Charlie, when forced to the wall, generally Will give a refund, as he figures it's simply easier and cheaper to do so rather than go through all the rigamarole of a court case, etc. It's the embarrassed victims that do Not push it that he banks on. The problem being, as has been said, is that to debunk a so-called expert, you need an expert yourself to refute his claims, and when Charlie stands up and shows his 50 years of selling credentials, his books and contented victims affidavit's,etc ad nauseum, it's tough,indeed, to convince a court otherwise. If drowned in an ocean of irrefutable evidence against his claimed item, the worst he has to do is to simply say "Whoops! I guess I was wrong on that one! No one is ever 100%, Your Honor, and I Did refund right away when asked! What more could I do?" But enough of old Charlie. Now that you've been stung by the viper, you'll know to always avoid contact with it again.
As for reputable dealers, there are plenty out there, such as Hannahs Reich, The Collectors Guild, Klaus Butschek, The Ruptured Duck, Lakesidetrader, Espenlaub...to name just a few that come immediately to mind. Avoid or at least approach with great caution, sites like eBay. Yes, there are good things there on occasion but it is a Very dangerous place for newer collectors, as it is literally loaded to the gills with thieves as well. Good luck!
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