**IMPORTANT** Pirates R US -Ebay Fraud

[Captain Morgana Bloodheart]

AHOY ME HEARTIES!! I be havin' interesting news regardin' our ol' chum PIRATESRUS, our friendly local landlubbin', functionally illiterate EBAY pirate: http://stores.ebay.com/Pirates-R-Us. Or if you rather, Mr. POTC Prop.

I was asked earlier this evening to deliver a very important message from John owner of www.deadmentellnotales.com. It seems that John has narrowed down the search for "PiratesRus" and the bildge water is about to hit the fan. I would appreciate if you know anybody who has bought a "POTC Prop" from PiratesRus, please direct them to this message

Copy/paste from an email

John says:

Re: PiratesRUs Fraud

We have several people

investigating this and we have temporarily suspended shipments to some of our wholesale customers while we look into this. We are also in contact with eBay, but we can use your help. If you know anyone who has purchased anything from piratesrus, please ask them to send us any information they have on this dealer, such as name, address, phone number, email address, even city or state -- anything that will help us in our investigation. We will really appreciate it and it will assist us in putting this dealer out of business and prevent further people from being fraudulantly ripped off by them.

What we need is any information we can get from one of his buyers. A copy of one of his email notes would be great. If you know anyone who has bought from him, please have them contact me at this address

Re: PiratesRUs Fraud

Date: 8/29/2004 11:27:35 PM Pacific Daylight Time

From: pirates@ferncanyonpress.com <<<<< EMAIL ADDRESS!!

Cheers,

John

http://www.DeadMenTellNoTales.com

***Note from Cap'n Morgana - PM me or email me, I have his phone number also, didn't want to post it on an open forum,..Thanks

[Iron Bess]

Capt'n John and I have shared a few tales on this scum and his information is now happily in the hands of the Disney Legal dept.

And let me tell you... they were HAPPY!!!

[Mad Grace Oakum]

I'm so glad ta see this bilge rat is being taken care of. :)

Twas I who sent the the good people at deadmentellnotales a little message about

Mr. MyAss.com 's fraudulent activites. Of course they might have known before I said anything.

The scum was stealing some of their pictures to sell his merchandise.

[Captian Wolfy Wench]

Arrrgh, I'm sure I woulda bought 'is stuff at one time or another if'n I hadn't read this message! >.O

Captain Wolfy Wench

[Charity]

This makes me feel good, it tells me my instincts are still in good shape!

I just KNEW it, that this guy wasn't any good..the smell told me

Barbossas hat indeed, it stank so hard you couldn't miss it.

I'm very happy to see all this happening, well done Bess

[Hunting Hawk]

I think if they sue him, the judge should let us decide on the punishment. Ther aint nothin better then pirate justice. Arrrgggghhhh!

I did notice the boarding cutlass 'prop' he be sellin' is the same one I bought from an honest dealer, thirty dollars cheaper than what he has it for.

[Charity]

Aye, i say let's let Capt. Barbossa decide on his faith, i'm sure he'll be thinking up something very nice

By the way, where is our capt. anyways these days?

[Tall Paul]

Is He Back ???????????????

Take a look at this ebay shop.

http://stores.ebay.com/Factory-Direct-Part...1QQftidZ2QQtZkm

These auctions share a lot of common features with those of our old friend Pirates-r-us.

Low cost items sold as authenticated props.

Auction photographs of stills from film usually not relating in any way with the "prop" for sale.

item pictures sometimes taken from origional seller (In this case directly from the jas townsend website.)

This time he is selling on behalf of an uncle who was a re-enactor who worked on both POTC, The Alamo, the Patriot and Band of Brothers (which filmed in England and France)

What do you think?

our old friend or a new kid on the block?

By the way, A sword (Worth about £45 -£55) Just sold for £125 on ebay as an origional prop with a COA from Piratesrus, a division of Nine Eleven Enterprises.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...me=STRK:MEWA:IT

And a framed Denix pistol sold for £41 with a similar Certificate Of Authenticity

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...me=STRK:MEWA:IT

So the Pirates-R-Us Legacy lives on

[Charity]

In the extra's on the dvd they show (in pirate diary) all the swords, and none of the cutlasses was of this type.

I cannot imagine there just "happened' to be one like that somewhere..

They seemed to have mostly the same style which was nothing like this.

It's sure looking like the other stuff is the same guy..

[Sjöröveren]

I just sent off a message to Jas. Townsend & Sons, letting them know that they're being ripped off. They may not be the size of Disney, but they are still honest merchants trying to make an honest dollar, and don't need any "help" from charlatans.

This guy needs to learn the full definition of "no quarter given." Until he stops pulling this crap, we will not let him find safe harbour!

The oddest thing about this is that most of this stuff is quality merchandise, but since he's already paying retail price, he has to find a way to sell it for more. Just tell the truth, stupid! People will still buy it. Or find a wholesaler! Cripes, what a lowlife!

[Tall Paul]

For some strange reason, The hats are less than the cocked hats on the Jas Townsend website. Since everything else is greatly marked up, I am wandering if the tricorns are "as pictured" or if he is using the picture to sell similar items that he already has.

[Rumba Rue]

I can tell you with absolute fact, that sword IS NOT from POTC.

I have one, and I know of many others who have them too.

I got mine for $125.00 at the Tinderbox smoke shop and gifts, some others have paid more or less for theirs at other places.

Rumba

[Tall Paul]

I just saw the latest "Prop" from Factory Direct Parts,

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...item=7519940696

I think that this confirms that this is pirates-r-us back again.

I distinctly remember that photo of Bruckhiemer being used on a Piratesrus auction.

I dont know how how things are done in the movies in the USA, but I have worked on a number of feature films here in the UK, including American productions like King Auther, and a sharp like that being used as anything other than a featured item under safe conditions, would be un herd of. Any daggers like that, used by extras, or stuntmen, would at the very least be blunted, and most likly it would be cast from hard rubber or plastic. Also it would be distressed to make it look grubby and old, not shiny and new as this dagger looks.

Just a thought, strictly speaking, Jas Townsend have not been ripped off, but if you look at the ebay terms and conditions, this seller has broken the rules by using the pictures lifted from the Jas Townsend website.

Unforunately, the only person who can complain to ebay about this is the true holder of the rights to the image, IE Jas Townsend.

[Sjöröveren]

For some strange reason, The hats are less than the cocked hats on the Jas Townsend website. Since everything else is greatly marked up, I am wandering if the tricorns are "as pictured" or if he is using the picture to sell similar items that he already has.

My thoughts exactly. I'm sure he went out and found a nice picture of a legitmately good hat, and delivers one of those "hillbilly" hats straight out of Dogpatch USA. (you know the ones with the little x cut so you can stick a corn-cob pipe in it.)

[Sjöröveren]

Just a thought, strictly speaking, Jas Townsend have not been ripped off, but if you look at the ebay terms and conditions, this seller has broken the rules by using the pictures lifted from the Jas Townsend website.

Unforunately, the only person who can complain to ebay about this is the true holder of the rights to the image, IE Jas Townsend.

Theft of intellectual property, like a copyrighted photo, is still theft.

[Ace of Harbor Bay]

Here's another interesting one

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...7326775245&rd=1

[Tall Paul]

Thats Exactly my point!

Jas Townsend have no control over what happens to their goods once they have sold them.

But according to the ebay rules, re-using photographs is a breach of terms. under the VeRO Programme http://pages.ebay.co.uk/vero/

However, only the holder of the rights can make participate, so only Jas Townsend can make a complaint.

They may not consider it worth the trouble.

[Rumba Rue]

Here is a reply from Christine Lampe/Jamaica Rose:

I just checked with John of Dead Men Tell No Tales (Fern Canyon) and he

says this is an old issue and an old message.

Here's his reply below:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This is a very old email from when we were trying to identify the person

who was selling items bought from us on eBay as official POTC movie

props. We were able to find his identity and reported him to Disney

execs. I don't know what, if anything, became of him. EBay showed no

interest in stopping his fraud, so unless Disney got after them, he's

probably still cheating people. We stopped selling to him once we

discovered who he was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

--Christine

[blackjohn]

Has this fellow, in any of his descriptions, actually said "this prop was used in this film"??? I haven't read but a few of his auctions, but in this Caveat Emptor world, I saw nothing in those few that would lead me to believe the prop was actually in the film.

[Sjöröveren]

Thats Exactly my point!

Jas Townsend have no control over what happens to their goods once they have sold them.

But according to the ebay rules, re-using photographs is a breach of terms. under the VeRO Programme http://pages.ebay.co.uk/vero/

However, only the holder of the rights can make participate, so only Jas Townsend can make a complaint.

They may not consider it worth the trouble.

OK, I get it now. I must have been a bit sleepy before. I haven't heard back from them, so I hope they're following up on it.

[Sjöröveren]

Has this fellow, in any of his descriptions, actually said "this prop was used in this film"???  I haven't read but a few of his auctions, but in this Caveat Emptor world, I saw nothing in those few that would lead me to believe the prop was actually in the film.

Here's his copy cut directly from the listing that Ace of Harbor Bay just linked to:

ORIGINAL MOVIE PROP

"PIRATE BONE BOX"

From the Block Buster

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN

Now is you time to own a piece of MOVIE HISTORY. You are Bidding on a Original Movie Prop used in the Pirates of the Caribbean. This was used as a background prop.

This listing seems to be from a different seller, but same old crap. I've seen items like this bone box selling at tourist traps selling for less than $5.

[morgan_thelimey_grimmway]

By the way, A sword (Worth about £45 -£55) Just sold for £125 on ebay as an origional prop with a COA from Piratesrus, a division of Nine Eleven Enterprises.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...me=STRK:MEWA:IT

And a framed Denix pistol sold for £41 with a similar Certificate Of Authenticity

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...me=STRK:MEWA:IT

So the Pirates-R-Us Legacy lives on

:: cough snarfle wheeze ::

Are you kidding me? 41 Quid for a Denix?!!!

I got an english flintlock and a blunderbuss from them for about 30 DOLLARS each.

This guy's an ass!

Also, I've seen that same sword at Cons, for a crap-load less than that. Freakin' ridiculous, I tell you!

And, speaking of fraud, I got totally shafted on e-bay last year. I bought a medieval crossbow, supposedly sca approved, and i never got it, never got a refund, and the guy won't return e-mails anymore. he got kicked off of ebay and paypal.

I ahve his real name and his SCA name, but don't know what to do about this. I was considering writing to his Baron and Baroness, and letting them know what he'd done, since he's a Knight.

I think i'ts too late now to move for a wire fraud charge.

[Rumba Rue]

Ah fer cryin' out loud! Someone put this guy outta business!

That friggin' box type can be found just about anywhere - Big Lots, Cost Plus, Target, K-Mart, Michaels, and on and on, really cheap!!!

[Sjöröveren]

By the way, A sword (Worth about £45 -£55) Just sold for £125 on ebay as an origional prop with a COA from Piratesrus, a division of Nine Eleven Enterprises.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vie...me=STRK:MEWA:IT

So let me get this straight... The COA comes from Pirates-r-us? People who buy this stuff must be the same people who play 3 card monte, hoping that they'll get lucky eventually.

[Tall Paul]

I have a small collection of props from pirate films, so I have an ebay search set up to help me.

I have not bought any of the advertised POTC Props advertised, because none of them inspire enough confidence for me to risk my hard earned cash.

However, I now have no doubt whatever that the traider calling himself "Factory Direct Parts" is the con artist formally known as Piratesrus.

He has started to flood the market with his tat, and I recognise some of the pictures of items as those used by Piratesrus.

However he is now using the "Buy it now" option, and seems to be doing a steady turnover.

At one point he was selling three Jas Townsend Gorgets, as Patriot props, each described as "Unique"

People seem to put a lot of faith in Certificates of authenticity, without ever questioning the authenticity of the certificate.