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Italian auction house question...
Stork
Posts: 5,205 ✭✭✭✭✭
So I've stumbled across an auction house I've never tried to bid with before. It's in Italy and has one of those 'we have no insurance if shipping overseas' type comments. Anyone say yay or nay re: the likelihood of me getting the coin I want delivered?
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Do you think you can persuade them to ship via FedEx?
FedEx Economy can be a good option for even lower-valued items. Kuenker charged me less than €15 for an economy shipment. While it took a week instead of a day or two, I always knew where it was and had confidence it would reach me.
Becareful, if your coins need "exit papers" the auction company I'm dealing with it could take a VERY LONG time. I've waited for 9 months. They said 10 weeks, then Covid19, then a supposed backlog with the Italian government, then a 1 month shutdown for a nation wide vacation. The coin I'm waiting for is a German gold coin. After this fiasco with one of the largest auction houses in Italy I will never do business with them again. I hope you fair much better. The Italian government is grasping at straws on mine and similar coins.
Oh, ugh. That sounds painful! @pruebas might have an excellent point with Fedex, but even Fedex would have trouble with the government side. My favorite auction house in Japan to deal with routinely does FedEx (next day so I pay through the nose, but things get here fine, and Fedex does any import paperwork on the US side).
Oh well.
I have purchased occasionally from Italian auction houses and try to avoid regular post from there as much as possible. The only missing package I can remember having was from Italy (though over a decade ago, and was relatively low value from eBay and I don't remember what service level it was shipped with). I did receive a medal through post from Italy about three years ago without problems, though who knows how things are now with the current situation. Most items I have received were shipped by courier (or in the case of one company, from their London office).
I just received a medal a couple of weeks ago from Italy, so I will share my latest experience for whatever it is worth. The medal was relatively low value (< $1,000), and the auction house was going to ship it via international registered mail. Though of low value monetarily, it had high value to me as a work of medallic art, so I was intent on ensuring safe transit. I inquired about FedEx, and was told that they cannot declare coins or medals with FedEx. Upon asking about how the post has been running, the response was: "We do not have trouble, usually, with the international registered mail, but I keep waiting to ship." I remembered in the past that they had used a company called Ferrari (not the prancing horse one) , and inquired about that. Eventually I used that, but ended up paying a total of 95 EUR for the shipment. To me, it was worth it for the peace of mind. Ferrari picked it up on a Thursday, handed it over to FedEx that Saturday (ironic...), and I received it safely that Tuesday. This is an auction house that I have dealt with in the past, so I knew that they were responsive, and for an item that I really really wanted.
As far as export permits, it usually takes about 3 months in my experience. This last medal I won at an auction that ended May 5, and it was ready for shipment on July 27. Before this, from a different auction house, I won several medals on December 5 and they were shipped (via FedEx from London) on March 9.
After writing all this, my two recommendations would be:
(1) Only bid if it's an item that you really want, are unlikely to find elsewhere, and are willing to deal with possible hassles and long waits to get.
(2) Email the auction house with your concerns and see how responsive they are and how well they address these concerns.
Virtus Collection - Renaissance and Baroque Medals
FedEx will do import papers (i.e. Customs, if formal entry is required), but does not do exit papers. The auction house must submit the request to the government for that.
@Iosephus comments reminded me that Italy has always been on the "bad postal system" list for many ebay sellers. In fact, years ago when I was selling on ebay, I sold some books to buyers in Italy. Only one never arrived....
@Stork. The coin has to clear the Italian government before FedEx gets involved. The Italian government reviews all items before allowing them to leave the country.
Via a very well trusted agent only, hand in hand! No brainer Cathy.
myEbay
DPOTD 3
I received my coin today. Had asked repeatedly for a tracking number, never got one.
At least I got the coin. Not good at pics so I'll put a link.
https://www.sixbid.com/en/bolaffi/6809/europa-germania/5604463/brandenburg-friedrich-1495-1515?term=1498&orderCol=lot_number&orderDirection=asc&priceFrom&displayMode=large&auctionSessions=&sidebarIsSticky=false
Excellent addition @Tibor !
@worldcoinguy Thank you. I'm enjoying the opportunity to hold it and view it in hand.
One of these days I'll learn how to post a picture instead of a link.