obey local standards for the country in which they sell. Products from Aliexpress only obey Chinese standards, which are very different. And sometimes they ship with misleading logos which could suggest to European customers that they obey EU rules when they don't.

cptskippy 6y ago
> Amazon at least has to obey local standards for the country in which they sell. In theory. In practice resellers are free to dropship whatever they want from AliExpress to Amazon and sell at a markup.
- mcv 6y ago
  True. Amazon also clearly has a problem with counterfeit goods (as addressed on HN repeatedly in the past), and that's not sufficiently enforced. But at least it's possible to enforce. That's not to easy when the shop is outside your jurisdiction.
  - netcan 6y ago
    I'm still not seeing your point. This is an article about postage. It's not about counterfeits or locally produced goods.
    - cptskippy 6y ago
      Counterfeits are generally not locally produced and mostly come from China via the subsidized slow boat. The counterfeit industry exists on Amazon because the potential for profit is so high and the risk is almost non-existent.
    - mcv 6y ago
      This article is not just about postage. It's about how cheap postage from China has subsidized Chinese webshops selling cheap crap to Europe and the US.
baybal2 6y ago
> Products from Aliexpress only obey Chinese standards, Not necessarily... In cases something s not marketed for the domestic market, Chinese electrical (and many others) standards do not apply. And it is not something given even if they were...