Fake QP complimentary invitations appearing on eBay

[thewinchester]

Just putting an alert out that it looks like someone unscrupulous people are trying to shift faked complimentary QP passes via eBay for profit.

Just doing my usual search for Qantas and Ansett collectibles this evening turned up the offending items.

In case anyone thinks about buying QP passes via eBay or other means, these are some of the things out of place on these fake cards:

• Wording in incorrect font and wrong position on card,
• Bottom of the word "club" not even with that of the rest of the logo,
• The words the and qantas exceeding the height of the Kangaroo's head,
• Uneven/excessive spacing between the, qantas and club,
• No hologram marker anywhere on the card,
• Card expiry date printed in incorrect font,
• Wording "complimentary invitation" centre aligned and not left aligned on front of card, and
• Expiry dates approaching on the cards (targeting those traveling soon).

These fakes have already been reported to eBay - but please be careful, as you're likely to be turned away by the lounge dragons having wasted over AUD50+ each for these shoddy replicas. Chances the people behind these items are fraudsters trying to make a quick buck.

 

[Mal]

I think I've found the same auction as you, and agree they are very likely fakes.

Qantas is pretty diligent at killing off Auctions ex AU on QP passes, so expect this illegitimate one to disappear quckly.

Or perhaps I shoud buy now

 

[Andyc]

A friend of mine actually did pick up some of these fake Cards on ebay from a UK seller. While they look very different to the real passes, they don't look completely fake.

But the real test is using them in the lounge... which he managed to do without any problems one night at the old OOL lounge. I used my QP card to get myself and another guest in and he used the ebay-sourced card without a problem.

Saying that, I don't really think its worth the risk and wouldn't recommend anyone try it out.

 

[trippin_the_rift]

My business partner has 2 complimentary invitations, one expiring at the end of this month and one expiring March 2010. They are identical although the colours are slightly different. The new one is much lighter.

IMO they would be fairly easy to forge

 

[Will]

They looked pretty fake - I complained to eBay and the listing has been pulled. Not sure if it was my complaint that did it or one of yours?
Anyway, good work team

 

[bambbbam2]

How about people selling points?

QANTAS FREQUENT FLYER POINTS - 10000 - TO YOUR ACCOUNT - eBay, Other Tickets, Travel, Tickets, Travel. (end time 18-Mar-09 22:27:40 AEDST)

 

[MEL_Traveller]

They looked pretty fake - I complained to eBay and the listing has been pulled. Not sure if it was my complaint that did it or one of yours?
Anyway, good work team

Thumbs up to you and the OP for reporting these. The international sale (of fakes) is still there however (maybe coming down later?)

Two Qantas Club Lounge Passes - eBay, Air Travel, Travel, Tickets Travel. (end time 09-Mar-09 20:49:23 AEDST)

As for the sale of the QF points, I wonder if there's a rat here too? I like how it says the value of the points is $400 'if you bought them in multiples of 1000'... duh!! (to save you going to have a look, QF sells them for $335 for 10,000 )

mel-t

 

[thewinchester]

Thumbs up to you and the OP for reporting these. The international sale (of fakes) is still there however (maybe coming down later?)

Two Qantas Club Lounge Passes - eBay, Air Travel, Travel, Tickets Travel. (end time 09-Mar-09 20:49:23 AEDST)

Thanks for that mel-t, Just knocked on eBay's door again about it and they've just buzzed their trust and safety team to knock that auction on the head.

I'd love to know how the person who's auctioning off those points proposes to transfer them into your account. Only possible way would be a family transfer, and there's no chance you'll sneak this one through on a family transfer particularly if there's such a difference in the names or no relationship can be proven.

 

[Mal]

I'd love to know how the person who's auctioning off those points proposes to transfer them into your account. Only possible way would be a family transfer, and there's no chance you'll sneak this one through on a family transfer particularly if there's such a difference in the names or no relationship can be proven.

Too many occur for Qantas to audit them ... but Qantas reserves the right to cancel your account for doing so, and also to (potentially) chase you down years later and ask for proof that the transfer was legit.

BTW- a definate thumbs up from me as well for getting the fake auction pulled. Qantas seems to be able to pull ex-AU auctions from ebay (or someone does as they often get cancelled quickly), but ex-UK ones seem to be ok?

 

[JohnK]

How about people selling points?

Does not appear to be there anymore. Perhaps QF is policing these auction sites more often as well as tip offs sent to eBay.

 

[Danger]

Fake eBay goods net gang millions, The Australian, 24/9/09, p. 9

London: A global criminal network duped eBay customers into buying millions of dollars worth of fake golf clubs, clothing, accessories and passes for the Qantas business-class [sic] lounge in the largest fraud uncovered by the online auction site, a court has heard.

...

"Between mid-2003 and early-2008, these defendants and their co-conspirators have been responsible for the sale and distribution of hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of pounds worth of counterfeit goods both here in the UK and abroad - primarily through the well-auction website eBay."
​

No further detail on the Qantas Club passes, which seem the odd one out in the list of goods.

 

[samh004]

I'd have thought the best target market for QP passes would be Australia, or somewhere a little closer than the UK.

 

[serfty]

I'd have thought the best target market for QP passes would be Australia, or somewhere a little closer than the UK.

They gave pre-flight access to BA J lounges out of LHR when flying BA/QF.

 

[samh004]

They gave pre-flight access to BA J lounges out of LHR when flying BA/QF.

Oh, I was under the impression that they were only for use with QF in QP's. Good to know but useless to me

 

[serfty]

It's due to the QF/BA JSA on the Kangaroo route.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

A lot of money was being made out of those passes - not irregular to see them going for 20, 30 40 pounds - EACH. And often two or three listings by the same person at any one time.

[rest of post deleted]

 

[Mal]

A lot of money was being made out of those passes - not irregular to see them going for 20, 30 40 pounds - EACH. And often two or three listings by the same person at any one time.

Indeed- they were going in batches of 2 or 4 for ridiculous amounts of money. I saw the article about the golf clubs over here - but they didn't mention the QC passes. Shows that the media didn't feel locals would understand what they were!

 

[simongr]

I believe several people from here wrote to Qantas to question these sales (and/or I presume to question how a single individual was able to obtain so many passes) but QF either chose to do nothing, OR, were unable to get ebay to pull the sales, OR, I suppose, maybe they lost interest in getting the sales pulled after the first 10 or 20.

Thumbs down to Qantas for allowing their product to be used for organised crime. (Maybe they should have monitored ebay daily and written to have the passes withdrawn - pit seems that would have been cheaper than paying for all the lounge access).

I am so glad that you have all of this inside knowledge about QFs operations supporting organised crime. Without your insight everything else would just be idle speculation or supposition.

Seriously "thumbs down to QF for allowing their product to be used for organised crime"? What do you expect them to do that they haven't done (and speculation about what they havent done is not evidence)?

QF's product is used every day for drug smuggling, people smuggling, transportation of dangerous goods, facilitating liaison between for crime syndicates in the same way that every major Oz corporation is used.

 

[v8Statesman]

QF's product is used every day for drug smuggling, people smuggling, transportation of dangerous goods, facilitating liaison between for crime syndicates in the same way that every major Oz corporation is used.

That'll make be think twice about flying QF in the future. DJ from now on for me!!!!!!!



Yes, this post is sarcasm

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I am so glad that you have all of this inside knowledge about QFs operations...

I accept your criticism and perhaps my choice of words could have been better.

The intended point was that clearly people were buying these passes - there is evidence of that in post #3 of this thread. And also according to post #3 these passes managed to pass inspection at the lounge.

Many (I didn't monitor every one) of the individual ebay listings for passes continued for some time - 5 days or whatever - and it seemed that many of these listing closed at the alloted time and with a supposedly successful highest bidder. (And indeed there was bidder feedback...)

I proposed several options - including that Qantas may have attempted to block these sales but without success. The only thing I can compare it with is the one time I reported an item on ebay it was withdrawn pretty quick. Each club access listing seemed to be around for a long time.

It may also have been that the sheer number of listings was overwhelming and they were too frequent to pull each one.

For whatever reason the sale and use of these passes would have negatively impacted on facility enjoyment by paid Qantas club members and impacted financially on qantas club operations.

My 'thumbs down' was really directed to the scenario(s) which might have allowed the sales to continue, rather than if every action had been taken at the time to block live and future listing but for some reason that couldn't be achieved.

I have taken this opportunity to edit my earlier post in recognition of the feedback.