Fake or Fortune?---internet selling site.

[Gary MacKenzie]

Ali-express was a variation on RS Components, Maplin, Tandy/Radio Shack, which has grown to sell just about anything.
Most of the parts for things like 3d printers are real - They are the parts the other kit makers use for their complete kit of a printer.
It's the newer stuff that has a lot of knockoffs, like 2TB pendrives, have one here in the house.

[KarlW]

Ali-express was a variation on RS Components, Maplin, Tandy/Radio Shack, which has grown to sell just about anything.
Most of the parts for things like 3d printers are real - They are the parts the other kit makers use for their complete kit of a printer.
It's the newer stuff that has a lot of knockoffs, like 2TB pendrives, have one here in the house.

Are they like this?
Dodgy HD

[Gary MacKenzie]

Same idea, a standard 16GB metal housed Pendrive, etch 2TB on the outside case, and use the same software to fake the ''total size reported''.
First 16 GB writes perfectly fine, after that it only creates an index file, and the actual data is lost, so you end up with a 16GB lookup system that points to a max of 16 GB data - lookup file.

There are very many GOOD sellers on Ali EXpress, it's the rogues that put people off dealing with any.

[BattleshipBob]

I have bought 2 trumpeter kits, good price fast service. But many cheap copies of things such as the iwata airbrush stand.

[Bugatti Fan]

RS components is a huge reputable company.
You can download their 3D Cad program Designspark Mechanical.
It is a completely free download for engineers to develop 3D prototypes.
STL files can be created on it for 3D Printing.