FRAUD Alert!

[Auke]

The HSU group was discussed here:

http://soviet-awards.com/forum/soviet-mi...ornyj.html

[CtahhR]

I once ordered 96 Medals "In Memory Of The 850th Anniversary Of Moscow" and had all but 2 of them confiscated by RF customs. I got all my money back and the 2 Medals... Can't complain too much.

It also looks like the US authorities have "confiscated" a DPRK item I posted to another forum member and I am currently having communications with customs and postal authorities to rectify the seizing of another DPRK item. It is unknown by all parties why it was rejected by British customs, even British customs.

It happens from time to time, the more transactions you have the more chance something goes wrong.

[Jeffrey Meffert]

I've had a bigger problem selling to a russian or baltic buyer and having the item disappear. Lost? Confiscated? Shady buyer? No way to tell

[Pobeda45]

I looked at stuff from that seller. Some fakes for sure, probably all the high value items are counterfeit.

I buy stuff from overseas...very carefully, have a couple of sellers I trust.
Overall, PayPal has you protected and you can get a refund if there's no tracking info for your item. Problem is, like Henry said, there's a chance that the seller sends you a fake or even an empty package.

My rules of engagement are:
- Deal with sellers I trust
- Always use PayPal unless it's a deal between friends
- Don't make uneducated purchases without consulting forums, catalogs, etc
- If something doesn't look "right" at the slightest, it is likely fake

There are a couple of specific clues I look for in order books etc--but I don't want to give it all away since the fakers undoubtedly read forums like these for furthering their "trade."

George

[Henry Sakaida]

Thank you guys! I only buy from trusted dealers. One told me that he does his due diligence so that he is not stuck with them. He says he does great business because collectors and buyers trust him. He depends upon repeat customers and his great reputation. So that is why I don't buy on epay...I don't know the seller and want to avoid problems.

HENRY

[andrew6767]

I was sold some fake campaign medals on ebay a few years ago. Paypal werent very helpful until I told them I was going to make a claim against them via small claims (its very cheap to do so here). They then decided to refund me

Australia is very big on "pro consumer".

[Lapa]

The same guy sold this; 280892700951

Check the images, they're pretty good. But so are the fakes nowadays.
Difficult to draw any conclusion at all!

Actually, this Nevski is original, except for the suspension. It was once converted from suspension to screwback, the ring taken away, then re-converted back to its original shape, probably not very long ago.

Marc

[CtahhR]

Now prices are falling sharply and most items are selling very cheaply it is once again time to be weary of postage costs.

You might find some items that used to sell for $20-$30 for example, that now sell for $5-8 listed for $0,01-$1. Don't be too hasty because what you may be missing is the $10, $20, $30 and even $50 cost on postage - This is how some very unscrupulous sellers are trying to keep turning a profit.

It has got to the point that a great deal of items are not worth the postage alone (even when normally priced) and have to be bought in lots so getting ripped off by someone wanting extortionate postage is the last thing we need.

Be alert!


That being said, this has all been done before.

[Henry Sakaida]

I know times are bad in Ukraine...all of a sudden, I see a lot of high end stuff being offered by Ukrainian sellers. In particular, I see a supposed "Goldhead" Lenin #1524 on this auction site. As of now, 25 bidders and up to $2900.

The seller claims it is a Type 2. I'm just starting to research the Lenins, and there is something screwy with this one. Why lots of black patina? Does gold attract black patina? I just can't put my finger on this one, but it just doesn't seem "right." Could it actually be a "Silverhead?"

The seller used a shill (bidder with 0 history) at least 8 times to bump up the price from the starting price of $1.00 to $390.00.

The main question you have to ask yourself is: What if the registered packet from Ukraine contains junk? You claim fraud, but you've already paid the seller, and he claims he sent you the Goldhead. Are people really that naive to take a chance like that?????

That Goldhead Lenin was a fake and it went for $4,400!
What an expensive lesson!

[CtahhR]

This sort of tale is not a new concept. The old bait and switch or "you know what you were buying" type deals are exploited in many ways. Fortunately paypal (and if you're paying for these with an unsecure method you are playing Russian Roulette with a loaded chamber) has become more than used to these sort of scams and is considerably easier to deal with than many years ago.

I have experienced incorrect tracking numbers, packages filled with nothing but weight and many more rip offs. Always refunded by paypal.

I certainly wouldn't be attempting to obtain a screwback Lenin that might be iffy this way though!