This may be the same seller that caught me out a couple of years ago on two SM58s. The listing said the items were in the US. I don't remember exactly where. When they arrived there was a Chinese customs sticker. WTF, thought I. As soon as I saw them it was obvious they were fake. Box was wrong. The pamphlet was photocopied and the wiring was wrong.
Now here's the really crazy part. I contacted Paypal/Ebay looking for a claim under Buyer Protection. I explained that not only were the mics fake but the listing had misrepresented their location. They tell me I have to either get a notarized letter, notarized mind you, from a "certified expert" that the mics are fake or send the mics back to the seller! I replied that was crazy and did they realize they were insisting that I return the evidence of the crime back to the criminal? The response was complete corporate speak script. Not quite knowing what else to do I sent them back. I should have known. I know.
I asked at the post office for delivery confirmation but they told me that wasn't possible in China. I could track the customs number but that only went as far as the border, not to the door.
So I wait a few weeks. See that they made it to China and contacted Paypal/Ebay again. They tell me that they have not heard from the seller that the items were received. Well, Duh! The woman also told me in a quite condescending way that I should have gotten delivery confirmation. When I repeated that the post office had told me that was impossible she started banging on about having gotten confirmation with international shipments she personally had sent. "To China?", I asked. "Well no, but I still know you can do it." So she knows postal policy better than the post office. Without confirmation they refused to give me a refund under Buyer Protection. One of the most ridiculous Alice Through the Looking Glass experiences in my life. ---------- LSC
I once saw an SM57 fake that was so well done, I didn't realize (from appearances only) it was a fake. The box was perfect, so was all the contents and from the outside the mic was a dead ringer. But it didn't sound right so I investigated.
If you've ever looked inside one you know there is a yellow transformer in the barrel, encased in glue. The wires leading to the element are green and yellow, and the ones going to the XLR connector are red and blue. I thought something was funny when I pulled the connector out and there were yellow and green wires soldered to it. When I removed the "transformer" it turned out to be a dummy - just a piece of yellow plastic - and the wires went straight from the element to the transformer. Amazing the lengths people go to. ---------- /Greg
I bid on an item from Australia but the postage was dearer than the item, i won the bid and just told them to shove it up your #%&* and just let the thing slide, soooo many crooks out there. The item was from China but she?? reckoned they were held in Oz, yeah right.!!
It's mad. We had a TV program here in the UK showing how the counterfeiters are actually making copy aircraft spares, even down to the turbine blades for jet engines. They do get through the system and have been used. What I find really daft is that these copy mic manufacturers could create a really good mic of their own and clean-up by giving value for money. They have the manufacturing capabilities and knowledge to do it.
