CAUTION When buying optics from Amazon!

[Boboclown]

I read once that many Amazon product reviews are fake. Done either by promoters if positive review, or done by competition if negative review. I'd be interested in opinions of others as to whether that is a factual accusation.

Yeup, they exist. A lot of scam accounts will have a bunch of fake reviews on them as well.

 

[P7M13]

It's my observation that fake reviews are more common and prevalent than bots on Craigslist. It's just that we ignore them because they are innocuous.

 

[thorborg]

I too prefer brick and mortar stores and patronize them whenever possible.
Whether sporting goods, hardware or clothing I'm having to buy more than I like on line to satisfy my desires.
The reality is, the reliable, trustworthy and staple merchant the older of us remember are dwindling fast with those left, having paltry selections.
As an example; I now drive from Beaverton to Parkrose hardware to find things I use to get at Falk hardware in Beaverton since the 1950's and now has become a crumbling facade of mostly useless or incomplete array of junk. Juxtapose Amazon which with prime, offers me sometimes free shipping plus access to an entire world of "Stuff" at what I believe to be fair prices.
Politicks, fraudulent merchants and naysayers aside, Amazon offers small business entrepreneurs
an assisted leg up on warehousing and shipping assistance which might otherwise financially and physically overwhelm the upstart venture. In my life, I have found many brick and mortar businesses with suspect ethics but the only game in town. What is the difference?
I have equal opportunity to buy crap Chinese pot metal screws from the local hardware for $2.98 for a pack of three when I needed four, and in a length I have to cut down since they don't carry the length I want as I have buying a box of 100 of the right size from the internet for $5.00 confident that at least four will work fine.
Plus, I have had no problem with the two returns I have pursued over the last several years including free shipping on return.

 

[2A2Dend]

I've got a LT-104 that I'm happy with. I saw a clone of the same on eBay for $40, and bought it. It "looks" the part, and the machining was not bad. The locking lever had no lock, and the ring screws are smaller thread. I tossed it in a box. It's junk as expected.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Just wait til they start cloning clones..

 

[Alexx1401]

As a general rule items that are likely to be copied (ACOGs, Eotech, etc) should be avoided on Amazon.

Some scopes are okay to order on Amazon as long as you are careful. Keep in mind, if its too good to be true, it is. Otherwise its best to go to other stores, SWFA and Optics Planet come to mind.

If by Amazon you are meaning to say the 3d party sellers then yes. If by Amazon you mean direct you are in the exact same risk buying from the sellers you mention. All sellers buy these items from either a distributor or the manufacturer. If a distributor is caught selling fakes they will do great damage to their business. The stores you mention are depending on these same distributors to send them the "real" product. The only difference in price between Amazon and anyone else is buying power.

 

[DizzyD]

Anything firearm related from Amazon is suspect. They hate you. You know that, right?

 

[Flopsweat]

Anything firearm related from Amazon is suspect. They hate you. You know that, right?

I don't know about you, but they love me.

 

[Koda]

its really a catch-22, I'd love to only shop at the mom-n-pop stores but that was never a reality even before the Internet retail days. I remember before the web I wanted a certain gun, nobody in Portland had it. I went to an ffl, he found one in that old gun newspaper thing... then couldn't order it fast enough. I waited for almost a year. Every couple months I would call around town, and finally found one... drove straight there. Nowadays you can virtually find what you want in one evening searching the web, order it yourself and have it shipped to your ffl.

I got nothing against big box stores, and Internet stores I will buy from them if the deal is good. I prefer the local service and knowledge of the brick and mortar stores and support them first... whenever possible. Most times its not worth the shipping to buy on line.

Amazon was really great until they let any yahoo sell stuff from their suburban garage then it went downhill fast, yeah now you have to watch out for rip offs and clones. Just like how eBay was really cool when it was only the yahoos selling their junk from their suburban garages, but then they let the big retail stores in and it no longer made sense to buy "used" on eBay anymore.

yeah, I would be cautious of buying an optic or anything expensive from Amazon. Id rather just go order it from the manufacturers website directly for anything of real value.

 

[mjbskwim]

Heck we have a vortex dealer right here in town where I could actually hold the scope and make sure it's what I want.
So I got mine here.
Y'all scared me. Probably spent 10 bucks more than I needed to.
( but I mounted it last night!)

 

[Flopsweat]

Heck we have a vortex dealer right here in town where I could actually hold the scope and make sure it's what I want.
So I got mine here.
Y'all scared me. Probably spent 10 bucks more than I needed to.
( but I mounted it last night!)

10 whole dollars? Like for reals?

 

[Tilos]

I have now seen 2 fakes being sold on Amazon they were both Trijicon items. The items usually sell as used from the warehouse. I had to return a RMR due to this now I find a RMO. I have contacted Amazon about this they seem lost to say the least. Ultimately the customer pays, I just do not want someone to pay that kind of money for a fake. If you are unsure what they look like google it. The trijicon box maybe real but the item could be a fake.
Please use caution.

Something to consider...
These fakes could be the result of someone buying the real deal and returning a fake in the real deal box for a refund.
With Amazone (spelled incorrectly on purpose) then offering the clone/return for sale as a warehouse return.
just sayin'

 

[2A2Dend]

@Tilos I tend to agree with that thought

 

[WildBills-AR]

Something to consider...
These fakes could be the result of someone buying the real deal and returning a fake in the real deal box for a refund.
With Amazone (spelled incorrectly on purpose) then offering the clone/return for sale as a warehouse return.
just sayin'

This was already covered read the thread.

 

[Tilos]

This was already covered read the thread.

oh, ok, never mind then
it's not like there's not any other parrot/echo posts here...prolly why I got tired of reading them all.
Sorry I broke up the flow of Amazone bashing, I'll leave now...carry-on.
just sayin'


I apologize if my post contains the same or similar information as someone has posted.
My ignore list contains many members who I consider scenters and/or agitators and I do not see/read what they post.

 

[Flopsweat]

oh, ok, never mind then
it's not like there's not any other parrot/echo posts here...prolly why I got tired of reading them all.
Sorry I broke up the flow of Amazone bashing, I'll leave now...carry-on.
just sayin'

You may already know this, so please understand that I'm not trying to be patronizing. If I spot a post that I want to reply to, I click the "+Quote" link below it and then continue reading the thread. If I'm not going to have time to read the whole thread and type my reply, I'll just skim each post to make sure they're not covering what I'm about to say. There will be a red "Insert Quotes" button below the Reply box if you clicked "+Quote" earlier. I probably don't have to tell you what that does. Anyway, it's not perfect (or I'm not) but it works most of the time, in terms of keeping me from posting the same reply that four other people just did.

 

[WildBills-AR]

So Amazon changed the pictures on a RMO I called them out on. It's not the same one as they had pictured before and the put a sticker on the Trijicon box. So makes me wordier what was pictured previously? It's not the same one I'm sure of that but price and info is the same.

Amazon.com: Buying Choices: Trijicon MRO-C-2200005 2.0 MOA Adjustable Red Dot Sight with AC32068 Full Co-Witness Mount Adaptor, 1 x 25mm

 

[Oldtrader3]

I do not buy shooting gear from non-shooting hardware, retailers? Especially, Amazon, as they do not know their merchandise and do not pass on sale prices!!!!

 

[Alexx1401]

I don't know about you, but they love me.

Amazon must love me and Wife. Delivery drivers know our dogs by name they are here so often. So no doubt in my mind Amazon knows I like guns. They sent some of my Christmas presents this year that were parts to go on guns.

 

[Flopsweat]

I do not buy shooting gear from non-shooting hardware, retailers? Especially, Amazon, as they do not know their merchandise and do not pass on sale prices!!!!

I'm not sure what you mean by that. I've gotten good prices on firearm related items there including parts. I do shop around a lot if I have the time, but often they do have the best price. And they certainly have good service.