Bizarre Ebay Seller Selling Fakes.

[Sharpnshinyknives]

This experience has to be my absolute worst experience with an Ebay seller. I bought a Paragon Warlock, it’s a gravity knife with a very cool design, I was the highest bidder at 232. The knife was mailed w/out any tracking information or indication that it was shipped through Ebay. I contacted the seller on the 3rd day after the purchase to see what was going on. He/she said that a son had mailed it and didn’t update the Ebay information. Ok, mistakes happen. The knife arrived from California the next day by registered mail. When I got it, it took a little getting use to to figure out how this gravity/flipper worked. But once I got the knack of it, I thought it was pretty cool. But I noticed that everything seemed a little lose. When the knife is locked both halves of the handle have a little slip and slide back and forth. Knowing how well Paragon makes knives I looked a bit deeper. I couldn’t find this color or the blade markings on any knife on Paragon’s website or on Blade HQ’s website. So I enlisted the help of “Madmarco” and he found the exact knife on DHgate for me. Price 42 dollars. It’s a complete knock off down to the trademark and USA on the handle, the color is slightly different and the blade steel numbers are different from the real thing, a very hard thing to notice unless you have a lot of experience with this type of knife, which I don’t.
The email exchange became bizarre after I initiated a return. No response for 24 hours. So I emailed again. This one drew an accusation of harassment and that I was threatening and how busy she was w/ patients. She is a physician and sells knives that are donated to her to help patients pay for medical care and medicine. She also included a 3x5 card w/ that same thing written on it about using this money to help patients. I have been nothing but respectful and did not harass or threaten. She kept changing the subject to damage of the knife. I told her repeatedly that the knife was not damaged but is a FAKE. To which her reply was that she didn’t know she just sells knives donated to her. And then her emails wondered all over the place. Accusing me of being greedy and robbing her patients of medical care. Besides she knows the owner of Ebay and is good friends with him.
She kept telling me to mail the knife to her and she would decide if I deserved a refund, without going through EBay’s channels for returns that Ebay has.
I might add that I called Ebay after the first email from her saying that I was threatening and harassing, just to establish a record. Ebay confirmed that I should not return the knife w/out the proper procedure followed. I informed her of this and she said she didn’t know how to do that. So I suggested that she call the owner of Ebay and ask him. To which I got no response.
So thank goodness for Ebay. They told me to wait until the response time expired and they would send me a label for return and charge this back to the seller. Her response to Ebay on the return is telling. She says she didn’t claim this knife was made by Paragon in Asheville and she wants to charge me shipping both ways and only if the knife isn’t damaged. So we all know what she is going to claim, that the knife was returned damaged. We will see what happens.
This seller is apes2647, she also sells fakes under another name of arshia2002. Don’t trust anything this seller is offering.
I did a Google search on the person on the envelope. She doesn’t come up as a doctor but her husband does. That’s why I am not certain if this is a she or a he. There is a lot of public information about this couple that is very unflattering.
I have contacted ebay about other fakes that she is selling and they have taken some of them down, but she keeps putting them back up. If you get a chance to look at this seller’s other items, you might flag any that you recognize as fakes. I’m pretty sure the Dew Hara knife she has listed for 350 is a fake also, but not certain.
Say all the bad stuff you want about Ebay, but they have been as helpful as you could ask for.
Here is a picture of the knife in question. You will notice that the color is bright green. Paragon makes a green version but it’s OD Green and not this color. The blade markings don’t match any that Paragon makes. Plus the sloppy lock up. It’s actually not a bad knife, but I don’t collect fakes.

[Mumbleypeg]

Thanks for the heads-up Mark. Your communication from the seller has all the earmarks of a con artist who’s scammed their way through similar situations previously.

Not my style of knife so I wouldn’t have bought anything similar, but hope you’ve saved someone else some grief.

Ken

[Tsar Bomba]

Besides she knows the owner of Ebay and is good friends with him.
...
So I suggested that she call the owner of Ebay and ask him..

[Sharpnshinyknives]

Besides she knows the owner of Ebay and is good friends with him.
...
So I suggested that she call the owner of Ebay and ask him..

I had to fight hard to keep more snarky and sarcastic comments from coming out. But that was one I just couldn’t pass up.

[Colonel26]

Wow! What a con artist. Thanks for sharing that with us. I've become skeptical of all Ebay listings that say "benefits charity".

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

In general, I think buying new or nearly new better quality knives from ebay is a bad idea. You pretty much have to always go to dhgate & aliexpress and search before making a bid. If I see it on the Chinese sites, then I assume the one on ebay is a fake. This goes for Benchmade, Microtech, Zero Tolerance, Protech, Spyderco, Chris Reeve, AKC, etc, etc.

BTW, that seller has another green Warlock listed right now.

[Sharpnshinyknives]

In general, I think buying new or nearly new better quality knives from ebay is a bad idea. You pretty much have to always go to dhgate & aliexpress and search before making a bid. If I see it on the Chinese sites, then I assume the one on ebay is a fake. This goes for Benchmade, Microtech, Zero Tolerance, Protech, Spyderco, Chris Reeve, AKC, etc, etc.

BTW, that seller has another green Warlock listed right now.

TFL, that’s good advice. I ventured into a different type of knife that I don’t normally collect and got burned. This is why I stay away from vintage knives, I honestly don’t know a fake from the real thing. I always read the counterfeit alerts that come up and I learn a lot from them. Being taken for a ride and losing money on deal like this is not only aggravating, it’s also a bit discouraging. If I collect anymore like this, you bet I will check to see what the fakes are out there first.
And yes they have another one listed and on their other site they have another one listed. We need to flood Ebay with reports about these items, maybe they will get booted, I hope.

[kootenay joe]

The bit about accepting knives from patients in place of cash payment is obvious nonsense. A doctor might work for free to help those who have no money but no M.D. would take goods to sell as payment.
I hope you left appropriate FB like: "Seller of FAKES with Fake Story" or "Fake, FAKE, Fake, FAKE," etc. x 10
kj

[eveled]

Is there a medical board to report them too? Definitely unethical dealings.

[samb1955]

Probably a fake doctor too.

[Sharpnshinyknives]

The bit about accepting knives from patients in place of cash payment is obvious nonsense. A doctor might work for free to help those who have no money but no M.D. would take goods to sell as payment.
I hope you left appropriate FB like: "Seller of FAKES with Fake Story" or "Fake, FAKE, Fake, FAKE," etc. x 10
kj

I am waiting until I get the money back before I leave any feedback. I had to wait on her to respond to my request, which was 5 business days. There is usually another 48 hour wait at the end of that for the seller to respond, but Ebay waived that time period through and issued a return shipping label immediately.
Here is the 3x5 card she sent in the package along with this free knife, a pencil knife that probably cost all of 25 cents. She insisted on the return of her generous gift as well. I sent it back and the 3x5 card.
There is a physician listed in CA w/ the same last name as this person and maybe the first name is used for a guy in their native land, it’s pretty easy to look up physicians online.
Madmarco contacted this seller and asked a couple of questions about some of the knives. He got back a few emails that said the same thing about this being for her patients. She made the statement that no other physician cares about their patients the way they do. What delusions.

Edit: I edited the information from the free background check since I have not verified the accuracy of it.

[bestgear]

Well her handwriting isn’t like any 40 year old US trained doctor that I know of .... just saying

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

Did you notice that some of the listings show them being shipped from Orangevale, CA and some are from Carmichael, CA? Those places are close to each other in the Sacramento/Folsom area. It's a little odd to have the listings under two different locations.

One of my talents is online sleuthing. Not to brag, but I'm scary good - my google-fu is STRONG.

There are 64 people with an active National Provider Identifier (NPI) number in California with that first name. The NPI database shows full name, specialty, office address and phone number of every licensed medical professional in the United States. There is one person listed that is located in Carmichael, CA. The NPI database lists them as an "Occupational Therapist". That person is not an MD. Now, where they live and where they have their office might not be the same city name. There is also one in Sacramento, CA that is a dentist, and several in Davis, CA. Those would all be within driving distance of Carmichael or Orangevale. Unlike SSK, I don't have the last name...

SSK: I won't post the data, but if you want to compare my findings to yours, PM me.

Now do you see why I say online sharing of even simple information like your first name and the city you live in or your job is not a good idea??

[KLJ77]

He/she sure has a lot of 'high dollar' knives for sale that are allegedly "donated" to her/him. That makes no sense whatsoever. I mean, who in their right mind would donate high dollar knives to a physician so they could sell them on ebay to help pay for someone's medical bills? Again...makes absolutely no sense. Plus...anyone who has to "validate" their position and make an effort to explain what/why they're doing what they are, sends all kinds of red flags...imho.

Hope you get this sorted out in your favor, Mark. I've looked at both sellers ebay listings (apes & arshia), and what they're selling appears to be questionable. imho.

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

Compare this one for $70:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/crkt-carnufex- ... SwJxpfGQtN

To this one for $23:
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000390918544.html

BTW, don't be fooled by the lack of markings on the picture of the fake one. Those sellers often take the pictures without the markings to try to "hide" (??) that it is a fake. On the Spyderco fakes, the picture will show it without the markings or the spideyhole, but the knife you receive does have both.

[Sharpnshinyknives]

That listing for the CRKT says made in the USA. This isn’t just a case of her not knowing, it’s deliberate deception.
Thanks TFL, remind me to never piss you off. You are fantastic at cyber sleuthing, you uncovered an amazing amount of info and from what you shared, it’s pretty likely that it’s the same person you uncovered. Sent you a PM.

[Madmarco]

I searched one of her knives Mark, and right in her description she's saying, "money go to medication for my patients", so she must think that will tug on the heart strings of prospective buyers right then and there, instead of waiting to tell that story when a buyer complains, like she did with you. She has one of the Warlocks listed again, so I'll try again to report it, although, as I told you, the ebay system wouldn't let me proceed when I tried a couple of days ago, but who knows, maybe this time. Judging from the comments it looks like we aren't the only ones who thought she is just trying to stay one step ahead of her creditors, and that she's been at this scam for awhile. Just imagine the demons she has to deal with every night when she goes to bed! Looks like it'll all turn out in your favor, and that's the bottom line in this situation!

[Sharpnshinyknives]

I searched one of her knives Mark, and right in her description she's saying, "money go to medication for my patients", so she must think that will tug on the heart strings of prospective buyers right then and there, instead of waiting to tell that story when a buyer complains, like she did with you. She has one of the Warlocks listed again, so I'll try again to report it, although, as I told you, the ebay system wouldn't let me proceed when I tried a couple of days ago, but who knows, maybe this time. Judging from the comments it looks like we aren't the only ones who thought she is just trying to stay one step ahead of her creditors, and that she's been at this scam for awhile. Just imagine the demons she has to deal with every night when she goes to bed! Looks like it'll all turn out in your favor, and that's the bottom line in this situation!

I hope so Mark. I appreciate the help you gave me on this. When she told you the same story about selling donations for other people’s health needs, I figured something was amiss. I was already finding it hard to believe or take seriously in the first place but that really revealed the scheme.
I doubt that she has any problem sleeping. I know people like this and every rotten thing they do is totally justified in their minds. There is no moral compass. As M. Scott Peck said “they are the people of the lie”.

[Madmarco]

I was re-reading the comments, and TFL mentioned how unusual it was that some items came from Orangevale, and some from Carmichael, and that was the first thing that seemed very odd to me, so I have no doubts whatsoever that she's a lifelong crook who's been at this a long time, and you're probably totally correct regarding her not losing any sleep over her scams, it's always the other guy's actions, never their own. A very fitting quote you posted from M. Scott Peck!

[Sharpnshinyknives]

Just an update on this. The seller is still listing these Paragon’s on both sites, only she has lowered the prices. On the one that she has for 218, she says this: “This is a gorgeous piece of item. I sold a lot and everyone is quite happy and thankful. This is not Asheville”. And she added this:
“A very thankful buyer who knew I am a physician and the whole sale goes to medications for my patients told me to mention this. I may take this statement off although it is true because I think the item is gorgeous and addictive to play with enough to sell on its own.”
I guess I am the thankful buyer she is talking about. This person is delusional, deceitful and a con artist.
I got a full refund today. Ebay took my side in this transaction.
Here is the listing where she mentions this:https://www.ebay.com/itm/Paragon-Warloc ... SwAx1fCSXr

[Madmarco]

This fool really is a looney-tune! She's has starting prices of US$99. and $95. for knives that sell for US$15.-$28. She must believe us Westerners are complete idiots with prices like that. I'm glad you got your money refunded Mark, now you can wash your hands of her, other than to continue reporting her listings as counterfeits. Ebay can be tough enough as it is without having to deal with sellers like her. She might get away with her cheating ways for awhile, but sooner or later all this underhanded stuff will catch-up with her, at least I sure hope so. I wouldn't want to be in her shoes on Judgement Day!

[TwoFlowersLuggage]

So, now she admits it is a fake, but she still thinks it is worth $200??

[Madmarco]

It looks like that's pretty much the case TFL! She'll get hers one day!

[kootenay joe]

What is "aliexpress" and "dhgate" ?
Are they online sites that sell almost everything like ebay or amazon ?
Are they somehow safer than ebay ? i.e. no fakes there ? or ??
I am the opposite to TFL. I'm double-doofuss on the internet.
kj

[Airborne 1]

Nope both of those web sites sell The fake cheap stuff...Not reccommended.