LEGAL HELP!!-MINICHAMPS test bike
 

Right,if you've been following the threads on Minichamps you'll know that i recently purchased a Minichamps Test bike from Germany.I e-mailed Minichamps with pics BEFORE i bought it,asking details about it but they said they couldn't be sure because the pics were so poor.I bought the bike and then sent better pics to them,asking again details of the bike.They were still non commital,asking where i got it and where it was now.I have spoken to them today and they STILL can't/won't confirm if it's genuine.They are now asking me for details of the seller(address etc),based on the fact they think it MAY be fake.I had deleted all the e-mails relating to the sale ,but could with a bit of digging no doubt find them.BUT don't think it's right.They said they would go through e-bay,before passing it on there legal team.Where do i stand on this?IF it's fake,am i guilty of receiving illegal goods?Do i have to give it back?As it was advertised as a Hodgson 2000,came in a Hodgson 2000 box,i could plead "ignorance"!!All a bit confusing!!:o

[Edited on 2-5-2005 by Jasper]

[Edited on 2-5-2005 by Jasper]

Tell them you'll give them all the information you have IF they give you 5 minichamps bikes :D

Best you park that little Ducati beauty in my garage for a couple of years, you won't be needing it where you are going.........and won't be able to sit on it for weeks after getting out.........lololol

Only joking not a clue mate, but love the bike!!!!

There's nothing illegal about buying a fake, and no-one can demand it's return for that reason. Only trouble is if it IS a fake then you've been shafted.

you bought it all in good faith. because it wasnt a Hodgson inside matters little as You accepted this. if they ask for it I would tell them no way. If its a fake then obviously your loss mate, although it is a beauty and i would still have it. Why would someone go to the trouble to make a fake bike when there wasnt an original:puzzled:
On no account send it anywhere mate, keep hold. let Minichamps do the work now, you asked them for their help and they were not that forth coming with it, so let them work it out.
keep us posted.

How does it stand up regarding quality compared to your originals?

[Edited on 2-5-2005 by adam]

If it's a fake, then you are the victim. Minichamps have no right to request the bike be sent to them, it's your property to do with as you choose.

If it is a fake, then you have a right to make a criminal claim against the seller, as do Minichamps, but if you honestly no longer have the sellers details other than that from ebay, you can't give them anything more.

It's not an offense to buy or own a fake, but it is an offense to produce and sell fake goods (all sorts of standards, copyright rules etc).

I'd be keeping very tight hold of the bike, if they want it back, I'm inclined to think there's more to it than it being a potential fake, if it was they'd just say, "it's a fake, where did you buy it" and that'd be it.

I agree with Adam that you just keep a tight hold and let Minichamps do the rest. I'd just send them this link and say, I got it from here...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...LanguageToggle


[Edited on 2-5-2005 by Mr_S]

Adam,the quality is PERFECT,jsut as you would expect from a Minichamps.If this is indeed a "fake",somebody has put in alot of effort.I am more inclined to think it is a pre-production model that never got produced.So,if it is,it would maybe explain why Minichamps are so eager to get it back?I am certainly not going to send it back to them,without appropriate "recompense".A Bayliss 2000 would be nice!!:D

Is that all????

Well,this just gets better!!I have received from e-bay a notification that Minichamps have declared the sale "Illegal" due to the fact that they own the rights to all the Minichamps models and that they shouldn't be allowed for sale on e-bay!!Yeh,Right!!E-bay have told me as far as they are concerned the sale is perfectly legal and the bike is mine.They have withdrawn the original listing though.The more Minichamps do this to me,the more it will cost them if they want it back.'cos it's my precious.Mine i say!! MINE!!:D

So,that will be a Corser '99,Bayliss 2000 and...............................We shall have to wait and see!

This bike is NO fake!I shall post the letter e-bay sent,as soon as i get a proper translation(it's in German!).

good on you jasper, i think your right on it being a stolen pre production model though.

people are changing them around now, theres a gauloises rossi on ebay now thats been professionally altered, keep hold of you foggy/hodgy test bike mate, you paid for it fair and square

at the minimum you want a proper expalnation from minichamps as to what model it is ?