Misleading ebay auctions

[zanthal]

Here's the auction in question: Sherlock Style Briar Rohan Smoking Pipe Wood Base-321
Here's my e-mail back and forth with the seller:
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Dear dvdclub99,
The list name says it's Briar, but in the item description, you indicate it's Rosewood.
I've bought a pearwood pipe that was listed as a Briar pipe before, and I don't appreciate this. I reported it to Ebay.
- zanthal

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Dear zanthal,
thanks for letting me know

will forward to my boss to check
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Dear zanthal,
Hello

This is Briar made of rosewood, there are many kind of briars.

This pipe made of rosewood root which ideal for making smoking pipes.

If you prefer other kind of briar pipes you must consider the prices- they are high!

Please let me know if you want to keep this pipe and enjoy like our returning buyers or return the pipe for a full refund.
Kind regards
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And I reported you to ebay because that's a lie. A briar pipe is made of BRIAR.
I haven't bought anything from you, nor will I, and I hope Ebay helps you to have more trustworthy business practices.
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Anyhow I know this is the first step in a pointless crusade, but it made me feel better to do it.

 

[tobakenist]

It is annoying but luckily most of us experienced are not taken in by it, technically rosewood is Briar but not the Briar from the heath tree that we know makes the best pipes, I would be interested to know how these rosewood pipes smoke but am not the one to experiment.

 

[jameral]

As per Wikipedia:

Briar or brier is a common name for a number of unrelated thicket-forming thorny plants, including species in these genera:
Rosa (Rose)

Rubus

Smilax, a genus of about 300-350 species, found in temperate zones, tropics and subtropics worldwide

 

[kamikazesasquatch]

As per Wikipedia:

I could be wrong but I don't think that the stuff you make pipes out of is referring to that kind of briar :P

 

[jameral]

@kamikazesasquat, True but I put it up to show how someone may get missinformed.

 

[tobakenist]

Come on, own up, has anybody bought one and smoked one.

 

[kennerth]

IF they are this loose with briar pipes, imagine how squirrely they would be with briar rabbits! :D

 

[nsfisher]

follow da wabbit into da thicket dats where da goot briar b for sure
but all jokes aside, i have heard nothin about them

 

[mluyckx]

Good luck ! And thanks for sticking up for all of us

 

[kamikazesasquatch]

@jameral

Ah...I see

I bought my dad some pipes (for display only sadly enough) for XMas. He has a pipe stand/humidor in his study but no pipes! We already exchanged gifts and he opened them and said "You know what these are made of right? Briar". But he actually thought it was briar as in what you posted in the wiki. I set him straight though

I say all that to say that people definitely get confused

 

[zanthal]

@baskerville - yeah I knew it was going to do nothing. The guy is an impulse merchant. Just made me feel better to fling some crap at him.
Before I knew anything I bought a churchwarden made of rosewood, and the thing had a big burnout within 5 smokes.
I thought maybe I might be somehow proven wrong when I said he was a liar.
It's misleading at least, but I guess not totally fraudulent.

 

[juvat270]

I saw this little feedback exchange recently on Ebay...
Feedback from buyer: Item is NOT a smoking pipe but a replica of one. Seller offered 50% back. NO
Response by seller: Of course it is a replica the real deal cost big bucks!!
The auction was for a large Calabash that was listed as a tobacco pipe. Nowhere in the description does it state this pipe was a replica. In fact, 90% of the description was talking about how cool Calabash pipes smoke and tips on how to smoke and clean it properly.
Zanthal, I agree with you. Sure, if you want to nitpick rosewood could be considered a "type" of briar. But come on, everybody and their mother knows when referring to pipes, briar IS BRIAR!! Context is everything.
I despise sellers like these two.

 

[tobakenist]

At least when Mr Brog states Briar it is Briar and when they state Pear wood it is Pear wood.