Honestly I feel your pain because I watched my first hookah turn orange inside within six weeks and the seller just said that was normal. One lesson I learned the hard way is that many inexpensive pipes use chrome plated brass which looks fine initially but fails quickly in Dubai's humidity. Another red flag is when a shop cannot tell you the exact grade of steel used in their products. From where I stand the physical retail experience here often prioritizes quick sales over customer satisfaction. Considering all that, ordering from a transparent source might actually be the safer bet.
