Rogue REA employee on eBay?

[FUBAR]

Leon

for some reason, my wife took one step back.... i think most wives did!

[glynparson]

Rob has come on here and explained the situation and I am satisfied. I have no problem with Dean selling cards as long as he is open and honest that it is Dean from REA and that he sells cards he owns, or is given permission to sell by the card owner. He probably should have a handle like DEANFARAGI-REA or something similar. He should also adopt the rules REA follows if he wants to sell while working there. I think he is probably sorry because he loves working there and is truly embarassed and fearful for his job. Hopefully this was just one stupid mistake in an otherwise very above board and honest operation. Now if this is shown to be a pattern of course my opinion would change, but I hope that is not the case, nor do I expect to hear any of these goings on in the future.

[Jim VB]

I've removed my previous comments because I'm now as confused as Barry. Because of that, I shouldn't be "explaining" anything, to anyone.

Are we now of the belief that hobbyguynj and smgsmg1968 are two different people?

[canjond]

Originally Posted by Jim VB

I've removed my previous comments because I'm now as confused as Barry. Because of that, I shouldn't be "explaining" anything, to anyone.

Are we now of the belief that hobbyguynj and smgsmg1968 are two different people?

Jim - I agree. Totally confused by the facts. I had thought the same person had two different IDs - guess that's not the case after all?

[Wesley]

The initial post was somewhat confusing, and at first glance, I thought the allegation was shill bidding. Now I understand this has nothing to do with shill bidding.

[Jim VB]

The links in the original post seem to show (I emphasize "seem") that a M116 Clarke and a C56 Moran were on the same PSA submission. One (Clarke) was later sold on Ebay by hobbyguynj. The other (Moran) was sold on Ebay by smgsmg1968. In this auction, is appears that hobbyguynj was the underbidder.

What am I not getting here?

[botn]

Not sure this has any reflection or should have any reflection on Rob and I also see no problem with Dean selling cards. Think that Rob does not permit him or any of his employees to do so through REA. Again, as Peter stated it is far worse and completely ignored by most here, that the owner of a grading company is selling cards and even worse when it includes expensive cards graded by his grading service.

But I am confused...

DJR claims that smgsmg1968 is Dean. eBay id hobbyguynj's identity is unknown, right? If you scan through the feedback for hobbyguynj there are 4 or 5 instances in which the person leaving feedback refers to hobbyguynj by name and the name used is Dean. smgsmg1968 and hobbyguynj have left feedback for one another.

[Jim VB]

Rob emailed me that he is 100% convinced that hobbyguynj and smgsmg1968 are different people, but have done business with each other.

If that's the case, I don't have a big problem here. I find it difficult to believe that people connected with our hobby, be it auction house employees or grading company employees, would have no interested in the hobby itself. I realize that leaves some potential for a conflict of interest, but I don't see any way around it.

If Rob is incorrect or has been lied to about these Ebay ID's, then there is an even bigger problem.

Maybe David R can jump back on here and clarify. I'm not very familiar with the Cardtarget website. Does that show definitively that those PSA numbers were on the same submission, or does it just show that they went through the system close together?

[barrysloate]

So let me pose this hypothetical, and it in no way has anything to do with Dean or REA:

We all agree it is unacceptable for an auction employee to bid with the company he works for, even if he only wants to buy something for his own collection. The reason is he has inside information concerning other bidders that would give him an unfair advantage.

So wouldn't an employee of a major auction house have access to the mailing list and contact information of all the auction house's key clients, something he wouldn't have if he were not an employee? And couldn't he contact these key clients with cards for sale? And suppose the deals didn't go so well- couldn't the clients call the auction owner and lodge a complaint about that employee?

So even if selling cards is not a direct conflict of interest, if I owned an auction house with employees I think I would tell them to focus on their day to day work, and not sell the same product the auction house sells.

[oriolesbb6]

Originally Posted by barrysloate

So let me pose this hypothetical, and it in no way has anything to do with Dean or REA:

We all agree it is unacceptable for an auction employee to bid with the company he works for, even if he only wants to buy something for his own collection. The reason is he has inside information concerning other bidders that would give him an unfair advantage.

So wouldn't an employee of a major auction house have access to the mailing list and contact information of all the auction house's key clients, something he wouldn't have if he were not an employee? And couldn't he contact these key clients with cards for sale? And suppose the deals didn't go so well- couldn't the clients call the auction owner and lodge a complaint about that employee?

So even if selling cards is not a direct conflict of interest, if I owned an auction house with employees I think I would tell them to focus on their day to day work, and not sell the same product the auction house sells.

Sorry read earlier post, before later clarification.

[benchod]

With all due repect to Rob Lifson this isn't an isloated event with Dean using questionable judgement. In fact I have had a personal experience involving Dean on Ebay and found him to be an underhanded, immoral, backstabbing liar. Ask me how I really feel about him.

[Peter_Spaeth]

Originally Posted by benchod

With all due repect to Rob Lifson this isn't an isloated event with Dean using questionable judgement. In fact I have had a personal experience involving Dean on Ebay and found him to be an underhanded, immoral, backstabbing liar. Ask me how I really feel about him.

The facts underlying these feelings?

[benchod]

Sure Peter
In 2004 I won a KBats team card on ebay.
I paid immediately after the auction with paypal.

Hobbyguynj (Faragi) emailed me saying he was the underbidder and wanted to know if I wanted to sell him the card. I told him no thanks. He then emailed me saying he heard from the seller that I couldn't pay for the card and he was going to send payment. This obviously was all b.s. as I had already paid. He also emailed the seller telling him I wasn't going to pay.

Fortunately the seller was an upright person and I have the card in my collection. It just amazes me how low a person will stoop for a piece of cardboard or for money

[Peter_Spaeth]

So both of these IDs are Dean's and he is "buying" his own cards and leaving feedback for himself?

[andybecker]

Originally Posted by FUBAR

Leon

for some reason, my wife took one step back.... i think most wives did!

that may be the best one-liner in net54 history