Strange message

[be1one]

Hello, someone sent me a message that I need to provide documentation of product that I am selling. They have no review and member since 2021. Any ideas about this? Thank you. 

 

 

[jhr-4800]

Probably a scammer, trying to get information.  Couple of things that jump out.  1.  AMMEX will NEVER try to reach you on ebay.  2.    Momore or what ever its his user name, is NOT associated with AMMEX.

If I was you, I will do the following.  1.  Report him (Momore) to ebay.  2.  Add him/her to your BBL.

[wrong66]

And don't click on "Reply".

[eleanor*rigby]

Have you researched the company that sent the letter? Or the person who signed the letter? Have you considered perhaps contacting the company through some means other than eBay--maybe calling the number or writing to the address in the letter? 

The company appears to be in the business of representing companies regarding the protection of their intellectual property. I wouldn't necessarily hand over everything they've asked for, but I also wouldn't dismiss this communication as some kind of scam. I would do your own due diligence about the veracity of their claims.

If the company is legitimate and you don't respond, you could find yourself hit with a VeRO takedown of any AMMEX products you have listed for sale.

Your other option would be to simply take down the listings for any and all AMMEX products and dispose of the elsewhere--and never list them on eBay again.

Several ways to go, here. Your call.

[be1one]

Thank you so much. I probably report them and add them to BBL. 

[be1one]

I believe that this is an individual not a company.   The letter they sent me looks like a screenshot. The email address in the letter is different from the one I found in the official website. But I still try to contact the official website to figure it out. Thank you so much. 

[rosachs]

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@be1one wrote:

Thank you so much. I probably report them and add them to BBL. 

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Have you checked eBay's VeRO company list?  The list has companies that ask to be on the list so that sellers can be aware that they are actively reviewing eBay listings for Verified Rights violations.  You may also want to contact eBay For Business on Facebook and ask if there is a way to confirm that the product company is filing/has filed VeRO claims in the past.  You can also present them with the Message you received from the 'agent' claiming to represent the manufacturer/Verified Rights Owner.

When contacting eBay For Business - post a general question but do not provide member IDs or listing numbers.  Keep it generic.  If they can help, they will ask you to Direct Message them with the details they need to review your situation and provide guidance.  Think of it as not hanging out your dirty laundry in the city square.

I had to deal with one 3rd party agent who didn't seem to understand that I was selling a retail product that a client had consigned to me for sale on eBay.  They kept telling me that I wasn't a registered distributor or dealer for their client.  I kept telling them I didn't buy the product, a consumer bought the product, didn't like it, and asked me to liquidate the remainder of what they purchased.  I've been doing it for years, nearly always for businesses but also for a few select individuals I have known for some time.  I have never consigned 'walk-in' individual products - too many arguments over value and fees.

Most of these 3rd party notices never amounted to anything.  One or two did, so I know spend a bit more time trying to determine if they are legit.  Contacting eBay, contacting the manufacturer (is this bozo really their rep on eBay?), checking the VeRO list... you won't do it often enough to get good at it for a few years.  But it's just another aspect of online selling that eBay doesn't really seem to tell folks about... until they shut down one, or more, of your listings.

-Bob.

[a_c_green]

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@be1one wrote:

Hello, someone sent me a message that I need to provide documentation of product that I am selling. They have no review and member since 2021. Any ideas about this?

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Googling that sender's rather distinctive name turns up the fact that he's an entrepeneurial patent troll, hiring himself out to companies who are concerned about (or who are persuaded to be concerned about 😉) imitations of their brand. In your case, it's a manufacturer of non-medical rubber gloves.

As others have mentioned, if he knew what he was doing, he would have gotten the company on to the VeRO list here, so that eBay would actually cooperate in removing listings that infringed their property rights. Instead he is simply sending out unsolicited threats via messaging, to which you have no obligation to respond, unless you like to share your business matters with strangers who write to you out of the blue.

You do not owe him a response, nor would responding be a good idea, as you will simply be on his hook, and subject to even more harassment from that point on. If he is genuinely representing the company, you would have heard from him through actual legal channels (e.g. registered mail), and unsolicited email is not one of those channels. 

If you have concerns, you should consult with your own attorney, someone who will give you advice that will benefit you and not him. At this point, I would do nothing, as there are hundreds of AMMEX listings and this character is probably busy bombarding all of them. As he wants to make money, his income is probably derived from billing AMMEX for every annoy-o-gram he sends out, regardless of results, but the last thing he would want is pushback from sellers that would threaten his account or cut off his means of sending more messages to more sellers (at least until he gets another throwaway account).

I see only one AMMEX listing of yours, for several boxes of AMMEX gloves. Put him on your Blocked Buyer List (here) for starters. If he continues to be a pest, I would either consult an attorney of your choosing (some offer a free one-hour consultation as pro bono work; that would probably be all you'd need) or simply dump the remaining boxes of gloves on Craigslist, or donate them to Goodwill.

[eleanor*rigby]

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@rosachs wrote:

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Have you checked eBay's VeRO company list?  The list has companies that ask to be on the list so that sellers can be aware that they are actively reviewing eBay listings for Verified Rights violations.  You may also want to contact eBay For Business on Facebook and ask if there is a way to confirm that the product company is filing/has filed VeRO claims in the past.  You can also present them with the Message you received from the 'agent' claiming to represent the manufacturer/Verified Rights Owner.

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I checked eBay's VeRO list before responding to the OP. AMMEX is not represented on the list; however, they have no obligation to submit any information to eBay for that list in order to exercise their rights. Even the eBay help page makes that very clear. 

"These pages listed below give information about the brands' products and legal positions. The rights owners are solely responsible for the content. Please contact rights owners directly if you have questions. This list of brands is not comprehensive of brands with IP rights nor is this a complete list of all Rights Owners currently participating in the VeRO program."

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@rosachs wrote:

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When contacting eBay For Business - post a general question but do not provide member IDs or listing numbers.  Keep it generic.  If they can help, they will ask you to Direct Message them with the details they need to review your situation and provide guidance.  Think of it as not hanging out your dirty laundry in the city square.

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The better approach to contacting eBay on Facebook is to START with a private message--do not post on their newsfeed page. Include your member id and the member id of the person who contacted you, along with a brief summary of the issue. 

[rosachs]

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@eleanor*rigby wrote:

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@rosachs wrote:

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Have you checked eBay's VeRO company list?  The list has companies that ask to be on the list so that sellers can be aware that they are actively reviewing eBay listings for Verified Rights violations.  You may also want to contact eBay For Business on Facebook and ask if there is a way to confirm that the product company is filing/has filed VeRO claims in the past.  You can also present them with the Message you received from the 'agent' claiming to represent the manufacturer/Verified Rights Owner.

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I checked eBay's VeRO list before responding to the OP. AMMEX is not represented on the list; however, they have no obligation to submit any information to eBay for that list in order to exercise their rights. Even the eBay help page makes that very clear. 

You are correct - being registered for eBay's VeRO list is not a prerequisite to filing a VeRO take-down request.  And if memory serves, just about anyone can lay claim to VeRO status regarding a listing, even small, private manufacturers or entrepreneurs who are in that vulnerable just-starting phase.

It a place to check but not the end of the road.  And I will update my eBay for Business notes.  I've just always seen them ask folks to DM with details, but I'm not a regular reader so it would appear I may have missed a few things.  I appreciate the update!

-Bob.

[razorback99hunter]

I got this same message from a  0 feedback user from Canada. I'm not even selling any gloves. Whatever become of your situation.

[ifitlooksgood]

Same exact type of message and format letter I received . Definitely a scam. Do you have any update?

[fashunu4eeuh]

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@ifitlooksgood wrote:

Same exact type of message and format letter I received . Definitely a scam. Do you have any update?

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Hi, @ifitlooksgood 

Just a thought: this thread is from last November, making it unlikely the participants who posted in this topic will see your inquiry. You could start your own new thread asking the community for any updated info. Just wanted to be sure your post doesn't get lost at the tail-end of an old thread. (Often these older posts get locked by the mods, essentially ending the conversation.) 

[be1one]

There were 4 more people with different user names sent me the same content and format letter. I reported and blocked all and they didn’t send me this message anymore. Don’t click Rely to them. 

[kh-vince]

Hi everyone,

Due to the age of this thread, it has been closed to further replies. Please feel free to start a new thread if you wish to continue to discuss this topic.

Thank you for understanding.