Please don't Support

[Tom Slick]

Any Chinese brands sold on Amazon.

My business started to slow down late November and it took me a bit to realize that sales of a specific product had slowed significantly, especially on Amazon where I have been selling this product for 10 years quite successfully. Well, low and behold after 22 years of manufacturing this product, a Chinese knock-off is now being sold on Amazon for a cheaper price, etc. They are even using my product name letter for letter. My product isn't patented, trademarked or copy written, but I am the designer and manufacture. I am a brand registered seller on Amazon and plan to pursue some kind of resolution, however doubtful that I'll be successful, but just wanted to say fuck these Chinese assholes that do this. And fuck Amazon for allowing this activity on their platform. This is hurting American small businesses. So please be mindful who you choose to spend your money with, especially on Amazon.

Rant over.

 

[Hypnautic]

Sux to hear that.
I admit I do try and buy American but there are times where I dont even look to see if there is a similar product US made.
Curious--what is your product that you sell?

 

[Tom Slick]

Sux to hear that.
I admit I do try and buy American but there are times where I dont even look to see if there is a similar product US made.
Curious--what is your product that you sell?

The product in question is a tie-down anchor for the Nissan Utili-Track cargo rail system.

 

[OCMerrill]

Have you looked for auto parts on Amazon lately? 90% Chinese. Amazon doesn't even sell a name brand wiper blade until you reach the third page.

Place "Made in USA" on all you pictures of the product. Other than that China recognizes nothing and Amazon is pretty much a global company now.

I am assuming you make it here. If you are making it overseas...they just copy everything, even if patents are in play.

 

[JDKRXW]

Amazon themselves are the biggest pirates on their own ecosystem.
They see something successful/profitable and all of a sudden they're selling it under their own brand. It started with aa and aaa batteries and now they've got a catalog of stuff.

 

[DWRAT]

Any way you could simply lower your price to beat the China knock off?

 

[Tom Slick]

Have you looked for auto parts on Amazon lately? 90% Chinese. Amazon doesn't even sell a name brand wiper blade until you reach the third page.

Place "Made in USA" on all you pictures of the product. Other than that China recognizes nothing and Amazon is pretty much a global company now.

I am assuming you make it here. If you are making it overseas...they just copy everything, even if patents are in play.

Made right here in the good ol' USA for 27 years.

Sadly Amazon is destroying American brands by allowing the Chinese to infiltrate their platform with blatant knock-offs. I even wonder if some of these Chinese brands aren't Amazon in disguise. I believe this practice will eventually destroy Amazon as well, because if they let China take over they will force US brands out of business and we won't have any money to purchase things from Amazon anymore.

 

[Tom Slick]

Any way you could simply lower your price to beat the China knock off?

That was my immediate move, however I fear that they will just lower their price even further. Because my products are 100% American Made, I don't have the same margin that the Chinese do. If they choose, they can wear me out over time with a price war.

 

[DWRAT]

That was my immediate move, however I fear that they will just lower their price even further. Because my products are 100% American Made, I don't have the same margin that the Chinese do. If they choose, they can wear me out over time with a price war.

Another thing I noticed is they have more detailed pictures of the product then you, as a buyer of stuff I like to see the breakdown pictures also.
I agree, in time they will lower there price according.

 

[CLdrinker]

You sell Deepseek?

I crack myself up.

 

[OCMerrill]

Made right here in the good ol' USA for 27 years.

Sadly Amazon is destroying American brands by allowing the Chinese to infiltrate their platform with blatant knock-offs. I even wonder if some of these Chinese brands aren't Amazon in disguise. I believe this practice will eventually destroy Amazon as well, because if they let China take over they will force US brands out of business and we won't have any money to purchase things from Amazon anymore.

I would go forward with Pro USA product advertising and some mild china slander. Seeing that attracts me and I am sure many others.

I wish you the best. I went down this road with a plant watering product that attached to a kitchen faucet. Full patents, walmart picked it up, and we thought we were going to be rich. Nothing can screw you over better than walmart and their ties to the orient. Similar product in their stores in 4 months time.

 

[bowtiejunkie]

I'm not even sure how a business makes money selling on Amazon. I've audited numerous small companies who sell on Amazon and all-in the fees/charebacks/returns/marketing expense total 20-30%. Add-in other COGS, and some companies have stated they are actually losing money selling on Amazon. Wild.

Frankly, Amazon is hot garbage now with all these Chinese sellers. Amazon killed all the USA based 3rd party sellers. I feel it's contract manufacturers selling the goods out the back door that they are making for companies in the USA or elsewhere. Your order data is sent to the Chinese seller, who has their own privacy policy separate from Amazon (read: no privacy). Nobody seems to care as Amazon is still killing it in sales. Kind of like Deepseek, nobody cares it's a Chinese company that will snoop all your personal data. All people care about is cheap shit, and to be using whatever is the latest trending app.

Sorry to hear OP. I'd try more promotion directly to your own website. I know that's separate from the issue of a Chinese knock-off product, which I hate to hear about.

 

[Ziggy]

I would go forward with Pro USA product advertising and some mild china slander. Seeing that attracts me and I am sure many others.

I wish you the best. I went down this road with a plant watering product that attached to a kitchen faucet. Full patents, walmart picked it up, and we thought we were going to be rich. Nothing can screw you over better than walmart and their ties to the orient. Similar product in their stores in 4 months time.

Yup, I've seen it with other sellers warning of the knock-offs lesser quality. I'd say slanderous things that make the buyers fear loosing their items due to "possible" failures of the knockoffs.

 

[Tom Slick]

All of my product descriptions emphasize Made in America.

My knee jerk reaction when I found out about the knock-off was to add a little bit of slander towards the Asian knock-off into my product description, updated product images and reduced the price. I also ordered the knock-off product to inspect what they are doing and plan to dispute this activity with Amazon. My guess is that this is a lose lose situation.

Amazon rewards sales to FBA (Fulfilled by Amazon) sellers, because Amazon stands to profit the most as they make money from the percentage of sale, fulfillment, storage fees, etc. It is in Amazons own interest to fuck us small business third-party sellers.

All that being said, please buy American and buy direct from the manufacture / brand if you can. I know it's easy to click the "Buy now" button on Amazon, but we shoppers need to take a stand at some point. You may also find better deals buying direct and you support the little guy that's just trying to feed his family and put gas in the boat.

 

[Brokeboatin221]

What product do you make

 

[Bobby V]

What product do you make

See post #3.

 

[Taboma]

See post #3.

All I see in post # 3 is a very general product description, I can't find a link or actual name, what are you seeing ?

 

[Bobby V]

All I see in post # 3 is a very general product description, I can't find a link or actual name, what are you seeing ?

That’s all I see. Figured that was enough info.

 

[Waterjunky]

All that being said, please buy American and buy direct from the manufacture / brand if you can. I know it's easy to click the "Buy now" button on Amazon, but we shoppers need to take a stand at some point. You may also find better deals buying direct and you support the little guy that's just trying to feed his family and put gas in the boat.

I am a strong supporter of made in America. The challenge I find is that I locate what I want on something like Amazon and then find it directly from the company. I have even gone so far as to directly contact the company about it. Then they hold firm that to buy it direct it will cost me 20% more plus shipping. I really don't understand it. I am going way out of my way to exclude Amazon and put more money in their pockets and they can't even try to match their own product on amazon.

 

[CLCookie]

I have been selling as a 3P for 10 years on Amazon, we are switching to a 1P model due to everything you are having issues with. Way too many knockoffs and unauthorized sellers on the platform. Amazon has made promises in writing that they will clean the unauthorized sellers/products from the site as soon as we go live with 1P. I am not optimistic that this will be a long-term solution. The cost of running a 3P business on their platform is only getting bigger. We are currently putting inventory in 10 different DC's which we pay storage cost for, all so we can ship overnight (Prime) and have great Customer Experience.

Sorry you are dealing with this, sucks. Especially since Amazon is pretty much the only growing Digital Retailer.

 

[Tom Slick]

I am a strong supporter of made in America. The challenge I find is that I locate what I want on something like Amazon and then find it directly from the company. I have even gone so far as to directly contact the company about it. Then they hold firm that to buy it direct it will cost me 20% more plus shipping. I really don't understand it. I am going way out of my way to exclude Amazon and put more money in their pockets and they can't even try to match their own product on amazon.

See, I'm the opposite. I try to encourage people to by direct from me, as they generally get free shipping, no sales tax and great customer service. My price is the same direct as it is at Amazon but they save on those freebies. Amazon gets their cut, so if I can keep that margin by selling direct in my pocket, all the better.

Not sure why other companies do what they do, but I agree, there are some strange business practices out there these days.

If Amazon wasn't the behemoth that they are, I'd bypass them all together as a seller.

 

[Tom Slick]

All I see in post # 3 is a very general product description, I can't find a link or actual name, what are you seeing ?

This should get you there: https://www.amazon.com/CCR-Sport-Ni...c46-84b3-73725ff92e99&pd_rd_i=B01LXORN11&th=1

 

[Tom Slick]

I have been selling as a 3P for 10 years on Amazon, we are switching to a 1P model due to everything you are having issues with. Way too many knockoffs and unauthorized sellers on the platform. Amazon has made promises in writing that they will clean the unauthorized sellers/products from the site as soon as we go live with 1P. I am not optimistic that this will be a long-term solution. The cost of running a 3P business on their platform is only getting bigger. We are currently putting inventory in 10 different DC's which we pay storage cost for, all so we can ship overnight (Prime) and have great Customer Experience.

Sorry you are dealing with this, sucks. Especially since Amazon is pretty much the only growing Digital Retailer.

I'd love to hear more about your experience and your plan moving forward.

 

[Taboma]

That’s all I see. Figured that was enough info.

I checked on Amazon and nothing stood out as being US made, including two similar, yet different anodized billet cleats. Most products are using Stut type attachment nuts, that I discovered back in '04 provide a shit-ton of DIY tie down options.

 

[Taboma]

This should get you there: https://www.amazon.com/CCR-Sport-Ni...c46-84b3-73725ff92e99&pd_rd_i=B01LXORN11&th=1

Nice, I see they make a lot of various products

 

[J DUNN]

My guess is that the costs for patents when you designed them would be a mere fraction of what profit you have made on these.

I don't know the particulars but while you view this as wrong, it's not illegal and not sure why Amazon would stop this. I would assume there are manufacturers like you that intentionally stay off of Amazon for fear of this issue. It's unfortunate. I wonder if you had a patent and listed it in one of the pics if they would have been so quick to copy your product.

EDIT: I'll add, if I needed these I would buy yours just to show you support. Add to that, I'll go peruse your Amazon store and see if I can use anything you make. Help out a bit maybe.....

 

[COCA COLA COWBOY]

It may be best to empower the power of the board to all write bad reviews of your competing products.

I honestly try not to buy from Amazon if I can. When I would buy from Amazon, I would spend more time returning products that are garbage than I care too. For 2025, our family is buying less, but better products that last.

 

[COCA COLA COWBOY]

When looking at your product with a consumers eye, I believe your pictures are much better. In your picture, the metal looks smooth and of better quality. The competitors pictures looks like it's pit metal and most likely will bend easily....and from my experience the Chinese version will bend easily like everything else that comes from them.

However, I think your numbers will go back to normal, but you need or must be able to sell via Prime in the 24-48 delivery times. From my experience, the Prime products sell much much more because people by from Amazon because they don't want to wait. Check the stats on Prime products versus the products that sell with the slower supply time.

 

[DILLIGAF]

You dont have your own website?

 

[Tom Slick]

When looking at your product with a consumers eye, I believe your pictures are much better. In your picture, the metal looks smooth and of better quality. The competitors pictures looks like it's pit metal and most likely will bend easily....and from my experience the Chinese version will bend easily like everything else that comes from them.

However, I think your numbers will go back to normal, but you need or must be able to sell via Prime in the 24-48 delivery times. From my experience, the Prime products sell much much more because people by from Amazon because they don't want to wait. Check the stats on Prime products versus the products that sell with the slower supply time.

Thank you very much for your feedback. From my limited understanding at this point, I believe that Amazon has brought Prime 100% in house as an FBA (Fulfilled By Amazon) perk. I have always done my business as a third party seller and shipper to avoid all of the additional costs by using FBA. I also preferred to continue having a hands on approach, therefore fulfilling all orders myself to ensure the best quality packaging and product were shipped to the customer whether it was an Amazon sale or my own. I'm not sure I want to jump all the way in bed with them by having them warehouse and fulfill orders, in order to be eligible for Prime. I do understand what you are saying however.

 

[Tom Slick]

You dont have your own website?

Absolutely: https://ccrsport.com/

 

[DWRAT]

I checked on Amazon and nothing stood out as being US made, including two similar, yet different anodized billet cleats. Most products are using Stut type attachment nuts, that I discovered back in '04 provide a shit-ton of DIY tie down options.

Look at the pictures, 4 0f 5 pictures say made in USA.

 

[Gelcoater]

See, I'm the opposite. I try to encourage people to by direct from me, as they generally get free shipping, no sales tax and great customer service. My price is the same direct as it is at Amazon but they save on those freebies. Amazon gets their cut, so if I can keep that margin by selling direct in my pocket, all the better.

Not sure why other companies do what they do, but I agree, there are some strange business practices out there these days.

If Amazon wasn't the behemoth that they are, I'd bypass them all together as a seller.

I don’t know much, but I think you need to shift gears. Get back to the root of your screen name and kick ass.

 

[DILLIGAF]

Absolutely: https://ccrsport.com/

Can you put that on your AMZN page? I would think its against their rules?

 

[Tom Slick]

I don’t know much, but I think you need to shift gears. Get back to the root of your screen name and kick ass.

My favorite Sunday Morning cartoon as a kid growing up

 

[Tom Slick]

Can you put that on your AMZN page? I would think its against their rules?

No way Jose. Amazon absolutely forbids any promotion to your company. No contact with customers other than Amazon's messenger. No customer phone or email. Amazon runs a tight ship and they hold all the cards sense it's their sandbox. Us sellers are their bitch's.

 

[DILLIGAF]

No way Jose. Amazon absolutely forbids any promotion to your company. No contact with customers other than Amazon's messenger. No customer phone or email. Amazon runs a tight ship and they hold all the cards sense it's their sandbox. Us sellers are their bitch's.

Time to pump your website to Trump AMZN

 

[Taboma]

Look at the pictures, 4 0f 5 pictures say made in USA.

Sure once you've identified the OP's product by selecting that particular item. It might help, if that USA was visible or obvious when simply scrolling the page looking at the images of various styles and examples. As you can see below, that one image out of the 5, is the one that doesn't show it.

 

[TimeBandit]

In the picture of 4 anchors I would add a US flag and "made in usa" so it shows up on the search page.

The chinaflu knockoff two pack costs more than yours!

 

[The Chicken]

One thing I used to love about Amazon is that their vendors were vetted, and you weren't getting total Chinese junk or knock offs, like was/is so prevalent on eBay. Seems those days are gone.
Lately, the stuff I order more and more is shipping directly from China with long lead times, poor or no return policies, or if you are not careful, instead of the old "hassle-free" returns, the vendors are making it pointless to try and return a product.
I feel like you will find a way to successfully move forward and this is just the latest challenge.

On an interesting note, I worked for a company in Havasu and we built two dedicated mass production machines that built all of the rails for the Nissan Titans.
Our machines took the rough-cut aluminum channel, then using a massive multi-motor drill head loaded with specially ground drill bits, cut all of the scallop cut outs in the rail in just two strokes of the head. The machine also did the bevel cuts, crumple-zone relief cuts, mounting holes, and stamped the part number on each rail.
IIRC, part to part machine time was something under 30 seconds.
Those machines made some serious chips in a hurry!
We installed them at the manufacturer (Hydro Aluminum, formerly VAW) in Saint Augustine, Florida in July. It was a bit humid!
Fun fact: The alloy of those rails is strange-they are very soft and without a lot of flood coolant will gum up tools quickly; but the rails were surprisingly strong for such a soft alloy. We had piles and piles of scrap rails for years that we used for all kinds of cool little projects. I think I still have some of that rail laying around myself.

 

[lbhsbz]

No way Jose. Amazon absolutely forbids any promotion to your company. No contact with customers other than Amazon's messenger. No customer phone or email. Amazon runs a tight ship and they hold all the cards sense it's their sandbox. Us sellers are their bitch's.

Try selling on eBay. Similar rules, but not as bad. eBay gets a lot more traffic than you'd think. I did more than 1/2 my sales on eBay last year.

I made it about 15 minutes into selling on Amazon before I gave up with their BS.

 

[Tom Slick]

Sure once you've identified the OP's product by selecting that particular item. It might help, if that USA was visible or obvious when simply scrolling the page looking at the images of various styles and examples. As you can see below, that one image out of the 5, is the one that doesn't show it.
View attachment 1474008

Amazon is a control freak when it comes to sellers. They dictate and determine what every aspect of your product description, title and imagery are. They use AI and algorithms to curate everything you see. As a seller I have very little say so. That said, the main image shown on Amazon can only be the product on a white background. No text or other props or art work are allowed. The additional photos that relate to your product shown on the actual product page can have additional elements like graphics, text, etc. If you look at my product in question you will nee Made in USA on all of the other images and my product description says as much many times.

 

[Taboma]

Amazon is a control freak when it comes to sellers. They dictate and determine what every aspect of your product description, title and imagery are. They use AI and algorithms to curate everything you see. As a seller I have very little say so. That said, the main image shown on Amazon can only be the product on a white background. No text or other props or art work are allowed. The additional photos that relate to your product shown on the actual product page can have additional elements like graphics, text, etc. If you look at my product in question you will nee Made in USA on all of the other images and my product description says as much many times.

View attachment 1474388

Thanks for taking the time to explain that