Is Pristine Auction worth it? Pristine Auction is a legitimate memorabilia auction website specializing in autographs, sports cards, art, and collectibles. Although the company claims it works with the leading authentication companies to ensure all pieces and signatures are 100% authentic, there’s always a risk that the memorabilia may not always be authentic.
Online auction sites like Pristine Auction can offer many sought-after memorabilia with the possibility of snagging the items at bargain prices; however, is the auction process legitimate? Is the merchandise they’re auctioning authentic? Is there a risk of receiving fake items? We have dug into various customer feedbacks to find out the answers to these burning questions.
Table of Contents
- Pristine Auction Company Information
- What is Pristine Auction?
- Is Pristine Auction legal and safe or a scam?
- Is Pristine Auction reliable and trustworthy?
- The pros and cons of Pristine Auction
- How does Pristine Auction make money?
- Best Pristine Auction alternatives
- FAQs
Pristine Auction Company Information
Official Website: | https://www.pristineauction.com/ |
Headquarters Location: | Phoenix, Arizona, United States |
Founded: | 2010 |
Industry: | Auction, Memorabilia |
Ownership: | Jared and Camilla Kavlie |
Contact: | +1 602-626–5218, help@pristineauction.com |
Trust Score: | High |
Social Media: | Facebook, Instagram, YouTube |
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What is Pristine Auction?
Pristine Auction is a family-owned auction site founded in 2010 and conducted entirely online. They specialize in autographed memorabilia, coins, arts, and other collectibles. They also have a marketplace where they sell their own Pristine Auction branded merchandise. They run various auctions where you can bid for merchandise. It is similar to a platform like eBay except that with Pristine Auction, bidding is done in real-time, unlike eBay, where bidding for an item can take days or even weeks before bidding ends.
With all online auction platforms and independent sellers being able to provide their merchandise, there is always a risk that an item may not be completely authentic. There are also reports that the merchandise does take a while to ship to the winning bidder after the bid is won, which can be disconcerting, particularly as some items go for very high prices.
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Is Pristine Auction legal and safe or a scam?
The Pristine Auction website is completely legal and has a valid security certificate. McAfee Webadvisor on google confirms the site is secure and safe to use with no reports of malicious activity, viruses, or malware. Similarly, according to ScamAdviser, Pristineauction.com has cookie consent, has been checked for malware and phishing by Flashstart, is trusted by Trend Micro, and is legit and safe for consumers to access.
As with other similar bidding platforms, there is a small risk that you may not receive an authentic item. But, Pristine Auction has a team that authenticates all items that go up for bidding, so this will put your mind at rest.
Pristine Auction has a privacy policy on its website which advises how they collect and protect personal information. They also have a separate auction policy page on payments, shipping, and bidding.
There appear to be no other fake sites or replicas of the Pristine Auction website.
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Is Pristine Auction reliable and trustworthy?
Overall, Pristine Auction has mostly positive reviews. They have a score of 4.6 out of five stars on Trustpilot from 8,388 reviews giving them a rating of Excellent. On SiteJabber they have a consumer rating of 4.5 stars from 931 reviews.
Items delivered as described and photographed on the site are non-returnable. However, they state that any items that do not arrive in the condition described or are damaged must be reported within 7 days via their customer service email with details and photographic evidence. Returns information is available on their auction policy page.
There are overwhelmingly positive reports of Pristine Auction as opposed to scam reports. Scam Detector rated the website with a score of 80.9 out of 100, saying the site is reliable, legitimate, and secure.
The website offers customer support through its automatic chat feature and default questions and answers. However, if these don’t answer your question, you can choose to contact customer support live. They also have a dedicated help email address.
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The pros and cons of Pristine Auction
Pros:
- Pristine Reward
- Great reputation
- Wide range of items
- Personally autographed merchandise
- Items are verified for authenticity
- The majority of consumer reviews are positive
Cons:
- Restricted returns and refunds policy
- No guarantee of winning items
- 17% additional charge added to customers’ final bid
- Once a bid is placed, it cannot be deleted
- Auctions can be canceled at any time
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How does Pristine Auction make money?
According to Pipe Candy, Pristine Auction has made website sales of $5-$10 million within the last year and has an order volume of 10,000-50,000 per month. They also only have an estimated 11-50 employees, meaning their recruitment spending is low. Pristine Auction also charges sellers a flat consignment fee of 15% with a minimum commission of $5 per Lot and a $10 minimum commission on lots sold for $25 and less.
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Best Pristine Auction alternatives
Although online auction websites can be risky, and there is no guarantee of winning a bid or getting a bargain, they are still a great way to get your hands on rare merchandise or find something you love. If you are looking for more auction sites like Pristine Auction, you should check out the following sites:
- SCP Auctions
- eBay
- LiveAuctioneers
- Gixen
- Bidz
- Grey Flannel Auctions
- Heritage Auctions
- Sothebys
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FAQs
How can I check that the Pristine Auction website isn’t fraudulent?
Next to the website’s URL in the box, there should be a padlock; if that padlock is closed, it means the website is secure. You can also click on the padlock, which will bring up further information, including whether it is safe to enter payment details. Also, when googling the website, in the search results, a green tick should appear next to the website to confirm it is secure.
How can I trust that reviews for Pristine Auction are honest?
Always look across several different review websites to get a more balanced view of positive versus negative reviews. Always remember that even genuine companies can still receive negative reviews.
Does Pristine Auction sell fake merchandise?
All autographed lots up for auction on the website have leading industry authentication, and Pristine can guarantee that all signed merchandise is 100% authentic. Most lots will also include a certificate of authentication. This doesn’t mean you may not get fake merchandise, as no authentication system is 100% perfect.
Does Pristine Auction have an app and is it good?
Yes! Pristine Auction does have an app. The app has a 4.6 out of 5 stars rating from 346 reviews
Are there age requirements to bid on Pristine auctions?
Yes. All bidders must be 18 or older to participate in the auctions
What shipping methods does Pristine Auction use?
Lots ship via FedEx, UPS Ground, or UPS-MI Service for domestic and international shipments. Pristine Auction also uses USPS under certain circumstances for domestic orders shipping to a P.O. Box and can make exceptions to ship USPS for international orders under $300 upon customer request.
Is Pristine Auction able to split an order and ship to multiple addresses?
No. Orders must be shipped to a single address, and Pristine Auction is unable to split an order and ship to multiple addresses.
What will happen to a lot that is unsold?
Any unsold lots in an auction will be placed into a future auction or returned to the consignor at the discretion of Pristine Auction.
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