We have tens of thousands of happy customers using Plato 170 Shear Cutters all over the world. So many, in fact, that counterfeiters sometimes try to get in on the act. As much as we try to police the marketplace, it is important that customers buy Plato 170 Shear Cutters only from authorized sources to ensure they get quality, reliable tools. At times, we have received complaints about cutters breaking apart only to find out they were counterfeit.
The unfortunate truth about Amazon, eBay, Alibaba, and other web retailers, is they are rife with counterfeit products. Scrolling through Amazon listings for “Plato 170”, I spotted 13 fake Plato cutters on the first page! Rest assured that we are taking whatever action we can, but by the time we do, some unlucky customers may have already wasted money on an inferior, unreliable product. DON’T LET THAT BE YOU!
There are ways to identify counterfeits, some obvious and many very subtle. We can’t provide you with a complete list since it would also serve as a how-to guide to make counterfeit cutters. However, in this post, we'll cover a list of things you can look for to spot a fake Plato 170 Shear Cutter BEFORE you buy.
The supplier is not an authorized Plato distributor
Techspray is the manufacturer of the original and authentic Plato 170 Shear Cutters. We sell directly to consumers through our website and through authorized distributors.
The catch is it isn’t always easy to identify resellers on sites like Amazon. Under the name, it might say “Techspray” or “Plato”, but that isn’t a guarantee that it is coming from us. You have to drill into the listing and what is listed under “Ships from and sold by...”. Don’t buy a Plato 170 Shear Cutter from an online retailer without verifying this information first.
The cost is much lower than certified Plato distributors.
It is not uncommon that our distributors sell to other resellers, which might be ok, but they will not be at that low, low price that you may be hunting for. For each step in the selling cycle, we all have to make money. The more steps you add, the higher the cost that needs to be passed on to you. If a company is selling for a really low price and they are not on our authorized distributor list, keep looking.
Manufacturers and resellers all have to make a profit by marking up the cost of the product. If you see a price half of what is listed at our authorized retailers, it is probably a fake. That’s not to say there aren’t authorized distributors knocking off a few percentage points, but nobody is giving authentic Plato 170 Shear Cutters away. It is always safer to buy directly from our authorized distributors. Click here to find one that works for you.
The tool is shipping from outside the US.
If the cutter you have your eye on is coming from outside the US, be careful. That’s not to say you can’t or shouldn’t buy our cutters from international sources. We sell all over the world to service the global marketplace. However, it is unlikely an authorized distributor would import cutters into their home country and ship them back to the US for an extremely low price.
The reseller is not clearly stated in the product listing.
As mentioned above, the reseller should be clearly identifiable. I’ve seen a listing for “me” as the company with 16 reviews (and not surprising, some quite bad). If it is from an individual or a company that is difficult to identify, keep looking!
There are misspellings or odd descriptions in the product listing
As you may have noticed, we call our tool a “Plato 170 Shear Cutter”. If the writer of the listing is not proficient at English, or they are less than familiar with electronic assembly (the intended use of this tool), descriptions can get pretty bizarre. “Pliers” (that’s a different tool entirely), “electrical” (generally requires a heavier duty cutter), “wire cutter” (same as previous), and nippers (sounds like for your toenails!) are all good indicators that the listing is for a less-than-authentic product. Keep looking!
So remember the old axiom: “If something looks like it is too good to be true, it probably is.” Make sure you ensure that the cutters you are buying are high quality, authentic Plato 170 Shear Cutters by purchasing only from authorized distributors or directly from Techspray.
If authenticity is ever in doubt, we can generally spot a counterfeit with high-resolution photos of the front and back of the cutter. If you send us photos and be sure to include a link from the listing where you bought it. Please contact us for further information.
