Fraudulent product copy?

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Lucan Unlordly

Lucan Unlordly

Free Member
Feb 24, 2009
3,998
1,003
  • #1
    About 7 years ago I purchased a set of decorative wrought iron gates with accompanying piers/posts with the intention of using them as a garden feature. The ironwork, hinges etc., was poor, clearly not made for or ever having experienced outdoor life. They had been made for and formed a fairyland type entrance to a west end nightclub that had only recently closed down - they still had evidence of some fake flowers attached. I sold them to an architectural salvage company a few months ago for about £300.

    Today they are being sold as originating from France, being over 70 years old for over £3,000 by a very well know Architectural Salvage company!
    I always expected that they would sell for significantly more than I sold them for if the buyer had 'the market'. What I didn't expect was for such porkies to be distorted in order to do so. This by a very well known architectural salvage company!
     
    HFE Signs

    HFE Signs

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    • Business Listing
    Feb 17, 2011
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    www.hfe-signs.co.uk
  • #2
    Lucan Unlordly said:
    About 7 years ago I purchased a set of decorative wrought iron gates with accompanying piers/posts with the intention of using them as a garden feature. The ironwork, hinges etc., was poor, clearly not made for or ever having experienced outdoor life. They had been made for and formed a fairyland type entrance to a west end nightclub that had only recently closed down - they still had evidence of some fake flowers attached. I sold them to an architectural salvage company a few months ago for about £300.

    Today they are being sold as originating from France, being over 70 years old for over £3,000 by a very well know Architectural Salvage company!
    I always expected that they would sell for significantly more than I sold them for if the buyer had 'the market'. What I didn't expect was for such porkies to be distorted in order to do so. This by a very well known architectural salvage company!
    Click to expand...
    I've hear of salvage companies doing similar things to this before, they are very clever how they word things in their descriptions to make it sound like they are better than they are, for example - These quality gates are thought to have originated from France and our expert advisors believe they may be well over 70yrs old. A statement such as that is non committal and purely used to generate misbelief, and if found to be wrong or proven otherwise, they can easily talk their way out of it. If you feel you sold them at a good price, then your conscience is clear.
     
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    Lucan Unlordly

    Lucan Unlordly

    Free Member
    Feb 24, 2009
    3,998
    1,003
  • #4
    HFE Signs said:
    I've hear of salvage companies doing similar things to this before, they are very clever how they word things in their descriptions to make it sound like they are better than they are, for example - These quality gates are thought to have originated from France and our expert advisors believe they may be well over 70yrs old. A statement such as that is non committal and purely used to generate misbelief, and if found to be wrong or proven otherwise, they can easily talk their way out of it. If you feel you sold them at a good price, then your conscience is clear.
    Click to expand...
    In this case the sellers are making statements of fact that they are over 70 years old and are made in France. My description when they bought them is in direct conflict. They are lying.

    They were in the way, I'd have been happy with £100, about what I paid for them., to get shot.
    I have a bit of a reputation for speaking out when I see something is wrong, despite there being no benefit to myself. I'll take a few more deep breaths on this one;)
     
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