Fake Gibsons being sold on Junkmail - beware!

Codex7

Hmmm - some fake Gibsons being sold (admitted to being fake by the advertiser):

Scary that - somebody might now buy them and then try and sell them on as the real thing for a quick profit.... Not good!

http://www.junkmail.co.za/leisure/musical-instruments/gauteng/vereeniging-kopanong/prs-gitar-for-sale-25203513#prettyPhoto

singemonkey

Wow. Do they not even have a facility to report ads? That's some seriously pricy firewood that. A R1,500 guitar, dressed up with a fake Gibson logo and sold for R3,500 - now selling for R7,500. What an incredible bargain.

costafonix

The warning lights should already start flashing when the ad says 'PRS Gitar for sale' and then he puts Gibsons in the pictures..... :-\ ???

Codex7

Dangit - and I want to get a good guitar second hand around June.

Gibson Les Paul (but think it will be out of my price range) or a good 2nd hand PRS SE. Sheesh, what is a person to do these days ☹

AlanRatcliffe

Codex7 wrote: what is a person to do these days ☹

You answered your own question:

or a good 2nd hand PRS SE

And when you can, upgrade the pickups (which some of us do anyway, even with the more expensive guitars). Then you end up with a great guitar for relatively little outlay.

costafonix

Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
or a good 2nd hand PRS SE
And when you can, upgrade the pickups (which some of us do anyway, even with the more expensive guitars). Then you end up with a great guitar for relatively little outlay.

vic

Codex7 wrote: Hmmm - some fake Gibsons being sold (admitted to being fake by the advertiser):

Scary that - somebody might now buy them and then try and sell them on as the real thing for a quick profit.... Not good!

http://www.junkmail.co.za/leisure/musical-instruments/gauteng/vereeniging-kopanong/prs-gitar-for-sale-25203513#prettyPhoto

The seller writes..."hi there,im selling 2 gibson les paul coppies that i imported and found out they were coppies,selling them for7500 each negotiable".....

Ag pleez ! My bet is he "imported" these knowing very well they're copies. This is fraud no matter how you look at it. Let him sit with the damn copies !

vic

Codex7 wrote: Hmmm - some fake Gibsons being sold (admitted to being fake by the advertiser):

Scary that - somebody might now buy them and then try and sell them on as the real thing for a quick profit.... Not good!

http://www.junkmail.co.za/leisure/musical-instruments/gauteng/vereeniging-kopanong/prs-gitar-for-sale-25203513#prettyPhoto

Gumtree, OLX an Junkmail have become the playground for fraudsters. Beware !

When buying any guitar (and you're not clued up)...rather involve a reputeable dealer and or GFSA members.

Tokai-SA

Yikes, what's the big drama all about? ?

One retard, on Junkmail, admitting the guitars he's selling are 'fakes', for a ridiculous price.

If you're a buyer, and can't see or feel these guitars are fakes the minute you lay your hands on one, then you deserve to be conned. ?

21Fretter

Maybe they are actually legit and its all a mind game!? ???

AlanRatcliffe

Tokai SA wrote: If you're a buyer, and can't see or feel these guitars are fakes the minute you lay your hands on one, then you deserve to be conned. ?

That's completely unfair. There are a lot of unsophisticated buyers out there who are not in the position to know the difference, even if they picked it up and played it. Usually they are the same folk who can least afford to be scammed out of what is, for them, a seriously substantial sum of money. If those who have the knowledge don't use it to help somehow (by at least reporting these ads when they appear), who will?

Anyway, these things end up hurting the brand involved too. Put yourself in that position and imagine if these things had one of your band names on the headstock (not a big stretch of the imagination either). How would that make you feel? How would it affect your brand's rep when someone who thinks he has the real thing ends up slagging off your band based on his experiences with a fake?

singemonkey

+1. Not every buyer knows exactly what bridge screws a 2002 Les Paul Standard is supposed to have or how far the pickup pole spacing should be. It's easy to make fakes look superficially like the brands they're copying. Some buyers may have no idea that fake guitars even exist and could end up convincing his or her parents to loan them the money for such an incredible deal. No. These sellers really deserve the contempt that's heaped on them.

Gearhead

...so what do we report when clicking on the 'Report Ad' button?
Would be interesting to find out what JunkMail do when they get 20 reports about an ad :-\

Tokai-SA

Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
Tokai SA wrote: If you're a buyer, and can't see or feel these guitars are fakes the minute you lay your hands on one, then you deserve to be conned. ?
That's completely unfair. There are a lot of unsophisticated buyers out there who are not in the position to know the difference, even if they picked it up and played it. Usually they are the same folk who can least afford to be scammed out of what is, for them, a seriously substantial sum of money. If those who have the knowledge don't use it to help somehow (by at least reporting these ads when they appear), who will?

Anyway, these things end up hurting the brand involved too. Put yourself in that position and imagine if these things had one of your band names on the headstock (not a big stretch of the imagination either). How would that make you feel? How would it affect your brand's rep when someone who thinks he has the real thing ends up slagging off your band based on his experiences with a fake?

I agree with you 100%, and anyone who attempts to sell these guitars as genuine should be arrested.

However, in this particular ad/sale, the seller indicates that they're fakes, he's not trying to mislead anyone.
So, even if you're an "unsophisticated buyer", you know they're fakes so you won't buy them.

Perhaps Marshall Music should contact the guy, offer to buy the two guitars, and then confiscate them.

Btw, some guy here in JHB took two Tokai fakes (Korean) into a music store and asked the store to sell them for him.
I saw them in the store, I got very pissed off and asked the manager to give them back to the guy, which they did.

George-Troupe

I agree any attempt at fraud should be treated deservingly, but occasionally there are genuine errors made by those whose knowledge is limited.

There is a 2006 US Fender Jazz Bass for sale on Gumtree for R25,000. It is described in the ad as being a 'special edition' made for Fender's 60th anniversary. I was in communication with the seller who said he fixed the price on info from a music dealer. I have a 1996 50th anniversary 5 string Jazz Bass which is one of 500 made, It has a gold commemorative neck plate among other things. The bass for sale has a normal Fender plate and like all Jazz Basses made in 2006, has a 60th anniversary stud on the back of the headstock. In 1996 they all had a 50th anniversary sticker on the headstock but like the bass in question, they were stock standard instruments and not commemorative, limited edition issues. I advised the seller that he needs to base his price on a 7 year old standard US instrument, but he appeared to be genuinely ignorant regarding the issue. He said he was going to modify the ad but I see it is still for sale at R25,000. Interesting to note that one Cape Town store is selling US Jazz Basses reduced from R21,995 to R11,990 !!!

singemonkey

George Troupe wrote: I agree any attempt at fraud should be treated deservingly, but occasionally there are genuine errors made by those whose knowledge is limited.

...

He said he was going to modify the ad but I see it is still for sale at R25,000. Interesting to note that one Cape Town store is selling US Jazz Basses reduced from R21,995 to R11,990 !!!

Yeah. That sounds totally innocent ?

Attila

So lets toss a cat amongst the pigeons, shall We

How many of you fine upstanding folks have copies of certain famous Types of guitar and which you fondly refer to as my STRAT/LES PAUL or clones of Amplifiers or Pedals etc etc. Surely its it COPY by word, label or construction.

This poor dipshit is taking flack because he states its a copy. Lets keelhaul him and confiscate his worldly possession shall we.

It would be criminal if he were selling it as an original - then do with him what you will..........

babbalute

Tokai SA wrote:
Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
Tokai SA wrote: If you're a buyer, and can't see or feel these guitars are fakes the minute you lay your hands on one, then you deserve to be conned. ?
That's completely unfair. There are a lot of unsophisticated buyers out there who are not in the position to know the difference, even if they picked it up and played it. Usually they are the same folk who can least afford to be scammed out of what is, for them, a seriously substantial sum of money. If those who have the knowledge don't use it to help somehow (by at least reporting these ads when they appear), who will?

Anyway, these things end up hurting the brand involved too. Put yourself in that position and imagine if these things had one of your band names on the headstock (not a big stretch of the imagination either). How would that make you feel? How would it affect your brand's rep when someone who thinks he has the real thing ends up slagging off your band based on his experiences with a fake?
I agree with you 100%, and anyone who attempts to sell these guitars as genuine should be arrested.

However, in this particular ad/sale, the seller indicates that they're fakes, he's not trying to mislead anyone.
So, even if you're an "unsophisticated buyer", you know they're fakes so you won't buy them.

Perhaps Marshall Music should contact the guy, offer to buy the two guitars, and then confiscate them.

Btw, some guy here in JHB took two Tokai fakes (Korean) into a music store and asked the store to sell them for him.
I saw them in the store, I got very pissed off and asked the manager to give them back to the guy, which they did.

I think that you should have given the shop people hell as well if you are so concerned about the fake guitars being displayed by them. They should have know this and if they didn't and they were not indicated as "fake" they should be taken to cort for fals advertising etc. Maybe they knew the guitars where fake and it was indicated then it is every bodies right to sell what they have. It is up to the buyers to make the right decision and if they don't know they should get expert advise. If the shop people where lying to a possible buyer action should be taken then. But the buyer might not even know this. People are very sensitive to bargains and should know by now that if it is to good to be true it most likely is and you should walk away.

babbalute

Attila Barath wrote: So lets toss a cat amongst the pigeons, shall We

How many of you fine upstanding folks have copies of a certain famous Types guitar and which you fondly refer to as my STRAT/LES PAUL or clones of Amplifiers or Pedals etc etc. Surely its it COPY by word, label or construction.

This poor dipshit is taking flack because he states its a copy. Lets keelhaul him and confiscate his worldly possession shall we.

It would be criminal if he were selling it as an original - then do with him what you will..........

singemonkey

It's pretty damn simple, really. A copy boldly states who made it and does not attempt to deceive. A fake does intend to deceive. The fact that this idiot is selling his explicitly stating that it's a fake means very little. Because he's selling to people who will use the name to deceive - and that will help to bring the brand into disrepute ("Man this Gibson is a POS. And the pickups sound nasty man!").

He also did not buy the guitars for R7,500 or close, thinking they were originals. I'd bet a considerable sum that this guy bought these fakes at $250-$350 each and is selling them on to make a profit. By stating that they're fake, he's not taking the risk of being caught deceiving clients. He's using the Gibson name though to sell cheap-ass guitars for far more than their value to gimboids who either intend to (a) show off a shitty guitar as a Gibson (bad), or (b) sell them on to unsuspecting clients for just shy of new Gibson money (horrendous).

None of those scenarios is possible with a copy. If a copy is worse (or better ?) than a Gibson, it does not reflect on Gibson because people go "Oh. That crappy Les Paul was not made by Gibson. Therefore my faith in Gibson remains untarnished." It'd be hard to sell them on to unsuspecting buyers at Gibson prices (hell, people don't even want to pay what those in the know would pay for copies, because they don't know what they're looking at - "'Nav-i-gator' Les Paul..... Are they as good as Epiphones?" :?) because the logo saying "Tokai," or "Edwards," or "Burny" sorta kinda really gives the game away, wouldn't you say? "This Gibson says Fernandez instead of Gibson. Seems legit."