Why choose a genuine Flow Hive
On the coattails of all innovative new ideas, you’ll find an influx of “entrepreneurs” who flood the market with cheap counterfeit copies aimed at making a quick dollar. So why choose genuine Flow products?
Flow Technology is revolutionary—a world-first invention—which was created and perfected after 13 years of research and development.
Every aspect of the design and manufacturing process has been carefully considered to ensure that our customers receive the best product possible—excellent for the beekeeper and safe for their bees.
Flow Hives are the only proven product on the market, tested in the field for over a decade and currently in use by over 50,000 customers in over 130 countries.
Our Australian in-house manufacturing allows us to control every aspect of creation. It’s a relief to know that not only are our products made from the finest materials but that all people involved in their creation are employed under fair trade agreements and work in great working conditions.
Buying Counterfeit goods is risky for your security, your health (plus the health of your bees) and for your wallet, so don't do it!
Is the Flow Hive patented in my region?
Flow Hive has the only granted patents for tappable hives in the world. Patents take many years to become granted and are only granted if the invention is new to the world. Once granted, patent laws protect new ideas and products and offer our company the sole right to sell and market tappable hives for the next 20 years.
Our patent application was lodged in 2013 and has been approved in the following regions:
USA, Australia, EU Patent Organisation (38 countries), Russia, New Zealand, Canada, China, Argentina, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan and Vietnam.
I’ve seen cheaper copies online, why should I avoid them?
Are your bees safe from toxins?
Just like the best honey is created from the highest quality nectar, we think it’s really important to use only the best quality materials in our manufacturing.
Genuine Flow Hive products are created from the highest-grade plastic (BPA & BPS free), sustainably sourced timber and come with an International Product Warranty and the highest levels of Customer Support.
Flow constantly strives to ensure that only the highest quality product possible has the Flow name on it. Furthermore, Flow is committed to being a leader in business for positive purpose in our support for the environment and a whole range of NGO projects across the globe.
Counterfeit products are made in countries where there are no regulations around the quality of materials used, the environment they are manufactured in or the conditions in which people work. They are made from low-quality materials in totally unregulated factories with the single goal of making a quick profit.
We are extremely concerned about the cheap plastic used in these fake copies and the impact that these cheap and potentially toxic plastic products may have on the health of your bees.
Furthermore, no-one knows if these fakes are safe for food production as they manufacture completely outside of all compliance testing, certification and international regulations.
Counterfeit products have no warranty and no certainty that they will work. They exist only on the back of Flow's passion for quality, customer support and commitment to the environment. These products are sold without any customer support and are often accompanied by incomplete instruction manuals often printed in a foreign language.
We would love your support in creating more awareness on the significance of this issue and on preventing unsuspecting customers from mistakenly purchasing these disappointing products.
Do any other companies hold granted patents for tappable hives?
No. Flow Hive remains the only company with granted patents for tappable beehives in the world. Other companies have tried to make modifications to our original design in an attempt to get around patent laws, however, have not managed to achieve granted patented status.
The fact they’ve applied for patents can make people think that they are legitimate competitors. The risk is the patent approval process takes so long that by the time an application is rejected for infringing on Flow Hive intellectual property, there could be thousands of customers affected.
How can I spot a fake Flow Hive?
Counterfeit hive – note the two holes in the roof
Frustratingly, we do find counterfeit products on online marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay that claim to use Flow technology and some listings even use our own Flow images, videos and even our Flow logo to look legitimate.
These products are illegally made, illegally imported and illegally sold.
Common ways to spot a fake Flow Hive:
– Counterfeit copies are often shown with two ventilation holes in the roof which are not present in a genuine Flow Hive
– Is it being sold on one of our authorised platforms?
– Price may be considerably less than a genuine Flow Hive, (and although we all love a bargain, we think it’s important to create beekeeping products using safe, high quality and sustainable materials. As the old saying goes, pay cheap buy twice!)
– Photos are often low quality, or images will not look like a genuine Flow Hive
Common names for Fake Flow Hives
– ‘Auto flow hive’ or ‘Auto flow honey’ or ‘Automatic flow beehive’
– ‘Flow honey beehive’ or ‘Flow Frames honey’
Flow DOES NOT sell Flow Products via the following websites and anything bought from them are definitely counterfeit versions:
– Alibaba / Aliexpess
– Walmart
All products offered for sale on these websites are counterfeit versions and not authorised by Flow. If you are in doubt, please contact Flow Customer Service and ask.
Have any counterfeits made any advancements?
No. The majority of counterfeits are direct copies of our design, however, some companies have tried to make modifications, presumably to try and get around our patents, so far we see no benefits to these modifications, and Flow still remains the only company with granted patents for tappable hives in the world.
Every aspect of our current design has been carefully considered over a decade of testing and measuring and every feature is there for a reason. It’s amazing how the smallest modifications could make such a huge impact on a design working well both for gentle and for successful harvesting.
We felt it was our responsibility to make sure that the product we were releasing had many seasons of testing with the pre-production design. Flow Hive customers can feel confident in the knowledge that our Flow Frames are tested thoroughly over many seasons and have a proven product now in the market for multiple years.
If I buy an illegal copy will it be stopped at customs?
There is a real possibility that counterfeit copies will be stopped at customs and destroyed. Counterfeit copies are manufactured illegally and breach patent laws.
We work closely with law enforcement, customs and other agencies internationally to stop the import and sale of counterfeit products.
There’s nothing more distressing for customers than discovering that they have unknowingly purchased a counterfeit copy of our patented Flow technology which turns out to be a non-genuine copy made in China.
Our in-house customer support team are regularly contacted by people looking for help with inferior copycat products they’ve bought via other sites. It saddens us that people wanting to embark on an exciting beekeeping journey could receive such a bumpy initiation.
Where can I buy genuine Flow Hives, Frames and products?
Genuine Flow Hives & Frames are available via our websites:
- USA / International site www.honeyflow.com;
- Australian website www.honeyflow.com.au;
- European website eu.honeyflow.com;
- UK website uk.honeyflow.com;
- Canadian website ca.honeyflow.com
Authorised Resellers
Genuine Flow Hives & Frames are also available for sale via our Authorised Resellers. Authorised Resellers can be identified with this logo, and also will have a link back to our website www.honeyflow.com
Any other websites, eBay stores, Amazon sellers, Craigslist or Gumtree sellers are either counterfeit copies or second-hand Flow Hives.
When in doubt or if you'd like to report a fraudulent vendor, contact us via email, telephone or online chat.
What to do if you find a seller of counterfeit Flow Hives
Our friendly, knowledgable team are here to help!
If you dislike counterfeits as much as we do then please report fraudulent products being sold wherever you see them. Our customer support and legal team are here to help.
I accidentally bought a fake Flow Hive what can I do?
Sadly, we have received many emails from customers who have accidentally purchased a fake and who are trying to access support for their faulty purchase. Some customers were not aware they had purchased a fake Flow Hive until the product did not work, failed when setting up or sometimes the customer did not even receive anything at all.
If you have purchased a counterfeit product, please report the site to us at info@honeyflow.com so that we can work to get the site taken down to help prevent other customers from getting duped.
It's probably not too late to get your money back—please check with your bank or credit card company. Typically they require as much information as possible, such as:
- Proof of purchase (email or paper receipt/invoice)
- Proof of your attempt to return the fake product for a refund
If you’d like to help us, please report fraudulent vendors whenever you see them.
What are the benefits of buying a genuine Flow Hive?
Flow Technology was created and perfected after 13 years of research and development
Flow Hives are the only proven product on the market, tested in the field for over a decade and currently in use by over 50,000 customers in over 130 countries.
Every aspect of the design and manufacturing process has been carefully considered to ensure that our customers receive the best product possible—excellent for the beekeeper and safe for their bees.
You will receive knowledgeable, friendly and experienced beekeeping support
When you purchase a Flow product, you are guaranteed to receive excellent customer and product support. At Flow, we understand the importance of responsible beekeeping and our responsibility to support and deliver this to our customers.
We have a swarm of online resources to support you on your journey, including an online forum to connect you with experienced Flow beekeepers around the world.
We pride ourselves on providing stellar customer service, with access to video educational series, video tutorials and easy to understand assembly guides.
Warranty and guarantee that your product is the best
Flow products have been manufactured with the highest quality and most ethical materials that we can source and come with an International Product Warranty.
Our Flow Frames are 100% BPA/BPS-free—safe for the bees and for human consumption of honey.
Our timber is sustainably sourced and manufactured with care to produce the very best beehive on the market.
Ethical business
Our Australian in-house manufacturing allows us to control every aspect of creation. It’s a relief to know that not only are our products made from the finest materials but that all people involved in their creation are employed under fair trade agreements and work in great working conditions.
Good for the environment, world community, the bees, and you.
