8 ms·

Pro tip: If you absolutely must buy the junk being sold by MOFFBUZW and other randomly generated drop-shipper brands, the exact same product is usually availabl

by lph 4y ago

Pro tip: If you absolutely must buy the junk being sold by MOFFBUZW and other randomly generated drop-shipper brands, the exact same product is usually available on AliExpress for 10% the price.

cortesoft 4y ago
I like getting stuff the same or next day.
geerlingguy 4y ago
Unfortunately with 500% of the shipping time (most of the time) :(
- DaveExeter 4y ago
  Aliexpress is getting better on shipping times! I placed an order June 30, it arrived July 17.
  - dspillett 4y ago
    That is likely luck: if your order makes a nice round truck full, and that truck full makes a nice round container full at the next stage, and the container is one of the last loaded onto a ship that is due to leave soon, you'll get the best delivery time. The next order will get the worst or close to. As some of the recent supply chain issues are easing off things will be feeling better when they are in fact moving back in the direction of what was normal.
    - NavinF 4y ago
      It depends on location and how often people in your area order from China. I used to get ePacket orders from Shenzhen to San Jose within 10 days every time. Now that ePacket is dead, AliExpress standard shipping takes 14 days.
- cheeze 4y ago
  And a terrible return policy
Cerium 4y ago
All this cheap junk follows a fairly reliable markup scheme: Factory sells for 1x Taobao sells for 2x Aliexpress sells for 3-4x (2x Taobao) Ebay sells for 8-10x. (~2x Aliexpress) I think Aliexpress is usually about 20% of the Amazon price, but depending on the item I agree that it can be 10%.
- mrguyorama 4y ago
  With the caveat that on ebay, you can usually find someone in the US wearhousing it for some reason with free 3 day shipping for the same price.
  - wtallis 4y ago
    And quite often when ordering from an eBay seller with US stock, the package that arrives has an Amazon logo on the box.
    - krallja 4y ago
      This happened to me: I ordered a cheap UV EPROM eraser on eBay with three-day delivery. It was literally drop-shipped from Amazon, on an Amazon truck, in an Amazon bag. I could have gotten the same (crappy, simple) product on Amazon a day earlier for about a dollar less. But I was trying to avoid buying on Amazon, because of all the reasons posted in this comments section!
      - squarefoot 4y ago
        Happened also to me with some products when shopping online either from Ebay or directly from some seller's web shop (I don't have a Amazon account): items came in a Amazon box with all their markings. No problems whatsoever, but the sellers were reliable.
      - drewzero1 4y ago
        Same thing happened to me. I've been trying to avoid ordering work stuff on Amazon since they're technically a competitor, so I ordered a part on eBay. Coworkers commented on the Amazon package when it arrived, much to my confusion. It's happened a few times since then, I think they call it 'fulfilled by Amazon' or something like that.
breakingcups 4y ago
I don't like having to give AliExpress my phone number.
- blibble 4y ago
  having been personally harassed repeatedly over the phone by Amazon third party sellers... Amazon is not any better
- mkl 4y ago
  Do you need to? I told AliExpress my phone number is the country code followed by 12345, and it's never been a problem.
dreamcompiler 4y ago
You've answered a question I've been asking myself for the past couple of years: Why is Amazon trying to become AliExpress? AliExpress already does a good job of being AliExpress. The answer is that Amazon has quietly pivoted: Their new business model is 1. Buy stuff from AliExpress. 2. Mark it up 5x-10x. 3. Profit! Amazon probably hopes their customers don't notice they can get the same stuff from AliExpress much cheaper. Which they won't because only about 1% of Amazon's customers have even heard of AliExpress. Even with speedy free delivery, Amazon's profit margin by marking up AliExpress stuff is probably quite a bit higher than it was for the old Amazon.
- fmajid 4y ago
  It’s AliExpress with 2 day shipping for people with poor impulse control. The “free shipping” that costs 900%…
  - mindslight 4y ago
    I've got good impulse control and planning. Still, I needed some TNC connectors for a surveying project and didn't want to wait the month for Aliexpress/eBayDirect to show up, so I ordered them off Amazon which had the best compromise of price vs shipping time. Of course I did a visual quality check when they showed up, as required for all direct Chineseum. It's not surprising this niche has developed. What's surprising is that Amazon seems dead set on undermining their business to support it. It's also surprising that people write these amazed posts like they've just discovered this problem, when it has been going on for a decade. I read a HN comment a while back that framed the topic of declining quality plus free returns as companies outsourcing their QC to the customers and that really stuck with me. This is really the natural progression of wanton consumerism - so much stuff is sold and never actually used that it's profitable to only worry about the case where the buyer actually uses it and finds it lacking.
    - orangepurple 4y ago
      Amazon can launch a new brand to distance themselves from the current form once they have firmly established themselves as a local cache of Aliexpress wares with fast shipping. It will be like an upmarket shopping mall located right next to a giant bazaar.
namdnay 4y ago
I don’t think it’s drop-shipping, you see these brands even for stuff delivered in 2-3 days
paxys 4y ago
And ships 12-24 weeks later..
somehnguy 4y ago
Yup, excellent way to save money if you’re looking for a product that just seems to be cloned to death and without any big reputable brands having a superior version. I bought 3 automatic cat feeders from Ali for the same price as 1 from Amazon. Exact same product besides the logo being different.
- account42 4y ago
  > Exact same product besides the logo being different. I wish they'd at lest truly make the product generic instead of placing a useless logo on it.
JKCalhoun 4y ago
Or on eBay for 80% of the price.
hakfoo 4y ago
I find it's turning into a continnuum for me, If I can wait a month, it's cheaper on AliExpress, although their search/discovery is a mess. If I want it in a week or two, I can usually find it for a few dollars more at eBay claiming 'US seller". If I want it by the end of the week, I'll try to assemble $25 worth of "shipped by Amazon" items.
nyanpasu64 4y ago
In my experience, I ordered a fake USB3 capture card (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001773724519.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001773724519.html, check the 1-star reviews, also debunked by Marcan at https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30906127 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30906127), filled out comprehensive documentation of it being fake USB3 and unable to capture stable footage at 1080p60, and AliExpress sided with the seller. I had to file a chargeback to get money back for the fraudulent product. Unfortunately the product maintains a 4.8 star rating, either because of fake 5-star reviews, or because most buyers did not actually evaluate that the product is truly USB 3 or captures stable 1080p60 footage. Is Amazon better at compensating customers or removing fraudulent product listings?
Fnoord 4y ago
Good point, its not just Amazon though. One time I ordered a case for my wife's new smartphone and it took more than a month till it arrived. Which sucks with the 2 weeks we got to send orders back in EU. I knew the case was more expensive than directly from China but I wanted to receive it quickly hence I ordered from a local shop. So we had to wait a month till she could use her new smartphone. After nearly month (and I emailed the guy twice already without reply) I ordered a leather case from UK which cost twice the amount of money. I got it within 2 days. I put a claim with PayPal (he wasn't responding) for the case I didn't receive. It was accepted quickly. A few days after that the guy emailed me claiming it was due to illness at his company, and that he'd send ut ASAP. A few days after I got it in the mail. Its still rotting somewhere in my house. I wonder if he saw or cared about my claim. Given it only cost him a couple of USD I figure he'd just write it off instead of asking for return.
- account42 4y ago
  At least here in Germany the 2 weeks for returns of items sold online only starts when you receive the item. Are you sure you couln't return it or did you just accept that blindly?
  - Fnoord 4y ago
    I received the smartphone within a few days (from Germany, as Google Pixel aren't sold in NL). Its the case which took 4+ weeks.

by lph 4y ago

Pro tip: If you absolutely must buy the junk being sold by MOFFBUZW and other randomly generated drop-shipper brands, the exact same product is usually available on AliExpress for 10% the price.

cortesoft 4y ago

I like getting stuff the same or next day.

geerlingguy 4y ago

Unfortunately with 500% of the shipping time (most of the time) :(

DaveExeter 4y ago
Aliexpress is getting better on shipping times! I placed an order June 30, it arrived July 17.
- dspillett 4y ago
  That is likely luck: if your order makes a nice round truck full, and that truck full makes a nice round container full at the next stage, and the container is one of the last loaded onto a ship that is due to leave soon, you'll get the best delivery time. The next order will get the worst or close to. As some of the recent supply chain issues are easing off things will be feeling better when they are in fact moving back in the direction of what was normal.
  - NavinF 4y ago
    It depends on location and how often people in your area order from China. I used to get ePacket orders from Shenzhen to San Jose within 10 days every time. Now that ePacket is dead, AliExpress standard shipping takes 14 days.
cheeze 4y ago
And a terrible return policy

Cerium 4y ago

All this cheap junk follows a fairly reliable markup scheme: Factory sells for 1x Taobao sells for 2x Aliexpress sells for 3-4x (2x Taobao) Ebay sells for 8-10x. (~2x Aliexpress) I think Aliexpress is usually about 20% of the Amazon price, but depending on the item I agree that it can be 10%.

mrguyorama 4y ago
With the caveat that on ebay, you can usually find someone in the US wearhousing it for some reason with free 3 day shipping for the same price.
- wtallis 4y ago
  And quite often when ordering from an eBay seller with US stock, the package that arrives has an Amazon logo on the box.
  - krallja 4y ago
    This happened to me: I ordered a cheap UV EPROM eraser on eBay with three-day delivery. It was literally drop-shipped from Amazon, on an Amazon truck, in an Amazon bag. I could have gotten the same (crappy, simple) product on Amazon a day earlier for about a dollar less. But I was trying to avoid buying on Amazon, because of all the reasons posted in this comments section!
    - squarefoot 4y ago
      Happened also to me with some products when shopping online either from Ebay or directly from some seller's web shop (I don't have a Amazon account): items came in a Amazon box with all their markings. No problems whatsoever, but the sellers were reliable.
    - drewzero1 4y ago
      Same thing happened to me. I've been trying to avoid ordering work stuff on Amazon since they're technically a competitor, so I ordered a part on eBay. Coworkers commented on the Amazon package when it arrived, much to my confusion. It's happened a few times since then, I think they call it 'fulfilled by Amazon' or something like that.

breakingcups 4y ago

I don't like having to give AliExpress my phone number.

blibble 4y ago
having been personally harassed repeatedly over the phone by Amazon third party sellers... Amazon is not any better
mkl 4y ago
Do you need to? I told AliExpress my phone number is the country code followed by 12345, and it's never been a problem.

dreamcompiler 4y ago

You've answered a question I've been asking myself for the past couple of years: Why is Amazon trying to become AliExpress? AliExpress already does a good job of being AliExpress. The answer is that Amazon has quietly pivoted: Their new business model is 1. Buy stuff from AliExpress. 2. Mark it up 5x-10x. 3. Profit! Amazon probably hopes their customers don't notice they can get the same stuff from AliExpress much cheaper. Which they won't because only about 1% of Amazon's customers have even heard of AliExpress. Even with speedy free delivery, Amazon's profit margin by marking up AliExpress stuff is probably quite a bit higher than it was for the old Amazon.

fmajid 4y ago
It’s AliExpress with 2 day shipping for people with poor impulse control. The “free shipping” that costs 900%…
- mindslight 4y ago
  I've got good impulse control and planning. Still, I needed some TNC connectors for a surveying project and didn't want to wait the month for Aliexpress/eBayDirect to show up, so I ordered them off Amazon which had the best compromise of price vs shipping time. Of course I did a visual quality check when they showed up, as required for all direct Chineseum. It's not surprising this niche has developed. What's surprising is that Amazon seems dead set on undermining their business to support it. It's also surprising that people write these amazed posts like they've just discovered this problem, when it has been going on for a decade. I read a HN comment a while back that framed the topic of declining quality plus free returns as companies outsourcing their QC to the customers and that really stuck with me. This is really the natural progression of wanton consumerism - so much stuff is sold and never actually used that it's profitable to only worry about the case where the buyer actually uses it and finds it lacking.
  - orangepurple 4y ago
    Amazon can launch a new brand to distance themselves from the current form once they have firmly established themselves as a local cache of Aliexpress wares with fast shipping. It will be like an upmarket shopping mall located right next to a giant bazaar.

namdnay 4y ago

I don’t think it’s drop-shipping, you see these brands even for stuff delivered in 2-3 days

paxys 4y ago

And ships 12-24 weeks later..

somehnguy 4y ago

Yup, excellent way to save money if you’re looking for a product that just seems to be cloned to death and without any big reputable brands having a superior version. I bought 3 automatic cat feeders from Ali for the same price as 1 from Amazon. Exact same product besides the logo being different.

account42 4y ago
> Exact same product besides the logo being different. I wish they'd at lest truly make the product generic instead of placing a useless logo on it.

JKCalhoun 4y ago

Or on eBay for 80% of the price.

hakfoo 4y ago

I find it's turning into a continnuum for me, If I can wait a month, it's cheaper on AliExpress, although their search/discovery is a mess. If I want it in a week or two, I can usually find it for a few dollars more at eBay claiming 'US seller". If I want it by the end of the week, I'll try to assemble $25 worth of "shipped by Amazon" items.

nyanpasu64 4y ago

In my experience, I ordered a fake USB3 capture card (https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001773724519.html https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001773724519.html, check the 1-star reviews, also debunked by Marcan at https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30906127 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30906127), filled out comprehensive documentation of it being fake USB3 and unable to capture stable footage at 1080p60, and AliExpress sided with the seller. I had to file a chargeback to get money back for the fraudulent product. Unfortunately the product maintains a 4.8 star rating, either because of fake 5-star reviews, or because most buyers did not actually evaluate that the product is truly USB 3 or captures stable 1080p60 footage. Is Amazon better at compensating customers or removing fraudulent product listings?

Fnoord 4y ago

Good point, its not just Amazon though. One time I ordered a case for my wife's new smartphone and it took more than a month till it arrived. Which sucks with the 2 weeks we got to send orders back in EU. I knew the case was more expensive than directly from China but I wanted to receive it quickly hence I ordered from a local shop. So we had to wait a month till she could use her new smartphone. After nearly month (and I emailed the guy twice already without reply) I ordered a leather case from UK which cost twice the amount of money. I got it within 2 days. I put a claim with PayPal (he wasn't responding) for the case I didn't receive. It was accepted quickly. A few days after that the guy emailed me claiming it was due to illness at his company, and that he'd send ut ASAP. A few days after I got it in the mail. Its still rotting somewhere in my house. I wonder if he saw or cared about my claim. Given it only cost him a couple of USD I figure he'd just write it off instead of asking for return.

account42 4y ago
At least here in Germany the 2 weeks for returns of items sold online only starts when you receive the item. Are you sure you couln't return it or did you just accept that blindly?
- Fnoord 4y ago
  I received the smartphone within a few days (from Germany, as Google Pixel aren't sold in NL). Its the case which took 4+ weeks.