This is the second of two articles discussing the sale of Fake Trollbeads on Ebay. As an authorized dealer of Trollbeads I do research on anything that may damage the brand Trollbeads.
This is a follow-up from the first article I wrote about the Ebay seller Wiki Piki. To get to the bottom of the situation I purchased beads from Wiki The beads came in last week and they were definitely fake, albeit good fakes but definitely counterfeit.
I went to "My Ebay" and registered my complaint. I checked the box that tells Ebay that the seller I purchased from was advertising the brand version but delivered a counterfeit item. They actually have a box for that. This gave me some hope that Ebay would take action against the seller. I was then able to check off that I wanted a full refund. Today I received my full refund. That should make me happy, but it doesn't. For one thing the seller was admitting guilt by refunding me my money immediately. For another thing Ebay, whose computer systems are huge, obviously knows about the incident but still allows Wiki Piki to continue to sell. I checked today and the seller is still selling the fake Trollbeads to unsuspecting buyers.
How can Ebay allow this to happen? I may be naive but I really hoped they would take responsibility when the facts were presented to them so clearly. Apparently not.
How many collectors are buying these beads thinking they are real Trollbeads? I'm sure if someone is new to collecting they wouldn't know the difference. This is the way the market gets diluted and later when a collector who has unknowingly purchased these beads goes on to resell them, the line becomes more diluted. This is why brands bring lawsuits against Ebay. Take this one example and multiply it by the thousands of fake beads being sold on Ebay and imagine the detriment.
I am not advising this because I am a dealer, but in order to be totally safe in your purchases, to protect your collection and the brand, buy only from Authorized Trollbeads dealers. If you can't find the Trollbead you want from a dealer, buy from a seller you know has first hand knowledge of the provenance of the Trollbeads they are selling and who have a good reputation. Do your research before you buy, the future value of of your collection depends upon it as does the future of Trollbeads.
ADDITION: On August 1st I received information from Ebay that this seller is no longer selling on Ebay. Our efforts worked!!