M.H.Geoffrey & Co. Pipes - cheap tat or frightening value?

[Cygnus]

I don't doubt that there are playable pipes being made outside of the UK, US, and commonwealth countries - the problem is that there is so much trash flooding that particular market that it's a bit of a crap shoot.
As Alex said, some folks get lucky or have a chance to play the instrument before purchasing it and manage to make it work for them.
The bagpipe instructor I found shortly after being given those pipes congratulated me on my $250 drone plugs, because that was all that was usable on my set of pipes.
So I wouldn't risk it.
You can occasionally find used "entry-level" poly pipes on eBay or bagpipe fora for around $300-$500 (depending on what is included), but that's about as cheap as I would go after my previous experience. And I'd make sure it's a brand you recognize (e.g., Dunbar, McCallum, etc.).