Your message raises a lot of interesting questions, and I expect that you will receive a range of replies.
In simplest terms, the reason that I publish information about the "fakes" is to help collectors in making informed decisions. Most of the fakes that I get interested in are the Heuers (pre-TAG). Helping TAG-Heuer or ebay is a secondary benefit . . . to me, helping other collectors is the more worthwhile objective.
Jeff
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
: Before I start on the subject on reporting
: fakes let me say that I am a Tag Heuer
: Owner. I bought a 2000 series chronometer.
: That way people that participate in this
: forum dont become outraged on the subjects I
: might bring up for discussions. I am an
: official owner. Chuck recently wrote about
: reporting fakes being sold on ebay to ebay
: and having them removed. Is this really what
: these forums are for? To inform people on
: how they can be tattle tails? What benefit
: is for anyone to go and report this to ebay.
: Is it to keep Tag Heuer from going out of
: business? I doubt it. TH is a major company
: with millions of dollars so I am sure they
: can be their own police, they do not need
: any help from you or me. And I would be
: willing to bet they are not paying you or
: giving you a complimentary watch for doing
: so. So why bother. I am sure that ebay can
: police their site as well without any help
: either. If it is to protect the people who
: might buy a watch there then here is
: something to think about. If you are going
: to buy a watch from someone on ebay then
: that is the chance you take. just because
: someone puts a picture on their sell site it
: does not mean you will get that watch. If
: you want to get a real Heuer then you should
: buy from a repitable outlet. Ben Bridge,
: Roman times, Bailey Banks Biddle, Costco
: Wholesale......... Or go to a watch show
: with dealers so you can see the watch you
: are purchasing. The majority of people that
: buy replicas online know what they are
: buying and if you are not sure then dont get
: it. It seems that many of the people in this
: forum that get upset about fakes are the
: ones that paid a lot of money and now see
: extremely close looking replicas for a
: fraction of the price. And the strange thing
: is that most of these replicas now are
: actually quality watches which hurts even
: more in the pocket book. Basically if you
: are happy with your tag heuer then be and
: leave ebay fakes alone. Let the TH police do
: their own work.