Warning: Fraudster on eBay Selling Counterfeit Eltangs, Possibly Castellos Etc.

[dragonslayer]

Pipe collecting is becoming more and more popular. One of a kind sculpted pieces of art that increase in value. Pipe collecting by non-smokers makes the virgin pipes even more valuable. Like anything collectable, when it makes it to a value point worth the effort to make knock-offs, we can only expect more.
Craig

 

[flmason]

Can this seller not be banned from Ebay for selling fraudulent items. Ebay should ban his IP address and block all PayPal accounts etc.
Since the item is not being shipped from the location stated, would that not be considered misrepresentation and allow a buyer to not pay since the lie should violate the obligation to buy.
Since Peck is a lawyer, he might choose to provide his opinion.
It is very sad that a bad seller can create so many problems for the honest sellers and pipe retailers.

 

[rebornbriar]

I don't think selling location matters. There are plenty of sellers on eBay who use drop shipping providers.
This is akin to the earlier story regarding "fake" Astley pipes and the damage that performance could have on the related makers.
More than ever, people should be on their guard for high end pipes - and ask the seller questions to try and verify their legitimacy.

 

[dragonslayer]

Actually you can get people banned for counterfeit and even the sharks selling tobacco that's still available. But you have to go through a whole proving process that most people don't want to spend the time doing. On the tobacco the tin value has to be worth more than the tobacco that inside. Which is BS, 2 Penzance went for $152, $127 this weekend, and there's a new Escudo tin that's at $11 plus $7.50 handling with a day left. So if you've got the time you can get them banned. Just be prepared for a back and forth he said she said.
Craig

 

[nismo270r]

Here are some others he had up previously that I had up in the BoB forums post I made:
Check out photo #9 on these. Obviously a poor attempt to copy Tom's logo:
http://bit.ly/1ehxSyB

http://bit.ly/HWn7H7
He had some other black ones up in the past too, but I noticed his new listings failed to show a photo of the logo/stamp anymore. Also, the "Dunhill" he has listed up is an obvious knock off.
Here's the link to the BoB thread as well:

http://www.brothersofbriar.com/t25612-warning-counterfeit-tom-eltang-pipes-on-ebay

 

[sablebrush52]

I was a little curious about the seller's activity so I took a gander at his record. He also buys a lot of stuff. While the nature of what he buys isn't available one can get a sense by looking at what his sellers are marketing, which is a lot of rather ordinary stuff. He's apparently a good buyer who pays promptly. So a large part of that 100% rating is his buying activity.
The buyer ratings don't really hold much importance for me. A few of the snakiest sellers with whom I've corresponded had 100% ratings. Perhaps buyers aren't terribly demanding. Or maybe they give great feedback in the hopes of getting the same in return.

 

[pitchfork]

Also, the end of the shank would be clean finished and polished on a real Nordh. This one is unfinished with sloppy stain residue...

+1

 

[sablebrush52]

And still the price on the Nordh climbs. Bulbous style, graining that isn't harmonious with the shape, a Nordh that looks like an imitation. If it had a different stamp on it, it would be lucky to go for a 20th of the price. The buyers are paying for the stamp.

 

[gripsie]

Unbelievable Stuff!
The "funny" thing is:
Here: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Silver-Castle-pipe-3-Knight-Horn-Stem-unsmoked-/350905450932?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item51b39841b4 they obviously tried to make another "Jess" pipe, but it didn't turn out that well, so they stamped it Silver Knight...
Or this case: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Silver-Castle-pipe-1-Ranger-unsmoked-/221297580885?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33865d1b55
I'm pretty sure: if that bamboo tomato hadn't turned out that crappy, they would have stamped it "Jess"..
Or this thing: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Silver-Castle-pipe-Glory-Archer-unsmoked-/221313871527?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item338755aea7&nma=true&si=NWr4xZN8pGO2V3UL4MknxipJK%252B8%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 "nearly" a Paolo Becker, right?
Eddy

 

[pchitti]

The seller is prob just a front account. There are multiple "jobs" on Odesk and elance.com that are looking for good standing ebay account holders to sell items. Basic post for us & we ship the product.

 

[peckinpahhombre]

Paolo Becker sent out this e-mail to his mailing list:
WARNING: During the past few days I (and others) have found that counterfeit pipes have been sold through eBay.
So far we have found that the following brands have been counterfeited:
Paolo Becker, Tom Eltang, Castello.
Please be aware when shopping for pipes on eBay.
Paolo Becker
Nov. 22/2013

 

[tbradsim1]

Got it too!

 

[daveinlax]

This is strange I remember that seller as a big time buyer with very deep pockets. He was buying a lot of Castello pipes I had an eye on. If I saw he was bidding I wouldn't bother He was sometimes spending 1000's of dollars a week on pipes. He was paying way over a realistic value on pipes. Along with Happycall he made a lot of sellers and consignors a lot of money. Check out his feedback as a buyer. 8O

 

[sablebrush52]

Yep, he buys a lot of stuff. Pays right away. Doesn't seem like he'd be a shill, but some of his offerings have been ID'd as fakes by people who would know.

 

[daveinlax]

Doesn't seem like he'd be a shill,

No but at the time happycall and benandci were a very hot topic, we assumed from the bidding action they were getting shilled. He seemed like an easy mark with predictable tendencies and very deep pockets for shill to bid up with little chance of "winning". He'd bid early and never seemed to loose no matter the price. Anytime a guy pays way over normal value day after day it's of interest. 8O

 

[ssjones]

Wow, I sure how no US maker was involved in these deceptions. Good advice, know thy vendor!

 

[cigrmaster]

Mike, when it is time for me to buy an Eltang, I will be sure to only look at authorized dealers, thanks.

Now that this clown has been outted, I will be curious to see if ebay does anything about it or do they continue to let him sell fakes.

 

[martiniman]

Great thread, thanks to everyone who is better educated than I.

 

[misterlowercase]

No big deal fellas, it was all just a joke to see if people could tell the difference.

God help us.
Perhaps this was the response after they'd been found out, perhaps they were just testing the waters for what would float...it's all pretty crazy.
Mr. Marty got the scoop and updated his page:

Late breaking news, as of Noon, PST (or is it

Pacific Daylight Savings Time?) the

perpetrator of the forgeries has admitted, to

my partner, David Field, (who is the person

that put a lot of pressure on the company that

sold the forgeries. David is a bulldog, and in

this case accomplished what Castello, Tom

Eltang and others could not) that he did post

those pipes, attributing the act to the pipe

makers who wanted to play a "joke" and also

to see "if anybody can tell the difference

between the fake and the original." In what

we hope is good faith, the company owner

promised to not do this again and said that he

punished the pipe maker responsible. Boy, I

sure hope that doesn't mean he sent the poor

guy on vacation to North Korea.

 

[wcannoy]

What?

I'm so confused...