Lifeguard Amazon Shoppers Beware

Lifeguards Beware Buying on Amazon

As lifeguard supplies shoppers begin, more and more, seeking out online suppliers for their goods, there are some important factors to consider. Deciding between ordering direct from a lifeguard products supplier or alternatively through a marketplace such as Amazon can seem pretty basic, but there is actually often times, more than meets the eye. Below are 3 reasons why buying directly from a lifeguard industry suppliers can benefit you and your aquatics facility much greater in the long run:

1.) Supporting your industry – Buying from a marketplace reseller like Amazon undercuts a product manufacturer or supplier’s profit. Suppliers use this money to grow their product offerings and often times give back to the industry in support of such organizations as the Association of Aquatic Professionals (AOAP), World Waterpark Association (WWA), and the American Red Cross. When’s the last time you saw Amazon exhibiting at an industry conference?

2.) The lifeguard supplies you are purchasing may not be the quality you think they are – Recently a co-worker here at Lifeguard Times™ purchased a few polo style shirts on Amazon instead of direct from the manufacturer as he usually does even though the shirts were similar in price from both. Upon receipt of the shirts, he noticed that the quality of material and construction of each shirt was not as good as a recent one he had bought directly from the manufacturer. He happened to have an older shirt he had purchased a few years ago and discovered that it was the same lesser quality as what he had just received from Amazon. Needless to say, he returned the shirts to Amazon and decided to only purchase directly from the manufacturer from now on. This may not always be the case and may even be out of Amazon’s hands, as many resellers on the site are third-party. However, it is very concerning, especially when considering the purchase of lifesaving and first-aid products that lifeguard’s use.

3.) Fake Goods – Over the years there have been various complaints about counterfeit (fake) goods being sold on Amazon, again not necessarily within Amazon’s control due to the third-party issue. One need only think back to last year with the sale of counterfeit solar eclipse glasses that were sold on Amazon and later recalled. I personally got scammed by that one. Amazon most likely takes this issue seriously, but with an endless number of products sold on the marketplace and the vast number of potentially unscrupulous resellers, do you really want to take a chance with the well-being of your aquatic facility patrons?

To read more about counterfeit (fake) products being sold on Amazon click here or here.

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