SAVAGEJIM

Dont sweat it, Yes HPI costs more, and is materially better with less defects from the factory, and that does have a cost. Yes there might be some mark up too, and I am curious where that $400 manufacturing cost figure comes from since HPI and KM and any other 5B cloner does not disclose their operating costs.

Lets use that $400 figure and use it as an example (even though this $400 might not be true at all). If it costs HPI $400 to make one 5T unit, a cloner can make the same for easily $150-$200. They have several advantages: Lax quality controls allow them to let more defects slip thus they do not lose money for as many reject parts. They use cheaper materials and also cheaper manufacturing standards. Additionally, the bulk of their cheaper operating costs comes from subsidization from their parent companies. So, even cloners have a huge mark-up.
Bear in mind that lax materials choices can lead to the product having poisons as the maker might cuts the plastics with some compounds to make it look like there is more. And of course, the different plastics formula often times yields pieces that are not as strong as the original. Take the parts and do scientific stress tests and the truth will be revealed. Take a mass spectrometer, and of course you will see the difference in the formulas.

As I said before, the price cutting wars are revealing how much of the mark-ups all of the companies are willing to sacrifice. HPI will continue to come down, and even that $999USD will continue to go down too.