Possible Legal Action against sellers of stolen Transformers

About time.

This letter may be a hoax or the writer of this letter doesn't proof read well, seeing as how he uses "here from you " as opposed to hear. I have a hard time believing that a letter with this type of seriousness attached would have a basic grammatical error. Who knows.. just my thoughts

drfeelgood81083 wrote:This letter may be a hoax or the writer of this letter doesn't proof read well, seeing as how he uses "here from you " as opposed to hear. I have a hard time believing that a letter with this type of seriousness attached would have a basic grammatical error. Who knows.. just my thoughts

Could be, but that is one of the most common gramatical errors and with the recent other news about the crack down on these auctions/sellers, I think it's probably legit.

This is laughable. There is no way China is going to do anything about
100(or less) stolen toys being sold on an auction site. There is a much larger stake there revolving around pirated DVDs and there is nothing being done. I commend them on their efforts but as long as they are out of the U.S. I don't see anything but the loss of an ebay account for these sellers, if that.

Its been long delayed. Finally some action against these thieves

This guy doesnt have the power to press charges against somebody over seas either. Voilates international law, not to mention there is no court that is willing to allow it. Fake ass email is what this is.

DISCHARGE wrote:This is laughable. There is no way China is going to do anything about
100(or less) stolen toys being sold on an auction site. There is a much larger stake there revolving around pirated DVDs and there is nothing being done. I commend them on their efforts but as long as they are out of the U.S. I don't see anything but the loss of an ebay account for these sellers, if that.

Lol I agree here...as much as stealing sucks, china ain't going to do crap about it Come to think of it, mabey some classics 2.0's were lifted too? Ive seen a good many of them on e-bay.

OPTIMUS MAGNUS wrote:

DISCHARGE wrote:This is laughable. There is no way China is going to do anything about
100(or less) stolen toys being sold on an auction site. There is a much larger stake there revolving around pirated DVDs and there is nothing being done. I commend them on their efforts but as long as they are out of the U.S. I don't see anything but the loss of an ebay account for these sellers, if that.

Lol I agree here...as much as stealing sucks, china ain't going to do crap about it Come to think of it, mabey some classics 2.0's were lifted too? Ive seen a good many of them on e-bay.

C'mon folks, crime does not exist in a vaccum.

If these sellers loose their legitimate means of selling their goods (eBay & PayPal) or even if it becomes a difficult hassel to sell through those means, then Hasbro and FunPub will have enough incentive to pursue this.

This part:

"Do not ever purchase ANY Transformers from Chinese auctions or vendors as Hasbro is also looking to prosecute"

is really dubious. So anybody from China that sells online is automatically a crook? I really doubt it. Sounds like more China-bashing here (in that sentence only) is taken place and this Brian Savage guy is blaming the entire group just because of his grievances with a few bad apples in that group.

Super Megatron wrote:This part:

"Do not ever purchase ANY Transformers from Chinese auctions or vendors as Hasbro is also looking to prosecute"

is really dubious. So anybody from China that sells online is automatically a crook? I really doubt it. Sounds like more China-bashing here (in that sentence only) is taken place and this Brian Savage guy is blaming the entire group just because of his grievances with a few bad apples in that group.

I believe when he says that he is talking about them containing items that have clearly not been released in any public way yet, like BOTCON items, ANIMATED toys, etc.

What an asshole,if hasbro wasn't delaying toys they already have a billion copies of just sitting around,we wouldn't HAVE to buy or sell stolen transformers,it's their own damn lazy fault.

Its irellevant. Whilst people are stupid enough to shell out top dollar to get these toys a few weeks early then there will always be a seller willing to pass them along regardless of the risk from badly worded corporate threats.

rhinox555 wrote:What an asshole,if hasbro wasn't delaying toys they already have a billion copies of just sitting around,we wouldn't HAVE to buy or sell stolen transformers,it's their own damn lazy fault.

Ha ha I really like this theory. I agree.

rhinox555 wrote:What an asshole,if hasbro wasn't delaying toys they already have a billion copies of just sitting around,we wouldn't HAVE to buy or sell stolen transformers,it's their own damn lazy fault.

Or you could be responsible about it and wait the like, what, month or two till they get released, buy the toys in the store, and ultimately support the company who made it possible for you to have and enjoy the toys in the first place.

looks like some people are going to jail. is buying stolen items punishable too?

rhinox555 wrote:,if hasbro wasn't delaying toys they already have a billion copies of just sitting around,we wouldn't HAVE to buy or sell stolen transformers,it's their own damn lazy fault.

True dat! I agree with FP stance on the Botcon stuff. But the Animated junk, we know the toys are made. They've given themselves ample time to put it out there. People are growing tired of waiting.

They should really be trying to find the people in the warehouses and factories that are smuggling them out to sell to these Chinese auction sellers. A couple more cameras, undercover loss prevention officers, implement bag checks in and out of production facilities.
I mean, if they were really serious they would go for the head and not the ankle. It can't be too hard to hammer out who the culprit is.
Sounds like they need to do a better job with their inventory control.
Hasbro should be looking at themselves and the factories that produce their wares.

rhinox555 wrote:What an asshole,if hasbro wasn't delaying toys they already have a billion copies of just sitting around,we wouldn't HAVE to buy or sell stolen transformers,it's their own damn lazy fault.

Hasbro aren't delaying the release of animated - the retailers are - they want to squeeze more money out of the movie line as it has proved popular.

Also, nobody HAS to buy stolen anything - it's a choice you make.

Good start. Hope this action goes somewhere though.

Brian has confirmed with me via email that he sent that message out to eBay sellers recently. Nice to see Fun Pub and Hasbro using eBay's VeRO program finally.

What a load of BS. The guy can't even spell. I can understand eBay taking action, but come on - the police have worst things to worry about than some "stolen" Transformers. Shame on that guy for wasting the police force's time. Let them catch murderers and rapists. What a turd.

Go, Brian! It not fair that these people are allowed to steal these exclusives, which people pay hundreds of dollars for, before they even get over here.

woosh wrote:looks like some people are going to jail. is buying stolen items punishable too?

I believe it is in the UK, so would assume that it would be the same elsewhere.

im glad they get whats coming to them but im glad they sold them because we got to see them

Seibertron wrote:Brian has confirmed with me via email that he sent that message out to eBay sellers recently. Nice to see Fun Pub and Hasbro using eBay's VeRO program finally.

I thought it might be him because there have been so many leaks of the molds, and so many on eBay to buy before the con even starts. How else is he supposed to handle it when he has to tell the very people he is doing this for that they don't have enough sets for everyone, and yet here are these stolen bagged versions showing up on eBay... I say good job!

Counterpunch wrote:
Or you could be responsible about it and wait the like, what, month or two till they get released, buy the toys in the store, and ultimately support the company who made it possible for you to have and enjoy the toys in the first place.

It's never our own fault, it's always someone else's.

THANK GOD!!!

Finally some action against these crooks. I NEVER buy items from sellers in China. I will admit, I was EXTREMELY tempted to get Evil Prime because for some reason, he's amazing to me, so much that Im working on a repaint of him, but ultimately did not.

Theft is theft guys. Would you want someone to steal from you? I've been robbed, I know of at least one other person on this forum that has, and it SUCKS!!! No we're not major corporations, but that doesn't make it any better.

Do the right thing. It always makes me feel better when I do.

I wonder if they will also crack down on the guys selling the animated figures in independent toy stores in Hong Kong.

For the last six weeks Mongkok has been awash with Animated BB, SS, Pime and Bulkhead (both bagged and MISB). It is getting rediculous. I know about 10 stores selling these regularly with new stock coming in to replace the old. 100's must've been sold by now, and not at very high prices. 20USD for deluxe and 35USD for voyager.

I'm surprised because HK is usually quite hot on Knock offs (at least in public places) so I would have thought that stollen goods would be even more taboo

OR You can send the items to ME at:

Omega 666
Omega 666, Inc.
1984 Omega Dr
Autobot City, DC 90210

as far as i know bribery, corruption and such like is rife in china, and is considered something common. i actually think that some hasbro dude actually got bribed into "leaking" a few toys out to these sellers.

To be honest with you, it's not so much worse than anywhere else. Lets face it you don't need to be "bribed" to steal something, that almost anyone here could sell themselves. Even factory workers speak good english and have internet access these days.

If it was a western factory paying crappy wages, tell me someone here wouldn't do exactly the same thing.

Counterpunch wrote:

rhinox555 wrote:What an asshole,if hasbro wasn't delaying toys they already have a billion copies of just sitting around,we wouldn't HAVE to buy or sell stolen transformers,it's their own damn lazy fault.

Or you could be responsible about it and wait the like, what, month or two till they get released, buy the toys in the store, and ultimately support the company who made it possible for you to have and enjoy the toys in the first place.

Do i live in america? no,does tfu come out in 2 months? Are dutch store prices lower than what this stuff costs on ebay? no.
Will holland get them at all? maybe,but not untill 20010,same prob we had with cybertron. So i don't know who's paying you to say something ridiculous like that,but i'd give them their money back and tell them how badly we're being screwed over. They have obviously produced enough of them to allow a few dozen voyagers and deluxes to get stolen without anyone noticing,nobody is buying movie stuff anymore,it's been fun for half a year but now collectors are just gonna walk away,because at this rate,we will never get anything else than movie toys. by the time the first two good series in years will come out,their novelty will have worn off and nobody will have interest anymore.

rhinox555 wrote:

Counterpunch wrote:

rhinox555 wrote:What an asshole,if hasbro wasn't delaying toys they already have a billion copies of just sitting around,we wouldn't HAVE to buy or sell stolen transformers,it's their own damn lazy fault.

Or you could be responsible about it and wait the like, what, month or two till they get released, buy the toys in the store, and ultimately support the company who made it possible for you to have and enjoy the toys in the first place.

Do i live in america? no,does tfu come out in 2 months? Are dutch store prices lower than what this stuff costs on ebay? no.
Will holland get them at all? maybe,but not untill 20010,same prob we had with cybertron. So i don't know who's paying you to say something ridiculous like that,but i'd give them their money back and tell them how badly we're being screwed over. They have obviously produced enough of them to allow a few dozen voyagers and deluxes to get stolen without anyone noticing,nobody is buying movie stuff anymore,it's been fun for half a year but now collectors are just gonna walk away,because at this rate,we will never get anything else than movie toys. by the time the first two good series in years will come out,their novelty will have worn off and nobody will have interest anymore.

You've got like, a whole boat load of problems there. All of them seem to stem from you living in Holland, which is in a way, ironic seeing as the problems are aboard a boat...

Anyway, your living conditions do not justify theft, nor are they fact and proof that Hasbro is either lazy or incompetent.

You should put all that angry energy into getting some friends on message boards to hook you up.

Also, I'm never moving to Holland now.

I'm not saying it justifies theft,i'm saying hasbro should start actually doing some work so we would actually have a choice.
They haven't done anything since june for crying out loud.
There's no reason for Hasbro not to just sell toys people would actually buy.

Good. About damn time.

Perhaps the war with China will begin over this.....

I'm glad to see that action is finally being taken about this. I hope that no one misses out on their Botcon package because it was stolen. And what is up with some of you? Because there hasn't been a new line in 9 months and new toys are in production it's ok to buy stolen goods? Sorry that just doesn't make sense to me.

Don't joke about it.... Every little helps

The toy industry has been the source of a lot of bad feeling over the last few months. There are news organisations like Fox all over the world that play up to nationalistic sentiments.

This, my friends, makes me a happier man.

And why is that? could you not afford them or do you for some reason hate people who use their money on something else than furniture?

Well right now, ther are still two auctions for universe sunstreaker for 11x the retail value or $119.00

rhinox555 wrote:And why is that? could you not afford them or do you for some reason hate people who use their money on something else than furniture?

Because maybe, just maybe, I think theft is wrong. Furthermore, this clearly only hurts those people who couldn't get a set this year because it was stolen. Hmmm, I wonder why that may be?

NuclearConvoy wrote:

rhinox555 wrote:And why is that? could you not afford them or do you for some reason hate people who use their money on something else than furniture?

Because maybe, just maybe, I think theft is wrong. Furthermore, this clearly only hurts those people who couldn't get a set this year because it was stolen. Hmmm, I wonder why that may be?

I apologize for that last post. i'm just pissed off because this means dutch fans have to wait untill 2009* for transformers that won't be interesting anymore by that time and almost as expensive as they currently are on ebay anyway.


*we didn't get cybertron untill like,end of 2006 or beginning of 2007,and it was just the ones nobody in the us wanted anyway.

rhinox555 wrote:I'm not saying it justifies theft,i'm saying hasbro should start actually doing some work so we would actually have a choice.
They haven't done anything since june for crying out loud.
There's no reason for Hasbro not to just sell toys people would actually buy.

Hmmm, maybe there's just not enough demand for Hasbro to sell stuff in your country?

And by the way, I don't understand what that argument is doing in this thread. Figures sold legally would cost less than the figures stolen because demand is lower once released.

rhinox555 wrote:

NuclearConvoy wrote:

rhinox555 wrote:And why is that? could you not afford them or do you for some reason hate people who use their money on something else than furniture?

Because maybe, just maybe, I think theft is wrong. Furthermore, this clearly only hurts those people who couldn't get a set this year because it was stolen. Hmmm, I wonder why that may be?

I apologize for that last post. i'm just pissed off because this means dutch fans have to wait untill 2009* for transformers that won't be interesting anymore by that time and almost as expensive as they currently are on ebay anyway.


*we didn't get cybertron untill like,end of 2006 or beginning of 2007,and it was just the ones nobody in the us wanted anyway.

Seriously, dude, make friends with somebody on the message boards, have them pick shit up for you, you reimburse them for their troubles and cover shipping costs to Holland and baddabing baddaboom you have toys quickly.

You really have no clue of what shipping to europe costs,do you?

GetterDragun wrote:

rhinox555 wrote:I'm not saying it justifies theft,i'm saying hasbro should start actually doing some work so we would actually have a choice.
They haven't done anything since june for crying out loud.
There's no reason for Hasbro not to just sell toys people would actually buy.

Hmmm, maybe there's just not enough demand for Hasbro to sell stuff in your country?

And by the way, I don't understand what that argument is doing in this thread. Figures sold legally would cost less than the figures stolen because demand is lower once released.

You'd think so,but you'd be wrong.
An animated voyager on ebay=20 euro,about 30 usd. If they come out in dutch stores they'd be 30 euros,about 45 usd.

rhinox555 wrote:

GetterDragun wrote:

rhinox555 wrote:I'm not saying it justifies theft,i'm saying hasbro should start actually doing some work so we would actually have a choice.
They haven't done anything since june for crying out loud.
There's no reason for Hasbro not to just sell toys people would actually buy.

Hmmm, maybe there's just not enough demand for Hasbro to sell stuff in your country?

And by the way, I don't understand what that argument is doing in this thread. Figures sold legally would cost less than the figures stolen because demand is lower once released.

You'd think so,but you'd be wrong.
An animated voyager on ebay=20 euro,about 30 usd. If they come out in dutch stores they'd be 30 euros,about 45 usd.

Um, you missed my point, A stolen MOC Animated figure has been averaging $40US, when they come out at retail $10US, so how is it cheaper to buy ones now that are stolen, shipping is a moot point since they are both being shipped overseas.

The testshots on ebay are 30 bucks, while they are over 45 if they come out here.

I´d prefer if you read my posts before replying to them.


Oh well,ignore me for a minute,i'm cranky today. i'll go cool off for a bit.

*sigh*

Hmmm....this should be a fun issue.

In the first place, location is key...in alot of different way. China is infamous for their disregard of copyright laws. An interesting fact considering that most of the worlds plastic production gets siphoned through there. I think that falls under the old addage 'you get what you pay for'. People who think that a Chinese production company that gets paid pennies on the dollar for toys is going to tighten security or the like, is in for a rude awakening.

It doesn't work that way.

In all likelyhood, whoever is sneaking out the items is pretty high on the chain of command, or they wouldn't be able to manage this number of thefts of items with this low of production numbers. Remember, many of these are Botcon exclusives. Animated would be easy, but thats a different affair. Its also relavent that the thefts perpetrated on items with high resale values. That implies that the seller must know the market, and that they are comfortable enough with the english language to use eBay.

They aren't getting caught. Period, end of story. All that this can manage, is taking away one auction site from their use....and there are a thousand more where that came from. Really, with the funds they're making here, a seller could afford to set up their own site in China, and sidestep any legal issues.

Pretty words, but nothing more.

rhinox555 wrote:You really have no clue of what shipping to europe costs,do you?

Yes, i do. It's not cheap. I've paid for it before. It's also not, OMFG, stolen products. Hell, find a friend in the UK. They get toys decently quick and the shipping shouldnt be horrible. Stop bitchin' and find yourself a solution that doesnt involve illegal actions.