Honestly reading all this, I'd treat Amazon like AliExpress - use it to buy cheap low quality shit you don't really need, go to the shops for everything else. Shops have actual quality control in place, and shops can be held liable if their products are defective or counterfeit.
Our family's rule of thumb has been "nothing that goes on your body or in your body" can come from amazon, but after hearing about the counterfit bolts and ladder, think I'm gonna just not buy anything from there anymore. Have moved to ebay, Sephora, getting things direct from the hardware store and Target in person, and purchasing from other merchant shops that have their own websites.
