Rampant eBay Fraud from China
- Thread starter craiginthecorn
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Thank you to those who let me know that they are reporting this bastard's listings. The more reports, the better.
Yep, been seeing these listings for Penzance and lighters as well, and have heard of other unrelated items popping up with the same format (zero feedback from China with stolen pics). My guess is that there is a team or possibly even a company in China doing this, and it's easy enough to hide IP addresses. I did a quick search to see if other people were complaining about these listings, and while not exactly the same situation, I started reading about Ebay counterfeit-item whistleblowers allegedly getting their accounts banned, and one interesting story of how Ebay might support and encourage the counterfeiters by allegedly telling them what is popular and what they should copy. :puffpipe:
jesse, I actually thought about spell checking that one but it sounded right in my head when I worded it out. Yep, my spelling is for shit.
I am surprised that people don't automatically ignore any auctions from China. I know no matter what they were auctioning for any price, I would ignore it. I also have a rule that I don't buy anything that is not from a U.S supplier and they have to have at least 50 perfect reviews. There are just too many good people on ebay to buy from.
I am surprised that people don't automatically ignore any auctions from China. I know no matter what they were auctioning for any price, I would ignore it. I also have a rule that I don't buy anything that is not from a U.S supplier and they have to have at least 50 perfect reviews. There are just too many good people on ebay to buy from.
Harris, good advice. These listings are very obvious fakes. But they're designed to ensnare people who have what my former boss used to refer to as "larceny in their hearts", that is, people who think they're getting an unbelievable deal as the expense of another, often thinking they're the beneficiary of anothers unwitting mistake or ignorance. Sure, that $3000 ultra high grade is going to sell for $16.95. Yeah, and I have a bridge over the East River to sell you, and some swamp land in Florida.
Plausible, since the frauds have been there for many years at this point.
eBay is somewhat horrible, when you think about it.
Then again, fraud -- especially from China, Russia, and Nigeria -- seems to be everywhere on the net these days.
None. But I'm going to continue to monitor a couple of times a day. They might just be lying low for awhile.
This dumb POS is BACK! Please rain down reports of his latest fraud on eBay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pair-of-Silver-Banded-Orlik-Pipes-Cased-Chester-1909-eBay/112675600751?hash=item1a3bfd396f:g:Kz0AAOSwuhFaJ72y
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Pair-of-Silver-Banded-Orlik-Pipes-Cased-Chester-1909-eBay/112675600751?hash=item1a3bfd396f:g:Kz0AAOSwuhFaJ72y
aother fraudulent listing. Please report to eBay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/GRANT-BATSON-2013-PIPE-UNSMOKED-eBay/292360397623?hash=item441209a337:g:mfgAAOSwi0xaKERL
https://www.ebay.com/itm/GRANT-BATSON-2013-PIPE-UNSMOKED-eBay/292360397623?hash=item441209a337:g:mfgAAOSwi0xaKERL
Arrgh...!!! We'll keep at him. Looks clear at the moment. At least we've made a dent and we've proven that it's not automated to the point where accounts and listings are created robotically; otherwise, they wouldn't have stopped even for a few days.
Just noticed this and another post that indicates why Harris was 'absent'. So glad your health is better.
And, yes, as to quote, I bought a dozen the price was so good.
And I bet the 1920's price was around $20.00 also— in very unadjusted dollars.
I think that the dude is playing hide and seek, trying to figure out the best time to slip in unnoticed, trying to see if we'll give up and go away. I never expected that he would just give up. He's sociopathic and predatory. And there are, unfortunately, enough gullible, or greedy, crooked and stupid, pipe smokers to make this clumsy gambit worth the effort.
He's screwed 'cause it's easy to do a search a couple of times a day. It also seems that eBay is responding more quickly, so thanks to all who report these fake listings.
He's screwed 'cause it's easy to do a search a couple of times a day. It also seems that eBay is responding more quickly, so thanks to all who report these fake listings.
You could have a team of 1000 people and never put a dent in all the online scamming. It's buyer beware. I think everybody knows that at this point. Even Ebay tells you that. Not only should you not buy anything expensive from China on Ebay, do not sell YOUR stuff to China either. Go into settings and shut off international bids. Otherwise you can get stuck paying the postage to China.
...and I...and others as well. And yep, these listings are far less rampant lately. I've reported countless items posted by this crook. I also called eBay when I first encountered these listings to explain what I believe is going on. 20 USD here and there throughout the day with an endless combination of user names...one could make a handsome living at it. We all know that these $20 pipe listings are the very same person (or group), but who knows if eBay has or expends the resources to dig into the details, or the ability to track them down and connect the dots to put a stop to the operation. I suppose it's like the five-finger-thieves at Target or Walmart. There's a certain amount of that which will happen regardless of how large you make the packaging or how many anti-theft devices you attach, or whether you've got ample security measures in place. eBay is a huge organization...but not huge enough to ultimately stop this kind of thing completely.
In the meantime...I see it as my duty to report it when I see a fraudelent listing; of course I know that we'll not stop this kind of activity altogether, of course not...BUT...my fraud report might save one fellow piper that $20 which he may have spent (and all of the hassle of reporting it and trying to get his $$ back), and it only takes me a few clicks to do it.
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