Richard Carlin Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 The Wheatstone Tenor Treble currently listed on Ebay (as of May 13th) at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...3723948295&rd=1 is an IDENTICAL LISTING to one sold last week -- including photos and descriptions. According to the previous seller, this is an unathorized copy of his photos and information, with the intent to defraud. There are several bids, but because this is a "private" auction, the seller and the bidders cannot be reached or notified. Whether the original listing itself was fraudlent or not, I would be extremely wary of bidding on the current listing as it is definitely suspicious. I have reported to Ebay but have had no response. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STEPHENE Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 It would also appear that they have not put in the original photograph which showed the cracked end. I would agree that this listing is very suspicious as the seller has only joined in the last few days. I also had writted to ebay about this item Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 I can no longer see the original listing. Does anyone have the number? If the description includes the same serial no., that should be a dead giveaway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STEPHENE Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 original item number 3720889867 which ended 7th Mayand sold for £ 1470 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 original item number 3720889867 which ended 7th Mayand sold for £ 1470 The serial no. is the same. So... either this is the original buyer reselling, or it is a blatant fraud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Carlin Posted May 14, 2004 Author Share Posted May 14, 2004 The original seller assures me he is not relisting so I believe this is a fraud. I have notified Ebay but they have not pulled the listing. I hope whoever is bidding does not lose their money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
STEPHENE Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 I have had an e-mail from the person who originally purchased the concertina and he is not relisting.. It now seems that EBay have pulled the listing as this is not now in the current search. This must be a fraudulent transaction..Concertina net works !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Winters Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 (edited) Thanks Richard, for your efforts, from a fellow instrument theft victim. I guess while I'm in a thankful mood I'll take the opportunity to personally thank your for your other substantial contributions to the concertina community. Edited May 14, 2004 by Sandy Winters Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexCJones Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 THere should be a suspicious of ALL Wheatstone Tenor Trebles with raised ebony ends because on Concertina.net, there is an anouncement about one stolen: Stolen Concertina Notice: "Stolen on Thursday 11th march, from a van outside the Whitmore Arms public house, Orsett, Essex, UK. Wheatstone Tenor Treble with raised ebony ends, serial no. 29103. If you have any information please contact Roy Nicholls on +44 (0)1621 859446." I saw one on ebay last week that went for under $1000 USD. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...3720228325&rd=1 THere was another: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...3720889867&rd=1 I didn't contact Roy Nicholls because he gave no email address, and I figured that someone on his side of the Atlantic probably called him about these, and that these were most likle not his stolen one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Carlin Posted May 14, 2004 Author Share Posted May 14, 2004 Just to finish up, this instrument is not the same as the Stolen One -- I checked serial numbers. Thanks one & all. I've heard from the owner and it seems that the original listing was legit. I find it hard to believe someone would have the nerve to lift photos, description (including serial number!), and repost within a few days of the original auction--hoping I assume to snag some easy cash. Ebay apparently pulled the listing, but never acknowledged receipt of my complaint--or (alternately) whoever posted the 2nd auction became nervous and pulled it down in light of the many inquiries. Either way, goodness has triumphed (let's hope)! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Winters Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 We should certainly all be 'on the lookout' for potential scams, thefts, and frauds, sort of a cyber-neighborhood watch, but lets not be too quick to besmurch legitimate sellers. Just to be clear, both ebay items linked above by Alex *seem* to be legitimate transactions by sellers with positive feedback history. Neither item matches the description posted by Roy Nicholls, the first one being a 'high range' 56 button (not a tenor-treble) and the second one clearly having a different serial number. As for this type of fraud, a friend of mine witnessed the exact same type of scam on ebay concerning an antique flute. Exactly the same 'modus operandi'. Identical photos, lifted verbatim description and posted only one week after the legitimate auction finalized. Unbelievable... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted May 14, 2004 Share Posted May 14, 2004 I find it hard to believe someone would have the nerve to lift photos, description (including serial number!),.... I'm guessing that they just copied it all without reading it, and didn't even notice it included a serial number. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Timson Posted May 15, 2004 Share Posted May 15, 2004 Thanks Richard, for your efforts, from a fellow instrument theft victim. I guess while I'm in a thankful mood I'll take the opportunity to personally thank your for your other substantial contributions to the concertina community. I'll second that! Welcome to c.net. Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Stander Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 Folks: Just a quick comment.... I've put a halt to a number of scams on EBAY by simply bidding $10,000 or more on an item that is not worth anywhere near that amount. I then contact the scammer and let him know what I've done. That way no-one can bid on the item. For my own protection, I also contact EBAY, but they are extremely slow in responding at times... Best - Ed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 Actually, the seller has the ability to cancel your bid. The best way is to contact eBay. They're usually quick enough to cancel an auction before it's over. My wife found an auction where the seller had cut and pasted one of her auctions, then just changed a couple of things. Even though it looked like they actually did have a similar item, she was annoyed because of all the work she had put into creating and formatting the listing. She found out what the other person did was, in fact, against eBay's rules, reported them, and the auction was gone in about 2 days. Steven Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimLucas Posted May 22, 2004 Share Posted May 22, 2004 She found out what the other person did was, in fact, against eBay's rules, reported them, and the auction was gone in about 2 days. Two days seems to me a long time to act on a violation which is directly verifiable from eBay's own databanks. And in the case of a criminal violation -- which I believe fraud is, -- simply cancelling the auction just leaves the criminal to try again, probably with a little more subtlety. On other hand, I am not about to bid $10,000 even when I'm sure it's a scam. And I haven't been encouraged by recent new articles in which eBay complains about those who try to go after eBay fraud merchants as "vigilantes". (Of course, that's what they are, in the original meaning of "watchers", though it has since come to mean those who "take the law into their own hands." But none of the actions they reportedly undertook -- including and especially reporting violators to the police -- were illegal.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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