Wow, Ebay is flooded with DS bootlegs

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I haven't checked out Ebay for a few months, but I have been looking to pick up some recent DS games for a little under retail. Holy crap, the place is flooded with bootlegs. It's used to be that buying the game complete in box, or sealed in box was a good way to assure you were getting a legit game. No longer. Dozens of each game I looked for were bootlegs. I'd say almost all of the sealed copies are. Luckily, it is easy to detect these. Stock photos. "English" version. Now the sellers are wording these auctions with "works for your DS and DS Lite" or "game for your DS Lite", ensuring to not mention the DSi, since they know it won't work. Initially, sellers would say "does not work with DSi", but that is far too obvious.

I don't really care that these people are taking advantage of uninformed buyers, but it makes it damn hard for me to find a legit copy in this sea of fakes.
 
This is why I refuse to buy used GBA or DS games online unless it comes with a manual and box. If I'm at Gamestop or another store that sells used games at least I can inspect them then and there for legitness.

In the case of eBay I e-mail the seller and ask for more/better photographs if necessary. And a return option must be available.
 
yeah I got duped into buying mario party ds. multiplayer wouldnt work. Seller refunded my money. Lesson learned.
 
I've gotten pretty good at spotting bootlegs on eBay now as of the last year. And they seem to be getting ballsier since US sellers are starting to pull this crap now. :D
 
[quote name='maximumzero']This is why I refuse to buy used GBA or DS games online unless it comes with a manual and box. If I'm at Gamestop or another store that sells used games at least I can inspect them then and there for legitness.

In the case of eBay I e-mail the seller and ask for more/better photographs if necessary. And a return option must be available.[/QUOTE]

if they seller said it will work on DSi than it is not a bootleg
 
[quote name='Droenixjpn']I don't use eBay anymore, I'd rather just buy them off amazon.[/QUOTE]

It seems like every hot release Nintendo game sold on Amazon Marketplace (new or used) contains lots of copies saying things such as "Does not work on DSi".

Here's an actual example:

 
It's a shame, because I'm sure I pass up some decent sellers just because they are using a stock photo. I don't even bother reading the text of any auction using a stock photo now. For this same reason, whenever I am selling anything, I ensure to include at least one actual photo.
 
eBay's general level of scumminess has been on the rise for years. I wish Nintendo would find some way to level a massive lawsuit against them on the grounds that they're allowing the sale of pirated items.
 
I agree that Ebay is pretty bad lately. I'd have to say that Amazon Marketplace is even worse.(no pictures) The only place I ended up with any bootlegs from was Amazon Marketplace when I bought some GBA games.
 
[quote name='Zing']It's a shame, because I'm sure I pass up some decent sellers just because they are using a stock photo. I don't even bother reading the text of any auction using a stock photo now. For this same reason, whenever I am selling anything, I ensure to include at least one actual photo.[/QUOTE]
feedback is way more powerful than pictures.
 
what amazes me is some of them have sold hundreds of bootlegs and still have perfect feedback. I was trying to get tetris for my dad for xmas, which is pretty much impossible to find. I decided to take a chance on a guy with perfect feedback, all from ds games, and sure enough it was an obvious bootleg. The UPC code was for a different game altogether(mario 64) and the instructions were clearly fake. I'll admit I had my doubts the game would be authentic, but since its out of print, I had to take a chance.

When I looked a little closer at the dude's feedback many people pretty much said or insinuated they got bootlegs but still left positive feedback since they got a refund. Regardless of receiving a refund, leaving positive feedbag to a thief selling illegal copies of a game is a major problem on ebay from what I can tell. I'm guessing the only reason people are leaving these criminals positive feedback is fear of a retaliatory negative. YOU CANNOT RELY ON FEEDBACK.

[quote name='62t']if they seller said it will work on DSi than it is not a bootleg[/QUOTE]

this is not true: as the seller advertised it would work on dsi, which it does, but their is absolutely no doubt its a bootleg. I can tell you from experience their are bootlegs that work on dsi.

edit: apparently it may depend on your dsi version, as i found this in a crooks listing just now...."can't play on 1.40 version dsi"[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]


[/FONT]
 
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^For the general ebay user I agree. But its just like you said, on closer inspection of the FB you saw that they were selling bootlegs. The advice I give to new ebay users is to educate yourself about the product (and ebay) you want to buy before making a purchase. Anyone can doctor a photo, feedback (as imperfect as it is) is the best ebay has to offer.
 
I'm relatively surprised anyone still buys DS games... Much less bootlegs them anymore.

DS turned out much like the PSP, didn't it?

Isn't there any way to get these jackasses off of Amazon atleast?
 
[quote name='caltab']what amazes me is some of them have sold hundreds of bootlegs and still have perfect feedback. I was trying to get tetris for my dad for xmas, which is pretty much impossible to find. I decided to take a chance on a guy with perfect feedback, all from ds games, and sure enough it was an obvious bootleg. The UPC code was for a different game altogether(mario 64) and the instructions were clearly fake. I'll admit I had my doubts the game would be authentic, but since its out of print, I had to take a chance.

When I looked a little closer at the dude's feedback many people pretty much said or insinuated they got bootlegs but still left positive feedback since they got a refund. Regardless of receiving a refund, leaving positive feedbag to a thief selling illegal copies of a game is a major problem on ebay from what I can tell. I'm guessing the only reason people are leaving these criminals positive feedback is fear of a retaliatory negative. YOU CANNOT RELY ON FEEDBACK.



this is not true: as the seller advertised it would work on dsi, which it does, but their is absolutely no doubt its a bootleg. I can tell you from experience their are bootlegs that work on dsi.

edit: apparently it may depend on your dsi version, as i found this in a crooks listing just now...."can't play on 1.40 version dsi"[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]


[/FONT][/QUOTE]

You can't leave negative feedback for the buyer anymore. Feedback doesnt tell much unless you go through a few pages because most people cant tell they got a bootleg.
 
[quote name='62t']You can't leave negative feedback for the buyer anymore. Feedback doesnt tell much unless you go through a few pages because most people cant tell they got a bootleg.[/QUOTE]

I've only sold stuff on ebay recently... i went back and checked and just now see I was just flat out wrong and didn't even notice I couldn't leave negative feedback.

Also, the problem with bootleg's and feedback goes beyond just people who don't know they received bootleg's...just from the example I've cited, there are like a dozen people who knew they received bootlegs but still left positives and said things like "not as described, but received refund." It's definitely my fault for not reading them more closely, but I wish people wouldn't let crooks of the hook just cause they got a refund. Leaving them positive feedback just further legitimizes them and allows them to continue their crimes. I wonder why they would leave positive feedback when retaliatory negatives are off the table.
 
[quote name='banpeikun']does this one look legit?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Izuna-2-The-Une...ames_Games?hash=item45f027c367#ht_1495wt_1165

didn't really think there was too much risk it was bootleg because it's not in very much demand. if i was going to bootleg izuna, i'd do the first one.[/QUOTE]

It is most likely legit. There's no pictures or anything, but I'd imagine that it's official. The only way to really tell with this one would be to order it yourself, but I wouldn't be too worried as there aren't any telltale signs in that listing. However I would be wary about purchasing more expensive carts on eBay from less reliable buyers. Your best bet would be to purchase games in stores if you want to be 100% sure, but this looks like it would probably be official to me.
 
[quote name='xxDOYLExx']feedback is way more powerful than pictures.[/QUOTE]

Feedback means nothing in this case. The bootleg sellers just offer refunds in exchange for positive feedback.
 
Yeah. I just bought 3 games and they came.... bootleg! I told the seller he had better return my money plus postage to send them back or I'm reporting him to ebay. This is ridiculous. I did put in disputes with paypal. That would freeze their account if they refuse.
 
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[quote name='formerroadie']Yeah. I just bought 3 games and they came.... bootleg! I told the seller he had better return my money plus postage to send them back or I'm reporting him to ebay. This is ridiculous. I did put in disputes with paypal. That would freeze their account if they refuse.[/QUOTE]


see this is the problem...the person who sent you those games is committing a crime, by letting him off if he gives you a refund you are helping him to continue to perpetrate his criminal activity and victimize others. Regardless of whether he gives you a refund he should be reported to ebay and given negative feedback that helps to inform others.
 
The bootleggers annoy me to no end. I just got a used copy of the newest Prof. Layton off Ebay for ~$19 shipped, and it didn't say anything about not working on the DSi. Heck, the lady/guy told me they got it at Wal-Mart. My BS detector goes off when the package comes and it's in one of those huge ass white cases. Of course it has the usual differences on the cartridge as well (the green below the bronze 'teeth' instead of all black, the spacing between the Pat Pending and the black inked serial, etc) and won't play in my DSi. Finally thought I was safe buying not only from an American address, but from one where there was no mention of 'NOT for DSi' and (due to the description) obviously from someone's personal collection. Guess not.

I figure the person may be BSing me, saying they "got it at WalMart for my spouse and it played fine," though I can't be sure. The person doesn't have much feedback, but I looked at it and there are apparently quite a few legit games on there (PS3/PS2 games) so this seller could have honestly just not known jack shit about it, but it still begs the question: bootlegged games in Wal-Mart in those ridiculous clear cases? (I guessed it was a possibility due to return fraud perhaps?) Also, oddly enough, I think this particular seller suspects ME of BSing. Even if he was playing stupid though, I explained to him the huge ass ways to spot an obvious fake (starting with the damn box and manual) and how they would play on the DS/DSLite, but not the DSi. I have a friend with a DSLite though that offered to pay me for the game, exactly what I paid for it. The guy doesn't take returns, and I managed to find a slightly more expensive used copy from a rather reputable seller.

*I apologize for the mini-rant, but I've never actually gotten a bootlegged game from an AMERICAN address. I expect it when I see $15-16 copies of NEW games shipped from Hong Kong or elsewhere in China. Hell, I bought a cheap (and obviously bootlegged) copy of Sonic Chronicles back before I even knew about bootlegged DS games (which is how I knew all the telltale signs; I took out my Sonic Chronicles case and cartridge and compared them with the Layton case/cart) but even those bootlegs now say that they can't play in the DSi.*
 
Check the items the seller sells. If the seller only sells a certain type of good that is highly pirated, ie. DS games, then you should be suspicious. If they sell a wide variety of games, ps3, xbox 360, or even non game related stuff, then it's probably a safe bet.
 
I've only bought 2 DS games from ebay and I made sure it was a sale with multiple pictures, from North American sellers, and didn't have any of the other tell-tale signs.

Another thing I did to protect me was I emailed the sellers before I bid asking them if it was a bootleg game. I also asked if they knew how to spot bootlegs because I'd be happy to tell them if they didn't.

That helped cover me in case they either didn't know about bootlegs, or if they tried selling me a game knowing it was a fake.
 
I haven't had any bad experiences from ebay sellers, being cautious goes a long way. I bought Castlevania: OoE & Panzers Tactics brand new for $15 each (this was their MRSP was going for $25 a few months back). Made sure they were NA sellers, 100% feedback, and checked their feedback by other buyers. If your just paranoid, look up their ID on google, and you might find some bootleg thread about them.
 
It's been that way for years, really. Just remember that if it comes from Hong Kong, it's a bootleg 100% of the time.
 
[quote name='Zing']I didn't know what this "clear case" thing was about until today. I have a saved search for Mario Kart DS, and this auction showed up.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220542488194

Clear case. Cart label is printed off-center. "NEW FOR DS AND DS LITE!"

Seller clearly knows this one is fake.[/QUOTE]

They're selling other bootlegs as well, such as Mario & Luigi. They also curiously have several copies of Tomb Raider Underworld for the DS for sale.
 
I report their asses when I find them. I got three just like it. Got the money back by threatening to turn them in and put a hold on my paypal money. They responded instantly. Pisses me off.
 
Maybe this is just a strange conspiracy theory, but maybe nintendo and them arent doing anything about this so that people that want legit copies will have to buy them new and full price as opposed to risk getting a bootleg. A good way to infiltrate the used game business by allowing shitty boots to flood the market making only new copies the only way to go. Dunno, sounds like a stretch, but possible.
 
[quote name='tankass']Maybe this is just a strange conspiracy theory, but maybe nintendo and them arent doing anything about this so that people that want legit copies will have to buy them new and full price as opposed to risk getting a bootleg. A good way to infiltrate the used game business by allowing shitty boots to flood the market making only new copies the only way to go. Dunno, sounds like a stretch, but possible.[/QUOTE]

Problem is many bootleg games are out of print games like Tetris
 
Just for the hell of it, I emailed that Ebay seller asking if he knew they were bootlegs. He responds with "What? How do you know? I bought them from a US Seller! Did I get ripped off?"

I think he is just frontin' like he doesn't know.
 
[quote name='Zing']Just for the hell of it, I emailed that Ebay seller asking if he knew they were bootlegs. He responds with "What? How do you know? I bought them from a US Seller! Did I get ripped off?"

I think he is just frontin' like he doesn't know.[/QUOTE]

Ask him to read the manual and/or tell you what the table of contents says. If there's no table of contents, and the manual just contains paragraphs of descriptive text with pictures from the game, then that's just more proof. Quite often the manuals are just cut and pasted reviews.

As I posted before, it's just funny how easy it is to spot a fake once you start to look for the telltale signs. The cart is riddled with them, while the case and manual are enormous tip-offs. It seems like the bootleggers have taken to printing manuals/cover art on higher quality paper though, as that used to be a pretty easy way to know right away.
 
Yes you can leave negative feedback. The reason it won't show up to leave for buyers is because you were paid within your timeframe. If a buyer pays late, or never pays you can leave neg. I like this because if you get a shit game in the mail that they said was good, you can leave a neg for the seller without retalliation.
 
[quote name='mossman43'] If a buyer pays late, or never pays you can leave neg. [/QUOTE]

You cant leave negative feedback for the buyer on ebay, no matter what
 
I would just ask them if it works on the DSi or not. Tell them there are a bunch of sellers selling games that don't work on the DSi and that you only have a DSi and you want to make sure the game you are about to purchase will work on your system. If there is no response or they say no, you know its a fake.

Ebay won't do anything about the bootlegging because the bootleg sellers net them tons of money in fees, why should they do something about it when they are making tons of money off it.

Its easy for me to spot a fake, but its also hard for me to find a legitimate seller of DS games. Feedback means nothing as 90% of these people who buy on ebay are soccer moms who buy games for their kids and then don't hear anything of it once the kid gets their hands on the game. They hand the game to the kid and that's it. Frankly I don't think they even care if they are getting a bootleg because if they can get a $30 game for their son for $9 shipped then its a win for them regardless if the game is fake or not.

Some games don't get bootlegged as much as others, like the Mario and Nintendo games there are thousands of bootlegs, so you might as well buy from amazon.com (not a 3rd party), newegg or a retail store if you want one of those. But lately I have seen even the more uncommon and unknown titles bootlegged, I mean Hi Hamtaro Challenge, who the heck would bootleg that!

You can also tell if you look at the items they are selling, if they have a ton of the same game, or are selling all DS games,then its probably a seller of fakes. If they have a mixture of games like Xbox 360, Wii and DS, there is a good chance its a wholesaler.
 
Believe it or not, the guy I have been talking about pulled all of his DS auctions. After I explained how to detect bootlegs, he supposedly tested some of his games in a DSi and they didn't work. So he pulled all of his auctions.

Although, this all happened after his auctions were reported as bootlegs, so this may still just be a CYA move.
 
Some sellers might be buying from a supplier and not know what they are getting. The supplier could be sending bootlegs instead of real games. I wouldn't suspect this in every case, but its very possible. If its a game store taking in used games, and then selling them on ebay they probably don't know that kids are buying games on ebay and coming in and trading in bootlegs, this happens at Gamestop all the time. I even read about a story where one gamestop had bootlegs of games like Nintendogs on the shelves new, the manager was probably switching out the real games for bootlegs. So stuff happens.
 
I noticed this when pokemon platinum came out
Some younger cags and other forums i visit were wondering why the game took 2 minutes to load and save.

Also a quick way to catch is where they ship from.
NEVER buy a ds game from over seas specially japan or china.
Full of bootlegs. And if you do get a bad one even if they refund you leave feedback letiing others know that sellers sells bootlegs.
 
[quote name='adriley313']
NEVER buy a ds game from over seas specially japan or china.
Full of bootlegs.[/QUOTE]

Um Japan is trustworthy =|
 
90% of the bootlegs I find are shipping out of Hong Kong.

I did buy a copy of Kirby Canvas Curse on DS that shipped out of Taiwan... I can't remember whether it was used or new, but it was a decent price and the game was (and still is) hard to find over here.

Only afterward did I learn of bootlegs, but I lucked out with that purchase as it doesn't have any of the signs of being a fake and it played fine.

The average parent or family member shopping for their kids on ebay aren't even going to know there are bootlegs out there unless they go super above and beyond in doing their homework.
 
[quote name='kodave']90% of the bootlegs I find are shipping out of Hong Kong.

I did buy a copy of Kirby Canvas Curse on DS that shipped out of Taiwan... I can't remember whether it was used or new, but it was a decent price and the game was (and still is) hard to find over here.

Only afterward did I learn of bootlegs, but I lucked out with that purchase as it doesn't have any of the signs of being a fake and it played fine.

The average parent or family member shopping for their kids on ebay aren't even going to know there are bootlegs out there unless they go super above and beyond in doing their homework.[/QUOTE]

Its actually more common in the US now as far as bootlegs are concerned. I'm on eBay everyday looking at DS games, and I use a filter to filter out games that only ship from the US, and a good 30% of all the games that do still show up, are still just bootlegs that wholesalers from the US either don't know or don't care bought from shady places in HK or somewhere in China and then reselling here. It's pretty ridiculous now.

Also, the game normally plays fine in DS and DS Lite, so just make sure it works in a DSi, otherwise you may have been conned. But who knows, I find deals all the time on games I would have expected to be bootleg, but when they arrived, it was the real thing, so sometimes you just luck out XD.
 
[quote name='Squarehard'] I'm on eBay everyday looking at DS games, and I use a filter to filter out games that only ship from the US, and a good 30% of all the games that do still show up, are still just bootlegs that wholesalers from the US either don't know or don't care bought from shady places in HK or somewhere in China and then reselling here. It's pretty ridiculous now.[/QUOTE]


What is annoying is that sellers from high risk boot-legging countries list their locations under the US. So in the event that you do use the filter--they will still be in the search query until you check item location on the profile or item listing "US, but shipped from "insert country here.* I ran until a few of those seller profiles over the past few months.
 
[quote name='caltab']see this is the problem...the person who sent you those games is committing a crime, by letting him off if he gives you a refund you are helping him to continue to perpetrate his criminal activity and victimize others. Regardless of whether he gives you a refund he should be reported to ebay and given negative feedback that helps to inform others.[/QUOTE]

I ended up reporting him.....
 
It's even harder to find legit GBA games. Probably 9 out of 10 listings are bootlegs. They are so obvious, too. I feel bad for the people buying these things, and they are indeed buying them. I see the bids. I suppose there are people out there who don't care, as long as they get it cheap, but then why not just buy a flash cart?
 
[quote name='Zing']It's even harder to find legit GBA games. Probably 9 out of 10 listings are bootlegs. They are so obvious, too. I feel bad for the people buying these things, and they are indeed buying them. I see the bids. I suppose there are people out there who don't care, as long as they get it cheap, but then why not just buy a flash cart?[/QUOTE]

Hell, even the used section at Gamestop has bootlegs that are obvious. I saw black colored Pokemon GBA carts there the other day with different labels from the normal games. You think they'd be able to spot that, but I guess not.
 
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