When Kayleigh Davies looked at the bottom of what was supposed to be a vase from the French luxury glass-maker Lalique, it was clear the piece was a fake.
Etched into the base was the word “Lalique”, but Davies, an experienced valuer of antiques, could see that something was amiss.
“The seller had paid somebody to engrave ‘Lalique’ on to the bottom. He thought it would add some value.
“It was a perfectly nice vase we would have sold if he hadn’t had it engraved, but we had to turn that away.”
Scams involving antiques and collectibles are almost as old as some of the items. But internet sales now mean fraudsters have a much wider audience.
Davies, an antiques and collectibles specialist at auctions marketplace Auctionet, says there are ways that people who want to buy antiques can avoid falling for scams.
What it looks like
Sometimes people will say that a vase is in perfect condition but, on closer inspection, there is a crack which has been well restored, but which is likely to affect the price.
Or it could be that an old Dinky Toys car has been repainted to a rare colour – you may see on the base of the unit it has been unscrewed to enable this.
There are many ways for people to tinker with collectibles in the hope of getting more money, says Davies, but there are also ways to be aware.
Star Wars figures in their original packaging can be worth thousands of pounds. But buyers should watch out for scams where a figure bought for a few pounds, is then put into what looks like the original box.
Antique items, such as an old drinking glass, is likely to have scuffs on the bottom where it has been put down over time.
“If something doesn’t look right ask a question and, if it’s a fake, the seller will probably double down and won’t want to give you any more information,” says Davies.
“If they’ve made a mistake, they should correct it. Always be confident to ask a question if something doesn’t look right.”
Be especially wary of buying electrical items, such as lamps, as faulty or old wiring could result in a fire.
And autographs should be given extra scrutiny. “If somebody just has a single autograph, and they don’t know where it came from, don’t touch it. You need good provenance and, preferably, with modern autographs, a video of the person signing it.”
What to do
Some sites, such as eBay, have policies prohibiting the sale of counterfeit or fake goods. With the eBay “money-back guarantee”, you are covered for most items if they do not match the listing provided.
Citizens Advice says you have the legal right to a refund if you have bought something that turns out to be a fake.
If the seller refuses, and you paid by debit card, or it cost under £100 and you used a credit card, you can initiate a chargeback via your bank. If you paid by credit card, and it cost over £100, you can make a Section 75 claim.
If you think you have been sold fake or counterfeit goods, or you suspect someone is doing so, you can report it to Report Fraud, the national reporting centre for fraud.
And you can report the seller to Trading Standards, which you can do through Citizens Advice.
