Ariel, as usual, has tapped the essence of eBay interactions and major weaknesses of the process.
The safest action for those of us who know something is a fake is to do nothing. The eBay market place does not tolerate interference from well intentioned informants trying to rescue a bidder from a mistake. The eBay management is in the business of having sellers rack up high prices for their items -- more commission for the site. That's not to say eBay management are unwilling to take action against fraud, but it has to be blatant and provable (more than just "in my experienced opinion"). When a number of Chinese eBayers were fraudulently advertising other sellers' items (stealing photos and descriptions), eBay management did step in. However, I'm not aware of other actions against sellers who make dodgy claims.
Nothing replaces knowledge and having a healthy skepticisim for anything that seems too good to be true. It's a rough and tumble affair on eBay sometimes, but that is the arena we enter voluntarily and no point in complaining about it. It is what it is -- for better or worse.
And yes, we all do make mistakes. I have my "drawer of shame" to remind me of times when I was gullible, arrogant, or just plain stupid!
Ian.
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Originally Posted by ariel
Lew,
You are, of course, correct.
However, in defence of both the seller and, especially, the E-Bay: how do they know that you know what you are talking about? Why should the seller disregard the opinion of a professional antique dealer who has (or claims to have) the provenance of the item simply because somebody is asserting that the ID is wrong?
With E-Bay it is even stickier: by allowing outside interference one would open the door to dishonest competition. One can send an e-mail to a potential buyer asserting that an item in question is a fake, overpriced, stolen etc and offer instead something from his stock (fake,overpriced, stolen etc).
Entering free market entails risks.
Knowledge helps.
Buyer beware.
Fools part with their money all the time.
All of us certainly did, sometime or another. I have no pity for them or for our own misfortunes: this is the price of learning if one wants to make it so.
And if the naif still wants to believe that this dagger one belonged to a famous Apache chief, let him hang it on the wall next to a tomahawk stamped " Made in Taiwan". It makes no difference to him: he wants to believe and he does. He bought himself pride and happiness for $300. Cheap for the price.
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