I stop selling on Catawiki too... The more stuff they pump into the ether, the more hilarious it get's...

I wanted to sell a swirling eye vessel (now here on Bidamountlive 😉 and the titeling category was altered, so that you could not input your own title. All I could do is choose from a dropdown menu??? And so I  simply had to called it a 'vase'... I offered it and asked the 'Expert' if this is going to be the new standard for titles? 

I recieved no answer to my question...

So don't wonder if one day there will be a whole lot of Vases in your search results there... You might get tempted to buy what you didn't look for...

I was selling on Catawiki a little bit as well in a past. But I didn't advertise anything with them since May I believe. With all do respect to experts working there..Sometimes - ridiculous requests and responses from the experts due to a lack of basic knowledge. And then, you are asking yourself, cmn guys - you are working at the growing auction house, you should know more than I do - you get paid good money to be above anyone (in terms of knowledge) who offering items for sale. Sometimes feels, that something can be a little bit too challenging for some experts...

A simple example from my personal experience - I did offer a tortoiseshell snuff bottle, Guangxu mark, and period. Everything went well, auctioned, the sale price was ok I guess (320eur+postage)

Decided to list another tortoiseshell snuff bottle (I had 2 on my hands), as the previous snuff bottle sale was acceptable for me, exactly from the same period, different shape, exactly same condition etc. And guess what - lot was rejected because experts thought that lot will not achieve a minimum 75euros sale price 🙂 So lot, was declined at that point. I am like, are you serious right now? I did add the lot number, from my previous sale, which was last week and resubmit it..Lot was approved and successfully was auctioned, going over catawiki 75eur minimum several times.

There is plenty, small bits and pieces from my experience with catawiki..Sometimes feels, that some experts, simply can not be bothered to take a real look at what's offered for sale. Nice approach to work - which you do...

Planning to list few items sometime soon, just to understand, maybe something has changed since last time. Hopefully, something did change.

@Audrius

@clayandbrush 

I tried to offer part of my collection on Catawiki weeks ago. The experts rejected and claimed my collection is not genuine.

OMG 🤣 🤣 🤣 

Posted by: @jg1133

After my last experience I will never buy from Catawiki again. I bid on an item and what was shipped to me was a completely different item (and I mean like shipped the wrong item completely different). I reached out to Catawiki and they have never responded. Called them and was told they will look into it, then never got a reply. Catawiki in my experience is horrible to deal with. Thankfully I have a great bank and they refunded me my money, as I purchased a Yongzheng vase and received a Roman(?) coin. Shame on Catawiki for supporting fraudulent sellers.

Hi Mr. Galczynski,

Where is my Guangxu bowl which you and your Mr. Mason think it's not genuine?

That would be nice if you can give it back to me after eBay refund you. Why don't you answer my message?

Regards,

Xin

@xin_fawis 

Hi Xin, I’m interested in your collection and would gladly buy from you again 🙂 Are all the items on your website and Ebay site?

Posted by: @shinigami

@xin_fawis 

Hi Xin, I’m interested in your collection and would gladly buy from you again 🙂 Are all the items on your website and Ebay site?

 

Hi Birgit, I will send you a couple of pictures later.

@xin_fawis 

Good Afternoon Xin,

Out of respect for your business and what I (still) think is an honest mistake or difference in expert opinion, I would have never taken this to the forum. However, since you are now posting only a very tiny part of this experience here, I feel I have to respond.

First of all, my sincere apologies for my tardiness of a few days in replying to your ebay message, I have not been on the site for a bit as I have been taking my son back and forth to doctor's appointments and working. I also did not realize that my money was refunded. This has been in ebay's hands for so long, as you were not working with me or them. It appears they refunded me directly because you were not responding.

I am waiting for you to forward me a label so that I can get the bowl back to you, as I have been for over a month

I am not sure what to say other than to apologize that Lark Mason did not feel that this was of the period when he looked at pictures of the piece in my consignment process with him. You would not respond to me or ebay, so it looks like ebay refunded me directly due to them or I not veing able to get a response from you. You asked that I take it to an expert in-person who you know, which was not reasonable as they are in another country. Lark is very knowledgeable and his opinion is trusted. In full disclosure, I heard from another expert that it potentially could be period. 

As I said to you previously, I am simply not comfortable spending over $2K on a piece that is being questioned by a leading expert as not of the period. I would have thought that as a very reputable seller with a guarantee of authenticity, you would have understood that. The only reason that I received a refund is because you were not working with me or ebay or responding.

I find it strange and extremely off-putting that you are now taking this to a public collecting forum after a few days, when I did not even think of taking any such action after over a month of you not working with me at all.

Again, please simply forward me a label so I can get this back to you. I am not sure what your concern is at this point, as that is what has been the hold-up in this entire process. I was going to send it back to you even without a refund so you could confirm, however you wouldn't even agree to that. I am really not understanding the issue. I can not send the bowl back to you without a label.

I apologize again for any misunderstanding, inconvenience, or hard-feelings that this may have caused you. As I have said from day one, I have no ill-feelings and genuinely felt that this was simply a hard one to authenticate. I am a bit nonplussed over this whole thing now, especially after this.

I'll reply to your message privately. I wish you would have gave me the same respect I provided you this entire time.

All the best,

Justin

@jg1133 

Hi Justin,

I have written several messages to you, almost every tow days. No feedback from you. That's why I asked you here. I don't know what to do. I tried to contact you and do react to your request on eBay. eBay decided to refund you without any explanation to me. I accepted. I can understand you as father has a lot to do. But why don't you answer my messages ??? You're waiting for the return label? How should I know to buy a shipping label from the US? You don't communicate with me and I can't work with you. I don't have any problem to pay the return.

I have been here on this forum for a while. I made a lot of friends on this platform. I helped many members find out what they have and how to identify Chinese antiques. Not every member knows me well. But those who know me know I don't lie and I don't sell fakes. Some members have already bought something from me and for a fair price.

I have been collecting art for 10 years and for a few years I have also been trading. I think many of you have had the experience. You've bought something and send photos to auction houses like Sotheby's and Christie's or others. Often you've gotten the response, "Your items are not suitable for our auctions" or "We're not sure about the authenticity" or no response at all. I think many experienced members here know what that means. Also many other recognized experts cannot be 100% sure to give an appraisal only with a few photos. I have had contacts with well known art dealers. They only want to give their opinion if they have seen the objects personally. Otherwise no one wants to comment just on photos. Ask Brian and Mark. They can confirm that. 

You want to offer the bowl for sale at Mr. Lark Mason's auction. He has only received photos from you and claimed the bowl is fake. Based on this short answer, you believed that I have cheated you and wants to return the bowl because you cannot sell this bowl. I have offered you to get a written appraisal from an AAA (Appraisers Association of America) certified appraiser. If the bowl was really a fake, I would apologize and refund the money plus travel expenses and costs for appraisal. Despite my efforts, you want the refund without an official appraisal from an independent appraiser. I suggest Mr. Wu from Canada because he is an AAA appraiser. You can also go to others. No problem. What you have done is not professional.

Ok, it's my fault for doing business with you, please send me the bowl back. And tell me how much you paid for the shipping. I will send you the money via Paypal or other ways you prefer.

Thank you for your answer. I'm happy that you answered my message finally.

Best regards,

Xin

@xin_fawis

This is so bizarre. I have been trying to return it to you for over a month. You didn't answer me for over a month and you feel that 4 days is not answering messages? Again, I sent you a message on ebay. Please work with me there.

I am very well aware of your reputation, which is why I didn't get the piece looked at before I bought it. Again, I am not and have never claimed you cheated me, I am not sure why you are saying that. I feel this is a hard one to authenticate and thought you would understand that because of your very stellar reputation.

I need your address to return the bowl. I will eat the return cost.

Again, I am not sure why you have been so mean and accusatory towards me from the very beginning, I would never do that to you.

This will be my last post on this thread, as this is not the topic of this blog post and this is not what people come to this forum to see.

I again apologize for any misunderstanding, however I am not sure why I am apologizing at this point to be honest.

I will (again) await your address to return and hopefully this can be finally put to rest.

Again I wish you nothing but the best, and for the record again I will restate that I never have thought you tried to cheat me or are a bad dealer.

Justin

@jg1133 

I just don't understand. Why did you want to return the bowl? Why did you buy this bowl from me? Why?

Why am I doing this here? It's all because you didn't answer my messages !!!

I apologize to all members here. I have to do this because I needed help.

I apologize to Justin as well.

@jg1133 

Hi Guy's 

Don't worry 🙂 

It is okay to discuss it here. Please Justin make sure it does not get damaged in return. I am sure Xin can sell it on for a higher price and try recover some of the loss from this transaction. I would say overseas postage is a nightmare ( and customs charges) for the seller. So I really sympathise with Xin. 

Justin, I wonder if getting it appraised by Peter might help. Lark Mason appears to be a very busy man and i doubt he has ever laid eyes on the bowl and if he has it wont be for more than a second. There might be a difference between, not wanting the item for their auction and the authenticity of the item. 

It say on their website: Lark Mason Associates provides expert appraisals free of charge.

If you are working off a free appraisal from an unknown person, not the actual Lark Mason himself it is not quite the same. If you get an appraisal off Peter then you could at least provide some remedy to Xin and the loss from the transaction but that is just my suggestion. You entitled to return the item, and you have that free appraisal and that entitles you to free postage. I can understand while it might be better to just return it rather than get bogged down with further cost's. 

Anyway, I hope you gentlemen work this out and i see no harm is raising the issue here on the forum. Neither of you have done anythign wrong, just an innocent transaction that did not work out but does leave Xin out of pocket.  Technically you could have gotten the appraisal free in advance  before purchase as it only requires 2 picture's for the free appraisal.

However. I have returned items on ebay and when i make that decision then that is that and wild horses wont change my mind but i try to be as fair as i can. 

@short-dong I appreciate you saying that,  and agree that I should have had it reviewed prior. That is my mistake and lesson learned.  I am completely understanding of Xin and the situation, and have the utmost respect for him and everything he does for this forum. I have absolutely no hard feelings and again apologize to Xin for the few day delay on my response and for any inconvenience. 

I will make sure it is triple boxed and arrives safe. 

Again, sorry you guys had to be bothered by this, but maybe it was at least semi entertaining. 

All the best, 

Justin

@short-dong Thank you very much for these kind words.

It was a misunderstanding. I realized that eBay had a system error, that the case was blocked for two weeks. I could do nothing but wait for further response from eBay and Justin. Everything fine now.

I had a bad experience with a member a while ago. He is a very kind-hearted person, no doubt. But he was inexperienced and has been irritated by an "expert". I was really disappointed.

We are here to help each other, not deceive each other.

This is an interesting issue. It seems there will almost always be expert disagreements, so I feel it is up to me to do my research and make an informed decision prior to buying something. After I click the buy button, write the check, etc, unless I find out there has been incompetence or deliberate fraud to deceive and lie to me, then my decision to buy is final. One expert saying later it is good but another saying it is bad is not in my opinion a valid reason to ask for a refund. The rules on ebay and wherever else may let people do that, but I don't think it is very fair to the good and honest sellers trying to make their living in this trade. We have to take some responsibility as buyers and not be flip-flopping at the sellers expense and stress. Again, there will always be an expert out there to question if something might not be authentic, so we can't be letting ourselves get blown in the winds of doubt every time one of them isn't quite sure. There is no question who's opinion on this bowl I would trust more: it would be the very experienced collector who had acquired and handled it in person, not the other expert looking at some photos of it online. At any rate, I'm glad you two seem to have worked it out and everyone understands nobody deliberately meant to do the other harm. Live and learn.  John