You left out the 3rd kind. The one that KNOWS how to fix a bass but to make more money the do it some sloppy way and charges a fortune. Also, well known famous shops selling what is NOT and getting the price.
Look, if they are not capable of doing the job they should get a different job. Also, for the veteran dealer luthiers, if they cant tell German from French or Italian from German, get another Job. Can a car dealer tell a Chevy from a Caddy? A Ford from a Lincoln? A Honda from a Lexis? Is it a crime to misrepresent? Yes, even in basses it is.
I know so many cases of criminal repairs and criminal sales that its not funny.
I know most basses are either not marked or labeled wrong but that is no excuse for lying outright.
I saw one bass for sale with a company name attached advertised as made in 1910. The company dissolved in 1889. It was a Riveiri-Hawkes marked bass but was only a German factory bass. Maybe 1910 but the R-H models were french Jacquet basses., This was German and not at all any kind of Hawkes bass.
Then one dealer marks a French bass by one of the sons of a famous bass making family as 1850. Then marked lated as another of the sons as well at 1850. Well if this was the true maker then he was wither 2 years old or 12 years old when it was made. Maybe the father made it but shouldn't the dealer at least know when they were born. This is published info and a big shop like this that does appraisals should know this.
With the well known Juzek imports, we know from published history that they started the company after the first war about 1920. All Juzek basses were supplied by shops and shipped to NYC and then labeled and sold. I saw a German looking bass as marked 'made in the Juzek shop in 1910'. Why? First off, there is no such shop. Second, it's 10 years before the company started. There is no way I can see that these dealers don't know this. I think they are counting on You NOT knowing.
Hey, you got 2-10s for a 5?.. Yeah, funny, but too many people are falling for that kind of math doing business with these shops.
Hey, how about a very old Italian Bass attributed to Maggini in for repair. The Luthier goes and re-graduates the bass without the permission of the owner, because he needs to correct Maggini's mistakes? Yeah, right. One of the inventors of the instrument needs help from the Butcher of...
Then a beautiful old Italian or English bass getting restored. Some think it's Italian and I think it might be an English bass but regardless, "Hey, by the way I re-finished it for you as well"... HUH???
I tell you now, if this happens to me, someone will get hurt.
Re-finishing an old Bass or re-graduating it to the point of near ruins is a form of Rape. Where is Rape legal? Selling a bass for something more famous and expensive is thievery. Where is stealing legal?
The Luthiers that don't know any better are not the big problem here as much as the well known experienced ones who should know better. Yes, I have seen bad work done out of ignorance but they just didn't know any better. When you see a fine instrument fixed with crazy glue, epoxy or carpenters glue because it's quicker, THAT is criminal.