FAKE Isabella Oliver Cardigan?? is it possible...

brunettegirl

Could this be possible?
I recieved my cardigan this morning in shocking condition not the excellent it had been described. so because i wasn't happy i was looking at teh overall state and noticed that there is a long thread attached to the label on the side of the cardigan??? in addition there is no main label at the back of the cardy like on others.

Am I been a nutter thinking this?

Can I do anything about it?

thank you

vuvuzela

"Item Not As Described" seems the appropriate way to go about this. I'd ignore the signs that are (not) there and concentrate on the condition of it. If you want to go down the 'fake' route, you'll need to get it authenticated (or not) at your expense from a specialist.

paulofessex

I would wait until some one comes along with other advice, as l am aware you can make a claim regarding an item being fake, however you need to do it the correct way i.e. so the seller has to prove it is genuine and not you proving its fake.

Crowqueen

eBay usually ask for a buyer to return an item to the seller during a dispute, but I would contact them first and put it to them that the cardi is not in the advertised condition and you would like to return it. Also perhaps ask why there is no label.

Crowqueen

vuvuzela wrote: »

"Item Not As Described" seems the appropriate way to go about this. I'd ignore the signs that are (not) there and concentrate on the condition of it. If you want to go down the 'fake' route, you'll need to get it authenticated (or not) at your expense from a specialist.

Actually, no, eBay will now ask the seller to prove authenticity.

It used to be that the person would take it to Trading Standards, get it destroyed, and get proof from them to send to Paypal; but when eBay took over many disputes they started pushing the burden of proof back onto the seller where it really belongs.

porto_bello

Crowqueen wrote: »

Actually, no, eBay will now ask the seller to prove authenticity.

It used to be that the person would take it to Trading Standards, get it destroyed, and get proof from them to send to Paypal; but when eBay took over many disputes they started pushing the burden of proof back onto the seller where it really belongs.

This will be difficult for those selling in the field of signed memorabilia. How can any seller 'prove' a particular autograph is genuine, particularly if the signature relates to someone deceased?

Moreover, how can a seller prove the authenticity of an autograph which (by the time eBay have instructed the seller to prove authenticity) is now in the possession of the buyer?

Crowqueen

There's an inherent problem in signed memorabilia anyway - turning it round, why should the onus be on the buyer to prove it to be fake when the seller is the one who sold it to them in the first place? Seller is responsible for what they list; in general they should make sure it is provable otherwise they shouldn't go listing it. It's also illegal to sell fakes of any description, even when clearly labelled.

You can't make exceptions for single markets - so it may be that eBay don't want signed memorabilia sold, and stopping people from listing it unless they can prove it was signed by the individual concerned is probably better for the marketplace as a whole rather than just taking people's words on it and forcing a buyer to stump up that proof.

I have a signed Chris Barrie photograph that I know is signed by Chris Barrie since I met him at a convention earlier in the year; but proving it would be next to impossible, so I doubt I will ever list it on eBay. I don't think there is a solution to that that is fair to the people paying out the money and entitled to receive something authentic.

porto_bello

Quite honestly, I've never had any real faith in the authenticity of signed memorabilia - on eBay or otherwise. Notably, J. K. Rowling has stated that many of her signed books selling on eBay are fakes and show a signature that is unrelated to hers... yet they continue to change hands, for a price!

Since it's virtually impossible for a seller of signed memorabilia to prove that a signature is genuine, even when it is, it would seem that since sellers can't realistically comply, eBay isn't the market in which to sell such items.

brunettegirl

I was lucky that the seller had bought the item a few weeks before via ebay didn't like it and stuck it back on ebay, genuine mistake she didn't check item and is issuing a full refund, we have sent the cardigan back to the seller. x