Antique Market Customer responds to blog comment.

Hello Harry,

I was reading through your blog from the antique wholesale dealer warning you emailed me and wanted to send you something to post in response to the comment from the obviously fake dealer from Prince George.

It was really surprising to read what was posted for a few reasons. First of all I am one of the largest dealers in the area and I don’t even deal in multiple container loads.

Second, Prince George is a town with only 20 000 people with 4 used furniture (antique) junk shops so it’s obvious the Anonymous dealer is a fake, nobody brings that much gear to this area.

This is for your blog. I’ve been dealing with the Antique Market for over 10 years and am always happy with the service. The Antique Market are the largest dealers / wholesalers in Western Canada and offer a great service with great products. The antiques we buy are always in good order and anything that needs work is repaired or fully restored. We always receive our product polished and properly packed. Best of all they always take amazing care of me and stand behind what they sell.

Please feel free to post my name and address so people can get in contact with me if they have questions.


Sincerely
Elaine

Elaine's Uniques Gifts
Smithers B. C.

Warning when trying to get a container from Antiques Supermarket through customs.

Seizure and inspection likely when purchasing a container from Antiques Supermarket.

Due to our recent issues with misrepresentation of items from Antiques Supermarket and Charles Shackleton / Les Swainbank we reported his practices to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency also to Canada Customs. Both agencies take import fraud seriously.

FYI.: The likelihood of any container coming from The Antiques Supermarket being seized for examination is quite high. Due to multiple reports to the English, U.S. and Canadian governments of fraud and misrepresentation. “FREE” unlisted merchandise is illegal for a variety of reasons and could lead to a great deal of problems when dealing with customs. Such as refusal of entry and serious fines. The technical term is smuggling. Any time you try to get something across the border by any sort of deception or omission the government likes to call it smuggling.

Listing an item on the customs declaration as being made in 1910 but made in 1980 is a crime. Even if the creative paperwork comes from the other side the receiver is liable. This could also jeopardize future containers from any source. Once you make it on the customs list it take a while for them to trust you again.

So buyer beware when purchasing a container from any organization that offers “FREE” or misrepresents merchandise. It sounds like a great incentive to buy a load from this guy but you may get a lot more than you bargained for like a huge legal bill, fines and a nice big storage bill from the freight yard while customs sorts out your issue. Or better yet complete seizure of the container, storage fees and being forced to pay for return shipment!

Recent developements with the Antiques Supermarket

Recent developments in the ongoing saga of the Antiques Supermarket and the man who is so honest he had to change his name because he was swamped with happy customers!

Yesterday Les/Charles emailed us the link to his "in my defence" blog. Take a look it's entertaining. http://antiquessupermarket.blogspot.com/#main

For somebody who claims to be so honest why do the local police have to be involved when his “HAPPY” customers want to get the merchandise they paid for but never received? Maybe they brought the police to help contain their enthusiasm?

Why would the local police be more than happy to help a foreigner claim their goods from such an honest dealer?

Why would an honest dealer lie on an invoice, send Ikea items and label them as 1930’s or send over particle board cabinets with a huge date stamp saying 1986 on the back but listed as 1920s articles?

When customs inspects a container and an item made in 1986 is listed on the COMMERCIAL INVOICE and the CUSTOMS DECLARATION as made in 1920 they will seize your container. We were never able to identify or find the “Free items” and the free packing, just check the pictures below it speaks for itself. Also a proper accounting of all items with values has to be included otherwise it is referred to as smuggling, again customs will seize the container…

These things are called fraud. When a customer picks out exact pieces takes photographs of them and receives a container where not one of those pieces is in the container that is called fraud. When a customer pays for one item and receives another that is called theft. Yes the term honest can be a little flexible but when police need to be involved to get items you paid for…how honest is that?

Here is an Ikea mirror labelled as 1920's. Interesting how we now have Ikea antiques!!

Here we have a great Pine unit from the mid 1980's labelled as 1900's. No charge for the broken door!!

Here is a great particle board china cabinet stamped 1986 on the back. We were so surprised to find this rare 1920's example of particle board construction we had to throw it in the garbage. Maybe these were the free items good ol' Charles mentioned. Funny on our invoice we paid for it...

Another nice example of straight to the garbage can!! Here we have a fine example of 1980's construction listed as a 1930's vintage coffee table? Exceptional quality and value! You bet! It is very rare to come across such a fine coffee table (without glass of course) outside of your local garbage dump. Maybe Charles or Les or Simon or William or some other entity will be sending the glass over on the next can?

Spread the word.The internet is great for many reasons.

Ever since we received our container of back alley garbage from Antiques Supermarket we have been making a point of spreading the word regarding the wholesale antique scam this operation is running.

Charles, Les or Lez is using the internet to find people to sell to. We are using the internet to let people know what his operation is all about. The response has been great we have found several people already who have been robbed and are more than a little hopping mad about it.

The saddest thing is we have found a large number of people in the U.K. who are aware of the Antiques Supermarkets tactics and never did anything to warn people. Whenever we speak to somebody in the Antique Wholesale business in the U.K. they know exactly who we are talking about.

It seems that it would be much easier to simply provide the services they claim on the website and in person than to deal with police and legal action on a regular basis. Having to move your business and change your name due to the fact you have ripped off so many people seems like it is more effort than it's worth.

Our new friends in Australia have been actively spreading the word for some time and the people in South Africa are also working hard to spread the word there. From what we have been told the reputation of the Antiques Supermarket is so well known in Australia no one will buy from him there.

So please keep passing this info on to any dealers you know and help spread the word.

Myspace Link for Charles Shackleton and Les Swainbank

One of our fellow victims has set up a little myspace page in tribute to the Antiques Supermarket and Charles Shackleton (Les Swainbank)

Check it out!!!

http://www.myspace.com/antiquesupermarket

Please forward this blog to any colleagues you might have in the antique business.