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Fraud Autograph Seller Attacks Us! Reviews Complaints Conway's

Conway's Vintage Treasures cvtreasures reviews complaints reputation

At CVTreasures We Still Believe "It Pays to be Honest"

 

Like You, I grew up being taught that it is NOT ok to “look the other way” when someone is in need of help and/or when an injustice is imminent. Unfortunately today, the “norm” has evolved into “don’t get involved” or “mind your own business”. Obviously this disposition is not a productive contribution to all of our safe and healthy way of life. And, certainly an inevitable detriment to future generations.. On the other hand,  I understand why many people follow the risk avoidance philosophy. Frankly, it can be risky to help someone, particularly when you (or they) are confronted by the "desperate” element of society . Many people respond to a potentially threatening experience by retreating. However, I learned early in life and in particular while serving in the US Navy Submarine Service, that "retreating" was not an option. 

We experienced such a scenario several  years ago (October 2011)..  Needless to say, when any business grows as much as ours has over the past ten years, becoming a target of the “ethically challenged” is inevitable. 

In the world of collecting high value memorabilia, is the temptation and invitation for fraud. And, nowhere is that more prevalent than the collecting genre of autographs.  Today those who engage in the fraudulent activity of selling forged autographs have the ultimate tools at their disposal. Namely the internet and in particular, venues like eBay. So, what happens when one of these prolific autograph forgery operations are threatened or “outed” by conscientious members of the collecting community? The response is typically hostile, even malicious. Remember “who” these people are and what their agenda is. Like any criminal element they will often go to desperate extremes to protect their illegal livelihood and hence try to silence those, via intimidation tactics,  who speak out against them.

I, Kevin Conway,  have been collecting and selling Genuine Historical Autographed Memorabilia for over 30 years.  Not only is collecting historical artifacts a passion but it is also a business. So like any reputable dealer who discovers a “cancer” within the industry that can do great harm, such as unscrupulous sellers of Obvious Autograph Forgeries, I speak out.  Even if that means the typically expected malicious retaliation from those that engage in such criminal activity.  That is what happened a few years ago as detailed below.

Back in October 2011 we were notified by loyal customers that several online consumer complaint websites had reports attacking our business. I immediately knew WHO is was. And it is someone who has Never done business with us.  Sadly the internet has become a safe haven for what many refer to as “Cyber terrorists”.  Namely people who are malicious predators using anonymous identities, to make fabricated, slanderous attacks on others, particularly other businesses. . Anyone, such as a business competitor,  can open an account on a website like Ripoffreport.com or Pissedconsumer.com and make completely fabricated outlandish comments about another business without any accountability, any proof of their claim or even any identity verification.   YES, websites like the two mentioned do NOT even require or verify that the people posting negative reviews are using their real identities or actually even made a purchase from the busniess they are making a complaint against (and hence slandering)..

This fraudulent autograph dealer who has NEVER done business with me, has been posting online derogatory reviews and reports about my business.  The author of these reports makes it clear with his malevolent tone that he has a personal vendetta.  It all began back around 2004-2005 after I noticed a seller on eBay that was buying photos and then weeks later that same photo would be autographed, by “deceased” celebrities (JFK, Bela Lugosi, John Wayne, etc).  I commented on this fraudulent autograph seller on the autograph forum “Is It real”.  He was eventually banned from selling autographs by eBay . But then I noticed this same individual from New Jersey opened a website that is inundated with obvious forgeries.

Well at the time  he threatened to sue me for “outing” his illegal operation.  Such empty threats are common from those who engage in criminal activity.  Meanwhile, I didn’t hear from him for the past several years.  Then in 2011 in the Autograph Magazine Live forum I noticed a derogatory post by an individual that I was certain was this same guy.   At the same time I was informed by a customer that there were several “Ripoff” type reports on the internet by this person stating I sold him a John Hancock letter for over $100,000 that he claims to have purchased from me...   Well, the good news is he didn’t make much effort to make his claim sound remotely believable. You see,  I have never even owned or sold a John Hancock, EVER (I WISH I did!), and Never sold anything close to $100,000.  Way out of my league.    However, what was apparent was this unscrupulous seller of autograph forgeries had decided to resurface with a vindictive retaliation campaign.  And of course on all these fabricated online complaints, he posts with various anonymous names as he knows he would otherwise be subject to a lawsuit.  He never uses he Real name which is Allen.

* AND, of course this individual could never provide any proof of purchase or even ownership of such a document.   As a matter of fact, on February 21, 2012 I received an email from him stating if I continued to discuss his illegal activity in the autograph forums he would "double and triple" his online smear campaign efforts against me. Again, clearly typical intimidation tactics by someone engaged in criminal activity.   I actually posted his full original, unedited email in the forum AutographMagazine.com.   Also, posted in AutographMagazine.com is a public invitation from me to this dealer to post proof of his claimed purchase.   He has never responded.

** If you ever read about someone claiming to have bought a Non-Genuine autograph from us, ask for a legitimate proof of purchase.  They will NOT be able to provide any.  WHY? Because it is only this ONE individual posting all the derogatory statements on several of these complaint websites. The same fraudulent autograph dealer mentioned above.  Also, for the record,  in over 30 years selling autographs we have NOT had a single complaint.  Anyone can verify this with the UACC.

The reason we have an impeccable reputation is because we have spent the last 30+ years following a strict code of ethics, which includes exposing fraud when we see it.  Yes, even when retaliation from the fraudulent element is expected. .     Furthermore, if we EVER sold a FAKE autograph or not fully refund an autograph that did NOT pass JSA or PSA authentication, we would jeopardize this solid reputation, not to mention our UACC Dealer designation.    Unlike sellers of autograph forgeries we are NOT afraid to guarantee JSA or PSA authentication. 

The irony of all this is that Conway's Vintage Treasures is known within the autograph community as a company that is extremely conscientious, even obsessed with researching and confirming authenticity of everything we sell, particularly autographs.  As a matter of fact, we are despised by many of the known forgers in the autograph collecting industry.  Which is the reason for such cases of retaliation.. Not only do we guarantee everything we sell for life, but we go through an extensive process of authenticating based on our own 30 years of experience but also credible 3rd party certification (one common warning sign of a seller of fake autographs is often an indignation of any independent 3rd party authentication as the last thing they want is an "independent" analysis of their autograph forgeries).

 So, in the event you come across one of these fake complaints, copied and pasted under various anonymous names, but obviously the same guy, you know it is a 100% retaliatory fabrication for “outing” this autograph forger over eight years ago.  For the past 30  + years I have always tried to be active in the collecting community combating fraud.  But, with that responsibility is the risk of retaliation from the bad element that prey on collectors, particularly inexperienced collectors.   But if it prevents one person, maybe you, from a painful and very costly experience it is all worth the hassle of dealing with those motivated by unethical and illegal behavior.

However, we will NOT be intimated by the shady element of the collecting and memorabilia industry.  Even when it comes to unsavory people who resort to hiding behind anonymous, slanderous postings on unregulated websites like ripoffreport, where anyone can post completely fabricated complaints under false identities .  (*Many people have tried to sue these websites , however they are protected by the Communications Decency Act, where the site owners can void themselves of any responsibility of even the most outrageous, false slander that is written on their websites by “Anonymous” authors. ).  There are many people lobbying Congress to modify this law to at least require these websites to verify TRUE identity, but as with much of the internet it will continue to be like the "Wild West" until internet legislation catches up to the real world.

Many of us have had a dream or desire to own a GENUINE piece of history, untainted by unscrupulous con-artists.  It is the responsibility of ethical dealers and experienced collectors, to stay actively involved in combating fraud when we see it.   Or else, EVERYONE loses.

I understand why many dealers “don’t get involved”.  However, if those within the industry do not contribute to combating fraud and criminal activity, who will?  And what will be the ramifications to not just the autograph collecting industry but every other area of collecting, from $50 baseball cards to $10,000 movie posters to 50 million dollar paintings ?  

In Conclusion, here are a few important points to remember:

1). The dealer who attacked us online via several negative fake complaints could NEVER (and has never) produce any proof of purchase from us as he has NEVER purchased anything from Conway's Vintage Treasures. For example, he claims to have purchased a John Hancock letter from us. We have NEVER owned or sold a John Hancock letter.  Hence, his complaint is 100% fictitious.

2). Many online complaint sites are not credible.  Why?  Because they do no identify verification of any kind. Hence, anyone can fabricate a complaint, with an anonymous name and email , and have it posted for malicious intentions.

3). A fraudulent seller of autographs will never have a True provenance and proof of purchase as he/she most likely is NOT actually buying from someone else.  EVERY valuable collectible we acquire has a trail of provenance including a real source and proof of purchase.

4). In 30 Years buying and selling historical autographs there has not been a single REAL complaint against us.  If there was, we would NOT be a UACC Registered Dealer, which can be verified on the UACC website UACC.ORG.  We are UACC Dealer No 307.

5). Our Guarantee of Authenticity Policy is the most Rock-Solid in the Collectibles Industry.  Not only do we Guarantee the Authenticity of every autograph we sell for Life.  But, we are one of the few dealers that specifically states on our Certificates of Authenticity that our autographs are Guaranteed to pass JSA or PSA, the two most recognized (by all major auction houses) and reputable autograph expert authentication companies in the industry. .    WHY is this so important?  Read in our article "Ten Warning Signs a Dealer May Be Selling Autograph Forgeries", step 10b. 

6). Read on our website home page, Testimonials from REAL Customers.  Also read what REAL Customers are REALLY saying about us on one of the most respected and "Google Approved" Trusted Review Sites..... READ HERE

The unfortunate reality, especially if you are a business owner,  is  that malicious fabricated online reviews and complaints are now a normal part of life that we have to deal with. There are no laws yet to protect us from "anonymous slander" online.  .

 
A final word about online review sites:

Next time you do research online for a business keep in mind that many of the online reviews are NOT credible. Why?  Because these review websites do not even do any form of Identity Verification or proof of purchase. So in other words, a rouge competitor, disgruntled employee, angry relative can go on any of these websites and post completely “made-up” reviews & complaints about you, me or any business and post them under anonymous names. And these websites will not remove the “fake” reviews, EXCEPT for a fee. For example, Ripoffreport.com will not remove a fake review UNLESS you pay them over $5000 to investigate it.   For all we know 90% of the reviews on these websites could be completely false, but because these sites do NO identity verification we’ll never know,   

Examples of these unreliable sites with “fake” reviews  include:
pissedconsumer.com
ripoffreport.com
getpayback.com


** To find HONEST reviews for a business only rely on reputable review sites that actually confirm the author's authenticity. In the case of autographs for example, the most credible source to get information on a dealer is a site that is MODERATED to insure those making comments are who they say they are and not posting as anonymous and/or malicious revenge seekers.  One such site is autographmagazine.com.There are also other legitimate review sites online that actually require proof of purchase.  None of the above mentioned sites require any such proof or verification, as coincidentally they make large sums of money off of fake, slanderous complaints and reviews.. Legitimate, honest review sites will usually require the person making the claim to provide proof of purchase. One such site is Resellerrating.com, which requires anyone posting a review to confirm their identity AND an actual business transaction by providing an actual order number and date of purchase.   As a matter of fact, Resellerrating is one of the only review sites Google uses in their search engine results.    You can see Resellerrating reviews for Conway's Vintage Treasures HERE...

NOTE:  I recently wrote a report that details how to protect yourself from unscrupulous sellers.  Be sure to read our new article "Ten Warning Signs a Dealer May Be Selling Autograph Forgeries"..

As one reputable dealer stated "when you are hated and attacked by autograph forgers you must be doing something right".

 

 
Finally there is no more effective policing of the industry than the collector market.  Experienced collectors KNOW who is legitimate and reputable and who is NOT.    And it doesn't take long for the word to get out.   And that goes BOTH ways.    We have been around for so long that our name pops up now and then in the national media.    Such as the recent mention in the syndicated column to the right...


Kevin Conway
UACC Registered Dealer No. 307
Every Autograph We Sell is Guaranteed Authentic For LIFE


UACC (Universal Autograph Collectors Club est 1965)
Note:  
UACC Registered Dealers MUST have a flawless reputation.  Any Dealer who has an unresolved complaint will LOSE their UACC Dealer designation.  It is common to hear dealers with poor reputations often be critical of the UACC.. WHY?  Because in almost every case you will find they have either been banned by the UACC Executive Board or had their membership application rejected.    See here for our current UACC Dealer status..

 

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