Hey! Somebody is selling my boat!

Mark42

Fleet Admiral
Joined
Oct 8, 2003
Messages
9,334
Got a PM from Chinewalker this morning asking if I was selling my MFG Niagara. He had included a link to Craigslist for a MFG boat. I took the link and to my surprise there is an ad with a photo of MY boat! This photo to be exact:

avatar4.jpg


I figured I bust the guys chops and called the number in the ad, but just got an answering maching. So I left a message saying I was interested in the boat and my number.

After I thought about it, I realized the seller did not state that the boat in the picture is not the actual boat for sale, or anything to that affect. After a few hours went by since I left him a message, I emailed Craigs list, and told them about the ad, told them it was my photo being used without my permission, and gave them a link to my photbucket page with all the other photos of my MFG.

I was surprised to get an email back shortly from Craigslist indicating that they had deleted the guys ad!

Kind of cheeky using a photo of a restored classic in an ad and not saying its not the same boat.

I wonder if it was someone from iboats who placed the ad? If they asked me to use the photo I would have said yes as long as they said its not the actual boat for sale, just the same make and model.

Oh well. His ad is toast!


Thanks Chinewalker!
 

rndn

Commander
Joined
May 20, 2007
Messages
2,323
Re: Hey! Somebody is selling my boat!

I saw the picture on the Rochester New York craigslist website and without knowing who's who, I figured you were selling it.
 

bassboy1

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jun 23, 2006
Messages
1,884
Re: Hey! Somebody is selling my boat!

This has actually been going on a lot, with the bass boat guys. People scan these forums looking for pictures of boats that would be worth buying, and place an ad up for them, as a scam. Sometimes, they will steal the pics off an ebay auction, and make their own mock up ebay page, and worm a link to that page onto the ebay site. Once or twice, boat owners have gotten emails from potential buyers. Apparently, the scammer takes the boat pic, and the boat owners email addy, and puts them in the ad, so the owner gets all these goofy emails.
 

RWilson2526

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 23, 2007
Messages
810
Re: Hey! Somebody is selling my boat!

The son of the PO of my boat did the same thing. He was selling on craigslist and somebody asked for a picture. He went on ebay and got pics of same year and model of boat in 10 times better condition and a different color than his. It didnt effect me any because I knew his dad and new what the boat really looked and had already started making arrangements to buy it.
I told him I saw his add and he's lucky somebody didn't flip out on him and he said "I needed a picture what could I do?" uhhhhh how about put in the add its not the actual boat!.

I think it might happen alot. I seem to notice alot of boats for sale on-line list the location as one state but the reg #'s are from some other state.

I dont know if I object to taking someone else's picture as long as you white out the reg # and state in the add this is not the actual boat.
 

RubberFrog

Rear Admiral
Joined
Apr 9, 2005
Messages
4,268
Re: Hey! Somebody is selling my boat!

I dont know if I object to taking someone else's picture as long as you white out the reg # and state in the add this is not the actual boat.
You may not know, but the law is very clear. It is theft. And it is unethical.
 

RWilson2526

Master Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Jul 23, 2007
Messages
810
Re: Hey! Somebody is selling my boat!

I definitely did not know that. I would figure taking from a commercial website would have copyright protection but I would think public forums and private web pages wouldn't be so protected. Personally I would take a picture of my own boat and post it but it doesnt seem so offensive if the person clearly stated the facts and maybe even said "this is the same model boat that you can see on this website here"
 

Drowned Rat

Captain
Joined
Jan 20, 2004
Messages
3,070
Re: Hey! Somebody is selling my boat!

I had that exact same thing happen on Craigslist. I saw an ad for an outboard and when I looked at it, it was MY outboard.

I emailed him telling him that the outboard he was advertising belonged to me. He emailed back, appologized and removed the ad. He said he had a motor just like mine, but mine looked alot better so he used that picture.

Here's the motor. The only place I'd ever posted it was here on iboats.


DSC02085.jpg
 

tashasdaddy

Honorary Moderator Emeritus
Joined
Nov 11, 2005
Messages
51,019
Re: Hey! Somebody is selling my boat!

it was happening a lot with pwc's on ebay last year. i probably reported over 100 of them.
 

bassboy1

Lieutenant Commander
Joined
Jun 23, 2006
Messages
1,884
Re: Hey! Somebody is selling my boat!

Yep, they just scrounge these forums. Steal pictures of our boats. Been happening quite a bit on the BBC. Most times though, they are trying to scam a buyer, but from what I have heard, they will steal it right after it is sold on ebay, so they can still give it to the buyer.
 

jenoble01

Petty Officer 3rd Class
Joined
Sep 6, 2006
Messages
88
Re: Hey! Somebody is selling my boat!

Most times though, they are trying to scam a buyer, but from what I have heard, they will steal it right after it is sold on ebay, so they can still give it to the buyer.


It's amazing what some people will do to rip you off. Almost makes me want to become a hermit.
 

BLU LUNCH

Lieutenant
Joined
Aug 8, 2003
Messages
1,316
Re: Hey! Somebody is selling my boat!

I had some of my pictures lifted from a website that fetures railroads I collect vintage negatives and slides from the New Haven Railroad, to make long story short I found my picture on a video production on you tube all they did was crop the copyright part from the image, the image you can see the hammered finish on 99% of the images it looks smooth, here it is http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=73578 Another the I donated the rights to The Flying Yankee Restoration Group to use this rare image http://www.flyingyankee.com/2.html I found it for sale on ebay twice it never ends and nothing surprises me............ This image is the earliest known image of it in revenue service. This group did a world class restoration on this train check out there site http://www.flyingyankee.com/
 

45Auto

Commander
Joined
May 31, 2002
Messages
2,842
Re: Hey! Somebody is selling my boat!

One of the guys on the CrownieHQ forum put his boat up on USEDBOATS. Someone took the entire ad, pictures, text and all, and put it up on Ebay!

When someone else told him about it he notified Ebay and they pulled the ad.

Don't give anyone any money over the internet till you go to pick it up! You never know.
 

Turin

Petty Officer 1st Class
Joined
Apr 21, 2007
Messages
343
Re: Hey! Somebody is selling my boat!

Mark42 I have seen a boat just like yours on the road yesterday only it was painted yellow and it had a Yamaha 40hp engine think 70's model.
 

mcconnell63

Seaman
Joined
Jul 27, 2007
Messages
56
Re: Hey! Somebody is selling my boat!

Bassboy how do you like your 18' Alumacraft Super Bandit, what size motor do you have in it and do you have any pics of it. Al
 
Top