Sandbox_91 Posted March 26, 2014 Report Share Posted March 26, 2014 I got one of those threatening trademark infridgement letters in my email box...In 2004 my ex brother-in-law brought back fake rolex watches for us for christmas from Irag... He said they could be fake, they could be real..I figured if he brought them into the country they were cleared to come in . I threw them in the drawer because they were to ugly to wear...since I needed special eye glasses and didn't have the money I thought I might make a few bucks off those ugly watches to help buy the for myself. I put the watches on ebay.. I wasn't sure if they were real or not and to not do anything wrong I wrote they were mock...I didn't sell the watches and ebay ended the auction... If I had known I couldn't sell them I would have ended it myself but silly me didn't know. After Ebay said I couldnt sell them I smashed them up and discarded them into the garage trash. So now I get this email from Gibney Anthony and Flaherty telling me to send them the watches...send $350 to them for my illegal misconduct and tell them where they came from....Can you advise me what to do...I can send the pieces to them, tell them my ex brother in law army national guard brought them from Iraq in 2004 for gifts....but the $350 seems like extortion....since doing the right thing is always most important to me I need advise....I am not the culprit of an infridgement and I did not ever profit one cent off those ugly watches....but I still need sound advise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cc33 Posted March 26, 2014 Report Share Posted March 26, 2014 Go on with your life as if nothing happened, and nothing will. Do not respond Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FxrAndy Posted March 26, 2014 Report Share Posted March 26, 2014 ignore it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
automatico Posted March 26, 2014 Report Share Posted March 26, 2014 I remember quite a few years back when the EPA went nuts about used engine oil and started making all kinds of asinine laws about how to dispose of it. About the same time a car magazine said "Why not just send our used oil to the EPA and let them do what they want with it?" I heard EPA got a lot of used oil. Maybe we could scoop up a bunch of watchjunk, dog rockets etc and send it to this bunch of shysters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mymanmatt Posted March 26, 2014 Report Share Posted March 26, 2014 SCAM!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankt Posted March 26, 2014 Report Share Posted March 26, 2014 Send him a box of dog poo.......Omit the return address of course!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbh Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Although I agree with everyone else, why would you try to sell reps on eBay? That's downright stupid, and you knew they were reps. It's not illegal in the US to own reps but it's still illegal to sell them. And when you're selling more than one, that kind of makes you a rep dealer. Best of luck, you may need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
panerai153 Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Ignore it. Those are bull shit letters they send out, probably been gleaning old EBay sales to see who they can stick. I suppose they actually have folks that panic and send them 350.00 USD. I bet that money goes into their Friday afternoon after work beer fund!! If you have the old watches in parts, you might box them up with a little dog doo doo, a big fire ant mound and send them in with no return address and shipped from another state!! A live rattlesnake would be even better!! hard to come by this time of year though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Legend Posted March 27, 2014 Report Share Posted March 27, 2014 Ask them you'll send them the watchesif they promise to stuff everything up where the sun don't shy and run a full marathon with them stuffed inside without looking like a limping ostrich with diarrhea and without dropping a single thing out of their asses. If they manage to complete the marathon (video evidence all the way of course), send them the $350 and I will throw in another $350. Else you could photocopy your middle finger and send it to them. Or just ignore them entirely, the crooks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
freddy333 Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 Were it me, I would consult a lawyer or pay the fine (the cost will be about the same). Otherwise, assuming you did not say anything in your ebay auction that could be construed as suggesting they were real (if so, that is illegal & I would pay the fine & consider it a learning experience), I would send them a letter back explaining that your brother brought them back from his tour in Iraq &, based on ebay's note, you realized they were fake & threw them away (ie., they are long gone). It was an honest mistake. Most likely, you will receive 1 additional letter, which I would answer similarly. In most (not all) cases, that should take care of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbh Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 Here's some advice that's actually from a lawyer: http://www.justanswer.com/law/73rux-hello-i-ve-received-nasty-letter-gibney-anthony.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dropbear2008 Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 Tell them you were selling the watch for Bob Maron. Just ignore it. They are just on a fishing expedition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbh Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 If it didn't come "signature required, return receipt", I'd ignore it also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alt.watch.obsessive Posted March 28, 2014 Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 They have no standing unless they formally represent the manufacturer. You can't just sue for damages because you're a law firm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chronoluvvv Posted March 29, 2014 Report Share Posted March 29, 2014 nice link, thanks KBH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandbox_91 Posted March 31, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2014 I think every person alive has done stupid things at one time or another, otherwise you wouldn't be human so yes I was stupid... I actually truly did think they were legal to have since he, as a soldier brought them into the USA from Iraq. I thought they censored everything they brought back. I truly did not know I wasn't supposed to sell them..also isn't the demand for money like extortion? pay some huge amount of money or else...is that legal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandbox_91 Posted March 31, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2014 layer says tell them they were destroyed...says my being ignorant to not knowing is acceptable doesn't float...said to acknowledge letter I got. he said the letter wasn't actionable and I could do nothing and wait to see if they sue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
irolexu Posted April 2, 2014 Report Share Posted April 2, 2014 Totally fake!! They want your watch and money. Scare tactic. I've gotten those letters even when I've posted gen watches on Craigslist or eBay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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