cold call from PWCC

craig44

yesterday I received a cold call from PWCC. they wanted to answer any questions I had about the consignment process and what I collect. they called me a great customer. according to my records, I have purchased a grand total of 1 card from PWCC around 5 years ago. I wouldn't consider myself a great customer. If they are calling me trying to drum up business, things must be looking bleak up in the pacific northwest.

has anyone else received a similar cold call?

graygator

They cold called me a couple of months ago. It was a fun opportunity to tell the poor fellow tasked with the call what I think of their business. I got the impression he was used to it.

CaughtMyWow

If they call me I would tell them I got cards need to consign and need them to shill up bids.

ArtVandelay

Now that they are off eBay I practically forgot all about them.

blurryface

alanis morrisette would have a field day with this one. the company that did everything in their power to scrub any and all published telecommunication lines for the past couple of years is now cold calling customers? that’s a death row pardon two minutes too late. isnt it ironic.

DJJazzBass

I prefer the cold calls from the "Social Security Administration"
It's so much fun to say "Hello officer Ben Chode. How are you?"
Then they go berserk! Usually start by calling me a "Mother Chode" and every curse word they can think of in the English language, then hang up. I can't stop laughing.

galaxy27

i received an unsolicited text message a couple of months ago from them

"was reaching out to chat cards with you"

how about let's not and say we did

Cakes

@blurryface said:
alanis morrisette would have a field day with this one. the company that did everything in their power to scrub any and all published telecommunication lines for the past couple of years is now cold calling customers? that’s a death row pardon two minutes too late. isnt it ironic.

Her debut on Letterman is off the chain! The drummer and bassist rock that shi+

Vagabond

I have received calls from them even before eBay gave them the boot. Just means they are getting ready to be a major player amongst companies like Heritage, Goldin and more.

coinspacks

I tried to bid on their current auction and they told me my application is pending. Guess they don't want my bid

DBesse27

@coinspacks said:
I tried to bid on their current auction and they told me my application is pending. Guess they don't want my bid

Consider yourself lucky.

gemint

Tell them you have a PSA 8 '52 Mantle but you're going to consign it to Probstein because they are still on eBay.

coolstanley

Now that they are no longer on ebay, I will not be bidding on their cards.

TheDetroitCollector

How would they have gotten your number? I have bought a number of items from PWCC, but never gave out my number.

craig44

@TheDetroitCollector said:
How would they have gotten your number? I have bought a number of items from PWCC, but never gave out my number.

that is a great question. the only thing I can think is that I must have given it to them on the submission form when I consigned all those years ago.

DBesse27

I think eBay gives it to them, if you’ve ever bought anything from them.

GreenSneakers

I’d hang up if they called me, yet somehow I’m still disappointed they haven’t.

82FootballWaxMemorys

@blurryface said:
alanis morrisette would have a field day with this one. the company that did everything in their power to scrub any and all published telecommunication lines for the past couple of years is now cold calling customers? that’s a death row pardon two minutes too late. isnt it ironic.

Nitpick; the real irony is every example of alleged irony in her track was actually happenstance

blurryface

@82FootballWaxMemorys said:

@blurryface said:
alanis morrisette would have a field day with this one. the company that did everything in their power to scrub any and all published telecommunication lines for the past couple of years is now cold calling customers? that’s a death row pardon two minutes too late. isnt it ironic.

Nitpick; the real irony is every example of alleged irony in her track was actually happenstance

well isnt that ironic! 😉

82FootballWaxMemorys

In the 1990's "Irony" was probably the single most misused word in the English Language. Actually it still may be the case today.

https://www.rd.com/article/most-misused-word-english-language/

DBesse27

@82FootballWaxMemorys said:
In the 1990's "Irony" was probably the single most misused word in the English Language. Actually it still may be the case today.

https://www.rd.com/article/most-misused-word-english-language/

What about “literally”? Every time somebody uses that word when they mean “figuratively” I “literally” sh!t a brick!

daltex

@DBesse27 said:

@82FootballWaxMemorys said:
In the 1990's "Irony" was probably the single most misused word in the English Language. Actually it still may be the case today.

https://www.rd.com/article/most-misused-word-english-language/

What about “literally”? Every time somebody uses that word when they mean “figuratively” I “literally” sh!t a brick!

"Literally" now means "Really, really figuratively." Just like "fiancée'" now means "person I'm really embarrassed that I've been shacking up with for so long without a hint of a commitment."

But perhaps we're drifting a little off topic. . .

blurryface

could care less. 😉

craig44

I think you mean you could literally care less...

rcmb3220

@DBesse27 said:

@82FootballWaxMemorys said:
In the 1990's "Irony" was probably the single most misused word in the English Language. Actually it still may be the case today.

https://www.rd.com/article/most-misused-word-english-language/

What about “literally”? Every time somebody uses that word when they mean “figuratively” I “literally” sh!t a brick!

It begs the question

totallyradd

They called me out of the blue too, but after multiple conversations and an in person meeting with a sales rep at the National, I'm going to give them a shot. They are introducing a new auction format that will essentially remove snipe bidding, and with their vault system you can list cards whenever you'd like, either as auction or BIN.

If l it doesn't pan out, I get my cards back and I lose out on shipping costs.

1951WheatiesPremium

@totallyradd said:
They called me out of the blue too, but after multiple conversations and an in person meeting with a sales rep at the National, I'm going to give them a shot. They are introducing a new auction format that will essentially remove snipe bidding, and with their vault system you can list cards whenever you'd like, either as auction or BIN.

If l it doesn't pan out, I get my cards back and I lose out on shipping costs.

I am not a player, a partner or a lawyer. However, there’s all sorts of crazy laws in this country:

https://www.sportscollectorsdaily.com/pwcc-facing-class-action-suit-over-shill-bidding-allegations/

This is just an update to an ongoing situation but I would suggest that you make sure you know the laws of Oregon really well - not just regarding the documents that you signed - and are comfortable with your cards being there at this tumultuous time.

Be careful and do your due diligence.

rcmb3220

@totallyradd said:
They called me out of the blue too, but after multiple conversations and an in person meeting with a sales rep at the National, I'm going to give them a shot. They are introducing a new auction format that will essentially remove snipe bidding, and with their vault system you can list cards whenever you'd like, either as auction or BIN.

If l it doesn't pan out, I get my cards back and I lose out on shipping costs.

Ok

Tabe

@daltex said:

"Literally" now means "Really, really figuratively." Just like "fiancée'" now means "person I'm really embarrassed that I've been shacking up with for so long without a hint of a commitment."

That word literally got misused so often that they literally changed the definition of the word:

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/literally

82FootballWaxMemorys

@totallyradd said:
They called me out of the blue too, but after multiple conversations and an in person meeting with a sales rep at the National, I'm going to give them a shot. They are introducing a new auction format that will essentially remove snipe bidding, and with their vault system you can list cards whenever you'd like, either as auction or BIN.

If l it doesn't pan out, I get my cards back and I lose out on shipping costs.

A Snipe may be annoying to some, but it's used to potentially keep hammer price lower due to "bidding wars", but it also serves as an inhibitor to at least some shill bidding, of course PWCC seeks to eliminate it. Shill bidding represents one of the tenants of their business model.

The earlier the bids equals more shillin'.

blurryface

how do you eliminate a snipe bid? during an auction nonetheless? and how would the equate to not shilling? only thing i can think of is “extended” bidding session where only folks who have placed a bid are able to continue bidding after the initial time is over. but that in no way eliminates shill bidding. other is having a hidden reserve. but that doesnt prevent shilling or safety bidding either.

addicted2ebay

I can’t wait to see a real psa 10 86 jorda RC sale. Every one lately has been PWCC and goldin.

daltex

@blurryface said:
how do you eliminate a snipe bid? during an auction nonetheless? and how would the equate to not shilling? only thing i can think of is “extended” bidding session where only folks who have placed a bid are able to continue bidding after the initial time is over. but that in no way eliminates shill bidding. other is having a hidden reserve. but that doesnt prevent shilling or safety bidding either.

Easy. Every time a bid comes in extend the auction a short time. 30 seconds is adequate, but I think 150 to 300 is more standard. It's impossible to prevent or even restrict shill bidding if the shill is willing to be stuck with the item.

craig44

extended bidding does cancel snipes. the only thing I can think of the help with shilling is to move to a 3rd party to oversee the bidding process. the 3rd party would know every bidder id, Ip address and enforce payment at the end of auction. the costs involved would be high I am sure

daltex

@craig44 said:
extended bidding does cancel snipes. the only thing I can think of the help with shilling is to move to a 3rd party to oversee the bidding process. the 3rd party would know every bidder id, Ip address and enforce payment at the end of auction. the costs involved would be high I am sure

Even then, that wouldn't stop me from getting my brother-in-law to shill for me.

82FootballWaxMemorys

Heritage has the delay after last bid on their live auctions. Thus insuring the house shills every bid up to the maximum amount. Which as I understand is legal in Texas.

I stopped participating in Heritage auctions 8 years ago due to the legally permitted in Texas auction shenanigans, not to mention their high VIG + tax + their slow processing on their very high shipping costs. Plus they had very low Paypal and credit card threshold and insisted on wire transfers. Those amounts are nowhere as low now but I'm still done with them. They do have nice catalogs though so there's that...

fergie23

There is no way to stop shilling. The only shilling that can be restricted is the owner of the card bidding on their item and even then there are ways to circumvent any protections that are put in place.

Everyone that has bought cards at auction has been shilled. People should just get over it and make sure they only bid what they are willing to pay for a card. I know when I am the 2nd highest bidder on a card sold by Probstein, I expect to see the card reauctioned within a couple weeks (if not sooner). I have won quite a few cards the 2nd, 3rd or 4th time Probstein has sold them.

Robb

craig44

I agree there is really no surefire way to stop shill bidding.