Fake art on Ebay
Media report that a fake of a William Dobell painting was sold on Ebay for over $3,000 as an original. The artist who painted the imitation contacted both Ebay and the seller in an attempt to get the item removed, but neither took any action.
Ebay’s excuse is the standard “we have 100 million items listed and don’t know anything about art”. They are happy to take money for listing and selling fees, but don’t want to take responsibility for removing known fakes. It’s nothing new - Ebay does little to remove genuinely fraudulent items, prefering to focus on minor listing violations.
This means that the buyers should be vigilent when purchasing on Ebay. If buying specialist items like artwork, it is important to know what you are buying, or risk getting ripped off. There are a few steps you can take to avoid problems. Buying from a reputable seller who offers adequate assistance is the best way to stay safe, but if you are after a very expensive item (such a a $3K painting) and are unsure that it is genuine, it may be better to be safe than sorry.
