Is listing an Ltd as an ESP or a Squire as a Fender deliberately misleading?

[darkandrew]

Is it just me or is it more than just a little misleading to list a Ltd bass as being an ESP?

[url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ESP-5-string-Bass-/170674776958?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item27bd026b7e"]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ESP-5-string-Bas...=item27bd026b7e[/url]

Surely this is the same as listing a Squire as a Fender, an Epiphone as a Gibson or even a Skoda as a Bugatti? This seems to happen all the time, I wonder if it's just people naively believing they have a £1000+ instrument or whether it's a case of trying to upsell and possibly even mislead? It's not helped when manufacturers blur the distinctions either, most Ltd guitars and basses also feature the ESP name on the trussrod cover, likewise some Epiphones come with "Gibson" on the trussrod cover and as for Warwick and their Rockbass line!!! Sorry rant over ...

Edited July 31, 2011 by darkandrew

[deaver]

I've got be honest I wouldn't have known the difference. When I traded mine on here I only listed it as an ESP LTD for completeness, I had no idea it was a licensed version of a more expensive model. However in the case of Squier/Fender, Epiphone/Gibson I'm in complete agreement with you.

[neepheid]

It's annoying from the point of view that when I search for Gibson basses I usually get half a tonne of Epiphone stuff thrown in that I have to pick through. Unlike the above example I find that most of the time people mention both brands and just try and cash in on the loose family tie to the more expensive brand. About as pointless as wasting 4 characters of your auction title on "L@@K", but hey ho.