Fake BCD325P2

[lucille_bluth]

Recently discovered Amazon warehouse deals. Returned items that might not be in their original packaging but are otherwise LNIB. So, I was excited to find the BCD325P2 for about $250. It delivered today and I got to work programming on proscan. But the software kept telling me the scanner does not match the proscan scanner. I uninstalled, reinstalled back and forth. Then after powering off and back on the scanner, I see it right there on the screen: BCD125AT. The radios are identical. Someone replaced the sticker on the front and even the sticker on the back beneath the belt clip. I requested my return through amazon and already dropped it off at UPS. It felt a little light, a little cheap relative to what I was expecting for the 325P2.

So, be on the lookout for scam models from amazon. My search continues.

 

[KevinC]

Are you sure it wasn’t just the opening screen that someone changed to say that? The “sticker” on the front is actually part of the display screen I believe.

 

[N9JIG]

My guess is that the original purchaser bought a 325 and took the case parts from a 125 and swapped them, then returned to re-cased 125 in place of the 325.

If you still had it I would have had you check the ESN, on a true 325 there would be a Menu button and you could get it. The 125 doesn't have the Menu button nor does it have an ESN.

 

[lucille_bluth]

Good ideas for sure. It looked like it had been tampered with tbh. The face had mild but apparent scuff marks behind the model name. And the sticker beneath the belt clip was lifting at the corners. It's not the end of the world, and if that's the worst thing that happens to me this week, I'm in a good spot. I'll purchase direct next time.

 

[MStep]

Good ideas for sure. It looked like it had been tampered with tbh. The face had mild but apparent scuff marks behind the model name. And the sticker beneath the belt clip was lifting at the corners. It's not the end of the world, and if that's the worst thing that happens to me this week, I'm in a good spot. I'll purchase direct next time.

Now my age is going to become apparent, but when I worked at the Brooklyn NYC location of Lafayette Radio (mid to late 1960's), we had that scam pulled on us several times a month by folks who bought something and then attempted to return a cheaper item "disguised" as the original. Some were very obvious on quick inspection, but others were quite elaborate counterfeits and I was amazed at the amount of work that folks at that time put into their attempts at deception. Some of the counterfeits were very good.

At times when the store was especially busy, if someone returned an item in a box that "appeared" having never been opened, it was usually put back into stock with no inspection. Nevertheless, the poor unfortunates who subsequently ended up with the item usually came back to the store later that day to report they had only found some weighty but fake item in the sealed box. It happened so often that we even had a check-mark for returns called "brick-in-a-box". I believe that is still a standard industry term.

There were many of these stories that I should love to recount when time permits. My days at Lafayette Radio provided a treasure trove of these types of incidents.

 

[mmckenna]

Back in the 60's there were some awesome muscle cars that were built. Very common to take a fairly common sedan and add a big engine and other goodies at the factory.

One of the rental car companies back then thought "Hey, we could rent these high performance cars for a premium, we'll make a fortune!"
So, the rental car company bought a bunch and began renting them out.

Took them a while to catch on….
Guys were renting the cars for the weekend, and returning them on Monday.
Someone at the rental car company suddenly noticed that the souped up muscle cars didn't quite have the pep they did when they were first purchased.

Yup, guys would rent them on Friday, spend the weekend swapping the engines and sending them back on Monday.

 

[KevinC]

Back in the 60's there were some awesome muscle cars that were built. Very common to take a fairly common sedan and add a big engine and other goodies at the factory.

One of the rental car companies back then thought "Hey, we could rent these high performance cars for a premium, we'll make a fortune!"
So, the rental car company bought a bunch and began renting them out.

Took them a while to catch on….
Guys were renting the cars for the weekend, and returning them on Monday.
Someone at the rental car company suddenly noticed that the souped up muscle cars didn't quite have the pep they did when they were first purchased.

Yup, guys would rent them on Friday, spend the weekend swapping the engines and sending them back on Monday.

I believe the Hertz Mustang started it all.

 

[kudzu_kid]

Now my age is going to become apparent, but when I worked at the Brooklyn NYC location of Lafayette Radio (mid to late 1960's), we had that scam pulled on us several times a month by folks who bought something and then attempted to return a cheaper item "disguised" as the original. Some were very obvious on quick inspection, but others were quite elaborate counterfeits and I was amazed at the amount of work that folks at that time put into their attempts at deception. Some of the counterfeits were very good.

I didn't know Lafayette was doing the dirty deed too. Sigh! Are you sure? The Wikipedia article made no mention of that - or I glossed over it. Also, Wikipedia isn't gospel either - but generally reliable. They used to be decent, but I didn't deal much with them in their final years. Now "Crazy Eddie" was a DIFFERENT story. Well documented some of the games they were playing. You triggered a little PTSD though - the Crazy Eddie Xmas in August or July or whatever was always over saturated in the commercial rotation. I can still hear him... It would be easy to confuse Lafayette and CE... Both were east coast big discount electronics deals (not saying you did... but hadn't ever heard that about Lafayette - but Crazy Eddie was WHACK!).

For those unfamiliar:

Lafayette Radio Electronics - Wikipedia

Crazy Eddie - Wikipedia

 

[mmckenna]

I believe the Hertz Mustang started it all.

Not to be confused with the Hertz Doughnut.
Yup. Pretty friggen brilliant, as long as you didn't get caught. Not right, but brilliant.

 

[MStep]

I didn't know Lafayette was doing the dirty deed too. Sigh! Are you sure? The Wikipedia article made no mention of that - or I glossed over it. Also, Wikipedia isn't gospel either - but generally reliable. They used to be decent, but I didn't deal much with them in their final years. Now "Crazy Eddie" was a DIFFERENT story. Well documented some of the games they were playing. You triggered a little PTSD though - the Crazy Eddie Xmas in August or July or whatever was always over saturated in the commercial rotation. I can still hear him... It would be easy to confuse Lafayette and CE... Both were east coast big discount electronics deals (not saying you did... but hadn't ever heard that about Lafayette - but Crazy Eddie was WHACK!).

For those unfamiliar:

Lafayette Radio Electronics - Wikipedia

Crazy Eddie - Wikipedia

Perhaps you misunderstood my post. Lafayette Radio never knowingly misled any of its customers. You can take that as gospel. I worked at their Brooklyn store on and off for nearly 7 years and not once did that company ever attempt to scam their customers. Lafayette was a victim of these fraudsters as much as those who were inadvertently sold substituted items.

Now I did read of many sales "gimmicks" that Crazy Eddie were purported to use, but I never worked for them and used to occasionally purchase from them with no issues.

 

[Golay]

.... Lafayette Radio ....

I had a few Lafayette CB's.

 

[ladn]

Many, many, years ago, Target was far more forgiving on returns than they are today. Commodore 64 computers were a hot item back then, but quality control was lax and Commodore's warranty service was awful. A well known ploy was to purchase a new C= 64 at Target, swap the innards with a defective unit (new models had a light colored case, and older models had a dark tan case), and return the "new" unit back to Target for a refund.
Target would simply reshelve the returned item for resale as "new".

 

[kudzu_kid]

Perhaps you misunderstood my post. Lafayette Radio never knowingly misled any of its customers. You can take that as gospel. I worked at their Brooklyn store on and off for nearly 7 years and not once did that company ever attempt to scam their customers. Lafayette was a victim of these fraudsters as much as those who were inadvertently sold substituted items.

Now I did read of many sales "gimmicks" that Crazy Eddie were purported to use, but I never worked for them and used to occasionally purchase from them with no issues.

I DID misunderstand your post - my apologies to all!

 

[Ensnared]

Recently discovered Amazon warehouse deals. Returned items that might not be in their original packaging but are otherwise LNIB. So, I was excited to find the BCD325P2 for about $250. It delivered today and I got to work programming on proscan. But the software kept telling me the scanner does not match the proscan scanner. I uninstalled, reinstalled back and forth. Then after powering off and back on the scanner, I see it right there on the screen: BCD125AT. The radios are identical. Someone replaced the sticker on the front and even the sticker on the back beneath the belt clip. I requested my return through amazon and already dropped it off at UPS. It felt a little light, a little cheap relative to what I was expecting for the 325P2.

So, be on the lookout for scam models from amazon. My search continues.

I am sorry you got burned.

 

[rgchristy]

Is this what you're talking about:

Uniden BCD325P2 Handheld TrunkTracker V Scanner for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Uniden BCD325P2 Handheld TrunkTracker V Scanner at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

 

[Falcon9h]

If I had back the money I spent at Lafayette I wouldn't be in a spot today! Loved them.

 

[TGuelker]

Is this what you're talking about:

Uniden BCD325P2 Handheld TrunkTracker V Scanner for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Uniden BCD325P2 Handheld TrunkTracker V Scanner at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

I’m in a mood so I messaged the seller requesting a screenshot of the display showing the model and firmware version. Nit expecting much, since the seller only has 2 feedback.

 

[tvengr]

If I had back the money I spent at Lafayette I wouldn't be in a spot today! Loved them.

I still have my HE90 and HE20C CB radios. I had to hit the 20C on the side to get the vibrator started using it mobile.

 

[wtp]

i can tell from the pixels, that is not a 325 .

 

[StoliRaz]

Is this what you're talking about:

Uniden BCD325P2 Handheld TrunkTracker V Scanner for sale online | eBay

Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Uniden BCD325P2 Handheld TrunkTracker V Scanner at the best online prices at eBay! Free shipping for many products!

www.ebay.com

Hah, I came across that 246T aka fake 325P2 right after it was listed and got a chuckle. I think I'm going to give up trying to find a 396XT, since the B.S. "supply chain" issues scam hit the price of them has become ridiculous. I started looking in late 2020 and they were plentiful at $120-$150 in good condition. People are paying absolute stupid money for them now, to the point that it doesn't make sense to buy one anymore since a 325p2 isn't really that much more and has a lot more capability.