Bad experience of participating in Dmitry Markov's auction

Dear forum members,

I believe that one should always seek justice and tell people the truth.
Dissemination and coverage of factual and proven information will help not only the entire community of collectors in the world, but also contribute to the victory of truth in this difficult world.
And I want to share the details of my participation in the Dmitry Markov auction - The New York Sale Dmitry Markov.
As a disgruntled consumer, I would like to publicize Mr. Markov's actions towards me.
I have been reluctant to publicize my problem for a very long time. I corresponded with Mr. Markov for 5 months, but then my patience came to an end, as these negotiations did not lead to anything. To this day, the problem with Mr. Markov remains unresolved. And I would like to share this information as any other buyer may find themselves in a similar situation.
I have filed complaints with all the numismatic associations of the world and numismatic crime associations. All my complaints have been recorded. And I believe I have the moral right to post information in the numismatic communities of the world.
I will briefly tell the whole essence of the problem.
In 2021 I registered at Dmitry Markov's auction and he called me to approve my bid. We discussed the issue of paying for lots. He offered to pay the lots in cash to his agent in Russia and I agreed. In 2022, I won 36318 USD worth of coins at Dmitry Markov's auction. I handed over the cash to his agent. After that we discussed with him through his agent the issue of delivery, but did not solve it, and postponed this issue for the future. And the coins were kept by Dmitry Markov. Time goes by... Before his auction in 2023, we called him, and I asked him to increase the limit on bids. Dmitry Markov increased my limit. And we discussed the payment issue again and Mr. Markov confirmed that it was best to give the cash to agent, just like last time. At the 2023 auction, I won coins worth 91290 USD. I handed over the cash to his agent. After that we discussed through his agent to deliver the lots already from 2 auctions. But this issue was also postponed as both parties had no logistic solutions. All this time the coins were still stored at Dmitry Markov. Time passed... I participated in his auction in 2024. I won the coins for the amount of 4620 USD. And I decided to pay for the coins by bank payment. After this auction, we discussed again through his agent about shipping the lots. Time passed... And finally I found a solution for logistics in May 2024. I immediately wrote to Dmitry Markov that I had found a convenient option for me on the delivery of lots. And on June 1, 2024, I receive a message from Dmitry Markov that there was no payment for the 2023 auction and that payment for the 2022 auction is in question. His message shocked me. And from this moment begins a very long correspondence with him and proving my rightness.
Here are the facts. I have completely fulfilled all my financial obligations to Dmitry Markov's auction. The moment of fulfillment of my obligations is the transfer of funds to his agent, as Mr. Markov confirmed to me that I can transfer payment for auctions personally to his agent. Dmitry Markov confirmed this several times. His auction official, Glenn Onishi, also confirmed my emails to him stating that payment was made in cash. After the auction in 2022, then after the auction in 2023, and finally after the auction in 2024, Dmitry Markov made no claims of payment to me. The whole course of events, the chronology, the whole logical chain, all interactions, all screenshots of messages and correspondence, all facts show that payment was received by Dmitry Markov. How is it possible to say after 2.5 years that payment for one auction is in question? Mr. Markov called me, raised the bid limit, talked about the convenience of paying through agent..... And after all these years, Mr. Markov tells me there was no payment. That's absurd.
I have all the evidence I need. There is a written testimony of his agent that payment was accepted by Mr. Markov for all the auctions I won.
I am ready to testify on polygraph to restore my rights.
As of today, the problem remains unsolved and I am ready to go to the end, hoping that the U.S. law enforcement system will help me.

So, if I understood you well, you paid some serious money, on 3 different occasions, without recieving any coin?

yvon

So, if I understood you well, you paid some serious money, on 3 different occasions, without recieving any coin?

Yeah, that's right.
Due to both parties having problems with the logistics solution, we put off shipping the coins to a future date. 
I did not believe that Dmitry Markov, who has been involved in auction activities for more than 30 years and is known all over the world, could deceive me.

That is really bad. Why did you not go there and collect the coins in person??
I have to say, with due respect, that maybe a litlle bit of dumbness was involved from your side.
Can you still not go there and collect your coins?
Why did you bid on them, in the first place? Are you a collector?
If I buy a coin, in an auction or otherwise, I will not rest before it is in my hand.
But once you have all the evidence of payments and so on, it must not be that difficult to
  open a courtcase against this'seller'?

I have no opportunity to go and pick up the coins.
Dmitry Markov refused to give the coins to my trustee in New York.
I found a way to deliver the coins only 2.5 years after the first purchase from Dmitry Markov.
And I found out by chance from Dmitry Markov that there was no payment for the auction.
The situation is more complicated than it seems.
The thing is that Dmitry Markov loaned my money at interest to his agent.
His agent had financial problems, and he could not pay him back.
So Dmitry Markov decided to cover his losses at my expense.
And now Dmitry Markov denies the existence of his agent and says that there were no agreements.

The whole story looks to me strange, complicated and, in a way, silly.
My best advice is; get a good lawyer, asap.
I wish you all the best with this unpleasant affair.

I wonder how he could stay in business for over 50 years if this is how he operates. Regardless, contact the FBI field office in New York. That is the government agency that deals with international crime.

https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/newyork

Thanks for the tips!

Too many administrators and agents for too little money.

Financial disagreements between the recipient of funds and the owner of the coins.

If it's outside the country, I would also submit evidence and testimony to Interpol headquarters in the Netherlands. They will ask the local authorities to investigate.

Ivan

https://cs.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpol

Find a link there, an email, describe everything in detail, send it and ask for help.

Ivan

Honestly, why did you not put your money into an escrow account?   It looks like you gave your money to an agent who pocketed it.  Why are you doing business in Russia right now? The economy has gone to hell.  People get desperate and greedy; sometimes, the best option is to pass on the opportunity and move on.  Honestly, I think you deluded yourself.  You will most likely never see the money or the coins.

Russia? He has operated out of New York, NY, USA for quite some time now. His bio doesn't read as some low life scam artist.

Dmitry Markov's interest in coin collecting goes back to 1972. In 1985 he graduated from the History Department of the Kiev State University (Ukraine) and received his M.A. for the thesis - 'Monetary Circulation in Ancient Russia (8th to 13th cent. A.D.)'. His broad interests in numismatics include Russia, Ancient Coinage especially those of the Northern Black Sea area, as well as Islamic Central Asia and Caucasus. He published a number of research articles in these fields. 

After coming to the U.S. in 1990, Dmitry Markov founded 'Dmitry Markov Coins & Medals' - a well-known leading firm dealing with coinage. Dmitry Markov’s continuing research on Russian, Ancient and Islamic coinage makes an invaluable addition to his very extensive auction catalogs. He had issued over 80 illustrated reference catalogues, as well as many other fixed price lists, since inception. Company became a partner of The New York Sale group in 2000. Business is located in the New York City area.

Dmitry Markov Coins & Medals is an elected member of the International Association of Professional Numismatists (IAPN) since 2000, the World's most honored numismatic association. He is part of IBSCC (International Bureau for the Suppression of Counterfeit Coins) there. Also a Life Member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA), American Numismatic Society (ANS), a Life Member of the Ancient Coin Collectors Guild (ACCG), a Life Member of the Orders & Medals Society of America (OMSA), as well as many other trade and collectors associations.

Dmitry Markov's Agent is in Russia.

All the auction activity of Dmitry Markov is in one way or another connected with Russia.
If you look at the lots of his auctions, more than half of the lots are Russian coins and medals.
Accordingly, the majority of surrenders and buyers are connected with Russia.
That is, Dmitry Markov is very dependent on clients from Russia.

Russian numismatists usually trust each other and no one concludes contracts. There are only verbal agreements. There is a word to keep. If someone breaks his word and agreements, it hits his reputation and this person is no longer working with him.

There were agreements with Dmitry Markov that payment for the auction would be in cash. In addition, he himself offered to pay in cash. Also in the terms of his auction it was stipulated that payment in cash was possible.
And in the end, Dmitry Markov violated all the agreements with me.
The essence is as follows. I gave the auction payment in cash to his agent. He and his agent decide that the money stays with his agent, and Dmitry Markov lends the money at interest. After his agent starts having financial problems, Dmitry Markov informs me that he has not received the auction payment. And he's trying to deny his connection to that agent.
So Dmitry Markov earned interest on that money for 1.5 years. And at the same time does not want to give me the coins.
I have no words to call this act.

If Dmitry Markov did not get the money from his Agent then the Agent pocketed the money and lied to Dmitry Markov. 

Dmitry Markov is not responsible to sending you any items until Dmitry Markov receive money.

Simple put you paid the wrong person, with no electronic money transfer.  You paid in cash, and you got robbed; but not by Dmitry Markov.

The chronology of events is as follows.

Dmitry Markov's auction accepts cash payment, it is stated in the rules.
In order to find out how the cash payment is made and all the details, we called Dmitriy Markov by phone beforehand and he informed me that I could give cash to his agent.
After I met with his agent and handed over the cash, my financial obligations are closed and further responsibility is removed from me.
After that a similar dialog took place between Dmitry Markov and his agent (to understand the picture):

- Hello Dmitry
- Hello (agent's name)
- Your client (client's name) handed me the cash and settled the auction in full
- That's great news! The payment issue is closed. If you want, you don't have to give me the money yet. I can lend it to you for a while with interest.
- That's great! We can discuss all the details then...

Dmitry Markov accepted my payment and recorded it. Next, I have to get my coins.

My coins are now with Dmitry Markov and he refuses to give them to me.

Who cheated whom? Who managed not only to earn interest on my money, but also to keep my coins?

It doesn't invalidate what I said, in fact it only reinforced what I said. You should contact the Agent and request a refund or pursue legal actions against the Agent. 

Why would I contact his agent? I don't have any questions for his agent. 
Dmitry Markov accepted my money, and he can continue to dispose of it as he wishes.
He can give the money as a gift, burn it, lend it to someone. It is not my business what he will do with this money.
Further proceedings should already be between Dmitry Markov and his agent. I don't want to get involved in their business.
I just want to get my coins and the matter will be closed.

You stated the following:  

The essence is as follows. I gave the auction payment in cash to his agent. He and his agent decide that the money stays with his agent, and Dmitry Markov lends the money at interest. After his agent starts having financial problems, Dmitry Markov informs me that he has not received the auction payment. And he's trying to deny his connection to that agent.
So Dmitry Markov earned interest on that money for 1.5 years. And at the same time does not want to give me the coins.

I doubt that Dmitry Markov stated this in writing.  I also doubt that the Agent will collaborate on this arrangement because it makes him guilty of theft by deception (you and Dmitry Markov).  Remember, when you sue someone in civil court in the United States of America, the burden of proof is on you to prove 51% or more. 

Current Situation: Dmitry Markov says he did not receive money, so no coins were transferred. You are currently pursuing Legal Option Four (04). As it stands right now, Dmitry Markov could sue you for defamation of character (Liable).

Recommendation: You should pursue Legal Option Two (02).    I assume that it is easier to sue the Agent vs Dmitry Markov (closer to where you live), or you would have directly dealt with Dmitry Markov in the beginning.  If you want to resolve this in a legal and morally ethical way, you will have to sue to get results. Unless you are an attorney, you will have to hire an attorney. Good Luck. 

Legal Option one (01): Sue Dmitry Markov directly. Dmitry Markov will claim never to receive funds or the full amount of funds from the Agent. You must subpoena the Agent for Trial to prove that Dmitry Markov is lying about receiving funds from the Agent.  Most likely, you will have to sue in the United States of America. This will be an expensive since according to your profile you live in Spain. 

Legal Option two (02):  Request the money back from the Agent in writing/email stating that Dmitry Markov never received the money.  Either the Agent will provide verifiable proof of your money being transferred to Dmitry Markov.  If no evidence is provided, then you have to sue the Agent for your money back.  Upon suing the Agent, the Agent will either prove that the money was transferred to Dmitry Markov and is therefore innocent.  Or, the Agent cannot prove the transfer of money to Dmitry Markov and is, therefore, guilty.  If innocent, the Agent will serve as a witness and provide leverage against Dmitry Markov.  If guilty, the Agent will reimburse you plus interest, and you owe Dmitry Markov an apology. 

Legal Option Three (03):  Sue both Dmitry Markov and the Agent as co-conspirators in an organized crime syndicate.  - Hardest option, good luck on this one. 

Legal Option Four (04):  Neither sue the Agent nor Dmitry Markov  - cry - write about what happened while having no “coins” to show for the money you paid.    

Grand total, so far, seems to be US $132,228.