The wild world of Amazon knockoffs

[NickD]

I don’t think there’s a thread covering this and I also think there should be, so I’m going for it.

I’m becoming increasingly obsessed, in an entirely reasonable and manageable way, with outrageously blatant knock-off gear appearing in Amazon searches. Here’s a current example, which may well be gone by the time you read this post (I won’t link to it in case I get flagged as some kind of flim-flam artist myself):

This is very obviously an Arturia Spark LE with the logo half-heartedly blocked out, being sold under the well-respected LBMED brand. Except in this one image, where it’s something else entirely (apparently an Orca Pad 48):

I first noticed this when a Maschine+ appeared in a set of results for a bargain price, but with all the branding blacked out and from a company with a similarly unfamiliar and consonant-heavy name. When I tried to find it to show someone a couple of days later, it was gone.

It also seems to be very common with mixers - these are some genuine mixer brands I’ve had appear in my results, often sharing the same generic images (but occasionally some truly demented renders): Dedjgoo, Spyminnpoo, Dciustfhe, Rafornty, Kipebep, Btuty, Kytxqikd… I could go on… some of these show up selling random other tat on Amazon or Ebay, others are apparently unique combinations of letters. LBMED, from our initial image, also sell non-slip carpet pads and terrifying knee joint rehabilitation trainers:

What I’d really like is for someone with more money than sense to order all these items and then blog what they receive. A box full of sawdust? Some shredded Chinese newspapers? A human hand? it seems like a safe bet you won’t get a Spark LE with the logo painted out.

But who knows? So if you’re loaded and are considering a second OP-1 Field to keep in the toilet, why not try some of these offerings instead? Start a Youtube channel about it and make your second million.

Let’s finish with another current example:

What are you using there, Norm, the old WinkWave Chocolate? It’s a quality controller… of course I prefer a Kipebep myself.

Please feel free to add your own examples, or perhaps an in-depth economic analysis of the situation that makes me look like a flippant clown.

[shigginpit]

Flim flam!

[NickD]

Sadly you will find I am all flim and no flam.

[shigginpit]

You reek of flam!

Fake and dangerous kids products are turning up for sale on Amazon | CNN...

[mawr]

This abomination came across my feed not too long ago…

[NickD]

Aha! Similar to this marvel, with its Awkward button. In fairness I can think of several major-brand synths that should by rights have an Awkward button.

9277! What could it possibly do? Does it just play a sample of someone shouting “9277!” in a party style? I’m going to assume yes. Brilliantly when I just Googled “9277” it did suggest adding “sound effect” to the search. Of course doing so didn’t help. But still nice to see.

[NickD]

@shigginpit

You reek of flam!

That’s CK One, you clod!

It makes perfect sense that these would be dangerous counterfeits, except who in their right might would be selling a counterfeit Spark LE for £400 in 2024? You presumably need something people are actually tempted to buy, like a cheap car seat or affordable Radon detector.

[djdriver]

I think my favorite part is the abomination of a “chromatic scale” at the top with E sharp but no F sharp

[homealone]

@NickD

WinkWave

[NickD]

@djdriver

I think my favorite part is the abomination of a “chromatic scale” at the top with E sharp but no F sharp

Yeah, but if they’d announced it in collaboration with Aphex Twin we’d all be singing a different tune. Quite literally.

[OldmanChompski]

This one is a special kind of bizarre. I hate the way it looks. Like, on a primal level there’s something inside me that’s saying to either fear or murder this thing.

[PofM]

@NickD

company with a similarly unfamiliar and consonant-heavy name

I think Amazon made a weak-ass attempt to stop the flood of fake products by requiring everything to have a brand name. So now they just use made up nonsense like Kibdep and Fojlembimsep for their dodgy goods.

You’d think one of the richest, most tech-savvy companies in the world could do something more effective to stop it … but they don’t give a shit. Amazon don’t care if you get something crap, whatcha gunna do, stop using Amazon?! Yeah right. They know you’re too chicken.

[Bunker]

I’d love to know what ‘PUBG’ sounds like…

[Moonwax]

But still, what are these products anyway? Anyone tried ordering? Something like “unavailable in your region”?

[m0ld]

@OldmanChompski

This one is a special kind of bizarre. I hate the way it looks. Like, on a primal level there’s something inside me that’s saying to either fear or murder this thing.

I’m having the same reaction I have to images of poison dart frogs: I want to lick it, and DANGER DANGER.*

[Azzarole]

@NickD

But who knows? So if you’re loaded and are considering a second OP-1 Field to keep in the toilet, why not try some of these offerings instead? Start a Youtube channel about it and make your second million.

Waiting for someone to just drop this in the “Your Setups” or “Recent Purchases” thread!

[alechko]

judging by the buttons I think this is something marketed towards streamers, they use these for fx and triggering audio samples, and usually they love rgb leds

[NickD]

Say what you like about Kipebep, but they’re competitive.

In addition to 2% off, I can get these delivered direct to my door within 2-3 weeks.

[thejewk]

I always buy from brands I trust, and there’s no brand more trustworthy than Kipebep!

[schoolbabyboy]

i imagine the five guys that own all the factories in china that produce this stuff all hit up Bezos and said “hey we developed a fully automated pipeline for our trash to go directly to your storefront” and Bezos said “finally, what took you so long”