I received an interesting email today, part question, but mostly rant. It’s hard to read as-is, given that it was submitted as a single sentence-paragraph, so I’ve broken it up for discussion purposes.
The email subject is “you worshipping Amazon.” There are some good points, some interesting ones, and many that I disagree with.
just wondering why you are so in love with amazon, the retailer that is solely responsible for putting hundreds of small business stores in bankruptcy
Because they have good pricing (most of the time), great customer service (most of the time), great product selection (most of the time), and they get to me what I need when I need it.
not to mention the CEO of amazon being a globalist, with the merging of all the tool companies and platforms like the internet being censored
So what if Amazon’s CEO is a globalist? Many if not most large businesses aim to reach a global audience.
Censorship? Moving on.
why are you not being a proponent for the little guy like yourself
I am. Most tool brands are not “little guys,” even most of the small or independent ones. Liking Amazon and liking small businesses are not mutually exclusive.
I see big tool companies like klein making there tools cheaper, example I bought 2 magnetic nutdrivers off amazon once received I saw the quality change, I weighed new tools and weighed 5 year old tools, there was a 5 to 7 gram difference
Is that due to pressure from Amazon, or Home Depot, Klein’s exclusive big box retail partner?
Klein’s recent tool and product releases suggest that they’re trying to grow their market, pushing beyond electrical tools.
because they have to compete with the amazons and have had to change their business model
Evidence?
so now I must buy german like knipex or maybe snap-on locally
There are other USA brands that produce high quality tools, not just Snap-on.
soon you will have nothing to report on
Doubtful.
I run a small contracting company and I forbid purchasing from amazon for tools or anything for that matter
That’s your right.
the vendors on amazon don’t even care what they are selling now, its like an online flea market now, and it is harder to vet the products by the pictures or descriptions
Brand name tools where you have a model number and know exactly what you want to buy? No. But there are many products and listings that are you describe them.
and if only they would give the country of origin for tools
Country of origin changes, and nobody likes buying a tool made one place when they thought it was made somewhere else.
That said, pressing for retailers to disclose COO, or asking why they don’t is a waste of time. I speak from experience.
I buy quality only and we have found out made in America does not mean quality usually it means same as china just cost more
There are some great tools coming out of factories in China, Taiwan, and elsewhere.
Just because something is made in the USA doesn’t automatically mean it’s good. But that said, there are many USA brands that produce exceptionally good tools.
we buy from Germany, finland, UK, Italy, where quality still matters
Quality still matters here, depending on the company.
so maybe you should cater to everyone seeing that the US market is questionable
What does that mean? I am a big fan of European hand tools.
I can see by the reviews that your viewers are looking mostly for price not quality, and by quality I mean a real quality tool is almost 3 times as much as the US price but will never break and the companies have been around for 100 years
That’s simply not accurate.
And on the point of price, not everyone can or desires to spend 3X as much (at least) on every tool they buy.
the brands today in the US are a joke
I disagree.
I frequent a few tool places in my town and the reps there tell me they are getting more and more request for german tools and have become a distributor for Knipex which is nice
Yes, because word of mouth helps to spread familiarity with European hand tool brands.
I wouldn’t buy European hand tools locally – the ones I’ve seen are always marked up way too high.
they make channelock pliers look like total garbage which they are
Channellock pliers are decent, especially for the price. Again, a lot of users need a tool to get work done, they don’t need the “best” tool at 2X-3X the price or more.
I am removing your site from my bookmark and will check back in a year
Sorry, you won’t find much of a difference.