In the world of stealing things, there's an adage that says if you're
going to swipe a car, take a Rolls, not a Datsun; the penalty's the
same.
At first glance, pirating polyester jerseys and shorts may seem
like a gross violation of the thieves' ethos. Shouldn't the alleged counterfeiter
be selling bogus Gucci scarves? With the popularity of high-end
cycling gear, however, cycling clothing has reached parity with luxury
brands -- with cycling shoes typically costing more than $400 per pair,
and shorts and jerseys in the $150 range. With that in mind, eBay's buzzyboy sales seems like a great place for bargains, with Specialized brand shorts and jerseys typically costing $35. One problem: Specialized says buzzyboy's goods have details different than those offered on the genuine article.
The owner of the eBay site uses a P.O. box in Utah. Using address databases we found no person by the owner's purported name living in the same town. According to lawsuit filings, a person using the same P.O. box, but different names, was sued in March on allegations he or she had been selling phony Bose audio gear.
Buyer beware -- even if you're buying a simple pair of polyester shorts.
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