Daniel and Jay...
Although there are some genuine treasures to be found on eBay, the fraud to be
found
is disturbing. Even more serious is eBay's attitude toward fraud.
> ..... they Are up front with the fact they are nothing more than a portal.
>Think of
> them in the same way as newspaper classified ads.
Not quite. A newspaper's classified ad sells for a set price. However, the
more
money a fraudulent item brings on eBay, the more money eBay makes because of its
selling commission structure.
In the last couple of years, there have been offered for sale on eBay,
innumerable
fraudulent paintings by members of the early 20th century Taos (New Mexico)
Society
of Artists. Some of these paintings have sold for tens of thousands of
dollars, and
eBay gets 1.25% of the action.
I happen to have more than a passing familiarity with these artists,
particularly
that of W. Herbert (Buck) Dunton. Together with art historians specializing in
the
Taos artists, I have unsuccessfully sought to have eBay halt the proliferation
of
these frauds. Their stock answer is that they only provide a venue, and refuse
to
take any action, even in the face of the most irrefutable evidence and
documentation. Like Pontius Pilot, they claim their hands are clean. Sadly,
people
are not just getting burned in purchasing fraudulent art, it is also
undermining the
market for genuine works of art.
We have, fortunately, had better results by contacting law enforcement
authorities.
Some jurisdictions have taken depositions from art historians, and have then
prosecuted sellers and shut down operations (or forced them to move to another
state).
Bob Evans
Anaheim, California
///
/// (If they are dupes, this trailer may also catch them.)
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