eBay bewares

[NW Mailing List]

Ebay has a special "beware" notification on certain collectibles that shows up while?placing the?bid. I found that when bidding on posters or art?prints showing what the seller claims is the artist's original signature. The notification warns the bidder that ebay?doesn't verify authenticity and that?the bidder assumes the risk. But I figure it shows up only on mcdse. where values can get high.?RR collectibles are too much of a niche for?ebay to understand let alone post warnings.?



I, too, have found that most sellers appreciate corrections. Only a small percentage seem to write deliberately vague, deceptive descriptions. I have just as often found authentic things vaguely or erroneously described and thus selling at a low price - I don't correct them.


Ted Goodman

-----Original Message-----
From: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
To: NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org>
Sent: Tue, Sep 1, 2009 7:36 am
Subject: Re: eBay bewares



Good luck on getting a fake or questionable item removed or even action from ebay. I also subscribe to a railroadiana list and one topic over the last 3-4 years has been a huge discussion of fakes and attempts to report items to ebay. Ebay is in business to make money, they make money from sellers, not necessarily the buyers (short of paypal). Ebay does not care about fake railroad stuff, it is way to small a market. Now if someone is selling fake Rolex watches (which is common), Ebay will pay attention to that, because Rolex (and other companies have threatened to sue ebay for trademark infringement.?
?
There was a huge batch of back painted glass ticket signs a few years ago, and the story that always accompanied them was "found in an old station (depot) by my (insert relative here) when it was being torn down. The glass signs were for almost every road imaginable, including the N&W and VGN. The Virginian glass sign went for well over $200, but it simply is a fake. You can read about some of the fakes on this website?
?
http://www.railroadiana.org/fakes/pgFakes.php?
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Accordingly, there is also been fakes surfacing of N&W heart shaped locks in recent years.?
?
The discussions on the railroadiana mailing list (which has been fairly quiet of late) were on the various reports of signs, and other fakes, how ebay did nothing about them, and the ongoing griping of why they won't listen. It is simple, ebay does not care about a niche group of collectors.?
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Emailing a seller is questionable, over half the time my emails were dismissed with basically "don't bid if you don't like it" attitude or "I simply don't care" as long as it sells. The seller is generally in it to make some money, and telling him or her that those yellow bird plates (for example) are not truly N&W railroad items limits their saleability. In addition, once an auction is bid on, the seller cannot change the description. Upon occasion, sellers have been grateful for the information, but I've found that to be rare.?
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One of the common mistakes (i.e. misidentified) items is the supposed "N&W" silverware which is actually "S&W" for the S&W cafeteria chain which once operated in Virginia and Tennessee. The way the letters are styled, it could appear to be an "N" not an "S", but close examination (and experience) will show you. I've seen these listed and sold for years.?
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There have been a wide variety of N&W builder's plates listed over the past few years, most fakes, some going for outrageous amounts of money (for fakes) but even with reports to ebay went unanswered, or the response is "we cannot be experts, ebay is just facilitating the sale"?
?
Best?
Ken Miller?
?
On Sep 1, 2009, at 12:15 AM, NW Mailing List wrote:?
?

> Every auction has a report item button on it. On right side under > "other item info"?

> Tom Cosgrove?

>?

> NW Mailing List wrote:?

>> Is there a way to notify eBay that an advertised item is not what >> it is made out to be or a way to warn bidders to beware??

>> Jimmy Lisle?

>> ------------------------------------------------------------------------?

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