Everyone's been there: you're scrolling Instagram or TikTok, and suddenly a gadget appears that solves a problem you didn't know you had. It looks perfect, and the price seems right. But before you enter your credit card info, a thread on r/LifeProTips suggests you pause:

The vast majority of items you see advertised in your social media feeds are cheap junk that is being dropshipped. Look up those same items on sites like AliExpress or Temu and you'll find them there for a fraction of the price. The dropshipper acts as an intermediary, charging a premium that is a significant markup, and the item will be coming from that supplier anyway.

Redditors are discussing why that "perfect" product might be a cheap markup, and how to spot the difference between a deal and a dud.

The dropshipping markup game

The primary concern among savvy internet users is the prevalence of "dropshipping." a business model where a seller lists a product but simply orders it from a third-party manufacturer to ship directly to the customer. Redditors warn that the item advertised as a boutique find is frequently a mass-produced item available elsewhere for a fraction of the cost.

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Found a really cool lamp on Etsy for $80. Ran a reverse search and found it on AliExpress for $12

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This goes for a lot more than just what's on your feeds. You should always do a reverse image lookup to see if the product is sold on other marketplaces. Etsy, and Amazon are filled w/ various types of dropshippers.

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Drop shipping is inherently evil because it's charging significantly more for the same product (often 5x-10x more), taking advantage of people who don't know any better, without adding any value.

The decline of the handmade marketplace

Redditors expressed frustration with platforms that were once safe havens for artisans. They lament that sites historically dedicated to handmade or vintage items have become flooded with mass-produced inventory masquerading as craftwork.

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I used to love Etsy. Went back recently after a long period and its truly become a cesspool of mass produced crap. Theres probably an opportunity for market disruption by doing what Etsy used to actually do as I think theyre cooked for the most part. Seems like more and more people are catching on that its not what it used to be and legit sellers are leaving.

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You’re right. I’m able to use Etsy and Ebay, they’re my primary way of diverting sales from Amazon. But these seller platforms have an inevitable reality where they get flooded with scams, cheap goods and drop shippers. I’ve had 25 years experience vetting sellers before I buy, and I also work in fraud prevention so I have advantages, but the average consumer shouldn’t have to do this whole dance. In the end it’s about trust and thoughtful curation to a specific target demographic. Like the old brick and mortars used to do!

But that being said I still have a good experience using Etsy and Ebay, it just takes an unfair amount of work.

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Yes, Etsy used to be strictly for stuff you made yourself. Then one day they introduced 'production partners.' That's the factory in China that makes stuff you copied from someone else. They also don't police themselves. I thought about buying a chunk of titanium for a friend who makes knives. You could get a small bar for $25. There was another link for $22, same guy. The description was word-for-word the same, but it said, 'Instant download.' I asked and he said, Yes, it's an image file. That's extremely scammy, but Etsy doesn't care. They used to be good, now they're burning their reputation for money.

Smart shopping and exceptions to the rule

You don't have to swear off online shopping entirely, but you do need new strategies to survive. The community suggests specific tactics to verify if a store is a legitimate small business or just a middleman utilizing a heavy markup.

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Better advice: if you see something you like and the price is weirdly low. Google reverse image search and you'll most likely find the OG shop

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I mean, be smart about it. Dremel got me good with their targeted ad for the Portable Saw Station. Went straight to the top of my Christmas list. But that’s an established company, not something like CGYYPOFYG selling a “handmade luxurious sweater” for $8. Obviously that’s not real.

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Don't buy anything from ads at the top of Google searches either. Recently had one take me to a fake cloned website that stole my credit card information. When I discovered the fraud I saw that the fake ad was still coming up as the top result. I reported it a week ago, but it's still the top sponsored result if you search for the company. Google sponsor ads cannot be trusted.

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I get some sketchy ads, but I’ve also found a few good products- clothing that’s not drop shipped, and most recently a damn good kitchen knife from Dalstrong. Basically, do your homework before hitting “buy now”

The consensus among redditors is clear: while not every ad is a scam, the modern feed is a minefield that requires active skepticism. Navigating it safe requires a "trust but verify" mindset or perhaps just a good ad blocker. The debate continues in the thread.

Want more shopping discussions this? Read the full thread in r/LifeProTips, and find more conversations like this in r/Frugal, r/YouShouldKnow, and r/Scams.