I needed a few disposable razors to last me the remainder of the month. So I bought a card with three Gillette blue razors at a large chain supermarket.
None were usable. Drag across a beard and it would hang up on various stubble. It was so bad as to be somewhat of a joke. So I returned to Soriana and exchanged them for Green Gillette disposable razors.
Just as bad. I then went to Farmacias Similares and bought a couple of BIC disposables. Much better but the large head on the BIC leaves something to be desired for ease of use.
Pension check arrived. Went to Costco and bought a card with 16 green disposables -- looked exactly like the ones from Soriana. Tried one.
Night & Day. Now this is the shave I expect from a Gillette.
Bought a Farberware stainless steel pyramid grater in November. 10-days later it was rusting and the grate holes have lost their edge.
Replaced it with a much more expensive Farberware IDENTICAL MODEL from Wal-Mart in December. Two and a half-months later 0% rust and as new sharpness with the grate holes. AND ten times more usage.
Am I to believe the lesser expensive name brand stuff is not counterfeit? I am talking about absolutely same design, color and packaging.
This does not lead to ragging about "Mexico". But it does leave me curious if the same issues do not happen in the USA and Canada.
The differences between what I suspect to be counterfeit merchandise and the more expensive genuine article are not subtle. Try shaving with a butter knife and feel the difference.
Soriana did not blanch at issuing a refund. I thanked them. I had a harder time getting a refund at Bodega Aurrera with the shredder. So much so, Bodega Aurrera is crossed off my list for purchases -- especially since the IDENTICAL grater was purchased at a sister store Wal-Mart for almost twice the price. The corrosion on the Bodega Aurrera shredder was almost a complete brown stain on the large hole side. Rub the corrosion and brown came off onto my fingers.
Yes, it happens in the US too. Law enforcement sometimes have specially trained officers who target counterfeit crooks. Purses, DVDs, sunglasses, everything.