Another Trusted Brand Name Rendered Useless

[WhitePine]

Visited Costco yesterday and picked up a little "ChannelLock" Litium Ion electric screwdriver. Except that the only thing ChannelLock about it is the label. This thing was imported from China by Allied something or other for Costco, according to the packaging. The ChannelLock brand was used by permission.

In other words, ChannelLock's owners rented out the brand name for a fee, with no guarantee that the product meets any particular quality standard. I will add the ChannelLock name to the mental list of product names I carry that I avoid unless I am looking for something that doesn't have to be any better than Harbor Freight quality.

 

[velvetfoot]

Next up: Hostess.

 

[heat seeker]

Caveat Emptor - Latin for "buyer beware", even the Romans had their problems.
ChannelLock used to be a great brand. Was it spelled a bit differently, to suggest the real brand name? I have seen that done with other brands.
Either way, that sounds pretty cheesy of Costco to sell an item like that. I wouldn't shop there any more, no matter what the savings. Why support a place that does business like that.

 

[WhitePine]

No spelling difference, and it had the usual ChannelLock stepped logo. It's not just Costco or ChannelLock. Coleman rents it brand name and logo out the same way. The practice seems to have become widespread. I first ran into in the early 80s. A hotel I was staying at was renting its name from a really high end establishment in another city with no oversight and no franchise agreement, just money changing hands. I did some spare time consulting for the management, who informed me of the arrangement.

Sams Club sells a 3 1/2 ton floor jack branded Michelin. I have one. As far as I can tell, the Michelin name is rented on that too. Personally, I think the practice should be outlawed. It's really a type of fraud. The customer thinks he is getting a brand name product when in fact he is getting off brand stuff that may or may not be any good, and he ends up paying more for it than he would if he knew the real source and seller.

It's just a rip off.

 

[BrotherBart]

The first oil filled radiator heater I ever bought years ago was that way. A Honeywell. In very tiny print in the manual they divulged that the name was used under license.

 

[nate379]

How about the Snap On "tools" they are selling now too? Costco carries some, and I even saw a rack at Schuck's auto parts. Was some super cheap sockets, wrenches, flashlights, etc with the Snap On logoing.
One guy I know was super proud of his Snap On pressure washer from Costco till it died after a few uses and he found out it wasn't really a Snap On product.

 

[BrotherBart]

One guy I know was super proud of his Snap On pressure washer from Costco till he died after a few uses and he found out it wasn't really a Snap On product.

That would be a bummer to find out after your dead.

 

[WhitePine]

That would be a bummer to find out after your dead.

I don't think I'd make it past the first pressure washing myself. 3,500 psi will do a man in.

 

[heat seeker]

No more dandruff, though...

 

[n3pro]

Thanks for the information. I was confused by this situation last year. I don't remember what the product was but it was at work. I called to order parts and I was told "we don't make that", I argued but it has your name on it and I got "just because it has our name don't mean we make it, I said what? He said that is for a talk with corporate.