Just got a counterfeit copy of Tetris DS off eBay! UPDATED GOT MY REFUND JULY.6

You could also always do a charge back. In one of my last blogs I did a charge back with a guy having me pay for shipping at the post office to pick up the item, and once I went through my bank Paypal basically couldn't do anything. Granted the guy didn't use any form of delivery confirmation which was probably the nail in his coffin.
 
They didn't use DC either for what it's worth. Anyways I got an update today from Paypal. Here it is...

To continue with the investigation of your complaint, we must request
documentation to support your claim that the item is not authentic. Please
obtain a document from an unbiased, third-party, such as a dealer,
appraiser, or an organization that is qualified in the area of the item in
question (other than yourself), which clearly identifies the item as not
authentic. The document must specifically state how the item received
differs from an authentic item and must include a detailed explanation of
how the person evaluating the item determined that it is not authentic. If
possible, the document should include a serial number, and must be on
letterhead that includes the name, address, and phone number of the
business or organization so that PayPal may contact them if necessary.

The documents should be faxed to PayPal at (402) 537-5760 (please note this
is a United States phone number, if you are faxing from outside the United
States, you will generally need to dial 00 1 before the number). Please
include a cover sheet with your fax that includes the email address
registered on your PayPal account and the ID number of your claim
(PP-XXX-XXX-XXX), so we may attach the documents to your claim as quickly
as possible.

We must receive your fax by June 24, 2009 in order to proceed with the
investigation of your claim. If we do not receive your fax by June 24,
2009, your claim will be canceled. We are unable to grant extensions to
this time period. Please note that PayPal is unable to reimburse you for
any costs or fees that may be incurred in obtaining the requested
documents. Any documents you provide may also be supplied to the seller in
your dispute if necessary.

Thank you for your cooperation and patience. We regret any inconvenience
this request may cause.
Click to expand...

Am I screwed now? How can I find someone to verify this in ten business days without paying more than I paid for the game in the first place?
 
Well unless you know someone that can "evaluate" the product I would say do the charge back.

I swear pay pal is getting so stupid that if someone doesn't do DC I'm just going to claim I never received the item when the seller screws me over from now on.
 
[quote name='Monsta Mack']Well unless you know someone that can "evaluate" the product I would say do the charge back.

I swear pay pal is getting so stupid that if someone doesn't do DC I'm just going to claim I never received the item when the seller screws me over from now on.[/QUOTE]

I've got some friends who work at a large video chain in Canada. Im going to see if I can get them to give me a piece of company letterhead and I will type up an evaluation on that lol

Otherwise I am left with chargeback.
 
Can't you just show them pictures of what you received, then link to a website that shows counterfeit DS games? Are they really going to make you go through hoops? That is absolutely ridiculous!
 
I just checked the other users account on eBay and it says "No Longer A Registered User". This is such a pile of shit. It looks like I have to make time to call them tomorrow regardless.
 
did the guy send it with a tracking number?

i remember i brought a bootleg from china. rather then file an item not described and wasting my time proving it fake and mailing it back, i did a item not received instead since there's no tracking for airmail. got my money back.

do this next time if there's no tracking number.

oh and a chargeback always works too. paypal can't do squat about it.
 
[quote name='jubeininja69']did the guy send it with a tracking number?

i remember i brought a bootleg from china. rather then file an item not described and wasting my time proving it fake and mailing it back, i did a item not received instead since there's no tracking for airmail. got my money back.

do this next time if there's no tracking number.

oh and a chargeback always works too. paypal can't do squat about it.[/QUOTE]

That was another issue. He charged me $12 for Canada Post Parcel (which has tracking) and instead sent it Canada Post Lettermail which is cost him $1.18 and letter mail has no tracking.
 
Based on your Paypal update, I'd just file a chargeback with your credit card. If Paypal doesn't want to do the right thing, screw 'em.
 
I called paypal today and the gentleman on the phone after 30 minutes being on hold was extremely unhelpful. The users eBay account being suspended has no bearing on my case. I have 8 more days to provide documentation from a unbiased third party or I lose the claim and my money.
 
They want some kind of expert to verify it?

In the past, insurance companies have accepted my appraisals because I was a contributing writer to Video Game Bible, which was published and still available for sale.

You could ask if I would be acceptable to verify that the game is not authentic.
 
I had the same thing happen to me with the new Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia. It works in a DS Lite, but not the DSi. It's weird. Anyway, I told the seller I knew it was counterfeit and refunded my money, then closed his eBay account. So, I got a game for free lol.
 
Are you shitting me? The guy is suspsended, assumedly for selling bootlegs, and they want an "appraisal" of the game to determine it's a bootleg? Are you kidding me? It's not a fucking diamond! It's a game that originally retailed for 30-35 bucks. WTF! fuck Paypal! Jesus!
 
I hope this is a lesson to everyone to NEVER ORDER NINTENDO DS GAMES OFF OF EBAY! Chances are if a price looks too good to be true, use common sense and assume it is too good to be true. I mean, if we have to put a sticky topic with big bold words "DO NOT USE EBAY TO BUY NINTENDO DS GAMES" then damnit, that's what we should do.

I will be sending a letter to magiic that he can forward to pay-pal that includes the following four points.

-The cart is missing it's production stamp on the back, which is standard in all authentic North American DS games.

-The back cover of the case does not match or even come close to resembling an authentic copy of Tetris DS that was released anywhere in the world.

-The bar-code is not the barcode for Tetris DS (45496 73597). It is the barcode for Super Mario 64 DS (45496 73499)

-The instruction book does not match or closely resemble at all the authentic instruction book included with Tetris DS in North America or anywhere else in the world.
 
Honestly I agree with buying DS games on eBay. I got screwed plenty of times buying GBA carts as well. I've never seen "fake" UMDs so I assume It's safe to buy those, or XBox 360 games. Only way I'll buy either of those is with B&M receipt and I'm not talking Gamestop either cause I've seen fake carts slip through there.

So the DSI is basically fake cart proof? Cuz thats pretty damn interesting to.
 
Yeah, I've heard that about the DSi... But I wouldn't go so far as to say never to buy DS games off eBay. You just have to make sure if they are new they are factory-sealed and if not that there are complete pics showing the cover art, manual (and cart if possible). Then you ought to be able to tell. And of course don't buy anything from Hong Kong.

I definitely wouldn't buy any DS games that just use stock photos though - the burden is on the seller to demonstrate that it is the real thing. I've sold a few rarer DS games on eBay and I always make it as clear as possible that it is legit.
 
Yeah, the DSi was designed to not work with the R4, so I'm guessing the counterfeits use the same principle. As for a fake case... How the hell can you NOT get your hands on authentic extra DS cases? I seriously have between 30 and 50. Only thing I don't have a large supply of, actually, is extra PS3 cases. Only have about 8 of those. Your fuck up, as I sure you've figured out by now, is not simply claiming you never received it, especially since he didn't bother to use tracking.
 
[quote name='mietha']Yeah, the DSi was designed to not work with the R4, so I'm guessing the counterfeits use the same principle. As for a fake case... How the hell can you NOT get your hands on authentic extra DS cases? I seriously have between 30 and 50. Only thing I don't have a large supply of, actually, is extra PS3 cases. Only have about 8 of those. Your fuck up, as I sure you've figured out by now, is not simply claiming you never received it, especially since he didn't bother to use tracking.[/QUOTE]

I do find I tend to get punished for "playing by the rules" as it were.
 
I wonder if they're dragging their heels because the seller already pulled most of their funds, making it difficult for Paypal to get money for refunds...

Some new seller tried scamming me and some other buyers, but Paypal had locked the account during the dispute to issue refunds from it. If there wasn't enough money in the account, I'm sure Paypal would have made up some excuses for me.
 
I pulled out mine (didn't realize the game is that pricey, wow).

And yeah, horrible counterfeit.

The cart doesn't seem to have a Nintendo printed code on the back. Did you get any other inserts at all with it? Nintendo includes their Nintendo Power Pimp, Health & Safety Precautions, and the Wi-Fi Manual with the game as well.

The chip code is:
(arrow down)(blank)GB(blank)(blank)L-3(blank)(blank)C01-10

The middle and side connectors are also longer than the rest.

The game you got also does not include the TETRIS AUTHENTIC logo, which is important.

You may want to file the dispute as "Item not as described" instead of worrying with eBay over it being a bootleg to at least get your money back (or did I skip over that part?)
 
[quote name='Guerrilla']I wonder if they're dragging their heels because the seller already pulled most of their funds, making it difficult for Paypal to get money for refunds...

Some new seller tried scamming me and some other buyers, but Paypal had locked the account during the dispute to issue refunds from it. If there wasn't enough money in the account, I'm sure Paypal would have made up some excuses for me.[/QUOTE]

Was this the guy selling 150 different Xbox 360 games? I filed my dispute in time. Unfortunately, he has a "friend" that lived a grand total of 30 minutes from him based on address info that appears to be doing something similar with other folks (not that my report/warning to eBay meant jack)
 
[quote name='MrNEWZ']Was this the guy selling 150 different Xbox 360 games? I filed my dispute in time. Unfortunately, he has a "friend" that lived a grand total of 30 minutes from him based on address info that appears to be doing something similar with other folks (not that my report/warning to eBay meant jack)[/QUOTE]
Actually it was an interesting scam that didn't involve video games- the person was listing a number of collectable items that were in demand (resulting in bid wars). The guy posted shipping information but never shipped nor responded to very polite emails. He kept posting new stuff without shipping anything out. Anyway, I got tired of waiting and reported his failure to deliver- combined with other complaints (illegal products on eBay) his eBay and Paypal account were immediately locked.
 
I bought a Pokemon Platinum like this, once I seen the case and the game and the game would feeeze sometimes I said I never got the game and made them refund me, lol.It's what they get for selling them.
 
[quote name='MrNEWZ']I pulled out mine (didn't realize the game is that pricey, wow).

And yeah, horrible counterfeit.

The cart doesn't seem to have a Nintendo printed code on the back. Did you get any other inserts at all with it? Nintendo includes their Nintendo Power Pimp, Health & Safety Precautions, and the Wi-Fi Manual with the game as well.

The chip code is:
(arrow down)(blank)GB(blank)(blank)L-3(blank)(blank)C01-10

The middle and side connectors are also longer than the rest.

The game you got also does not include the TETRIS AUTHENTIC logo, which is important.

You may want to file the dispute as "Item not as described" instead of worrying with eBay over it being a bootleg to at least get your money back (or did I skip over that part?)[/QUOTE]

The ship has sailed on that option unfortunately.

[quote name='Aganar']If you're willing to open up the cartridge, you can compare it with Nintendo's Anti-Piracy pictures:

http://ap.nintendo.com/detect/photos/platform.jsp?platformId=3&categoryId=0

If your cartridge is indeed a bootleg, take a picture of it and show it to Paypal. Presumably Nintendo themselves should be considered a reputable source to Paypal when it comes to determining whether a Nintendo game is a bootleg.[/QUOTE]

They want an unbias third party to give them a written statement with contact info. Nintendo will not give me a written statement unfortunately.
 
ebay isnt really doing anything to kick these bootlegers off of their site. its money to them and i think they can always rub it off their shoulders if they find out its a true counterfeit. im not sure if nintendo really is doing anything about this. they are pretty hard on bootlegs and piracy but ebay seems to be an exception for them for some reason.

i lol'ed at the counterfeit Wii games!!! DVD-R BABY!
http://ap.nintendo.com/detect/photos/platform.jsp?platformId=4&categoryId=1

magiic what luck do you have with scammers on ebay! the ps3 ordeal was huge and now a ds bootleg!

btw to avoid booleg software on ebay, filter your search results to either CANADA or just USA. all counterfeit software comes and sold from china. just an fyi
 
[quote name='phear3d']ebay isnt really doing anything to kick these bootlegers off of their site. its money to them and i think they can always rub it off their shoulders if they find out its a true counterfeit. im not sure if nintendo really is doing anything about this. they are pretty hard on bootlegs and piracy but ebay seems to be an exception for them for some reason.

i lol'ed at the counterfeit Wii games!!! DVD-R BABY!
http://ap.nintendo.com/detect/photos/platform.jsp?platformId=4&categoryId=1

magiic what luck do you have with scammers on ebay! the ps3 ordeal was huge and now a ds bootleg!

btw to avoid booleg software on ebay, filter your search results to either CANADA or just USA. all counterfeit software comes and sold from china. just an fyi[/QUOTE]

ummm... Read much? He said the seller was from Canada.

Sorry about your luck magiic. But did you say they never ended up refunding you on the PS3? Didn't that happen to you at like launch???
 
Sorry man but You have the shittiest luck. Best of luck in getting this case resolved. Also why don't you used an unbiased CAG member to write a small written statement and help you get your money back ;)
 
Try finding a GameStop with knowledgeable employees?

Yea right, send it to Nintendo, then tell Nintendo the seller.
 
[quote name='phear3d']
btw to avoid booleg software on ebay, filter your search results to either CANADA or just USA. all counterfeit software comes and sold from china. just an fyi[/QUOTE]
There are many North American vendors that import these bootlegs and sell them on eBay, Craigslist or wherever because they get them at a discount. Sometimes it's unintentional, but usually not.
 
Op, I'm pretty sure if the seller doesn't respond with a legitimate (and understandable) reply to your claim, you do not have to provide proof of the games legitimacy. I had a similar case on eBay where I bought Mac OS X Leopard and received a burned DVD. The seller insisted that it was a special license that they were allowed to use to distribute the copies, or some other ridiculous excuse. Then again, I think the only reply they had to my claim was that they shipped the item to me (they must have thought I was filing a claim for non-delivery).

Long story short, I got to keep the discs and got my 60-70 bucks refunded, and I didn't need to get the DVD-R appraised. Hopefully you'll have a similar experience eventually.
 
I had something similar when i bought Kirby for ds bootlegged on ebay. I never got my refund because I'm too lazy to muck with a fax machine. The games playable and I never planned to resell it anyways but it did turn me off from buying ds games on ebay.
 
Wow, I'm sure Nintendo would like to know how EBay/Paypal puts people through hoops to get refunds when they get sent counterfeit games. Does Nintendo even care that there are thousands of bootlegs for sale on the site???
 
Yeah, I'd contact Nintendo customer support immediately and tell them that you received a bootleg from a seller and Paypal is going out of its way to protect the seller. Paypal doesn't care--it's money to them either way. But it's Nintendo's intellectual copyrights that are being compromised by the bootlegger. They'll be much more interested in tracking down and apprehending this guy.
 
[quote name='Aganar']Yeah, I'd contact Nintendo customer support immediately and tell them that you received a bootleg from a seller and Paypal is going out of its way to protect the seller. Paypal doesn't care--it's money to them either way. But it's Nintendo's intellectual copyrights that are being compromised by the bootlegger. They'll be much more interested in tracking down and apprehending this guy.[/QUOTE]

Submitting a report to Nintendo's anti piracy was the first thing I did. They didn't seem to care or at least the didn't acknowledge it.
 
[quote name='Josef']Wow, I'm sure Nintendo would like to know how EBay/Paypal puts people through hoops to get refunds when they get sent counterfeit games. Does Nintendo even care that there are thousands of bootlegs for sale on the site???[/QUOTE]


nope nintendo does not care.. when i got my 3 bootleg games they acted like it was no big deal. Never asked for sellers nameo r nothing
 
Once the seller was shut down Nintendo couldn't give two shits about the person who bought the game in question. Their attitude is that anyone who would buy a game off of Ebay when there are places to buy games (such as Walmart or Gamestop) covering every square mile on the globe is an idiot.
 
[quote name='magiic']Submitting a report to Nintendo's anti piracy was the first thing I did. They didn't seem to care or at least the didn't acknowledge it.[/QUOTE]

Yeah, those Nintendo folks are too busy counting the $$$ made by people who bought Wii-fits and now have them sitting in the closet eating dust.
 
I submitted a signed statement for him. As a published author (of sorts) on the subject of game collecting, I will likely do in regards to getting him his money refunded.
 
One would think the barcode not matching would be proof enough for them. If not, they're just outright condoning the sales of pirated goods. You should file a complaint with the Canadian version of the FTC in the event that happens because they are officially being assholes.
 
[quote name='Survivor Charlie']One would think the barcode not matching would be proof enough for them. If not, they're just outright condoning the sales of pirated goods. You should file a complaint with the Canadian version of the FTC in the event that happens because they are officially being assholes.[/QUOTE]

I'll work on finding out what the Canadian version. Thanks again for all your help in this.
 
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