"Has to be a joke......"
Same seller also has this listing:
The seller has 227 transactions with 100% rating... I just bid about 10 times... I bid it up to $78 dollars and was still out bid... WHAT A JOKE.... I wonder what the high bid is right now?
Ha ha ho ha ho ho ha ha ha!
Tad
Ernie, your $78.00 bid is the high bid. Looks like the higher bid was retracted.
I reported the two C3a lots. The message I got when reporting them was that the items were being sold on the account without the owner's permission. Could be a hacked account.
I looked at the last three feedbacks left for the seller. All three of the items had been removed.
It's up to $510.00 now... Bidders have 5 and 2 feedbacks, respectively.
Ernie, I was thinking the same as Michael regarding the higher bid being retracted. BOB
If the "seller" hijacked the ebay account, he certainly has the capability to get around ebay's anti-shilling safeguards. I do not doubt that the bidding is being manipulated somehow.
What's the worst thing that can happen if someone put a huge bid on this item just to win it, then didn't pay? It takes scam items like this off the market, and prevents the seller from benefiting. The only consequence I see is that the "buyer" will be dinged by eBay and possibly suspended, but so what if they set up a "dummy" new ID to purchase it.
I'm not advocating anyone DO this of course, and I'm not about to try it. Just wondering "out loud" as it were.
Peter
Well hey, that's my moment of philatelic greatness. I was high bidder on an upside-down Jenny! I was going to get Guthrum to cruise on down through the Chunnel to pick it up for me.
Really and truly, I'm asking myself what in the world would anyone have to gain by such an obviously fraudulent eBay offering. Let's be honest, is there really ANYONE on the face of this planet that would send, wire or transfer funds for this auction listing???
Â
-Ernie
... another reason I no longer bid on eBay.
David
Peter, eBay will be able to ID dummy accounts that are made through the same IP Address, and all accounts for that IP Address will be suspended. You would have to use a library or free WIFI area (if those aren't already blocked by eBay) to create the dummy account.
You are right, however, that eBay will suspend a buyer's account if the buyer doesn't pay. EBay told me several months ago that a buyer must pay for items won/purchased regardless. The buyer, after paying can file a complaint against the seller after receiving an item "not as described" or non-receipt of the item.
The buyer will get the money back, but the thief seller probably has already run off with the money, closed all accounts listed in the seller's profile, and eBay won't be able to get it back from the thief. So, it doesn't hurt the thief any.
Well, Bernolsheim turns out to be a tiny hamlet in Alsace with a population at the last census of 609. Its coat-of-arms is a two-fingered salute by a gauntleted hand (sadly the fingers aren't parted - that would have been too good to be true!) Alas, Guthrum regrets he is unable to cruise on down through the Chunnel, as he is too busy attempting to use Microsoft Paint to fashion an inverted Jenny of his own. (Sadly he has no Jenny to start with, but that is scant deterrent these days.)
I sent a notice to both certification services whose certs. are being used since eBay has no interest in these matters.
Both wrote back essentially saying ".. too bad for the bidders"
The "seller" is also offering some very valuable confederate currency with certificates and PCGS was very upset, interested & thankful.
So I guess it's OK to offer my Jenny for sale with any certificate you need.
To dispense with low start bids - opening bid is $500
I have a question...
I've never had a stamp certified and have never even seen the certification papers, etc except on eBay.
What is the process? And what do you wind up with? Is the stamp photographed on the papers and returned loose, or do you get it back encased like a certified baseball card?
Back when I was younger, I had no worries about fakes and fraud, since I lived in an ideal world... never mind that I didn't have any stamps worth faking.
But today with my eyes open a bit wider, I may want an expert opinion on some of my Franklins... booklet panes, private perforations and such.
This is a fee schedule from PSE
You can choose grading & encapsulation as extras
By the time your done with insurance, freight both ways & certification, probably $50-$100
APS members can get a lower rate from APEX
Generally if the stamp is deemed a fake, there is still a minimum fee.
They aren't perfect. I have seen some certified as reprints or remainders that were actually good forgeries.
Maybe as a start getting a $5 opinion from B.Weiss would be better.
Edited based on Anglophile comment:
There are stories of stamps coming back damaged. So an excellent scan front & back is more than just for loss.
Thank you for the information. I see PSE calls out private perforations, and that's pretty much what my expensive items are. I wasn't worried at first, but folks here pointed out that some forgers forged cheap stuff just for fun or practice. The stuff I value most would have been cheap stuff back in the day!
"There are expertizers, and then there are expertizers."
I was almost surprised to read that both certification services whose services were falsely claimed would not be looking into the counterfeit? usage of their certificates.
One would think that they would aggressively go after anyone that falsely used their certificates otherwise all of their certificates are called into question.
(Shakes head, returns to regular broadcasting...)
Bruce
I questioned one of them on the reply and was told that in their opinion eBay does not care.
They also mentioned this is not an isolated case.
I do not necessarily accept this.
eBay will not act on you or I stating they are fakes (tried it before) as we are not "qualified"
However if a recognized certification body was to complain & demand the removal, I believe they would act.
I am not sure which party actually does not care.
"However if a recognized certification body was to complain & demand the removal, I believe they would act."
I guess it's a conspiracy. They are all in it. Maybe I will just go and bid a million dollars just to stop some poor sod from being conned. then the process will start all over again and I will get banned from ebay for not paying for the item !!
The 'Internet police' have also been informed and have done nothing !! this is all over the Internet, including facebook, and nothing can be done to stop the sale. Amazing.
Off to rob a bank.
Londonbus1
I see that one lot has been ended, won by the shill bidder !!
There is indeed something odd with that "seller." If you search completed auctions, any from France that look similar lead to dead links. The one exception is probably the auction mentioned by Londonbus1, that said, "This listing was ended by the seller because the item was sold.' (Is that a shill sale?)
Then there is this completed auction:
Dead link as well.
Finally there is another "active" auction, this one with more than 6 days left and already 12 bids. Five of the bids I assume are from the shill, but not the current high bid of $15,000.
If anyone really had stamps of that quality, would they really sell them on eBay with a cheaply worded listing? And a listing that even describes the seller's actions as "money laundering"?
Yes money laundering:
"I no longer accept paypal because in France a matter of money laundering in your account is limited as an individual, and I reach that limit."
I suppose that someone who has come into possession of a large amount of folding cash from a nefarious source, could offer a bogus item for sale and using a shill bidder create an apparent legitimate payment to "Legitimize" the funds. At least it should pass a cursory investigation.
An interesting premise.
re: Has to be a joke......
"Has to be a joke......"
re: Has to be a joke......
Same seller also has this listing:
re: Has to be a joke......
The seller has 227 transactions with 100% rating... I just bid about 10 times... I bid it up to $78 dollars and was still out bid... WHAT A JOKE.... I wonder what the high bid is right now?
re: Has to be a joke......
Ha ha ho ha ho ho ha ha ha!
Tad
re: Has to be a joke......
Ernie, your $78.00 bid is the high bid. Looks like the higher bid was retracted.
re: Has to be a joke......
I reported the two C3a lots. The message I got when reporting them was that the items were being sold on the account without the owner's permission. Could be a hacked account.
I looked at the last three feedbacks left for the seller. All three of the items had been removed.
re: Has to be a joke......
It's up to $510.00 now... Bidders have 5 and 2 feedbacks, respectively.
Ernie, I was thinking the same as Michael regarding the higher bid being retracted. BOB
re: Has to be a joke......
If the "seller" hijacked the ebay account, he certainly has the capability to get around ebay's anti-shilling safeguards. I do not doubt that the bidding is being manipulated somehow.
re: Has to be a joke......
What's the worst thing that can happen if someone put a huge bid on this item just to win it, then didn't pay? It takes scam items like this off the market, and prevents the seller from benefiting. The only consequence I see is that the "buyer" will be dinged by eBay and possibly suspended, but so what if they set up a "dummy" new ID to purchase it.
I'm not advocating anyone DO this of course, and I'm not about to try it. Just wondering "out loud" as it were.
Peter
re: Has to be a joke......
Well hey, that's my moment of philatelic greatness. I was high bidder on an upside-down Jenny! I was going to get Guthrum to cruise on down through the Chunnel to pick it up for me.
Really and truly, I'm asking myself what in the world would anyone have to gain by such an obviously fraudulent eBay offering. Let's be honest, is there really ANYONE on the face of this planet that would send, wire or transfer funds for this auction listing???
Â
-Ernie
re: Has to be a joke......
... another reason I no longer bid on eBay.
David
re: Has to be a joke......
Peter, eBay will be able to ID dummy accounts that are made through the same IP Address, and all accounts for that IP Address will be suspended. You would have to use a library or free WIFI area (if those aren't already blocked by eBay) to create the dummy account.
You are right, however, that eBay will suspend a buyer's account if the buyer doesn't pay. EBay told me several months ago that a buyer must pay for items won/purchased regardless. The buyer, after paying can file a complaint against the seller after receiving an item "not as described" or non-receipt of the item.
The buyer will get the money back, but the thief seller probably has already run off with the money, closed all accounts listed in the seller's profile, and eBay won't be able to get it back from the thief. So, it doesn't hurt the thief any.
re: Has to be a joke......
Well, Bernolsheim turns out to be a tiny hamlet in Alsace with a population at the last census of 609. Its coat-of-arms is a two-fingered salute by a gauntleted hand (sadly the fingers aren't parted - that would have been too good to be true!) Alas, Guthrum regrets he is unable to cruise on down through the Chunnel, as he is too busy attempting to use Microsoft Paint to fashion an inverted Jenny of his own. (Sadly he has no Jenny to start with, but that is scant deterrent these days.)
re: Has to be a joke......
I sent a notice to both certification services whose certs. are being used since eBay has no interest in these matters.
Both wrote back essentially saying ".. too bad for the bidders"
The "seller" is also offering some very valuable confederate currency with certificates and PCGS was very upset, interested & thankful.
So I guess it's OK to offer my Jenny for sale with any certificate you need.
To dispense with low start bids - opening bid is $500
re: Has to be a joke......
I have a question...
I've never had a stamp certified and have never even seen the certification papers, etc except on eBay.
What is the process? And what do you wind up with? Is the stamp photographed on the papers and returned loose, or do you get it back encased like a certified baseball card?
Back when I was younger, I had no worries about fakes and fraud, since I lived in an ideal world... never mind that I didn't have any stamps worth faking.
But today with my eyes open a bit wider, I may want an expert opinion on some of my Franklins... booklet panes, private perforations and such.
re: Has to be a joke......
This is a fee schedule from PSE
You can choose grading & encapsulation as extras
By the time your done with insurance, freight both ways & certification, probably $50-$100
APS members can get a lower rate from APEX
Generally if the stamp is deemed a fake, there is still a minimum fee.
They aren't perfect. I have seen some certified as reprints or remainders that were actually good forgeries.
Maybe as a start getting a $5 opinion from B.Weiss would be better.
Edited based on Anglophile comment:
There are stories of stamps coming back damaged. So an excellent scan front & back is more than just for loss.
re: Has to be a joke......
Thank you for the information. I see PSE calls out private perforations, and that's pretty much what my expensive items are. I wasn't worried at first, but folks here pointed out that some forgers forged cheap stuff just for fun or practice. The stuff I value most would have been cheap stuff back in the day!
"There are expertizers, and then there are expertizers."
re: Has to be a joke......
I was almost surprised to read that both certification services whose services were falsely claimed would not be looking into the counterfeit? usage of their certificates.
One would think that they would aggressively go after anyone that falsely used their certificates otherwise all of their certificates are called into question.
(Shakes head, returns to regular broadcasting...)
Bruce
re: Has to be a joke......
I questioned one of them on the reply and was told that in their opinion eBay does not care.
They also mentioned this is not an isolated case.
I do not necessarily accept this.
eBay will not act on you or I stating they are fakes (tried it before) as we are not "qualified"
However if a recognized certification body was to complain & demand the removal, I believe they would act.
I am not sure which party actually does not care.
re: Has to be a joke......
"However if a recognized certification body was to complain & demand the removal, I believe they would act."
re: Has to be a joke......
I guess it's a conspiracy. They are all in it. Maybe I will just go and bid a million dollars just to stop some poor sod from being conned. then the process will start all over again and I will get banned from ebay for not paying for the item !!
The 'Internet police' have also been informed and have done nothing !! this is all over the Internet, including facebook, and nothing can be done to stop the sale. Amazing.
Off to rob a bank.
Londonbus1
re: Has to be a joke......
I see that one lot has been ended, won by the shill bidder !!
re: Has to be a joke......
There is indeed something odd with that "seller." If you search completed auctions, any from France that look similar lead to dead links. The one exception is probably the auction mentioned by Londonbus1, that said, "This listing was ended by the seller because the item was sold.' (Is that a shill sale?)
Then there is this completed auction:
Dead link as well.
Finally there is another "active" auction, this one with more than 6 days left and already 12 bids. Five of the bids I assume are from the shill, but not the current high bid of $15,000.
If anyone really had stamps of that quality, would they really sell them on eBay with a cheaply worded listing? And a listing that even describes the seller's actions as "money laundering"?
Yes money laundering:
"I no longer accept paypal because in France a matter of money laundering in your account is limited as an individual, and I reach that limit."
re: Has to be a joke......
I suppose that someone who has come into possession of a large amount of folding cash from a nefarious source, could offer a bogus item for sale and using a shill bidder create an apparent legitimate payment to "Legitimize" the funds. At least it should pass a cursory investigation.