Amiga.org
Amiga computer related discussion => General chat about Amiga topics => Topic started by: arnljot on February 04, 2008, 02:59:35 PM
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http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=350015894741
This turned out to be a pirated copy.
Had I looked at the bottom, after all the terms and conditions for shipping. I'd perhaps smelled the rat.
What should I do, start procedures with PayPal, or just leave negative feedback. Or just let it go?
I'm most tempted to do the last thing...
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I can't see where it says on there that it's not an original copy. In fact it says "You will receive the original featured AMIGA CD-ROM". Whether or not you take it up with eBay depends how much you care. Personally, I would complain since it is illegal, and you haven't got what you paid for.
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moto
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All images thoughout our sites are for illustration only and may differ from that shown. i.e dvd covers / games.E&OE
Also, there is a picture at the very bottom of the cover and disk I received. I thought it waw their logo...
I've reported it as a counterfeigt and copyright voilation now.
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B****rds, damn right you should report. It's just this sort of thing that ruins ebay for all of us. I sell on ebay and my feedack reflects the satisfaction of my buyers.
All positive at 100%. :-D
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If you receive an original CD in a custom box it's no problem - it's like receiving a Gameboy cartridge sitting in an empty cigarettes pack. If it's a CD-R or CD-RW you have every right to complain, unless they can prove they have the rights to re-sell this game on som recordable medium.
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Remember guys... anything with that "UK Software" banner = rip-off.
In my case the seller was actually an alright guy, the "UK Software" creeps told him that disc was considered "original" since all the software is licensed, which it clearly is not.
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Report it. They've been reported before and some accounts have been closed. The sad thing is, they tend to just pop up again a week later with a new account or two.
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I've reported them like I said. And the CDR I've received has a "home printed label". The label is the kind where the cd it self can be printed on (rough white background).
The colour of he disc is all wrong (lots of rainbow), and the inner circle of the CD says "CD-R" and then a batch number.
Also the label is all wrong. it says "SIMON THE SORCERER" in a wierd font, and has a dead url underneath "amiga-ames.com.au", and the word "Amiga" and a soft faidng curved rainbow in the "lower left".
It's fake, it's pirated, it's bootleg.
I already have the pirate version from 97 when I was young and wreckless. I want the original! I want to collect!
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i usually email the seller. and give him a few days. (be polite. i think ebay monitor your mail dealings. in case of disputes. they can see how you acted with the seller etc.) then after the usual no response i open a dispute. in which they have time to answer. which they usually ignore and paypal usually find in your favour. and give you your money back, it includes postage too. there is no worries on bad feedback as you can't leave feedback when paypal get involved.
one lesson in disputes though.
i bought an ms os on ebay for £40 from ireland using a cheque. i got some crud appology from the guy (after he had cashed my cheque.) saying he had been let down and been sent pirate copies. and was thousands of pounds down the drain and he couldn't give my money back. i filled out all the forms for ebay (not paypal.) and got a refund. but there was a £15 fee for admin? that was the only time i felt let down in a dispute... but it taught me a lesson! i always stick to paypal they don't do admin fees.
there are some sob scammers out there. i've had a lot of ebay dealings and so have had a lot of people trying it on. don't be shy about your rights. it takes some arrogance to sell rip off gear. put them in their place. :-)
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one giveaway also is
If ordering dvd’s ensure your dvd player can play the format
also, in the banner, it says "supplied on CD-R". And, what's with them being "UK SOFTWARE" and having a lingerie provision in their policies section? Odd.
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The support web page in the auction points to Butterfly-Media.
This outfit drop-ships... so the eBay seller might not have even seen the product you received.
The DVD was probably sent to you by Butterfly on behalf of the seller.
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Beware, you will probably get a negative feedback and eBay won't give a sh't.
eBay is a shadow of it's former self. What a shame :-x
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I bought from who I think was this same seller a year or so ago. I ordered like 7 or 8 CD's and all except one were copies but I kind of expected it because there are many of his titles that haven't been available for years. When one item sells it will be replaced in his listings in a short time by the identicle item. As I said I expected what I got, but what I ordered was mostly out of print PD and shareware collections like The Hottest CD and others. The problem I had with this guy was he sent one wrong CD and ignored my requests to replace it with the correct one. I share the original posters feelings that If I order a Game, I want it to be an original copy. I have mixed feelings about what he is doing because on one hand he does make some impossible to find software CD's available again and isn't really hurting many dealers because they don't have much of this stuff for sale anyway. But on the other hand I do feel it should be made VERY CLEAR that these are not original CD's and are copies for back-up purposes only.
Dan
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Yeah, ebay sucks. As I reported in another thread, recently I had a bad experience with a seller. Result? I can't leave him a negative feedback because he will then retaliate and do the same to me despite the fact I didn't do anything wrong. So in this case the seller goes without a feedback; and it's not the first time it's happened either.
Ebay should force sellers to leave feedback first. That would be way more honest. In fact, every time I sell something I leave the feedback as soon as I receive my payment.
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alenppc wrote:
Ebay should force sellers to leave feedback first. That would be way more honest. In fact, every time I sell something I leave the feedback as soon as I receive my payment.
Nice thought, but a prior Power Seller I can say buyers can be just as bad. :-x
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Go ahead and open a paypal dispute AND contact ebay about piracy. That#s what I'd do anyway....
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Lodging a complaint is likely the best answer. I always favour talking to the vendor, but selling pirated software is very wrong.
While I am sure we have all made the odd copy of software before, none of us would ever think of selling it.
Bringing it to their attention would help prevent others from being scammed.
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Isn't eBay on the verge of doing away with buyer feedback, i.e. only sellers will receive feedback? Given eBay's gradual move towards large, electronic storefronts, it gives them more time to focus on fraudulent sellers, which I gather is where most of the fraud occurs. It also puts eBay more in line with online retailer like and traditional brick and morters. And finally, it pushes more sellers towards requiring immediate payment with PayPal, thereby increasing eBay's cut of the sale.
Trev
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And what to make to a seller who simply not ship a good? The guy postpone messages, shipping information and so long...
I've buy an accelerator and never receive it. And I realize that was too late to send a complain to Paypal when was too late anyway. After the time the guy know I can't make anything, he simply stop to repply...
Sigh...
US$200 through the gutter...
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considering its for only $9 i'd wait few days before 90 days and leave neutral feedback. (it'd be different if it was $40 cause then you're paying for it big time) negative if you're really ticked...
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evilBay
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You bought this game from a WELL KNOWN group of pirates operating out of Swindon.
Going under countless alias's they are most widely known as vDirect, Butterfly Media, Epic, Forematt lots of names.
http://www.butterfly-media.co.uk/
They are a drop-ship company who sell via third parties who then sell on ebay. The third party ebay seller never sees the games (they are shipped direct from the pirates) and so don't know they are selling pirate stuff.
It's not just Amiga, it's Sega, early PC, big names such as Disney, CodeMasters, Atari all "abandonware" stuff they think that no one will come looking for.
In order to shut them down you should REALLY call Trading Standards that cover Swindon. Make sure you keep all the packaging including the envelope.
The leader is almost certainly Vinson John Pike.
You can find out all about this SOB on google. The guys even made a multi-million £ sh!te film on the proceeds of their piracy.
21 Cheddar Road
Swindon
SN25 3HE
http://webwhois.nic.uk/cgi-bin/whois.cgi?query=butterfly-media.co.uk
Do the country a favour, call Trading standards, call Watchdog, call Crimewatch.
Mention to them "Organised Crime" and "Potential Terrorist links" and perhaps someone will listen :-)
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The seller (from the paypal receipt) is Gerald Longman.
And from the butterfly media direct page:
[b]Do you also sell your products on ebay or other auction-sites yourself?[/b]
We only sell our products through our members at our trade prices, Guaranteed! Unlike other Dropshippers or Wholesalers, we never list any of our items on ebay at discount prices. Guaranteed!.
Also from the swindon trading standards site:
If you are a consumer and need consumer advice please contact Consumer Direct SouthWest on 08454 040506
So from reading their site, it seems that I'll only be forwarded to someone not caring about piracy or foreign consumers.
About dropshit, erhm ship: So Butter fly media stocks the items, and the sellers are really just agents for the dropshipper?
It seems like a bogus way to place distance between the seller and the shipper.
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I said earlier in this thread That dodgy people ruin it for all, ebay is a great idea, not 'evilbay' etc... that's balls!!! It's people who screw it up for others that are the evil ones, I know how this makes people feel but be careful out there and keep your wits and don't label all ebay sellers the same, I take that as offensive!!! :madashell:
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I bought software off of that guy recently.
The game studio thing.
It was basically a compilation disk of lots of different game making software.
Though i didnt really see it as a rip off because i found alot of the stuff on the disk was hard to find elsewhere and it saved me alot of time.
Im unsure if this was a compilation of free software or not..?
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it's 2nd account :
http://cgi.ebay.com/SIMON-THE-SORCERER-AMIGA-CD-rom-NEW_W0QQitemZ290203372631QQihZ019QQcategoryZ98929QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQtrksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem
I got it for 2 euros in France 1 year ago... :roll:
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You can go ahead a leave negative feedback - read this:
"Ebay to ban negative seller views" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7228460.stm)
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amigean wrote:
You can go ahead a leave negative feedback - read this:
"Ebay to ban negative seller views" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7228460.stm)
Yep - but not yet. According to the article, that's only going to happen starting in May. Well, the last two sellers that screwed me didn't get any feedback (neither positive nor negative) from me because I did not want a bad one either. At least from now on, the things will change...
IMHO, it is a great idea and I welcome it.
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me too never left neg feedback even if deserved, cause u know u would get it back. and i dont want to ruin my 100% ive had for 6 years
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@all
Don't forget that in the US, mail fraud is a federal crime. You can always file a complaint with the US Postal Inspection Service. If a US seller won't respond to an inquiry, that should get their attention.
Trev
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amigean wrote:
You can go ahead a leave negative feedback - read this:
"Ebay to ban negative seller views" (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7228460.stm)
I read their plan, and it as bad as what they have now. If they wanted to fix the feedback, they would simply not show the feedback until both parties had set feedback. If one party did not set feedback within 30 days, then the feedback would be locked and the other sides feedback would post. This would allow BOTH buyers and sellers to leave negative feedback without having to worry about the other retaliating.
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1) I have reported the item as a pirate copy to eBay
=> They don't seem to care
2) I have asked the seller to refund me because it's a pirated copy:
==> part of his answer:
HI
This, as with all our Amiga titles is a licensed copy that are sold on CD-R as stated in the item description.
Thanks
Shaz
3) I have replied to him asking for proof that they hold such a license.
4) I have contacted adventure soft and made them aware of the ads for their pirated material
5) The seller has already given me positive feedback since I payed him really fast
So, I can still open a dispute with ebay and give him negative feedback.
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@Belial6:
I think that's a very good and fair method for feedback! Keeps people honest and it sounds very fair, and it would cause people to try to work things out so that the feedbacks WILL be positive!
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alenppc wrote:
Yeah, ebay sucks.
Finally someone agrees.
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gdanko wrote:
alenppc wrote:
Yeah, ebay sucks.
Finally someone agrees.
Ebay itself doesn't suck, it's the Ebayers that abuse other users who suck.
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Ebay is very cool !! its now almost only this user doing this scam !! I report him alot, hope other also report and get this trash away..
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Beware, you will probably get a negative feedback and eBay won't give a sh't.
eBay is a shadow of it's former self. What a shame :-x
Sellers cannot leave buyers negative feedback. If you are a buyer and have received an illegal copy, report the seller AND leave negative feedback. That is how eBay remains clean of such fraudulent sellers. For all its shortcomings, eBay is doing an OK job IMO. (Not sure I could live without eBay at this point!)
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Ebay should force sellers to leave feedback first. That would be way more honest. In fact, every time I sell something I leave the feedback as soon as I receive my payment.
I totally agree with this one. I am *NOT* a fan of the feedback system, as it's easy to get negative, simply in retaliation. The ironic part in that whole mess is the fact that typically you leave negative feedback on someone who's shady or dubious, yet as soon as they get one, they slam you with one, even though they're the guilty party.
Sorry you didn't get an original. Under normal circumstances I'd say feel grateful for having a copy, but since you already have one and want the original, I see where you're coming from. I'm *STILL* trying to find an original copy of Nobunaga's Ambition for the Amiga.....x:(
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This is an old thread that got revived as I linked to it to a new thread show an example of the scammer currently operating out of ebay.co.uk.
I did not receive neg from this seller as I reported him to ebay.
In his response he wrote to me that he had lisence to make copies of the game. Fortunately I was able to track down the current lisence holders of the game and ask them if this was correct.
Of course they refuted this, and I forwared the information to the seller and to ebay.
He was then very quick to send me an original of the game and settle everything amicably.
Look at the enclosed file for an example image which is always accompanied with his listings.
Also, this text disclaimer is noted in the listing:
Images are for Illustration and may differ from that shown. All items are dispatched from UK within 48 hours, Guaranteed! All Trademarks Acknowledged. You will receive an AMIGA CD-R ROM in a generic casing similar to that shown.
The scammer is obviously gambling on that this disclaimer should make most user complaints void when they realise they've been had.
Because he will then claim he has license to reproduce the software on AMIGA CD-R ROM. But unfortunately for him, Simon The Sorcerer license holders are very easy to track down. And they were also very gratefull to be notified of this individuals actions.
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I'm surprised this group is still operating after all this time
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ePay definitely does suck; either way you want to slice it. If you're old enough to remember when ePay was new, you'd agree. The evolution of ePay is one we in America are all too familiar with: irresponsible capitalism.
BUT... as someone else pointed out - it's mainly the least_common_denominator wankers that are ruing ePay for the rest of us.
Not long ago, I too was duped by sum scumbag claiming to sell legit stuff. In this case, it was the BBC's rip-off (how ironic) of Wells's War Of The Worlds: Tripods. As a WOTW fan and collector, I thought I was purchasing something legit, but received DVD-R's and homemade cases and labels instead. When I complained, they said I could simply return it and offered no apology otherwise.