PORTAPACK + METAL CASE + BATT+ HACKRF ONE ***FRAUD**** - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / general

author: DenCraw
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2020, 12:07:32 pm
content: I can't believe what it is happening to me with Aliexpress!I ask for the Portapck H2 with metal case, a HackRF one, battery, antenna and cable (nuts and bolts).After waiting 70 days an 161gr carton box arrived home with only the Portapack (71gr) and the Battery(24gr).I made a dispute and the seller refuse to reimburse the cost of the missing parts.So he ask me to weight the box arrived showing me a photographs of all the components over a scale that weigh 171gr.I need someone that have the same equipment to weigh the parts as in the photo and send me the real weight in a same type of photograph.The delivery says clearly 171gr as a proof presented by the seller, but he forgot to weigh also the protective foam, the bubble wrapping and the box that arrive to 161gr without metal case, hackrf one and antenna.I can't believe the fraud that they are doing.So please, if anyone can check the weight, i'll appreciate a lotTo Ali express I have ask for a non edited video weighing all the parts including the package,... as i did.Seller:HQXRTEK HIFI Store. take care.

author: Bicurico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2020, 01:32:59 pm
content: I avoid buying at AliExpress for this reason alone: you buy, you pay and then it takes weeks or months for the seller to actually ship the item! And no, I am not referring to how long the shipping takes. I really mean that the item is not sent out for a very long time and once it is shipped it will take another few weeks to arrive.You need to pay special attention to the field that mentions how long it takes for the item to be shipped. I think the sellers wait until they have enough orders and only then they buy the products in bulk.Therefor I started to only order from AliExpress or Banggood.The only good thing about AliExpress is that I have been always correctly refunded when something went wrong. Just open a dispute and it should be OK, I guess.Good luck!Regards,VitorPS: I do have a HackRF with Portapack (without battery), which was ordered from AliExpress. Unfortunately I don't have any way to measure the weight.

author: DenCraw
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2020, 03:12:53 pm
content: Is your portapack the version H2, black with 5 buttons and one rotary encoder?...

author: Bassman59
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2020, 09:50:55 pm
content: Quote from: DenCraw on July 23, 2020, 12:07:32 pmIt's AliExpress. Fraud is to be expected.

author: theGermanGuy
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 23, 2020, 10:42:25 pm
content: Please magnify the seven-segment display part of the given photos... and see that the second photo has been manipulated:The original seven-segment reading has been blurred and overlayed bythe fake 0.170 reading. The lower part of the numer has been cut offGood luck from GermanyEdit: Seems like the first photo has also been manipulated in the upperregion of the seven-segment display.

author: DenCraw
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2020, 08:08:15 am
content: This is the scam.1.-You pay for the whole kit.2.-They "zeroed" the scale with the parts they don't want to send.3.- They put all the rest of the components in order to fit the weight declared on the delivery note.4.- they take a picture to present that as a proof.Is very easy to debunk.I have ask 14 providers of the same kit how much its weights, apart from look for the weight of each component.lets see how it goes.portapack board= 70gr.battery= 24 grhackrf~= 55grmetal case= 130grUSB CABLE= 23grantgenna= 10grPackaging~ 60grTOTAL = 372gr way more than 171gr claimed and declared by the seller!!!Again if someone has the portapack h2, the black one with 5 buttons and rotary encoder, with case and battery and hackrf 1, please take a picture of the kit on a scale and send it to me..many thanks!!!.

author: BravoV
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2020, 08:14:12 am
content: Hint : Do not sort by cheapest value when shopping.

author: Bicurico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2020, 10:57:42 am
content: Hi,I really feel your pain, so I thought how I could help you...Well, I finally had an idea on how to determine the weight: don't laugh, but I used my wife's Vorwerk Thermomix (called Bimby in Portugal).My HackRF One (chinese clone) with Portapack (chinese clone) in aluminum case and without an internal battery (except the CR2032 for the Portapack) has on its own a weight of 290g.The 170g can hardly be correct, unless the case is much leighter than mine.Hope this helps.By the way, I uploaded your picture tohttps://29a.ch/photo-forensics/#forensic-magnifierin order to check if the image was indeed manipulated.I got no conclusion or evidence of manipulation.Then I used Paint and changed the digits myself. Analyzing this file did not reveal anything, either!So my conclusions are:1) My case probably weights more than yours2) Measuring the weight of the parts as proof is completely meaningless3) Pictures can be edited and it will be next to impossible to detect the fraud4) The weight could have been manipulated on the scale in the first placeI would make a very firm complaint at AliExpress, explaining them that you are victim of fraud. Take pictures of the box that was shipped and of all the contents.Tell AliExpress that the pictures of the scale are meaningless, because they don't show the weight of the final package: the seller could well have removed the HackRF PCB after taking those pictures!On the other hand, be prepared to hear the opposite: that you could have removed the HackRF PCB in order to get a second free one. This is a shit situation. Best is always to actually videotape the unboxing.Regards,Vitor

author: DenCraw
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2020, 11:19:16 am
content: Aliexpress gave me the reason.I asked them to make a continuous video, with the scale at zero,weighing each of the components separately.The seller preferred to refund my money. End of Story.Be aware when the price is low and there are a lot of different components.

author: Bicurico
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2020, 11:28:17 am
content: As I said in the beginning: AliExpress is very customer-oriented. All my issues have so far been decided in my favour.But, even so, it is a huge annoyance to have to deal with very long delivery times, problems, etc.In my opinion, it is much better to deal with better platforms like Gearbest, Banggood or eBay.Regards,VitorPS: The HackRF with Portapack is a really nice device!

author: theGermanGuy
author_rank: Newbie
timestamp: July 24, 2020, 12:07:53 pm
content: See the magnified image.

author: ebastler
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 26, 2020, 08:58:40 am
content: Quote from: theGermanGuy on July 24, 2020, 12:07:53 pmI don't think that is conclusive; you are well within the limits of pixelation there. And why would the seller bother with even 30 seconds of Photoshop work, when within 1 second he can zero the scale (after having it loaded with half the parts)?But the OP has already made the right argument to AliExpress, and they have accepted it: A still photo of a scale does not prove anything, since there are various ways to tamper with it.