A seller of counterfeit goods on eBay has just received a 21 month prison sentence, almost four years after investigations into his “business” began.
Following the arrest in February 2007 police traced up to 30 eBay accounts and PayPal records showing a turnover of £1.1 million across a four-year period. Clothing which if genuine would cost several hundred pounds was sold for as little as £40. The money went to funding a luxury lifestyle with luxury cars and a five bedroom house in an exclusive are of Manchester.
Although the turnover in this case is exceptional, trading on eBay is possibly one of the worst places to sell counterfeit goods. There’s always an electronic record of each transaction and as soon as your eBay or PayPal accounts are examined it’s impossible to hide transactions.
Whilst it’s difficult to condone the sale of knock off goods when they’re touted as being the genuine article, selling them on eBay isn’t just illegal, it’s plain daft as the culprit in this case just discovered.
Many thanks to Steve for the link to this story
2 Responses
Firstly let us congratulate all those who were involved in investigating, prosecuting and finally jailing this cheat. Hopefully they will now track down and jail any other cheats who by their actions are taking the food out of the mouths of honest sellers. Every so often I get flashed up about am I sure that the item that I am selling is genuine. There may be forged and fake books but I sell limited market specialist Books. Surely any cheat wanting to make his millions is going to concentrate on high volume items not those like mine that sell in very small numbers at often low prices. Also I am selling up because my continuing health problems I want to retire so I have to clear the decks. Yet regular as clockwork I get asked if I am sure my item is genuine. I know they are and I have had them cluttering up my store-room for many years.
“Whilst it’s difficult to condone the sale of knock off goods when they’re touted as being the genuine article, selling them on eBay isn’t just illegal, it’s plain daft as the culprit in this case just discovered.”
Illegal is a dubious concept, laws are made by lawyers paid by banksters for lawyers and banksters. When you go to court you don’t get justice you get the law.
Daft, yeah well some people are, hopefully they learn.
I don’t think either of those criteria are so important so I suggest some others.
Respect for your fellow man.
Karma.
‘Do unto others as you would have them do unto you’ which is actually a rather low standard and which at best promotes the status quo which as we know some will devalue and so will lead to a deterioration. So rather exceed the expectations, ‘do unto others better than you would wish that they do unto you’, and in so doing things will gradually improve across the board.
Morality. Do no harm, do nothing that may cause harm.