I can't say which companies did it, insider info on my part from companies I deliver to. But know a few companies (bigger retailers) that will sign a contract and buy from a smaller company. Once it figures out where they are getting the smaller companies products from, they then turn around, won't renew contract, and go directly to the source and have a similar but lesser quality item produced under thier flagship name. Very interesting how the circle works. And have watched companies that produce parts for a bigger company that have figured out same thing, then bought lesser quality parts and packaged product together under the banner "I've produced products for X company, so buy from me now at a lesser price". When they have no real world experience in the product, just know how to make a certain piece (though critical for the product) and assemble it. Not illegal, just funny to see. Then selling a lesser product at a lesser price but selling it "built in same factory as". Which, isn't a lie, just isn't the total truth. I've seen some systems get returned to the manufacturers for repairs (a couple companies would do repair on other brands systems, since they actually designed them and can rework them and still make money off non warranty repairs), and saw how cheaply made the system was inside compared the "original". It doesn't always hold true. I do know some companies who've made a crappy product, and someone else heads overseas and has a similar crappy product produced. So it happens where you get the same product coming from any company. But know some personally that the original is EXTREMELY well built, where the knock off is pure crap.