Eboo About a month after I laughed at my lil bro for copping fake Jordans off Ebay, I did the same thing (fake Air Max 360). However my fake buy was more understandable, given the insidious nature of the seller. Here's how I was duped.

1. Listing price wasn't drastically lower than the authentic shoes (~$20 less than normal). The warning bell in my head didn't go off.

2. Seller had IMMACULATE feedback. 680 positives and zero negatives. It was so good that I didn't go by my own rule of thumb - Never buy any item if they don't guarantee its authenticity.

This seller had cleverly managed to build his feedback record through his quick refund policy. If for any reason you were not satisfied with the product, he would refund your money ASAP. Then you would be required to leave a positive feedback for him. This way the unwitting would be happy with their (fake) shoes, and those who caught him would still contribute to his feedback record.

For some unknown reason, my scam alert went off today. I decided to closely examine the seller's feedback ratings. Though 100% positive, a few users clued me in with their comments. Concluding that the shoes were fake, I immediately fired off an email threatening negative feedback. Within five minutes I had my money refunded with a plea not to "bring down his business (with a negative)." I got my money back, AND the shoes are still shipping to me from China. I'm almost positive they are a $10 knockoff but now I get free fakes out of the deal.

With the internet so far-reaching, fakes of popular items have infiltrated Ebay. Buyer beware.  ¶ 7:32 PM