FYI WARNING: "Repop" 500E Trunk Badges -- Be Alert About What You Are Buying

[gerryvz]

We have seen in recent days and weeks the debut of foreign-made "reproduction" 500E trunk badges that are coming up for sale both here and in various on-line venues.

The sellers of these badges may or may not know that they are reproduction badges, and may or may not represent them as such. These "repop" badges are being sold at prices that are reminiscent of legitimate "NOS" type badges.

For buyers in the market for a new 500E trunk badge, and want to purchase a true MB-produced "factory" badge, you MUST be wary of these reproduction badges. There may be characteristics of them that can give the reproduction badges away:

1. The line under the numbers and letter may or may not be the correct "black" color
2. The actual badge itself may have a slightly different shape/profile between the numbers than the factory badge does
3. The adhesive on the back fo the badge differs significantly in shape and color from the factory adhesive (which is black, and covers the back of each number/letter)
4. The reproduction badges do not come in MB packaging
5. The reproduction badges do not have the MB part number on the reverse side

If you come across one of these badges, and are considering buying it, it is important that you do your diligence as to the items above, and as to the provenance of the badge. You should ask the seller as to where he obtained the badge, and ask him outright whether it is a factory MB badge or a reproduction.

Proper sellers of reproduction badges will state outright and up front that their badge is a repop. If this information is hidden or not disclosed, then DO NOT purchase said badge.

If there is any seller of reproduction badges on this forum who mis-represents them deliberately and knowingly as factory / NOS badges (even if selling them off this forum), they will be removed from this forum immediately. We will not tolerate forgeries or reproductions being billed as NOS / MB product. If you want to sell one of these repop badges here on the forum, IT MUST BE CLEARLY REPRESENTED AND PRICED AS SUCH.

I say this as a seller of many self-made "repop" badges made from factory badges (still clearly sold as repop badges) for around $50 apiece. Our own @Ntrepid is working on a project to make a quality metal reproduction of the 500E badge. Several people here on the forum have confirmed NOS badges in MB packaging for sale, albeit for high prices.

Please, if you are selling badges that you know in your heart are of non-MB or questionable origin, please represent them appropriately. Post lots of photos of the front and of the rear of the badge. In short -- do the right thing.

If you are a seller of these reproduction badges, you are entitled to sell them for whatever price you want. However, if you are buying them from the supplier for reasonable prices, and selling them for $300-500 (many multiples of what you paid for them), you should strongly reconsider repricing your "ersatz" product appropriately. Gouging people is not cool, particularly at prices that are the same as other folks are selling confirmed NOS ("real") badges for.

Thank you !!

 

[Eno]

I believe I saw these types in Facebook for sale and I immediately thought and doubt it about the gray color under the numbers.
The original Mercedes-Benz 500E Type Designation is in black color under the numbers, in between area.

 

[JC220]

There was already someone representing a fake badge as NOS - sold out for 520usd! And claimed he had more in his stash.

I believe the buyer came to some sort of arrangement but it goes to show that we all must be careful of what parts new members offer on here or any forum.

SOLD - NOS 500E badge | Parts for Sale

Hi all, Today I have a NOS 500E badge for sale. $415 shipped in the USA. Add for international shipping. PayPal payment is preferred.

www.500eboard.co

For the most part known members on here are very honest and great to deal with in buying parts.

 

[gerryvz]

Yes, the buyer and seller came to a 50% refund arrangement via PM, if I am not mistaken. The seller here claimed to have no knowledge that the badge was fake / reproduced. The badge was sold to the member on the basis of a single, not-very-good-quality photo, and no photos of the reverse side of the badge showing the adhesive and existence of a part number (or not).

The buyer I believe also relied upon a layer of trust that products sold here on this forum are legitimate / as represented. While ultimately all buyers are responsible for doing their diligence before a purchase, I like to think that there is a level of legitimacy on this forum that products that are being sold here, are being accurately represented, and that buyers can be assured that they are getting what they think they are getting.

The only enforcement mechanism we have to help enforce a level of integrity is to remove / ban sellers who misrepresent items for sale. Personally, I have ZERO qualms in doing this, if warranted.

In my opinion, with the situation that JC mentions above, there should have been a 100% refund given, and the ersatz badge should have been returned to the seller.

When I sell parts, in the one case I can remember where a part did not met a buyer's expectations, a full refund was issued immediately, and the buyer was allowed to keep the part. In a couple of other instances, when the buyer received a part that did not work, a replacement was shipped immediately, at 100% my expense. If a replacement was not avaialble, a full refund was issued and the buyer kept the shipped part. In my view, this is the proper way to do business and maintain a positive reputation. I have sold many many hundreds of parts of all types to people all over the world through this forum (even one or two to JC ). I am literally shipping out FOUR parts to four different people in three countries, today.

 

[JC220]

Yes to be fair I have myself also sold about 2 dozen items to members on here. And any time a perceived issue arises I sort it out at my expense.

I cannot imagine selling someone a fake product and keeping half their money for it!! Ridiculous altogether and the fact one grainy photo was provided of the item for sale with a yellowish / worn paper slip (prop) behind it tells me he DID know what he was selling and WAS misrepresenting it.

But it's not my battle so I'll say nothing more.

I can't speak highly enough of well known members here who offer parts or services for sale.

 

[gsxr]

There was already someone representing a fake badge as NOS - sold out for 520usd! And claimed he had more in his stash.

Re-reading that sale thread, and examining the photos... it looks to me like the badge was definitely not NOS, but could have been an original, USED badge, cleaned/polished to look new. The black paint missing on the textured area above the bottom line is the only visible difference, along with (probably) the lack of original adhesive tape on the back side. The buyer never posted any photos before throwing it away, which seems odd to me.

Just sayin'... fake vs used are different discussions. Without more detailed photos of front & back of the badges in question, it's hard to tell what is going on.

 

[ace10]

A comment from the peanut gallery...
A useful addition to forum rules for selling might be to mandate a clear picture of the part number. Whether it's on the part or the packaging. I realize, that's not possible for all used parts where the packaging is long gone, but it should be obvious which ones would meet this requirement.

 

[gsxr]

Especially for new parts, or NOS, I agree... if available, a photo of the part number & label on the box/bag is helpful. Savvy sellers would already be doing this of course.

 

[2phast]

Same fake 500e emblem on EBay. Even has a picture of it next to a legit 400E emblem

Mercedes Benz W124 500E Badge Trunk Emblem | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Mercedes Benz W124 500E Badge Trunk Emblem at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

FWIW, you can easily find a manufacture of emblems on Alibaba. With a sample or possibly even just some photos/measurements, exact reproductions can be made for minimal cost, although the minimum purchase requirements are going to be high.

Most Mercedes emblems I see on EBay are fakes made in China. AMG emblems seem to be the most popular

 

[gsxr]

Same fake 500e emblem on EBay. Even has a picture of it next to a legit 400E emblem

Rik, what do you see that pinpoints this one as fake, instead of used? It looks like a used badge to me, that has been polished to look new.

 

[2phast]

Rik, what do you see that pinpoints this one as fake, instead of used? It looks like a used badge to me, that has been polished to look new.

It is identical to the emblem in this post which has already been called out to be fake. No black line = fake.

 

[JC220]

It is identical to the emblem in this post which has already been called out to be fake. No black line = fake.

Too big of a coincidence that 2x badges have all of the black area missing in such short order and described as New.

Also, the Ebay auction lists the badge as new and brand as UNBRANDED. So whilst they are not upstanding enough to call it what it is, they have at least correctly inputted the details.

It appears we have a new 500E repop badge cartel in town!

Coincidentally I had sent details of a 500E badge for production queries to several manufacturers in China some months back. Full dimensions and photos. I wonder did those sneaky gits who did not provide me with a price for mould etc go ahead and produce them. China copyright = China's right to copy!

 

[2phast]

Too big of a coincidence that 2x badges have all of the black area missing in such short order and described as New.

Also, the Ebay auction lists the badge as new and brand as UNBRANDED. So whilst they are not upstanding enough to call it what it is, they have at least correctly inputted the details.

It appears we have a new 500E repop badge cartel in town!

Coincidentally I had sent details of a 500E badge for production queries to several manufacturers in China some months back. Full dimensions and photos. I wonder did those sneaky gits who did not provide me with a price for mould etc go ahead and produce them. China copyright = China's right to copy!

Given the minimum purchase amount, you would expect to see these readily available. I have been searching for the last 15 minutes and have not found them yet.

Another tid bit of info. I remember looking at a 500e for sale a few years back and took some pictures of the flaws for a friend, one of the pictures was the 500e emblem, as part of the black line was missing. I can't seem to find that picture now (still looking and will post if I find it), but I do remember that the surface under the line was smooth, not textured like shown in this photos of fake emblems.

Furthermore, when I removed my 500e emblem, I used my power buffer on it with some polishing compound. I worked it over pretty good and none of the black line came off.

 

[gerryvz]

Same fake 500e emblem on EBay. Even has a picture of it next to a legit 400E emblem

Mercedes Benz W124 500E Badge Trunk Emblem | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Mercedes Benz W124 500E Badge Trunk Emblem at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

FWIW, you can easily find a manufacture of emblems on Alibaba. With a sample or possibly even just some photos/measurements, exact reproductions can be made for minimal cost, although the minimum purchase requirements are going to be high.

Most Mercedes emblems I see on EBay are fakes made in China. AMG emblems seem to be the most popular

Yes, this listing is among the badges I mentioned in my original warning post that are now being sold as "new" badges (whether MB factory parts or clones) for exhorbitant prices. In my opinion, it is 100% pure GREED that these sellers are hawking repop (non-MB) badges for hundreds of dollars. Just WRONG.

For my repops, I have used 100% MB parts. The ~$50 I charge (sometimes less) is generally based on the quality of the job I was able to do to create it. The price I charge is 100% for my own time in doing the work.

These sellers asking $350 or $400+ for these aftermarket badges are just wrong.

Caveat emptor. That's all I have to say about it.

 

[gsxr]

It is identical to the emblem in this post which has already been called out to be fake. No black line = fake.

Old badges from high-mile cars, or cars parked outdoors, can have the black paint faded or flaked off. Sample attached from my personal car. A couple of hits with a power buffer and boom, no black paint.

 

[2phast]

I found a manufacture of fake Mercedes emblems on Alibaba and sent off a inquiry to see if they can reproduce the emblem EXACTLY as OEM. Minimum order quantity was 50, which was more reasonable then the 500 plus I normally see as MOQ

 

[2phast]

Old badges from high-mile cars, or cars parked outdoors, can have the black paint faded or flaked off. Sample attached from my personal car. A couple of hits with a power buffer and boom, no black paint.

Thats roughly similar to the one I saw, now I don't need to look for my photo anymore

 

[gsxr]

For anyone trying to identify a REAL badge, Genuine Mercedes, the adhesive backing is on a white rectangle. And the black foam adhesive is sectional. It would be nearly impossible to replicate this. Note that none of the "NOS" badges for sale are attached to a white rectangle, and none of them show the back side of the badge.

Text added to photos to prevent nefarious types from "borrowing" these pictures.

 

[2phast]

For anyone trying to identify a REAL badge, Genuine Mercedes, the adhesive backing is on a white rectangle. And the black foam adhesive is sectional. It would be nearly impossible to replicate this. Note that none of the "NOS" badges for sale are attached to a white rectangle, and none of them show the back side of the badge.

Text added to photos to prevent nefarious types from "borrowing" these pictures.

The Alibaba manufacture I contacted may need better, high res photos. Can you provide if it becomes necessary?

I am also requesting that 3M high strength two sided adhesive tape be used.

 

[TimL]

There was already someone representing a fake badge as NOS - sold out for 520usd! And claimed he had more in his stash.

I believe the buyer came to some sort of arrangement but it goes to show that we all must be careful of what parts new members offer on here or any forum.

SOLD - NOS 500E badge | Parts for Sale

Hi all, Today I have a NOS 500E badge for sale. $415 shipped in the USA. Add for international shipping. PayPal payment is preferred.

www.500eboard.co

For the most part known members on here are very honest and great to deal with in buying parts.

Joe, it was me who sold a NOS badge for $520. The NOS marketed badge that was actually a repop item sold for $415. Just don’t want anyone to conflagrate/confuse the two, as the $520 was for a legit item in its original, unopened plastic sleeve

 

[2phast]

Same fake 500e emblem on EBay. Even has a picture of it next to a legit 400E emblem

Mercedes Benz W124 500E Badge Trunk Emblem | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Mercedes Benz W124 500E Badge Trunk Emblem at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

FWIW, you can easily find a manufacture of emblems on Alibaba. With a sample or possibly even just some photos/measurements, exact reproductions can be made for minimal cost, although the minimum purchase requirements are going to be high.

Most Mercedes emblems I see on EBay are fakes made in China. AMG emblems seem to be the most popular

It's been brought to my attention that the seller of this emblem is JAB12 and this emblem appears to be legit with a MB part number. Although the lack of the black stripe is a concern, I will have to back peddle and issue a apology for making a false accusation.

 

[JAB12]

Guys, the emblem has been offered here on my parts bundle for sale Ad for months and no one has approached with interest so I listed it on ebay.
The Ad is very careful not to note it is OEM or an original MB part even though it is. In compliance with the badge police I will change The nomenclature of the description from 'New' to Refurbished. The nomenclature on the title is for search engine purposes only on ebay which has proven fruitful.

When you sell via Ebay with paypal payment, paypal takes out their fees of around 5 to 6%, then Ebay at the end of the month hits you with a Value Added Fee of 10% of your sale price and on top of that you have the shipping cost and the listing fee cost. So the net after the sale and shipping is roughly about $250 on a $300 sale. That said no harm done to any of the comments above. I have 2 of these badges left if anyone needs one contact me. The price will be the price. I either break even or make a little profit just like everyone else who sells any item anywhere. Of course consideration to forum members is always taken into account for a more attractive price. As for the badges, I have had them for over a year bought locally at a body shop when I was restoring my C43 last year and months before I had a W124036 of any kind. Now with an E60 I do not need them and have been selling them privately since. There is no nefarious mafia intent or Chinese mob involvement. Otherwise the price for each would be $5000 Euros. I have been offered fire extinguishers for $1000 in here. Also have been offered the same for $100, all based on the NLA condition of these items that make our cars whole. No further posts needed for those occasions other than passing or accepting on the price. Same goes for many other parts I have bought in here.

@2phast no apologies needed. Glad I can be of help. Photos of the back side and part number under old adhesive below.

All the best Gents.

 

[Allgonquin]

Interesting discussion. Am I the only one who never knew/realized that there was a black horizontal line in the middle of the badge? I just went out to my car to have a look-see. Yep, black line. Now I know my car is worth at least $500 more than whatever it was worth before!

 

[Rouven036]

Something to amend, all NOS badges should ideally come with the original (late type) card board or (older/earlier) plastic foil packing with blue strap and mb writing. Along with the common part number an picking labels it is another quite sure proof of originality and REAL NOS status.

 

[gsxr]

Something to amend, all NOS badges should ideally come with the original (late type) card board or (older/earlier) plastic foil packing with blue strap and mb writing. Along with the common part number an picking labels it is another quite sure proof of originality and REAL NOS status.

If they are old enough, yes, this is 100% correct!

However when still available 5+ years ago, the dealer packaging was a plain clear plastic sleeve, with a thin cardboard piece for stiffening. The actual badge and white rectangle it's stuck to is identical for both New Really Old Stock (1990's) and New Semi-Old Stock (2010's).

 

[JAB12]

I just edited my forum for sale thread and added additional photos of the rear of the badge, will do the same on ebay. FOR SALE - For Sale E500 500E Emblem and AMG Pedals | Parts for Sale

 

[Jlaa]

Guys, the emblem has been offered here on my parts bundle for sale Ad for months and no one has approached with interest so I listed it on ebay.
The Ad is very careful not to note it is OEM or an original MB part even though it is. The nomenclature on the title is for search engine purposes only on ebay which has proven fruitful.

When you sell via Ebay with paypal payment, paypal takes out their fees of around 5 to 6%, then Ebay at the end of the month hits you with a Value Added Fee of 10% of your sale price and on top of that you have the shipping cost and the listing fee cost. So the net after the sale and shipping is roughly about $250 on a $300 sale. That said no harm done to any of the comments above. I have 2 of these badges left if anyone needs one contact me. The price will be the price. I either break even or make a little profit just like everyone else who sells any item anywhere. Of course consideration to forum members is always taken into account for a more attractive price. As for the badges, I have had them for over a year bought locally at a body shop when I was restoring my C43 last year and months before I had a W124036 of any kind. Now with an E60 I do not need them and have been selling them privately since. There is no nefarious mafia intent or Chinese mob involvement. Otherwise the price for each would be $5000 Euros. I have been offered fire extinguishers for $1000 in here. Also have been offered the same for $100, all based on the NLA condition of these items that make our cars whole. No further posts needed for those occasions other than passing or accepting on the price. Same goes for many other parts I have bought in here.

@2phast no apologies needed. Glad I can be of help. Photos of the back side and part number under old adhesive below.

All the best Gents.

Thanks for the clarification @JAB12. Since you found out this morning that the badge has an MB part number / star under the adhesive and that the adhesive is not factory-adhesive, IMHO it would be best if you updated the ebay advertisement to note that the item is likely used (someone polished off the black line?) but appears to have a Mercedes part number.

That way there would not be any confusion about it being a "new / unbranded" or "used / appears-to-have-MB-part-number"

EDIT - CSMA/CD in full effect - appears that JAB12 and I sent our messages at the same time,

Cheers!

 

[a777fan]

The Alibaba manufacture I contacted may need better, high res photos. Can you provide if it becomes necessary?

I am also requesting that 3M high strength two sided adhesive tape be used.

You have seen this, right?

FOR SALE - GROUP BUY: Mercedes 500E Badge | Parts for Sale

So the last Group Buy went really well and I wanted to try something a bit more ambitious by recreating a part which Mercedes will most likely never manufacture (especially since the part number has been superseded in Paragon) - the 500E badge. This is an order of magnitude more difficult...

www.500eboard.co

 

[2phast]

You have seen this, right?

FOR SALE - GROUP BUY: Mercedes 500E Badge | Parts for Sale

So the last Group Buy went really well and I wanted to try something a bit more ambitious by recreating a part which Mercedes will most likely never manufacture (especially since the part number has been superseded in Paragon) - the 500E badge. This is an order of magnitude more difficult...

www.500eboard.co

Yes and I suspect the difference in price will be substantial, hence why I decided to do some inquiries into the feasibility of a production run in China

 

[JAB12]

Thanks for the clarification @JAB12. Since you found out this morning that the badge has an MB part number / star under the adhesive and that the adhesive is not factory-adhesive, IMHO it would be best if you updated the ebay advertisement to note that the item is likely used (someone polished off the black line?) but appears to have a Mercedes part number.

That way there would not be any confusion about it being a "new / unbranded" or "used / appears-to-have-MB-part-number"

EDIT - CSMA/CD in full effect - appears that JAB12 and I sent our messages at the same time,

Cheers!

Indeed, that is the makings of the state of the art software used to run this forum by way of our Jedi Master @xfadmin

 

[Ntrepid]

CSMA/CD in full effect

Nice telco reference ;-)


Robert

 

[gerryvz]

In my opinion, a "real" NOS MB tunk badge should have the following characteristics:

1) in an MB package, preferably with MB cardboard and white slippery paper backing
2) has a black stripe under the numbers
3) has black, pre-cut adhesive that backs all numbers/lines/surfaces on the reverse of the badge
4) has a clearly observable MB part number and star roundel on the reverse side
5) is shiny with no blemishes on obverse and reverse sides

We've seen what these true "NOS" badges look like. @TimL's that he sold is a real deal. @gsxr has posted photos, as well. They all have the same characteristics.

IMHO any badge, even if it meets a subset of the criteria above, is still suspect as being a reproduction.

Unfortunately, I don't have a NOS 500E tunk badge ... because I don't and have never owned a 500E.

I do have a CONFIRMED NOS E500 tunk badge. It is unopened. As you can see, it meets all of the characteristics as above (except I cannot tell the adhesive or part numbers, becuase the package is unopened and it will stay that way. But I've no doubt that both are 100%.

MB parts print cardboard? Check.
White slippery paper background? Check.
Shiny with no blemishes? Check.
In an MB package (and with two MB stickers on it)? Check.

 

[JAB12]

As per note on post #22 RE ebay fees. I just got the ebay invoice earlier today. Posting a screenshot below.

 

[Whitemamba23]

It's been brought to my attention that the seller of this emblem is JAB12 and this emblem appears to be legit with a MB part number. Although the lack of the black stripe is a concern, I will have to back peddle and issue a apology for making a false accusation.

And it has come to my attention that the emblem being sold by JAB12 is the exact same emblem I sold that was called out as fake. We bought it from the same seller in the Middle East. The one I sold also had a part # on the back with the same adhesive and was plastic. So there’s either one of two things happening here: my badge was real, like the badge JAB12 is selling and I deserve my $200 back from the buyer. Or JAB12 is selling a re-pop and saying it’s genuine/refurbished. I’ll post more pics I have of the one I sold.

 

[Whitemamba23]

It's been brought to my attention that the seller of this emblem is JAB12 and this emblem appears to be legit with a MB part number. Although the lack of the black stripe is a concern, I will have to back peddle and issue a apology for making a false accusation.

And it has come to my attention that the emblem being sold by JAB12 is the exact same emblem I sold that was called out as fake. We bought it from the same seller in the Middle East. The one I sold also had a part # on the back with the same adhesive and was plastic. So there’s either one of two things happening here: my badge was real, like the badge JAB12 is selling and I deserve my $200 back from the buyer. Or JAB12 is selling a re-pop and saying it’s genuine/refurbished. I’ll post more pics I have of the one I sold.

 

[Whitemamba23]

And here are the photos.

 

[Jlaa]

I thought JAB12 got his badge from a local autobody place? And I thought the theory was that JAB12’s badge was used and somehow the black line was removed? No idea if JAB12’s badge is used and real or used and fake.

I dunno. I don’t have a dog in this race. I checked out your pictures @Whitemamba23... I don’t think I’ve ever seen a real MB prefacift w124 badge come new, without a black line.

I don’t know what to say. Did you pay a lot for your badge that you bought from the Middle East?

 

[gerryvz]

I can tell anyone here, with certainty, that MB DID NOT SELL and NEVER HAS SOLD a trunk badge from cars of this era without a black line.

Look, here’s the deal. I have HUNDREDS of these MB trunk badges. Sitting in my garage shop right now. HUNDREDS of them. Not a dozen, 5, 10. HUNDREDS. Both used ones from cars, and new ones from MB. I have seen dozens of 500E badges new in MB packaging with my own eyes owned by forum members and my friend Robert Fenton, the repair shop owner & parts dealer in California.

Without fail, 100% of them have had the black line, the black adhesive that covers about 98% of the backs of the badge, and are in MB packaging. ONE. HUNDRED. PERCENT.

I think the buyer of mamba’s badge should have done more due diligence before buying his badge. That’s on him.

But then again, mamba should have done more due diligence in representing his badge and researching its discrepancies before representing it as a “real” MB badge. One blurry crappy picture on an ad here is not enough for a part you are asking $400+ for. It’s just not.

And now it comes out that mamba had more and better photos all along (which he just posted in the above post, and are completely SHITTY photos), but didn’t bother to post them in his original "for sale" ad. Another strike. We all know that mamba didn’t pay anywhere NEAR the $400 that he sold the fake badge for.

When the badge was called out by the buyer as fake, mamba SHOULD HAVE refunded the buyer’s entire purchase. Immediately. No questions asked. And the buyer should have returned the ersatz badge to mamba quickly.

Unfortunately this didn’t happen. Mamba, I have to tel you that IMHO you are more at fault here than the buyer. I came VERY damn close to banning you for misrepresenting your product. It seems you are still thinking that it is an authentic product. It is not.

With regard to JAB, he has NOTHING to do with your situation. Unlike you, he did not (yet?) sell his badge for an exorbitant sum of money. He also took a LOT of photos of the badge (front and back) when asked by 500Eboard parts authenticity forensic investigators & 500Eboard Originality Police, even removing the adhesive (and thus lessening its perceived value) to expose the reverse side of it.

JAB is representing his badge as a used genuine MB badge with the black line polished off and re-adhesived. I do not personally believe this is correct, and if it were me I would be more factual about the badge and not make the definitive claim that it is real, when I cannot PROVE this 100%. That said, there is close to zero chance that JAB is ever going to sell his badge for anywhere near what he is asking for it.

Also, JAB readily admitted when asked where he got his badge. JAB said he got his badge as part of a much larger collection of badges from a Florida body shop, most all of which appeared to be genuine except for the 500E badge. He says he did not buy it on eBay from a Middle East vendor, as you incorrectly posted that he did.

In my view, mamba, and as a seller of thousands of MB parts myself over the past 20 years, you did not research and represent your part correctly. And you did not offer a full, immediate and complete refund to the buyer no questions asked.

This forum has always had a high level of integrity and honesty when it has come to parts sales by and among members. This situation with the sale of the faux 500E badge is one of the only incidents I can remember on this forum in 12 years that has besmirched that reputation for integrity.

You can still do the right thing and refund the buyer’s money in full, and the buyer can return the ersatz badge to you. In my opinion, that would be the correct thing to do.

My personal opinion is (the EUR 5,000 parts price jokes aside) that the level of outright GREED displayed by folks selling these ersatz badges is horrible.

 

[JAB12]

@Whitemamba23 So you settle a situation weeks ago and now you want to reneg and rehash by using me as fodder to get your $200 back? Please leave me out of this and deal with your buyer like a gentleman and get it resolved privately. You were called out by your buyer publicly, I have nothing to do with your business with him

I have already posted earlier on this thread all I have to add to this badge discussion.

Hopefully you can work it out.

 

[gerryvz]

Please, if you are selling badges that you know in your heart are of non-MB or questionable origin, please represent them appropriately. Post lots of photos of the front and of the rear of the badge. In short -- do the right thing.

If you are a seller of these reproduction badges, you are entitled to sell them for whatever price you want. However, if you are buying them from the supplier for reasonable prices, and selling them for $300-500 (many multiples of what you paid for them), you should strongly reconsider repricing your "ersatz" product appropriately. Gouging people is not cool, particularly at prices that are the same as other folks are selling confirmed NOS ("real") badges for.

To anyone on this forum selling 500E trunk badges: I reiterate this excerpt from the first post I made in this thread.

If the badge you are selling does not come in MB packaging, with correct MB part number label and insert in the packaging, and has characteristics that significantly differ from a known factory OE item (i.e. lack of black line, completely different adhesive, lack of MB packaging, etc.), PLEASE state in your for sale ad that the badge is of unknown origin, and not 100% known to be a factory badge, and/or may or may not be a reproduction.

It is important to properly represent your product !! If you can't prove without a doubt that your product is what you represent (and price) it as, do the honest thing.

Sketchy and/or slippery listings will be DELETED.

 

[Whitemamba23]

I thought JAB12 got his badge from a local autobody place? And I thought the theory was that JAB12’s badge was used and somehow the black line was removed? No idea if JAB12’s badge is used and real or used and fake.

I dunno. I don’t have a dog in this race. I checked out your pictures @Whitemamba23... I don’t think I’ve ever seen a real MB prefacift w124 badge come new, without a black line.

I don’t know what to say. Did you pay a lot for your badge that you bought from the Middle East?

I paid what I saw market seemed to be. However, I did not buy the badge with the intention of selling it. After I didn't have any use for the badge anymore, I decided to post it for what someone else had told me he sold his for. I know for a fact, 100%, that JAB's badge came from the same seller.

 

[Jlaa]

I paid what I saw market seemed to be. However, I did not buy the badge with the intention of selling it. After I didn't have any use for the badge anymore, I decided to post it for what someone else had told me he sold his for. I know for a fact, 100%, that JAB's badge came from the same seller.

I see. Here is my suggestion. Make peace with yourself and others and do this ---- there are bigger fish to fry.

 

[Whitemamba23]

I see. Here is my suggestion. Make peace with yourself and others and do this ---- there are bigger fish to fry.

View attachment 114862

Not trying to get into an argument here over this badge situation. But it would be nice to know that the treatment I received, and the settlement thereafter, was justified. @gerryvz It would really suck if it turned out that the badge I sold, being the same exact badge JAB has, is legit. Then I would be losing money over nothing. And that's not to say it IS legit, but makes you think when someone else sells the same EXACT product as genuine, why mine is not and his is. My point in this was just to confirm whether or not the badges we had/have are legit or not. Don't need to do any explaining in regards to the deal, price or settlement, even though I certainly could. I've already apologized for the situation when it occurred, and owned up to my mistake.

In the years I've sold parts, sneakers, clothing and rare goodies, I have never once had an issue with authenticity other than this one time. My intentions are never to deceive buyers or misrepresent the items I am selling. I made an honest mistake here and like I said before, I will make sure this doesn't happen again.

Lastly, I don't think it's ok for ANY forum members to purposefully lie about the parts they have or are selling. This is blatantly happening in this post in regards to other members trying to sell their parts.

 

[ace10]

DUDE,
You ripped somebody off by selling bogus goods.
Then you fought to NOT give a partial refund.
And now you are demanding the victim give the money back to you based on what SOMEBODY ELSE MAY OR MAY NOT BE DOING?

SERIOUSLY?

I don't think you have any idea how far off base you are in terms of how to behave within an enthusiast community this small.

Grow the fuck up. You should have refunded the victim 100% of their money.

 

[Whitemamba23]

DUDE,
You ripped somebody off by selling bogus goods.
Then you fought to NOT give a partial refund.
And now you are demanding the victim give the money back to you based on what SOMEBODY ELSE MAY OR MAY NOT BE DOING?

SERIOUSLY?

I don't think you have any idea how far off base you are in terms of how to behave within an enthusiast community this small.

Grow the fuck up. You should have refunded the victim 100% of their money.

I fought to not give a partial refund? And I demanded to get the money back? Not sure where you got either of those from but you are way off with those statements bud.

If I wanted my money back I would've taken it up with the buyer already.

I don't think you understand what I'm trying to say here.

The whole point is that if another seller says the SAME exact item is REAL, when in fact it isn't, then the item should be advertised as being a re-pop when it isn't being advertised as such. If it is real, then so is mine, and the buyer of mine should know that it is. The $200 isn't a big deal (sucks to lose that but whatever) and even though in the case that it is real I would feel I DESERVE the money back, I would not DEMAND anything back from the buyer. It's more so about the principal.
But if you all agree that JAB's is real, then you can agree mine was too, considering it's the SAME EXACT EMBLEM.