ACAF : Autograph Collectors Against Fakes

AUTOGRAPH

COLLECTORS

AGAINST

FAKES

Autograph Collectors Against Fakes

- The Website of the eBay Autograph Collectors Forum -

The ACAF website launched in July 2008 as an extension of the successful eBay Autograph Collectors Forum. With over 2,400 members, including collectors and dealers from around the world, we hope you will find this site a useful tool to help you with your hobby. For more information on ACAF, please use the links at the top of the page.

In February 2009, the eBay group was suddenly closed, without warning, with over 3 years archives lost. We have no idea why this happened - perhaps we were exposing too many scammers ? Whatever the reason, we will not stop hunting down and exposing rogues who continue to rip off collectors and flood the market with rubbish.

ACAF is run by collectors, for collectors. We have no affiliation to any other organisation. We do not accept payment from dealers to join our Approved Dealers list, ensuring we have no ties to anyone other than fellow collectors.

As we continue to fight the trade in fake memorabilia, we will conduct private memorabilia signings with celebrities from all genres, and offer these to members at the lowest possible prices.

This year we have set ourselves a target of raising at least Ł17,000 to purchase a Sunshine Coach for the Variety Club Of Great Britain. To launch this, we joined forces with premier UK band Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark and conducted our first signing with them on Friday July 11 2008.

World Exclusive OMD Signing : Rehearsal Studios, Liverpool : Friday July 11 2008

ACAF IS PROUD TO BE

SUPPORTED BY WWW.OMD.UK.COM - THE OFFICIAL OMD WEBSITE


eBAY UPDATE !!
August 6th 2008 Within 12 hours of launching our sales campaign on eBay, the account was suspended indefinitely by eBay. The reason given was that autographs are in the "high risk" category for fraud and they require a mountain of paperwork to reinstate this, including passports, driving licences, council tax bills and details of all our suppliers. After lengthy correspondence via email - and receiving little more than standard auto-response e-mails on most occasions - we are now waiting to hear if our appeal and the information sent has been accepted. It seems that while the real crooks can carry on trading unabated, our efforts to highlight the scale of the fraud is not acceptable. We are, therefore, looking at further ways to promote the group whilst we get the eBay account reinstated. More details as we have them. In the meantime, the group moderators are continuing to purchase from a number of fraudsters and compile reports for trading standards and other associated authorities. Whilst we may appear quiet, you can be assured that there is a LOT of activity going on behind the scenes. Watch this space... February 2009 Following the closure of our selling account, we found the eBay forum mysteriously closed, without explanation, in February 2009. The new forum will take some time to grow to the size of the previous group, so please visit and invite friends and anyone you believe to be the victim of fake autograph 'dealers'. March 2009 eBay scammers Gary Hayes and Tony Shields were finally brought to book and admitted at Warrington Crown Court to fleecing collectors. Hayes, 44, of Dorchester Park, Runcorn, and Shields, 43, of Alwyn Street, Aigburth, pleaded guilty to eight counts of supplying goods under a false trade description at Warrington crown court yesterday. Nicholas Johnson, prosecuting, said the pair netted a total of $595,000 (Ł413,000) through their internet trading. Warrington crown court heard that Hayes and Shields sold supposedly genuine football memorabilia on their own website or eBay. Judge David Hale said: “You were engaged in the business of selling memorabilia that seems to be riddled with fakes. “In selling you took insufficient care. It means a lot to the people who buy this memorabilia to know they are not being ripped off.” Shields was ordered to sell his own Ł2,000 collection of Liverpool FC memorabilia as a punishment. Hayes has to pay a fine of Ł1,600 and pay defence costs within 12 months. Full story in The Liverpool Echo
April 2009 Memorabilia Dealers Sporting Legends are the latest group to be added to our Approved Dealers list. Keith and Mark host regular signings with sports stars from today and yesteryear. Please pop over to their website or eBay auction page to check out their latest goods.

ACAF Approved Autograph Seller Membership Number : AD001

ACAF : PO BOX 1051 : BB9 4BH