MONAROMAN

Guys theres a guy on ebay from the UK (Simon's FG Baja Spares) that is getting the el cheapo fake bajas and parting them out. This isn't an issue in itself, it is the fact that he is advertising these as origonal HPI parts.

I have a friend with a clone, the parts ARE interchangable, the quality is NOT the same as HPI. Trust me, I have done a fair bit of research on these clones, HPI DOES NOT endorse them - I have this in writing, contrary to what some people are saying, they ARE NOT made using the same manufacturer. They have done some 3D scanning of the original thats why they look the same - the parts aren't exactly the same, I have compared them - there are slight differences. The quality IS NOT as good thats for sure, my friend wasn't that pleased and ended up spending more than an original fixing it up and keeping it running.

Don't be fooled by this goose trying to rip people off.

He normally sells secondhand FG parts, he doesn't appear to care that he's ripping people off and he freely admits they are clone parts but won't tell people up front in his listings.

Beware - you get what you pay for, feel free to report him to ebay and HPI racing

splcrazy

they need to shut down ebay , man i hate the place . they should call it TRASHBAY

Dave ESPI

I love ebay (usualy) but too many morons are on it now.

sheograth

Its only a trashbay if you dont know what youre buying.

sheograth

There are a few industries, hobbies included, that are becoming tricky on ebay - but the vast majority of sellers and products are legitimate.

Lunar Wolf

Got any evidence to support your claims?

hathi

I was thinking the same! Not sure what the poster is talking about... seems he knows too much... "3D scanning of the original" what does this mean?

Yes I know there are clones out there, but what rc does not have them?

MONAROMAN

Well if the link was still there it would be obvious, but since it got deleted I'll explain (not like I'm advertising here - only trying to warn people from being cheated).

Go to his ebay store and have a look at the pull start, the battery, the wheels and tyres, the body - these are the obvious ones.

Item #220185740946 - pullstart - no "fuellie" sticker - why would you remove it? You WOULDN'T
Item #220185741833 - Front wheels - black beadlocks on an HPI rtr or SS... I think not - look close - no HPI Racing on the tyres just "Dirtbuster"
Item #220185748597 - Rear wheels - same as above
Item #220185750619 - Radio - don't make me laugh... Poplar!! what the hell is poplar
Item #220185747309 - servo - same as above
Item #220185744883 - battery - no HPI wrap
Item #220185733326 - clutch - this not an HPI clutch - they are not black and the bolts are not gold

Enough evidence yet... but wait theres more

Heres his correspondence with me after I asked if they were clones

"Dear 750_valve,

yes mate they are from a clone, but just as good, if you win and are not happy please return for a full refund
All the best
Simon


- simonw1371"

Now if some of the parts are from a clone then they obviously ALL are, he is parting out an entire car. And YES I reported him to ebay and HPI, it needs more people to report him as ebays reporting facility (drop down menu style) on Australian ebay is VERY poor. And HPI are on holidays.

Heres all his listing numbers for y'all to check out

220185726307
220185726614
220185726830
220185727099
220185727351
220185727604
220185728011
220185728467
220185728789
220185729170
220185729521
220185729856
220185730139
220185730569
220185730904
220185731957
220185732275
220185732643
220185732923
220185733326
220185733647
220185733949
220185734331
220185734635
220185735357
220185735672
220185738633
220185738889
220185739155
220185739986
220185740359
220185740630
220185740946
220185741434
220185741833
220185742028
220185742355
220185742568
220185742882
220185743736
220185744883
220185745291
220185745706
220185746243
220185746972
220185747309
220185747636
220185748597
220185749210
220185749520
220185749714
220185750619
220185751735

I have seen these clones with my own eyes - a friend bought one - YES they look the same but let me assure you, HPI quality they are not. The diffs are not the same, vastly inferior and need to be replaced after a few tanks, the engine IS NOT a CY or a zenoah, its a ripoff and revs about as high as a weed wacker, the plastic parts are questionably brittle, the servos are S L O W and weak, the list goes on.
My friend ended up replacing all the major parts within 2 weeks.

I asked the seller to tell people it is not official HPI gear and he refused, he said as they "fit" on an HPI Baja he thinks he is good to go.... I say he is a fraud and shouldn't use HPI's name to sell his cheap chinese knockoff gear.

Enough evidence for you Lunar Wolf?

Lunar Wolf

No thats fine, its always best to state the reasons you think someone is mis-selling goods so it dosn't look like some kind of anti-competitve rant.

That said looking at his auctions it seems quite possible that he means the parts are for a HPI Baja, not that they are claiming they are offical parts or came from a HPI Baja. Spurious parts in the automotive world will list the make & model of car the part is for, that isn't a crime or deception but i can see how you might think he was claiming they were genuine HPI parts.

MONAROMAN

The first line of the every item says HPI Baja 5B....
If you were correct he would go on to explain where they actually came from and that they fit the HPI Baja but he doesn't - he is praying on people who do not know they are clone parts, and they don't know because he isn't telling them.

MONAROMAN

Where is post #3... this thread goes from post #2 to post #4 - with no post #3?!?!

Lunar Wolf

"The first line of the every item says HPI Baja 5B...."

Which by your logic would mean that the auction is for a HPI Baja 5b, but looking at the listing it obvoiusly isn't. In the context the term it's used it could mean 'For' a HPI baja 5b or as you feel 'From' a HPI Baja 5b.

His listings are minimalistic without any embellishment, i really can't see the problem with that, i think you'd have a hard time proving in any kind of small claims court that what he has done is illegal.

MONAROMAN

What! Small claims court!! Don't make me laugh mate...

You are obviously nitpicking - I thought I'd help everyone out here and let them know it was a clone part and not the original - who wants to take him to court?!?! Not me - just helping out fellow 5B owners who may think they are original HPI parts (Like he IS advertising them as) you yanks and your lawsuits - I don't know.

And as for thinking its the full 5B, I'll have to type it all out for you next time but there are about 20 seoarate titles there, they ALL start with HPI BAJA 5B then go on to name the part they are selling - clearer now Wolfman?

Lunar Wolf

Thats fine but if your going to throw accusations around you should atleast be able to substantiate them, I'm i really so out of line for asking for some kind of proof for your assertions or are we just supposed to take you at your word?

BTW i'm not American, my point is if your arguement wouldn't hold up in court why should we be prepaired to accept it.

MONAROMAN

No thats fine to qualify my point but I don't need you to give me your legal interpretation - I qualified my argument - you don't accept it.

You are a judge or a magistrate are you in a small claims court no doubt or I shall ask YOU to qualify your point.

Don't bother mate, I don't care.

pohlmeyr

Thanks for the heads up i will avoid the ebay auction

Lunar Wolf

So you start a thread in a discussion forum, but your not intressed in discussing anything...

Just trying to show you that things may not be as bad as you think. Why not just report him on ebay and let them deal with it?

MONAROMAN

I just don't want to hear you explain your whole small claims thing mate - nobody's going to court here - CAN YOU NOT UNDRESTAND THAT?!?!

I qualified my point as you asked me to. Thats why i will not discuss it with YOU anymore.

As for things not being as bad as I think the guy admits they are not HPI parts yet he advertises them as just that - once again - CAN YOU NOT UNDERSTAND THAT?!?!

If yoiu actually read my posts instead of being difficult you would see I HAVE reported him to ebay but being xmas and the auctions ending in a matter of hours I don't expect them to get pulled - it takes a day or two of multiple reports to get that to happen - thats why i said to others to feel free to report him

Im just trying to help others out here, if YOU don't want that help go whistle dixie mate - don't keep polluting this thread

clubin

Buyer be ware! Would the price not reflect that you are geting a smoking deal? If it seems to good to be true, it probally is. I always research what I purchase, and E-Bay kinda scares me b/c you do't know and there is no real way to find out-especially from a picture, if what you think you are getting is the same as what you are getting.

DIABLOTAC78

lunar wolf i can see that you have total post of 7 "maybe you are the illegal seller of baja parts in ebay" you are so proective in that. i agree with monamoran f@@k that baja seller.

Lunar Wolf

Its kinda funny that for someone who's sig reads "Free speech is a wonderful thing..." and yet can't stand any opinion but his own.


In anycase i can't see what all the fuss is about, when asked about the parts he freely says where they are from, he never claimed in his listing that the parts were taken from a HPI Baja so whats the problem, you've all decided that is what he claims but he never has.

"Dear 750_valve,

yes mate they are from a clone, but just as good, if you win and are not happy please return for a full refund
All the best
Simon


- simonw1371"


Like i said, no where in the listing does it actually say that the parts were actually taken from a HPI Baja 5b, you've just assumed that and gone off on your little crusade.

(edited due to DIABLOTAC78 deleting his post)

DIABLOTAC78

what happened to my post ? okay the cloned baja illegal cause the design is used from a another known company that give a lot of money to built the baja 5b. so me as a hpi supporter i dont like that, i dont like copycut and i think there is a lot of people here in rcu that hate copycuts. monamoran is just saying that we must becarefull of that person on ebay cause his selling copycut product with low quality.


okay so im sorry if i hurt four fellings i apologize but i hate copycut .

pohlmeyr

Lets look at this from another perspective. The original post was basically stating that the parts were from a clone not an HPI Baja 5b like the auction leads you to believe. If i were to purchase these parts i would think that they will fit the HPI Baja 5b and also be original HPI parts. I am led to believe this by the advertising of the auction. I also think that if these parts are from a clone the seller should state this in the auction, so that the not so clever buyer would not be led into thinking he was buying original HPI parts.

Wolf,

Unfortunately when selling on the internet we do not have the luxury of touching what we are buying. With that being said, it in the best interest of the seller to not withhold any information about the item you are selling. So i can see both sides of this argument, but i agree that this guy is selling cloned parts. I think he should say that they are cloned pats in the auctions description.

This is true but you also know for a fact when you purchase the automotive part from any other vendor than the manufacturer that the part will be aftermarket.
Maybe this individual should say this in his auction.


I think that this was supposed to be an informative thread about buyer beware. I also will not buy from this guy unless i need a cloned part for and HPI Baja 5b.

DIABLOTAC78

something smell fishy around this forum i didnt erase my post someone did.

Lunar Wolf

ya maybe so, but the term 'illegal' would indicate that some crime has taken place - copyright infringement maybe. Even so its down to HPI's legal team to address this - it really isn't for us to say. For all we know HPI has a little back handed arrangement with the factories they contract out to in Taiwan, cheaper manufacturing costs in exchange for them being able to sell 'clones' in that region of the world, fact is until HPI make any official statements about the clones all we can do is speculate, as i said its for HPI to defend their intellectual property - if they did you might find that alot of the aftermarket hop-ups which are nothing more then copies of the origional part in alloy or CF may fall foul of this.

Ebay is defiantly a risky place to do business - both buying & selling. If people want to buy there and buy kit split parts then they are at the mercy of the seller not to get palmed off with used or spurious parts, thats why you pay a premium for properly bagged with HPI head carded genuine parts. Ebay and online shops in general have hurt the margins of the retail stores where people will look at the product at the LHS then get smart and buy it on ebay/online to save a few £$, you buy like this then you get what you deserve imo.

That said i hear the dogbones are stronger on the clones.