Ebay ethics poll: Scamming the scammers

[GagHalfrunt]

Hypothetical:

You buy 2 items from what look like two different companies. In correspondence over the two sales you discover that both companies are fronts for a Chinese organization that operates on ebay under at least a dozen different names. Both items arrive on time and both are counterfeit. You complain and get full refunds and are told to keep the items because it's not worth returning them. They are however VERY good counterfeits, at least 95% as good as the originals. You can use them and your friends are into the same thing and they'd like freebies too. So ethically, you're surely clear on the first two transactions as you proceeded in good faith trying to make legit purchases. That's on them.

But what if you decide to fuck with them? Buy more knowing they'll be free eventually? Tell your friends so they can get some buy/refund/keep freebies too? How about doing some grand public gesture like posting the info to the appropriate sub-Reddit or YouTube channel where people are into that sort of thing and let the hordes of people hammer the Chinese company with purchases, complaints and eventual keep/refund free items so that they're driven off ebay eventually?

I've asked a whole bunch of people I know and it's split pretty evenly between "screw them, they tried to rob you first" and "two wrongs don't make a right".

For the sake of argument since somebody is bound to ask, assume that the manufacturer/seller of the item being counterfeited doesn't give a shit and won't get involved with ebay scammers selling knockoffs.

 

[smackababy]

Selling counterfeit items is a plague perpetrated by the scum of the earth. Take them for all they've got.

 

[Elixer]

I would contact the maker of the actual product, and tell them that XYZ is selling counterfeits, and then offer to send them the counterfeits in question.
Let their legal department handle it.

 

[BoomerD]

I would contact the maker of the actual product, and tell them that XYZ is selling counterfeits, and then offer to send them the counterfeits in question.
Let their legal department handle it.

Chinese companies have been ripping off legitimate manufacturers for decades. Nothing will be done. Most of OUR laws don't apply to the Chinese...and the ones that do, never get enforced.

 

[JEDIYoda]

But remember even Jesus Loves the Chinese!!

 

[TheGardener]

Chinese companies have been ripping off legitimate manufacturers for decades. Nothing will be done. Most of OUR laws don't apply to the Chinese...and the ones that do, never get enforced.

It's called globalization and re-distribution.

 

[madoka]

Why stop at Chinese counterfeiters? How about you go after drug houses next? After all, they ruin hundreds of lives.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Why stop at Chinese counterfeiters? How about you go after drug houses next? After all, they ruin hundreds of lives.

Hey. you come up with a way to scam drug houses into giving away free drugs for anyone then I'm in.

 

[Newbian]

Sounds like a good way to get the Triad after you if you scam them like this.

 

[WelshBloke]

It's fine for the first order.

It's also fine for them to give you the run around getting a refund when you know what you are buying.