Rifle Scopes Fake leupold ordeal

savageeaglenavy

savageeaglenavy

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Full Member
Minuteman
Nov 11, 2012
11
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46
#1
Last month I bought what I thought was a great deal on a mark 4. I called leupold to order turrets and that is when I discovered that it had a green illumination setting. Along with no real serial number. The police department I went to file the case with came with me to the shop where I had dropped the scope off to be looked at. After some mild drama the scope was handed over to the police and after a phone call this evening from the police it has been confiscated leaving me with no scope and no refund. I will be at the gun store tomorrow when then open hopefully to receive a full refund and an apology. I even offered to just get store credit but we shall see. More to follow.
 
#2
Hope you don't get your feelings hurt. Did They sell you, and did you buy a Leupold scope? Was scope marked Leupold? This problem goes back to these chinese knockoffs should not be allowed to be imported in first place. I bet you come up short on this deal. Good Luck! krw
 
#4
The shop is great and helpful, I thought I was getting an amazing deal. Iam not writing them off I am disappointed but I believe they will do what is right and refund the monies or store credit as I hope to have a place to go that I can trust. I hope that this was a oversight. The shop is a full retail gun shop.
 
#5
Shop should make you whole, most dont want to loose their good name
be polite (with the expectation of money back) and speak to the owner/manager. bring the police report

If not go to yelp, etc and speak fairly
BBB
State atty general
Find the owner and write him a letter telling him this is your plan and he will make u whole I bet
you
 
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#6
savageeaglenavy said:
The shop is great and helpful, I thought I was getting an amazing deal. Iam not writing them off I am disappointed but I believe they will do what is right and refund the monies or store credit as I hope to have a place to go that I can trust. I hope that this was a oversight. The shop is a full retail gun shop.
Click to expand...

Last Christmas I went to the local shop to get a scope as a gift. They had a good sale price and I told the optics guy that I would take it but wanted to make a phone call first. Went outside and called Leupold to check on the serial # and got a thumbs up from the CS person at Leupold. Something to think about the next time.

Best of luck..... I am sure they will make it right for you
 
#8
tsavo303 said:
Shop should make you whole
If not go to yelp
BBB
State atty general
Find the owner and write him a letter telling him this is your plan and he will make u whole I bet
Click to expand...

I agree, be calm and have a plan to report them for selling "fake" products. I'm sure with a little finesse they
will make good. small claims is easy in most places, that would be your last try after tsavo's advice. Don't give
up man...........
 
#9
also, if they aren't nice about it
tell them you are going to hang out in front of their table at the next gun show and try to blow every sale.. its low but if you have to play dirty. ill bet they make ok, but another tool to have
also i have told people that i am going to contact any regulatory agency that they need and advise them of business practices... that worked on a contractor i used
 
#10
I thank you all for the advise and I will apply it all in the interaction. The laws here have strict penalties for selling those counterfeit items. The amazing deal was sold coming from a retail shop introducing folks to lr shooting. The used scope was pitched as the real deal I guess I should "trust but verify" always no matter what the situation and I have learned my lesson. If there are any more tidbits of advise I am open and thank you all again.
 
#12
savageeaglenavy said:
The amazing deal was sold coming from a retail shop introducing folks to lr shooting. The used scope was pitched as the real deal I guess I should "trust but verify" always no matter what the situation and I have learned my lesson. If there are any more tidbits of advise I am open and thank you all again.
Click to expand...

I don't think I would have been any more cautious when buying "used" from a retail gun shop with a decent reputation, saying it's a real scope. I would be and have been cautious when buying a Leupold from a private party on a different forum, but just did the serial # check and it was a real scope, all good. I see a decent amount of used gun stuff sold at prices that I think are below market, so it's hard to tell something's fake just from a price being low. I hope and expect the shop will make it right.
 
#13
Leupold CS has been very helpful in my experience when verifying serial numbers. Although I honestly don't think I would even check with them if I bought it from a retail gun store. I guess this is a good lesson.
 
#15
My friend bought a Trijicon Acog from Ebay and it was like $400, he took it to the range (5 shot to at the paper target, and that thing broke). I hate chinese Junk stuff, anything made in china I dont ever want to buy.
 
#21
As the Chinese are able to fake these scopes, just out of curiosity, why can't they fake a serial number? If they knew the real serial number sequence (easy to find), start sequencing their counterfeits with that sequence, wouldn't be hard to do. There must be a better way to ID the fakes. I realize many of the fakes being offered now are not marked in the true fashion, but I believe it is just a matter of time (if not already happening) before their markings become correct, just saying.....
 
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#25
seanh said:
"...what I thought was a great deal..."? Seriously? You knew the deal was too good to be true and now you're complaining that you're first instinct was right?
Click to expand...

I can't stand people like this ! Because a person thinks they might get a good deal they deserve to get ripped off ?!?!?!
I donate a lot to charity, time and money. I try to always do the right thing and have always helped out others. I guess I can't expect to get a freaking break with a great deal everyone and then, huh? #whatadick!
 
#26
Why do you feel you deserve a break?

Dick? The only dick is the person who thinks they're entitled to a deal. Sometimes you can luck out but more often than not, the "deal" isn't as great as it seems. Savage gambled and lost. All he had to do is about 2 minutes of research and he would have known about the fakes out there but he failed to do so either through ignorance or "it won't happen to me" mentality.

at the end of the day, no one will look out for you and protect you from someone to screw you over...it's up to YOU to do that. Crappy, but it's the world we live in. You can either accept it, work with it or be a statistic.
 
#27
Shit happens - we learn and improve but to say "it's your fault because it was too good of a deal to be true " is a shitty thing to post after a person has been had!

A example: I have seen thousands of people get screwed buying golf clubs - is it their fault because that they thought that they were getting a good "used club" deal?

Seanh - no comment, you live with your own views. I just hope and pray that one day I am not the person there wasting my time helping you the day you need it.

seanh- I am sure you will retaliate and prove me wrong, so I am not going to further comment. I said my peace.
 
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#28
Holy smokes,

If my wife went to Neiman Marcus and there was a supposedly great deal on a high end purse and she got it, then shortly thereafter came to find out it was a counterfeit, I guarantee you that I would darn well expect the store to make her whole.

Stores operate under the UCC (uniform commercial code) and there is an implied warrant of merchantability. The store might be able to weasel out if it was a used item and labeled "as is", but that's even debatable. A scope represented as a Leupold should be a Leupold even if its used.
 
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#29
Not that it matters, but I haven't seen posted what the OP's "great deal" price was. I'm betting people are making their own assumptions depending on whether they're sympathetic or hostile. A Mark 4 for $50, yeah I know it's fake - but a Mark 4 for $700, maybe it's a "great deal" but I'm not assuming it's a fake, especially if it shows some wear.
 
#30
UPDATE.

After talking to the local police, it is a felony to sell these items. Today I completed the required paperwork at the station as they took the scope into evidence and went to the store for a refund. When I talked to the owner he was professional and provided my money and I told him to just apply it to the item I had on layaway. Yesterday after what was said there were no words to describe how poorly the situation was handled, but my faith was restored.

It is hard to believe that I cannot trust what I am buying to be real at a legit store. To the comments that this was deserved some how, yes I should have taken and called in the serial number but why would I think to bother? It would be like buying a leupold from Academy and telling the checkout hold on I need to call this in to verify if it is real because the prices are way low and it does not matter if the scope line has been replaced and they are having a blow out sale to make room for the new inventory.

We all get screwed and I learned a valuable lesson.
 
#31
Rocking good!

I disagree that it's your fault. The merchant is the one with the duty to find out if he's selling what he claims he's selling. That's half the reason we buy from a brick and mortar store verses some dude on the Internet. I want to know who I'm gonna seek recourse from if its a shitty product.
 
#32
savageeaglenavy said:
UPDATE.

After talking to the local police, it is a felony to sell these items. Today I completed the required paperwork at the station as they took the scope into evidence and went to the store for a refund. When I talked to the owner he was professional and provided my money and I told him to just apply it to the item I had on layaway.

We all get screwed and I learned a valuable lesson.
Click to expand...

If its a felony, I can guarantee that I wouldn't have them apply my refund to my layaway just in case their not in business when you do get the money to buy the item.
That and I think I'd be looking for a new store to purchase from without a doubt !
There's plenty of reputable shops out there that you don't have to second guess.
 
#33
I don't know what you have on layaway but if that to is a fake then you will have no one to blame but yourself this time. They already sold you one fake item why would you trust them not to sell you something else that is fake?
 
#34
I have a glock 23 gen 4 on layaway that I am picking up today and even though it is in its cardboard box I am going to call Glock just to make sure. I know there are other gun shops in town and this would explain why alot of prices are cheaper. I will be definitely shopping around.
 
#35
no this is more levergage. go to pick up, get money back if they dont make you whole
go talk to them not the police! they are the ones that can help
tell them that you dont want any more police /legal action ! come on, they cant help unless you ask them to!
good luck
 
#37
I am glad to hear it worked out. I would have taken the money at least - and then either cancelled the lay-a-way, or held the money until you were 100% ready to buy the gun.
 
#38
I agree but they wanted to charge a restocking fee to get my money back from the layaway items. So I applied the refund and got them out as soon as I could. I verified with glock and all is good and everything is there. I love these glock 23's. For me they are great for carry, I can't stand those little 380's they are good for some and I realize in sweats it has its place but after putting several boxes through these I will ensure to dress for the glock. But preferences about carries and calibers is a touchy subject and I don't think there is a right or wrong theory it all boils down to what works for you.
 
#39
Glad it worked out for you. Things like this in retail shops have been becoming more common. There was a jewelry store in NC that was a rolex dealer that would slip in a really good fake one in every so often, talk about profit margin. When it all came to light the owner claimed to have no knowledge of it and blamed the manger try to make his store look better. They would even give appraisal leters with them. They are now out of business
 
#41
SomeOtherGuy said:
Not that it matters, but I haven't seen posted what the OP's "great deal" price was. I'm betting people are making their own assumptions depending on whether they're sympathetic or hostile. A Mark 4 for $50, yeah I know it's fake - but a Mark 4 for $700, maybe it's a "great deal" but I'm not assuming it's a fake, especially if it shows some wear.
Click to expand...

agree with this,
if i go to the pawn store and get a good deal on a Sony TV for $$$ - i assume it's a Sony / if it's $cheap as all hell - better make sure it works, stays on, dosn't smoke, stolen, ETC
 
#44
Bull Arms said:
Reupold.....I had to laugh.
Click to expand...
A "Reupold" is a Leupold in drag.

SavageEagleNavy, you might post the name of the retailer who sold you the scope so that potential customers can be wary and aware.

Peeps, use your credit card whenever possible, it protects you against such sales, whether or not it's a felony in your state.
 
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#48
pawprint2 said:
As the Chinese are able to fake these scopes, just out of curiosity, why can't they fake a serial number? If they knew the real serial number sequence (easy to find), start sequencing their counterfeits with that sequence, wouldn't be hard to do. There must be a better way to ID the fakes. I realize many of the fakes being offered now are not marked in the true fashion, but I believe it is just a matter of time (if not already happening) before their markings become correct, just saying.....
Click to expand...

Do you really believe that the people doing this (chinese) don't know that they are not accurate copies and that they lack the skill to produce 100% accurate copies, but that they are improving and will get there soon?

I believe that it is on purpose, the idea is to deceive the customer not the manufacturer. Once in awhile you will see "counterfeit" products destroyed, last one I saw was shoes. It is my understanding that if the counterfeit is so 100% exact that the manufacturer can even tell then that is when laws are broken and governments get involved. It is buyer beware. Do you really think that when MAG-PUL is printed wrong on a fake stock that it is and oversight/screw up? They are not stupid, it is by design. If it is just different enough then all the manufacturers can do is put warnings up on their website.
 
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