Cheap Chinese Knockoff Faucets on eBay and elsewhere - any good?

11 years ago

Certain online vendors, some on eBay, others with their own websites, are selling astonishingly high-end-looking faucets that look like they could have come from, say, Dornbracht, and yet typically sell for under $100. Can these these possibly be any good? Are the vendors reliable (I wouldn't buy from those that actually are foreign based and ship from other countries). Is it even ethical to buy this stuff? Given that many of their sites seem to have elaborate international-fitting adapter charts, is it likely these won't even fit US plumbing supply lines and valves as shipped? Does anyone here have any experience buying or using these cheap no-name faucets?

thx.

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PRO

Custom Cabinets Houston

5 years ago

You can buy every type / brand model faucet on ebay or online in general these days... so, it's not the sales / distribution channel that determines whether or not the faucet it garbage or not. It is the brand... and ultimately price that does. From birth we've all heard the saying "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." And nowhere is this more true than plumbing and lighting fixtures. I've been building new and renovating old houses for over 25 yrs and I can assure you--as someone who has bought, installed, replaced, and returned countless faucets and light fixtures--that you get what you pay for in construction. In fact, I rarely use anything but Kohler plumbing fixtures anymore--since (a) I have never had to replace one and (b) they have an extremely generous warranty and repair parts policy--though they are generally on the more expensive end of the spectrum.

Without exception, any cheap, Chinese made faucet that you install will have to be replaced within a very short time period if it gets any regular use. And it will be difficult if not impossible to find repair / service parts for it. As opposed to Kohler, for example, which supports their products virtually forever. So, you not only have to consider the up-front costs... but the long term costs--and the very real potential for damages that a cheap fixture that fails can cause in your home. Unless you're a handy-man / DIY type--who can install, replace, and repair your own plumbing--these legacy costs will easily be more than the difference in price between that cheap foreign knock off and a good Kohler fixture.

And Kohler just makes better looking stuff anyway. If you can't find a Kohler product that works perfectly for your project--you're doing it wrong. They avoid cliche and short term trends--opting for a more classy, classic product line up--that "ages" well stylistically. But they have beautiful options for all segments of the style spectrum--from neo-classical / traditional to ultra-contemporary to industrial. All you have to do is pick up a Kohler faucet in one hand and pick up a cheap knock off in the other to notice the difference between them; the Kohler will likely weight twice what the cheaper faucet does. And that extra weight is more brass and thicker, better plating, etc.

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Comments (12)

millworkman
11 years ago
Think of the fake Rolex watches, have you ever seen one? They are junk and do not work well for long if ever. I would well imagine this would be the same thing. When it does not work, where will you get parts? Good luck with a warranty as well?
User
11 years ago
I would never put crap that could cause so much potential water damage to a home in my bathroom. When it fails, and it's when not if, it will either be slow leak, or it will be a spectacular geyser. Take your pick and hope that you see either of them in time to keep from having a big insurance claim.
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jacquievw
8 years ago
I can answer that with a bit of experience and authority, rather than "I
think", or "I wouldn't "- because I actually have. I've purchased 7 of
these so far, and have found them to be over excellent quality. I've
been using 3 of them in my own master bath for several years and I'm
very happy! I had a high end plumber who came out to bid the job look
at them and when I told him what I paid he was astonished. I started to
tell him what they normally cost and his reply was "I know what they
cost, I buy them all day long. I pay in sales tax than you paid for the
faucet." My experience has been good, but PLEASE NOTE 2 things: 1) I
am very careful to buy ONLY the solid brass ones (coated in Chrome),
and they usually come with a plastic, chrome looking shower head. I
replace the head with a metal one, also found on ebay. 2) Installation
is different on these, they often don't have attached flanges to screw
them to the studs - so you have to use straps (home depot) an measure
carefully for depth of your finished wall (tile. mortar, kerdi board,
hardibacker, whathaveyou...) but the face plate and gasket on the shower
controls are designed to be forgiving. So, I hope you save yourselves
some cash, and get the look you really want from these Chinese faucets.
The high end ones you buy at the plumbing supply, and the mid range ones
you buy at the big box stores are also made in china.
geoffrey_b
8 years ago
For a sink - you can take chance.

But for a shower / tub valve - if it fails you have to rip out some tile. This would be a big PITA - and cost you more than you saved in the first place.
transnationalq
8 years ago
Interesting discussion here. I'm on the wall with whether to buy things online or go with the local stores. Of course I'd love to save money.

I've been put off by plumbers though with the reasoning that all fixtures and fittings need to be approved by a board of plumbing. Is that just a Massachusetts thing??

Did you have problems with permits, approvals etc?
User
8 years ago
just a lucky thing for you Mass folks.
transnationalq
8 years ago
:(
0
PRO
bathroomsforme
8 years ago
Please be careful with eBay faucets. We have heard some horror stories. Just like anywhere there will be good and bad but I would tread carefully unless its for a temporary fix until you do the bathroom properly etc....always read the reviews!
Helen
5 years ago
FWIW, just because an EBAY seller appears to be located in the US, doesn't mean anything as items can be drop shipped from China and appear to be sold by someone in the US

I would NEVER buy any kind of no name fixtures for a bath or shower because the cost of replacement and the inconvenience is nothing someone you want to deal with. I had a faulty valve on my bath/shower - it got frozen and wouldn't shut off. I will give that credit because it was installed in 1965 and last 35 years so it lasted well beyond its expected life :-).

The plumber was not able to find a replacement so everything had to be replaced. Luckily the access was behind and backed into one of my master bedroom closets so when they had to cut open that wall to replace the whole mechanism and trim, I didn't have to bother with repairing the wall. And because the entire bath/tub was a crappy fiberglass which I was intending to replace, I didn't particularly care about matching all of the trim aesthetically since it was a short range solution. But if I had a my new tile shower with expensive trim, it would have been an entirely different outcome - and it was pricey enough to replace just what I did with what my plumber supplied as I didn't care about how it looked - I just wanted the cheapest replacement that would work for a relatively short period of time until it was gutted.

I wouldn't care as much about highest quality for a bathroom faucet as you aren't drinking from it and any failure is not going to be catastrophic. Changing faucets is a relatively easy fix and most people expect to change faucets periodically as part of normal maintenance. I've never repaired a faucet but that's because my faucets have lasted for long enough so that I wanted a nicer style anyway.
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User
5 years ago
Not only are they poor quality, they are dangerous to your health.

http://starcraftcustombuilders.com/sources.faucets2.htm
AJCN
5 years ago
What about lead?
0

Cheap Chinese Knockoff Faucets on eBay and elsewhere - any good?

Custom Cabinets Houston

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millworkman

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