Minimal Wave Records

Perhaps have you already seen the recently very frequently
offered RITUALS vinyl on ebay by sellers modernwatches and
wwatch_es. He claims in his auction description that these
are ogininal copies from the initial 500 copies pressing in
1985/86, BUT I have proof that these are current re-issues or
from a 2nd print if you like.
I also purchased a copy in February, but dissapointingly it
raised my doubt in it´s originality while opening the package.
This one came in a high gloss finished sleeve, which I haven´t
seen before. A phone call with KLUMPA followed concerning this
issue to verify my remembrance in a beamless cover and he agreed.
Afterwards I contacted the seller how it could be that this one
looks so different. His answer was so evasive and contradictory
that it put even more fuel to my suspicion. Further email contacts
with him got embarassing and fruitless.
To cut a long story short: if you hold the re-issue in one hand and
the original in the other, the re-issue could be easily distinguished
at first sight!
Here is what I found:
Cover:
- high gloss finished instead of beamless
- re-issue is not as flimsy as the original
- backround on re-issue is not as white as on the original
- lettering on front (Twilight Ritual/Rituals) is blurred somehow
- colouring on front is dark-grey, but the original is absolutely black
- fonts on the backcover are differing in size and colour

Vinyl:
- the re-issue is heavier
- labels have same blurred print like front cover, originals are sharp
- the surface looks different
- last but not least: there´s an additional matrix number engraved!!!!
- originals have AUX-04-A0 and AUX-04-B0 (b-side) only
- re-issue has additional 67677E1/A and 67677E2/A prints in the runout
groove
- all Auxilio de Cientos releases I know have the AUX…matrix only
but this one comes with a 2nd number!!??

Insert:
- different size
- lettering different

It looks like the former owner of Auxilio de Cientos (modernwatches)
hasn´t incidently found some stock copies in a warehouse, but the
original mastertapes! Admittedly despite all differences between the
copies I compared they sounded the same.

I asked for a refund via paypal, since the album I received doesn´t
correspond to the item offered. This procedure is still ongoing and will
take a little longer, because the seller reacted with some sort of
gamesmanship claiming via ebay I haven´t paid for the item. Ridiculous!

I advise all buyers of the re-issue to claim a refund via ebay/paypal
to show this swindler, that it isn´t as easy as that to kid serious
collectors!

Last but not least I will also inform the band of this issue and I guess
they won´t be too amused about it.
If anyone has further questions, please feel free to send me a pm.
Thanks for your interest.

btw: seller left me negative feedback as a cheap revenge for mine.

There is a second thing that seller did:

I am pretty sure that he raised the prices with his second account or via a friend. I know of somebody else that he got several second chance offers. I got a second chance offer as well. I was a little bit astonished that the seller got so many copies. But after the second chance offer I thought some people denied it and he maybe got 5 copies or so.

Thanks for the info!

Another indication of what we’ve already suspected:
When something appears to be too good to be true, more often than not it is.  :(

I have the CD from the band themselves, so luckily I’ve never bid the hugest amounts for the LP from “modernwatches”. I’m not going to bid again, and hopefully people will check the mf’s feedback (and see what you said) before bidding.

Still wondering what makes all these petty thieves pay for bootleg re-pressings, advertise them as originals and try to fleece’em off at ebay and other places - OK so it went for $130 a couple of times, but you can’t fool everyone all the time and phut goes your reputation when someone blows the whistle - this idiot may have another 90 copies or whatever which will now be worth $10 or so. So much hassle, and what did he win on it? Couple hundred dollars? Get a job, fer chrissakes… 

Pity though. I’d like to have that on LP, but not unless it’s the genuine official first pressing!

Answer from Peter Bonne (TWR) received today 16:58 cet

Hi Alexander,

thanks for this info
This indeed looks like a fraude copy
could you forward the name of the ebay seller ?
thanks
Peter - TWR

:evil: I’m so furious because I bought this record last november and spent a lot of money to this same seller “Modernwatches” (the price was : 300€ or 395$). I know it’s very expensive for a vinyl but this Twilight Ritual LP was a dream for me since a so long time ! Inevitably when I saw it on eBay, I was so happy to find it at last : the temptation was too high to resist.

Shame to this seller. I’m very sad to have a fake copy…  :(

Fortunately the music is wonderful and finally, it’s better than nothing… but not for that price…

What could we do against this thief ?

Re: FRAUD: twilight ritual album rip-off on ebay!!

[quote author=“agileo”]
I advise all buyers of the re-issue to claim a refund via ebay/paypal
to show this swindler, that it isn´t as easy as that to kid serious
collectors!

If you bought the album via ebay you could protest against the item
via this page:
http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?InrCreateDispute

Attention: You only have 60 days after auction´s end to report an item!

Der W went:
>Attention: You only have 60 days after auction´s end to report an item!

So you’re too late for that, it’s kneecap time.  :evil:

-but seriously, it’s simply not good enough that you have 60 days to confirm that you received the item you paid for, especially if someone counterfeits an item without your knowledge… this should be impossible in eBay as it is other places.

Poliice!

So is this
also a forged copy?

Every fucking ADC release is now possibly a fake original.
It was only a matter of time but it’s a shame forgeries have arrived in ‘minimal synth’ circles.

Are there more known? i only know of the Night Moves GC2 forgery.
Perhaps it’s time for a blacklist?

Refund for the fraud copy via paypal

Hello,
Today I eventually received an email from Paypal stating that my
case has now been closed and that i`ll receive a 100% refund within
the next upcoming days.

Seems that the seller stopped listing the album via ebay, since the
last 2 copies went for 30 and 40 euro only!! )

Nevertheless he´ll be trying to sell his lasting stock copies through
several distibution channels e.g. local record stores.

So, be suspicious if the RITUALS album appears somewhere in the
future.

Happy Easter everybody,

FYI there’s one in Gemm at present at USD 137,-, now if that one is tempting you, it’s a 2nd edition as well (seller said the 2nd edition is from 1988 in his email, BTW) and thus somewhat pricy. 

Thanks to Agileo for this post & good luck with those eggs,
falck

He´s doing it again - or better he still has the guts to…

:!:

offer his bottleg rip-off at ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190167558022

Don´t bid!

This is an un-licensed re-print of the original.
I´ll also send a notification to Peter Bonne of TR.

Best,
Alex

hey alex,

how do you know it’s the reprint? is it because of the spanish seller?

[quote author=“Spartak”]hey alex,

how do you know it’s the reprint? is it because of the spanish seller?

Hi,
it´s the same picture of the sleeve as it has been used in earlier auctions,
the description is the same, the typeface and colour is the same and the seller comes - or better - is registered in Spain and moreover has low feedback. Does anyone need more suspicious facts?

Nevertheless the auction ended at almost 120$ for a fake original. Seems that only a few insiders are on this board…

It´s annoying that JG Marin got at least one more fake copy gilded

Cheers,
Alex

Re: FRAUD: twilight ritual album rip-off on ebay!!

[quote author=“agileo”]BUT I have proof that these are current re-issues or
from a 2nd print if you like.

thank you for the advice. the 2nd print has become the fashion nowadays as many labels reprint old albums and make money while they don’t hold the copyrights. i could give you the name of the labels by private message if you want.

Another one on eBay now… looks familiar, what do you think agileo?

(Item number: 190175010684)

-ø-

[quote author=“reactorlgtn”]Another one on eBay now… looks familiar, what do you think agileo?

(Item number: 190175010684)

-ø-

Same seller I see…