Patchauctions.com
Posted in Patch Collecting by John E. Pannell on November 10th, 2008 at 2:02 pm There is a new website that appears to be positioning itself as an alternative to the eBay market, called patchauctions.com. The copyright statement on the site makes it appear the site has been around for several years but I have only recently heard of it. It says it is “for true collectors” and includes a wide array of categories for various types of patches, not just Scouting items.
As I write this, the site has nearly 3000 items listed in the top level “Boy Scout” category. After a quick glance I recognize at least one seller as having been active on eBay.
While I would normally applaud an alternative to eBay, I have noticed a few disturbing things about the site.
From the “whois” database at Network Solutions we can find the following information about this site’s registrant:
Registrant:
Patch Auctions
185 Huanshixilu
Guangzhou, Guangdong 510010
CNDomain name: PATCHAUCTIONS.COM
Administrative Contact:
Zhou, Eugenia zhoueugenia@yahoo.com.cn
185 Huanshixilu
Guangzhou, Guangdong 510010
CN
904-234-8284
Technical Contact:
Zhou, Eugenia zhoueugenia@yahoo.com.cn
185 Huanshixilu
Guangzhou, Guangdong 510010
CN
That the owner is in China should not be looked at as an automatic condemnation of the site. However, given the amount of fakes and overruns originating in China, and since the owners appear to be active sellers on their own site, this should be of concern for anyone buying items here.
I then read this site’s User Agreement. A couple of points quickly jumped out at me:
4. Disputes and Release
*******************************************
Because patchauctions.com’s has no involvement in transactions between users we can not get involved in disputes between users. You hereby release patchauctions.com’s (including all officers, employees, parent companies, contractors, suppliers, or agents) from any and all types of damages or claims resulting from such disputes.
20. General
*******************************************This Agreement and the terms and conditions herein, shall be governed by the laws of the Provinve of Guangzhou in the country of China. You further submit to the legal jurisdiction of the country of China and agree that any legal action or proceeding regarding this Agreement, whether it be on a local, state, or federal level, shall be brought in Guangzhou, China , or a court within the jurisdiction of the state of Guangzhou, China.
The first cited point is not too unusual. eBay makes similar claims and has argued this viewpoint in court. However, eBay doesn’t sell stuff on their own site, like the owners of this site appear to do.
The last point should be of great concern to potential buyers. Should you have with this site — either as an operator of a website or as a seller on that site — you agree that your own legal recourse is within the People’s Republic China and governed by that nation’s laws. That would leave most Americans, for all practical purposes, without an avenue of legal recourse.
While I am not saying the site sells fake merchandise, I would advise extreme caution on the part of anyone seeking to buy there. Be aware with whom you are dealing, pay attention to the location of the seller. Preferably stick to sellers you know to be honest from other dealings. More importantly learn about the patches you seek to buy, and how to recognize any fakes or reproductions of those items.
Popularity: 7% [?]
Group:
I remember seeing this website for sale on eBay about two (2) months ago. I did not follow it to the end, so I do not know if it sold.
My two cents.
Sincerely,
Robert C. Evans
r_c_evans@hotmail.com