Outrageous Ebay Listing

[Daniel Hersh]

It's here. "This is an original Italian Bastari Concertina...Italian concertinas are of high quality and will las for years. The previous owners daughter dates this on as far back as 1890, and believed it belonged to her great grandfather."

 

!!!!!

 

Daniel

[Daniel Hersh]

And now on the same listing, in response to a question:

 

"... Many offers have been made off e-bay, but just didn't want to part with it. True antique and italian concertinas are hard to find..."

 

And now there's one "bid", but from a "bidder" who has been the high bidder on four of this seller's auctions and always leaves extremely positive feedback for this seller...

 

It's here. "This is an original Italian Bastari Concertina...Italian concertinas are of high quality and will las for years. The previous owners daughter dates this on as far back as 1890, and believed it belonged to her great grandfather."

 

!!!!!

 

Daniel

[Stephen Chambers]

And now there's one "bid", but from a "bidder" who has been the high bidder on four of this seller's auctions and always leaves extremely positive feedback for this seller...

They even "sell" to each other!

 

It's here. "This is an original Italian Bastari Concertina...Italian concertinas are of high quality and will las for years. The previous owners daughter dates this on as far back as 1890, and believed it belonged to her great grandfather."

My favourite bit is "I will never misrepresent any item I sell" at the end of the description.

[JimLucas]

And now there's one "bid", but from a "bidder" who has been the high bidder on four of this seller's auctions and always leaves extremely positive feedback for this seller...

They even "sell" to each other!

Maybe they can do that on this one, too?

[Leo]

I could be mistaken, but I think this one to be the top one for humor!!!! Note that it's a 2007 model, not a copy, and plays beyond perfection. I especially like his/her other sales too.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-2007-Blue-Anglo-St...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

And only $322 buy it now. They deliver worldwide but I've no way to pay them

 

Or no

 

Thanks

Leo

Edited June 27, 2006 by Leo

[Dave Prebble]

I could be mistaken, but I think this one to be the top one for humor!!!! Note that it's a 2007 model, not a copy, and plays beyond perfection. I especially like his/her other sales too.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-2007-Blue-Anglo-St...1QQcmdZViewItem

 

And only $322 buy it now. They deliver worldwide but I've no way to pay them

 

Or no

 

Thanks

Leo

 

 

Nice practical carry case though

 

dave

[Stephen Chambers]

And only $322 buy it now. They deliver worldwide but I've no way to pay them

Leo,

 

Well you could buy it from the real auction instead for a Buy it Now of only $89.95.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-2007-Blue-Anglo-...oQQcmdZViewItem

 

But even they falsely claim that it's Italian, when it is obviously made in China, how do they get away with that?

[JimLucas]

Well you could buy it from the real auction instead for a Buy it Now of only $89.95.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/New-2007-Blue-Anglo-...oQQcmdZViewItem

 

But even they falsely claim that it's Italian, when it is obviously made in China, how do they get away with that?

Isn't "Morelli" an Italian name?

 

We live in a world where names and symbols are considered more real than things we can see, touch, feel, or measure.

[Stephen Chambers]

... they falsely claim that it's Italian, when it is obviously made in China, how do they get away with that?

Isn't "Morelli" an Italian name?

 

We live in a world where names and symbols are considered more real than things we can see, touch, feel, or measure.

Morelli is indeed an Italian name, and was once a genuinely Italian brand of accordion, but it's not the brand name that's the problem, but the false description "Italian" in the heading.

 

If you tried to pass off cheap Chinese goods as Italian in a European country, you'd be prosecuted! But I guess that neither the American public, nor the eBay community, have such "consumer protection"?

[chainyanker]

i dont think one chould link the "American public" with one post.

[JimLucas]

... they falsely claim that it's Italian, when it is obviously made in China, how do they get away with that?

Isn't "Morelli" an Italian name?

 

We live in a world where names and symbols are considered more real than things we can see, touch, feel, or measure.

Morelli is indeed an Italian name, and was once a genuinely Italian brand of accordion, but it's not the brand name that's the problem, but the false description "Italian" in the heading.

Stephen, I was just being cynical. I agree with you that it's false (dishonest, if the sellers actually know the difference), and should be corrected or even prosecuted. But it might not be "illegal".

 

If you tried to pass off cheap Chinese goods as Italian in a European country, you'd be prosecuted! But I guess that neither the American public, nor the eBay community, have such "consumer protection"?

Actually, there are various consumer protection laws in the US, including those specifically against "false or misleading advertising", but in general the government doesn't initiate action, some individual has to take the initiative and press charges. Maybe nobody's yet bothered with these guys.

 

What's more there are legal dodges ("loopholes", we call 'em), and they may be able to use one here. E.g., generally the import tariff on "parts" is lower than on "finished goods", presumably because American labor will be employed to do the assembly. But many businesses have successfully violated the spirit of this law while getting either courts or government agents to declare that they've adhered to "the letter", by, e.g., receiving fully assembled watches without the winding stems (today, batteries?), receiving the stems in a separate package, and "assembling" the watches from those two parts. (Concertina equivalent: leather hand straps packaged separately?).

 

So if these guys receive fully assembled concertinas from China, they'd probably be in violation of the law. But if the instruments are shipped first to Italy, where somebody so much as adds a screw or nameplate, then it may be legal to call them "Italian". Not ethical, in my opinion, but legal according to our government. (And it wouldn't surprise me at all to find similar dodges in the EU, but I'd better not get started on the politics to either side of "The Big Pond".

[Daniel Hersh]

I believe that this dealer has been representing his "Morelli" as Italian on eBay for some time. Another dealer did something similar some time back (see this post) but stopped after repeated inquiries about where his concertinas were manufactured. I've thought of trying the same tactic on the Morelli dealer but haven't taken the time to do so.

 

Daniel

 

... they falsely claim that it's Italian, when it is obviously made in China, how do they get away with that?

Isn't "Morelli" an Italian name?

 

We live in a world where names and symbols are considered more real than things we can see, touch, feel, or measure.

Morelli is indeed an Italian name, and was once a genuinely Italian brand of accordion, but it's not the brand name that's the problem, but the false description "Italian" in the heading.

Stephen, I was just being cynical. I agree with you that it's false (dishonest, if the sellers actually know the difference), and should be corrected or even prosecuted. But it might not be "illegal".

 

If you tried to pass off cheap Chinese goods as Italian in a European country, you'd be prosecuted! But I guess that neither the American public, nor the eBay community, have such "consumer protection"?

Actually, there are various consumer protection laws in the US, including those specifically against "false or misleading advertising", but in general the government doesn't initiate action, some individual has to take the initiative and press charges. Maybe nobody's yet bothered with these guys.

 

What's more there are legal dodges ("loopholes", we call 'em), and they may be able to use one here. E.g., generally the import tariff on "parts" is lower than on "finished goods", presumably because American labor will be employed to do the assembly. But many businesses have successfully violated the spirit of this law while getting either courts or government agents to declare that they've adhered to "the letter", by, e.g., receiving fully assembled watches without the winding stems (today, batteries?), receiving the stems in a separate package, and "assembling" the watches from those two parts. (Concertina equivalent: leather hand straps packaged separately?).

 

So if these guys receive fully assembled concertinas from China, they'd probably be in violation of the law. But if the instruments are shipped first to Italy, where somebody so much as adds a screw or nameplate, then it may be legal to call them "Italian". Not ethical, in my opinion, but legal according to our government. (And it wouldn't surprise me at all to find similar dodges in the EU, but I'd better not get started on the politics to either side of "The Big Pond".

[Peter Brook]

For anyone buying cross-border in the European Union (as an EU citizen) the Euroconsumer site gives excellent consumer advice. There is a specific section on buying from internet auction sites.

[Stephen Chambers]

Stephen, I was just being cynical.

What! Jim Lucas displaying signs of cynicism? I'd never have guessed.

[JimLucas]

Stephen, I was just being cynical.

What! Jim Lucas displaying signs of cynicism? I'd never have guessed.

[Rhomylly]

That's so blue it's painful!

[JimLucas]

That's so blue it's painful!

It is. It's so blue that it looks as if they took a photo of a red one and used a computer program to change all the red parts to blue. But why would they do that if they actually have a blue one to sell?

[JackWoehr]

Here's a good one. Take a look at this allegedly 125-year-old Hohner which is probably not 60 years old.