eBay, Selling, Buying and Issues.

[andrew6767]

Auke, if you payed via Paypal file a claim. I have had a similar case in the past where I have bought items that have turned out to be fake.

Firstly I asked the seller to refund my money. He simply ignored me. I filed a complaint with Paypal who investigated and then found in HIS favor. I was gobsmacked, especially considering his ad stated " genuine ".

I advised Paypal that I required the full name of the person responsible for their Australian operations as I wished to make a claim against Paypal in the Small Claims Tribunal in my state.

Paypal then advised they would refund me at their discretion


Sometimes its not the cost, its the principle. I once chased someone down who ripped me off on wages, only about $50. It took me 3 years to catch him, but when I did I fronted him in front of several hundred people at an organisation of which he had a position of responsibility.
By the time I had finished with him, he was literally run out of town jobless

The point I am making I suppose, is that people like this need to be named and shamed and action ( if possible ) taken against them. Otherwise they just keep doing it.

I dont collect a lot of Russian medals/awards anymore simply because of the vast amount of fakes and my inability to be able to spot them all.

[marcotk]

I have brought several items from this seller and have had them researched and all has came back without any issue, which for me is great. he often offers me documented groups and i use some one else to do a record check for me if I am unsure which answers any questions in regards to a docuemnted group. all the medals I have brought from him are all genuine which again is good for me. I think if he is not sure he tends to list his items in a way that you can make your own mind up as I dont think he tries to decieve people, but thats just my opinion. He has offered me at the moment a OGIII, and 2 red star group with full research, so I am looking at that as I have to date not had a bad experence with him

kiwi

Hi fellows

I think there are two main fakes' trends going on as of now:

1. Bunch of original orders with a fake Order Booklet that is disproved by research (too bad most of the times the research is not performed...)
   
2. An original group is looked up in the archives, a bunch of orders are *made* (one could say *customized*) to fit. The buyer who trusts the research never gets the orders looked up by an authenticator..who would clearly spots modified s/n or s/n and order variant mismatches... you can see how the story ends.
   

Thus, do trust the research, but also do have your orders checked..

[deValcourt]

I have a new philosophy: There are no bad orders or medals, only bad sellers. Unfortunately, the world is full of very bad sellers - and by "bad" I mean scoundrels with no morals, no ethics and sometimes no clue (as to what they are selling). I think the latter group is a very, very tiny percentage of the entire band of thieves.

Phillip

[Lapa]

Guys,

I suggest that you take a look at this rather strange looking bird if you still need to make up your mind about this seller

Marc

[Nota Bene]

I have no opinion abut this badge, but this seller already has quite a reputation among collectors.

Alexei

[Auke]

I'm amazed that he still is a "top-rated seller" with 100% positive feedback. I keep seeing strange documents in his groups - for example check items 260648016432 and 260647999616 that he now has up for auction.

[EricFG]

I've been wanting a screwpost base RS for some time now.
I check ebay often and compare prices of completed listings. I've found that spbRS's can be had for less than $200, with luck. So I found one a few days ago that looked good to me. I saved the images and posted them in the 'Fake?' section for some piece of mind. See http://soviet-awards.com/forum/soviet-mi...post196352 There's been a lot of discussion about it.
I also asked the dealer for some better images.

Hello. Would you please send me a few more images of this star? I'm concerned specifically about the state of the enamel which looks to be heavily scratched in the one ebay image. Please send the images to xxx.net Thanks!

His reply:

You are wright the enamel is scratched , but not as bad as it is shown on the picture . On scale from 0 to 10 it is 5 .

Not very helpful, no images, but OK. Then I check his completed listings. At first glance it looks like he sells some good stuff; groups and earlier awards. Then, I see he's sold the same RS three times in the last three months, including once to an ebay dealer in Russia who I've dealt with in the past. So I ask again for better images:

Thanks for responding. I've tried enhancing your image in Photoshop with mixed results; I still don't see a clear image of all parts. Either the central medallion is too bright or the lower two enamel arms are too dark to see any details. If I'm going to bid up to $200 on this I really must ask to see some better images, of the obverse especially.
And since we're talking I have another question to ask. Forgive me for being nosey but when buying items such as these one really should be thorough. I saw in your completed items you sold the same screwpost base Red Star (#176782) three times in the last three months. Can you explain that, please? I apologize for being perhaps impertinent but I feel that when buying from a new dealer I need to know as much as I can.
Thank you. Sincerely, Eric Gaumann

Reasonable request, right? Respectfully written? I thought so.
But I guess he did not think so:

I am not the dealer . I am selling huge collection of my friend father . Can not provide more images because I am on vacation . Please if for any reason you have any doubts , please do not bid . I am not looking for any kind of mental gymnastic .
regards

Mental gymnastic ??? :chuckle :laff
Third party seller?
On vacation?

See what a minefield ebay can be?
But, on the other hand I hooked up with two different sellers of unsold (and overpriced, IMO) items after I asked them for a better price. Both offered better deals; one I accepted and one I did not but both were very professional and friendly. No "Mental gymnastic" at all.

[CtahhR]

If you get a "clouded" response usually it is a "clouded" item.

You certainly know how to find them!

I wonder if this particular seller is now frustrated due to the fact that you've rumbled him?

The mental gymnastics provide ample sales of the same item?

I'm sure there are far more things to be said about many similar experiences.


Now being Devil's advocate.... Would you have purchased this "questionable" item had you not this forum resource?

[EricFG]

Now being Devil's advocate.... Would you have purchased this "questionable" item had you not this forum resource?

Nope. Being a born and bred Yankee we don't piss away good money on pipedreams like that. We put good, hard, cash on the barrel-head for the real deal and the real thing only. And woe to they who do not offer the real thang. I am thankful for this forum though so carpetbaggers such as this may be seen for what they may, indeed, truely be; either just grumpy or actually nefarious.



:p

[CtahhR]

As a Yorkshireman who has rarely been below the Mason-Dixon line, Me thinks I understand what you be meaning.

In the current market making fakes may not be as lucrative as it was a little bit back but we also have to be concerned about the oceans of fakes that were produced when it was the time to make such items.

That being said I am always prepared to pick up as many Red Stars for the right price as possible and stick them in the frame. It's still not full yet!

As I repeatedly say; if as a purchaser of an item you are niggled by it, it isn't really worth buying in the first place, no matter how little outlay.