Cheap tat bought from the far east
Discussion
Along similar lines to the Frivolous purchases thread, let's see how we get on with this:
What did you buy, how long did it take to arrive and is it any good?
I've bought a few things from Wish and am shocked at how little you can pay, some items are postage only so it costs you a couple of quid for an item and it delivered half way around the world.
My most used item is a blowtorch type "Tin Pioneer" lighter bought a year ago for £2 and it's still going strong, it took about 3 weeks to arrive.
What did you buy, how long did it take to arrive and is it any good?
I've bought a few things from Wish and am shocked at how little you can pay, some items are postage only so it costs you a couple of quid for an item and it delivered half way around the world.
My most used item is a blowtorch type "Tin Pioneer" lighter bought a year ago for £2 and it's still going strong, it took about 3 weeks to arrive.
<Checks AliExpress App - My Orders screen>
<Breathes a small sigh of relief>
<Checks Cart>
"Ah, better delete a few of these before I go to the pub."
---
The two worst offenders, just sat waiting for a click:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32853238327.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32661174249.html
<Breathes a small sigh of relief>
<Checks Cart>
"Ah, better delete a few of these before I go to the pub."
---
The two worst offenders, just sat waiting for a click:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32853238327.html
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32661174249.html
I bought a grey/khaki softshell jacket that was supposed to make me look like a special forces soldier. Cost, about £12. Terrible detail and finishing, and didn't fit (long body, short arms). Needless to say I didn't look at all like a soldier wearing it either.
I also got some outdoor hiking/work trousers. again, a bit of an odd fit, but ok with a belt on, too warm for doing anything more than gentle exercise in, useful for a bit of log chopping when its really cold.
I also got some outdoor hiking/work trousers. again, a bit of an odd fit, but ok with a belt on, too warm for doing anything more than gentle exercise in, useful for a bit of log chopping when its really cold.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/CREE-XM-L-XML-T6-LED-20...
Arrived in a few days, so probably a local distributor, but unmistakably far-eastern tat.
Arrived in a few days, so probably a local distributor, but unmistakably far-eastern tat.
I've bought quite a lot of tat off wish recently.
I won't bore you with the AR components except to say when a piece of cheap steel magazine catch is $70 in the US and $7 on wish, you're going to go with the chinese version. It works, isn't load bearing and is extremely unlikely to fail. Actually, I've now enough spares that I really should buy another lower...the gun bag was a nice bit of kit for $20, too.
Aside from that, I usually get the $1 or $2 brushes, or a bulk pack of 50 Mr.Muscle magic erasers.
Currently, I'm waiting on:
So if my wife or I wake up in the night and go for a pee, we won't wake each other up.
Oh, and some umbrella corporation stickers.
I won't bore you with the AR components except to say when a piece of cheap steel magazine catch is $70 in the US and $7 on wish, you're going to go with the chinese version. It works, isn't load bearing and is extremely unlikely to fail. Actually, I've now enough spares that I really should buy another lower...the gun bag was a nice bit of kit for $20, too.
Aside from that, I usually get the $1 or $2 brushes, or a bulk pack of 50 Mr.Muscle magic erasers.
Currently, I'm waiting on:
So if my wife or I wake up in the night and go for a pee, we won't wake each other up.
Oh, and some umbrella corporation stickers.
I've bought quite a few electronic PCBs from eBay - DC voltage converters, that sort of thing. You literally cannot buy the components for the same price, never mind a suitable PCB to mount them to. 99p goes a very long way there.
Other one that sticks out, a couple of the "mi" fitness trackers. At the time, UK Price = £30+ each. Aliexpress Price = £32 for two.
Other one that sticks out, a couple of the "mi" fitness trackers. At the time, UK Price = £30+ each. Aliexpress Price = £32 for two.
jimmyjimjim said:
I've bought quite a lot of tat off wish recently.
I won't bore you with the AR components except to say when a piece of cheap steel magazine catch is $70 in the US and $7 on wish, you're going to go with the chinese version. It works, isn't load bearing and is extremely unlikely to fail. Actually, I've now enough spares that I really should buy another lower...the gun bag was a nice bit of kit for $20, too.
Aside from that, I usually get the $1 or $2 brushes, or a bulk pack of 50 Mr.Muscle magic erasers.
Currently, I'm waiting on:
So if my wife or I wake up in the night and go for a pee, we won't wake each other up.
Oh, and some umbrella corporation stickers.
I've got one of these, it's great!. Bought a friend one too for Xmas!I won't bore you with the AR components except to say when a piece of cheap steel magazine catch is $70 in the US and $7 on wish, you're going to go with the chinese version. It works, isn't load bearing and is extremely unlikely to fail. Actually, I've now enough spares that I really should buy another lower...the gun bag was a nice bit of kit for $20, too.
Aside from that, I usually get the $1 or $2 brushes, or a bulk pack of 50 Mr.Muscle magic erasers.
Currently, I'm waiting on:
So if my wife or I wake up in the night and go for a pee, we won't wake each other up.
Oh, and some umbrella corporation stickers.
Batteries don't last long though as it's always sensoring I guess. Or the cheap batteries I'm trying to use up are no good. At £1 for 30 from the market it's probably the latter...
Definitely works well, I can pee in the night without waking SWMBO.
I bought a £7 pair of sunglasses off eBay purely because I thought they looked alright. For that I got the polarised sunglasses, a case and cleaning cloth. I don't normally buy cheapo sunglasses but these are actually really good. Handy to keep in the car or if you're outdoors as if you drop and scratch them, makes no odds.
The other was an UltraFire torch which again looked alright so thought I'd chance it. £13 included charger, adapters, rechargeable battery and the torch. Which is really solid and stupidly bright! Good enough that I bought a second one to keep in the car.
The other was an UltraFire torch which again looked alright so thought I'd chance it. £13 included charger, adapters, rechargeable battery and the torch. Which is really solid and stupidly bright! Good enough that I bought a second one to keep in the car.
t wearing them.
One final mention of AR bits as I know they're not appreciated by all - but this is more of a vote of confidence/review, anyway.
I bought an ambidextrous fire selector switch, ambi bolt release and ambi mag release from wish several months ago.
Fitted the mag release (15 second job) when I received it, but was finally reminded that I'd not fitted the others (as they're more of an arse to do - have the take the entire trigger and hammer assemblies out, remove the current bolt release, etc) by this thread, so got to it.
The mag release was decent quality, as were the other two. I'd fears that they'd prove to be chinesium - especially after I had to remove and replace the selector, but this proved not to be the case. Perfectly fine, well designed kit. As it should be, as I suspect they're knockoffs of western designs. Or equally likely taken from the same production line and sold on the side.
Ambi mag release on wish - $18 elsewhere $38
Ambi bolt release on wish - $12 elsewhere $30
Ambi selector on wish - $11 elsewhere $25
I also bought some extended takedown pins, but I've found the knack of knocking the regular ones out easily, so won't bother fitting them - $8, elsewhere $18.
So in general, the savings are a bit over 50% and the quality is comparable.
I bought an ambidextrous fire selector switch, ambi bolt release and ambi mag release from wish several months ago.
Fitted the mag release (15 second job) when I received it, but was finally reminded that I'd not fitted the others (as they're more of an arse to do - have the take the entire trigger and hammer assemblies out, remove the current bolt release, etc) by this thread, so got to it.
The mag release was decent quality, as were the other two. I'd fears that they'd prove to be chinesium - especially after I had to remove and replace the selector, but this proved not to be the case. Perfectly fine, well designed kit. As it should be, as I suspect they're knockoffs of western designs. Or equally likely taken from the same production line and sold on the side.
Ambi mag release on wish - $18 elsewhere $38
Ambi bolt release on wish - $12 elsewhere $30
Ambi selector on wish - $11 elsewhere $25
I also bought some extended takedown pins, but I've found the knack of knocking the regular ones out easily, so won't bother fitting them - $8, elsewhere $18.
So in general, the savings are a bit over 50% and the quality is comparable.
I've had loads from Gearbest and Chinese eBay sellers.
Gearbest prices have gone up a bit, but still good value. I had a tablet off them, 10.1" quad/octo processor, 2 gb ram etc etc, basically the same spec as the top end Samsung tablets at the time and it was £90. I've had it a couple of years, it's used probably 6 days a week and it's been faultless. That was the most I've spent on a single item, but I've had lots of other smaller items that have been really good. Half the stuff on eBay and the high street is made in China, so it's just cutting out the middle man.
I bought some Hurley boardshorts from a Chinese seller at £8 a pair. They were £100 in Newquay. I've worn them loads for surfing, cycling and swimming, they've been brilliant. I got 2 pairs, wish I bought more as they disappeared when I looked again. I bought some Quiksilver shorts from a Chinese seller about 12 years ago, I still wear them, so whether they are copies or not, they were well made.
As mentioned above, some of the sunglasses are spot on, their own design ones and copies. I'd rather wear a pair that cost a fiver in the pool or sea than some that were £50.
Yes, there has been some absolute crap in there as well. Things like drink dispensers that just empty 2L of coke over the worktop the moment you open the tap or sunglasses that are so brittle that they crack the moment you touch them, but I rarely have problems now.
Gearbest prices have gone up a bit, but still good value. I had a tablet off them, 10.1" quad/octo processor, 2 gb ram etc etc, basically the same spec as the top end Samsung tablets at the time and it was £90. I've had it a couple of years, it's used probably 6 days a week and it's been faultless. That was the most I've spent on a single item, but I've had lots of other smaller items that have been really good. Half the stuff on eBay and the high street is made in China, so it's just cutting out the middle man.
I bought some Hurley boardshorts from a Chinese seller at £8 a pair. They were £100 in Newquay. I've worn them loads for surfing, cycling and swimming, they've been brilliant. I got 2 pairs, wish I bought more as they disappeared when I looked again. I bought some Quiksilver shorts from a Chinese seller about 12 years ago, I still wear them, so whether they are copies or not, they were well made.
As mentioned above, some of the sunglasses are spot on, their own design ones and copies. I'd rather wear a pair that cost a fiver in the pool or sea than some that were £50.
Yes, there has been some absolute crap in there as well. Things like drink dispensers that just empty 2L of coke over the worktop the moment you open the tap or sunglasses that are so brittle that they crack the moment you touch them, but I rarely have problems now.
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