pocket stove clones
- Thread starter ozzy1977
- Start date
Well I wondered how long it would take someone to rip off my design and I don't know whether to be flattered or furious. (At this moment in time think the latter)
But what takes the biscuit, and I mean REALLY takes the biscuit, is that it is someone in the UK has done it and not China.
Inevitable in some respects, but I mean what do you guys think of the following;
1) Ripped off design - slightly smaller door
2) Ripped off name (Or in legal terms - Passing Yourself Off)
3) They even ripped off 'word for flippin' word' the instructions from my leaflet
4) and finally, see that little logo in the back ground. That is my copyrighted logo 'reversed'
So if anyone knows who they are please let me have the contact details so I can start legal proceedings.
I mean how thick and unimaginative can you get? Are they really that stupid they can't be more original and change the design in some way to make it unique, come up with an original name and write their own instructions?
And for your £2 saving on our price what do you get? Something heavier, made from inferior materials, with a base plate which isn't custom made to fit other stoves and a leather case!
We have put a lot into the outdoors industry since we started. I've spent £1000's on developing products people love and this requires, samples, testing and yet more samples and testing. Then for someone to bypass that and sell something inferior WITH THE SAME NAME is just the pits.
Where's the 'give up' button?
But what takes the biscuit, and I mean REALLY takes the biscuit, is that it is someone in the UK has done it and not China.
Inevitable in some respects, but I mean what do you guys think of the following;
1) Ripped off design - slightly smaller door
2) Ripped off name (Or in legal terms - Passing Yourself Off)
3) They even ripped off 'word for flippin' word' the instructions from my leaflet
4) and finally, see that little logo in the back ground. That is my copyrighted logo 'reversed'
So if anyone knows who they are please let me have the contact details so I can start legal proceedings.
I mean how thick and unimaginative can you get? Are they really that stupid they can't be more original and change the design in some way to make it unique, come up with an original name and write their own instructions?
And for your £2 saving on our price what do you get? Something heavier, made from inferior materials, with a base plate which isn't custom made to fit other stoves and a leather case!
We have put a lot into the outdoors industry since we started. I've spent £1000's on developing products people love and this requires, samples, testing and yet more samples and testing. Then for someone to bypass that and sell something inferior WITH THE SAME NAME is just the pits.
Where's the 'give up' button?
Thanks for the link to the Chinese version and you know what, I'm not that bothered about it.
At least they have applied their own spin on it and made it something fresh and 'different'. Possibly based on the design, but far enough from it that it may not have been.
I have more respect for them as a result.
And nothing but contempt for the UK forgers.
At least they have applied their own spin on it and made it something fresh and 'different'. Possibly based on the design, but far enough from it that it may not have been.
I have more respect for them as a result.
And nothing but contempt for the UK forgers.
Bob, are the rip-offs your refer to the ones sold on Amazon- Bushcraft Ventures? If they are then I will ask if I can return mine for a full refund as its clearly a tip off of another (your) stove.
I bought mine on a whim complete forgetting you sell them. I've also gone and got a second one, although it's coming free with a MSR Titan Kettle- I have no interest in the stove itself.
Apologies Bob.
Stuart.
I bought mine on a whim complete forgetting you sell them. I've also gone and got a second one, although it's coming free with a MSR Titan Kettle- I have no interest in the stove itself.
Apologies Bob.
Stuart.
Latest update which has come in from Richard (many thanks) relating to a new rip of direct from China, which now comes in 3 sizes.
We have sold numerous items to Asia always with a bit of apprehension, when it is just metal based products so I know it is only a matter of time something like this would happen.
Anyway, I thought you guys might like to view it out of interest if nothing else.
Pocket Stove Rip No 2!
We have sold numerous items to Asia always with a bit of apprehension, when it is just metal based products so I know it is only a matter of time something like this would happen.
Anyway, I thought you guys might like to view it out of interest if nothing else.
Pocket Stove Rip No 2!
Please don't give up. The only way to keep ahead in this sort of market is to innovate. Copies have always happened of everything, as people try to cash in on other peoples good ideas. Your products are great. Keep doing what you're doing, it's good work.
When's the your new, even better stove going to be announced?
Julia
Many thanks for the nice comments.
the annoying part is that it takes so much effort to see projects through here and the Asian market can knock up a copy overnight. However I'm not giving up, I have a cunning plan ......
But getting stuff made here is a pain. I had a quote the other day to make a tool to make the hinges for a product I had in mind but it would only bend .7mm metal not .5mm which I wanted. So anyway the price to make the tool, but no guarantee it'll work of course was £2000.
Spinning? I've got an Aluminium spinner I use, but he won't touch stainless. Tooling is an expensive process with no guarantees it'll ever work.
so currently Julia I've got half a product and a few bills, plus a drawing board with lots of scribble on it! Where's that cunning fox when you need it?
the annoying part is that it takes so much effort to see projects through here and the Asian market can knock up a copy overnight. However I'm not giving up, I have a cunning plan ......
But getting stuff made here is a pain. I had a quote the other day to make a tool to make the hinges for a product I had in mind but it would only bend .7mm metal not .5mm which I wanted. So anyway the price to make the tool, but no guarantee it'll work of course was £2000.
Spinning? I've got an Aluminium spinner I use, but he won't touch stainless. Tooling is an expensive process with no guarantees it'll ever work.
so currently Julia I've got half a product and a few bills, plus a drawing board with lots of scribble on it! Where's that cunning fox when you need it?
I dont want to condone rip off products here. I have a honey stove from 2009. I love it and use it all the time its a great product, never had any problems with it.
Its also not my intention to kick a hornets nest here but the cheapest postage option on the real product is 4.99 that makes a saving of around 7 pound. A 7 pound saving on a product around the 20 pound mark is significant.
I recently wanted to buy the hive expansion but the postage price put me off. First thing I did was went off to look for a second hand one or a copy.
A lot of people will try a copy if its a good enough saving just look at all the woodgas stove threads on here.
Its also not my intention to kick a hornets nest here but the cheapest postage option on the real product is 4.99 that makes a saving of around 7 pound. A 7 pound saving on a product around the 20 pound mark is significant.
I recently wanted to buy the hive expansion but the postage price put me off. First thing I did was went off to look for a second hand one or a copy.
A lot of people will try a copy if its a good enough saving just look at all the woodgas stove threads on here.
This isn't a rant but a few simple facts for people who think shipping should be free and think that companies like ours are in some way ripping people off by charging it.
Fact - Shipping isn't free. It never has been or ever will be.
In the 10 years we've been going using the Post Office, they have lost more parcels, disapointed more customers, who then refused to give any compensation either to them or us. At one stage we used to stand at the counter for more than an hour a day, waiting to enter 30 - 50 parcels. (Mind you we got to know the staff really well) When it got to 90 minutes we decided to give it up.
People want great value for money products and we do our best to do that with a 24/48hr service. Are they pleased they get the goods so quickly? Yes. Are they pleased they arrive in one piece? Yes. Are they pleased (albeit frustrated sometimes) that the parcel is held securely until they pick it up if they were not at home? Yes. Do people realise that in order the keep the price down, we have to part pay for the shipping too? Probably not.
Is that worth £4.99 and £6.99, or free of an order worth £125? You bet your bottom dollar it is.
am5566 - Anyone here who runs a business hates the idea that an outside 'service provider' screws up all their hard work by losing a parcel, or failing to deliver within a realistic timescale. We take pride in what we do, and customers like the idea (strangely) that when they order something they are going to get it within a few days.
It is obviously anyone's choice to order from China or anywhere else free of charge and take a chance of it turning up sometime. Have you ever tried returning an item to China for a refund or repair? I totally agree we all have a budget we can accept or not. However the standards we have chosen to offer are the same we expect when we buy something on-line.
I've ordered it, you've got my money, now where is it? "Ohh I see it was free delivery, can I have a tracking number? NO not included". "When will it arrive as I'm going away? Can't tell you". "That's not much good is it? Ah yes but it was FREE".
Like everything in life, you get what you pay for. If you didn't pay anything for it, you shouldn't be upset when it doesn't arrive.
Fact - Shipping isn't free. It never has been or ever will be.
In the 10 years we've been going using the Post Office, they have lost more parcels, disapointed more customers, who then refused to give any compensation either to them or us. At one stage we used to stand at the counter for more than an hour a day, waiting to enter 30 - 50 parcels. (Mind you we got to know the staff really well) When it got to 90 minutes we decided to give it up.
People want great value for money products and we do our best to do that with a 24/48hr service. Are they pleased they get the goods so quickly? Yes. Are they pleased they arrive in one piece? Yes. Are they pleased (albeit frustrated sometimes) that the parcel is held securely until they pick it up if they were not at home? Yes. Do people realise that in order the keep the price down, we have to part pay for the shipping too? Probably not.
Is that worth £4.99 and £6.99, or free of an order worth £125? You bet your bottom dollar it is.
am5566 - Anyone here who runs a business hates the idea that an outside 'service provider' screws up all their hard work by losing a parcel, or failing to deliver within a realistic timescale. We take pride in what we do, and customers like the idea (strangely) that when they order something they are going to get it within a few days.
It is obviously anyone's choice to order from China or anywhere else free of charge and take a chance of it turning up sometime. Have you ever tried returning an item to China for a refund or repair? I totally agree we all have a budget we can accept or not. However the standards we have chosen to offer are the same we expect when we buy something on-line.
I've ordered it, you've got my money, now where is it? "Ohh I see it was free delivery, can I have a tracking number? NO not included". "When will it arrive as I'm going away? Can't tell you". "That's not much good is it? Ah yes but it was FREE".
Like everything in life, you get what you pay for. If you didn't pay anything for it, you shouldn't be upset when it doesn't arrive.
The local postoffice moved from being it's own independent shop like building, to a counter at the back of the local londis store. This has resulted in a completely new set of staff. The longest queue I've had is 1 person in front of me, but I've had to train up the staff to an extent. Turning up with 16 parcels for a group buy can be a bit ott to them at first. So I can entirely understand how that may take an hour+ with 30 parcels.
It's an interesting conundrum, and it's been made even more complex by the whole letter, large letter, small parcel thing they've brought in. It's meant that I've been ordering in small boxes via ebay for the group buys so that I know that the item will fit as a large letter. It's a pain. Esp as the jump for something 26mm wide vs 25mm wide is considerable.
I want to purchase one of your titanium trivets at 9.99. But like most people, not really wanting to pay a fiver on postage as well. So instead, I'm saving up to spend a bit more from you, so that the postage is less of a significant portion of the price. When the whole purchase is 50+ quid, I'm not really worried about the extra 5 for postage...
The other way I often get reduce postage, is by seeing if friends want to order together. With the local bushcraft group, sharing postage is pretty simple to do. If two of us order together, it's only 2.5 each.
Part of the realisation for me was when I looked at the cost of parking in town, or taking a bus/train to the shops. For me to visit a store in the next town over, it's 7 quid return on the train. That fiver for postage is suddenly very reasonable.
Ultimately I would rather give my money to someone like yourself, rather than a faceless multinational or a rip off from the far east. Me buying from you supports your family, and means your business can grow. Just wish I could afford to purchase more, you stock so many shiny things...
Julia
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