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PEP COMICS # 22 SCAM EBAY ITEM # 2184785671

Started by eccomic,

32 posts in this topic

eccomic

eccomic

Posted
Posted

Need some advice here!

I won a copy of Pep Comics # 22 off Ebay on Monday July 21, 2003 with the BUY-IT-NOW option.

 

The following is the Seller, Michael Clune's description:

 

This is a great mid-grade copy of MLJ's PEP COMICS #22 dated December 1941, a key Golden Age book which features the first appearances of pop culture icons Archie and Jughead, in addition to the super-heroic adventures of The Shield and The Hangman. Cover is lightly dusty/dirty, and has some stress wear at the spine, but the book is flat and unrolled. There is some slight chipping around the right and bottom edges of the cover, but no tears. Interior pages are a medium tan, and the book is complete with no missing or clipped parts. Pages are firmly attached to the staples, but it appears as if the book may have been re-stapled at some point. Overall a solid VG/F copy of a rare and highly sought-after Golden Age gem. Larger scan available upon request. Please e-mail seller with any questions BEFORE bidding!

 

I emailed him to arrange payment but have not heard back from him since the auction ended over one week ago!!

 

I queried in my emails if MEDIUM TAN pages meant BRITTLE as per his vauge descripton and if the book was RESTAPED with NEW staples (restoration)

 

I know he is active as another fellow whom won a book last week from him emailed me to advise that the seller, Micheal Clune, answered his payment request following the end of the auction just last week for a Fair copy of Action Comics. I suspect the seller has had a more generous offline offer and is hedging.

 

What should I do??????????

 

Best,

 

Stephen

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jonnydouble

jonnydouble

Posted
Posted

Maybe I'm missing something here...I understand that he hasn't contacted you in a week, (which is a long time to wait for an e-mail, I'll admit),...but where does the scam part come in?...If you haven't paid him yet , then he doesn't have anything on you,...and if you took the BIN before he answered any of your questions , you can't blame him for that...If you contact E-bay ans alert them he is a non responsive seller you could get his Telephone # and try to call him.....but I don't see a scam unless I'm missing something.....just a lazy seller perhaps.

 

J.D.

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Shield

Shield

Posted
Posted

El' scamo city....I'll let Mr. EC Comic tell you why...

 

Shield the extraordinary G-Man super sleuthed this one (pats self on back)....

 

 

Such is life. I'm pissed too, as that's one less copy available for me to someday own.

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eccomic

eccomic

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Case closed. Shawn (Shield) was good enough to send me a scan of a low grade Pep # 22 that he returned some time ago

 

When we had blown up the image of the Pep # 22 from the auction, it had been manipulated by ADOBE photoshop. THIS WAS A FRAUD and I will be reporting it to Ebays Safe Harbour.

 

Thank goodness I did not Paypal the $3000 USD.

 

Thank you Shawn and thank you to the Forum for your advice.

 

Sincerely,

 

Stephen Lipson

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Shield

Shield

Posted
Posted

For fun, I blew it up to 900% in Photoshop. Note the uniform fill and lack of pixelation that goes completely above the word "PEP". This was an intentional fraud; nothing 'unknowing' about that one.

 

Sorry it didn't work out, and I'm glad I could help!

 

Shawn

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ArAich

ArAich

Posted
Posted

Wow....methinks you are quick to condemn with feedback...

 

8 days after the auction...and you didn't even get in touch with the seller yet and bam you neg him...for cryin' out loud...the freakin' guy may have been wrong in some respects but at least give the dude a chance to present his side of the story...

 

I may be wrong but your impatience seems unwarrented and I hope that you keep us posted when the seller does contact you....

 

 

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Shield

Shield

Posted
Posted

I'll enlighten all:

 

I bought this very copy of Pep 22 at the end of 2001. Once I held it in my hands, I noticed how far off center the staples were, and if it were fully restored the creases would come back very soon. This bugged me to the point of returning it. To this day I still question whether or not that was the right thing to do, but that's how it goes.

 

But, while in 'captivity' I managed to get a good full size scan of the book:

 

 

pep22.jpg

 

 

Now, here's a 'blown-up' scan of the scam book in question. SEE ATTACHMENT It's only a 2X blow-up, so you won't notice the lack of pixelation at the top where the color was filled in to block the name at the top, but note all the defects and compare it to the aforementioned book.

 

Not only that, but I know who currently owns the real copy of this book; and believe me, he ain't gettin' rid of it.

 

 

Shawn

223371-pep22.jpg.b8054672fa6bf5a1dc932d0d281b25ff.jpg

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ArAich

ArAich

Posted
Posted
Did he also scam all of THESE buyers...

That's clearly just shill feedback from his scammer friends. 27_laughing.gif

 

I think you and mayhap others are missing my point...

 

You have plenty of time to leave neg feedback...an investigation can be processed in more detail and still allow you to neg a guy with plenty of time to spare...eccomic did not submit any type of payment so it's not like he got totally ripped of....

I am not saying the seller is not scamming but be a little more patient before slapping a nonremovable feedback that just may be unwarrented...JMO...

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Bugaboo-migration

Bugaboo-migration

Posted
Posted
I think you and mayhap others are missing my point...

 

You have plenty of time to leave neg feedback...an investigation can be processed in more detail and still allow you to neg a guy with plenty of time to spare...eccomic did not submit any type of payment so it's not like he got totally ripped of....

I am not saying the seller is not scamming but be a little more patient before slapping a nonremovable feedback that just may be unwarrented...JMO...

I understand what you're saying......was just kidding around. tongue.gif

 

However, based on those scans, it's pretty obvious that this is a scam. If feedback was delayed, then that would give him more of a chance to scam others. 893scratchchin-thumb.gif

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Shield

Shield

Posted
Posted

Here, however, is my only concern: gossip.gif

 

Some people don't have access to a digital camera or scanner; perhaps he happened upon my website and found the picture and used it as what the book looks like?

 

Only possibility, and that's the reason I may NOT have negged him just yet. Of course, I want a Pep 22 about as bad as that one dude wanted a GI Joe 21 in 9.8, if not worse. I'd have held off until the very end....

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sfilosa

sfilosa

Posted
Posted

What I want to know is:

 

Why are you bidding on a $3K book that's not CGC'd? insane.gif

 

Unless I knew the dealer extremely well, I would never buy a $3K book that's not CGC'd. If a respectable dealers tries to sell you a book like that, and doesn't have it CGC'd, I assume that they might believe there is some restoration or something else wrong with it.

 

Glad you didn't lose any money.

893applaud-thumb.gif

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