Another Montblanc Scam On Ebay?

[Cordovian]

I was browsing Ebay looking at MB Solitares and came across some really nice examples in some auction listings that end today. The pens pictured look legit and are either new or in excellent used condition. Current bidding was still rather low. Hmmm. Looks pretty interesting.

 

However, upon closer inspection they're all from the same seller in Thailand. Small red flag.

 

http://www.ebay.com/sch/lanora77/m.html?_trksid=p3692

 

The seller has 100% feedback with 140 transactions. Sounds okay, maybe the listings are still legit. Then I looked closer and all of the sellers feedback are related to sales of $0.01 recipes. So the seller went from selling penny recipes to listing 30 high end fountain pens in one batch? Supersized, death nail red flag.

 

Thoughts? Any chance these are for real listings? Report the items?

 

 

 

.

[jar]

Those are all signs to run, don't walk away.

[NastyV6]

Well look at it this way, if you ever want a good Kung Pao chicken recipe that is out of this world you know where to go!

[zaddick]

0% chance these are for real. these run all the time on eBay for as long as I can recall. A different random seller in Thailand will suddenly list lots of high value MB pens all with 24 hour auctions and feedback around 100. since shipping will take more than two weeks, they can run a few rounds of these 24 hour sales and then disappear with the money. PayPal will protect you, but you will have to wait a bit to get your money back.They are not very subtle in their greed, but it must make money because there are listing on a regular basis.

 

The pictures are real. Maybe they use the money they steal to buy real pens to photograph?

 

Don't fall into the trap of too good to be true. there are other finds out there or people in a hurry to sell but they are fewer and far between.

[Doug1426]

0% chance these are for real. these run all the time on eBay for as long as I can recall. A different random seller in Thailand will suddenly list lots of high value MB pens all with 24 hour auctions and feedback around 100. since shipping will take more than two weeks, they can run a few rounds of these 24 hour sales and then disappear with the money. PayPal will protect you, but you will have to wait a bit to get your money back.They are not very subtle in their greed, but it must make money because there are listing on a regular basis.

 

The pictures are real. Maybe they use the money they steal to buy real pens to photograph?

 

Don't fall into the trap of too good to be true. there are other finds out there or people in a hurry to sell but they are fewer and far between.

Ahh, but it is "Free Shipping". Does it get any better?

[Mr. Pink]

My question is, are those bids for real? You would think buyers of high end pens would know better. Do we have shills here?

[Cordovian]

My question is, are those bids for real? You would think buyers of high end pens would know better. Do we have shills here?

Looking at the bidder lists, that is a distinct possibility. There are a few that look like real buyers but the majority are new accounts.

 

Yeah, I have no intention of joining the fray.

[Uncial]

Thailand must have the highest number of Montblanc Writers Editions of anywhere in the world. I feel sorry for the genuine bidders but I see these auctions for roughly the same items all the time.its not an infrequent occurrence.

[katerchen]

F'n scammers :/

 

I remember this exact same conversation with different sellers over the years. Their MO is always similar : pump up the ratings with those "recipes" then unload their fakes.

 

-K

[ian1964]

We all know that MB and Parkers are routinely counterfeited but, doe this add now indicate that Sheaffers are also being counterfeited? I note that the PFM still routinely fetches a good price on the bay.

[jar]

We all know that MB and Parkers are routinely counterfeited but, doe this add now indicate that Sheaffers are also being counterfeited? I note that the PFM still routinely fetches a good price on the bay.

Anything that can be sold is being counterfeited; even Hero pens. What everyone should remember is that it is not simply pens and pocketbooks, today it is also prescription drugs, airplane engine parts, car brake pads, medical devices, testing machines,...

 

It is a BIG business and pens help fund that business.

[chunya]

There are a lot of bidders with feedback in the 100s and even 1000s, and looking at what they're currently bidding on they seem pretty genuine bidders. I've bought from Thailand a few times and (so far) never been ripped off, in fact there was one particular seller who managed to get hold of quite a few MB spares, the only place I managed to get a spare 146 piston, which cost me less than $20 all in, fitted it and it's still working nearly 2 years later.

[Cordovian]

Total listing ending amount was almost $15,000 USD.

 

Assuming this is a waiting game scam (with nothing actually shipping), that's quite a haul for the scammer. Even if only half actally paid.

 

You'd think Ebay would have code in place to catch these kind of listings.

[jmccarty3]

Just checked the link, and all the seller's items have disappeared.

[Mr. Pink]

Just checked the link, and all the seller's items have disappeared.

 

Not to worry - they'll be back soon enough.

[CS388]

Just checked the link, and all the seller's items have disappeared.

 

If you go to the link, then check the 'completed listings' box, you'll see them all, and the prices they reached at auction end.

 

It's an astonishing haul - and if it was a scam, the seller has cleaned up!

I'm all for giving people the benefit of the doubt, but I must admit that this looked a trifle dodgy. I wouldn't have bid.

It'll be interesting to keep an eye on his/her feedback, over the next couple of weeks, to see if it was genuine or fraudulent.

[Wolverine1]

I am a Asian guy, and I feel that eBay has become the place where Asian scam artists go to ply their trade. It is just plain sad to see.

[Parth P]

I was browsing Ebay looking at MB Solitares and came across some really nice examples in some auction listings that end today. The pens pictured look legit and are either new or in excellent used condition. Current bidding was still rather low. Hmmm. Looks pretty interesting.

 

However, upon closer inspection they're all from the same seller in Thailand. Small red flag.

 

http://www.ebay.com/sch/lanora77/m.html?_trksid=p3692

 

The seller has 100% feedback with 140 transactions. Sounds okay, maybe the listings are still legit. Then I looked closer and all of the sellers feedback are related to sales of $0.01 recipes. So the seller went from selling penny recipes to listing 30 high end fountain pens in one batch? Supersized, death nail red flag.

 

Thoughts? Any chance these are for real listings? Report the items?

 

 

 

.

I was actually going to place a big on a 90th anniversary 149 they were selling. I just could not get myself to bid even though the current bid was low. I think it sold for like 500 or so. than You for bringing this up. I am glad I did not bid.

Edited March 5, 2016 by parthjpatel