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People Dropshipping (or otherwise), posing as 'buying local'

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  • 22-06-2022 11:46am
    #1
    callaway92
    Registered Users Posts: 14,705 ✭✭✭✭


    What are people's thoughts on this?

    I'm seeing it happen almost too much now in the following format:

    1) Someone, often 'well-known' like a GAA player or 'Influencer' starts what they call a business venture/company

    2) Sell their clothing item on Depop or something similar at abhorrent prices

    3) Have noted on the website that orders may take up to 3 weeks at times 'due to Covid 19 🙄'

    4) In their marketing etc. they often use the slogan 'buy local', even though they never actually have the product at hand themselves but rather it is shipping from China to the buyer etc


    I'm pretty sick of seeing it and would love to call people out on it. As mentioned, it's basically buying from AliExpress type stuff and just selling them on then at stupid prices because it's someone well known selling it. Of course they get the usual 'wow congrats on the business John' comments then and people do end up paying the money



Comments

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    #2
    Allinall
    Registered Users Posts: 6,710 ✭✭✭Allinall


    It's the fault of the buyer, not the seller.



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    #3
    callaway92
    Registered Users Posts: 14,705 ✭✭✭✭callaway92


    EDIT: Wanted to edit the OP

    Almost ALWAYS, returns are not possible, of course in their Ts and Cs 🙄



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    #4
    djan
    Registered Users Posts: 1,849 ✭✭✭djan


    You're still buying local, unless they are stating that goods are manufactured in Ireland, IMO its fair game.



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    #5
    callaway92
    Registered Users Posts: 14,705 ✭✭✭✭callaway92


    Fair enough

    I suppose from my side it’s frustration of the prices they are charging, but yes I agree it’s down to the buyer to do the research



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    #6
    Flinty997
    Registered Users Posts: 12,148 ✭✭✭✭Flinty997


    Often if you look at the contact details for these "sellers" its a private house. Which means drop shopper.

    If you value a bricks and mortar or a established seller you'll do your homework and make sure thats what your using.



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    #7
    Dav010
    Registered Users Posts: 14,544 ✭✭✭✭Dav010


    Are all items in the local shop produced locally?



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    #8
    callaway92
    Registered Users Posts: 14,705 ✭✭✭✭callaway92


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119234525#Comment_119234525

    No, obviously not

    But even at that they are stocked here and customer service/staff are based here

    Drop shipping skips all of that, so your money is essentially going to one individual resident here rather than staff in a shop etc



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    #9
    Flinty997
    Registered Users Posts: 12,148 ✭✭✭✭Flinty997


    Well it supports the delivery infrastructure here too.

    Even if it did go to one person (which is doesn't) what of it?



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    #10
    callaway92
    Registered Users Posts: 14,705 ✭✭✭✭callaway92


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119235152#Comment_119235152

    I dunno man, I was only asking for opinions on it as a whole

    Again, I'm more referring to the prices that they're charging, while not stating that they themselves are just ordering them from China etc.



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    #11
    darragh o meara
    Registered Users Posts: 3,228 ✭✭✭darragh o meara


    I have no problem with people setting up dropshipping companies "When" they advertise as such. Its when you deal with a local seller and find out your items are coming from the other side of the world after payment is made.

    Case in point, a few months back I was in need of a part for a 3D printer fairly urgently. I went online and seen that I could get the parts from UK, China or a business here in Ireland. I contacted said business and asked if he had the parts in stock and if they could be shipped fairly quickly to which I was told, it could. So happy that I was supporting a local business I made the order and waited. 2 weeks later and after countless emails my parts showed up from China.... I was pretty annoyed at this point as I could have had them in a day or two from amazon or in a similar timeframe but significantly cheaper from Aliexpress.

    From then on, I always ask the question before I make the order.



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    #12
    Flinty997
    Registered Users Posts: 12,148 ✭✭✭✭Flinty997


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119235253#Comment_119235253

    Well I'm having the discussion with you. I've nothing against drop shipping and I agree it should be highlighted when this is what they are doing. I avoid such retailers as (I assume) its too much hassle/risk if there is a problem. It why I stick to the main big retailers online.

    But this is more about being smart when shopping online than the issues you've raised IMO.



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    #13
    Flinty997
    Registered Users Posts: 12,148 ✭✭✭✭Flinty997


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119235257#Comment_119235257

    Same issue on Amazon 3rd party sellers. Hence I avoid them also.



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    #14
    callaway92
    Registered Users Posts: 14,705 ✭✭✭✭callaway92


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119235293#Comment_119235293

    It’s about being smart (the buyer) but I think the seller should be open-and-honest too rather than portraying in a sneaky way (which I’ve seen them do) that these are locally made products

    Usually it’s younger people (or influencers/GAA players doing it)



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    #15
    B.A._Baracus
    Registered Users Posts: 11,192 ✭✭✭✭B.A._Baracus


    Just the way it goes. It's on the buyer to be savy.

    There was once a product called the Pet Rock. The dude made 4 million. If people are willing to buy anything, drop shipped, insane prices or not. Its on them.



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    #16
    Flinty997
    Registered Users Posts: 12,148 ✭✭✭✭Flinty997


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119235701#Comment_119235701

    I think thats a different issue.

    Its not a bad idea that drop shipping should be flagged on the sites that do it.



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    #17
    B.A._Baracus
    Registered Users Posts: 11,192 ✭✭✭✭B.A._Baracus


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119235943#Comment_119235943

    If something is legal then its legal. Even if it is over priced or drop shipped or what not. Its on you the buyer to be savy enough to spot.



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    #18
    Flinty997
    Registered Users Posts: 12,148 ✭✭✭✭Flinty997


    I think the point is it's not obvious is not an established business with some resources behind it. If it's a business it should a higher level of consumer protection to private sale.



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    #19
    callaway92
    Registered Users Posts: 14,705 ✭✭✭✭callaway92


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119236149#Comment_119236149

    This is along my thoughts too

    Buyer protection on Depop for example is only limited to defunct products or ones that are not as they were advertised

    Sellers don’t need to offer any returns terms etc



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    #20
    Ubbquittious
    Registered Users Posts: 6,217 ✭✭✭Ubbquittious


    I would avoid buying from these places. They are a pain in the hole. Basically you are supporting a parisitic middleman who brings nothing to the table. If he kept stock locally and dispatched quickly there would be an advantage to using him. Drop shipper does nothing you can't do yourself for less



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    #21
    scottygee
    Registered Users Posts: 113 ✭✭scottygee


    https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119234422#Comment_119234422

    Dropshipping was a foreign concept to me something 2 years ago. I came across this article on my Quora feed that basically talks about dropshipping suppliers (which, you can predict already is a lot–think large parts of China, India, and Vietnam).

    For me, as long as they're not purposefully ripping off products from local businesses and are in cahoots with suppliers–it's just business. But there's a special place in hell for the bigger corps that passes of smaller businesses' products as their own with a HUGE markup...



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