Sometimes it just comes down to lack of specific knowledge. They might know a 12 from a 16 but not know a tourch job from original case coloring. Tools and training to measure chokes and wall thickness is beyond most auction houses in the US. The only way to know for certain what you are bidding on is to evaluate the gun yourself or have someone do it for you.
Sometimes the descriptions are so vague or worse factually mistaken that they are useless as a guide. On the flip side there are the rare times when a rare item is listed and described as a fairly mundane gun and if you alone spot it you can come away with a prize win. And that is why sone of us keep looking at guns in small auction houses hoping for that gem in the dirt.
