Rifle Scopes Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

[jtb33]

(sorry about the picture size - I just wanted to give as much detail as possible - right click pic and "view picture" to see full size)

Let me preface this by saying; "Yes, I know". This actually happened to me several years ago. It all ended well, but I figured that my error may help someone else avoid this, hence me posting it.

Anyway, I found a Mark 4 on eBay for a decent deal, seller had 100+ feedback, all positive, no negative or neutral and was in the US. So I bid on it and I won. The pics were not great on the auction; blurry, but he provided the model number and answered questions. When I posted the deal I got on another forum, members were skeptical that I could get a Mark 4 for $650 shipped and suggested it was fake, despite the seller's reputation. So I had my camera ready when I opened it to capture my "ha ha moment" or my "eat crow" moment. Sure enough, I ate crow. The above is what I received, in all its glory; lol. Yes, that is the "Leupold" box I received. The lettering are the mailbox letters you buy at a Wal-Mart or hardware store. The medallion on the box is a printout. The label on the end is also a printout - a very bad one at that. I paid via PayPal (whew) and immediately contacted the seller to let them know it was a fake. At first, the seller acted as if I was trying to rip HIM off, then acted ignorant about it. He was stalling, so I filed a report with PayPal. Never had to get to the dispute resolution, as he agreed to refund my money in full via PayPal and I was made whole again. I lucked out.

As it turns out, I was such a glutton for punishment at that time, I had also bid on a NF optic on eBay at the same time as this, which I also ended up winning (different seller) for $850. Yes, a NF for $850 - and it had zero stop and was "new in box". I posted that "deal" as well and was ready to be burned yet again. Lucky for me, that one turned out to be legitimate. In fact, the seller turned out to be Alex from EuroOptic; lol. I did get a great deal on that one, so there are deals to be had out there, but you have to watch out. I was lucky I paid via PayPal for that Leupold.

 

[matt33]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

That's terrible. I guess you learned it's not wise to buy a high end scope on ebay.

BTW, I can vouch for Alex at EuroOptics, if he's the NF seller, it's really a genuine NightForce.

 

[jtb33]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: matt33</div><div class="ubbcode-body">That's terrible. I guess you learned it's not wise to buy a high end scope on ebay.

BTW, I can vouch for Alex at EuroOptics, if he's the NF seller, it's really a genuine NightForce. </div></div>

Oh, I know Alex.

BTW, in case it wasn't clear, I got the NF on eBay.

 

[Redmanss]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

Let me guess.... He refunded your money and canceled the order so you couldn't leave any type of feedback on his account, right? That is how eBay frauds stay in business and don't have any negative feedback.

The same thing happened to my wife, twice actually from two different vendors, on a major jewelry purchase from what appeared to be a very reputable vendor (10k+ sales, 99.9% positive). They cancel it out, you don't care since you got your money back, and all is well with the world until some poor fellow comes along and doesn't know how to tell the difference from real to fake until it's too late. I honestly have more respect for bottom sucking carp or toe-jam than these scumbags.

This is the reason "eBay sucks" threads keep coming up and also why I absolutely will not buy ANYTHING from ANYONE on it. If I need something from EuroOptics, I have their number.

 

[BaileyMoto]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Redmanss</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Let me guess.... He refunded your money and canceled the order so you couldn't leave any type of feedback on his account, right? That is how eBay frauds stay in business and don't have any negative feedback.

The same thing happened to my wife, twice actually from two different vendors, on a major jewelry purchase from what appeared to be a very reputable vendor (10k+ sales, 99.9% positive). They cancel it out, you don't care since you got your money back, and all is well with the world until some poor fellow comes along and doesn't know how to tell the difference from real to fake until it's too late. I honestly have more respect for bottom sucking carp or toe-jam than these scumbags.

This is the reason "eBay sucks" threads keep coming up and also why I absolutely will not buy ANYTHING from ANYONE on it. If I need something from EuroOptics, I have their number. </div></div>

I didn't realize they could do that. I'm curious as well. If you can, please make sure you leave negative feedback.

 

[CSTactical]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

Every time I see this happen it pisses me off to no end.

Mike @ CST

 

[Bruiser_Joe]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

last deployment i got taken for 2,000 dollars, i had internet issues and had a really hard time dealing with paypal, took so long to fight the guy and paypal that i got fucked and was completely out the money. lesson learned the hard way i guess. haven't bought anything on there since.

 

[Only10x]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

buyer beware.
sorry to hear that BigJoe,one can only hope that karma really is a bitch.

 

[jtb33]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BaileyMoto</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Redmanss</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Let me guess.... He refunded your money and canceled the order so you couldn't leave any type of feedback on his account, right? That is how eBay frauds stay in business and don't have any negative feedback.

The same thing happened to my wife, twice actually from two different vendors, on a major jewelry purchase from what appeared to be a very reputable vendor (10k+ sales, 99.9% positive). They cancel it out, you don't care since you got your money back, and all is well with the world until some poor fellow comes along and doesn't know how to tell the difference from real to fake until it's too late. I honestly have more respect for bottom sucking carp or toe-jam than these scumbags.

This is the reason "eBay sucks" threads keep coming up and also why I absolutely will not buy ANYTHING from ANYONE on it. If I need something from EuroOptics, I have their number. </div></div>

I didn't realize they could do that. I'm curious as well. If you can, please make sure you leave negative feedback. </div></div>

I did leave him negative feedback and made it clear in my comment on it that he sold a counterfeit Leupold Mark 4 scope as a "real" one. I followed his auctions for a bit afterward just to see what he was doing. He continued selling them, but he marked them as "Leupold copies" in the title and description.

IMO, aside from the obvious problem of ripping off unsuspecting buyers, I think the biggest problem with this is for Leupold's reputation. People buy these not knowing they are fakes. For us, yes, it was painfully obvious that it was a fake, but for 90% of the others, they won't know it and they associate this crappy counterfeit scope as the top tier of Leupold's optics line. They only find out it's a fake if someone tells them or they try to contact Leupold for warranty issues.

I did send the seller's info (name, address and phone number) to eBay and Leupold with pictures.

 

[Underwhere]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

So...
out of curiosity how's the glass?

Any luck with Paypal? My experience has never been good with them. I've only been burned with small dollar items and have never gotten any money back.

For high dollar stuff I prefer to deal with postal money orders now because I believe it is a heftier crime to defraud someone that way and then it actually gets investigated.

 

[Blackhawk95]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

You also have to thank the Chinese for making these copys that some poor guy gets taken for,

from what I understand China has a big market in making copys of high end stuff and passing it it off as the real thing.

If it seem too good to be true, it usually is.

 

[jtb33]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Underwhere</div><div class="ubbcode-body">So...
out of curiosity how's the glass?

Any luck with Paypal? My experience has never been good with them. I've only been burned with small dollar items and have never gotten any money back.

For high dollar stuff I prefer to deal with postal money orders now because I believe it is a heftier crime to defraud someone that way and then it actually gets investigated. </div></div>

The glass was crappy, relatively speaking. On par with a BSA-level scope. The scope itself felt heavy and robust on the first impression out of the box, but had lots of flaws after a closer inspection.

PayPal - yes, read my narrative above. I got my money back in full because I paid with paypal. I even got my return shipping costs back.

 

[ClayDirt]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

Sorry to hear about your scope. It just makes me sick that people would do such a thing.

 

[netranger6]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

So, with this piece of crap fake, let's reverse engineer it. Start off with a shot at the objective from 300 meters, would like to see how it holds up. Or, follow this guys auctions around and contact the highest bidders on them, let them know to watch out for that shit bag.

 

[holy cow]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

Those mother fuckers that do stuff like that need their hands cut off and their tongue ripped out when they get caught. I really hate seeing shit like that.

 

[rpeacock]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

Not sure what sort of person it takes to "proudly" display a fake Leupold on their prize firearm. The same sort that will wear a fake Rolex watch I'm thinking. Maybe I'm just cheap, but until I can have the real thing, I will buy the best I can afford at the moment and upgrade as I can. The real problem as I see it is you are defrauding a fine maker of goods in either case. Russ

 

[KillShot]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Dan Tucker</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Those mother fuckers that do stuff like that need their hands cut off and their tongue ripped out when they get caught. I really hate seeing shit like that.</div></div>

You, sir, are a man after my own heart!

 

[justme]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

any time you use paypal you should click on the other funding option and fund it with your credit card. That way if you run into any problem your credit card company will stand behind you if paypal fails to.

 

[E3C3H3O3]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BaileyMoto</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Redmanss</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Let me guess.... He refunded your money and canceled the order so you couldn't leave any type of feedback on his account, right? That is how eBay frauds stay in business and don't have any negative feedback.

The same thing happened to my wife, twice actually from two different vendors, on a major jewelry purchase from what appeared to be a very reputable vendor (10k+ sales, 99.9% positive). They cancel it out, you don't care since you got your money back, and all is well with the world until some poor fellow comes along and doesn't know how to tell the difference from real to fake until it's too late. I honestly have more respect for bottom sucking carp or toe-jam than these scumbags.

This is the reason "eBay sucks" threads keep coming up and also why I absolutely will not buy ANYTHING from ANYONE on it. If I need something from EuroOptics, I have their number. </div></div>

I didn't realize they could do that. I'm curious as well. If you can, please make sure you leave negative feedback. </div></div>

I didn't realize they could do that neither, I will never buy anything off E-bay again(anything pricey that is)

 

[BX1129]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

that's freaking BS.

 

[Tengo1]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

I really do wonder if this is why Leupold has such a bad internet reputation these days. Probably ALOT of guys with fake leupolds that are none the wiser. Ebay can be dangerous, but if you watch for the deals, there are some sweet ones.
I picked up a Eotech 552 brand new sealed in package for $300 shipped off of ebay about 5 years ago. Back when the 552 was Eotechs top model and around $500+. I also got lucky about 6 months ago and got a Harris 6"-9" swivel model bipod with the notched legs for $50 shipped brand new in package. It was very much a "seems to good to be true" moment, since every other one on ebay were $85+ shipped. But, sure enough, it showed up a week later and was 100% legit brand new Harris bipod

 

[CSTactical]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

I know Leupold has gotten some sent to them for repair.

I saw one at the range not too long ago. The guy really thought he had a true Leupold Mark 4. When I told him it was a fake he started arguing with me. I told him I was a Leupold LE/MIL dealer then he started believe me but I could still see he was not sure until I showed him what a real one looks like. He was really bummed. He also got it off eBay and was told it was slightly used.

Mike @ CST

 

[abhunter]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

I did not read all the posts. So if it was said I am sorry for a second post about it. You need to report this seller to Leupold. We sell Leupold at our store and they want us to report to them when someone come in and trys to sell a Leupold that is fake. We do not buy scopes no matter what, however people come in anyway to see if they can make a deal. They for sure would like to know that there are fakes coming from this seller.
Fritz

 

[holy cow]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

Let me know if the c?ck sucker lives in the Cincinnati area and we will get your money back, shake downs are always fun.

 

[Jbak]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

You know whats worse than buying a fake Loopy from eBay? Buying a Mark 4 at a nationwide sporting goods chain and getting a fake Loopy. Happened to a friend of mine in St. Louis, he is new to shooting and didn't know any better, but he spent $1200 and left the store with a counterfeit.

 

[Zhurh]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

Here's one that just almost happened to me today. I ran down our just opened road (closed from Oct till April for winter) to closest gun shop which is 200 miles away to pick up an AR-10 338 fed and 2 new Leupold scopes. Armalite was heavy as heck but sweet, VX3L sealed and in good shape, but the Mark 4 2.5 X 8 X 36 looked shaky to me. Now this is at a gun shop, not EBAY.

For starters it was not an illuminated version which I had ordered and I said right then and there I didn't want it. It came unsealed in box that didn't look kosher. Scope didn't have Leupold medallion, and the front narrow ring on objective looked like it had been painted with blk paint, no joke. I did scribble the serial number down and will call Leupold on monday just to find out for myself.

I told the guy at gun shop to get me another one, not the same 2.5X8 but rather that new CMR2 reticle Illuminated; figure no fakes yet on that new model.

Anyway, who knows what occurred; I didn't bite; all because I read this post about a week back; thanks to all.

 

[slg888]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

Sitting at Daytona Nascar race couple approached with 2 tickets for the seats directly in ft of us purchased from ebay and they were fakes. Security ecorted them out.

The couple had auctioned for them and won. They won shit. I kinda felt bad for them. I'd never buy from ebay.

 

[lw8]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

Whats worse is that these optics have been sold to LE Agencies whose procurement folks thought the lowest bid was a great deal...

 

[LSOSGT1109]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

Damn, I've seen a bunch of these but that's the first time I've ever seen them try to copy the Leupold box! Looks like mail box letters on the side of the box! I search "leupold mark 4" on ebay from time to time just to see if I see any of these on there. Twice in the last coupld of months I have seen two fakes on there listed by sellers here in the U.S. as genuine Leupolds. I reported both of them to ebay as counterfeit. Suprisingly, ebay revised both listings to say that they were not actual Leupolds. Every one of these that I've seen have the same serial number: 8888SC. The white lettering on the objective is a dead give away also. Sorry to hear that you got screwed, hope the guy suffers accordingly!

 

[Zhurh]

Re: Got my new Leupold Mark 4! Check it out! (PICS)

I just got off the phone to Leupold and the serial number that was on that Mark 4 was a good number. Drug usage as a kid in late 60's has left my mind distrustful of what don't look right, ha. I'm still glad it wasn't an illum scope. (what I ordered) and I'll have gun shop get me another one in, an illuminated one. I mentioned to Leu guy that the mark 4 didn't have the gold "L" medallion like I see on all Leupold scopes. He said some of them have it, some don't; WTF Leupold? I also mentioned that narrow ring near objective looked like it had been painted by a 3 year old and didn't match the paint on scope housing, he didn't know what to say.

So bad me on this one, but when I spend good money, almost a thou on any scope; it better be perfect. I'm the one who gets to bang & scrape her up.

One of my back east buddies has a gun shop and always has said to watch where you order scopes from. He claimed that some places, even some of the biggest reloading supply mail order places we all order from get factory rebuilt (stock defective); scopes that have been returned by customers for imagined problems that may exist or not. Nobody wants to pay a gran for a rebuilt/checked out scope. He also tells me that on a thousand dollar scope, gun shop only makes 150-175 bucks; not all that much I guess.

So anyway, I was wrong, but I'll have a different scope too, an illuminated one; and thanks for the info that has woken me up about the fake Leupolds.