Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Ryan on January 19, 2013 at 2:13am

Hi James, How do you know kermof009 is selling fakes?  I just purchased an Oregon helmet from them and am getting a little worried now :(  Needless to say I am a newbie.  I also bought something from jones9201dd on ebay.  Do you think that seller is shady as well?  Thanks for any help you can provide!!

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Permalink Reply by Ryan on January 19, 2013 at 2:15am

These were the auction numbers:  190780525713 and 271132382320 among other things I bought

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Permalink Reply by James McKnight on January 19, 2013 at 5:50am

Hey Ryan welcome to the website. So I have been following these sellers for about 3 months documenting their sells and comparing their items to PSA and JSA certified items and I have come to the conclusion that both sellers are dealing fakes.  If you view these sellers completed listings you will notice the variety and quantity of the team signed items each of these sellers are selling, click these links to see what I am talking about: Link 1, Link 2. It seems eBay does not police NCAA autographs as much as they do Professional Sports autographs so criminals like these two can deal fakes year round and make a killing off buyers like yourself.  I would suggest you send the items into PSA or JSA to be reviewed as both of the items you purchased are coming with a homemade COA, not a COA from a recognized company. Beware Ryan the majority of items on eBay that have a homemade COA are more than likely fake. Sorry to ruin your day. It's big business on eBay, creating a COA is easy, and these criminals obviously need to practice the autographs they are signing more because they are way off LOL. 

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Permalink Reply by Ryan on January 19, 2013 at 1:32pm

Hi James,

Oh man, that is a bummer!  kermof009 said he's part of a website called 385sports which kinda sorta made me think he was a little more legit than the others.  Of course the site is very rudimentary and simple.  He did however have alot of pics of players signing so it led me to believe maybe he was one of the few good ones. 

I see what you mean about the Notre Dame seller dealing in bulk.  The thing that led me to believe he was somewhat legit was ebay auction #281046650973.  I compared the photos of the players signing to the position of where the autographs were on the helmet and it seemed to jive.  Of course just b/c one helmet might seem okay doesn't mean they all are I guess :(  I'm not sure if I want to spend $150 per helmet to authenticate it and lose out more money.  I was thinking maybe just send it in and have 2-3 of the auto's authenticated.  Are there any to you that stand out as being obviously fake?  Thank you for all your input.  I really appreciate it! 

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Permalink Reply by James McKnight on January 19, 2013 at 5:59am

If you look at the single signed items the sellers have of the pro athletes and college kids and compare them to PSA and JSA ones you will also start to notice the pattern. That seller you bought the Notre Dame team helmet from has sold more on eBay than anyone else I think in the neighborhood of 30+ (RED FLAG). If you do pay for the items I suggest you post pics on here, and send them into PSA and when they fail, call eBay and open a claim. I am sure eBay's stock value would fall big time if they lost sellers like these two, let us know what happens. Maybe even contact the sellers and ask them if they think the items will pass JSA or PSA.

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Permalink Reply by Ryan on January 19, 2013 at 1:40pm

Unfortunately I did pay for both items and received them both.  I contacted both sellers telling them I was going to send them into JSA. 

Jones9201dd replied that he could not guarantee that it would pass (obviously) and told me that third parties are a ripoff and that his proof pics are better evidence that the sigs are real than a third party authenticator.

Kermof009 replied that he also could not guarantee that it would pass (big shock) because he thinks they are inconsistent in their gradings.  Threre is even a whole blog about it on the 385sports website:  http://www.385sports.com/I_m_Just_Sayin_.php

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Permalink Reply by Ryan on January 19, 2013 at 2:06pm

These sellers look suspect as well:

milcity-collectibles

glassten221

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Permalink Reply by John H on January 20, 2013 at 10:31am

The correct answer would have been that they stand behind the autographs and will refund your money if they don't pass. 

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Permalink Reply by Dan Gregory on January 19, 2013 at 2:51pm

As these are within the past 10 days you can open a Paypal or eBay case and get a full refund. It appears that this is a big forgery ring so good luck getting your money back.

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Permalink Reply by Ryan on January 19, 2013 at 3:01pm

Hi Dan, thank you for your input.  Can I open a eBay/Paypal case without having it authenticated by PSA or JSA saying that it is fake?  I was looking on eBay and it appears I have 45 days to file a case if need be.  Right now, both sellers have 14 day return policies stated in their eBay ads. I received both items this past week.

*on a side note, I looked up Manti Te'o JSA (http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=ma...) and yes, the helmet I bought has a very different Te'o signature.

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Permalink Reply by Dan Gregory on January 19, 2013 at 11:07pm

Hi Ryan, I have done both things in the past. I usually contact the seller and advise that I have found out the item is a fake and that I plan to open a case and leave a negative. This usually gets either an abusive response or ignored but sometimes it has led to a seller agreeing a return and to pay the return shipping but this is rare.

Most sellers of fakes don't even want you to return it as they know it's garbage.

My view is why should you pay out an extra $100+ for authentication that will tell you it's a fake. 

I would drop them a line and then give them 24 hours to reply and then open a Paypal case for each item and you will then have to return the item via courier. Do NOT send via anything other than a courier that gets a signature and this ensures you will get a refund.

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Permalink Reply by Ryan on January 20, 2013 at 7:29pm

Thanks Dan, I emailed both sellers yesterday claiming that I had suspicions of the authenticity.  Jones9201dd (dennis jones) said that he "drives 300 miles to South Bend to get his autographs" and that me claiming they were fake was a "slap in the face."  He said he would send me proof pics on Monday...we shall see.  I am expecting him to send me the same pics that are re-used in all of his auctions.  I noticed that his contact info says he is based in Dallas, TX but his items get mailed from Wisconsin.

Kermof009 (clint cook) was much more cordial when I questioned the authenticity.  He too said he would try to send me proof pics on Monday...again, I am expecting generic pics of players signing (not my helmet though).  He did not seem upset at all though even though I was questioning his reputation.

You're right that I'm not gonna shell out the $150 to have each helmet authenticated when they are believed to be fake.  Needless to say, both helmets will be going back via FedEx, and Paypal complaints will be filed.

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