# HUGE lot of fakes!



## mrstucker (Feb 22, 2006)

Check this out...

Ebay Fakes


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## Julia Vanhorn (Feb 22, 2006)

Did they make that many lustres?


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## MisStarrlight (Feb 22, 2006)

"EACH EYE SHADOW HAS THE BUILDING MIRROR & FOAM APPLICATION STICK"  The what?

And how do you know they're fake?...other than that's an obnoxious amount of shadows for no money to start.  I have no idea how to spot those things


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## tinagrzela (Feb 22, 2006)

OMG!!  
	

	
	
		
		

		
			





 As if she says that in Europe they use numbers, so she gives the American names for them. Whatever!  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I hope nobody gets duped by this...


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## mrstucker (Feb 22, 2006)

Though the seller's feedback is good, there is one comment (at least) where the buyer states e/s were fake....


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## moonrevel (Feb 22, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *MisStarrlight* 
_"EACH EYE SHADOW HAS THE BUILDING MIRROR & FOAM APPLICATION STICK" The what?

And how do you know they're fake?...other than that's an obnoxious amount of shadows for no money to start. I have no idea how to spot those things_

 
The first thing is the built in mirror and foam applicator...MAC has never made eyeshadows like that. If you look around ebay, you'll find auctions with pictures of them open. Under the shadow the pan will lift up and there's a mirror and an applicator, and those are total fakes. 

Other things are usually the boxes which will not have the "double window" thing going on. MAC shadows have two layers of cardboard on the front of the box where you can see the shadow, and the fakes only have one. Also, the numbers instead of color names. MAC always has color names.

If you weren't sure about that girl selling fake eyeshadows, just look at her other MAC items. She has those Pro Moist something or other glosses, which were never made, and that bizarre squeezy tube mascara, also not a MAC product.

Once you see some of the scams people have going on with the fake MAC, they get pretty easy to spot. They're especially hazardous to buy because the products are unregulated, which means that powder could be made of just about anything. Scary!


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## pumpkincat210 (Feb 22, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *MisStarrlight* 
_"EACH EYE SHADOW HAS THE BUILDING MIRROR & FOAM APPLICATION STICK"  The what?

And how do you know they're fake?...other than that's an obnoxious amount of shadows for no money to start.  I have no idea how to spot those things_

 
Sometimes their are pins(hinges) sticking out on the back.  Sometimes the   type is off on the MAC logo.. and the recycling thing won't be quite right.
I'd say just save your real packages and compare if you plan to buy off ebay.  So far i've only gotten one fake.. a Flammable paint.


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## Shawna (Feb 22, 2006)

I've never seen the fake paints.  How did you know it was a fake?


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## user3 (Feb 22, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Julia Vanhorn* 
_Did they make that many lustres?_

 
well yeah....there's 14 perm. ones and like right now there's 6 LE ones to buy. However, there's been more LE ones in the past.


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## midnightlouise (Feb 22, 2006)

And the real kicker is that she's charging $45 to ship out these fakes.  Nice.


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## cyens (Feb 22, 2006)

well its not 150 different colors, it 15 colors time 10... what the fuck are you suposed to do with 10 same colors first of all?!

still its fishy


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## jess98765 (Feb 23, 2006)

ohhh that's scary. It's true- you don't know at all what these things are made out of!


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## sigwing (Feb 23, 2006)

It says that some poor sucker used the Buy It Now.  If someone isn't savvy enough to know they're suspicious to begin with, why would they fork out that much money?  That's really unfortunate when/if it happens....and I've always wished there was a mini message board where people can post warnings about products or offer advice or something, like "This could be a fake!" but I suppose Ebay couldn't track all of that to make sure it wasn't being done vindictively or just as vandalism of listings.


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## sigwing (Feb 23, 2006)

There's a person that added to her feedback after figuring out she was cheated:
http://feedback.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI...tony_and_julia

I can't believe people rush in to leave good feedback for this seller, then are stuck.  There's a couple other add'l comments added to some of the feedback, but they show only one negative which is amazing.  It's a shame people would spend tons of money for MAC because they want it so badly, and they give it to someone like this who seems to be very successful at cheating people.  Has anyone reported them, I wonder?  I guess they'd just change their username.


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## a914butterfly (Feb 23, 2006)

i sent them a message that the mac products are fake and let them know they are decieving the public. wonder if they write me back?


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## MisStarrlight (Feb 23, 2006)

Not much the person can do now-dispute it w/ eBay maybe-but I feel like we should send this thread to them so at least they know.


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## user4 (Feb 23, 2006)

this is so sad... and i bet some people will totally fall for it... poor girl who paid freaking 400 bucks for all those fakes!!!!


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## sigwing (Feb 23, 2006)

The girl who shelled out 400 bucks lives in the UK....she could have taken that money anywhere & gotten the real stuff, or maybe ordered online from MAC.  Just weird.  And they claim the items are in New Jersey, but they actually are located & ship from Thailand.  I can't believe they've been a seller with that ID since 2001.


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## Ambi (Feb 23, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *midnightlouise* 
_And the real kicker is that she's charging $45 to ship out these fakes.  Nice.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 
Someone left them feedback saying "Item said to be shipped from NJ; came from thiland", I guess that's why it's so much? Real Thai-MAC...


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## a914butterfly (Feb 23, 2006)

they (tony_and_julia  from ebay) just send me back a message saying "thanks for your concern and usefull information"  i'm sure they know it's fake - but hey, i guess they dont care of they are making an extra buck?? i think it degrades MAC cause then people who dont know it's fake will think MAC is poor quality when it is not.


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## iheartjuppy (Feb 23, 2006)

*I wonder...*

If MAC gets ripped off double - first they lose money because people buy the fakes, then what if those people try to return the empties (of the fakes) for Back 2 MAC?  Most MAs don't really look all that closely at the empties being returned.  I'd hate for MAC to lose lipsticks over them too


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## sigwing (Feb 23, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *iheartjuppy* 
_If MAC gets ripped off double - first they lose money because people buy the fakes, then what if those people try to return the empties (of the fakes) for Back 2 MAC?  Most MAs don't really look all that closely at the empties being returned.  I'd hate for MAC to lose lipsticks over them too 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 
 Good point!

Can't they also take action on trademark infringement & patent issues, etc., to get legal action started against people who do this?  The sellers absolutely KNOW it's fake.  But like I said, I think it said they'd had that username & been sellers on ebay since 2001....I thought ebay watched scammers closer than this.


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## Ms. Z (Feb 23, 2006)

The items were probably purchased to resell to others. 



 Quote:

   Originally Posted by *jess98765* 
_ohhh that's scary. It's true- you don't know at all what these things are made out of!_


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## MACgirl (Feb 23, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *iheartjuppy* 
_If MAC gets ripped off double - first they lose money because people buy the fakes, then what if those people try to return the empties (of the fakes) for Back 2 MAC?  Most MAs don't really look all that closely at the empties being returned.  I'd hate for MAC to lose lipsticks over them too 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	


_

 

thats the one thing that worries me, poeple are so freakin depserate to make a quick buck, I hope someone reports that seller. Another thing as stated above, you never know what these products have in them. Which is worse when you think about an eye product, you could get so much ifnections....when will this stop??


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## cindyrella (Feb 23, 2006)

This is really scary. I'm rather new to MAC so people like me could be easily fooled. Shouldn't people like these be reported to Ebay as they state wrong information?


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## sigwing (Feb 23, 2006)

I thought they used to have a thing to click to "Report this Seller to Ebay," but I didn't find it.  Maybe Ebay is taking more of a caveat emptor approach and staying out of deciding what's fake or not, and letting people run the risk of wasting money and getting ripped off.


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## as_cute_as_pie (Feb 23, 2006)

about the 're sell' thing yeah the girl who bought them sells mac in her auctions havnt looked closely duno if it's fake or not


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## Ms. Z (Mar 3, 2006)

Report it to MAC

 Quote:

   Originally Posted by *sigwing* 
_I thought they used to have a thing to click to "Report this Seller to Ebay," but I didn't find it. Maybe Ebay is taking more of a caveat emptor approach and staying out of deciding what's fake or not, and letting people run the risk of wasting money and getting ripped off._


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## Pimptress (Mar 3, 2006)

BUT THE REAL QUESTION IS....... are the fake MAC e/s any good??


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## pumpkincat210 (Mar 3, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Pimptress* 
_BUT THE REAL QUESTION IS....... are the fake MAC e/s any good??_

 
no, they usually leave your eyelids within an hour... plus there are no controls on fakes, so who knows what you are putting on your lids, or whatever else..


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## Pimptress (Mar 3, 2006)

gross...


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## Unforgettable (Mar 4, 2006)

If anyone wants to help boot these people off eBay, here's the link to Report counterfeit or replica items.


I have reported this seller numerous times to eBay regarding their 'Replica, Counterfeit Items and Unauthorized Copies' policy, and every time I do someone has ended the auction early with the 'Buy it Now' option. It leaves me wondering if eBay investigates it any further since the item had been sold. The response that eBay provides is as follows: 

"...If the item you reported does not appear on its face to violate this policy, we may refer it to the intellectual property rights owner for review. If the rights owner has a good faith belief that the item is infringing, they may choose to send eBay a formal request to remove the listing." 

At this point they should have been, but I am unaware if MAC has in fact been notified.  

They (eBay) clearly state in their counterfeit policy that _if the product you are selling bears the name or logo of a company, but it wasn't made or endorsed by that company, *don't list it on eBay*. _ 

It's obviously fake to those of us who know the product, unfortunately, these buyers are unaware that it's fake. Because of the low-grade quality of these items, the buyers may be left with the impression that MAC products suck. Result = MAC gets the bad rap for it and it's possible that MAC has lost customers based on that theory alone. 

Just to keep it clear, my intent is not to start trouble. I am very passionate about getting rid of this bad seed and others like them. I like to look at it as preventative maintenance to help those people that are spending hundreds of dollars to buy this counterfeit crap.


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## Eemaan (Mar 4, 2006)

anyone informed the buyer the items are fake or perhaps he/she already knows?


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## Unforgettable (Mar 4, 2006)

It had been brought to their attention. I sent the seller a question about it back in January. They thank you for your concern, but they keep on listing them. That's when I decided to go ahead and report them to eBay whenever I came across those shadows.

I thought it would be a great idea for someone to list a "do not bid" style auction starting at $.01 that was strictly an informative one to let people know about the fakes.


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## FlaLadyB (Mar 4, 2006)

I have a question ---DOES MAC number their items instead of putting names on them in Europe?  If not....then did anyone mention that to EBAY? 
and...had anybody thought about contacting each of the BUYERS and asking them if they know if the item they bought is real or fake..or know the difference?


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## FlaLadyB (Mar 4, 2006)

also...

what about reporting them to MAC????


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## FlaLadyB (Mar 4, 2006)

one more question.....what about emailing the buyers before they end the sale -- and FYI email to ask or beware or hyperlink back to this discussion


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## pumpkincat210 (Mar 4, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *FlaLadyB* 
_also...

what about reporting them to MAC????_

 
If it's fake they might get sued.  I don't know b/c its in Canada.


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## FlaLadyB (Mar 5, 2006)

I emailed MAC...will see what they say


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## lara (Mar 5, 2006)

Quote:

  Item: * BNIB * MAC Eye Shadow *!Various Colours Available!* ( 5672270996)
This message was sent while the listing was active.
shpaholik21 is the seller.
No its not a fake, it may not be called 'blue' _the colours go by numbers_, it was just to help identify what colour eyeshadow, because i'm selling a few. Thankyou.  
 
I emailed a MAC seller today, and this was the response I got.  :roll: 

A fool and their money are soon parted, I suppose.


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## FlaLadyB (Mar 6, 2006)

LISTEN TO THIS!  Told you I had emailed MAC about the fakes?  This is their answer:

Dear Ms. ***,

Thank you for your interest in M.A.C.

In response to your inquiry, we would like to let you know that E-Bay is
not one of our authorized accounts, and we are therefore unable to control
the sale of products on this website.

We would like to let you know that we do periodically review the website
and as a rule, we do look into situations that warrant further
investigation. 

Once again, thank you for this opportunity to clarify our position.  We
hope to have the opportunity to serve you in the near future. 

Sincerely, 

Jessica Conti
Global Consumer Communications


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## Miss_Behave (Mar 6, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *FlaLadyB* 
_I have a question ---DOES MAC number their items instead of putting names on them in Europe?  If not....then did anyone mention that to EBAY? 
and...had anybody thought about contacting each of the BUYERS and asking them if they know if the item they bought is real or fake..or know the difference?_

 
no they don't! I'm from Germany and the e/s have the same name then anywhere else and NO numbers!


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## FlaLadyB (Mar 6, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Miss_Behave* 
_no they don't! I'm from Germany and the e/s have the same name then anywhere else and NO numbers!_

 

That's what I thought... read what MAC said back to me when I emailed them


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## FlaLadyB (Mar 6, 2006)

I just sent back this reply to their answer. Will see what I get back this time'

Is there NO WAY that MAC would prosecute the sellers of fake MAC products? Most of the public does not know what is a real MAC product and what is not - such as the pots that come with a sponge applicator inside the flip top.  I understand that Ebay is not an "account", but aren't the sellers infringing on your product copywrite or something?  Would MAC not join in with EBAY and their policy of not selling things that are not the real product?


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## Linda513 (Mar 6, 2006)

MAC is indeed able to control the sale of these products on ebay.  I know other people who sold handmade candles on ebay using the name "Red Currant" to describe the scent.  Votivo, who makes a red currant candle, went onto ebay, checked out who was selling these candles, got them taken off of ebay, and sent threatening letters to the sellers claiming that they couldn't use the name "Red Currant".  I don't know how they got the items delisted.

I also know of a famous knitwear designer named Alice Starmore who goes through ebay listings and makes sellers either take all pictures of her designs off of their listings, or remove the sale from ebay.  Again, I don't know how she does this, or if it is even legal.

The problem is it takes a lot of time and manpower to go through every listing on ebay every day and take action.  MAC probably feels that this is a minor problem for them, minor enough that they don't want to put this manpower into it.

Linda


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## FlaLadyB (Mar 6, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Linda513* 
_MAC is indeed able to control the sale of these products on ebay.  I know other people who sold handmade candles on ebay using the name "Red Currant" to describe the scent.  Votivo, who makes a red currant candle, went onto ebay, checked out who was selling these candles, got them taken off of ebay, and sent threatening letters to the sellers claiming that they couldn't use the name "Red Currant".  I don't know how they got the items delisted.

I also know of a famous knitwear designer named Alice Starmore who goes through ebay listings and makes sellers either take all pictures of her designs off of their listings, or remove the sale from ebay.  Again, I don't know how she does this, or if it is even legal.

The problem is it takes a lot of time and manpower to go through every listing on ebay every day and take action.  MAC probably feels that this is a minor problem for them, minor enough that they don't want to put this manpower into it.

Linda_

 
I want to know why EBAY does not do something about it! What do they want a 100 people saying ....they're FAKE! before they will do something???


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## pr1nces583 (Mar 11, 2006)

ive seen quite a few suspicious 'mac' eyeshadows on ebay. ive never bought any from there, mainly because id rather go to a counter or shop and see the colour im getting.

ive noticed that on ebay at the moment there is a large number of eyeshadows on the .co.uk site that are given a number and a vague description of the colour...no colour names....sounds dubious to me.

i worked out for myself a while ago that the ones with the mirror and brush were fakes as my genuine e/s has no such thing and they look cheaply made when u see a pic.

just be wary and if you think its a fake dont buy! as many people have said, who knows what is put in these fakes and what damage could it do to your skin or worse your eyes?!


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## fishchick72 (Mar 24, 2006)

I was so tempted to bid on these yesterday, thinking how much I could get for my money & I could sell off the extras of the same colors.  But the thing about the numbers instead of names seemed odd to me, so I'm glad I didn't do it.


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## mrstucker (Mar 24, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Philosopher* 
_anyone informed the buyer the items are fake or perhaps he/she already knows?_

 

I emailed the seller, and the winner.  The seller replied items were authentic.   The buyer never replied, but has listed the same items for sale since.    Too bad so many people are getting these fakes


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## SMMY (Mar 24, 2006)

I get aggressive when I mail sellers like that. I tell them that I have already contacted the manufacturer and confirmed that they never made any such product. Then let them try and explain how they are authentic then. It's much hard to B.S. someone under those circumstances.


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## fishchick72 (Mar 24, 2006)

I know how to email a seller of an item, but how do you also email the buyer of it too?


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## marykelancey (Mar 24, 2006)

So has anyone actually received a letter back from an ebay buyer of these "numbered" shadows?  What do they think?  And how do we know it wasn't a test product of MAC?  Or of a line that is to come out soon?  Buddng Beauty ended 3 days ago and that is not due to be released yet but we all know it is coming?  Does anyone on this site work for MAC and can get to the bottom of this?  I think we will all feel pretty stupid if these "numbered, mirrored and sponged" compacts actually turn up in stores later this year.  And many of us seem very frustrated.


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## SMMY (Mar 25, 2006)

Generally speaking because the quality of these items are so poor. Even if it was a "prototype" I would expect the quality would be better. I think it is safe to say that these are fakes. I am curious where they are made and what kind of standards are used in the manufacturing process. Pretty scary. 
Anyhow, this was the response back:
"Hi! 

we buy all products from reputable suppliers. If you are unhappy with any products you may return them unused for a full refund 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 "

Pretty much side-skirting the issue. I am sure they are fakes.


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## Cool Kitten (Mar 25, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *sxychika1014* 
_this is so sad... and i bet some people will totally fall for it... poor girl who paid freaking 400 bucks for all those fakes!!!!_

 
that "poor girl" is re-selling them on e-bay. Not much pity for her.
Wonder if she should be reported along with the original seller?
http://search.ebay.ca/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQf...sassZnicky8219


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## LuvBeMac (Mar 25, 2006)

how to differentiate fake and original items??I HATE LIAR!!


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## marykelancey (Mar 25, 2006)

Maybe this will help:  One of the big sellers of these numbered shadows is in Woodbridge, NJ.  There is a CCS there. SO I called them.  According to them, all shadows are named.  So we know the seller didn't get them there!


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## Vicky88 (Mar 25, 2006)

I'm really wary of buying MAC from eBay, I wouldn't be able to spot fake ones.

But I know that the eyeshadows don't have the mirror layer, and I'm pretty sure that European packages do have names. :/


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## Vicky88 (Mar 25, 2006)

Oh wait, where is the MAC logo on the packet? Plus, in the close-up, the texture/finish of the box looks fake. lol someone bid 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I feel sorry for them..

 Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Cool Kitten* 
_that "poor girl" is re-selling them on e-bay. Not much pity for her.
Wonder if she should be reported along with the original seller?
http://search.ebay.ca/_W0QQfgtpZ1QQf...sassZnicky8219_

 
She might not know that they're fake though... in that case, there's nothing wrong with reselling them.


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## SMMY (Mar 25, 2006)

Except that it perpetuates fakes being sold on eBay and makes prospective buyers more wary of purchasing products there. I really blame eBay for not policing their sales better. It has become so bad, that I am really considering not purchasing there anymore unless I know the seller from previous purchases. I have reported sales of fake items, bootlegged CDs and such and never received a response back from eBay. I think that if eBay fails in the future, it will be due to lack of customer response and policing their auctions. I don't expect them to police every auction, but the increase of fraud and blatant ripoffs, begins to make buying through regular online retailers look really good. At least MAC, Sephora and other online merchants stand behind their products. You get what you pay for in this case.


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## Cool Kitten (Mar 25, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Vicky88* 
_She might not know that they're fake though... in that case, there's nothing wrong with reselling them._

 
yes she does. Someone here e-mailed her.


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## kaliraksha (Mar 25, 2006)

I think generally the company has to want to be notified... I once went through the FAQ's and there is a list of companies that participate in their program to get fakes off of Ebay.. I think it's called Verio. You can directly email them from there and then the company will send the user an email and contact Ebay to have it removed.   I was looking for the company name of a spanish production company (I knew it wouldn't be on there but I wanted to try) because there was a user plain out selling her copied vhs series of a show they produced for about 500-600 dollars... and I just thought it was ridiculous... I was interested in the series and would not have even paid that much if it was real.  I was really upset that people think they can do that... she didn't even try to make it crafty like "you are purchasing the tapes from me... and my time... what's on it is...."  I notified Ebay but since the intellectual property rights owner did not show the interest in being enrolled in the program they basically did nothing.


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## gnippy (Mar 25, 2006)

When I was very new to MAC I bid on an auction for MAC pigments.  Fortunately as an active member of MUA I checked out some of the names as they weren't ones I had heard before.  Low and behold, they were fakes.  He was using some of the L'Oreal OTLs as MAC pigments.  And then of course there was the off stuff that no one had heard of.

When I confronted him he told me they were "European" releases and that is why no one had heard of them.  But, he refunded my $ w/no argument.


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## ghostangel (Mar 25, 2006)

This is the same seller that was selling fake Chanel lipglosses a while back. I emailed one of the buyers (for the fake MAC lot) and she is pissed & trying to get out of it now. I hope she does!


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## ghostangel (Mar 25, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *fishchick72* 
_I know how to email a seller of an item, but how do you also email the buyer of it too?_

 
Click on the buyers feedback number & then on the right side you will see contact this member.


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## Vicky88 (Mar 25, 2006)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Cool Kitten* 
_yes she does. Someone here e-mailed her._

 
Ohh really? Okay, I'll shh now.


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## cakes (Mar 25, 2006)

Anytime I see auctions with FAKE items (whether it be MAC, purses, or shoes), I always contact eBay with the auction #s. Even if the auction has ended, they will still look into it. My boyfriend ended up buying a fake pair of Nikes on eBay and won the auction. I contacted eBay and they still cancelled the auction even though it ended already. The seller contacted my boyfriend and asked him he still wanted to pay for the shoes but of course he passed. 

I think whenever we see these items, we should always contact eBay. It won't completely stop them but even a little bit will help.

Also, check this LJ community for help spotting fake MAC- http://community.livejournal.com/counterfeit_mac/


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## wannabelyn (Mar 26, 2006)

it's despicable!
with the fake bags and clothes out there the last thing we need is fake cosmetics!


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