I tend to browse Amazon for new tool listings and tool deals fairly regularly, and also sometimes double-check features or specs on product pages, and a certain trend regarding Bosch product listings has caught my attention. Bosch has added a new notice to certain tools.
Bosch’s notice lists Amazon.com and 5 online sellers as “Certified Online Partners.” Buy with confidence from these authorized Bosch resellers.
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- Amazon.com
- CPO
- Acme Tools
- Ohio Power Tool
- Coastal Tool
- Tool Barn
They also say:
Bosch does not guarantee the quality or authenticity of products purchased from non-authorized resellers on Amazon.
I have only seen these notices on Amazon, as a photo on certain Bosch cordless power tool product pages. The notice only appears for some Bosch power tools, but not others, and I have not yet seen any pattern to it.
I find this interesting. Will other brands follow suit? Has their been counterfeit products? What prompted this notice? What happens if you do buy something from a non-authorized seller on Amazon?
Bosch lists other “Certified Online Partners” on their website, including Grainger, Zoro, AceTool, International Tool, Lowe’s, Home Depot, Tool Nut, Menards, and others. So, this notice seems to only apply to Amazon.com listings where select Certified Online Partners might be listed as 3rd party sellers among non-authorized resellers.
It’s interesting to see how ecommerce has been changing over the years. I have a gut feeling that this seems like a step forward, if Bosch is helping to bring some order to “online marketplace” listings of their products.
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What it comes down to is this – do the ecommerce changes/features/evolutions help me as a customer? With these Bosch notices, I think the answer is “yes.”
There are also new “store within a store” landing pages, but I’m not sure how I feel about that. Bosch’s landing page seems to be a good example, but I’ve seen others that were much more confusing than they were helpful.
Shop Now(Bosch Tools on Amazon)
Update: Brad found a similar notice by Dewalt on their 20V Max SDS rotary hammer listing.
Bob
Im guessing Bosch Corperate is sick of honoring warranty claims from stores that are outside official retail channels? Or the unofficial retailers are not sticking to MSRP prices?
I’ve never had a warranty issue that showed up past the 90 day mark. Most big box stores will let you return or exchange the item prior to 90 days. I just go that way as its easier than dealing with the manufacturers warranty.
Well I did have an issue with a DeWalt heated jacket. A third-party makes it for DeWalt. I got frustrated waiting on hold and just ordered the part the battery connects to. Ended up ordering a couple as it’s nice to have a portable source for 12V. The heated gear runs on 12v even tho it takes the 20v batteries. Must be a step down transformer in there. 12v for testing automotive parts or running 12v accesories you would plug into your car outlet is nice in a pinch some times. Only does 12v at 1amp tho.
Toolfreak
I would guess a lot of this has to do with some sellers passing off refurb tools as new, for new prices. Maybe the generic batteries or accessories that some buyers don’t realize aren’t original, either.
I’d say it’s a pretty good move by Bosch, as a “Pro” tool brand.
It probably will help them in the long run, both with keeping warranty claims to authorized sellers and with consistent pricing, including “sale” pricing and special discounts or other offers.
fred
Also might be aimed at sellers who buy/acquire kits that are part of a manufacturer’s promotion and then piece them out. You might get new tools, batteries, chargers and toolbags from these guys all repackaged.
Gordon
Amazon can’t seem to figure out how to control listings. So I’m not surprised manufacturers are going to start taking things into their own hands. I bought something on amazon and the seller sent me a separate invoice. They said the manufacturer denies any warranty claim from a 3rd party Amazon seller even if the seller is an authorized retailer.
It’s going to really suck for the consumer if manufacturers decide to start restricting more and more just to combat something that Amazon is being complacent in.
Toolfreak
Amazon could control listings, and how it does business with 3rd party sellers, but they are far more interested in having their marketplace appearing to have millions of items available, even if 90% of it is knockoffs and junk shipped from China, even when that isn’t obvious to a buyer from how an item is sold.
It must make up a fair bit of their income though, since they would probably change things if they had a large portion of their customers complain, take legal action, or just not buy anything on the site again.
Brad M
I have seen this before on some DeWalt tools listed on Amazon. Took me a little bit, but found an example.
https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DCH273B-Brushless-Rotary-Hammer/dp/B00YDZI9BA/
Stuart
Thank you! I don’t think I’ve seen that before.
Steve
Dewalt has had that listed on their website for years. I asked you if you’d heard how Dewalt treats 3rd party listings on Amazon in comments on a post last year. If I recall you said it was something like ‘they’re all treated as Amazon sales’. It was the first thing I thought of when I saw this post. Maybe somebody at Dewalt could clarify, as there’s some great prices on Amazon from 3rd party sometimes.
Steve
You’re right though, I don’t think it’s been part of their Amazon listing, just on their website.
PJ
I used to be a full-time Amazon seller. Amazon started restricting what third party sellers could sell 4-5 years ago. It started with restricting certain categories, the music and DVD categories were the first ones to get “gated”. Meaning you had to get special permission from Amazon to list in those categories.
Shortly after brands started sending out cease and desist messages through the Amazon message system to third party sellers who were not authorized to sell their products. Around that same time brands also started filing trademark/copyright infringement claims with Amazon, trying to get specific third party sellers off of their brand pages.
Over the last maybe 2 years many brands have been able to “gate” their products on Amazon so that third party sellers had to get specific permission in order list products by that brand. This last method seems to be the most organized way to go about controlling their listings on Amazon.
From a customers point of view it will likely cause prices to rise. If the only sellers left are ones that have MAP agreements with the brands then the prices on Amazon will mirror those on Home Depot, Acme, etc.
MattF
In the cordless tool world, it seems to mostly be batteries that have been blocked to 3rd party sellers. I never ran across a tool I couldn’t sell, but maybe that has changed.
Amazon is not super interested in blocking 3rd parties and has needed to be pressured to do so. They’ve been pretty happy passing on fakes as sales are sales to them. A small percentage of fakes pull down prices for the real stuff. It’s only when the fake rate becomes sufficiently high to drag down sales that they care.
Jay - Ohio Power Tool
This is very interesting graphic. We as OHIO POWER TOOL don’t actually sell anything on Amazon, we are a Bosch Tool Online Partner and certainly appreciate being included on this short list. Amazon doesn’t seem to prevent other non-partner folks from Selling Bosch Tools on their market place but guess it’s just a fair warning for warranty issues.
We can safety say as a warranty center for most tool brands the number of knock-off batteries people bring in to try to warranty has sky-rocketed recently. They are shocked and pretty angry we will not “just warranty them” it seem like a lot people honestly just don’t understand they are not made by the tool manufacturers. Can’t imagine what Amazon has to deal with actually being sold through their market place.
Rob
Jay, out of curiosity, are these knock-off batteries visually discernible (different moulds, markings, labels, aesthetics) from the originals or are they somewhat convincing counterfeits?
Frank D
Did a bit of research over the summer, wanting to get a few more Bosch things, which our local stores do not sell, and was happy Bosch said AMZ was authorized. Many people live too far away from stores or dealers that sell brans x y or z, or things would have to be special ordered, with full msrp; so we depend on etailer convenience to get stuff to us. And, if AMZ can do it for a fair price without a fuss, minimum order price for free shipping, I’m all for it.
I was in FL last week, and at one lowes saw many more Bosch tools than I ever recall before or saw at Lowes in ME, which was pretty cool.
Currently waiting for Bosch USA to double the product selection they carry in NA. Especially 12v.