Doug Menadue - Bespoke Gems - Stolen Images

[LD]

I've just received an email from Doug with an alert that an Etsy vendor, 8gemsinc, is using Doug's images without his consent. Doug says he contacted Etsy whose response was "not our problem .............". Clearly this is incredibly disappointing to hear.

Doug has provided links to the Etsy vendor and his own - take a look:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/123123479/295-cts-natural-sky-bluetopaz-asscher???
http://www.bespoke-gems.com/SacredGeometrics_Gemstones_TopazBlue_Sold.php#image_222

http://www.etsy.com/listing/123123475/295-cts-natural-white-topaz-asscher-8x8???
http://www.bespoke-gems.com/SacredGeometrics_Gemstones_Topaz_Sold.php#image_204

http://www.etsy.com/listing/123123473/265-cts-natural-green-amethyst-asscher???
http://www.bespoke-gems.com/SacredGeometrics_Gemstones_SageQuartz.php#image_147

http://www.etsy.com/listing/123051968/460-cts-natural-citrine-asscher-10x10-mm???
http://www.bespoke-gems.com/SacredGeometrics_Gemstones_Citrine_Sold.php#image_211

http://www.etsy.com/listing/123051838/450-cts-natural-pink-amethyst-asscher???
http://www.bespoke-gems.com/SacredGeometrics_Gemstones_RoseDeFranceAmethyst.php#image_135

http://www.etsy.com/listing/123051150/270-cts-natural-pink-amethyst-asscher???
http://www.bespoke-gems.com/SacredGeometrics_Gemstones_RoseDeFranceAmethyst.php#image_135

http://www.etsy.com/listing/123049827/280-cts-natural-citrine-asscher-8x8-mm???
http://www.bespoke-gems.com/SacredGeometrics_Gemstones_Citrine_Sold.php#image_211

So, naming and shaming 8gemsinc and let's hope Doug is successful in getting this scammer closed down. If you do happen to come across this Vendor please don't buy as I have no idea what you might end up with.

 

[Deathspi]

I've just got this too. There are some images from Gemfix there too along with god knows where else...

As disappointing as it is, it did make laugh to see that he has 100 available.

 

[athenaworth]

I don't understand how it's not Etsy's problem? Clearly this seller is a fake and trying to steal innocent buyers' money. That doesn't concern them in the slightest? Ugh.

 

[emmmme]

This is horrifying!

A good reminder to always do a reverse Google Images search when buying from unknown independent vendors online. I recently used this handy feature to find out that yes, the $400 made-to-measure wedding dress I was thisclose to buying online was too good to be true -- the vendor was using a stolen Vera Wang image. It wasn't hard to find the original source.

 

[Agneau]

Very discouraging to see that Etsy isn't standing up to this.

 

[chrono]

It's disappointing that Etsy does not care. It is their responsibility to ensure that they shut down scammers to make Etsy a truly "make your own" vendor site. Isn't this against one of their founding policies? The only way honest vendors can discourage picture rippers is to create and add their own watermark.

 

[michellechan2211]

I'm pretty much disappointed that Etsy said that because I think it is the responsibility of the platform to ensure that scammers do not scam innocent customers and to say that they can't do anything basically means that they're leaving customers out there to be scammed =( Not very amused about this...

 

[minousbijoux]

I don't understand how it's not Etsy's problem? Clearly this seller is a fake and trying to steal innocent buyers' money. That doesn't concern them in the slightest? Ugh.

This exactly. Several members have mentioned over the last few months that they are disappointed with Etsy and feel like its going downhill. Great example, unfortunately.

 

[LD]

So I wonder what you'd get if you bought one of the stones with Doug's images? I wonder if the gem would even be real! Doubtful.

 

[Deathspi]

Looks like he's taken them down!

I wonder if Etsy done something?

 

[LD]

Doug contacted him direct so it may be the seller was shamed enough to do the right thing.

 

[chrono]

Sheesh, I'm sure the vendor very knew what he did was tantamount to internet theft of pictures. Who knows what the customer will receive if he or she orders the gem, expecting it to look as pictured but it doesn't!

 

[Deathspi]

Interesting that he still has other vendors images up, but then if he took them all down he'd probably have an empty shop!

 

[minousbijoux]

Wasn't another vendor on Etsy recently doing the same thing? I seem to recall a thread less than a year ago on the very same thing and the vendor actually came here to clarify with some rationale or other (I didn't really buy it). But she did eventually take the pictures down because the vendors made her, IIRC.

 

[Jim Rentfrow]

This happens more than you think. Especially on sites like Alibaba and other supplier sites. I have usually found pictures of mine, every 2-3 months that others are using without my permission. The best thing to do is contact their hosting company but for sites like Alibaba and Etsy it can be hard to have them removed.

 

[pregcurious]

I've been steaming about this for a bit, but haven't known what to say. I will still go to Etsy for specific vendors tested by other PSers, but I will not trying out any new ones on my own. I am really disappointed. Not only it is a fraud in terms of misrepresentation, but it is also stealing because these photos are not for others to make money off of. It takes a lot of effort to take good pictures!

 

[minousbijoux]

So Jim if you're still around can you respond to how exactly it works for them? Is it a bait and switch, or do they think they have something comparable (lol!) so they just use someone else's photos to save time? I just don't understand how they can come through and deliver if they don't have the stone in question...