Got burnt today

[clutch]

I buy things from a local online auction. They sell everything from repossessed vehicles to household items. They also sell tons of sportscards and memorabilia. This place is a breeding ground for fake signatures and counterfeit cards.

They have had so many complaints from buyers that they keep adding disclaimers to their descriptions. Now on every single sports related item, they put: Believed to be Not Authentic, Please Bid At Your Own Risk and Rely On Your Own Inspection and Judgement.

My first thought was that if they believe it to not be authentic then they shouldn't be selling it. I bought a PSA/DNA Barry Sanders autographed 8x10. When I picked it up, I found that it was a photocopy of a Barry Sanders PSA/DNA autographed photo. It was just a piece of paper in a frame.

I brought it to the manager and he just kept repeating the disclaimer in the title. He told me that they are not in the business of authenticating. He refused to give me my money back. I wasn't really looking to get my money back. I was mostly trying to bring this to their attention so they might flag the seller and maybe do some investigating. The only thing he wanted was me out of his office.

Even though there is a lot of junk, there are also some fantastic items that pass through there. I knew I was playing with fire, but figured if I kept myself educated then I would be less likely to get burned. For the most part, I have been successful. I have pulled some real gems out of that place.

I wasn't able to inspect the items this week and only bid on the Sanders because it was authenticated and looked good online. I never in a billion years would have thought it would be a computer print out.

I guess I have a few questions here.

I knew this place was bad news and kept coming back so I don't deny any responsibility. I'm wondering though. Can a place knowingly sell counterfeit items and legally hide behind a disclaimer and claim ignorance with no penalty?

Is there any branch of law enforcement that would even care enough to investigate these matters and what branch would that even be?

If you are selling this stuff and you know it is heavy in fakes (he told me he knew this and that is why they put in the disclaimer) then don't you have a responsibility to clean up that category rather than just putting in a disclaimer to cover your own butt?

I've made a lot of money buying and reselling things from that place. I only sell legit items, but does buying from them at all make me part of the problem? I'm thinking now that it probably does.

Are they just an innocent middle man and it is the buyer's responsibility to know what they are buying?

Should you require your buyers to inspect items in person to see if they are real, when it is not an onsite auction. If you are going to sell this stuff, shouldn't you employ someone that has some knowledge in this area. Some of this stuff looks good online, but when you see it in person, anyone with any knowledge of these items can see that they are no good. You could then stomp out any problems right at the door and not let them in.

Using the urine analogy of Mr. Stinson, I would go the opposite and say that this place is a bucket of pee with some sprinkles of Aquafina and I just took a big gulp. It is salty and I don't want to drink it anymore.

I'm not even upset about my item. I'm upset that management treated me like I was the criminal. I now know that I could sign a bunch of stuff at home and sell it there for boatloads of cash. Not only would they not do anything about it, they would actually protect me and make the buyer feel like the crook.

I'm not crying or looking for sympathy. I bought an item without looking at it in person first. My bad, my fault, I get that. I'm just curious what some people think and if there is anything one simple dude can do to keep other people from giving their hard earned money to crooks.

Sorry for the length of the post.