› fountainpen.de FAQ Overview Vintage Finder Counterfeits DE ›

How can one classify counterfeits offered as commercial on eBay, brazenly described, including counterfeit watches with positive ratings, and what protection mechanisms exist?

Montblanc Limited Editions FAQ entry

Even professional suppliers with disclaimer may, in Germany, generally not sell counterfeits; a disclaimer does not exclude criminal liability. The positive rating situation of such suppliers does not necessarily prove reputability, since the eBay verification seal can be imitated by HTML manipulation; the actual PostIdent procedure via Deutsche Post AG, by contrast, is built on identity-card basis and harder to fake. With watches especially the box (Montblanc uses black, not red boxes) is an indicator; a first counterfeit with a real automatic movement would already require a minimum calculation beyond 300 euros, which permits doubts about movement quality. Bidders should check supplier and auction behaviour critically and report violations to the trademark holder.

Note: The fountainpen.de FAQ knowledge base is based on collector discussions from over 20 years. Specific market prices may be outdated — the underlying methodology remains valid. Back to FAQ overview ›

« Browse all FAQ entries