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Yahoo! Auctions
requires that sellers of autographed items include a Certificate of Authenticity
(COA) with every individual item.
All autographed items listed for auction must include the source of the
COA and a clearly scanned image of the COA. Information that must be found on
the COA or within the item description includes the name of the company or
person issuing the certificate, address (no P.O. boxes) and phone number, as
well as a clearly stated refund policy. Sellers, including dealers of sports
collectibles, must also comply with any applicable laws and regulations.
(Please remember: A COA does not guarantee that the item being sold for auction
is authentic. You should always use caution when engaging in transactions with
third parties.
COAs are as good as the person or business that issues them.
More
information about COAs.)
Yahoo! reserves
the right, at its sole discretion, to remove any listing if the item does not
meet all of the above criteria or if Yahoo! believes that the item is
inconsistent with the letter or spirit of the Yahoo! Terms of Service, Yahoo!
Auction Guidelines, or the Yahoo! Auctions Autograph Policy.
A
Word from the Yahoo! Auctions Sports Collectibles Team
Whether you go to
a Sports Collectors show, a hobby store, or shop online, there is a tremendous
problem in the industry when it comes to the prevalence of fake autographs.
Whether you are an expert collector or making your first autograph
purchase, you can be fooled because there are forgers out there that are so good
that individual athletes and celebrities often get fooled themselves.
That is why it is extremely important to EDUCATE yourself on the hobby
and do the research necessary to confidently buy autographs online.
Important things
to learn are an athlete’s signing habits, information available to you about
the seller, and most importantly – the original source of the item.
Reading through the articles available here on Yahoo! will get you on
your way but spending time doing additional research is highly recommended.
Keep in mind that once a fake autograph gets on the market, it can be
resold a thousand times without the seller knowing it is fake.
Please be respectful in confronting sellers with questions about their
items, but be sure to use the resources available such as Question and Answer
and Yahoo! Messenger to get the answers you need.
Safe
Buying Tips for Sports Memorabilia
Yahoo! Auctions
encourages buyers and sellers to educate themselves about items being traded.
Here are some suggestions you might want to consider when trading sports
collectibles on Yahoo! Auctions. As with all other auctions on Yahoo!, the
transaction is between the buyer and the seller; Yahoo! does not monitor or
verify the accuracy or authenticity of information provided by sellers or buyers
of the items for auction. These tips are not a substitute for your own research
or common sense. These tips are not designed to scare you, but to encourage you
to be smart and have fun.
- Know
the athlete. Be familiar with the athlete's signature.
Studying known reliable signatures can often help you spot definite
fakes. One tool available is other auction listings of that athlete to compare.
Reliable listings include autographs that are certified by Trading Card
companies as well as established Autograph Memorabilia distributors. Many
athletes have exclusive signing deals with a single company.
When an athlete has an exclusive deal with one company, that company is
the safest source for buying the athletes autograph.
A perfect example is Michael Jordan and Upper Deck Authenticated (UDA).
The safest source for Jordan’s signature is a UDA certified product.
-
Educate yourself about the item.
Know where and when the signature was obtained. Be
familiar with where the athlete's signing events took place and on what type of
items.
- Visit
the seller's "Auction Booth" or their "About Me" page in
Yahoo! Auctions.
Always check the reputation of the seller. Be sure to
check if the seller has any special deals with any athletes.
- See
what else the seller is selling.
Check the volume or quantity of the items for sale. Do the
quantities seem realistic based on what you know about this item?
Look for suspicious tendencies such as similar handwriting styles across
different personality autographs.
- Read
through the ratings and comments. Be sure to read through all
of the seller's ratings feedback. Check back throughout the auction as feedback
and ratings may change. Use caution when dealing with sellers with negative
feedback.
Keep in mind that a positive rating means only that the transaction
occurred without a problem.
It does not guarantee that the seller has 100% legitimate inventory.
- Communicate
with the seller.
A transaction should only continue if the buyer and seller
are comfortable with each other. Know the seller, exchange e-mail and any other
necessary information. You should also be clear on the return policy before
bidding on an item. You may want to look for sellers that offer a 100% lifetime money back,
unconditional guarantee. Consider using an escrow service or independent
appraiser to assist in the transaction.
- Save
all correspondence and a copy of the auction.
This is the responsibility of the user. Be sure to print out a
copy of the auction, e-mails, and any correspondence related to the auction,
etc. Yahoo! Auctions does not save copies of closed auctions and does not share
user information in response to informal requests.
Reminder: Use of Yahoo! Auctions is entirely at your own risk.
Please review our Guidelines and Terms of Service for more information.
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