What shops offer OpenBCI products on Aliexpress & eBay: what do we know about those?

Last Updated on February 16, 2024 by pg@petergamma.org

  • There are different shops on Aliexpress and eBay which seem to be owned by the same company. Product and product description migrate from one shop to the other and from Aliexpress to eBay and back. The goal seems to be to maximise profit.
  • The start selling prize seems to be linked to the prices of single electronics components and InfluxDB, with the goal to incrase prizes if there are high sales rates. But prizes have been stable over the last view years. Sales rates are low.
  • But prizes increase after positive feedback, especially after positive feedback about those, for instance about EEG caps. Be careful with giving positive feedback about those products, since the reaction could be an increase in prize.
  • It seems as if there was a big company behind it who wants to control every individual buyer, which is a little bit scary. But all the same there is not much negative to say about it all.
  • It seems as if a big company is behind it with a high manufacturing capacitiy which is capable of manufacturing every product ad any prize.
  • The shops on eBay offer products which are a bit higher in quality than those on Aliexpress. OpenBCI WIFI shields with issues are mainly sold on Aliexpress and prizes for those dropped fom 150 USD to 50 USD over time. This is the only product which had a drop in prize. Probably due to negative feedback about those since they are faulty.
  • Temporarily the shops on Aliexpress disappeared completely, but then came back on our user request.
  • All of this let’s suggest that all of these products are offered by the same company which own all of these shops. And the goal seem to be to maximize profit from it. But the profits seem to be low.
  • These sellers seeem to be a competitor to www.OpenBC.com and independent from it. Pictures where taken over from www.OpenBCI.com and manipulated which was done if it was done by hobbists.
  • Other pictures show young Asian people testing these OpenBCI products. There does not seem to be a big investement in marketing for these products. And everything seem to be made as if it where student projects for evaluation purposes.
  • All of these products seem to be produced by a manufacturer which has a modern infrastructure which easily can produce every product which is requested on demand.
  • New products arrived such as products in housings, eventually upon user requests. The same happened also on the www.OpenBCI.com. shop, but prizes there are usually higher. And the product offered in China seem to be copies of products from www.OpenBCI.com offered for a lower prize. No big effort seem to be made in the design of these products. They seem to be designed as simple as possible.
  • All of this let’s us conclude that there is a company who tries to make stock market speculation with OpenBCI products. But all the same prizes where stable over the recent years.
  • A main goal seem to be marketing studies to find out something about the market of a product which is on the market since 10 years.
  • But in general the offers there are a bit better than the products offered by www.openBCI.com. But they could eventually adapt their prizes to those sold from www.OpenBCI.com, but we suppose only if sales rate would be high, But this did not happen to this date as far as we know and everything seems to be rather stable.
  • A goal seems to be to be a competitor to www.OpenBCI.com and to be able to offer the basic products they offer as well at a lower starting prize.
  • Products offered at www.OpenBCI.com have been critized for their high prizes. These shops currently offer lower prizes, but eventually adapt their prizes to those of www.OpenBCI:com., if there are positive feedbacks. Therefore be carful be careful with positive reviews about these products and sellers. You risk to have to pay for it with an incrase in prize.
  • OpenBCI made in China is a competitor to www.OpenBCI.com and independent from them.
  • It seems to be a competitor product to www.openbci.com , which does not make a big effort in marketing, effentually to keep prizes low. For instance no own documentation is offered or support forum.
  • These products shipped from China are in general a bit more interesting than those from www.OpenBCI.com, for those who are looking for a product for a low prize.