The Forum at Handcuffs.Org

Another eBay item description thief

19 visible archived posts · 19 preserved total · topic ID 1398

Jack.Tanis 21 Jun 2006

Hello,

Item description and picture theft has become routine on eBay.

Here is the most recent example I have found. Compare the item description of http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 7776575424, "GENUINE VINTAGE HIATTS 1960 POLICE HANDCUFF", by eBay seller shrben-ari, with text on my Web page http://www.editing.org.uk/tanis/cuffs.htm, directly beneath the first pair of Hiatts 1960 handcuffs.

If and when your intellectual property rights are violated on eBay, it always is important to report the seller to eBay as soon as you can. Despite the inconvenience involved, eBay tends to take these matters seriously, and usually will end the offending auction.

Cheers,

Jack
http://www.editing.org.uk/tanis/collectibles.htm

eBay Dude 21 Jun 2006

You must have scared him. No match anymore.

Jack.Tanis 21 Jun 2006

The portion of the item description taken from my Web page indeed has been removed. In the auction listing, you will see "Description (revised)" just before the current item description begins. The "revision" was the removal of my text.

Cheers,

Jack
http://www.editing.org.uk/tanis/collectibles.htm

Phil Ingram 22 Jun 2006

Yes, it is an occasional problem on eBay. But it backfired on one of the sellers that sold a set of S&W model 94 handcuffs after I did and stole almost all of my description. As you know, there are 3 models of the 94. I had recently sold one version (either model 1 or model 2, both of which have the raised rounded rivet). His set was the model 3 without the raised rivet. I started to report him, but decided to let it go thinking that anyone that is familiar with the model 94's would know his description is wrong. As I recall, his auction didn't do too well.

About a month ago someone lifted parts of one of my descriptions on an item, but not enough to report them. But I still got upset by it.

I've seen other folk's descriptions stolen. The next time it happens to me I will report the seller to eBay. I hope others will also. I spend a lot of time taking my own pictures and writing my own descriptions, too much to let someone else steal them.

Phil

Dorson 22 Jun 2006

Well isn't it somewhat misleading when you use someone else's picture instead of a picture of the real item to show it's condition. How do you know the real condition except for what they say.

What has really annoyed me in the past is pictures that are intentionally fuzzy or the resolution has been reduced so you can make out details as to the markings on cuffs.

-Dorson

Monica 22 Jun 2006

Handcuff collectors give us perverts such a bad name!

Jack.Tanis 22 Jun 2006

Hello,

Reporting intellectual property rights violations on eBay may be done through one of the JavaScript-formatted multiple-menu pages or more effectively, quicker and seamlessly by faxing to eBay its own "Notice of Claimed Infringement", which is a downloadable PDF file at http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/NOCI1.pdf. This results in about immediate attention and actually is self-explanatory, an incredible feat on eBay's part.

Monica, it is nice to know handcuff collectors give someone a bad name, even perverts, as we tend to make everyone else look good by comparison!

Cheers,

Jack
http://www.editing.org.uk/tanis/collectibles.htm

Monica 22 Jun 2006

Thanks for the laugh, Jack. Good to see this place hasn't lost all it's humour.

Phil Ingram 23 Jun 2006

Dorson,

You're absolutely right. It's not just somewhat misleading to use someone else's picture, or description, it's downright dishonest. And you don't know what you'll end up getting. If I suspect this has happened in an auction, I'll avoid it no matter how tempting it may look. I want to see exactly what I'm bidding on.

Phil

Graham 23 Jun 2006

#10

In addition to stealing a description, there is outright lying:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 0000467783

After attempting to 'educate' the seller, all he took from the education was to add the place where the cuffs were made... Houlton, ME. WWII era handcuffs... yeah ok.

Dorson 24 Jun 2006

#11

Either a cluesless wonder or a scam artist... I tend to lean towards scam artist...

Edgeplay_Cgo 24 Jun 2006

#12

There's a ton of scammers out there. They are positively thick on the ground.

My fave was some British Bozo (with appologies to The Clown) who fobbed off a pair of hardware store gate hinges electric welded to a hunk of chain, as medeival shackles. When I challenged him, he told me to get a life. I reported him to eBay, but the sale completed and some Mark shelled out fifty odd quid for fifty P worth of scrap iron.

Then there was the seller who advertised a pair of Tower Double Locks as the ubiquitous "Genuine Slave Irons." When challenged she attempted to lecture me about how her relatives kept Negro slaves in the basement well after the turn of the century. At least they were of higher quality than the Indian Darbies generaly sold inder that rubric.

<shrug>

I don't expect we'll be successful at policing the cockroach population. Cockroaches are a very durable species.

I'm reminded of the First Law of Woodsmanship. Don't pee into the wind.

Kevin_Connolly 24 Jun 2006

#13

Or on electric fences

Dorson 24 Jun 2006

#14

Yeah, I won't recommend peeing on electric fences either.... I reported the guy to ebay and he cleaned up his act. Apparently someone at ebay figured out the scam. It is unfornutately that ebay doesn't have a comment section to tell them what is exactly wrong with a listing.

Jack.Tanis 24 Jun 2006

#15

Dear Dorson,

Actually, eBay does have a way to include a comment with your complaint. It is well-hidden, though, and eBay has changed the location, the URL, more than once. On the other hand, take some comfort in eBay reading anything sent in. On the still other, third, hand, they typically miss the entire point of whatever they do read. This is a multi-billion dollar a year operation that puts Abbott & Costello to shame. Who is on first, anyway?

Cheers,

Jack
http://www.editing.org.uk/tanis/collectibles.htm

Phil Ingram 26 Jun 2006

#16

Dorson,

I sent the guy an email also last night telling him he needs to do his homework and that the handcuffs were made about the 1980's. He probably changed his description because of you and me, and not because of eBay. I can't imagine eBay getting him to change it, at least not so quick.

Phil

Dorson 26 Jun 2006

#17

Has anyone had any dealing with a seller on ebay that goes by Allwin79 that lives in Chorley, United Kingdom. I won an auction from this guy and have made 2 requests for shipping so I can pay them. No response and has been like a week already...

-Dorson

Phil Ingram 26 Jun 2006

#18

Correction to my previous post. I see it was Graham that tried to 'educate' the eBay seller. Still, I think it was us and not eBay that got the guy to correct his description.

Phil

Graham 26 Jun 2006

#19

After I contacted him, all he added was the model number and where they were made. Someone else must have convinced him to change it further.

From what I can see in the pics and based on the 'current description', M-100 Houlton ME, and an older? oblong dimple instead of the current round one. I hope he gets no bids.