Figures
Military figures of all shapes and sizes.
Recast seller warning
paulie100
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England - East Midlands, United Kingdom
Joined: November 25, 2013
KitMaker: 35 posts
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Posted: Thursday, September 28, 2017 - 07:15 PM UTC
I'm pretty sure you can notify Ebay of items that are fakes, but he buyer has to do it I think
gregcctrn
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British Columbia, Canada
Joined: January 09, 2013
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Posted: Friday, September 29, 2017 - 09:26 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I'm pretty sure you can notify Ebay of items that are fakes, but he buyer has to do it I think



It has been done.....

I don't know if it is worth it or not, but if everyone who reads this post were to go to his ebay store and report the items, by clicking on "Report Item" which is to the right of the Description and Shipping/Payment tabs perhaps ebay would get the message.

True enough - ebay is a haven for these types and this person will just open another store perhaps.

I do think it can serve to send a message that once caught onto the modelling community will act.
paulie100
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England - East Midlands, United Kingdom
Joined: November 25, 2013
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Posted: Friday, September 29, 2017 - 10:30 PM UTC
As a sculptor and caster (with vacuum casting set up) these people that copy others items, and then churn out poor quality resin fakes, affects us. I've reported him to ebay also. no doubt he will unfortunately appear again under a different name soon :-(
gregcctrn
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British Columbia, Canada
Joined: January 09, 2013
KitMaker: 329 posts
Armorama: 91 posts
Posted: Monday, October 02, 2017 - 02:39 AM UTC
Good news paypal decided in my favour and I am getting my money back. Paypal has requested that I send the figures back at my expense. This annoys me as I am sure that the same figures will be resold to someone else.

I did read on Paypals site that they do sometimes ask for the items to be destroyed and then provide proof of that before getting your money back. I was expecting that to be the case here, as the basis of my claim was the fact that I received counterfeit items.

Regardless I am getting my money back, and I will cease my ebay purchases of figures.
alanmac
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United Kingdom
Joined: February 25, 2007
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Posted: Monday, October 02, 2017 - 04:08 AM UTC
Whilst I in no way condone the selling of recast figures there are plenty of honest sellers of genuine figures on Ebay, and to blanket ban buying resin figures from Ebay is ridiculous.

I know of several UK sellers, registered distributors of figures who have Ebay shops and would buy from them without fear of buying knock off's. For many Ebay is the only main selling presence they have.


http://stores.ebay.co.uk/steve-k-miniatures?_rdc=1

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Fields-of-Glory-Models?_trksid=p2047675.l2563

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/funnyolddog/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

To name but a few.
gregcctrn
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British Columbia, Canada
Joined: January 09, 2013
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Posted: Monday, October 02, 2017 - 09:54 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Whilst I in no way condone the selling of recast figures there are plenty of honest sellers of genuine figures on Ebay, and to blanket ban buying resin figures from Ebay is ridiculous.

I know of several UK sellers, registered distributors of figures who have Ebay shops and would buy from them without fear of buying knock off's. For many Ebay is the only main selling presence they have.

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/steve-k-miniatures?_rdc=1

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Fields-of-Glory-Models?_trksid=p2047675.l2563

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/funnyolddog/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_ipg=&_from=

To name but a few.



I should have phrased things differently; rather, my intention prior to buying from ebay vendors is to do my research and determine if they are an authorized seller of the product.

I am glad to see that you have listed Field of Glory; I have purchased from FOG, and I have say they are great to deal with.
Venko555
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Bulgaria
Joined: December 07, 2013
KitMaker: 908 posts
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Posted: Monday, October 02, 2017 - 10:09 PM UTC
There are many good sellers on Ebay, I'll second Field of Glory-purchased Bravo-6 and Evolution figures from there. Also bought Alpine figures from Funnyolddog-top service.

It's best not to be tempted by the low price of some "sellers"

Regards,

dhines
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Nova Scotia, Canada
Joined: November 17, 2015
KitMaker: 407 posts
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Posted: Monday, October 09, 2017 - 03:26 AM UTC
I have ordered Stalingrad figures and dio items from Fields of Glory several times. They provide first class service and very timely shipping. I will definitely buy from them again.
ericadeane
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Michigan, United States
Joined: October 28, 2002
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Posted: Monday, October 09, 2017 - 05:33 AM UTC
Before you abandon eBay completely, here are two classes of legit seller -- one are clear hobby shop type outfits like Dragon-Hobby or Lotsofmodels. If you look at their other items for sale, you'll see that they sell many hobby related items and clearly, aren't figure recasters.

Second, are guys like me -- who cull the herd. Look at what else I'm auctioning. If you see DML kits and gun barrels and resin detail kits along with a smattering of figures -- you can feel confident that my resin figs aren't fakes.

Sorry for those who have been hurt by those scum buckets. A pox on them! But not all figs on ebay are bad deals. Good luck, folks
WXerock
#450
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California, United States
Joined: July 19, 2015
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Posted: Monday, October 09, 2017 - 08:04 AM UTC
I just found what appears to be copies of ANT miniatures resin weapons crates that are counterfeit. They are even using ANT's renderings! The description is "1/35 Resin US Army 2 Weapon Ammo Boxes Unpainted Unassembled TR123" and the item number is 112485193035. They are listed as "unbranded". The seller even has a %100 satisfaction guarantee and over 3400 transactions.

Regards,

Eric
Jmarles
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British Columbia, Canada
Joined: November 02, 2008
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Posted: Monday, October 09, 2017 - 09:06 AM UTC
Um..people still think there are legit sellers of resin figures on ebay?
As far as I know Tank,Alpine etc don't sell on fleabay. It's virtually guaranteed if you buy a resin figure on ebay, it's a knockoff. Just buy direct or from a legit source. And if you don't like paying $14 for a figure settle for plastic..
alanmac
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United Kingdom
Joined: February 25, 2007
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Posted: Thursday, October 19, 2017 - 01:25 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Um..people still think there are legit sellers of resin figures on ebay?
As far as I know Tank,Alpine etc don't sell on fleabay. It's virtually guaranteed if you buy a resin figure on ebay, it's a knockoff. Just buy direct or from a legit source. And if you don't like paying $14 for a figure settle for plastic..



Sorry but you are completely wrong in your post. I've purchased plenty of Alpine figures from Ebay and SK Miniatures who is the UK distributor of Alpine Miniatires only has a online shop on Ebay.

Sure there are recasters posting figures they've recast from originals but to say you can't buy genuine figures on Ebay is quite frankly rubbish.
easyco69
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Ontario, Canada
Joined: November 03, 2012
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Posted: Thursday, November 16, 2017 - 11:14 PM UTC

Quoted Text

I have to say that I am typically on the ball and can pick out most recasters; however, this fellow is really good as he sends the items in original manufacturers boxes. The only box that doesn't seem legit was the box for the Warriors figure set. It is a bubble pack with an adhesive decal.

I am not trying to cry the blues about being ripped off, as I fully recognize that this is a "buyer beware" world. I am just hoping to make others aware of this fellow. I have purchased legit figures in the past from people that are clearing out a large collection and at first that is what this appeared to be.

Here are some details:

Email: [email protected]

First name: Rinat

Ebay Store: 123models123

Here are box photo's, the Tank Box on the left is from a Legit Tank figure purchase from an authorized distributor, and the one photo of the Warriors box....

Email: DSC04590
DSC04592
DSC04591


wow..what a bunch of goofs. He probably bought the real stuff...recast it..then sold it to you in the original box.
Contact the TANK Company & let them know..so they can report it to ebay.
babaoriley
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California, United States
Joined: June 23, 2017
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Posted: Friday, November 17, 2017 - 12:29 AM UTC

Quoted Text

Live by my code: Never buy eBay.

I have never found an item that can't be had elsewhere with the requisite google scrounge. And if it is on the bay, usually for a reason.

Amazon is slowly becoming a good resource and so far no funny business, I think they're more stringent with their resellers.



Many legitimate businesses sell on eBay, they can reach a huge audience without the costs of advertising and running their own website. Some vendors who advertise on Armorama have a big presence on eBay. So maybe it would be better to say that we need to be careful when shopping on eBay to make sure we're not buying from some rip-off artist who is selling someone else's property. Amazon isn't free of these critters however, I've seen many pirated items for sale there. Amazon also has its own annoyances, like not requiring sellers to mention where they are located so a package sent by ground from Outer Mongolia takes a long, long time to arrive.

Buyer beware, and if you think there is something maybe a bit fishy about any online seller then leave your credit card in your wallet and do some more research.
Jmarles
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British Columbia, Canada
Joined: November 02, 2008
KitMaker: 1,138 posts
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Posted: Sunday, November 19, 2017 - 03:37 AM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Um..people still think there are legit sellers of resin figures on ebay?
As far as I know Tank,Alpine etc don't sell on fleabay. It's virtually guaranteed if you buy a resin figure on ebay, it's a knockoff. Just buy direct or from a legit source. And if you don't like paying $14 for a figure settle for plastic..



Sorry but you are completely wrong in your post. I've purchased plenty of Alpine figures from Ebay and SK Miniatures who is the UK distributor of Alpine Miniatires only has a online shop on Ebay.

Sure there are recasters posting figures they've recast from originals but to say you can't buy genuine figures on Ebay is quite frankly rubbish.



Actually, you made my point. Two vendors out of hundreds, many based in China.
ryally
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New South Wales, Australia
Joined: July 29, 2005
KitMaker: 879 posts
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Posted: Saturday, November 25, 2017 - 04:39 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Um..people still think there are legit sellers of resin figures on ebay?
As far as I know Tank,Alpine etc don't sell on fleabay. It's virtually guaranteed if you buy a resin figure on ebay, it's a knockoff. Just buy direct or from a legit source. And if you don't like paying $14 for a figure settle for plastic..



Sorry but you are completely wrong in your post. I've purchased plenty of Alpine figures from Ebay and SK Miniatures who is the UK distributor of Alpine Miniatires only has a online shop on Ebay.

Sure there are recasters posting figures they've recast from originals but to say you can't buy genuine figures on Ebay is quite frankly rubbish.



Actually, you made my point. Two vendors out of hundreds, many based in China.



Actually your point is wrong, there are many many Ebay sellers that sell proper figures as I have bought from many of them. When you find the good ones you stick with them..... not all are recasters!!! Ebay is one of the best ways to buy figures and also easiest to find close to the best price without having to search every shop website.
alanmac
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United Kingdom
Joined: February 25, 2007
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Posted: Saturday, November 25, 2017 - 07:28 PM UTC

Quoted Text


Quoted Text


Quoted Text

Um..people still think there are legit sellers of resin figures on ebay?
As far as I know Tank,Alpine etc don't sell on fleabay. It's virtually guaranteed if you buy a resin figure on ebay, it's a knockoff. Just buy direct or from a legit source. And if you don't like paying $14 for a figure settle for plastic..



Sorry but you are completely wrong in your post. I've purchased plenty of Alpine figures from Ebay and SK Miniatures who is the UK distributor of Alpine Miniatires only has a online shop on Ebay.

Sure there are recasters posting figures they've recast from originals but to say you can't buy genuine figures on Ebay is quite frankly rubbish.



Actually, you made my point. Two vendors out of hundreds, many based in China.



I gave two examples, but as already been said there are more honest sellers. You were wrong in your comment but haven't got the good grace to admit it.
guni-kid
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Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
Joined: July 21, 2007
KitMaker: 521 posts
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Posted: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 - 01:57 PM UTC
Saw this post just now and Wow, those are some bad castings. This certainly is one bold guy. Not only does he sell recast figures on ebay (which is bad enough on its own!), he's even casting them so poorly that he could also send you a block of resin junk and it would be of the same use to you. Means he is leaving even burnt soil with his customers because no serious modeller would EVER buy from this guy again, not even the ghouls who don't even care about piracy. So yeah, this guy is quite a package and then even insulting enough to call back on all the righteous complaints...

To ebay: I would also say buyers beware. Always check and double check and then stick to the shops you know are legit. Of course you can get many good deals on ebay and sometimes it's even the only source at all. And it can still be used as a good platform to thin out private stashes as I have done myself several times.

Anyways, thanks for the warnings!
vettejack
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Florida, United States
Joined: November 23, 2012
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Posted: Tuesday, November 28, 2017 - 06:22 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Thanks for pointing out his other alias, I had been looking at some New Connection items - it turns out to be him.....THANK YOU THANK YOU!!

It's so frustrating that this goes on, a lot of the old OOP items just aren't in shops, or available from reputable retailers anymore - if you want something that is OOP there isn't much choice. My belief is that the majority of sellers are honest and legit; however, there exists a few rotten apples in the barrel.


Quoted Text

I did think it was odd that his profile said Russia but his items came posted from Germany.



YUP! The package arrived from Germany, and when I was provided with a tracking number ending in "de" I found it odd as he is not listed as living in Germany.



All this tells me he (they) have help. To live in Russia yet packaging from Germany? I'm convinced he (they) use Russia as his 'factory', while Germany is his 'store front'. The recast "cheapies" are then forwarded in plain packaging, to a paid off accomplice, somewhere in Germany (maybe Germany can do a sting based on forensics). With the repackaging taking place in Germany, the fraud footprint is established, and completed by the ghost middle man (men) once dropped off at the post office by the German based accomplice(s)... then on it's way to your home. All the while the main guy remains untouchable in Russia. Maybe a phone call to the Russian mafia...
anti-hero
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Tennessee, United States
Joined: March 20, 2005
KitMaker: 420 posts
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Posted: Friday, December 01, 2017 - 07:19 PM UTC
If they are selling the figures much cheaper than normal retail prices, like around 50% cheaper, and the seller is in China; there is an excellent chance they are re-cast figures.
norbertJ
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Loire, France
Joined: May 29, 2008
KitMaker: 219 posts
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Posted: Sunday, December 17, 2017 - 10:11 PM UTC
We are currently trying an other way here against these recasters :

use an infrigement program from ebay we have here : http://pages.ebay.fr/programme-vero/index.html
it may exist in different countries

and have numerous forum users doing it, to give more weight.

We do not have much hope, but it's worth fighting against these creation killers.

Will see what it gives

The other possibility is that the different manufacturers help each others in their different countries. Perhaps time to be less individualist. So much good scale model masters have already given up it's worth thinking about that.

gregcctrn
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British Columbia, Canada
Joined: January 09, 2013
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Posted: Wednesday, December 20, 2017 - 07:33 AM UTC
Thanks for the post!

A lot of people seem to have this way of thinking:

"Why bother fighting and reporting them, all that happens is they get one ebay account shut down just to turn around and open up another".....

True enough, and sure we are always one step behind...but my way of thinking is one of trying to keep my eyes open and warn people where I can. If I get screwed by a dumb choice, I will do my best to warn other members of the modelling community in hopes that they don't make the same choice.

I know a lot of people out there will say "if someone is dumb enough to buy from ebay they deserve what they get". What kind of community mindedness is that? Most of us here are not made of money, and we all want to get the most for our dollar. So why not warn others in the community? So what if we are always one step behind the recasters? I made a dumb mistake in buying from this guy, so I have made my best effort to warn others, so someone else doesn't get taken advantage of.

In saying all this I am not talking about someone who buys an obvious Alpine figure at 80% off retail...that's an obvious recast, I am talking about the ebay sellers like this 123models123 on ebay that are blatant attempts to deceive with counterfeit packaging etc.
norbertJ
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Loire, France
Joined: May 29, 2008
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Posted: Friday, December 29, 2017 - 06:53 PM UTC

Quoted Text

Thanks for the post!

A lot of people seem to have this way of thinking:

"Why bother fighting and reporting them, all that happens is they get one ebay account shut down just to turn around and open up another".....

True enough, and sure we are always one step behind...but my way of thinking is one of trying to keep my eyes open and warn people where I can. If I get screwed by a dumb choice, I will do my best to warn other members of the modelling community in hopes that they don't make the same choice.

I know a lot of people out there will say "if someone is dumb enough to buy from ebay they deserve what they get". What kind of community mindedness is that? Most of us here are not made of money, and we all want to get the most for our dollar. So why not warn others in the community? So what if we are always one step behind the recasters? I made a dumb mistake in buying from this guy, so I have made my best effort to warn others, so someone else doesn't get taken advantage of.

In saying all this I am not talking about someone who buys an obvious Alpine figure at 80% off retail...that's an obvious recast, I am talking about the ebay sellers like this 123models123 on ebay that are blatant attempts to deceive with counterfeit packaging etc.



Just to let you know, the combination of manufacturer and private report for counterfeighting succeeded, with the use of ebay VeRO program. All Reedoak items removed. Now I'm pushing to have the guy banned, there are still some items from Ultracast, Tiny leads and others
retiredyank
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Arkansas, United States
Joined: June 29, 2009
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Posted: Friday, December 29, 2017 - 07:06 PM UTC
I encountered this, with Aliexpress. Unfortunately, I ordered quite a few figures, before I realized they are knock-offs. As a rule, I don't buy kits or figures from eBay. I have the occasional, "oop and the price is fair" buy. My latest complaint was not receiving the instructions for Verlinden's pricey Stug III interior(I know it is not a recast). Still trying to find a copy. We should keep up the "neighborhood watch" and help keep the figure lines churning out product.
silkgx
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Alberta, Canada
Joined: April 06, 2012
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Posted: Saturday, December 30, 2017 - 09:24 AM UTC
Going OT
Instuctions
Matthew. If the kit is VP 2087 the instructions that came with mine are a two sided page and is a mediocre but readable copy of the original. If the kit is the same one and you continue to have trouble sourcing a copy I can scan you a copy and email it to you.
Bill