Question about possible fake Nike from Ebay

[Dark]

Hi guys
I bought two "authentic" nike 360 from Ebay a while ago from two different sellers. I received the first one a week later. It was mailed from China eventhough the seller is in the US. Not a problem (I thought) since the 360 are made in china anyway. A close inspection didn't reveal anything suspicious. I put them on and noticed that the left side squeaks. I wore them for a week and both are squeaking now as well as being uncomfortable. The left side felt weird the first day as if too narrow. I received the second pair (same size) from the other seller and immediately could tell the difference when I wore them. Perfect match. Super comfortable. No squeaking.
Now I strongly suspect the first pair to be fake. Some rubber is coming off already. What are my options?
Even if I have them inspected (by whom??), I can't deny the fact that I wore them :(
The seller put the emphasis on the fact that they’re AUTHENTIC...
Your opinion is appreciated.

[myversa]

similar situation..

http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=457735

[nsx]

Here's similar scenario of fake Nike from eBay:
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=450987

[myversa]

so many scams from ebay sellers...

[Dark]

I wonder how the lady determined that the Nike were fake!!! I went to the store to compare and they look EXACTLY the same :(
I read a thread where the OP took the shoes to a store (Sporting Life?!!) but could not find it for the life of me. Maybe a store here in Montreal can check the shoes for me?!! Any ideas?

[GVRtrader]

How long ago was "a while"

My suggestion is contact the seller and see if you guys can solve it... if no resolution is found, you can always try the legal route... that is of course if you can determine they are indeed fake. If you can provide legal proof (eg from experts) that they are fake, it does not matter rather or not you wore them (as long as you didn't wear them for 2 years).

If they are real and just badly made, you are out of luck. There is a small chance that its a legit pair of shoes but just left the manufacturer in bad condition (very very small chance but it is possible...).

Summary, contact seller, confirm they are fake, keep all documents, try to solve it with him (maybe at least get the cost and eat shipping), if that does not work, legal route is your only option.

[Cruel_Angel]

Call Nike and give them the serial number inside the shoe. Most fakes use the same serial number or use serial numbers that do not correspond to the particular shoe you have. The serial numbers tell you where the shoes was made, what model the shoe is, and what color they are supposed to be. Not every shoe is made in the same factory, so if you have a pair of Max360's and they are supposed to be made in Vietnam, but the serial number says its made in China. You have a fake. Odds are, if it was shipped from China you do have a fake. A lot of people set up shop on eBay from the US, and have their contacts in China send out the shoe.

[newkid]

i'd say 95% of nikes on ebay are fakes especially the shoxs. air maxes, collectible air jordans, etc. You really have to do research/inspection before buying a pair of nikes on ebay...

Some tips for buying shoes on ebay:
1) Ask the seller for personally tagged close up pics of the shoes, box with tag, inner shoe tag, accessories...if they can't provide more than 1 pic that looks stock or used commonly by others on ebay stay away.
2) Inspect the product number from inner shoe tag and box tag and then compare to the original (go to a reputable website to find this number: eastbay.com, finishline.com)...the format for nike shoes is a 6-digit model number followed by a 3 digit color code...fake nikes usually have a wrong number somewhere
3) compare the pics with pics of an authentic pair if you can
4) a big tell would be what the seller has sold before, if it includes hard-to-find, rare, collectible sneakers then that should raise a red flag of caution...check his feedback for comments from buyers and see what they bought
5) See where the seller is from (asia is usually a no-no) however, some authentic sellers are from asian countries (taiwan, etc) however, unless you know, try to buy from a north american seller
6) If the colour is not offered in Canada or the US or anywhere in the world stay away!
7) If the shoe was hard-to-get and limited 5-10 years ago...it'll be even harder to get today...so does this seller have this rare shoe in every size imaginable for sale and for a really cheap price?!!? ya...its probably fake!
8) Just try to be really familiar with the product you're gonna buy, because like fake handbags, they all look real at first, but its the minor details that can tip you off and once u get it in your hands you'll know.
9) If the price is too good to be true...it probably isn't worth your time!
10) There are sneaker forums where the regulars will do legit checks on sneakers if you provide pics...use them if you are really unsure...check out www.niketalk.com, www.solecollector.com

As for action you can take with the seller, even if you've worn it send an email to a seller threatening complaints/reporting to ebay/paypal and ask to resolve the problem before you take any other action. Usually fake sellers don't want to deal with the hassle/negative feedback, etc and many times have refunded ppl without even wanting the shoes back...but i can't say that would be true for all fake sellers as they are in a shady business

If you have to escalate it to ebay/paypal it will be hard to prove and even harder to collect any money back...

good luck!

btw...if you want authentic kicks on ebay i can vouch for seller Footsoldiers (NY) he sells a lot of stuff. Other sellers ...uptempoair (heard some shipping horror stories but they are legit)

[mlc2000]

How much did you pay for these shoes?

[3weddings]

I just went thru it all as you can see by the link above.

I have gotten my money back! Thanks to a fabulous meeting with the manager of the shoe department at a renowned sporting goods store! Within minutes of getting my fax, paypal acknowledged the shoes as counterfeit, and asked me to return the shoes to them and providing them with my tracking number!

They will ask for authentication from an expert:
In order to continue with the investigation of your complaint, we must
request documentation to support your claim that the item is not authentic.
Please obtain a document from an unbiased, third-party, such as a dealer,
appraiser, or another individual or organization that is qualified in the
area of the item in question (other than yourself), which clearly
identifies the item as not authentic. If possible, the document should
include a serial number and description of the item, and must be on
letterhead that includes the name, address, and phone number of the
individual, business, or organization so that PayPal may contact them if
necessary.

My main point was that the serial code in both pairs of shoes was identical, and that the date codes were wrong!

Let me know if I can help you out!