All members, listen up...(MUST read)...

[suicide_squeeze]

ricardo, did you not have a neighbor knock on your door? kidding

what exactly happened here? steve you received a C&D, one of dozens i'm sure richie has whipped off in the past few years, and then intimated that you were marked for death?

"After receiving a warning from an attorney, then out of the blue there is a guy knocking on my door asking for me? What would you guys have thought?"

i would've thought i received a C&D and then some guy knocked on my door. worst case scenario, maybe a process server. or jehovah's witness. "hitman" probably wouldn't have crossed my mind. if i had a nickel for everytime someone threatened to sue me..

anyway, common sense and an understanding of what constitutes libel (and how difficult it is to win a libel case) should keep most people out of trouble. if you're never going to make a negative statement against GFC again then richie probably wishes they were all so easy.



rudy.

I guess you guys can find humor in it, I'm o.k. with that.

But Rudy, when you know you've made some comments about some places of biz that you've dealt with in the past, and some of them are colorful, spiked with a bit of humor, and short of....let's say, "complimentary", and the place is struggling right now.....basically it could be taken as a cheap shot by the poster as a personal attack, badly timed at that. Not my intent at all....but when you have a guy banging on your door on a workday in the middle of the afternoon......a guy you've never met, and he's looking for you??.....A guy who would/should probably assume you aren't home.....you've got to maybe second guess what you've put out there. Couple that with the timing of the other stuff (the call from Victor out of the blue....the letter C&D letter from GF's legal counsel)....I don't think I'm being overly paranoid.

This all made me stop and think....times are tough. People are stressed. They're pissed. The news is horrendous. Shootings every day. Bad times everywhere. I think that is something to be considered.

And we've all heard the old addage "Don't mess with a man's means of making a living"....

Well, I would say with no hesitation that that is a stretch, I don't believe any post I've ever read (or written) would fall under that category, but this rattled me because of the timing.

Look, I'm no pushover. I've been involved in sports my whole life, had a personal try-out with the California Angels years ago. I'm 6'4", 240 and athletic to this day.

But this rattled my cage. I felt like I was out of control of my whole situation. I don't want to be looking over my shoulder for something as silly as all this.

[Trublubrucru]

Squeeze,

Anyone who has membership to GUU can access members names through Hobby network/browse profiles. We'd be naive not to think every auction house doesn't monitor or have a cousin keeping an eye on what goes down here. The net can find almost anything. By the way, everyone appreciates problems exposed to sunlight.

[thrush29]

Squeeze,

1st of all sorry for all of the stress your going through.....As for the Grey Flannel letter, IMO its just a letter and it costs next to nothing to send one. I think King Jammy hit it on the head "anyway, common sense and an understanding of what constitutes libel (and how difficult it is to win a libel case) should keep most people out of trouble." if you're never going to make a negative statement against GFC again then richie probably wishes they were all so easy.
as for the ami call could it be just coincidence..call them back. As for the guy showing up at your door.....I've had so many solicitors approach my residence I've had to put a no soliciting sign on the door.....and that doesnt even work. I have found that cussing them out and telling them to get the hell off my property does.....

GOOD LUCK AND GOD BLESS TEXAS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thrush29

[kingjammy24]

"This all made me stop and think....times are tough. People are stressed. They're pissed. The news is horrendous. Shootings every day. Bad times everywhere. I think that is something to be considered."

yeah times are tough and people are stressed and it's going to make them even more stressed if they get ripped off by an auction house.

"And we've all heard the old addage "Don't mess with a man's means of making a living..."

and if that man's living entails ripping others off? sorry i have no sympathy. you know the great thing about a market economy? natural selection. if you offer a lousy product with lousy customer service then you're probably not going to last long and that's a good thing for consumers. am i not supposed to discuss bad items because johnny auctionhouseowner mismanaged his negligent auction house and is now suffering because of it? if you run your business a certain way, if you let your employees play stickball in the backroom with consignments, have horrendous customer service, hire the worst authenticator in the business, hire the girls from the local gentleman's club to model jerseys, then don't whine at the consequences. good riddance. i can think of a few auction houses the hobby would be better off without.

as for posting, learn what constitutes libel and don't do it. it's really very easy. ever since the forum was created in 2005, i don't recall anyone being killed over a post and i don't even recall any lawsuits.

"I'm 6'4", 240 and athletic to this day."

you sound dreamy! no wonder your neighbor was peeking in your windows.

rudy.

[trsent]

I would guess Grey Flannel would send a letter of such nature when they see people questioning items on this forum, but the forum rules were not followed. I believe there is a Sticky on a new post by Chris Cavalier about the forum policies that have not been followed.

I personally have been in contact with Grey Flannel with concern why there have been 10-15 items (of an 800 plus item auction) so openly questioned on this forum from the preview alone that has made people question Grey Flannel's authentication process for this auction.

This number of questioned items is much higher than I have seen in past Grey Flannel auctions (maybe a couple of items here or there, but not so many so quickly) and I was concerned what changes were made in the process that there are so many questions.

They appear to be attempting to correct the items of issue, but at the same time they appeared concerned that Game Used Universe has a policy of the auction house (or any seller) being questioned before accused of wrong-doing, often accused of intent, without first being contacted to address the issues brought up.

I asked in a few threads what Grey Flannel's response was when questioned as a few items the posts were made just hours (less than 24 per forum policy) after the preview went online. The posts never mentioned a reply about their concerns, and as it turns out the auction house was not contacted before the posts took place. Once the accuser admitted they were going to contact the auction house later that day after already stating an item is not genuine.

The forum rules are simple but people attack me time and time again when I question if they are following the forum rules so maybe an error can be explained or corrected before someone makes a post about it since maybe there is more to the item than the questioner knows. I am also concerned with the issues posted about items that have been questioned but I also am concerned when the seller is not first contacted time and time again and no one stands up for what is listed as a rule.

There is a way to post concerns without accusing an auction house of fraud and without stating an item is not genuine. It would make things so much similar.

[Capital-Sports]

I thin GFC needs some good ol' Marine Corps lovin!!!! (which isn't a good thing)

[cohibasmoker]

As long as we deal with facts then there's nothing wrong with asking questions about items these auction houses are selling. This site has been instrumental in making some of these companies accountable for the first time. I would hate to think they are using intimidation tactics to get people here to stop talking.

Oh, and hey auction house geniuses- the FBI reads this site!

Eric

Eric - that is why issues about item (s) should be brought up AFTER the fact. Why?

1) No-one could say that comments on this site affected their auction;
2) FBI agents ARE NOT collectors so if issues are pointed out, they can understand what the issue (s) are;
3) Agents could care less about a single item but rather follow a "pattern" of behavior;
4) After a pattern is established and a money threshold is reached, then it MAY warrant an investigation (RICO).
5) I keep hearing about Letters of Opinion. How about the term Fiduciary relationship?

Jim

[metsbats]

Meanwhile back at the auction house meeting place..

[cohibasmoker]

Meanwhile back at the auction house meeting place..

Hey metsbats - Awesome

[metsbats]

I would guess Grey Flannel would send a letter of such nature when they see people questioning items on this forum, but the forum rules were not followed. I believe there is a Sticky on a new post by Chris Cavalier about the forum policies that have not been followed.

I personally have been in contact with Grey Flannel with concern why there have been 10-15 items (of an 800 plus item auction) so openly questioned on this forum from the preview alone that has made people question Grey Flannel's authentication process for this auction.

This number of questioned items is much higher than I have seen in past Grey Flannel auctions (maybe a couple of items here or there, but not so many so quickly) and I was concerned what changes were made in the process that there are so many questions.

They appear to be attempting to correct the items of issue, but at the same time they appeared concerned that Game Used Universe has a policy of the auction house (or any seller) being questioned before accused of wrong-doing, often accused of intent, without first being contacted to address the issues brought up.

I asked in a few threads what Grey Flannel's response was when questioned as a few items the posts were made just hours (less than 24 per forum policy) after the preview went online. The posts never mentioned a reply about their concerns, and as it turns out the auction house was not contacted before the posts took place. Once the accuser admitted they were going to contact the auction house later that day after already stating an item is not genuine.

The forum rules are simple but people attack me time and time again when I question if they are following the forum rules so maybe an error can be explained or corrected before someone makes a post about it since maybe there is more to the item than the questioner knows. I am also concerned with the issues posted about items that have been questioned but I also am concerned when the seller is not first contacted time and time again and no one stands up for what is listed as a rule.

There is a way to post concerns without accusing an auction house of fraud and without stating an item is not genuine. It would make things so much similar.

I agree. Following the rules by contacting the auction house and following the forum rules will certainly help avoid issues. It adds alot of legitimacy to the questions and opens the dialogue to resolution verses confrontation. Additionally we get all emotional when we see things we believe are not correct and may add a little colour into our posts. That does not help either.

The same applies on the other side: GFA's response via the letter is appropriate (if the rule was not followed) however stalking someone at their home is not.