Hello everybody!
I've decided to do something I haven't done before, but that I have wanted to do for quite some time now. I've created a new category named "BEWARE!" to help expose the many SCAM cases that way too many Xena collectors suffer or have suffered. On the one hand to give them due visibility, and on the other to (hopefully) help other fellow Xenites NOT to fall victim to the same despicable tricks (and people) in the future.
Today, I bring you the case of eBay "seller" beholdkingjr, aka Joshua "J.R." Merino —as brought to my attention by fellow collector Zak aka zeeproptreasures.
I have been aware of this seller for quite some time. He's been selling extremely overpriced Xena replicas on eBay for months —many of which were VERY inconsistent. Some showcased photos of one type of chakram (i.e. a Todd's Costumes replica) while the description said it was something else (i.e. a Creation Ent. replica). Others mixed replicas that had nothing to do with each other (i.e. a Russian chakram replica, with a Creation Ent. shadowbox). And then there were listings that mixed photos of different "brands" of chakrams, as if they were photos of the same piece.
His descriptions have always been vague, and it's been VERY frustrating to see unsuspecting Xenites buying items from him that: A) Didn't really match his "grand" descriptions; or B) Had recently been purchased elsewhere for a regular price, and were now being resold for double or triple their value. Those things are already highly questionable on their own —but it hasn’t been until now that I’ve had clear confirmation that he’s been outright SCAMMING people (or at least trying to).
I’ve asked Zak permission to share his testimony —and he’s kindly agreed to share his experience with you all. So here you have it in his own words:
"Hi everyone! (...) I just wanted to warn other collectors about a particular eBay seller who scammed me regarding a pair of alleged Creation Ent chakrams earlier this year. The seller's eBay username is "beholdkingjr," and his name is Joshua "J. R." Merino. Back in February, I happened across his listing for both editions of Creation's chakram replicas with their shadow boxes, and it seemed like a nice opportunity to collect both at once. The photos of the items looked like the genuine article as well. I ordered them. A week later, I received them. The shadow boxes were authentic, but immediately upon unboxing the chakrams, I knew something was wrong. Turns out he sent me a yin/yang chakram from Todd Coyle's Silver Screen Replicas line and an original chakram made by Alexandr Eremin, a Russian artist with whose replicas I was already familiar. I confronted him, opened an "item not as described" case with eBay support, and eventually received a full refund, but not before he gave me a lecture about how I "wasn't licensed to tell whether they were genuine Creation replicas." I have attached photos, so you can see what I was expecting versus what I received". J.R. is still selling Xena replicas on eBay, and I believe he has two or three chakrams currently listed. I advise other collectors to avoid him at all costs".
The photos Zak mentions are the ones that follow:
Zak also adds: "My one regret! The return process took so long that the listing expired before I could leave him any negative feedback. If eBay would permit me to, I would tear him a new one, 80-character feedback limit be damned. My biggest fear is that he will continue to scam other collectors, so I want to prevent that if I can".
Sadly, Zak's case is far from the only one. In my various years as a Xena collector, I've run across one-too-many scams —many of which either affected people close to me, or myself directly. There's little we can do against them (as the culprits just change nick-names or open new eBay accounts), BUT there's something we can do: we can DENOUNCE them, and SHARE them, to at least minimize their impact.
There are quite a few unscrupulous people making profit out of scamming Xena fans out there. So be careful, and double-check with other collectors if you can. And if you feel you've been scammed and you want or need some help, don't hesitate to let me know!
Thanks again to Zak for his testimony.
Battle on friends!
