Ebay items with hacked memory scam

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Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 1:58 pm

A few weeks ago I bid for and won a 16Gb memory pen drive on Ebay. It was stupidly cheap compared to shops here, but it was with free shipping from Hong Kong, and the Powerseller had lots of good feedback.

I guess the alarm bells should have rung at stupidly cheap, but I have bought expensive camera lenses from HK before and been more than happy with the deal.

This isn't my item, but one just like it, same supplier:
eBay AUCTION LINK

The bells certainly rang when I was emailed from an Ebay user group inviting me to join as a victim of fraudulently hacked memory.

The pen drive arrived yesterday, XP reported it as 16Gb, so far so good - I started backing up files ono it, which is what i bought it for. It seemed to work perfectly, which I guess is how the good feedback comes about.

Once I got past 4Gb, I tried to check a file from the stick I'd just loaded onto it - it was there in the directory, but zip, nada, the file was there but not there, as it were.

Further investigation shows I'm hardly alone: LINK My supplier is one listed on that webpage, BTW, and I can see a pic of my pendrive. Apparently this is also rife with mp3 players as well, that show large memories, but when you upload to them there is hardly any memory at all.

Here are numerous alerts to the same scam: LINK

The seller claims he didn't know about the hack when he bought the pen drives, and has offered some of my money back, or an exchange if I send it back to Hong Kong. I told him that I already waited 3 weeks, wasted an afternoon loading data onto the drive, and just want the 16Gb I bid for. I have invited him to send me another 3 of the 4Gb drives, so I get what I paid for. The upside is that I have left no feedback yet, he knows what I will leave if he doesn't put things right.

In my book this is downright fraud, but Paypal will only help you get your money back if you return the goods (at your expense), and ebay has let it go on for some time now. I reckon they must get away with it 9 times out of 10, not many people will fill up 4Gb onto a drive or mp3 player the day they get it, and give good feedback. Twisted Evil

EDIT:Flash Drive Education 101

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 2:09 pm

I'm afraid that's normal business these days, my wife bought a 500HP mustang I bet when you check that it will only bring about 400HP, but that is advertising these days.
Whole wheat is in today, but where did they ever print that they were taking things out of it? And what is whole wheat actually, the stuff we grow here and grind ourselves still tastes way better then anything you can buy.
And he has the excuse that he didn't know and is willing to help out (at your expense) He should be more careful with his products, but you'll never be able to prove anything and baiting him could lead to a charge of fraud for you.
Shit happens

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 2:25 pm

If your wife's Mustang turned out to be 125Hp, or only had 2 cylinders, you'd want something done about it.

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 2:56 pm

It could be a honest mistake by the seller. if he makes it right leave him feedback with a note.
@bill the one thing to remember with HP ratings I that their always (unless specified) are at the flywheel. you lose 15-20% by the time the power gets to the wheels. it you have a 500HP stang it sounds like its the cobra GT.
its RWHP (rear wheel horse power) is 436 hp.[/hijack]

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 3:14 pm

Being nosy, how much did you pay?

£26.49

Staples have a 32Gb one in their shops, but it didn't have a price.

SD memory cards have been subject to this same problem, you don't get what is says on the card.
In the papers today is an article about a bloke being sued for leaving negative feedback as it has allegedly hurt the seller's business. But the buyer wasn't sent what he was successfully bidding for, so mind your words when you do leave feedback. (is there any history on the seller's feedback chart to suggest that he has done this before?)

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 3:32 pm

Quote:

If your wife's Mustang turned out to be 125Hp, or only had 2 cylinders, you'd want something done about it.

Nope, it is her toy, she bought with her money, it came with a guarantee and I have no use for it until it looks like this Laughing

We live on 15 km on gravel road, not really a place where you can get the horses to work for you Laughing

It has no box to haul anything and it won't take the snowdrifts as nice as a 4x4 if it takes them at all.
AND it wasn't bought blind, when you have to trust the salesman you're giving your money away and even then a guarantee insures that the goods are what you ordered and paid for.
Yes, in winter she drives a 4x4 truck too and the skateboard gets stored in my shop Sad

Useless thing 1 or 500 horses aren't going to change that.

Baiting Guru Joined: 11 May 2004 Posts: 2163

packman wrote:

It could be a honest mistake by the seller. if he makes it right leave him feedback with a note.

I dont think so. His recent feedback is awful.

14 negatives in the last 200 transactions

Baiting Guru Joined: 11 May 2004 Posts: 2163

Inspector Gadget wrote:

In the papers today is an article about a bloke being sued for leaving negative feedback as it has allegedly hurt the seller's business. But the buyer wasn't sent what he was successfully bidding for, so mind your words when you do leave feedback. (is there any history on the seller's feedback chart to suggest that he has done this before?)

That is insane. You got a link? How can you sue someone over something stupid like a negative feedback?

Baiting Guru Joined: 07 Jan 2007 Posts: 2922

^^^

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1079968/Man-sold-wrong-phone-eBay-sued-seller-leaving-negative-feedback.html

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 5:19 pm

If you have an address I could check it out, as I'm right where your drive came from.

Btw: Why the hell do they ship everywhere except to Italy?

Baiting Guru Joined: 11 May 2004 Posts: 2163

rootuser wrote:

If you have an address I could check it out, as I'm right where your drive came from.

Btw: Why the hell do they ship everywhere except to Italy?

Italies postal system sucks. Lots of stuff is being stolen, packages and envelopes being opened etc.

Posted: Fri Oct 24, 2008 6:49 pm

rootuser wrote:

If you have an address I could check it out, as I'm right where your drive came from.

From one of the links I posted above:

Quote:

chaiching28 - davidtam000 are eBay Sellers of counterfeit flash drives - they are connected. These eBay Seller id’s belong to the same person. SOSFakeFlash with the assistence of vigilant eBayers has determined that another counterfeit ring exists - this time directly from Hong Kong.

The davidtam000 id has degistered from eBay on October 5th, 2008. (not true, he's back)

chaiching28 is still active on eBay selling fake flash drives. From October 2nd to October 16th, this id has unleashed 360 fakes on unsuspecting eBayers. Victims grow each day.

The mailing address for davidtam000 was:

YU zhikang
935 Choi Ping House
Choi Yuen Estate, Sheung Shui, N.T. Hong Kong

The mailing address for chaiching28 is:

YU zhikang
935 Choi Ping House
Choi Yuen Estate, Sheung Shui, N.T. Hong Kong

Therefore YU zhikang is the person owning or handling the mailing of counterfeit drives for these id’s.

You are strongly advised by SOSFakeFlash to test your drives and if they fail file a claim immediately with PayPal.

If the id is chaiching28 - leave immediate negative feedback, copy paypal and the Hong Police on any communications with this seller. This seller is unleashing a plague of data loss on the unsuspecting eBay world.

Mistake my arse.
EDIT:
All hell is breaking loose via http://sosfakeflash.wordpress.com , and the HK Police are being notified. I put this thread up as a warning to others. Me, I just want the memory I paid for.

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