Why are Hair Products on Amazon and Ebay Cheaper?

It’s kind of strange that being in the barber industry for about ten years I never really questioned why well known hair products were/are cheaper on websites like amazon and ebay. I always assumed it was the only way companies could sell their products through these sites. Unfortunately it isn’t.

It wasn’t until I started working directly with hair product companies when I found out why their products are being sold at a much less price than MSRP(Market Value).

Here’s a list of reasons why products are cheaper on third party seller websites like amazon and ebay.

Blacklisted

When a seller is blacklisted, it means they have lost their privilege to be a vendor of whatever company they were working with. This happens when a seller violates the agreement they once had with the product company. Typically, they get caught selling the product below market price, so they result to websites like Amazon, Ebay and other reseller websites to get rid of their last inventory.

Unauthorized Vendors

Let’s face it, distributors can’t stop who sells what to who. They can’t control the repeating cycle of blacklisted vendors finding different ways of obtaining more inventory. One way these blacklisted “companies” find products is through unauthorized vendors. Unauthorized vendors will do above and beyond work to make themselves seem like they’re legitimately an online e-commerce and/or barbershop. Once they are approved, they will look for anyone who wants to be a vendor without wanting to be properly documented. Unauthorized vendors will typically work with blacklisted companies/barbershops and form some type of partnership with one another.

Even though you might consider what they do “working the system,” sometimes these vendors will have their products tucked away a good amount of time until they find someone they can work with.

*Sadly all great products will never last forever.

Amazon Example | Normal price of Uppercut Deluxe Pomade is $18.00 per one can.

 

Expired Ingredients

This isn’t such a big one when it comes down to men’s products, but it does happen more than ever. Vendors will buy huge amounts of products and hold on to them until the barcode expires. When the barcode expires, the product can no longer be tracked by it’s distributer. This results to selling the product below market price. By the time the product is sold, the ingredients have probably expired. Keeping the products in storage over a period of time can change the texture due to temperature change and product’s shelf life. You can see the horror stories left in the reviews themselves.

*Always know if the product you receive has a sticker on top of the original barcode, your product has probably been tucked away for a good amount of time.

I hope you take this list into consideration when you purchase your next hair products. Make sure it’s from an actual vendor. Stop supporting businesses on amazon and ebay. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESS/BARBERSHOP AND ONLINE E-COMMERCE.

All this information was provided by multiple sales reps from companies such as Layrite, J.S. Sloane and Uppercut Deluxe.

-Geeyourlocalbarber-

Share some of your horror stories down below and don't forget to like and share. Thanks and groom on!