Fake Parkers on Ebay

[Vacumatic]

There is a current flood of fake Parkers on ebay, especially the Sonnet, IM, Urban and Premier models.

The pens look convincing with Parker styled packaging and models that look similar to the real McCoy, but they are not identical.


Ebay have been made aware of this bad practice but they appear to be allowing the seller to continue.

The seller allows returns for misdescribed goods (buyer to pay return postage) but this is not a case of a poor description, it is much closer to fraud.

Please beware that if you are in the market for one of these true Parker pens that what you will be sent may not meet your expectations if you decide to buy from one of these sellers.

 

[nemo]

I saw those, too. Not only looks fishy but is an eBay "sponsored" listing.

I was sick about it when I noticed them. Eight bucks for a Sonnet ... right.

Thanks for the heads-up alert!

 

[kcore]

Unfortunately this is always one of those risks that you run into when you buy items online. Thank you for the heads up about this. I think its always important to research the sellers that you are buying from on Ebay and try to buy from reputable dealers or from the companies directly. Usually a good return policy in which it does not cost me anything to return an item that was not as described is really important to me when buying an item online.

 

[Billski]

I just bought some ink and nibs with a wooden stick.

I hope I am not at risk.

 

[Vacumatic]

If you mean that they took the wooden stick as payment for the inks and nibs then yes, you are at risk.

 

[GuybrushThreepwood]

If you mean that they took the wooden stick as payment for the inks and nibs then yes, you are at risk.

 

[Billski]

I just bought some ink and nibs with a wooden stick.

I hope I am not at risk.

Bad wording from me.

 

[naughtilus]

I don't think you can buy even a genuine steel Jotter on fleabay. Are all fakes from India?

 

[Vacumatic]

I think that all the fakes are made in China.

Indian made Parker pens are around and made by Parker brand owner, Newell Rubbermaid. I havent bought one of these pens but I have heard that the quality isnt there, especially the nibs. I think that the only Parker model made outside India is the Duofold.

If you are looking to buy a Parker, I would check the country of origin first.

This isnt the right platform to talk about recent Parker quality, especially of the more expensive Parkers in general and the Sonnet in particular, I have owned four and all had problems that I and Parker couldnt fix.

One of the crazy things in this world is that the fake might actually work better than the real Parker. The real Sonnet will cost you north of $70, the fake is about $6.

 

[pdieten]

Just ran across this thread. Does this mean the four '80s vintage US-made plastic barrel Jotters in my desk drawer are suddenly collectors items?

 

[Vacumatic]

I appreciate your humor but you may be surprised to learn that there are Jotter collectors, especially the odd-ball colors.

Someone, somewhere there will be collector of Bic Crystal pens.

Another of my hobbies is collecting early edition Jane Austen novels, I once asked an antique book shop owner if he was ever surprised at what people collect, and ask him for. 'People even collect old phone directories' was his reply.

 

[Butch46]

I used to collect trivets, but the boxes containing them disappeared during a cross country move, so I decided to try collecting fountain pens instead.

If I move again, the carton with the pens in it will not be labeled on the outside as containing fountain pens . . . I might label it as "dirty underwear" instead.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, I have several Parkers, but don't know if they are real or Sino knockoffs! I guess I need to study them closely.

Smiff

 

[Jut]

I think that all the fakes are made in China.

Indian made Parker pens are around and made by Parker brand owner, Newell Rubbermaid. I havent bought one of these pens but I have heard that the quality isnt there, especially the nibs. I think that the only Parker model made outside India is the Duofold.

If you are looking to buy a Parker, I would check the country of origin first.

This isnt the right platform to talk about recent Parker quality, especially of the more expensive Parkers in general and the Sonnet in particular, I have owned four and all had problems that I and Parker couldnt fix.

One of the crazy things in this world is that the fake might actually work better than the real Parker. The real Sonnet will cost you north of $70, the fake is about $6.

I recently purchased a sonnet cisele. It says it appears to be made in France. Are they just assembling them in France now?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Vacumatic]

Sorry to say that the fakers have no qualms about stamping Made in France on a Chinese made pen. Even when you think that you are ahead of the game and have identified all of their tricks they up their game. For example Sonnets should have a gold nib so a magnet test on a fake pen should probably show a steel nib, they have got around that with alloys. There used to be other tests such as the depth of the lines on the clip, the width of the cap band, the quality of the PARKER on the cap band, the engraving on the nib and a few other things. One good test was that the fakes did not take Parker cartridges.

These two images show a Sonnet Cisele on sale from a very reputable B and M store at over $300, the black Sonnet ios a definite fake that cost me $6, it is still to arrive. I bought it so that I can compare a real pen from a fake. To be honest, I find it very difficult to tell the real from the fakes by the pics alone. It is also quite possible that the pen that arrives is not the pen in the pic, we shall see.

 

[Jut]

Sorry to say that the fakers have no qualms about stamping Made in France on a Chinese made pen. Even when you think that you are ahead of the game and have identified all of their tricks they up their game. For example Sonnets should have a gold nib so a magnet test on a fake pen should probably show a steel nib, they have got around that with alloys. There used to be other tests such as the depth of the lines on the clip, the width of the cap band, the quality of the PARKER on the cap band, the engraving on the nib and a few other things. One good test was that the fakes did not take Parker cartridges.

These two images show a Sonnet Cisele on sale from a very reputable B and M store at over $300, the black Sonnet ios a definite fake that cost me $6, it is still to arrive. I bought it so that I can compare a real pen from a fake. To be honest, I find it very difficult to tell the real from the fakes by the pics alone. It is also quite possible that the pen that arrives is not the pen in the pic, we shall see.

Sorry for the confusion, but I was referring to where you noted that the only pens not made in India are the duofold models. My sonnet has France on it. Are they only assembling them in France?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

 

[Vacumatic]

Not 100% certain on this one but my understanding is that the Sonnet and Duofold are manufactured (as opposed to assembled) in Nantes, France.

The Chinese made Sonnet copies also show Made in France on the cap.

 

[Frederic]

some parkers are made in india now. under luxor umbrella.