Regarding fake headphones/items

[whiskypickle]

Hi there,

I'm in a bit of a sticky situation with one of the recent purchases I made on Ebay and although I can guess what to do next I still wouldn't mind some advice. I'll start from the top.

About three weeks ago I found a pair of Monster Turbine Pro Gold headphones listed with a current bid at the time of about $20. The description listed them as new, never used but opened and specifically describes the item as "new Monster Turbine Pro Gold Headphones still in box and with original accessories"

After checking the sellers feedback (100+ feedback all positive) I thought it looked safe enough to bid on. Silly me didn't even consider the idea that there were fake headphones of this brand and model type out there, let alone that this listing could be one. I threw a bid on the night before it was due to end thinking that the price will skyrocket closer to the end time. I end up winning the auction for a fraction of the price these headphones are worth. Thinking I had scored a bargain, I pay with Paypal.

Two days later I start to second guess how lucky I've been and  do some research on the item. It turns out there are quite a few counterfeit Turbine Golds and other Monster headphones on Ebay all with tell-tale signs. On the third day after the auction ended I sent a message through Ebay to the Seller asking about the history of the item; where they bought it originally from, any reasons for selling, do they have a receipt etc. But I received no reply at all.

After over two weeks of waiting for either a reply or the item to arrive (The item was never listed as posted) they finally came in the mail to my surprise this morning. Looking over them it's safe to say they are indeed counterfeit. They match all the signs shown that this gallery shows when comparing the genuine set to fakes: http://www.head-fi.org/g/a/13083/monster-turbine-pro-copper-real-vs-fake/

Not to mention they sound nowhere near as good as they should if they were genuine.

Now I understand that I should have been wiser and asked these questions before I bidded. The advice I'm looking for here is what I can do at this point. Should I simply open up a case about these and request my money back, or should I email the seller first about them? Will I even be successful in getting my money back?