cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/32835964
[…]
In one [Tiktok] video that has nearly 10 million views, a creator claims to be able to sell yoga pants from the same manufacturer that supplies Lululemon for $5-$6, instead of the $100 they sell for in the United States.
“The material and the craftsmanship are basically the same because they come from the same production line,” she says, standing in front of what appears to be a factory.
In another, a man standing on a factory floor claims to have access to manufacturers that produce Louis Vuitton bags, which he says can be sold directly to customers for $50.
But both companies deny their products are finished in China, and experts told The Independent the videos are likely an effort by counterfeit or “dupe” manufacturers to take advantage of the chaos over the tariffs to boost their sales.
“They’re trying to conflate the fake manufacturers in China with the real manufacturers,” said Conrad Quilty-Harper, author of Dark Luxury, a newsletter about the luxury goods industry.
“They’re very clever with their social media, and they’re very effective at driving demand in the West,” he added.
[…]
Louis Vuitton has said repeatedly that it does not manufacture products in China.
[…]
TikTok users have reported seeing the videos appear in their feeds in recent days as the trade war between the U.S. and China continues to heat up.
[…]
The counterfeit market in China is the largest in the world. U.S. Customs seized counterfeit items worth some $1.8 billion in recommended retail price in 2023.
Quilty-Harper said the counterfeit industry in China has been a concern for Western companies for years. And the enforcement of trademark and intellectual property rights internally has tended to depend on the geopolitical climate.
“In the past, the Chinese authorities have been stricter on it, and sometimes they’ve been looser on it, and often that’s to do with the relationship with the US and previous presidents,” he said.
“This is part of a huge geopolitical battle between America and China over intellectual property. And it’s just fascinating to see this sort of propaganda fight happening on these very high-traffic TikTok videos,” he added.
Similarly, if you want AirPods but you don’t want to pay AirPods pricing: https://jenny.airreps.info/
The factories in China have all of the specs and info because they make the actual AirPods, so they sell tons of knockoff versions that are identical.
Americans are a captive audience for US companies to ripoff constantly and for our entire lives. We’re like livestock. Once you start to see how massively overpriced everything has been for years due to greedy western middlemen, it changes your perspective on what to buy and what you’re willing to pay.
I want to build a small website that provides alternative sources for anything people can think of. Maybe categorized into buckets. Tech, clothing, home goods, etc.
Your idea for an alternatives to website sounds like a great idea.
Looks both promising and sketchy at the same time. Have you personally tried these? How’s the ANC?
I would also be very interested in any experiences with this shop/product
I have a friend that has been buying them for years after his actual AirPods died. They get recognized as AirPods on iOS and macOS, and the ANC is the exact same. He’s bought multiple pairs and says they function, look, and feel exactly the same.
those appear to be physical clones, not electronic equivalent clones. How is this specific company any different than the dozens of other earbud clones out there?
It’s not any different. There are tons that copy AirPods because they have all the specs and materials. This is merely one of them. The problem is that people are fixated on brands and consumerism nonsense.
https://airpodsreplicas.com/
How do you know that they are identical? Do you have a source for that other than „the seller said so“?
Quoting myself from another reply:
Adding on, I’ve had other friends purchase these or different ones from another factory in the same area of China, and they behaved, felt, and functioned identical.