I'd add Etsy to the list in the first paragraph. I needed a new laptop bag and I figured I'd help someone out during the pandemic and buy something made by an individual... After 19 pages of over-priced drop-shipped Chinese junk I gave up.

Same issue with Amazon unless you know the exact brand you want and even then you get to play counterfeit roulette.

Funny the article should mention fake reviews.

I’ve been avoiding Aukey since I happened to find one of their Amazon items (sold and manufactured by them) littered with blatantly fake reviews.

I wondered why Aukey would even do that despite they seemed to have gained an ok customer base as a legit-ish Anker knockoff at that time. But here we are.