Would you buy something online that is often counterfeited?

[pony mom]

At a flea market with a friend, I saw obviously fake Dooney & Bourke purses; my friend said she had a few and they were the real deal. The quality was so poor that they weren't even worth the asking price. Two days later I found a real one in a thrift store for $15, which was less than the fake.

A knock off is cheap because it's made cheaply. Just not worth it. I've been buying quite a few Korean skincare items from a legitimate site. Amazon sells some of the same items but buyers complain that the items are different from those bought elsewhere (labels, color, etc.). You get what you pay for.

[iris lilies]

Edited to add: photo of high quality object with no authentication. But if you count the wrinkles you know he is The Real Thing.

F9390B37-9ACE-4877-A183-CC0E0614C1F1.jpg

[Teacher Terry]

I don’t care about brands for things or papers for dogs.

[Gardnr]

I don't really shop online so not an issue. Well hell, I really don't shop much at all for that matter. I can't relate to high end stuff nor the shopping gene. I have a Michael Kors purse that is perfect for me, because it was a 15y anniversary gift from my employer.

[jp1]

Like others I don't shop for brands. And when I'm buying anything I consider the seller. Amazon has made this much more difficult now that they allow anyone anywhere to open a store on their site. I'll admit to having bought some cheap chinese electronics crap from these sources but I knew what I was getting into and decided it was worth the risk. For instance I use a small computer fan to cool the tap tower on my kegerator. I can buy them from a shady vendor on amazon for about $10 for 5 of them. They last anywhere from 3 months to almost a year, which is actually not terrible for a fan that runs 24/7. I suppose if I spent a few bucks more I could get one that would last forever, but this just seems easier. And when one goes bad I just replace it with the next one. When I"m down to the last one I order 5 more.

[razz]

I don't really shop online so not an issue. Well hell, I really don't shop much at all for that matter. I can't relate to high end stuff nor the shopping gene.

This covers me pretty well. I like to shop in stores, locally, after researching items online but I buy so little that knock-offs are not a big risk for me.
I can see why you are asking the questions though.

[happystuff]

Not a brand person either and I have been described as the worse consumer ever. LOL. If I find something I like, have the money for, am willing to spend the money, and it appears I will receive the item from the seller for the priced asked - yes, I would probably buy it.

[Ultralight]

As a general feeling, I hate buying stuff. It took me six months to buy the new measuring spoons I needed. Two of my other ones fell in the dang dish disposal and got mangled beyond repair.

I am putting off buying new sneaks even though the ones I have look like a crumb bum;s shoes.

My coat's zipper is broke and has been for two years. I use the buttons. haha
I can't bring myself to spend money on this stuff.

But take me to a Kenyan restaurant and I will spring for kukupaka, ugali, chapadi madodo, etc. and smash it.

[LDAHL]

I would not. Counterfeiters are thieves and no gentlemen should do business with them.

[SteveinMN]

Knockoffs are not always "cheap".

One example would be in furniture, where decent- and high-quality pieces are designed to look like iconic pieces (think Eames Lounge Chairs). I own one such chair, which was copied (with some obvious differences once you know what to look for) by Plycraft, Selig, and other manufacturers. I bought it knowing it was not the real thing; it was close enough for me. I do believe in intellectual property rights (though I have issue with U.S. copyright law) but, at this point, I'm not costing Herman Miller a sale because I'm buying a used chair. Nothing wrong with the piece at all, but it's not an Eames Lounge Chair and it didn't have the Eames Lounge Chair price at any point in its life.

Apple is another company with products which frequently are counterfeited, sometimes right down to the stickers. Sometimes it's a matter of appearance, as in this Xioamai phone:
xiaomi-mi-8-2371.jpg

As far as the hardware goes, above the very lowest price points every manufacturer uses similar components, so it's not like the Xioamai is a piece of junk which will die in a matter of weeks. It does not run iOS, which is a critical distinction (and probably what keeps Apple from suing them immediately), but it's half the price of an iPhone and certainly will attract buyers who either cannot afford the genuine Apple article or don't care about the minor differences and want to save $400 or more.

So not every knockoff is due to die shortly after purchase, nor is it a tawdry imitation. They have their places. And if I knew what I was buying and liked the price and trusted the vendor, I'd be good with buying such items on-line.