Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by BC on January 29, 2024 at 5:39pm

Here is just one example, the autograph doesn't look good, and it has both a sticker and a card

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on January 30, 2024 at 5:44am

I agree this is suspect. Can you share a link? Are the QR codes big enough to scan? 

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Permalink Reply by BC on January 30, 2024 at 9:03am

Here's the Federer

https://www.ebay.com/itm/235388894094?hash=item36ce457b8e:g:N2oAAOS...

A Randy Quaid that also is very suspect

https://www.ebay.com/itm/235404681755?hash=item36cf36621b:g:1~MAAOS...

The Seller has a ton of photos, all Beckett authenticated with sticker and cards for each one.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on January 30, 2024 at 5:43am

I believe you are correct. Items with the QR code hologram would not have a card COA. 

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on January 30, 2024 at 1:57pm

I believe this is a scam seller, but I'm not clear on how it is being done. The QR codes do go back to the Beckett website and match the description of the item in question. I can see a scam seller getting fake cards and/or holograms printed (all the same), but for each one to have a working QR code seems quite elaborate for your average eBay scammer. 

Here is their negative feedback, by the way.

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Permalink Reply by BC on January 30, 2024 at 2:43pm

I dunno, but there is no way that Federer autograph passed Beckett. Something is up here.

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Permalink Reply by Findbooks on January 30, 2024 at 11:33pm

"First of all, we are a sales studio..."

Well that clears that up, then!

As these cards/stickers are no longer being used, could someone have discovered a stash of unused ones and somehow linked them - a hacker, e.g.? It does seem sophisticated for ebay but what are the alternatives?

The website is down for maintenance, apparently.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on January 31, 2024 at 8:45am

They could simply data mine the Beckett COA database and create fake cards and stickers to match the number of a real item Beckett authenticated. The Beckett database doesn't show the actual item, so there is no way to verify that.

But like I mentioned, creating individually numbered custom fake cards and holograms for $50 - $100 items seems like a tremendous amount of work for relatively low payoff.

Maybe with bots it's less work than I think. Strange...  

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Permalink Reply by BC on February 1, 2024 at 6:45pm

Here is another I just randomly spotted. A clearly fake Gene Wilder with Beckett sticker and card, from China.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/235383583914?hash=item36cdf474aa:g:JlgAAOS...

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Permalink Reply by BC on February 9, 2024 at 1:22pm

The person that bought the fake Chinese Beckett Roger Federer autograph is now trying to flip it for a $170 profit. Ebay seller Paradigm Pop Culture Collectibles

https://www.ebay.com/itm/386759248997?hash=item5a0ca5cc65:g:YB4AAOS...

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