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How valuable is eBay feedback for autographs?

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on December 30, 2023 at 9:08am

"Why would anyone pay £400-£500 for a signature that they have not had authenticated?"

"Twice recently, I was looking to buy 2 signatures, one of Walt Disney, that was in an auction in Germany and once in England at an auction, I purchased the Bela Lugosi.

I contacted Phil Sears at a cost to me of between £20-£30 and he told me it was signed by one of Walt's associates...the name escapes me.

The 2nd time ....I purchased the Bela Lugosi and when it arrived, I contacted an authentication website again at a cost to me and they said it was a fake . I sent it back and I received a refund.

It was down to me, the buyer to find out if these items were fake or not....not the seller.

I would not buy any single item myself from Ebay that is going to cost me more than a £100 without checking it out first." = Martin Slack

Interesting.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on December 30, 2023 at 5:52am

If someone wishes to share their feelings about Steve Grad and Beckett, or any other content completely unrelated to this topic, please start your own thread and do it there.

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Permalink Reply by Martin Slack on December 30, 2023 at 6:23am

Sadly Steve,

there is a saying....people who live in glass houses should not throw stones.

You started the debate by stating that buyers should not trust ebay feedback and that it is totally and completely worthless junk.

You run an authentication service and there is proof that some authentication services that have been named and shamed are not fit for purpose so...although you may feel they are unrelated to this topic, they actually are.

If you make a video and advise buyers about Ebay feedback, you should be warning them about

other authentication services as well.

Not just pick on poor old Ebay !!

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on December 30, 2023 at 6:47am

Martin. I don’t didn’t ask for or desire your editorial direction. I’ll make videos about what I want to make videos about. You’re free to make videos on whatever topic you’d like. You’ve made your point… Move along.

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Permalink Reply by Rich on December 30, 2023 at 7:12am

Ebay isn’t an authentication service, so I’m not getting what this comparison is either.

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Permalink Reply by Yony Mark on December 30, 2023 at 9:00am

Butthurt eBay seller is butthurt, nothing more and nothing less.

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Permalink Reply by Yony Mark on December 30, 2023 at 9:17am

By the way, Steve, if we're already talking about eBay sellers...

This year I had an online fight with an eBay seller who's selling forgeries and has had 100% positive feedback. He threatened that I'll be in trouble, etc. etc. I want to warn other members on the forum. Where can I do so?

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on December 31, 2023 at 9:54am

If you’d like to warn another members about a bad eBay seller and your experience, please feel free to start a new topic and include the eBay seller’s name and your story.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on December 30, 2023 at 9:27am

Errant arguments and attacks aside, this is what I see:

"You are welcome to look at my shop of over 10,000 listings anytime you want."

"My shop name is ....mondeoboxerblue"

"I have 10.000 listings and you are welcome to look through them and.....please buy some."

"mondeoboxerblue" - Martin Slack

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Permalink Reply by terrier8HOF on December 30, 2023 at 12:05pm

I saw the same thing, a free ad for his ebay store.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on December 30, 2023 at 9:29am

eBay seller feedback is a gauge of their apparent customer service. Did they send it quickly and package it correctly? Is it the item in the listing? Was it in the condition it was in the listing? Did they respond promptly to communications from buyers? Did they handle concerns quickly and to the buyer's satisfaction?

eBay feedback is not usable as a gauge of the authenticity of a seller's autographs. Why?

The vast majority of people who end up buying forgeries on eBay don't even develop concerns until after their eBay, PayPal or credit card buyer protection expires. That's generally 6 months in the US. You only have 60 days in most cases to give feedback.
There are eBay sellers well-known for selling forgeries that have had the same eBay account for years. Autograph sellers with established eBay accounts typically handle customer authenticity concerns within those 60 days in a way that the buyer is satisfied, or at least doesn't want to leave negative feedback.
Most eBay accounts where feedback is a reliable indication that the seller is selling forgeries are short-term accounts. When feedback gets bad they open a new one and start again.