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  • #1

    EBay Scam

    There's a company (or two) re-hashing wikipedia pages and having them printed to order as "books". These books are showing up on EBay and even Amazon at crazy prices.

    Some of the book subjects are motorcycle related:

    http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Yamaha-XS-Ele...ht_1068wt_1139

    I have seen these for all sorts of subjects and there is no value in owning one as all of the content is already on Wikipedia.

    Some more details here:

    http://en.wikipedia..../VDM_Publishing

    http://www.chrisrand...ipt-publishing/

    I would ask that members of other forums (motorcycle related or otherwise) warn fellow members of this scam.
    Melbourne, Australia. XS1100RH
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Originally posted by melbxs View Post
    There's a company (or two) re-hashing wikipedia pages and having them printed to order as "books". These books are showing up on EBay and even Amazon at crazy prices.

    Some of the book subjects are motorcycle related:

    http://cgi.ebay.com.au/Yamaha-XS-Ele...ht_1068wt_1139

    I have seen these for all sorts of subjects and there is no value in owning one as all of the content is already on Wikipedia.

    I would ask that members of other forums (motorcycle related or otherwise) warn fellow members of this scam.
    Hi melb,
    "Scam" may be a touch harsh. AU$68 may be a whole whack of cash for a hard copy but it ain't like it don't say exactly what you are getting.
    The first line in your link says:-
    "High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! "
    Fred Hill, S'toon
    XS11SG with Spirit of America sidecar
    "The Flying Pumpkin"

    Comment

    • #3
      Originally posted by fredintoon View Post
      Hi melb,
      "Scam" may be a touch harsh. AU$68 may be a whole whack of cash for a hard copy but it ain't like it don't say exactly what you are getting.
      The first line in your link says:-
      "High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! "

      Any right-minded individual would call it a scam.

      The contents for all of these "books" aren't carefully selected they are automatically downloaded by a software robot. All you are getting is a hardcopy of wikipedia articles that starts with the original article and then deviates off at any old tangent dependant upon what links also happen to be on the page and the next page and the page after that.

      It's worthless crap and it is sold purely on an intention to mislead the buyer. A confidence trick.

      Just because there's nothing technically illegal about it doesn't stop it from being a scam.

      Just thought I'd warn people about it.
      Melbourne, Australia. XS1100RH

      Comment

      • #4
        Good to know. Thanks Melb.
        1980 SG. (Sold - waiting on replacement)
        2000 XJR1300. The Real modern XS11. Others are just pretenders.

        Woman (well, my wife anyway) are always on Transmit and never Receive.

        "A man should look for what is, and not for what he thinks should be" Albert Einstien.

        Comment

        • #5
          on the topic of ebay - always carefully read the description, then read it again, then have someone else you trust read it just to be sure. I had a friend get taken for a couple hundred bucks a few years ago - description said "you are bidding on a brand new xbox box" he assumed it was a typo as the opening bid was like $25, and won the bidding against several others finally paying 150 or something for an empty box.

          Just like these books, nothing illegal about it but clearly an attempt to mislead unaware buyers.
          1979 xs1100 Special -
          Stock air box/K&N Filter, MAC 4-2 exhaust, Bad-Boy Air horn, TC fuse box, Windshield, Soft bags, Vetter Fairing, Blinkers->Run/Turn/Brake Lights, Headlight Modulator, hard wire GPS power

          Short Stack - 1981 xs1100 Standard - lowered for SWMBO.

          Originally posted by fredintoon
          Goes like a train, corners like a cow, shifts like a Russian tractor, drinks like a fish, you are gonna love it.
          My Bike:
          [link is broken]

          Comment

          • #6
            Originally posted by psycoreefer View Post
            on the topic of ebay - always carefully read the description, then read it again, then have someone else you trust read it just to be sure. I had a friend get taken for a couple hundred bucks a few years ago - description said "you are bidding on a brand new xbox box" he assumed it was a typo as the opening bid was like $25, and won the bidding against several others finally paying 150 or something for an empty box.

            Just like these books, nothing illegal about it but clearly an attempt to mislead unaware buyers.
            OUCH! I bet that guy was like "WTF are these guys doing! SWEET!!!"
            Nathan
            KD9ARL

            μολὼν λαβέ

            1978 XS1100E
            K&N Filter
            #45 pilot Jet, #137.5 Main Jet
            OEM Exhaust
            ATK Fork Brace
            LED Dash lights
            Ammeter, Oil Pressure, Oil Temp, and Volt Meters
            Green Monster Coils
            SS Brake Lines
            Vision 550 Auto Tensioner

            In any moment of decision the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.

            Theodore Roosevelt

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            • #7
              Originally posted by natemoen View Post
              OUCH! I bet that guy was like "WTF are these guys doing! SWEET!!!"
              Nah. He did it on purpose, to snag the people who don't read the full listings carefully. There are TONS of these all the time, whenever a new high-dollar toy comes out. In a few months, you'll see empty boxes for the new iPhone being sold too.
              1980 XS850SG - Sold
              1981 XS1100LH Midnight Special (Sold) - purchased 9/29/08
              Fully Vetterized and Dynojet Kit added, Heated Grips, Truck-Lite LED headlight, Accel Coils, Irridium plugs, TKAT Fork Brace, XS850LH Final Drive & Black SS Brake lines from Chacal.
              Here's my web page devoted to my bike! XS/XJ User's Manuals there, and the XJ1100 Service Manual and both XS1100 Service manuals (free download!).

              Whether you think you can, or you think you cannot - You're right.
              -H. Ford

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