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Heritage Auctions Scam Linguini

Started by Jimmy Linguini ,

145 posts in this topic

Jimmy Linguini

Jimmy Linguini

Posted
  • Author
Posted
It would have been nice to have been notified about your overpayment. However, don't you intend on paying for the two invoices to which you still need to address?

 

No.

 

I was bidding on an auction for this item

 

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#search/alex+ross/1407078c661d9bfa

 

The winning bid was my Max bid. Heritage says I didn't win this auction and is "investigating".

 

My computer said I won this auction. HA says I didn't.

 

I think based on that they are manipulating their auctions and if they can't explain why that happened I will not pay the owed invoices.

 

It was upon telling them that they notified me of a partial payment of the invoices. I said "I didn't give you anything you guys are scam artists" - than I investigated and noticed the over payment.

 

I owe them money for a Gene Colan Wolverine page and a few Crime Does not Pay slabs; books that I really want for my personal collection, books that are my niche. But I am in no way going to send payment to benefit a company that manipulates its auctions.

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MK Ultra

MK Ultra

Posted
Posted
Weren't there some posts about a bidder ID HAsometingorother? It was alleged to be a shill but Heritage claimed it was to keep track of some type of bidding activity?

 

NP Grisham? What does "NP" stand for? Non-paying............. (shrug)

 

That's it.

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originalisbest

originalisbest

Posted
Posted

http://www.ha.com/c/ref/web-tips.zx#guidelines-increments

 

So, now which of the below happened to you? The auction ended at what was your max bid (the computer told you you "won" but did the computer say "you are the high bidder?" Or did it show the auction ended at your max bid, and you assumed you were the winner, only to find out you weren't? Trying to understand.

 

Nice to know that on "moral grounds" you believe in not paying for things you bid on in supposedly good faith, once you get a burr in your pants over an unrelated issue. I think a truly moral person would pay what they contractually agreed to, and then, if truly outraged, just wouldn't have anything more to do after that point with "company XYZ." :)

 

---------------

 

Sometimes, astute Internet bidders will place a bid between increments with the idea that they may be able to win a piece for less than a full increment above another bidder. Take the example of a bidder looking at a lot in a Signature auction that he thinks is worth roughly $110 plus the buyer's premium. The current bid on the piece is $1, which always means that there is only one bidder on the item. Our bidder has no way of knowing what the actual maximum bid on the item is, but he decides to place a bid of $111. This bid is designed specifically to outbid somebody that might have already bid $110. Once our bidder has placed this bid, he will see one of the following:

 

If the previous maximum bid was $109 or less, the new bid will become the high bid and the current bid will become the bidding increment above the previous bid.

 

If the previous maximum bid was exactly $110, the new bid will become the high bid and the current bid will become exactly $111.

 

If the previous maximum bid was between $111 and $119, the new bid will be immediately outbid, and the current bid will become the previous bidder's high bid.

 

If the previous maximum bid was $120 or more, the new bid will be immediately outbid, and the current bid will become $120. The behavior would be similar in an Internet-Only auction, except that the next increment would be $115 instead of $120.

 

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Jimmy Linguini

Jimmy Linguini

Posted
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Posted
http://www.ha.com/c/ref/web-tips.zx#guidelines-increments

 

So, now which of the below happened to you? The auction ended at what was your max bid (the computer told you you "won" but did the computer say "you are the high bidder?" Or did it show the auction ended at your max bid, and you assumed you were the winner, only to find out you weren't? Trying to understand.

 

Nice to know that on "moral grounds" you believe in not paying for things you bid on in supposedly good faith, once you get a burr in your pants over an unrelated issue. I think a truly moral person would pay what they contractually agreed to, and then, if truly outraged, just wouldn't have anything more to do after that point with "company XYZ." :)

 

---------------

 

Sometimes, astute Internet bidders will place a bid between increments with the idea that they may be able to win a piece for less than a full increment above another bidder. Take the example of a bidder looking at a lot in a Signature auction that he thinks is worth roughly $110 plus the buyer's premium. The current bid on the piece is $1, which always means that there is only one bidder on the item. Our bidder has no way of knowing what the actual maximum bid on the item is, but he decides to place a bid of $111. This bid is designed specifically to outbid somebody that might have already bid $110. Once our bidder has placed this bid, he will see one of the following:

 

If the previous maximum bid was $109 or less, the new bid will become the high bid and the current bid will become the bidding increment above the previous bid.

 

If the previous maximum bid was exactly $110, the new bid will become the high bid and the current bid will become exactly $111.

 

If the previous maximum bid was between $111 and $119, the new bid will be immediately outbid, and the current bid will become the previous bidder's high bid.

 

If the previous maximum bid was $120 or more, the new bid will be immediately outbid, and the current bid will become $120. The behavior would be similar in an Internet-Only auction, except that the next increment would be $115 instead of $120.

 

My computer said I won the item on the page when the time ran out. Than I got an e-mail at 11:01 my time. The auction closed at 10:00 or something - saying I was outbid.

 

My problem isn't shillbidding. My problem is manipulating auctions after they end. I'm not going to give money to a company that manipulates it auctions after they end. (I'm waiting for the item to show up on Wayne Lewis Gallery for its real price and I'll just buy it there) - I have no problem with over paying for an item I don't really want (see AMERTEST cover) but these guys are screwing me, and these are all items I really want!

 

I was only told about over paying three months ago, today after telling them their auction house was a joke auction house and should be featured on the next Pee Wee Herman movie.

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originalisbest

originalisbest

Posted
Posted
http://www.ha.com/c/ref/web-tips.zx#guidelines-increments

 

So, now which of the below happened to you? The auction ended at what was your max bid (the computer told you you "won" but did the computer say "you are the high bidder?" Or did it show the auction ended at your max bid, and you assumed you were the winner, only to find out you weren't? Trying to understand.

 

Nice to know that on "moral grounds" you believe in not paying for things you bid on in supposedly good faith, once you get a burr in your pants over an unrelated issue. I think a truly moral person would pay what they contractually agreed to, and then, if truly outraged, just wouldn't have anything more to do after that point with "company XYZ." :)

 

---------------

 

Sometimes, astute Internet bidders will place a bid between increments with the idea that they may be able to win a piece for less than a full increment above another bidder. Take the example of a bidder looking at a lot in a Signature auction that he thinks is worth roughly $110 plus the buyer's premium. The current bid on the piece is $1, which always means that there is only one bidder on the item. Our bidder has no way of knowing what the actual maximum bid on the item is, but he decides to place a bid of $111. This bid is designed specifically to outbid somebody that might have already bid $110. Once our bidder has placed this bid, he will see one of the following:

 

If the previous maximum bid was $109 or less, the new bid will become the high bid and the current bid will become the bidding increment above the previous bid.

 

If the previous maximum bid was exactly $110, the new bid will become the high bid and the current bid will become exactly $111.

 

If the previous maximum bid was between $111 and $119, the new bid will be immediately outbid, and the current bid will become the previous bidder's high bid.

 

If the previous maximum bid was $120 or more, the new bid will be immediately outbid, and the current bid will become $120. The behavior would be similar in an Internet-Only auction, except that the next increment would be $115 instead of $120.

 

My computer said I won the item on the page when the time ran out. Than I got an e-mail at 11:01 my time. The auction closed at 10:00 or something - saying I was outbid.

 

My problem isn't shillbidding. My problem is manipulating auctions after they end. I'm not going to give money to a company that manipulates it auctions after they end. (I'm waiting for the item to show up on Wayne Lewis Gallery for its real price and I'll just buy it there) - I have no problem with over paying for an item I don't really want (see AMERTEST cover) but these guys are screwing me, and these are all items I really want!

 

I was only told about over paying three months ago, today after telling them their auction house was a joke auction house and should be featured on the next Pee Wee Herman movie.

 

Well, I'm not sure you're taking the "more flies with honey than vinegar" approach, but I wish you luck in getting it resolved. :)

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oldmilwaukee6er

oldmilwaukee6er

Posted
Posted
I owe them money for a Gene Colan Wolverine page and a few Crime Does not Pay slabs; books that I really want for my personal collection, books that are my niche. But I am in no way going to send payment to benefit a company that manipulates its auctions. myself

 

I think this is your out... settle the account for the pieces that you want, use the credit that you have, & walk away. :)

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vane

vane

Posted
Posted

Hi Jimmy Linguiniii,

 

 

I think you might be right with their bidding program. I had the some what same issue you have. Please click on the link below.

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=4&Number=5537068&Searchpage=1&Main=252220&Words=heritage+auction+vane&topic=0&Search=true#Post5537068

 

You may want to read this.

 

 

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/steve_duin/index.ssf/2009/09/lifting_the_veil_at_heritage_a.html

 

 

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loadstone

loadstone

Posted
Posted

That all sounds shady if the alleged NP Gresham shill account was/is truly being used to bid up their auctions. However, it also sounds like Heritage has all the judges on their side. The results from every lawsuit against them seems to be dropped without further investigation according to the wikipedia page

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritage_Auctions

and the judges seem to side with them when they launch countersuits.

 

My one suspicion is with the add note feature in all the listings. Before employing automatic snipes, I used to use it to note reminders of how much I wanted my minimum and maximum bids on the item and note how much I'd be paying with buyer's premium. However, I stopped doing that when I started seeing my bids end precisely at my max bid and all my minimum bids get outbid but not my max. It could just be a pattern that human brains start to see when they want to see it but realizing that information like that noted on a site that someone could hack or an insider could obtain may provide arbitrage opportunities so I stopped doing that and sniping programs preclude the need to store that info on their site.

 

I've also noticed a disappointing trend with some 9.8's I've gotten from them recently. Many will be gift 9.8's as with the recent George Simpson collections. More than 2 defects such as slight CB spine ticks, NCB spine bends, corner blunting, light finger/reader bends, distributor band ripple/indentation, etc. Part of that could be due to SCS during shipping which is sad because they pack their slabs very well in rolls of bubble wrap and foam and boxes. One recent purchase shows a CB corner blunting and middle of the comic bends that should never have made it through 9.8 Quality Control at CGC so I suspect SCS.

 

And per the OP's issue, I have had that happen to me where I'll get the page that says I won but then I refresh and it says I was outbid. I figured it was just a browser or network connection issue but if their software is incorrectly saying you won when it hasn't finished processing all the bids, then they have to revamp their auction software.

 

I've been spending more time on CLink than Heritage lately though.

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BTTTB-migration

BTTTB-migration

Posted
Posted
That all sounds shady if the alleged NP Gresham shill account was/is truly being used to bid up their auctions.

 

It's all true and has been for like a decade, just like the "Heritage Bump" where the price is raised to just under the reserve. It doesn't matter though, because it's all legal in Texas. Read the Heritage fine print, they say it right there.

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Silver Surfer

Silver Surfer

Posted
Posted
That all sounds shady if the alleged NP Gresham shill account was/is truly being used to bid up their auctions.

 

It's all true and has been for like a decade, just like the "Heritage Bump" where the price is raised to just under the reserve. It doesn't matter though, because it's all legal in Texas. Read the eritage fine print, they say it right there.

 

Legal maybe but then why they did allegedly deny it at first?

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BTTTB-migration

BTTTB-migration

Posted
Posted
That all sounds shady if the alleged NP Gresham shill account was/is truly being used to bid up their auctions.

 

It's all true and has been for like a decade, just like the "Heritage Bump" where the price is raised to just under the reserve. It doesn't matter though, because it's all legal in Texas. Read the eritage fine print, they say it right there.

 

Legal maybe but then why they did allegedly deny it at first?

 

I've never seen them deny they shill bid their own auctions. Doesn't really matter what the account name is, does it? (shrug) Jim Halperin came on these Boards in 2004 and told us about it:

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Main=34395&Number=625815#Post625815

 

"4) Yes, we do allow employees to bid in our sales, except in very rare instances where the consignor (foolishly) requests otherwise. Our job is to create an honest playing field, not to hold down the prices for the benefit of bidders who prefer less competition. No employee at Heritage has any advantage over any other bidder, and employees are actually at a disadvantage in our comics sales because we don't allow them to bid live. Granted, like all local bidders they don't have to pay shipping if they pick up their lots in person, but they do pay sales tax unless they have a resale number, and they pay the exact same Buyer's Premium as everyone else. As far as I know, there are no major auctioneers who don't allow employees to bid. "

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cheetah

cheetah

Posted
Posted

lol I think all of the Heritage horses are dead.

 

If you think that a company that has sold over $800,000,000 worth of collectibles at more than a 20% take to their own coffers gives a rat's arse about a single comic book, you are nuttier than than squirrel poop. We are talking about guys who take home tens of millions a year in profit supposedly doing something illegal on a $223.35 comic?

 

It's just narcissism. You aren't that important.

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originalisbest

originalisbest

Posted
Posted
lol I think all of the Heritage horses are dead.

 

If you think that a company that has sold over $800,000,000 worth of collectibles at more than a 20% take to their own coffers gives a rat's arse about a single comic book, you are nuttier than than squirrel poop. We are talking about guys who take home tens of millions a year in profit supposedly doing something illegal on a $223.35 comic?

 

It's just narcissism. You aren't that important.

 

Quoted, for posterity and truth. :)

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