Fake Pens

[mandarintje]

A fake Starwalker.... unless I'm wrong of course!

http://cgi.benl.ebay.be/montblanc-ballpoint-pene_W0QQitemZ250589886403QQcmdZViewItemQQptZWallet?hash=item3a585237c3

[professionaldilettante]

The term "fake" is funny. It makes it sound like fake pens can't write, but infact are capable of doing. It's like buying a fake Rolex watch. No one calls it a fake watch, as a watch tells time, and a fake Rolex is capable of doing. however, it is definitely a fake Rolex. Now, if these fake pens were just a piece of plastic with a metal tip, but with no insides, THAT would be a fake pen.

[stephl]

Hey fellow FPNers,

 

Wondering if Porsche Design is a company that gets "faked", "replica'd", "copied".

 

I'm looking at purchasing a Porsche Design Tecflex P3110 fountain pen and before I drop $400, I would like to get your thoughts on whether fake Porsche Designs exist.

 

Steph

[mr mobius]

No affiliation etc... but cheaper than $400...

 

Moby

Edited March 13, 2010 by mr mobius

[stephl]

No affiliation etc... but cheaper than $400...

 

Moby

 

Thanks for that. I agree that it's cheaper and I know of that ebayer, but again, the picture is different from the Porsche Design website, which leads me to believe that it's a knockoff.

 

Steph

[Anna Cecilia]

Thanks for that. I agree that it's cheaper and I know of that ebayer, but again, the picture is different from the Porsche Design website, which leads me to believe that it's a knockoff.

 

Steph

 

I was about to say it looks exactly the same as the picture on the website when I noticed the difference in the cap band engraving. Well spotted! If you hadn't said there was a difference I probably wouldn't have noticed. It amazes me how elaborate these imitations are, I wonder how much difference in quality there is in the case of a (nearly) $300 imitation. I wonder if someone who'd never used an original would ever know...

[stephl]

Thanks for that. I agree that it's cheaper and I know of that ebayer, but again, the picture is different from the Porsche Design website, which leads me to believe that it's a knockoff.

 

Steph

 

I was about to say it looks exactly the same as the picture on the website when I noticed the difference in the cap band engraving. Well spotted! If you hadn't said there was a difference I probably wouldn't have noticed. It amazes me how elaborate these imitations are, I wonder how much difference in quality there is in the case of a (nearly) $300 imitation. I wonder if someone who'd never used an original would ever know...

 

I agree that someone who has never used an original would probably never know. The following site (http://www.wholesale-sale.com/Product_Catalog.asp) shows how good the imitators are getting. Although there is no specific mention of Porsche Design pens, the site shows how good replicas are getting and the variety of the brands tells me that we have to be careful about who we deal with on Ebay. So I'm still wondering whether we should deal with ebays like Pensinasia, Melpens, Pengallery... Mind you, I'm not at all accusing them of selling knockoffs, I'm just very wary and cautious right now, hence my question on FPN members' opinions.

 

Steph

[stephl]

Pelikan is also on the replica list.

 

I keep seeing Pelikans for sale on the FS forum and "for an extra $6, you get a box" (?!?!?!). I've seen replica sites that make Pelikans and for an extra $6 you can buy a box.

 

What the hey? Is FPN a hub for fake sellers?

 

Please don't take my comment to be an assault on anybody selling Pelikans. Just wondering.

[bardolator]

I thought the extra $6 was for shipping...? (since it would have to be shipped in a box rather than an envelope)

[stephl]

I thought the extra $6 was for shipping...? (since it would have to be shipped in a box rather than an envelope)

 

Got it. Makes more sense.

 

I'm asking these questions because I want to buy pens from our friends on the FPN vice on ebay, where most of the pens are fake.

 

Thanks for this.

[soleilo]

Thank you for the reminder.

[Left FPN]

This company, http://www.dhgate.com, manufacture (fake) almost every exotic item known to man and woman.

 

Now take a look at methods of payment and what do you find, yes Paypal.

 

Now who owns Paypal, right eBay.

 

Go to ebay rules and look up their policy on selling fake goods. They do not permit it....but you can still find fakes there.

 

So ebay dont want you to sell the fakes on their web but they are very happy to assist you buying them elsewhere. But then again there's big money to be made doing so.

 

I need say no more.

[stephl]

This company, http://www.dhgate.com, manufacture (fake) almost every exotic item known to man and woman.

 

Now take a look at methods of payment and what do you find, yes Paypal.

 

Now who owns Paypal, right eBay.

 

Go to ebay rules and look up their policy on selling fake goods. They do not permit it....but you can still find fakes there.

 

So ebay dont want you to sell the fakes on their web but they are very happy to assist you buying them elsewhere. But then again there's big money to be made doing so.

 

I need say no more.

<

 

WOW! I mean, WOW!

 

You can buy Bose headphones that cost $150 at the store for $15 here (obviously without the guarantee that you'll have the same quality). And you can buy pretty much anything know to man, as you say.

 

But there are things that we should take really seriously. Take Oakley sunglasses for instance. Buying ones from Ebay probably means that it comes from a company like this and unfortunately may not offer you the full UV A, B and C protection that is advertised. I wouldn't mess around with my eyesight to save money.

 

Steph

[AltecGreen]

This company, http://www.dhgate.com, manufacture (fake) almost every exotic item known to man and woman.

 

Now take a look at methods of payment and what do you find, yes Paypal.

 

Now who owns Paypal, right eBay.

 

Go to ebay rules and look up their policy on selling fake goods. They do not permit it....but you can still find fakes there.

 

So ebay dont want you to sell the fakes on their web but they are very happy to assist you buying them elsewhere. But then again there's big money to be made doing so.

 

I need say no more.

<

 

WOW! I mean, WOW!

 

You can buy Bose headphones that cost $150 at the store for $15 here (obviously without the guarantee that you'll have the same quality). And you can buy pretty much anything know to man, as you say.

 

But there are things that we should take really seriously. Take Oakley sunglasses for instance. Buying ones from Ebay probably means that it comes from a company like this and unfortunately may not offer you the full UV A, B and C protection that is advertised. I wouldn't mess around with my eyesight to save money.

 

Steph

 

 

There is something else to consider. A lot of these goods sold on that website may actually be identical to the real thing or at least use some of the same parts. A lot of the factories in China and a few other countries make these items for western companies and they are not above making a few extras for sale at a much lower price. That $150 msrp Bose headphone probably costs about $12 to make. The margin for retail stores on that pair of Bose headphones is 50%-75%. After removing the profit for Bose, distributors, shipping to and from and the actual cost for manufacture is around $12-15 bucks. I have a friend who works at a consumer electronics company with manufacturing in China. He gives me the inside scoop on the actual manufacturing costs for many of these items. He knows what his costs are and what his competitors pay.

 

Not all items have that kind of margin. Some have items are very competitive and have very low margins. Retail stores use those items to get you into the stores and you end up buying things like accessories and higher margin items like headphones. I had a friend accidentally receive an entire case of HDMI cables which have a high retail price. He tried to return the cables but the company said it was not worth the cost of return shipping. I have another friend whose brother in law in India runs a textile company that makes window treatments. What this guys makes is sold by Sears? In India, you can get the same item from the same factory for 1/3 to 1/4 the US price.

[chas]

I have a fake Mont Blanc Starwalker Roller Ball that I bought here on FPN some time ago for $15.00...it is easily the best Roller Ball I have ever owned, the pen is built like a battleship and is tough and heavy and like a MB......someone spent a lot of money to create this fake, I would not sell it for less than a $150.00...I'll post some pics later today.

 

Chas.

[chas]

Hello, if anyone out there has a fake Parker T-1 I would be happy to make an offer for it...thanks

 

Chas.

[Niskayuna55]

Thanks for posting this information!

[printhardcopy]

Strongly against fake !!!!

 

Fake item make me feel very uneasy and uncomfortable !!!!

 

Just there is a very common saying in Singapore....

 

If you dont have enough money to buy rolex (most favourite brand in singapore), dont use the money to buy a fake rolex,

use the money to buy a authentic seiko.

 

Im sure you will feel more comfortable with the authentic seiko.

[panda7]

Hello, how can I recognise fake Waterman Edison Boucheron LE?

 

I can buy one for 400EURO, but I think it is too cheap..

 

Thank you in advance

[Silvermink]

This company, http://www.dhgate.com, manufacture (fake) almost every exotic item known to man and woman.

 

Now take a look at methods of payment and what do you find, yes Paypal.

 

Now who owns Paypal, right eBay.

 

Go to ebay rules and look up their policy on selling fake goods. They do not permit it....but you can still find fakes there.

 

So ebay dont want you to sell the fakes on their web but they are very happy to assist you buying them elsewhere. But then again there's big money to be made doing so.

 

I need say no more.

 

I can guarantee you eBay doesn't have the spare time and manpower to vet the appropriateness of every single business and individual that accepts PayPal as a payment method. I imagine they operate primarily on reports, like eBay itself.