Dave Hester Sues Storage Wars

According to RadarOnline.com (tabloid), Dave Hester is suing Storage Wars. The suit contains numerous claims, including that the network and producers regularly “salt” lockers with valuable items to add drama to the show, rig the bidding and even paid for a female cast member’s plastic surgery to add sex appeal!  It also claims that Interviews with cast members are scripted and scenes of biding are faked to the extent that there are no auctions taking place while cast members and members of the public are shown bidding. Dave Hester says that cast members confronted executives at an in-person meeting this year and expressed their concern over the show being rigged.

Other charges include:

    Producers staged entire units and enlisted the cooperation of owners of storage facilities to do so.
    The show pays for storage lockers for “weaker” cast members as part of the manipulation
    The show plants items in lockers after having them appraised weeks in advance
    The show obtains items to be placed in the units from a business regularly featured on air
   

And Dave is just realizing this now? LOL

I just saw this also. Just glad someone fessed up to it. Most already knew it was rigged but now if it gets out the newbs will pay attention? http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/12/11/torage-wars-star-dave-hester-says-show-is-fake-suing-report-says/

Yep, WE all have known it for a long time and now that Dave has made it public the cat is officially out of the bag.

The two stories noted in this thread will just be the tip of the iceberg. I can't see anything but downhill for the series and all its spinoffs, but could take a while for that to happen.

If nothing else, the general public will have a different view now and that can only help those of us who are serious about buying and selling. 

 

Yep, WE all have known it for a long time and now that Dave has made it public the cat is officially out of the bag.

The two stories noted in this thread will just be the tip of the iceberg. I can't see anything but downhill for the series and all its spinoffs, but could take a while for that to happen.

If nothing else, the general public will have a different view now and that can only help those of us who are serious about buying and selling. 

Here is the kicker: "But a rep from the A&E told FOX 411 no such lawsuit exists to the network’s knowledge." I wish the original article was being reported from a more reliable source. Guess we will just have to and and see if it's true.

I can't see anything but downhill for the series and all its spinoffs, but could take a while for that to happen.

I think people are still going to watch. Auction Hunters is so unbelievable and over the top and people still watch it.

Perhaps this has something to do with why Storage Wars New York was scheduled to premier on the 11th and got postponed to January 1st. Perhaps they knew Hester was about to expose them for the fakes they are and they needed more time to rewrite the scripts and re-record new episodes of the New York version to do damage control against these allegations.

Here’s another story link and below it is part of the article…..

http://www.ibtimes.com/storage-wars-fake-dave-hester-sues-ae-shows-producers-staging-items-auctions-933017


“Singer claims that show executives repeatedly made Hester provide items at his own expense to be planted in the storage lockers that he would later be required to purchase on the show. The practice, known as "salting," was paused when Hester complained, but continued in season two and three when production staff barred the show's buyers from using their own locks, enabling the companies to place items in the lockers at their own discretion.”

I think people are still going to watch. Auction Hunters is so unbelievable and over the top and people still watch it.

They may still watch but perhaps they will be saying "Now THAT was planted !" instead of "Wow, maybe we could find one of those !" 

Overall it HAS to have a negative affect if even only a small one. You can't have one of the 4 principles of a show making statements like that without some fallout.

Also, can you imagine Hester saying these things if he didn't feel he could prove it?  He might be hoping for a "payoff" to drop the case against the producers/network too.  Any number of ways he could play it.

Finally, any thought that Dave would continue on the show after this mess?  I doubt it.

Finally, any thought that Dave would continue on the show after this mess?  I doubt it.

Perhaps that's why Storage Wars Texas got moved to Tuesday night. They must have realized that there would be no more new original Storage Wars episodes so they moved SW Texas into their best time slot.

What really baffles me is that Hester said the old newspapers of Elvis Presley's death were among the staged items. That must have been one expensive prop purchase. Should have known that was fake from the beginning. Who stores collectible papers in a non climate controlled shipping container? Definitely not a collector...or anyone with common sense.

Hester was, is and will always be a Jackass. The only reason he went to the auctions was to run up the bidding. Staged Dave Staged??? What a shocker!

Well, it looks like the story is all over the news this morning, although they left quite a bit out.

Storage Wars Scanal grows...according to today's edition of the RadarOnlin.xxx website.

The link below reveals a few new things including the short excerpt below the link.

http://www.radaronline.com/exclusives/2012/12/storage-wars-lawsuit-stars-planted-items-reimbursed

"Auctioneer Dan Dotson told Radar the show is NOT staged, pointing to a series of protections that are built in to prevent unauthorized people gaining access to lockers before they are sold.'

"But those denials are just a smoke screen, two sources close to the show told Radar independently."

“The lockers were salted AFTER they were bought,” one source said. “So Dan’s explanation about how there are seals on the lockers and no one can get into them is simply wrong in this case."

One has to wonder how Dotson feels about this mess. I'm sure he viewed a few things that went on, and may even have been consulted about some aspects...if so, it was a matter of him "looking the other way" when that happened.

Technically, Dan is not lying, but he sure isn't telling the whole truth. As I mentioned in another post, Dan is contractually obligated to not say anything negative about the show. Also, he probably doesn't want to say anything that could get him in trouble with the auctioneer's licensing board.

Of course they didn't salt the units before the auction because they didn't know who was going to buy the unit. They salted the units after the auction, which is shady, but perfectly legal.

I think people are still going to watch. Auction Hunters is so unbelievable and over the top and people still watch it.

Perhaps this has something to do with why Storage Wars New York was scheduled to premier on the 11th and got postponed to January 1st. Perhaps they knew Hester was about to expose them for the fakes they are and they needed more time to rewrite the scripts and re-record new episodes of the New York version to do damage control against these allegations.

Pepole will still watch but the trick is if ad companys want to attach there name to show that is getting negative press that deceived people! All the sudden people wont trust the products they see during the show. If you build it people will come till you mock and lie to them. Proven fact