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You get it a lot with power tools as well, exact same coloring and styling with a slight spelling difference, Bossh in stead of Bosch, and if you dont handle them every day its hard to tell. There is also the case of the town called Germany in China.
    Thanks for the video clip.

    Fake products are a really big problem these days. The Chinese seem hell bent of flooding the western world with fakes of premium brands wherever they can.
    We have even picked up a problem at work, with fake integrated circuits. I really don't know what to say except that it is an utterly disgusting practice.

    As for gumtree.. I stand by what I have said in the past, its a scammer's paradise... Even supposedly reputable places such as Carbonite are having their hands full with scammers. I was conned for the first time in my life, on Carbonite, this past April. Thankfully it had nothing to do with any musical instrument. I just lost some IT equipment.

    A suggestion please: could we post image links to these dodgy deals, because they get deleted from gumtree and then there's no reference to work from
      I think we should put a lit together with all the emails these scammers use. Of course they add new ones but yea. at least the old one will be useless.
        10 days later
        Tamago wrote: Thanks for the video clip.

        Fake products are a really big problem these days. The Chinese seem hell bent of flooding the western world with fakes of premium brands wherever they can.
        We have even picked up a problem at work, with fake integrated circuits. I really don't know what to say except that it is an utterly disgusting practice.

        As for gumtree.. I stand by what I have said in the past, its a scammer's paradise... Even supposedly reputable places such as Carbonite are having their hands full with scammers. I was conned for the first time in my life, on Carbonite, this past April. Thankfully it had nothing to do with any musical instrument. I just lost some IT equipment.

        A suggestion please: could we post image links to these dodgy deals, because they get deleted from gumtree and then there's no reference to work from
        Any idea that makes it harder for a scammer to steal is a GOOD idea.

          Sometimes it happens that someone bought a mic or something in good faith only to discover later that it's a fake. So he/she's trying to get rid of it by NOT advertising it as a fake....In such a case I think one should take the loss and not try to sell the item on....
            4 months later
            Saw this on gumtree JHB whileI was just doing some window shopping.... One of the most beautiful acoustic guitars I've ever seen...

            http://johannesburg.gumtree.co.za/c-Stuff-for-Sale-musical-instruments-1968-Gibson-Everly-Brothers-for-sale-W0QQAdIdZ326497945

            The guy is selling it for R7000..

            And then someone posted this ad:

            http://johannesburg.gumtree.co.za/c-Stuff-for-Sale-musical-instruments-FRAUD-1968-Gibson-Everly-Brothers-for-sale-FRAUD-W0QQAdIdZ326602037

            On the Vintage Guitar website the guitar is going for over $8000
              I wonder what Gumtree's policy is on posting "warning" ads. I tried posting one letting letting people know that all the Dr Dre Beats headphones are fake, and they wouldn't let me post it!! Perhaps fraud is more serious than fakes as they see it.
                a month later
                22 days later
                10 days later
                Have a look here on Gumtree:-

                http://forum.gumtree.co.za/forum-15.html

                Some really good information.

                If you get contacted by anyone do a search of their cell number in the search facility on Gumtree and you will be amazed what pops up.

                Houghton seems to be really popular location for these guys.

                Scamming must be a pretty lucrative career if it lets you stay in Houghton!!!!!!!!!!!!

                I have had some experience "dealing" with a "Gabriel Jacobs" with cell number 078 991 5670, who by some strange coincidence also stated that they were in Houghton.

                GaryMac
                  shees, ???

                  that link is a real eye opener, cant trust anyone these days
                    3 months later
                    I've also dealt with someone in Houghton who seemed fishy.
                      5 days later
                      CostaFonix wrote: something suspect about this ad
                      http://johannesburg.gumtree.co.za/c-Sports-Leisure-musical-instruments-PRS-custom-24-electric-guitar-W0QQAdIdZ363852120

                      as you can see from my wishlist I'm looking for a REAL PRS Custom 24 and this guy is offering them at around R4200 - 'as many as you want'....
                      thanks but no thanks

                      +1, may not necessarily be fraud just cheap copies....
                      click on "View posters other Ads"... he deals in stuffed dogs, bikes, boats, gyms....

                      my money is on "fraud".
                        2 months later
                        GaryMac wrote: Houghton seems to be really popular location for these guys.

                        GaryMac
                        I was selling an amp and had a few replies from Houghton asking if I could " drop it off at their cousin/brother/son's place ASAP" and they'll do an EFT. Replied saying cash only unless they're willing to wait for it to clear and never heard anything back. It seems scammers work both ways; buying and selling.
                        There were a few "buyers" in Kensington too.