How to get ripped off by SCP Auctions & Sotheby's

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Posted By: Ryan Christoff

STEP ONE: Bid on and win an auction item.

STEP TWO: Pay for it.

It's that simple. At least it was for me. I posted on the vintage memorabilia board a week or two ago about an item I won from Sotheby's/SCP Auctions. Here's a link to that thread: http://www.network54.com/Forum/567138/thread/1187655256/last-1187720131/Should+it+stay+or+should+it+go+now-+1927+Cuban+Stars+panorama.

The item was lot #93 "1927 PANORAMIC PHOTOGRAPH OF EASTERN COLORED LEAGUE OPENING GAME WITH DIHIGO, OMS, MESA, POMPEZ AND OTHERS." in their last auction. I paid $9,816 ncluding BP and shipping.

Here is a link to a page I created that has tons of pictures of what I received. You can click on any of the images on the page to see higher resolution examples. These photos tell the story by themselves: http://cubanbaseballcards.com/SCP-SothebysBastards.html

The bottom line is that they have decided to rip me off by telling me "There's nothing we can do for you." I was told that yesterday by Dan Imler at SCP. I'd been talking to him for the last week or so and had thought I was close to having the whole thing taken care of. When he asked me what I wanted or what I had in mind as far as compensation I told him I was thinking somewhere around $3,000 or $4,000 (30 or 40 percent) seemed fair to me based on the obvious damage on the item I received that was not on the image in the catalog or website. I even said I'd be willing to take that in auction credit.

Here's a small example of the catalog photo vs. what I received:



The item I received had been framed and matted, even though this was never mentioned in the description. I still have no idea why. But I left it in the cheap, crappy frame that it was so carelessly framed in (no way was this framed by a professional) until yesterday when I was told "There's nothing we can do for you." I had honestly expected Imler to call me and say it was a done deal, check's in the mail. After he looked at the images I e-mailed him of the item I received compared to the one I bid on, he agreed that there was considerable damage on the one I had that was not visible in the catalog. He just said that he needed to discuss it with the powers that be and he'd get back to me. I assume the "powers that be" are the one(s) who masterminded the "nothing we can do for you" plan.

I should probably mention that I have no interest in pursuing any legal action here, nor did I ever. I don't even care what the legal case would be here. I think the justification that was used when they decided to screw me was that the auction was June 5th, the consignor has been paid, etc. Whether it's legal for them to screw me or not, it still isn't right. I was not looking for anything more than a fair resolution and truly thought that would happen, but that's just not the way things went. I'd been holding back and a little reluctant to post because a friend of mine who I like and respect is affiliated with the company, but had absolutely nothing to do with this deal. I'm pretty sure he's disappointed by how this has gone, too.

Anyway, once I took the photo out of the frame it became clear to be that this was more fraudulent that I originally thought. When I suggested the possibility that the defects had been photoshopped out of the catalog image, he assured me that there absolutely no possible way they had been photoshopped. After seeing the back of the photo, I can't see how that is possible because many of the creases and cracks appear to have been there for a while and several of the tears have even been repaired.

My point is, I was ripped off by Sotheby's/SCP Auctions and I figured other board members might like to know who they're dealing with when they bid in those auctions. What you see is absolutely not what you get. At least not for me.

-Ryan Christoff