Come across this, see lot 28:
Not sure if it’s the genuine article or not. Anybody able to tell by the packaging?
Looks to be a bit of interest.
Hard to tell. A bit odd that there is only one twist in the wire, but I have seen frames like that before. I bet that our good friend @Freebee2 could find somebody who would know whether that looks like standard Flow packaging. Lot number 28 if that helps anyone trying to find the photo. 
My original Flow frames came with just one twist. I’m pretty sure those are the Chinese copies though - mine came packaged differently - individually boxed.
1 Like
Mine came the same as Stefan’s, each frame was in a separate cardboard box so I figure they are just Chinese junk.
Cheers
1 Like
fake- 100% fake.
Just last week I sold a hive to a chap who had the same frames. They were a closer copy than others- but they had real problems. The mechanism was loose- if you turned a frame upside down some of the segments moved all by themselves. Looking through the frames- some of the vertical lines of plastic were warped and I could see large gaps and light shining right through. I told the fellow that I doubted they would work properly- and would probably cause more trouble than they are worth (which is not much at all).
since I sold a few hives I have been contacted with more than 3 people who have fake chinese hives. I told all of them that they would likely end up regretting it and that they should ditch the frames and buy real flow frames. Whats the point f going through all the bother of setting up a hive, getting the tools, learning to keep bees- and then putting that garbage on the super? Flow are clearly losing more than just a few sales to these shameless counterfeiters.
2 Likes
It is amazing that with EBay’s so called policy that they won’t allow counterfeit products to be sold on their site that there is so many Chinese counterfeits advertised there. EBay talks the talk but very reluctant to walk the walk, I guess because EBay makes a profit from sales on that site.
Cheers Jack
1 Like
ebay do not give a stuff. They do hardly anything to stop this sort of thing- and reply on users to report suspicious listings. And yes- they take at least 10% commission on every sale- and pay practically zero tax in Australia. the money goes direct to their swiss bank accounts. I’m not joking- it really goes direct to switzerland.
2 Likes
Of course they won’t. And mind you it is not just eBay.
There is a beekeeper up the road from me in Gidgegannup selliing ‘Chinese Flow Hives’, as he calls them, for well over a thousand Aussie bucks, including bees. Found him on Gumtree the other day.
There is a lucrative market out there targeting wide eyed bee do-gooders. I came across such sharks myself, when I was looking for a mentor, as I mentioned in another thread.
2 Likes
it really is a shame as these things are crap. The woodware is of a low quality, and I have a feeling the frames will leak very badly- ff they work at all. The cells are thicker that the genuine article- and the mechanism is clearly rubbish. Who believes the counterfeiters used premium food grade plastics? I hate stuff like this as it is all destined for landfill- sooner rather than later- and they should not even be able to get into the country. This fellow advertising on gumtree is very definitely engaging in the sale of counterfeit items- and Flow has a legal right to sue him for every cent he made from that and damages as well. Many people blame the Chinese- and while they bear some of the responsibility it is also demand from customers that drives the fakers to produce their rubbish.
It can damage Flow through damage to their reputation as well as lost business. I have a feeling many of these fools with their ‘cheap’ fake flow hives will end up ruing the day they ever decided to buy one.
That’s the saddest part for me. If not in a landfill, burned by quarantine when the hive eventually gets abandoned and disease takes over.
The Chinese are just doing what their counterpart capitalists in the west do - chasing profit the only way they know. Blame lies squarely on those who buy the disposable rubbish. The richer we get the more rubbish we buy. Don’t get me started on this, because I get emotional.
2 Likes