Fake VFFs and Dubious Sellers - Post Your Questions and Warnings Here

[gb]

Following up on the previous threads on the counterfeits/fakes/knockoffs.. for example:
http://birthdayshoes.com/forum/birthdayshoes-com-general-discussion/fake-vff%27s-reviewed/
http://birthdayshoes.com/forum/birthdayshoes-com-general-discussion/our-vff-has-been-piratedcloned-i%27m-pissed-about-this!/

While I feel ok about the Mupucks and the Tefftas, I am rather unhappy about the fake VFFs selling with the same name/box/booklets...etc.

Since I don't know their story, I don't rule out the minute chance that these strange colored "VFFs" coming directly out of China are endorsed by Vibram.  However, I am going to report to eBay since most likely, they are violating eBay rules for putting on counterfeits for sale.

See eBay rules here: http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/replica-counterfeit.html

We are entitled to different views on this issue, but for those of you who also find this annoying, perhaps we can all report these fakes to eBay.

[gb]

a quick search found hundreds of fake ones..

I am reporting these sellers, coming out of china, UK, Latvia..etc. to eBay.  I am sure there are tons more!

http://stores.ebay.com/zhengzhude2009
http://shop.ebay.com/07nelly07/m.html
http://shop.ebay.com/oaksun359/m.html
http://shop.ebay.com/liyang649/m.html
http://shop.ebay.com/yofiak/m.html
http://shop.ebay.com/bigbluehand2010/m.html
http://shop.ebay.com/littlebit_littlemore/m.html
http://clothing.shop.ebay.com/Mens-Shoes-/63850/i.html?_catref=1&_fln=1&_ipg=&_ssn=mrsappleton&_trksid=p3911.c0.m282

[gb]

Thanks Justin for putting out the big announcement on the BLOG!

[justin]

You got it -- funny I was updating the post for your thread here right when you commented on the blog post!

The two latest scammers stealing birthdayshoes logos was the last straw for me.

[Bango Skank]

I wonder if their quality control is any better... 

[Bango Skank]

a quick search found hundreds of fake ones...

I actually like the color combos even better than the real ones.  Why not just market them as an alternative?  I'd welcome some competition!

[Hawkeye]

The two latest scammers stealing birthdayshoes logos was the last straw for me.

Wow, that's ridculous!

[gb]

here's the response from one of the sellers on eBay:

"I sold a pair to an eBay employee who questioned my supplier, I answered him and he did not find them to be fake. I have been selling them for weeks without any trouble. You are welcome not to bid.

Thank You,

XXX"

[hippierunner]

That's pretty messed up they are using the Vibram branding.  If they kept the MUPUK or Tafta name I could really care less because it's easy to tell them apart.  This is why I'm hesitant to order a pair of VFF from an even marginally questionable vendor.  They might not even know it's a knockoff unless they sell a lot of VFF.  I'll stick with Brick & Mortar stores, GSS, or Vibram directly.

[gb]

Now this is a smart guy!!  (he created an announcement directly on eBAY!)

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vibram-Fivefingers-Beware-of-the-Knock-Offs_W0QQitemZ110519275947QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Men_s_Shoes?hash=item19bb7651ab

[iamcam]

OK,  didn't care mucha bout the Mupuk and what not, but I just checked it out and these fakes with boxes and tags piss me off. People are going to get ripped off and while there have been quality control issues with Vibram, they do use quality materials. Vibram should hire us to report counterfeits. It's obviously a counterfeit when the word Vibram on top isn't yellow. Most consumers won't even know this much however.

[debiatan]

Oh, my!

I hope I had read this thread before I bought these:
http://cgi.ebay.es/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320515392718&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Can you confirm if they are fake by looking at the photographs? I take from the last comment that the top logo shouldn't be black. If that's the case, I'll try to get my money back right away.

Thanks for the heads-up, guys!

[debiatan]

Can you confirm if they are fake by looking at the photographs? I take from the last comment that the top logo shouldn't be black.

I was trying to confirm my suspicions and found that the original black KSOs do actually have a black top logo (at least the newer ones):
http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/products/products_KSO_m.cfm (hover over black model to see).

I still am more than suspicious about the shoes, but I guess I'll wait until I have them to be able to take a closer look. It might be hard for me to tell if they're original or not, since that's my first pair.

[Decirium]

Can you confirm if they are fake by looking at the photographs? I take from the last comment that the top logo shouldn't be black. If that's the case, I'll try to get my money back right away.

Hey, new poster but I've been doing my research so I have to say that the oddest thing about these is the direction the strap comes through the side. Simply put, the Vibram site shows the strap go through over then under to the heel, the ebay one is under then over to the heel.  Only thing I can suggest as I'm no expert is that someone confirms if they ever received genuine VFFs that were like that as I can't see any other differences.

[debiatan]

Hey, new poster but I've been doing my research so I have to say that the oddest thing about these is the direction the strap comes through the side. Simply put, the Vibram site shows the strap go through over then under to the heel, the ebay one is under then over to the heel.  Only thing I can suggest as I'm no expert is that someone confirms if they ever received genuine VFFs that were like that as I can't see any other differences.

Wow, good catch! I guess they assembled them the wrong way!