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Plagiarism Update

Update/Recap on the plagiarism situation.  After three weeks, ebay responded to my email with an automatic message directing me to the VERO forms.  The VERO forms however appeared to deal with listings, not reviews.  I asked Live Help if I was correct in assuming this.  They confirmed that for me.  But some of the Amazon reviewers that I notified sent them in anyways.  And some of the reviews were removed from ebay as a result.  It went down from 224 to 215.  But some people have sent in their VERO forms and their reviews are still up there.  Clearly, as another reviewer mentioned, they are going to do this one at a time and they are in no hurry to do so.  Well we’re fighting back.  I have no idea whether this will go anywhere, but another reviewer has a lawyer willing to deal with this for free.  I’ve spent awhile linking to the original reviewers, original reviews, and copied reviews.  The list is below.  (Sorry you can’t see the title of the book, I can’t figure out how to format that to fit.)

 

 

Amazon.com reviewer Amazon review Ebay review Book
! Betty Dravis “BettyDravis@gmail.com, author of The Toonies Invade Silicon Valley +” A Review E Review The 6th Target
” Linda Bulger” A Review E Review Lost Souls
“intentaccess” A Review E Review Vengeance in Death
“karben” A Review E Review A Family Haggadah II
“miers” A Review E Review Concrete Countertops: Design, Form, and Finishes for the New Kitchen and Bath
A Customer A Review E Review A. Philip Randolph: A Biographical Portrait
A Customer A Review E Review At the Feet of Jesus: A Safe Place in the Disquiet of Life
A Customer A Review E Review Floating in Space
A Customer A Review E Review Jake Drake, Know-It-All
A Customer A Review E Review Pharmacy Technician
A Customer A Review E Review Suzanne Somers’ Eat Great Lose Weight
A Customer A Review E Review The Merchant of Venice (Cliffs Notes)
A Customer A Review E Review The Pharmacy Technician
A. Luciano A Review E Review Romiette and Julio
A. Ross A Review E Review Lush Life
Amazon   E Review Essentials of Investments with S&P bind-in card
Amazon   E Review Understanding Your Health with Online Learning Center Bind-in Card
Andrea Griffin “Avid Reader” A Review E Review Dead Perfect
armchairinterviews.com A Review E Review Seasoned in the south: Recipes from Crook’s Corner and from Home
Arnold Howard A Review E Review The Gift of Fear
Asad A Review E Review Reconciliation: Islam, Democracy, and the West
B. Marold A Review E Review Get Saucy: Make Dinner a New Way Every Day with Simple Sauces, marinades, Glazes….
B. Marold A Review E Review The Perfectionist
B. Marold A Review E Review The Soul of a New Machine
B. Nolan A Review E Review Tempted in the Night
Beth Bois “alaboutnow” A Review E Review The Orgasmic Diet: A Revolutionary Plan to Lift Your Libido and Bring You to Orgasm
Betsy Lord A Review E Review Dakota Born
Bobby Newman A Review E Review Servant of the Bones
Bobby Pagenkopf “spagenkopf” A Review E Review I Live in Your Basement!
Bonnie M. Traylor A Review E Review 90 Minutes in Heaven
Brett R. Schulte “Civil War Buff” A Review E Review The Petersburg Campaign: June1864- april 1865/The Fredericksburg Campaign
C Baker “cbaker8887@aol.com” A Review E Review Stranger in Paradise
C. Falzone “Imperator” A Review E Review Life of Reilly
C. Price “Layman, Lawyer, Blogger” A Review E Review The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary
Caballero del febo A Review E Review Midnight on the Moon
Callie “chroi” A Review E Review Twelve Angry Men
Carol “Avid, 20-something reader.” A Review E Review Charm!
Catherine Parks “mpoppins1” A Review E Review The Hidden Face of God: Finding the Missing Door to the Father Through Lament
catwoman “Seminary Bookworm” A Review E Review Keeping a Princess Heart: In a Not-So-Fairy-Tale World
Chad Davies “Downhill” A Review E Review Ten Years Thinner: Six Weeks to a Leaner, Younger-Looking You
Chadwick H. Saxelid “Bookworm” A Review E Review Walking Wisely: Real Guidance for Life’s Journey
Chandra Prasad A Review E Review The Job Search Solution: The Ultimate System for Finding a Great Job Now!
Cherise Everhard A Review E Review Freefall: A High Risk Novel
Cherise Everhard A Review E Review The Calhouns: Catherine, Amanda, and Lilah
Chess Heart “paxbear” A Review E Review Chocolate Fever
Cindy Gerlach Mueller “So Many Books, So Little Time” A Review E Review Where the Lilies Bloom
Class 15 A Review E Review Mr. Tucket
cliff A Review E Review Drive Right: You Are the Driver
Colleen McMahon “bookaholic” A Review E Review El Traje del muerto/Heart shaped Box
Cy B. Hilterman “Cy. Hilterman” A Review E Review The Dark Tide
D. Buxman “A Seeker of Truth” A Review E Review Don’t Start The Revolution Without Me!
D. Christofferson A Review E Review Lethal Justice
D. Stuart “Researcher at Kudos” A Review E Review Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape Our Delusions
David Chaumette A Review E Review I is for Innocent
David D. Flowers “free-lance writer & blogger” A Review E Review Pagan Christianity?: Exploring the Roots of Our Church Practices
David Rosenberg “sarasobe” A Review E Review Day of the Dragon King
David S. Rose A Review E Review The Teeth of the Tiger
Deborah Wiley A Review E Review Demon’s Kiss
Denise Hahn A Review E Review Messages from Frank’s Landing: A story of Salmon, Treaties, and the Indian Way
Dr. W. G. Covington, Jr. A Review E Review God and Man at Yale
E. A Solinas “ea_solinas” A Review E Review Martha Stuart’s Better Than You at Entertaining (A Parody)
E. Chen A Review E Review The Manga Bible: From Genesis to Relavation
E. M. Bristol “bibliophile” A Review E Review Horse Crazy
E. R. Bird “Ramseelbird” A Review E Review Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village
E. R. Bird “Ramseelbird” A Review E Review Number the Stars
E. R. Bird “Ramseelbird” A Review E Review Song of the Swallows
Ed Uyeshima A Review E Review Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
Ed Uyeshima A Review E Review Home: A Memoir of My Early Years
Edward Bosnar A Review E Review Oil!
Elaine C McTyer “avid reader” A Review E Review Beyond the Dark
Elaine C McTyer “avid reader” A Review E Review Killing Fear
Elaine C McTyer “avid reader” A Review E Review The Healer
Elizabeth Metz “Muse of Yarn and Artbits” A Review E Review Sock and Glove: Creating Charming Softy Friends from Cast-Off Socks and Gloves
EnglishBreakfast A Review E Review Addicted to Shopping and Other Issues Women have With Money
Francis J. Mcinerney A Review E Review Nearer My God: An Autobiography of Faith
Gail Cooke A Review E Review Back on Blossom Street
Gail Cooke A Review E Review Celebutantes
Gail Cooke A Review E Review My Enemy’s Cradle
Gary Swafford “gary swafford” A Review E Review Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana
George H. Wilson, Jr. “jorge” A Review E Review English, Yes! Advanced: Learning English Through Literature
Gregory J. Casteel “Dr. Gregory J. Casteel” A Review E Review Firefly: the Official Companion: Volume One
Grover Smith  A Review E Review Southern Living 40 Years of Our Best Recipes
H.J. A Review E Review Understanding Nutrition
Harriet Klausner A Review E Review Honor Thyself
hiphopgirl_1000 A Review E Review Night of the Twisters
Hui Liao (Poeme68@aol.com) A Review E Review Lions at Lunchtime
Ian Kaplan A Review E Review Rigged: The True Story of an Ivy League Kid who Changed the World of Oil, from Wall Stree to Dubai
J. Doff A Review E Review The No S Diet: The Strikingly Simple Weight-Loss Strategy That Has Dieters Raving–and Dropping Pounds
J. E. Robinson A Review E Review Miles Gone By: a Literary Biography
J. Miller “author of God Scent” A Review E Review Just Walk Across the Room: Simple Steps Pointing People to Earth
Jack Priest A Review E Review Firefighters A to Z
James Merritt “Motor247” A Review E Review Launching a Leadership Revolution
Janet Boyer “JanetBoyer.com” A Review E Review A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose
Janet Boyer “JanetBoyer.com” A Review E Review Show me Your Smile!: A Visit to the Dentist
javajunki “javajunki” A Review E Review How Come that Idiot’s Rich and I’m Not?
Jem A Review E Review Devil May Cry
Jenny Blickman “from the block” A Review E Review 7th Heaven
Jesse Kornbluth “Head Butler” A Review E Review The Last Lecture
John A Review E Review NUV/The Message Parallel Bible
John G. Hilliard A Review E Review Winners Never Cheat: Everday Values We Learned as Children (But May Have Forgotten)
John Zeigler A Review E Review Electric Motor Control
Johnathan Bogart A Review E Review Afternoon on the Amazon
Judy A Johnson A Review E Review The Sky is Full of Stars
Julia Thomason A Review E Review Life that Wins
Julie Neal “The Complete Walt Disney World” A Review E Review Clique #9, The: Bratfest at Tiffany’s
Julie Neal “The Complete Walt Disney World” A Review E Review Fancy Nancy and the Boy from Paris
Julie Neal “The Complete Walt Disney World” A Review E Review Fancy Nancy Loves! Loves!! Loves!!!
Julie S. A Review E Review The Spiderwick Chronicles (boxed set)/trunk
K. Corn “reviewer” A Review E Review Nineteen Minutes
K. Gilligan “avid reader” A Review E Review Vampire, Interrupted
K. Montgomery “http://lurvalamode.wordpres s.com” A Review E Review Mine to Possess
Kailani Gerych A Review E Review Best Choices From the People’s Pharmacy
Katy A Review E Review Classic 30 Minute Meals
KayDee A Review E Review Let’s Go Rescue!: Books 1-6 (Go, Diego, Go! Phonics Reading Program)
KeiraG “reader & writer” A Review E Review Intelligence for Your Life: Powerful Lessons for Personal Growth
Kendal B. Hunter A Review E Review Recapture the Wonder: Experiencing God’s Amazing Promise of Childlike Joy
Kristi Ahlers A Review E Review Whisper of Evil
L Goodman-Malamuth “Leslie Goodman-Malamuth” A Review E Review Schulz and Peanuts
L. Coggins “Soaring Eagle” A Review E Review The Forgotten 500: The Untold Story of the Men Who Risked All For the Greatest Rescue Mission of the World
LadyNaava “LadyNaava” A Review E Review The Venetian Betrayal
Larry O. Sanders “lsbps@msn.com” A Review E Review Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire: What Happens When God’s Spirit Invades the Hearts of His People
Laurie S. Reilly A Review E Review The Alcoholism and Addiction Cure: A Holistic Approach to Total Recovery
Lindsay A Review E Review Daughters of Heaven Devotional: Lessions in Life for Young Women
Lorraine A Review E Review The Beginner’s Guide to Spiritual Warfare: using Your Spiritual Weapons…..
Loyd E. Eskildson “Pragmatist” A Review E Review The Age of American Unreason
Loyd E. Eskildson “Pragmatist” A Review E Review The Age of Turbulence
Lynn Harnett A Review E Review Sleep On It: Prepare Delicious Meals the Night Before That You Can Pop In the Oven the Next Day!
M. Alcat “bel_78” A Review E Review Holiday in Death
M. Benson A Review E Review The Cardio-Free Diet
M. C. Jones “Azuwilt” A Review E Review Love Hina: The Novel, Vol. 1
M. D. Mulhern A Review E Review Another Thing to Fall: A Novel
Marc Ruby™ “The Noh Hare™” A Review E Review The Weirdstone of Brisingamen: A Tale of Alderley
Marilyn Duenas A Review E Review The Power of a Praying Teen
MaryGrace Meloche A Review E Review The Devil’s Web
Matthew Dodd A Review E Review What it takes to be Number #1: Vince Lombardi on Leadership
MDP A Review E Review Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope
Michael K. Smith A Review E Review Atonement
Michael Leonard “MikeonAlpha” A Review E Review People of the Book: A Novel
Michael R. Chernick “statman31147” A Review E Review Vindicated: Big Names, Big Liars, and the Battle to Save Baseball 
Michael S. Gordon A Review E Review Hope’s Boy: A Memoir
Michelle N. Marshall “Sims addict” A Review E Review Secrets of the Vine for Women
Miladyblue A Review E Review The Wolf
Miranda M. Pedersen Floyd “NWMC” A Review E Review Wound Care Made Incredibly Easy!
Mochamajesty A Review E Review Winning by Losing: Drop the Weight, Change Your Life
Monty Rainey A Review E Review 1776: The Illustrated Edition
Munawar Ali A Review E Review Reliance of the Traveller: The Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law Umdat Al-Salik
Nancy A Review E Review Dirt on my Shirt
Nancy R. Katz “NancyK18” A Review E Review Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
Nancy R. Woodington A Review E Review One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest
Nature Mom w/ 2 children + EE & Management degrees A Review E Review Parenting With Love and Logic
Nicola Mattos “key lime pie connoisseur and martini maven” A Review E Review Chosen
Nicola Mattos “key lime pie connoisseur and martini maven” A Review E Review The Outlaw Demon Wails
O. Brown “Ms. O. Khannah-Brown” A Review E Review Beautiful Boy: A Father’s Journey Through His Son’s Addiction
O. Brown “Ms. O. Khannah-Brown” A Review E Review The Unmistakable Touch of Grace: How to Recognize and Respond to the Spiritual Signposts in Your Life 
P. Legerski A Review E Review Cuts
Pat   aka Linz  A Review E Review The Final Warning
Paul Weiss A Review E Review The Overlook
Peter S. Lambert A Review E Review Stories From a Soldier’s Heart: For the Patriotic Soul
PEwy “SD reader” A Review E Review Dead Time
Phyllis Staff A Review E Review Change Your Life in Seven Days: The World’s Leading Hypnotist Shows You How
Pugs A Review E Review Love and Consequences: A Memoir of Hope and Survival
R. B. Bernstein “R. B. Bernstein, Adjunct Professor of Law, New York Law School” A Review E Review John Adams
R. Kelly Wagner “bunrab@bunrab.net A Review E Review Purity in Death
Randy Given A Review E Review Daily Walk Bible NLT
rba A Review E Review The Chalk Box Kid
Rebecca Johnson “SeasonedwithLove.com” A Review E Review The Third Jesus: The Christ We Cannot Ignore
Richard Cumming “richo” A Review E Review Song Yet Sung
Robert Busko A Review E Review Fairtax: The Truth: Answering the Critics
Robert Busko A Review E Review Real Change: From the World that Fails to the World that Works
Robert S. Robbins A Review E Review Asthma for Dummies
Roland D. Mundhenke Jr. A Review E Review Illumination in the Flatwoods: A Season With the Wild Turkey
Romancer A Review E Review To Catch a Highlander
Roy E. Perry “amateur philosopher” A Review E Review Where Are You Now?: A Novel
S. Peek A Review E Review How to be the Funniest Kid in the Whole Wide World (or Just in Your Class)
Sarah Outlaw “”OrganicMama”” A Review E Review Generation XL
Sastenio A Review E Review W.A.R.: The Unauthorized Biography of William Axl Rose
Shannon A Review E Review It’s Not About Me Teen Edition
Sharina A Review E Review Lady Killer
Sharon Forret A Review E Review The Undead Next Door
Shelly Itkin “Book Lover” A Review E Review Hokus Pokus
Sheri Carucci A Review E Review Wolf Tales V
Sickness23 “anonymous coward A.C.” A Review E Review Dating For Dummies
Steve Koss A Review E Review Unaccustomed Earth
StevenJM “stevenjm” A Review E Review Myron Cope: Double Yoi!
Susan K. Schooniver A Review E Review Compulsion: An Alex Delaware Novel
T. Austin A Review E Review Conquer the Crash: You Can Survive and Proser in a Deflationary Depression, Expanded and Updated Edition
T. Szefler A Review E Review The Complete Master Cleanse: a Step-by-Step Guide to Maximize the Benefits of the Lemonade Diet
Teenreads.com A Review E Review Copper Sun
TeensReadToo.com “Eat. Drink. Read. Be Merrier.” A Review E Review Saving the world
Theoron A Review E Review Serenity: A Companion for Twelve Step Recovery
Theresa M. Studer “Terra57” A Review E Review Ghost of a Chance
TheSchemer “Scheme” A Review E Review Captive Dreams
Thomas M. Loarie A  Review E Review The Appeal
Tim Challies A Review E Review Do I Know God?: Finding Certaintiy in Life’s Most Important Relationship
Tracy Vest A Review E Review Absolute Fear
Tracy Vest A Review E Review Final Scream
tregatt A Review E Review The Boleyn Inheritance
tregatt A Review E Review The Other Boleyn Girl
Warren Hamby A Review E Review Door of Hope: Recognizing and Resolving the Pains of Your Past
Web Chatter “Danielle” A Review E Review The Perfect Recipe for Losing Weight and Eating Great
Whiteman A Review E Review Treaures: Secret Star/Treasures Lost, Treasures Found
William McPeck “Coach/Consultant” A Review E Review Stop Whining, Start Living
Windy H. “Windy H.” A Review E Review The Moms On Call Guide to basic Baby care
Wolfe Moffat A Review E Review Made in America: The Most Dominant Champion in UFC History
Yesh Prabhu, author of The Beech Tree A Review E Review Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary mind of an Autistic Savant
      The Shooters

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Plagiarism!!

Well I suppose it had to happen sometime, although I didn’t know that somebody would be as petty as to steal a book review!  But it appears there are those out there who have no problem doing so.

Not too long ago I was using google to see if any reviews came up that were similar to mine for “Vampire Interrupted” by Lindsay Sands.  I googled a few key words and clicked on one of the results.  It was on ebay.  I didn’t even know ebay had product reviews on there… but they do.  And in this case, the review I clicked on was identical to mine!

Edson.financial.group is to blame.  Believe it or not they have around 250 reviews of books and audiobooks up, and it is easy to determine that ALL OF THEM are (or were at one time) spotlight reviews on Amazon.com.  Needless to say, I was pissed!  And it’s easy to prove that mine was written first!  Here’s mine on Amazon.com- the creation date is clearly listed as February 27, 2008.  Here’s the one up ‘by’ edson.financial.group- the creation date is clearly listed as March 20, 2008.

So of course I reported this to ebay, and in numerous ways.  From one I got an automatic response back saying I’d get a reply in 24-36hrs and to be patient, that sometimes it was even up to 72hrs before they could get back to me.  So I waited, patiently, but angrily.  72 hrs passed.  I contacted live help and was told to wait patiently and that my email was in line to be read.  More time passed. I contacted live help several more times, each time being told that this issue would be taken care of soon and they would put a note on my complaint to escalate the situation.

I sent in my complaint on 6/12! (Not counting the first time a couple days before this, b/c I never got the automatic response and I assume it didn’t go through.)  I felt like I was getting the run around.  How hard could it be to fix this?  So I got mad.  I started notifying the true Amazon.com authors individually- on the product reviews themselves, and through the ‘friend option’ which allows a short message.  It was time consuming as I had to hunt all of the reviews down and then ask to be friends as well– my hope being that this way they would definitely get my message.  This way ebay wouldn’t be getting complaints from just one person, but from 250 angry people!  I got through about 50 people and got quite a few responses who reported the problem to ebay as I had hoped. I plan to keep contacting people, although I recently posted about this in the customer reviews discussion forum hoping to spread the word even more.

*Some say that once you post on Amazon you have no control over your review and that Amazon gives them to other sites.  While it is true that Amazon does give it to others, (I have seen one of my reviews on an author’s personal site directly from Amazon), these sites still keep on the reviewer’s name- in my case K. Gilligan.  It was also mentioned that I should have put my name at the end of my review, a signature of sorts.  I noticed for example though, that Harriet Klausner (the number one reviewer over at Amazon.com) signs her reviews, but the review that Edson.financial.group posted was identical up to that point.  He/she simply cut off the signature.

A fellow reviewer contacted Amazon to see if they could do anything about this, and this was Amazon’s response: “Greetings from Amazon.com.  I apologize that your review for an item on Amazon.com was posted on another web site.  In this instance, please know that we did not give permission for this to happen.  Unfortunately however, we are not able to take any actions to have the review removed as the review you are referencing is on a different web site than ours or one of our sister sites.  I would ask that you contact this site, in this case e-Bay, to ask that the review be removed.  I hope this information is helpful.  Thanks for your interest in Amazon.com.”  Wow, thanks Amazon.

I’m simply astounded at the lack of action on ebay’s part.  I’ve never had to use ebay’s customer service but this is ridiculous! I’m now posting this on my blog, and will soon be posting this wherever I can think of.  I’d appreciate it if you’d also report this user (who by the way is a power seller and has a ‘top 100 reviewer badge’!).  All you have to say is that this reviewer is using unauthorized text that doesn’t belong to him/her. Or click the ‘report this review’ links at the bottom of ‘edson.financial.group’s reviews’. 

If you could link to this also, I’d really appreciate it.  I’m trying to spread the word.  You also might want to see if any of YOUR reviews are on ebay.com without your knowledge and being attributed to an ebay user.  (One amazon.com reviewer found another of his reviews under another ebay user’s name too!)

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