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Who the heck is "GM Climbing" based out of China?
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I just found a company based in China that sells climbing gear. It looks suspicious to me - OR, I just don't get out much :P Anyone ever used any of their stuff? edit: The Amazon link does have some decent reviews but.....? |
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I would be wary just because of all the counterfeit climbing gear that has come out of China in the past. Click on all the links at the bottom such as "FAQ" "Contact Us" "Shipping" etc. They all just link to the homepage. No effort was put into that website. Edit: The numerous spelling errors are quite funny. |
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I've never heard of them. When you go to their "About Us" page, it looks like it's written in Latin (anyone recognize what language it is?) And that same page is signed by "John Doe." I certainly wouldn't buy anything from them. Too suspicious. |
FrankPS wrote: It's pseudo-latin. In web site design and development it is used as placeholder text that will eventually be replaced with actual content. The overall technique is called "Greeking". I don't know why. Here's one of many generators on the net: http://generator.lorem-ipsum.info/ And it's not necessarily a good idea: https://thenextweb.com/dd/2015/04/09/why-designers-should-never-use-fake-text/#.tnw_jLkSwYgi I use it during my early design phase, but never put it in front of stakeholders. I stopped using it in usability tests over 20 years ago as it tends to confuse test participants. |
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Likely a sketch-ball drop ship site. They either take your order and process it through an obscure vendor and never touch the product or they're manufacturing something possibly inferior themselves. Neither options give me much confidence.
It's called Lorem Ipsum and as mentioned above is generally used in design templates. No work was put into this site and probably not this product. Turn the other way. |
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i wont trust anything from make believe BS china companies |
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They've been selling on eBay for years now. I saw a couple of their rap rings at a rap station recently and they looked alright. Would be interesting to see if anyone could check out the metallurgy of the products. |
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A search of the UIAA certified equipment database http://theuiaa.org/safety-standards/certified-equipment/ shows that at least some of their products are actually certified.  |
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After checking their certification I bought a five pack of their locking carabiners earlier this year. Haven't used them yet as I got them for cheap spares, however they seem well constructed and I wouldn't have a problem using them. baldclimber wrote: |
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Generally, I wouldn't buy their stuff simply out of respect for the climbing companies that do a lot for the community beyond just making products. That said, I would be highly suspicious of it. You can't get to their website right now. I wouldn't buy from any company who I couldn't call up and talk to a person. But that's just my opinion |
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I am guessing that they are the house brand of a company that manufactures the same gear for one of the more "reputable" firms. The stuff does not seem to be significantly cheaper than what you can buy from some company you have heard of, so in this case, why bother savng a few pennies if you end up worrying about the gear. |
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I'm very late to the thread, but I found some very important info. My employer recently bought a 30Kn GM Climbing swivel to replace a swivel that had to be retired for use on an aerial rig point as part of a stunt show in which I perform. Not recognizing the brand I wanted to do my own research. The UIAA certification expires Dec. 31, 2023, the CE 1019 certification expired on April 21st, 2023, along with all other certificates issued by the testing body. It also seems the EN 354:2010 certificate is not applicable to swivels. |
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Hey Adam, I think swivels fall into a grey area as they dont have their own applicable standard. They normally undergo an ultimate strength test and some corrosion tests for certificaiton. Here is a document I was able to find that explains some of the limitations in using other standards and what standard testing is to be performed https://www.ppe-rfu.eu/app/uploads/sites/10/2022/09/PPE-R_11.135_V3_Swivels.pdf |
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Just to repeat and emphasize what I and others have said in past threads… I totally understand the desire to save a few bucks on gear, but I have personally found that developing a relationship with the folks at the local brick and mortar climbing shop is well worth the slight extra expense. Their expertise, guidance, etc. is part of the value of supporting these shops. Plus, you KNOW you are getting quality, certified equipment. I certainly wouldn’t buy from the site you discovered. |
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I bought and used some GM slings for anchors etc for a while and never had an issue. |
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You can find quite a few established outdoors brands with known history on AliExpress. |
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I’ve got 2 60’s I use regularly. Not sure how I got them, but they’re on my rack. Still not dead |
Yury wrote: Those aren't established brands, they're cheap Chinese knockoffs of gear that was designed and researched by established brands. |
