Heritage Auctions Scam Linguini

[Silver Surfer]

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.

 

That was colder than a wet fish slap to the face.

[Jimmy Linguini]

They say I have to pay. but right now I'm on hold because the accountant sent the credit department representative a note about how I opened a paypal case.

 

Right now I am discussing how they only want to credit me $180 and not the full $230 amount.

[Silver Surfer]

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? 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. "

 

Not to beat a dead horse but I find it shocking that you are not at all concerned about to potential to shill auction prices. Its not the employee's that worry me its the people who run the controls behind the scenes who might take advantage of this rather handy Texas law. Enjoy the cool aid.

[Gotham Kid]

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.

 

It's pasta boy. He's a legend in his own mind.

[Gotham Kid]

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.

 

That was colder than a wet fish slap to the face.

 

It was beautiful. Brought a tear to my eye.

[Silver Surfer]

Did they explain what happen to the book you thought you won, then they said you didn't but now they say you did and your upset because you actually won the book but apparently don't want it? Sorry if I'm not following.

[revat]

Did they explain what happen to the book you thought you won, then they said you didn't but now they say you did and your upset because you actually won the book but apparently don't want it? Sorry if I'm not following.

 

The way I read it, there are 4 separate events.

 

Event 1: 3 or more months ago, JL bought a book from Heritage. He paid through paypal, but somehow paid twice for the same item. JL did not realize this at the time, but this resulted in a credit to his account of approx. $200.

 

Event 2: Some intermediate time later (relatively close to now), JL bought 2 books from Heritage. He has yet to pay for them.

 

Event 3: This week, JL bid on a book on Heritage, thought he won it, then was notified later that he did not win, but that it did sell for his max bid price.

 

 

Event 4: JL calls Heritage about Event 3, they say they can't help him, he says he's not gonna pay for Event 2, they say they already have his credit from Event 1. JL now wants out of Event 2 and to have his credit refunded from the extra payment on Event 1. Heritage appears to be making it difficult.

 

This is the timeline as I've understood it.

[Jimmy Linguini]

35 minute phone call,

 

SHE SAID

"ok I have to finish this now because its actually hurting my ear holding the phone up for so long."

 

she said "are you kidding me" like five times because I kept asking the same questions.

 

Here is my confusion and why I'm really pissed off in general about this.

 

 

This is the invoice I owe. But I over paid $220 or whatever so where is the rest of my money?!

 

See:

 

 

"We used that on another invoice for a Atlas Weird Suspense Stories"

 

"well why don't I have that item?!"

 

"we've been holding it until you pay your other invoices"

 

Paypal said they can't do anything and Heritage said their paypal person was very upset I opened a case but wouldn't allow me to talk to them.

 

It must suck to be an international buyer like the french salt licker. He doesn't have a choice to buy from local sources so he has to buy from HA.

 

My main gripe is that HA allowed me to overpay and didn't notify me until three months after the fact. Which BTW is total wildly_fanciful_statement.

[Jimmy Linguini]

Did they explain what happen to the book you thought you won, then they said you didn't but now they say you did and your upset because you actually won the book but apparently don't want it? Sorry if I'm not following.

 

I wanted to follow-up with you regarding our telephone conversation from yesterday regarding this lot:

 

http://comics.ha.com/c/item.zx?saleNo=121332&lotNo=14650&x=-839&y=-364

 

I do show there was a higher bid placed after your bid of $110.00 by another bidder within the last minute, actually seconds of the auction closing. If you were the winning bidder on this item you would have received an email confirmation almost immediately that you were the winning bidder.

 

Please contact me if you have any further questions.

 

So my computer says I won but I didn't win. Oh yeah that makes total sense.

[Gotham Kid]

It must suck to be only able to afford drek and consequently have to raise noise over $223. What's that like for you, 6 months salary ?

[Jimmy Linguini]

It must suck to only be able to afford drek and consequently have to raise noise over $223. What's that like for you, 6 months salary ?

 

You and I both know $223 is a good hour and a tip. If Heritage wants to invite me to their hotel room for an hour, I'll shut up.

[Gotham Kid]

It must suck to only be able to afford drek and consequently have to raise noise over $223. What's that like for you, 6 months salary ?

 

You and I both know $223 is a good hour and a tip. If Heritage wants to invite me to their hotel room for an hour, I'll shut up.

 

I'll pay you $223 if you shut up permanently, how's that ?

[Jimmy Linguini]

Only if you send it paypal personal

[greggy]

It must suck to only be able to afford drek and consequently have to raise noise over $223. What's that like for you, 6 months salary ?

 

You and I both know $223 is a good hour and a tip. If Heritage wants to invite me to their hotel room for an hour, I'll shut up.

 

I'll pay you $223 if you shut up permanently.

I'll pay you $223 to shut him up permanently.

[Jimmy Linguini]

It must suck to only be able to afford drek and consequently have to raise noise over $223. What's that like for you, 6 months salary ?

 

You and I both know $223 is a good hour and a tip. If Heritage wants to invite me to their hotel room for an hour, I'll shut up.

 

I'll pay you $223 if you shut up permanently.

I'll pay you $223 to shut him up permanently.

 

 

[HarveySwick]

All of the above.....

[jerome34]

Have you considered the possibility that person "a" bid $xxx.xx for the item

and then you came along and also bid $xxx.xx (the exact same amount)

as the auction was ending. The "amount bid" showed the amount you bid

but because person "a" bid earlier, he won the book.

 

Within computers (both Heritage's and yours) multiple activities are running.

An activity gets a slice of time, does something, and then runs out of time.

Another activity then gets a slice of time and does what it tries to do.

Now suppose two activities use their slice of time to read the same value

out of a database and then run out of time before they update the database.

Next, one activity gets a slice of time and updates the database. When the

second activity gets a slice of time, it does not, and cannot, know that the first

activity has already updated the database and it goes right ahead and

makes its update - overwriting what the first activity has done.

 

Mind you all of this activity - two reads and two writes can take place with a

total elapsed time of less than 1/2 of a second.

 

This does not happen often but it can occur. If this is what happened to you,

there is no way anyone can figure out exactly what happened. The people at

Heritage believe what their computer tells them and sometimes what it tells

them is not exactly the truth.

 

The way most people live with this fact is to ignore that it exists (and most

people do not know enough to recognize that a problem exists).

 

In your case, it looks like someone bid the exact same amount you did

so they won the lot. You saw the winning amount was your bid and

made the logical assumption that you had won. Alas, logic failed

in the real world.

 

[revat]

I think he saw a screen that told him he had the winning bid.

[HarveySwick]

I think he saw a screen that told him he had the winning bid.

And then a short while later....

 

[Jimmy Linguini]

I think he saw a screen that told him he had the winning bid.

 

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