Pick a subject and click on a link to the right. You're on your way to learning about bootleg!
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Saturday, June 9, 2007
CONTACT US; SEND US INFO; HELP OTHERS
Have you found an awesome link that teaches how spot a counterfeit of any sort of product?
Do you have a tip on how to spot a counterfeit?
Let us know! Leave a comment with your link, or email us at whatagem@sbcglobal.net with the subject BOOTLEG LINK (so I don't accidentally delete it)
I'll add information as I get the time to do it.
Soliciations, ugly comments, links with invaild information will be removed immediately from the comment board.
Do you have a tip on how to spot a counterfeit?
Let us know! Leave a comment with your link, or email us at whatagem@sbcglobal.net with the subject BOOTLEG LINK (so I don't accidentally delete it)
I'll add information as I get the time to do it.
Soliciations, ugly comments, links with invaild information will be removed immediately from the comment board.
Friday, June 8, 2007
I'VE BEEN HAD! WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN AUCTIONS
How do know if the seller is selling genuine items?
Sometimes you don't. I once bought from a seller who posted photos of real GBA games, then sent me a bunch bootleg junk. This seller had over 2000 positive feedbacks. His bootleg was quite good, but did not contain the less obvious signs (see SPOT A COUNTERFEIT GBA GAME--LOOK CLOSER)
Of course, the price should have been a dead give away. Used games just don't sell that cheaply. Though, sometimes you have to test the seller out. Buy just one item. If it's a fake, immediately report the item to the auction website and if you paid with PayPal, you have an option:
At the top of PayPal's page, click Resolution Center and file a dispute with the seller. Immediately escalte to a claim if the seller likes to argue or seems like he might dump his money and run. You are covered under buyer protection and you should get a full refund.
And by the way, the seller I emtioned above? We reported hundreds of his items to eBay and he is no longer selling on eBay.
REPORT SUSPECTED BOOTLEG GAMES TO THE AUCTION SITE AND NINTENDO.COM EMAIL WITH THE SELLER ID AND NINTENDO WILL GET INVOLVED LICKETY SPLIT! You might not get an email about every little detail, but Nintendo is good about making a quick response if more info is needed.
There's no picture! Just prefilled information and a stock photo.
Well, sometimes us sellers are short of time. A good bit of us are working slobs just trying to get ahead. If you email a seller and ask for a photo of the game and he or she refuses, just look elsewhere. It might not necessarily mean they are selling bootleg, maybe short on time, lazy, or maybe they really are selling fakes. Sometimes you just have to test the waters. Check their feedback and run from the negatives!
If the item has few days, you might consider emailing the seller's previous customers and politely asking them about the product they received (click on the seller's feedback and click on buyers from there). Most are happy to help out when they have the time.
New GBA game! Box ships flat for easier shipping
Alright, that's just lame. If the seller states that the box will be shipped flattened out on a BRAND NEW GAME, it isn't new. Duh
Sometimes you don't. I once bought from a seller who posted photos of real GBA games, then sent me a bunch bootleg junk. This seller had over 2000 positive feedbacks. His bootleg was quite good, but did not contain the less obvious signs (see SPOT A COUNTERFEIT GBA GAME--LOOK CLOSER)
Of course, the price should have been a dead give away. Used games just don't sell that cheaply. Though, sometimes you have to test the seller out. Buy just one item. If it's a fake, immediately report the item to the auction website and if you paid with PayPal, you have an option:
At the top of PayPal's page, click Resolution Center and file a dispute with the seller. Immediately escalte to a claim if the seller likes to argue or seems like he might dump his money and run. You are covered under buyer protection and you should get a full refund.
And by the way, the seller I emtioned above? We reported hundreds of his items to eBay and he is no longer selling on eBay.
REPORT SUSPECTED BOOTLEG GAMES TO THE AUCTION SITE AND NINTENDO.COM EMAIL WITH THE SELLER ID AND NINTENDO WILL GET INVOLVED LICKETY SPLIT! You might not get an email about every little detail, but Nintendo is good about making a quick response if more info is needed.
There's no picture! Just prefilled information and a stock photo.
Well, sometimes us sellers are short of time. A good bit of us are working slobs just trying to get ahead. If you email a seller and ask for a photo of the game and he or she refuses, just look elsewhere. It might not necessarily mean they are selling bootleg, maybe short on time, lazy, or maybe they really are selling fakes. Sometimes you just have to test the waters. Check their feedback and run from the negatives!
If the item has few days, you might consider emailing the seller's previous customers and politely asking them about the product they received (click on the seller's feedback and click on buyers from there). Most are happy to help out when they have the time.
New GBA game! Box ships flat for easier shipping
Alright, that's just lame. If the seller states that the box will be shipped flattened out on a BRAND NEW GAME, it isn't new. Duh
SPOT A COUNTERFEIT GBA GAME--LOOK CLOSER
In the photo above, you should see a slight size difference in the thickness of the cartridges, especially where the little "hump" rises. Notice the gap in the seam of The Ant Bully (the fake) A counterfeit Gameboy Advance game will not usually slide as easily into your system as an autentic game should. This is probably because the seams are pressed by hand on fakes.
ALL NINTENDO GAMES HAVE COPYRIGHT INFO!! Peer into the game slot. Take a look just past the prongs of the cartridge. Copyright year is printed there, followed by Nintendo, followed by a series of numbers.
So far, I have yet to hear of a bootleg game containing this information in such a nice place.
All GBA games have a lot number stamped on the label in case of a recall, I would assume. It is merely an indention of a 2-digit number anywhere on the right hand side of the label.
In the game title Lord of the Rings, look just below the "S" in Rings. You should see a 07 stamped there.
Hold any game under any light at an angle and you should see it easily. Bootleggers might smarten up to this, but most are too lazy and will probably assume no one will notice.
SPOT A COUNTERFEIT: THE OBVIOUS
GBA GAME! BRAND NEW! Right, sure. First of all, it should be shrink wrapped in plastic. You should be able to return it to a store if it's so brand new. Duh. We bought Backyard Sports. This is how it came to us:
THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE COMPLETELY OBVIOUS
Whaddya think, we're blind? Anyone can print a box at home and attempt to sell the item as "New". Fortunately, this leads to sloppiness. People get arogant, they get in a hurry!
In the photo, you'll notice that the maker of the box left a red FPO, not once, but twice (!) over the basketball players. The creases are sloppy, as if done by hand, and the edges appear to be cut with scissors.
Once again, same thing here. The game label doesn't always necessarily match the box exactly, especially in Gameboy games because of their small size. But naturally, the maker of this one forgot to remove the FPO before printing!
1. The game rating should be large enough to read easily without the use of an aid, such as a magnifying glass. (on the fake the "rating" is just above the bar code)
2. Copyright and trademark info should all be there.
3. The Nintendo Seal of Quality should be there!!!
These are just a few items to point out, but just comparing the two and you should know right away which is authentic and which is not.
Ok, so the photo above came out horrible. But you should still be able to see how sloppy the game label was put on The Ant Bully (the fake) versus Fortress (authentic). On the left side of the game, you can see the groove in which it should be aligned with. DEAD GIVE AWAY!
THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE COMPLETELY OBVIOUSWhaddya think, we're blind? Anyone can print a box at home and attempt to sell the item as "New". Fortunately, this leads to sloppiness. People get arogant, they get in a hurry!
In the photo, you'll notice that the maker of the box left a red FPO, not once, but twice (!) over the basketball players. The creases are sloppy, as if done by hand, and the edges appear to be cut with scissors.
Once again, same thing here. The game label doesn't always necessarily match the box exactly, especially in Gameboy games because of their small size. But naturally, the maker of this one forgot to remove the FPO before printing!
We've got a real winner here. The orange boxed game is the fake. The one with blue background is brand-stinking new, still in it's shrink wrap, fresh from the store. Compare the detail that is onvolved in the authentic game versus the counterfeit.
1. The game rating should be large enough to read easily without the use of an aid, such as a magnifying glass. (on the fake the "rating" is just above the bar code)
2. Copyright and trademark info should all be there.
3. The Nintendo Seal of Quality should be there!!!
These are just a few items to point out, but just comparing the two and you should know right away which is authentic and which is not.
Ok, so the photo above came out horrible. But you should still be able to see how sloppy the game label was put on The Ant Bully (the fake) versus Fortress (authentic). On the left side of the game, you can see the groove in which it should be aligned with. DEAD GIVE AWAY!
WHAT TO DO WITH COUNTERFEIT GAMEBOY GAMES
REPORT IT!
Should you suspect a bootleg, report it immediately to Nintendo.com with the seller ID no matter what auction site you are viewing.
Click Contact Us within eBay (top right hand side of your eBay page or eBay home page) and report the item number.
Already bought it and discovered it’s a fake? File a claim with PayPal to get your money back. (Go to the Resolution Center at the top of PayPal’s page) Then, report the item to eBay (or the auction site where you bought it) and Nintendo.
Should you suspect a bootleg, report it immediately to Nintendo.com with the seller ID no matter what auction site you are viewing.
Click Contact Us within eBay (top right hand side of your eBay page or eBay home page) and report the item number.
Already bought it and discovered it’s a fake? File a claim with PayPal to get your money back. (Go to the Resolution Center at the top of PayPal’s page) Then, report the item to eBay (or the auction site where you bought it) and Nintendo.
WHY BOOTLEG HURTS BUYERS & SELLERS
WHY YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN WANT A FAKE
First of all--they are defective, even if not immediately. Like a cheap reproduction name brand jeans, the fun ride ain't gonna last long, folks!
1. The game cases are not identical to that of Nintendo’s. The casing is most times, a bit larger and will take a little shove to insert into system. There are prongs inside your system that read the game information. When the game does not properly fit, the prongs inside your system may be damaged by the cheap, ill-fitting prongs on the fake game. So, does bootleg still look cheaper?
2. Ok, so many children may play a game for 5 minuets and decide they’d had enough, so why spend a ton of money? Because, duh, kids are fickle. Should they decide they actually love the game you might run into a pickle. Fake games have cheap internal batteries. You might be able to have your saved game information a day, a week, or a month even. But once that junky battery goes out, you can no longer save your game. A variety of things may be seen in this case such as Japanese characters.
3. Creating, selling and even buying copyrighted fakes IS ILLEGAL. It is punishable by fine and possibly jail time. Sure a couple bootleg GBA games never hurt no one, right? WRONG! If you believe that, read issue #2. Imagine your child/grandchild/nephew/niece/etc crying for a day because he/she got a junky game that cannot even be played. Look, there are those that will continue to buy and sell the junk anyway--all I’m saying is that they better mind their Ps and Qs because there are also those of us willing and ready to report them ASAP so we can sell in a fair market.
My husband and I finally found a distributor who would sell to us cheaply enough that we could resell at a price that was fair and low and still make some profit. With all the counterfeit games out there--we don't stand a chance.
The whole reason we started selling on eBay was to make an attempt at a better life. We don't want to work blue collar for the rest of our lives.
I'm not saying eBay isn't doing anything about it--I suppose it's just that there is so much of it out there that they cannot track it all. Though it seems, they are not looking for it either, but waiting for us to report it.
My husband and I are only two people. We work a combined 100 hours a week, plus fit in eBay and family (we don't sleep much, obviously) We can only do so much.
So while you are shopping for games, I implore you to report anything suspicious-looking
There are so many sellers like us just trying to get by--not by making a fast buck. A scam is a scam. It doesn't change just because it looks pretty.
First of all--they are defective, even if not immediately. Like a cheap reproduction name brand jeans, the fun ride ain't gonna last long, folks!
1. The game cases are not identical to that of Nintendo’s. The casing is most times, a bit larger and will take a little shove to insert into system. There are prongs inside your system that read the game information. When the game does not properly fit, the prongs inside your system may be damaged by the cheap, ill-fitting prongs on the fake game. So, does bootleg still look cheaper?
2. Ok, so many children may play a game for 5 minuets and decide they’d had enough, so why spend a ton of money? Because, duh, kids are fickle. Should they decide they actually love the game you might run into a pickle. Fake games have cheap internal batteries. You might be able to have your saved game information a day, a week, or a month even. But once that junky battery goes out, you can no longer save your game. A variety of things may be seen in this case such as Japanese characters.
3. Creating, selling and even buying copyrighted fakes IS ILLEGAL. It is punishable by fine and possibly jail time. Sure a couple bootleg GBA games never hurt no one, right? WRONG! If you believe that, read issue #2. Imagine your child/grandchild/nephew/niece/etc crying for a day because he/she got a junky game that cannot even be played. Look, there are those that will continue to buy and sell the junk anyway--all I’m saying is that they better mind their Ps and Qs because there are also those of us willing and ready to report them ASAP so we can sell in a fair market.
My husband and I finally found a distributor who would sell to us cheaply enough that we could resell at a price that was fair and low and still make some profit. With all the counterfeit games out there--we don't stand a chance.
The whole reason we started selling on eBay was to make an attempt at a better life. We don't want to work blue collar for the rest of our lives.
I'm not saying eBay isn't doing anything about it--I suppose it's just that there is so much of it out there that they cannot track it all. Though it seems, they are not looking for it either, but waiting for us to report it.
My husband and I are only two people. We work a combined 100 hours a week, plus fit in eBay and family (we don't sleep much, obviously) We can only do so much.
So while you are shopping for games, I implore you to report anything suspicious-looking
There are so many sellers like us just trying to get by--not by making a fast buck. A scam is a scam. It doesn't change just because it looks pretty.
WHAT IS BOOTLEG?
Basically bootleg means Fake, Counterfeit, Illegal Copy. Practically anything that can reproduced can be reproduced illegally.
boot·leg
boot·leg [bt lèg]
v (past boot·legged, past participle boot·legged, present participle boot·leg·ging, 3rd person present singular boot·legs)
1. vti deal in illegal goods: to make, transport, or sell illegal goods, especially illegally copied or recorded material
2. vi football fake a pass: in football, to pretend to pass the ball to another player while running with the ball concealed against the hip
[Early 20th century. Back-formation from bootlegger .]
Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
boot·leg
boot·leg [bt lèg]
v (past boot·legged, past participle boot·legged, present participle boot·leg·ging, 3rd person present singular boot·legs)
1. vti deal in illegal goods: to make, transport, or sell illegal goods, especially illegally copied or recorded material
2. vi football fake a pass: in football, to pretend to pass the ball to another player while running with the ball concealed against the hip
[Early 20th century. Back-formation from bootlegger .]
Encarta ® World English Dictionary © & (P) 1998-2004 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
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