Product diversion - buying from non authorised sources

[busybee32]

I seemed to have missed something on this thread...some posts have disappeared but I do understand why.

I personally would never even entertain buying from abroad, I rarely buy any regular items over the internet either, I would rather pay a little more and receive a better service with some guarantee and support the UK industry in doing so.
Also I do understand the view from the distributors out there, you are rightly trying to protect your business.

However I am glad to see that this distributors name was restored from the blacked out version which I originally read - in my view censoring this site is NOT the way to 'protect' the UK industry. We all know we can buy items from abroad but most of us choose not to because we are happy with our supplier. There is no point in pretending that this option doesn't exist - so well done Salongeek from not shying away from this.

On the flipside there are distributors out there who are resting on their past reputations and delivering a shambolic level of customer service and support to UK techs - we've seen it talked about in various posts - I'm not talking about the Hyperion problems here. I'm talking about distributors who seem to rely on a great product and give no more than that. Techs complain that these guys seem to feel they are doing them a favour by supplying to them!!
In cases like that I am all for techs choosing other legal options and if that means importing the stuff themselves then so be it.

Competition is a healthy thing in my view and if distributors are making their customers happy they have nothing to worry about.

I know what you mean jax,
I posted another reply that has since been removed defending why i had used the original distributor and then felt that i was being bullied in a way by the moderator who removed my link as she is an ez flow distributor over here, thing is the original poster was in america and i couldnt see how it would have been stepping on uk distributors toes when i put the american distributor on, I had sent an email to the distributor who informed me that they were a registered US distributor what more could i do??
I thought i was helping out a fellow geek and then i was made to feel that i had done something wrong. I am thinking that in future i'm not going to help anyone out as if this is the response i get why should i bother.
I thought salon geek is there for us to ask and get help and inform others not a witch hunt which is how the other responses felt.
I was seriously thinking of cancelling my prescription and not bothering anymore.
Jen

 

[jax]

I know what you mean jax,
I posted another reply that has since been removed defending why i had used the original distributor and then felt that i was being bullied in a way by the moderator who removed my link as she is an ez flow distributor over here, thing is the original poster was in america and i couldnt see how it would have been stepping on uk distributors toes when i put the american distributor on, I had sent an email to the distributor who informed me that they were a registered US distributor what more could i do??
I thought i was helping out a fellow geek and then i was made to feel that i had done something wrong. I am thinking that in future i'm not going to help anyone out as if this is the response i get why should i bother.
I thought salon geek is there for us to ask and get help and inform others not a witch hunt which is how the other responses felt.
I was seriously thinking of cancelling my prescription and not bothering anymore.
Jen

Hi Jen

I think the moderator made a genuine mistake when she replied - she said herself that she didnt notice that you were in the US until after she had posted.
Don't be hasty about this place - there is far more good than bad to be gained on this site, honest, and keep posting.

jax.

 

[1999judy]

I know what you mean jax,
I posted another reply that has since been removed defending why i had used the original distributor and then felt that i was being bullied in a way by the moderator who removed my link as she is an ez flow distributor over here, thing is the original poster was in america and i couldnt see how it would have been stepping on uk distributors toes when i put the american distributor on, I had sent an email to the distributor who informed me that they were a registered US distributor what more could i do??
I thought i was helping out a fellow geek and then i was made to feel that i had done something wrong. I am thinking that in future i'm not going to help anyone out as if this is the response i get why should i bother.
I thought salon geek is there for us to ask and get help and inform others not a witch hunt which is how the other responses felt.
I was seriously thinking of cancelling my prescription and not bothering anymore.
Jen

I think the moderator has sorted this out now and I don't think anyone would bully another geek on here tbh especially not a moderator who does this FOC and keeps the site on the right track.
A little confusion shouldn't stop you from sharing your knowledge with others surely? x

 

[the-male-geek]

I know what you mean jax,
I posted another reply that has since been removed defending why i had used the original distributor and then felt that i was being bullied in a way by the moderator who removed my link as she is an ez flow distributor over here, thing is the original poster was in america and i couldnt see how it would have been stepping on uk distributors toes when i put the american distributor on, I had sent an email to the distributor who informed me that they were a registered US distributor what more could i do??
I thought i was helping out a fellow geek and then i was made to feel that i had done something wrong. I am thinking that in future i'm not going to help anyone out as if this is the response i get why should i bother.
I thought salon geek is there for us to ask and get help and inform others not a witch hunt which is how the other responses felt.
I was seriously thinking of cancelling my prescription and not bothering anymore.
Jen

Hi Jen

I think you have the wrong end of the stick. There are no moderators on this site who are EzFlow distributors. And no one is being bullied.

It was I who requested that the post/thread containing the link be evaluated by the moderators. One duly did and felt my concerns were valid (due to the huge numbers of UK techs on this site).

That decision was later rethought and the link reinstated. I'm not gong to comment whether I think that decision was correct, but I fully support and stand by naturalnails for having the confidence to do so.

I then felt it was prudent to use the thread as a reminder to technicians of the importance of purchasing from there home countries vie authorised channels. I made it quite clear it was nothing personal, nor a dig at anyone - it was just a good opportunity to illustate a point.

There are still a significant number of UK technicians who are purchasing their products from abroad, and when they require technical advice, pick up the phone expecting the UK distributors and educators to come running offering support. They also book on education classes with UK educators and turn up with products sourced from unauthorised non UK suppliers. Sorry but that's not on.

As I said previously, my point was this - support your local distributor and they along with the educators will support you.

Regards

 

[Snugglepuss]

I know what you mean jax,
I posted another reply that has since been removed defending why i had used the original distributor and then felt that i was being bullied in a way by the moderator who removed my link as she is an ez flow distributor over here, thing is the original poster was in america and i couldnt see how it would have been stepping on uk distributors toes when i put the american distributor on, I had sent an email to the distributor who informed me that they were a registered US distributor what more could i do??
I thought i was helping out a fellow geek and then i was made to feel that i had done something wrong. I am thinking that in future i'm not going to help anyone out as if this is the response i get why should i bother.
I thought salon geek is there for us to ask and get help and inform others not a witch hunt which is how the other responses felt.
I was seriously thinking of cancelling my prescription and not bothering anymore.
Jen

Hi Jen

I think the moderator made a genuine mistake when she replied - she said herself that she didnt notice that you were in the US until after she had posted.
Don't be hasty about this place - there is far more good than bad to be gained on this site, honest, and keep posting.

jax.

Jen, bless you - the moderator in question would be devastated if she thought that she was classed as a bully (as any of us would be) - honestly, I have met her and she really is a lovely sweet person!

As Jax said, she did say she made a mistake and tried to rectify it! and also, the mod in question is NOT an Ezflow distributor (unless I have missed something) but is a CND tech!

Your input has/is welcomed and if this had been a post or a thread that went against the geek commandments then it would have been closed rather than left open. So try and take some solace from that.:green:

Take a deep breath - have a hug :hug: and carry on posting - as Jax said "there is far more good than bad to be gained on this site, honest, and keep posting". (Wise words Jax xxx) Also, look at all the info that has been posted - things which some newbies may not have realised!

Lastly, we all feel like you do from time to time, so we do understand :hug: I'm sure that the mod in question actually feels like you do at this very moment, so let's get on and do what we do best and geek :lol:

Look forward to reading you soon Jen!



BTW Derek - thanks for all your info :hug:

 

[busybee32]

Thanks guys,
Sorry i got the wrong end of the stick about mod being ez flow distributor, i was just really upset with the fact the first posts seemed to attract loads of other negative responses and i felt that they were all aimed at me as i was was the one who's link was removed. I have spoken to Fiona and hopefully it is all sorted now. Maybe i was being a little sensitive.
I understand with the uk distrib thing Derek (this site is an international site not purely uk) and i was responding to a geek in california , i dont have a problem with that and i always do things by the book, I usually use local UK distributors (NSI), but i was in the states at the time when i got my ez flow products.

Jen

 

[the-male-geek]

Thanks guys,
Sorry i got the wrong end of the stick about mod being ez flow distributor, i was just really upset with the fact the first posts seemed to attract loads of other negative responses and i felt that they were all aimed at me as i was was the one who's link was removed. I have spoken to Fiona and hopefully it is all sorted now. Maybe i was being a little sensitive.
I understand with the uk distrib thing Derek (this site is an international site not purely uk) and i was responding to a geek in california , i dont have a problem with that and i always do things by the book, I usually use local UK distributors (NSI), but i was in the states at the time when i got my ez flow products.

Jen

Thanks Jen

Glad we're all sorted again!

PS I do realise that this is an international site (and all the better for it).

 

[the-male-geek]

I seemed to have missed something on this thread...some posts have disappeared but I do understand why.

I personally would never even entertain buying from abroad, I rarely buy any regular items over the internet either, I would rather pay a little more and receive a better service with some guarantee and support the UK industry in doing so.
Also I do understand the view from the distributors out there, you are rightly trying to protect your business.

However I am glad to see that this distributors name was restored from the blacked out version which I originally read - in my view censoring this site is NOT the way to 'protect' the UK industry. We all know we can buy items from abroad but most of us choose not to because we are happy with our supplier. There is no point in pretending that this option doesn't exist - so well done Salongeek from not shying away from this.

On the flipside there are distributors out there who are resting on their past reputations and delivering a shambolic level of customer service and support to UK techs - we've seen it talked about in various posts - I'm not talking about the Hyperion problems here. I'm talking about distributors who seem to rely on a great product and give no more than that. Techs complain that these guys seem to feel they are doing them a favour by supplying to them!!
In cases like that I am all for techs choosing other legal options and if that means importing the stuff themselves then so be it.

Competition is a healthy thing in my view and if distributors are making their customers happy they have nothing to worry about.

Jackie

I know what you are saying, and agree that competiition in business is healthy - of course it is. That's what drives a business on to improve - if you stand still you get left behind.

However although it is legal for a technician to import goods thereselves - assuming they pay the correct import duty and VAT on arrival - it is NOT LEGAL for a company who has distribution rights for one country eg the USA, to then distribute to another - if there is already an official distributor there.

Companies invest huge amounts of money to gain the sole rights to respresent and distribute the top nail brands in their resident countries.

And it all comes back to economies:

A distributor based in the USA will buy their stock to sell on at FAR less than half the price of a UK distributor. How come you may ask? Well the products are manufactured in that country for a start, they pay less for shipping, there government don't tax them as heavily as here in the UK etc.

This gives them incredible margins to play with and as such they are able to offer UK technicians products for prices UK distributors could never match.

So yes, it is important to keep your customers happy by providing a good level of customer service. But some people are ONLY interested in price, and that's when unfortunately it's not a level playing field.......

Regards

 

[jax]

Jackie

However although it is legal for a technician to import goods thereselves - assuming they pay the correct import duty and VAT on arrival - it is NOT LEGAL for a company who has distribution rights for one country eg the USA, to then distribute to another - if there is already an official distributor there.


This gives them incredible margins to play with and as such they are able to offer UK technicians products for prices UK distributors could never match.

So yes, it is important to keep your customers happy by providing a good level of customer service. But some people are ONLY interested in price, and that's when unfortunately it's not a level playing field.......

Regards

I hear you Derek and agree that it must be really frustrating for you distributors out there when you are stung like that after all the investments you have made. One assumes that when EZflow chose their distributors in US that they have chosen an organisation worthy of that title who wouldnt illegally sell on to UK techs - and I guess the bottom line is that the responsibility for that should rest on EZflows' shoulders to weedle out the wrong uns so to speak.

Just out of interest how big a problem do you think it actually is for the industry?

The original reason I had replied to the post was because I find censorship a bit hard to swallow, although I appreciate that in some cases it is necessary. I do support the change of mind the mods had - it would be a shame if Salongeek became a tool used by distributors to market their ideas to us techs.

I also believe that there are some distributors out there that are giving vast numbers of techs a rough deal and that their product and the fact that they have the monopoly of selling it on in this country gives them an unreasonable amount of confidence....which in turn leads techs to pay over the odds and receive bad customer service and support - and there is nothing they can do about it.............except try some other means of getting the product!

Jackie.

ps. I think you especially dont have to worry about techs preferring to use 'other means' to source their EZflow stuff. The customer service yourself and Christine provide is better than I have ever received dealing with any other nail suppliers.

 

[Mieke]

I hear you Derek and agree that it must be really frustrating for you distributors out there when you are stung like that after all the investments you have made. One assumes that when EZflow chose their distributors in US that they have chosen an organisation worthy of that title who wouldnt illegally sell on to UK techs - and I guess the bottom line is that the responsibility for that should rest on EZflows' shoulders to weedle out the wrong uns so to speak.

Just out of interest how big a problem do you think it actually is for the industry?

The original reason I had replied to the post was because I find censorship a bit hard to swallow, although I appreciate that in some cases it is necessary. I do support the change of mind the mods had - it would be a shame if Salongeek became a tool used by distributors to market their ideas to us techs.

I also believe that there are some distributors out there that are giving vast numbers of techs a rough deal and that their product and the fact that they have the monopoly of selling it on in this country gives them an unreasonable amount of confidence....which in turn leads techs to pay over the odds
=> I agree with everything that you said but espacially this. for example here i pay what is about 107dollars for a kit of boogie night glitters while i can get it for 40 dollars including shipping from a recognized distributor abroad. certain things are extremely expensive here. I understand that distributors need to earn a healthy amount on the products that they import to be able to stay into bussines but to be honest i think there needs to be set a stricter regulation from the companies out to protect their distributors since i think that it is obvious if you can get the same product for less than half the price that nailtechs will buy it.

and receive bad customer service and support - and there is nothing they can do about it.............except try some other means of getting the product!

 

[Cathie!]

This is a very interesting debate, discussed before, generally putting the onus on technicians to support local distributors .....

this debate is starting to look at it a bit differently, surely there should be some responsibility taken by the parent companies to stop distributors selling outside their territories?

As has already been said it is much cheaper to by stock over the net and get it shipped over (however illegally) and of course supporting local distributors and that's where the technicians conscience should come into play.....

but if the parent companies put their oar in it to stop their US distributors selling outside their territory and as such supporting their distribution centres outside of the US, the problem shouldn't really arise.....or is that just far too simplistic?

I wonder if there are any figures to illustrate the size of the problem.

 

[jax]

=> i think that it is obvious if you can get the same product for less than half the price that nailtechs will buy it.

Not all nail techs would buy it - I wouldnt. For one thing I think if you do it legally - which I'm sure any sensible business person would definitely want to do - I dont think the costs work out any cheaper. Once you factor in all the extras including VAT, tax, import duties, delivery etc that has been mentioned before but most importantly - your time.
What a Pain in the *** to have to organise all that every time you need product! How much of your valuable and costly time does that take up?. Not to mention the lack of security - what if something you really need arrives broken?

I also think quite alot of techs dont maximise the relationship they have with their distributors - with some companies its quite difficult to do that as you barely get any service never mind a personal one!! But for those of you who do buy regularly from the same company there should be rewards for doing so.

Do you have the ability to potentially negotiate prices on your larger orders, and get the odd freebie?. Also from a retail perspective distributors are a key information for whats hot and whats not -ie whats selling? whats not selling? what product is good to have at your tills? what displays do they find work best? etc etc and it goes without saying the technical and industry support that comes along with that. If you are spending your hard earned cash with the same distributor over and over again every month..........I think you should expect that they know you by name, and that they are aware that you are loyal, and that they in turn reward you for that, no matter what size of fish your are (if you get me).

To be fair if techs do not feel valued customers, of course they will look around for alternatives - it makes sense!. I also dont think the guilt trip put on techs is very realistic 'support your local distributor....support the industry.....use your conscience...etc'. At the end of the day we are business people, there has to be an advantage to using a local distributor. Its up to the distributors to provide that and the techs to ask for it!!

 

[Monkeystails]

As an EzFlow distributor, I too find it frustrationg that the authorised EzFlow sites in other countries will sell to a country outside of their own.

I am only authorised to sell in 4 or 5 counties that make up my territory, and out of respect for my fellow EzFlow Distributors here in the UK I wouldn't dream of stealing their business.

And the comments that have been raised with regards to the parent companies putting a stop to unauthorised selling outside of the USA for example are actively pursuing those who are doing so and making sure they are stopped. Unfortunately it is a very long process but thankfully it is being looked into.

But looking on the bright side, we do our utmost to look after our customers, we are always available to them by phone, text, email etc and I personally make sure I really get to know them and give a personal service to the best of my ability. We also arrange free demos in salon and encourage them to have a visit from a salesperson every 6-8 weeks so that we can get to know them and show our full support for product and education. It's all about helping their business grow. If they (YOU) are successful then so are we!

 

[the-male-geek]

This is a very interesting debate, discussed before, generally putting the onus on technicians to support local distributors .....

this debate is starting to look at it a bit differently, surely there should be some responsibility taken by the parent companies to stop distributors selling outside their territories?

As has already been said it is much cheaper to by stock over the net and get it shipped over (however illegally) and of course supporting local distributors and that's where the technicians conscience should come into play.....

but if the parent companies put their oar in it to stop their US distributors selling outside their territory and as such supporting their distribution centres outside of the US, the problem shouldn't really arise.....or is that just far too simplistic?

Hi Cathie

No I don't think it is "far too simplistic", nor do I think it is unreasonable. I know a lot of work has been done recently to reduce the number of US companies exporting goods to outwith their territories (BTW it's not just US, I'm using them as an example - and the fact that their market is huge).

The fact that the US market is so vast and that there are such a large volume of distributors make it very difficult to monitor. It comes down to trust a lot of the time, and that's where it gets difficult.

Also in the UK, a distribution agent will (generally) only look after one of the leading enhancement brands, whereas in the US companies will have "stables" of brands. This I guess results in less ownership for the distributors, wheras here in the UK business can be built around the one leading brand.

I wonder if there are any figures to illustrate the size of the problem.

I hear you Derek and agree that it must be really frustrating for you distributors out there when you are stung like that after all the investments you have made. One assumes that when EZflow chose their distributors in US that they have chosen an organisation worthy of that title who wouldnt illegally sell on to UK techs - and I guess the bottom line is that the responsibility for that should rest on EZflows' shoulders to weedle out the wrong uns so to speak.

Just out of interest how big a problem do you think it actually is for the industry?

I think it is a growing problem due to the availability and popularity of the internet. I can't give you specific examples (I'm too professional for that), but there have been very recent cases of technicians demanding to be enrolled on UK eductators classes having sourced kits from non-authorised dealers.

This is a very uncomfortable position to put an educator in. They have no idea whether the contents of the kit are genuine, and in turn have no guarantee of support from the UK distributor as the distributor tracks their stock and will know that it has not been supplied by them.

The internet has its benifits don't get me wrong - but it has also aided the creation of a society where only price matters. That's fine, but you can't have your cake and eat it. If that is the path some choose then they must also realise that they cannot count on the technical support of the UK Distributors and Educators. This I'm afraid is a point many are missing at the moment......

The original reason I had replied to the post was because I find censorship a bit hard to swallow, although I appreciate that in some cases it is necessary. I do support the change of mind the mods had - it would be a shame if Salongeek became a tool used by distributors to market their ideas to us techs.

I also believe that there are some distributors out there that are giving vast numbers of techs a rough deal and that their product and the fact that they have the monopoly of selling it on in this country gives them an unreasonable amount of confidence....which in turn leads techs to pay over the odds and receive bad customer service and support - and there is nothing they can do about it.............except try some other means of getting the product!

Jackie.

ps. I think you especially dont have to worry about techs preferring to use 'other means' to source their EZflow stuff. The customer service yourself and Christine provide is better than I have ever received dealing with any other nail suppliers.

You're very kind! The fivers in the post....:green:

It's a shame this debate is now under the thread header "EzFlow", because it really isn't just related to one company.

 

[Cathie!]

It's a shame this debate is now under the thread header "EzFlow", because it really isn't just related to one company.

You're right about that, it applies across the whole spectrum of brands.

 

[Cathie!]

No I don't think it is "far too simplistic", nor do I think it is unreasonable. I know a lot of work has been done recently to reduce the number of US companies exporting goods to outwith their territories (BTW it's not just US, I'm using them as an example - and the fact that their market is huge).

If the parent companies appoint these guys as distributors and give them territory, I can't see why the parent companies can't get them to stick to their territory, surely they are under contract....I guess with such a large distribution....and a small % outside of the territory, they're not going to pull their distribution rights because of a few 'wrong' sales.

 

[CurlyQs]

So.... how do we know for sure if we're buying from authorized dealers?

I live in Canada and just recently our dollar has gained parity with the US dollar, sometimes exceeding it in value. However, our prices are still significantly more expensive than the US. People in border cities are literally flocking to the US creating wait times of 1.5-3 hrs. just to cross the bridge. And with the internet, there is a BIG savings. People are even going over to buy cars and saving 1000s of dollars.

I use Bio and Calgel and of course I buy them in Canada. But for other things I use, I do purchase from the US (such as cuticle oil and abrasives).

How do I know if they are breaking their distribution agreement to sell to Canadians? We do have the Free Trade Agreement that means we don't have to pay duty on any products that are made in the US - but that doesn't tell me if the distributors are breaking their agreements with the mother companies.

I can only say that there is a HUGE disparity in prices from US to Canada and the problem is going to just get bigger as our loonie strengthens.

Sorry to go on and on but I am confused. Any clarification would be appreciated...

 

[the-male-geek]

So.... how do we know for sure if we're buying from authorized dealers?

I live in Canada and just recently our dollar has gained parity with the US dollar, sometimes exceeding it in value. However, our prices are still significantly more expensive than the US. People in border cities are literally flocking to the US creating wait times of 1.5-3 hrs. just to cross the bridge. And with the internet, there is a BIG savings. People are even going over to buy cars and saving 1000s of dollars.

I use Bio and Calgel and of course I buy them in Canada. But for other things I use, I do purchase from the US (such as cuticle oil and abrasives).

How do I know if they are breaking their distribution agreement to sell to Canadians? We do have the Free Trade Agreement that means we don't have to pay duty on any products that are made in the US - but that doesn't tell me if the distributors are breaking their agreements with the mother companies.

I can only say that there is a HUGE disparity in prices from US to Canada and the problem is going to just get bigger as our loonie strengthens.

Sorry to go on and on but I am confused. Any clarification would be appreciated...

Not too sure on the ins and outs of the US/Canada borders, but to check if a company is authorised to sell in your home country check with that company HQ.

I would think that if you are purchasing from an US distributor (and not a general wholesaler), and you have an authorised distributor in Canada that has sole rights to this brand, then they, not you are breaking some kind of agreement.

Authorised distributors are usually listed on their home website....

Hope this helps.....

 

[CurlyQs]

Not too sure on the ins and outs of the US/Canada borders, but to check if a company is authorised to sell in your home country check with that company HQ.

I would think that if you are purchasing from an US distributor (and not a general wholesaler), and you have an authorised distributor in Canada that has sole rights to this brand, then they, not you are breaking some kind of agreement.

Authorised distributors are usually listed on their home website....

Hope this helps.....

It does help. Thanks!

 

[VHunter]

The thing that confuses me most is this:
IF it's all done legally, and IF everything is above board....
Why shouldn't people buy outside their "territory" so to speak, if the pricing is better.

Let me simplify:
I live in a rinky-dink town, and the shopping here (for ANYTHING-children's clothing, food, furniture, nail product supplies, cat litter... whatever...) is abysmal for with minimal selection, and for another, waaaaaay overpriced in our few little stripmalls.
If I travel "outside my territory" by 20 or 30min by car, there are stores that have wider selections AND cheaper prices.
OR I can travel about 1-2hrs, and cross the US border and shop in Plattsburgh, New York. On my return home, I can declare my purchases at the customs counter, pay my duties and head on home again having saved a tonne of money.
OR place an order online, have it shipped properly, pay my customs and duties fees and again, save a tonne of money.
Should I not be allowed to shop there because it's not the town I live in?
Whether 10 miles or 10,000 miles... ?
No one is telling me I have no choice and HAVE to shop at Zellers because it's in my town, when Walmart is 20min away and much cheaper.

Why shouldn't I be allowed? It's my dollar, hard earned... If it's a legal product and all the appropriate taxes/duties etc are paid..... Why can't I have the freedom of deciding where my dollar goes?

I'm not trying to pick a fight, just trying to understand all this business. PLease, let's do be clear on that. I'm not playing devil's advocate or whatever.. I honestly want to understand.

Another example:
People are allowed to send their kids to whatever college or university they like (as they can afford).
Just look at Montreal McGill College, and Dawson.
We get students from all over the world, attending our schools.
And why shouldn't they be allowed? I bring up education because money is involved. Money is spent on our schools by students from abroad. Their spend money on : rent, groceries, travel etc....
No one is telling them they can't spend their money here, at our schools etc.
AND
People send their kids abroad to Harvard or Oxford or Cambridge Universities... when they have their own nearer to them.

See what I'm getting at?

I'm trying to understand.. truly.
But I don't, not one whit.
Competition is competition, and as long as it's "clean" and "legal" competition, what's the problem?

Manufacturers are having things produced in Mexico and China. Why? Because it's cheaper. Labour is cheaper. No one's telling them that they can't do it, and then sell their products here, or the UK or the US.

Can someone simplify the issue for me, or provide an example of some kind why it's not "cool" or "right" for a UK tech to shop abroad if everything is done legally and correctly?

thanks:hug:

(ps: cause maybe if it's simplified for slow wits like me, maybe there would be less arguments about it?)