Someone, please shut down these thieves!!!! Fake finfolk tail!!! :(

[Dame Melusine]

Hi guys,
I just stumbled upon a youtube video of a young mer who just bought one of these spandex tails with a likely unauthorized picture of a silicone tail, possibly from Finfolk. I don't know how to make a complaint about this type of thing or how to educate this young mer without alienating her from the community.... Please help..

the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0JjE7mRXdE

the website: http://www.ebay.com/itm/2017-New-Luxurious-Kids-Adult-Women-Mermaid-Tail-With-Monofin-Cosplay-Costume-/272718610674?var=&hash=item3f7f4bc0f2:m:mnsPAiYzQnvAKRk-DYxxFbg

[Mermaid_Mari]

I hate that companies are doing this. Abby and Bryn have even stated that there is not much they can do because China's copyright laws are different to the rest of the world. If you can, report the seller, hopefully it can get taken off eBay but there's nothing else to do.
As for the young mer, I would definitely suggest telling her, but do so politely. Tell her that she may not know but the tail she bought is actually copyrighted and sold as a ripoff and somebody worked hard and long on a design that's just been stolen. It's not her fault in the slightest but she needs to be aware in the future of which makers to trust


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[Dame Melusine]

Hi Mermaid Mari,
This is offensive to me, but must be so frustrating to the tailmakers! I looked around ebay but could not figure out how to make a complaint.
So I did leave a comment under the video. I stayed polite but was a bit more stern because she stated that she bought this counterfeit knowingly, identified that the original was Finfolk, and even went as far as saying that she is aware that the company is stealing art. I tried to explain that this is not the same as buying a fake gucci, and asked that she at least remove the link to this seller and stop promoting this affront to the mermaid community. I would stand down if she would at least do that.

[Mermaid_Mari]

Hi Mermaid Mari,
This is offensive to me, but must be so frustrating to the tailmakers! I looked around ebay but could not figure out how to make a complaint.
So I did leave a comment under the video. I stayed polite but was a bit more stern because she stated that she bought this counterfeit knowingly, identified that the original was Finfolk, and even went as far as saying that she is aware that the company is stealing art. I tried to explain that this is not the same as buying a fake gucci, and asked that she at least remove the link to this seller and stop promoting this affront to the mermaid community. I would stand down if she would at least do that.

That sounds pretty good to me. Hopefully she gets the message, it's definitely not okay especially if she knows what she's doing
As for reporting sellers, I think you can report particular items, but I'll have to check, I'll give it a looksee and post a screenshot if it can :)


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[shimmygoddess]

This burns me up so bad you don't know. I recently got blasted and called a 'fucking hater' in a FB group called "Mermaids" b/c I called someone out on this, nicely I might add. She posted an unboxing boasting about her tail and at first claimed she didn't know it was a copy, so I apologized. Later she admitted to knowing it was a copy but wanted a cheap tail anyway. Then she posted again for how she was going to throw it away, b/c she couldnt stand to look at it anymore after all the 'haters' were giving her crap. Sigh...I had people bitching at me for telling the truth and the mod I contacted didn't get things under control, so I left. So yay, I have a major problem with people knowingly buying these copies. If the are going to do so, they should keep their mouth shut at least instead of posting unboxings all over the internet....<end rant>

[Mermaid_Mari]

This burns me up so bad you don't know. I recently got blasted and called a 'fucking hater' in a FB group called "Mermaids" b/c I called someone out on this, nicely I might add. She posted an unboxing boasting about her tail and at first claimed she didn't know it was a copy, so I apologized. Later she admitted to knowing it was a copy but wanted a cheap tail anyway. Then she posted again for how she was going to throw it away, b/c she couldnt stand to look at it anymore after all the 'haters' were giving her crap. Sigh...I had people bitching at me for telling the truth and the mod I contacted didn't get things under control, so I left. So yay, I have a major problem with people knowingly buying these copies. If the are going to do so, they should keep their mouth shut at least instead of posting unboxings all over the internet....<end rant>

Ugh I totally agree with you! People are so stubborn and brash to defend themselves against these copy tails. I wish we could get them shut down. I can't understand how people DONT have a problem with it


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[shimmygoddess]

Ugh I totally agree with you! People are so stubborn and brash to defend themselves against these copy tails. I wish we could get them shut down. I can't understand how people DONT have a problem with it


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Yep, well it must have been newbies, b/c I didn't know who any of them were, but they were sure judging me and being real asshats with all the crap they were saying. I was fuming. LOL. I am proud of myself for not telling them to go f*** themselves. LOL

[The Water Phoenix]

I saw that video too! I have to agree, it is a very pretty tail but it's a stolen design. It's not that difficult to come up with your own and original designs.

[shimmygoddess]

And from that video it looks like the monofin is made with some thin, crappy vinyl? How can anyone swim safely in that?

[The Water Phoenix]

And from that video it looks like the monofin is made with some thin, crappy vinyl? How can anyone swim safely in that?
I think it was vinyl. It appeared to be made from two very cheap bi-fins screwed to a sheet of cheap vinyl. Little to no propulsion there.

[Dame Melusine]

facepalm

[Marinus Mortimer]

Well she obviously knows it's a knockoff tail and she still bought it I see trying to educate her on the matter won't make any difference as the Pirates will continue do do this indefinitely and people ignorant or not will continue to buy them. It's getting old guys !


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[Dame Melusine]

Update: so it appears the youtuber disabled the comments for her video. At least she is doing the responsible thing and no longer showing the link to the seller of the counterfeit tail.

[Mermaid_Mari]

Update: so it appears the youtuber disabled the comments for her video. At least she is doing the responsible thing and no longer showing the link to the seller of the counterfeit tail.

I suppose that's something at least


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[Mermaid Arietta]

I bought a tail like this not knowing it was a cheap copy. The seller told me it was hand made and had a real monofin. It didn't. I was devastated. I sent it right back and will never go on that website again but it is so horrible that people will lie so easily to customers with very little money to get them to buy their tail. 😕 Luckily it worked out for me in the end and I have an amazing tail that I love. I just had to save up for a while to get it.

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[MermaidAnnabella]

Well after watching the video it seems like the girl is very well aware that it's a knockoff (she does title it as a "bootleg" tail after all). But at 6:47 she says "it's not nice that they have stolen the art from the tail makers, but this is soo pretty". :jawdrop::mad::thumbdown: I sincerely doubt she is an artist as if she was she'd have even an ounce of respect for another's work.

[Mermaid Cetea]

I have another thread running about it too. I can see the appeal: there aren't many fabric tails that have extra fins off the side, and they are very pretty; However, it's horrible the way they go about it. I'm hoping after Finfolk release their new tails, the traffic on this knock off tail maker's site dies down :cry:

[September]

Just thought I would share this, I just discovered someone selling rip off FinFolk tails on a website called Bonanza. They even use FinFolk's official photos to stolk their stolen tail designs sometimes, it's awful. I've seen a lot of rip offs before, but hadn't seen these, so I thought I would share them. This is the user, and one of their listings:

https://www.bonanza.com/booths/best_anime
https://www.bonanza.com/listings/2017-HOT-Swimmable-Mermaid-Tail-With-Monofin-Red-Tail-Photo-Prop-Swimming-suit/524880886

I really hope we can find a way to shut down people like these soon.. It's disgusting, making money of others' designs and Abby and Bryn's hard work..

[Mermaid Salty]

Ugh, that is disgusting. Some people have no morals.

[Marinus Mortimer]

Nice I’ve been looking for good ones thanks! [emoji817][emoji1434][emoji23]


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[Imbrielle]

I have one of these. My husband got it for me as a gift. It’s not his fault, he doesn’t know anything about brands, only that his wife loves mermaids and mermaid tails lol. But, I only hang it on the wall as a decoration and might take the odd picture with it one day. I’ll never swim in it. I would love to get a real finfolk fabric tail one of these days for swimming. And surely will��

[user76213849809]

One of my family members recently went to China and saw some sort of underwater show, when I saw the pictures of them, I knew they had used knockoff tails
here's a link to an image of it (scroll down) https://www.yicaiglobal.com/news/spectacular-foreign-mermaid-shows-and-local-cuisine-treat-tourists-in-sanya-undersea-restaurant