eBay Sale to Person With "0" Feedback
JeffMTampa
Posts: 3,293 ✭✭✭✭✭
I sold a $400 coin on eBay today to a person with 0 feedback; are there any scams I need to be aware of? I plan on sending the coin Priority 2nd Day with Signature; perhaps I need to purchase insurance as well. Am I being paranoid? Is there anything else I should be doing to protect myself?
I love them Barber Halves.....
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You don’t buy insurance as a matter of business?
There is the “can you ship to: _____”
for as many packages are NOT getting signatures despite that feature being paid for, i'm not sure that is the route to go. perhaps during normal times.
usually i would do one or the other at that value level, unless $400 will seriously sting as a loss otherwise the fees will eat you up over time.
some may argue the point but if i had a high profit margin, i usually would risk more because i wouldn't be out money that i actually spent but if i was deep into a coin, i'd protect it more but tbh, it is all probably relative.
i would post some specs about private insurance and how much value would have to be sent over 12 months to cover the cost and be into deep savings but the websites don't publish that info last i checked. required a phone call or email. perhaps someone here would be generous enough one day to at least post some general figures. i'm ASTONISHED a couple of the most popular firms don't maintain a bst listing. i'd tolerate it even against the rules because of the benefit to the many members.
I've shipped at least a hundred coins to 0 feedback buyers and never had an issue with shipping/delivery/returns. I'd probably be a little more leery if I sold bullion though. eBay makes it pretty easy to just get an autogenerated account and checkout, so there's a decent amount of 0 feedback buyers out there.
Just make sure you're shipping to the address they paid with. If they ask to ship to a different address, do NOT comply. As far as signature, eBay won't require it at that threshold. And as someone else mentioned, the post office isn't quite as good at getting an actual signature anyways right now, so up to you whether it's worth it. In my experience, packages are very rarely fully lost (<0.1%) so USPS insurance is not worth it if you're shipping many packages, but decide what risk you want to bear here as well.
I'm not in the coin business. I sell spare coins periodically on eBay. To date I haven't had an issue, but perhaps I'm just flirting with fate. I typically don't purchase insurance. Most of my sales are Barber coins; my thought is the criminal minds would likely not look there. My guess is even the criminals don't like Barbers. This coin purchased is a CC Morgan, however. Much more attractive to the criminal mind.
I did do a web search on the buyer- they do live at the address the coin is to be sent to.
Have you tried to vetter?
As long as you ship to the address as listed you are usually in pretty good shape.
Aercus Numismatics - Certified coins for sale
also based on some threads in the past 12 months, secure the coin(s) within the box/package VERY well. i know a box-cutter is a formidable opponent but the tougher it is in the package, the tougher to get out. it is possible that insurance could tip someone off. i went on a bit of a tirade in another thread about NOT getting postage/insurance that shows ANY value. i presume if postal employees are the ones doing the heists, then they can scan a shipping label to possibly see any hidden insurance valuations but they are probably too lazy to do that and just look for packages unfortunate enough to scream. I GOT SOMETHING GOOD INSIDE ME BABY, INSURANCE COST OF $200!
You may want to video packing the coin. That could give you some documentation against the "snap - received a lower quality coin" scam when they keep your nice coin and send back junk
Send it 1st class! Use the money you would spend on Sig. confirmation and Priority mail upgrade on insurance! No Brainer IMHO!
PS these days priority isn't any faster than 1st class. If it is it's only by a day.
How would a video prove anything useful?
I’ve seen quite a few posters recommend that and have never understood it. Unless the seller records the packing of the coin and delivery of the package to the postal clerk (for all the world to see), I don’t think the exercise would be of any practical use.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Regardless of the buyer's feedback #, I cannot imagine shipping any coin over $100 without insurance. I cannot imagine a method of letting sellers know of watcher's with low or no feedback or high #'s of returns or even negative feedback. It would be nice but cannot think of how it could be done, that would matter without the watcher's ID and that would just be the end of watchers and a privacy problem.
Jim
When a man who is honestly mistaken hears the truth, he will either quit being mistaken or cease to be honest....Abraham Lincoln
Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it.....Mark Twain
I'd be willing to bet any moderately competent magician could make such a video and still pull off a switch.
The video is more useful as a buyer or taking a return as a seller. There is a common scam where the buyer initiates a return or chargeback and returns something of no value to the seller to generate evidence they “returned” the item.
How does a video help?
If you video yourself opening a sealed package and there is a rock inside instead of a coin that gives you evidence to support your fraud case. Not sure I understand your confusion.
Most of these common scams are discussed at length on Reddit - if you are curious, suggest reading up there.
Do you think it's possible to fake a sealed package?
Ask PCGS regarding first strike after the cutoff.
And if the shipper has a video of him packing a coin instead of a rock, whose video wins?
You win, I’m convinced. I will stop taking videos of myself opening packages.
Protect yourself on this one, you would be foolish not to. Send it overly well packaged and fully insured with tracking. Follow all the rules and I wouldnt spend the money until you get feedback from the buyer.
Don't stop because of my comment. But do be sure to let everybody know when one of your videos is accepted as proof in a claim, okay?
Bless your heart.
I've shipped a few coins to ) feedback buyers. I ship double eagles primarily.
I always call E-Bay to let them know abut my concern (so I am on record before I ship. I have asked them if I should take pictures of the coin, the box, packing materials in order to prove I packed the coin. I have been told that it's not necessary. I always insure the coins. I also pay for tracking + sig confirm. E-bay always says I'm protected.
I ship to 0 feedback bidders all the time. Just like any others I only ship to their listed address. Sure sometimes they don’t pay, but same goes for more established buyers. And some new bidders may play games, but established ones do, too. In short, I ship the right address and if I’m paid I’m happy.
I have sold to quite a few 0 feedback buyers, I have never had a problem other than one where the buyer paid and then ebay canceled the sale and NARU'ed the buyer. They canceled the sale before I shipped. I think it may have been paid with a stolen credit card or something like that.
My general shipping rule is anything under $200 I self insure, anything over $200 gets insurance.
Only ship to the address provided by ebay and upload tracking.
If and when u do.
We all start at 0.
I've never had a problem with 0 feedback customers, just another transaction.
I agree. My first eBay purchase was with 0 feedback. Thousands of people make their first online purchase each year.
I just follow ebays rules and cross my fingers. Never had a problem other than USPS stealing a camera I shipped but that had nothing to do with the ebay buyer or platform.
yes, and a request to ship to a different address is a red flag, don't ship - cancel and refund.
on the other hand, if you sell to what appears to be a reputable buyer and then get a request to change the shipping address the first thing you want to do is compare the ebay ID of the buyer to that of the one sending the change of address request. If they are different you have a third party (who sent the request) who saw that you made the sale and is trying to commandeer your good buyer's purchase. In this case just ignore the request and ship to the good buyer. Never ship to an address that is different than the one that shows on the purchase details.
I'm wondering if Charlie Brown buys coins from eBay, but only gets a rock.
video taping what goes to the post office is a wive's tail. If you want acceptable evidence, video you preparing and sealing the package while the postal clerk is watching (and in the video) and then hand it to the clerk for acceptance.
I've shipped to zero fb bidders without problems, but always think about it going wrong. Luckily haven't had a problem.
Successful Trades: Swampboy,
You can buy insurance at insurepost.com for $1.05 per $100.00 coverage and nothing will show up on the label indicating that it is insured. You can save that cost by printing a eBay first class label with tracking instead of priority. No signature confirmation required by eBay at that level. Easy Peasy.
edited to add that you do not need to pay for a insurepost account if willing to pay $1.05 per $100
it's crackers to slip a rozzer the dropsy in snide
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And video of clerk printing the date/time stamp for the package.
And probably need Medallion signature guarantee, or at least have it notarized.
I don’t video what I send as that would not provide proof of anything.
I video opening what I receive.
I don't like them either and I remember being ridiculed unmercifully by my dad in the 70's for my long hair.
My US Mint Commemorative Medal Set
... But opening the package always ruins the tape! Rimshot! 😜
Google the "Ship To" address. If it doesn't exist, well, that's a problem.
Successful BST transactions with forum members thebigeng, SPalladino, Zoidmeister, coin22lover, coinsarefun, jwitten, CommemKing.
I am no longer confident in the eBay reviews anymore. A seller or buyer can now easily remove a negative review they do not like so the value of their reviews have become less and less imo. I have shipped to many new ebayers and the only problem I have had is folks not understanding what they purchased and arguing about the grade (for raw coins) despite the fact I try to be as honest and transparent as possible. Had a buyer tell me that peace dollars do not have bag marks, for example.