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Another not Mitutoyo - beware

P

PeterT

Ultra Member
Premium Member
My buddy was in the market for a Mitutoyo as there are sales on now through the regular CDN distributors. He mentioned Amazon being cheaper. He wasn't even after a caliper but I just happened to land on this 8". Read the 1-star reviews half way down. I was kind of surprised to see this, but the Clonerfloggers are sneaky & persistent. I guess you'd get a refund, but still a PITA. Ebay is probably worse. Not throwing anyone under a bus, but just mentioning as a heads up. Some newbies might not even know what to look for & get tricked, which is what they are counting on.

https://www.amazon.ca/Mitutoyo-500-197-30-Advanced-Measuring-Resolution/dp/B00I3UA89C/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=mitutoyo+8"&qid=1602999987&sr=8-1&th=1
 
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If you can't trust Amazon who can you trust? (note of sarcasm).
It's the same as the Chibson guitars, Patents and qc mean nothing when buying offshore, it's all about the money. I didn't realize they were that deep into tools as well.
 
Yeah, I wonder what’s going on there. Reading through about halve of the 240+ reviews, it seems that some purchasers are aware of the counterfeit problem and are checking for authenticity. It also seems that there are some genuine Mitutoyos beeing sent out to customers... It is probably ”just an item number” in Amazon’s inventory at the Fullfillment Center and the luck of the draw for the customer if there happens to be a real one that ends up on your doorstep?
 
That's my interpretation. Fulfillment is a double edge sword. If I am legit distributor & populate my store with brand name part, that's what happy customer gets. If I am a scammer & populate my store with lookalike fakes, that's what unhappy customer gets. Amazon is stuck in the middle because they assuming honesty, until the issue becomes known. They might be able to trace & ban sellers but it probably like rat control - endless. Verniers seem to be a common target probably because they are cheap & so similar looking right down to the stickers, inspector codes, made in Japan etc. I don't know if they have migrated into dials & DTI's quite as bad. The price is not indicative. I would think low price like 50% usually means clone unless you see something legit like 'fulfilled by Travers Tools' or 'last of product line'. But scammers are smart & price at 70% to achieve illusion of real item, but attractive discount. Personally on this stuff I usually don't gamble. Wait for sale at known distributor.
 
PeterT said, 'Personally on this stuff I usually don't gamble. Wait for sale at known distributor.'

Exactly my take when I make expensive tool purchases and if I must I simply bite down on the silver bullet.
 
Stop buying mitutoyo from Amazon. You can still buy from: Tomas Skinner, ACT, DGI Supply, DMH, Source Atlantic. There is probably more vendors but those are the ones I'm currently using.
 
These are identical to the ones on aliexpress for 45 CAD.

Is the quality at least worth 45 - i.e. is it a much better clone then say PA $15 calipers?

From pictures it feels it is not worth 45 - it feels it is just the 15 dollar one but with different labels - am I correct?
 
calgaryguy said:
AVE did a video comparing the real deal mitutoyo and the fakes
Click to expand...
The difference in the power required for authentic versus counterfeit is amazing. I feel sorry for all the people who buy these and then think Mitutoyo is crap because the batteries don’t last.
 
I have bought brand name tools (from respected dealers and paid the price, sadly the tool was a POS. I have also knowingly bought dollar store tools (no joke) and been pleasantly surprised both in the quality and life of the tool. Price and do not dictate life or quality.

As I see it buy with care for the need (and budget) at that moment. No matter what happens its a gamble.
 
I bought my 6" absolute from KBC, ans so is an authorized distributor (I checked with Mitutoyo). I bought my 8", used, from a former machinist, everything is identical except for length and prod ID. Since I had the 6" to check it against, I know it is identical.

A lot of the kijiji Mitutoyos are now counterfeit, but the sellers often don't know they are. sigh. human nature.
 
Dabbler said:
I bought my 6" absolute from KBC, ans so is an authorized distributor (I checked with Mitutoyo). I bought my 8", used, from a former machinist, everything is identical except for length and prod ID. Since I had the 6" to check it against, I know it is identical.

A lot of the kijiji Mitutoyos are now counterfeit, but the sellers often don't know they are. sigh. human nature.
Click to expand...
you have more faith in the sellers than I.

they know where they're purchasing these counterfeits wholesale, they're arranging to ship the product to Amazon's FOB warehouses, they know amazon only inspects products for package size requirements and nothing more.
 
it should be noted that no authorized seller is on amazon or ebay. Their marketing contract forbids it - that's wheat KBC tools has told me.

I have to assume the 'good' ones are grey market ones or better clones.

I have to reiterate: using a real Mitutoyo caliper is like driving a Masaratti. The rest feel cheap, wobbly and inadequate
 
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even the reviews on that Amazon link seem rather shill'sih. Skip past the first couple to the five stars, those aren't real reviews imo.
 
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Dabbler said:
I have to reiterate: using a real Mitutoyo caliper is like driving a Masaratti. The rest feel cheap, wobbly and inadequate
Click to expand...
My old Peacock dial indicator circa 1984 gave up the ghost after decades of abuse and mis-use. I broke down and bought a new mitutoyo lugged back indicator a week ago at KMS. I've been impressed every time I've used it in the fit, finish, and smoothness. Granted I had a almost 40 year old beat up indicator to compare to.
 
The amazon seller , ITM instruments, appears to be an authorized Mitutoyo dealer. How are you sure its a fake?

ITM Instruments Inc.

Discover top test and measurement instruments from industry-leading brands. We also offer calibration, rental, and training services.
www.itm.com www.itm.com

Or does Amazon use different resellers to fill orders?
 
dfloen said:
The amazon seller , ITM instruments, appears to be an authorized Mitutoyo dealer. How are you sure its a fake?

ITM Instruments Inc.

Discover top test and measurement instruments from industry-leading brands. We also offer calibration, rental, and training services.
www.itm.com www.itm.com

Or does Amazon use different resellers to fill orders?
Click to expand...

Anyone can become an amazon seller. They can fulfill their own orders directly from wherever, usually China but sometimes not. Direct from China goods are far more likely to be counterfeits or to use stolen IP.

To ship from Amazon warehouse in country the seller must ship the goods to Amazon, and provide products in packaging that meets Amazon space requirement. If you do you can sell virtually anything that fits within the warehousing space limits per item. They're not really looking for fakes.

That is why it is vital to know and look at the seller you are buying from. I mostly only buy from Amazon only. There is greter accountability and less likelihood of amazon getting conned by a wholesaler.

The same product can be sold by many vendors and have the same ASIN number which is Amazon's unique identifier for products. Multiple vendors can offer products with same ASIN but swap out a clone for the product. Mostly done to sell counterfeits.

Amazon does not "pick and choose" product from different vendors to fulfill orders. Only buyers do. Amazon picks products based on vendor stocking information in their warehouse, not product stocking info.

Buyer beware.

Want greater likelihood of getting genuine Mitutoyo products? Buy from Amazon fulfilled by amazon only.

1643577846815.webp
 
If these are really fakes coming out of Amazon they are more sophisticated than any other Chinese copies I've ever seen before. Anything I've noticed before was pretty obvious, like spelling the name Mituloyuc which I assume they did on purpose. Or is it the customer review that is a fake trying to make Amazon or ITM or Mitutoyo look bad??? These days I don't know who I can trust anymore!?
 
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