posted on November 2, 2001 01:16:10 PM
How to improve the eBay community and fight crime and terrorism!
I have been a member of the eBay community since 1999. Since then, I have watched the proliferation of fake designer/counterfeit items up for auction. As a handbag fanatic, I have found it increasing difficult to “weed through” the counterfeit items to find bags that are guaranteed authentic. I have seen how crooked sellers use vague language to pass under the eBay radar.
Up until now, I have sat back and watched this occur. Then I read an article on the BBC Newswire that changed my opinion on this. Here is a quote:
”In a nutshell, counterfeiting supports drug running, finances terrorism and facilitates money laundering, say the experts. They even believe that the 1993 bomb attack on the World Trade Center was financed by the sale of fake t-shirts on New York's Canal Street. In light of last month's assault on the WTC and the alleged links between Osama Bin Laden and both incidents, this raises disturbing issues. On a more practical level, counterfeiting also robs international governments of an estimated $500 BILLION a year in lost revenues and taxes, leads to job losses in manufacturing and damages brands.”
Besides the devastating effects described by the above article, counterfeit items corrupt the eBay marketplace. Honest sellers are affected by this! We do not want eBay to be known as a site where illegal counterfeit goods can be sold.
In case you didn't know - it is absolutely illegal to sell counterfeit merchandise. To sell an item with the trademark of a company when it is not produced by that company is a violation of federal law. It doesn't matter what kind of disclaimer you put in your auction, it is still breaking the law!
What we can do:
#1 DO NOT PURCHASE ANY COUNTERFEIT ITEMS: If there is an item in question,where the text does not say “guaranteed authentic” or “100% authentic,” simply e-mail the seller. If they cannot verify authenticity, take a pass!
#2 REPORT ANY OFFENDERS: I have read in other posts where members don’t think eBay will take action, since counterfeit merchandise is a large portion of their business. I beg to differ! eBay would like to maintain a reputation of have quality goods to sell. They WILL END auctions that are pointed out to be counterfeit.
I know there are a lot of members out there who have expertise in areas (i.e. handbags, clothing, sunglasses) who are able to tell real from fake. Every time you see an illegal/infringing auction, report it to eBay at this website:
posted on November 3, 2001 02:37:41 PM
95% of fake stuff is made in Korea,
China and Taiwan,
Only about 1% percent is amde in Turkey,
Rest is produced in Russia,
Dont know any Chinesse terorists
No, you are sort of right, but dont forget that fakes are on the market because people want to buy them, LV copies in NYC look
As good as my real LV bag and they are $600
Less (but missing the card and number)
But I dont think the people
Care about the number when they are buying them....
posted on November 4, 2001 06:31:36 AM
designer items are not cheap ,consumers who are familiar with retail price should know .
if they spot a designer item on ebay or on the street or alley ,they should ask why is it so much cheaper??
i agree,some folks dont mind owning fake designers,some are very well made and affordable.
bidders who pay 1/4-1/3 the retail price of a mint in box designer item should know better and ask themselves first why should they be the lucky ones to get such a great deal??
as a seller i am so tired of answering questions and dealing with complaints from ebay bidders who are looking for great collectibles and antiques for 10% of what they are worth.
let these people go to cartier,tiffany,neiman marcus,christie,soetheby's and pay full price .
posted on November 4, 2001 10:22:00 PM
eBay does not do anything. My company complains to our rep at eBay many times a month and nothing ever gets done.
posted on November 4, 2001 11:05:48 PM
"bidders who pay 1/4-1/3 the retail price of a mint in box designer item should know better and ask themselves first why should they be the lucky ones to get such a great deal??"
Tons of great brand new designer items are donated to thrift stores every day. Many with retail tags still attached. It's not so far fetched to get them for 1/4 retail or less.
posted on November 5, 2001 05:37:23 AM
outofblues said- Tons of great brand new designer items are donated to thrift stores every day. Many with retail tags still attached. It's not so far fetched to get them for 1/4 retail or less.
-----------------------------------
If so,then these great brand name products are really worth 1/4 of the retail price.
they should be marked at 1/4 of the tag price and go from there.
chinese garment factories will produce ralphn lauren shirts at one price,then make a special batch of lesser quality shirts with tags already printed with original price slashed and a for sale price printed.
once they arrive at the store,you can just put them on the table as is,dont have to hire clerks to mark them down,they come marked down already.
posted on November 5, 2001 07:10:16 AM
LAIOCHKA: It doesn't matter where counterfeit items are produced. The fact of the matter is the sale of T-shirts on Canal streed was linked to the first WTC bombing. Terrorism aside, these items are illegal infringements on a companys trademark, and I don't think eBay should tolerate them being sold.
"dont forget that fakes are on the market because people want to buy them"
There are a lot of things that have demand, but are illegal. If people are unable to afford the real thing, they can buy look-alike items (made by legitimate comapanies such as Nine West or Liz Claiborne or Banana Republic) which DO NOT infringe on a trademark. If we remain complacent to the selling of counterfeit items on eBay, it will only hurt the brand name, honest sellers on eBay, and eBay's reputation.
posted on November 5, 2001 07:17:57 AM
edigitalplus:
"eBay does not do anything. My company complains to our rep at eBay many times a month and nothing ever gets done."
Is your company the owner of a trademark? If so, they can join the VeRO program where trademark-holders can shut down auctions that infringe on their intellectual property.
eBay will shut down auctions which are blatant infringements. When a person lists an item on eBay, the following message is in big, red bold letters: "By clicking the submit button below, you are confirming that the item you are about to list is authentic.
Please make sure that the item you are about to list is not a counterfeit, replica, or an otherwise unauthorized copy." When a seller refuses to authenticate their items, it is obvious they are fake. Notify eBay through the link provided in the original post, and they will take action.
posted on November 5, 2001 07:46:45 AM
If brand names are louis vitton,rolex,mercier,dior,etc it is easy to spot and report the seller of fake goods.
but what about an 18th c meissen figurine with crossed swords mark at the bottom??
it could be made in england,france or italy during 18th c ,or worse made in japan in 1940s-50s.
it will take a meissen employee to determine if this is an authentic piece made by the company??
and once it is determined it is a fake,what can they do about it??
my mother wore an omega watch bot from a reputable store for 20 years,and found out it is fake when it stopped running.
todate,she still refuses to beleive it is fake as she paid good money for it and it said OMEGA!
posted on November 5, 2001 09:58:19 AM
Great thread.
The real items are made for the rich and famous. It is the fakes that are made for the middle class. I will not purchase a fake just to have a LV. I will use my items purchased by me, but they won't be designer. I have better ways to spend my money. I purchased a very nice Jacqueline Smith Leather Purse, never used at a thrift shop for $2.50. Looks great and when I am through with it, it is disposable.
