In praise of heritage Shipping
seatedlib3991
Posts: 522 ✭✭✭✭
Yes. I know rants about Heritage shipping sprout on here like dandelions in May. But on Monday I won a coin and on Thursday I was notified it shipped. This morning I discovered that a coin I won in the Tuesday auction shipped yesterday. (This is a rare event for me. I rarely have two coins in such a close period, but I keep an envelope on my desk labeled "Emergency Coin Fund" and this will be the third time in 25 years I have used it). On a side note my wife laughs every time she dusts my desk because she says she pictures a down on it's luck showing up at our door!
Maybe we should start a rant about the Dejoy guy who now runs the post office. For decades shipments from Heritage always took 3 days. Today is day 4 and the coin hasn't arrived. James
Comments
I was also pleasantly surprised that the lot I won on Tuesday shipped yesterday Thursday. Heritage appears to stepped up their shipping game, hopefully to stay.
EDIT - shipped Thursday. What day is it?
“We are only their care-takers,” he posed, “if we take good care of them, then centuries from now they may still be here … ”
Todd - BHNC #242
every once and a while it goes ones way, congrats
Won a lot on the 24th (Monday), paid on the 25th (Tuesday), payment cleared/shipped on the 27th (Thursday), and it was in my hands last night (28th, Friday).
ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
Ditto the improved shipping. I'm in Dallas so I've always done well once the coin is shipped. I suspect the most significant delays occur when the lots have to be returned to Dallas from wherever.
PS my USPS service here is great as well.
should say "coin "after down on it's luck
Not knowing the total of the purchases, can anyone share the cost of the shipping?
Would be nice to know that they have not only fixed their shipping woes but also made it cheaper.
Mike
My Indians
Danco Set
Both of my coins cost 13.68 per shipment. both purchases were in the 250 range.
I have always had Heritage do the right thing. Once you get a reputation with them they ship before you even have paid. I have never had a problem with them with any auction.
Good to see posts praising a service.... So much goes unnoticed, until something bad happens. Cheers, RickO
Good to hear....Looks like they are focused on improvement. I am a client, and will continue to be.
I have been fairly critical of HA's shipping/logistics in the past. I won a lot that ended Thursday night and it shipped this morning. Very well done HA, keep it up!
So, Are you ok with that?
Mike
My Indians
Danco Set
Heritage shipped coins to me twice BEFORE I had even paid. I'm a small fish, so I'm not sure if this was a mistake on their part, or what. In any event I've always been impressed with their shipping times.
Dave
Yes I am. Whenever I bid at Heritage auctions I take the price bid plus the 20% auction fee and multiply by 15%. This combined number is what I am willing to pay for the coin. In the case of my 1842 Lg. Date Seated Quarter in NGC 25, my all in cost was projected to be $304.00 dollars.
Actual cost was $305.16. That is within an acceptable range for me. CDN retail value on this coin is $299.00. Again, that is within acceptable range. These are rare coins, so you can't get hung up on specific prices like that. In fact, I have lost track of how many coins seem to have a CDN of $292.00 for a specific grade.
What I would really like to do is thank the guy who photographed this coin using a LED light instead of a Halogen. Just got the coin this afternoon and it has spectacular red/blue target toning around the entire obverse. If he had used the other light I wouldn't have had a prayer. There are people who pay multiples of CDN for that. James
Hi James,
Congratulations on your purchase and I'm glad you like the coin.
However, my question was addressed about the shipping charge.
At another auction house (great Collections) that same purchase would have cost you only $5.00 plus .50 cents a coin under $500 total invoice amount.
Just would like to know how you would be fine with the shipping.
charge that you had to pay.
Mike
My Indians
Danco Set
I also buy coins at Great Collections. the 15% fee I pre-assess myself is just how I recognize that their is going to be a greater shipping cost, among other things, at Heritage. My focus is to consider all the costs in advance so that I know what I feel is an acceptable final cost.
I know some collectors don't bother considering other fees such as shipping because they just consider them as unavoidable. I prefer to take everything into consideration, (Whether shipping is 5.00 or 15.00), and as a bidder will admit that I can allocate more towards the actual coin at Great Collections; which I guess is more important to the seller than the middle man. for me they are all part of the same pie. James
I won a Heritage lot Tuesday of last week, paid the invoice on Wednesday, and it's now in my hands from today's mail. Can't really do any better than that!
I too have seen a great things from the mail room at HA. Most coins in my hands a dat or two after thr sale.
Never had a problem with Heritage in the past, another great turnaround this week. Got the invoice on the 4th, coin in hand on the 10th, thanks!
Won some lots in last week's Central States auction, paid via eCheck Tuesday at 11:00 am, received an email two hours later that the lots had shipped, and they arrived at noon today via FedEx.
Member ANA, SPMC, SCNA, FUN, CONECA
I think it's fair to give some recognition to @MFeld, I do know that whenever Mark would see a complaint thread, he would escalate it to the powers that be. Knowing Mark, I would imagine that his voice as the squeaky wheel definitely helped to get things moving in the right direction. Very happy to see the improved turnaround times!
Type Collector of U.S. Pre-33 Gold https://instagram.com/deplorable_dan Successful transactions with- @drfish, @Cladiator, @johnny010, @Pedzola, @PerryHall, @2windy2fish, @Ike1964, @JohnThePainter, @rpmsrpms, @REALGATOR
And also to HA itself - one of the reasons for moving to the 'burbs near the airport was to have more space, better workflows, and be closer to the transshipment points.
ANA 50 year/Life Member (now "Emeritus")
I know that I’ve stopped buying from heritage for numerous reasons including incompetent shipping methods, so my guess would be they’ve lost so many clients that shipping to the small handful of buyers remaining can get completed with their skeleton work crew.
Who cares as long as you know the cost up front.
You should stay away from GC. After all, they charge a 10% buyer's premium. Ebay doesn't charge one and you can get free shipping on ebay. [Doesn't that sound like silly advice?]
I have NEVER paid more for a coin at Heritage than I've paid at GC.
Thanks very much for that, @DeplorableDan. I really don’t know whether my efforts have contributed in any way to the improvements. But if they have, I’m very happy about that.
Sincerely,
Mr. Occasionally Squeaky Wheel (or O.S.W., for short)😉
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Compliments from me as well. Won, paid next day, shipped the following day. That’s as fast as anyone in the industry - makes for happy customers! Keep up the good work!
I did a direct purchase from Heritage and it was not able to ship right away because it was coming back from Central States. I needed it for a Denver show the following week. They were excellent in grabbing it immediately for me when it arrived in Dallas and express shipped it before I had to get on a plane. A very welcomed and unexpected accommodation.
I have bought few coins from Heritage, simply because I have found their shipping to be a distasteful combination of slow and expensive.
But I gave them a try in late March, and I had the coin six days later. Not too bad!
So I gave them another chance, buying a coin last Tuesday.
They finally invoiced me 27 hours later (GC invoices immediately upon the end of my particular coin's auction being concluded); I paid within minutes.
I just called them up to see when it might be shipped (this is a week after my auction), and I got a snippy woman on the phone who told me that they ship in one to two weeks after the invoice has been paid. Then hung up without further ado.
Not the sort of customer service to make me become a fan; too bad. I had hoped that they had turned some kind of corner; but apparently not.
I am afraid that is the way it is in all large organizations. Give some people a modicum of power and they go all Hitler on you.
Many years ago I called heritage to let them know they had miss-identified an item in their auction. I can well remember the fellow on the other end telling me how they would call me when their numismatic staff needed help from a "rustic, 2 bit , moron living in the sticks."
Sometimes you have to judge a meal by the entire serving, not just one bite. James
Hope you get your coin soon.
@124Spider, please feel free to PM me with your client information and I'll be happy to see what I can find out.
Mark Feld* of Heritage Auctions*Unless otherwise noted, my posts here represent my personal opinions.
Me I do not understand where it is the big turn here??? Tu I win, We bill and pay, Th ship. So normal turn, fast. Are mean tomorrow Tu you will receive because USPS say 3 days (working days not calendar days).
We have not to forgot: no bill issue before auction end, except you are in the room. Second on payments you has options as credit card, wire transfer, checks etc. Then the HA must issue insurance and shipping sticker, packing and at the end of the day in your case USPS will take the envelope, mean not proceed at theirs facility before Fr morning. So it is correct and also fast.
Same ways I have with PCGS, ANACS and VSS. Only NGC is a little bit slower.
From auctions houses the most difficult it is GC (fast bill) but suck's on the rest.
Is not true that depend of the account. The only benefices from an good account it is when you sell you could be exempt of the premium, and it is direct proportional with the selling price.
So this it is guys, if I am wrong please correct me. I have no direct interest in any TPG's or Auctions houses (Christie's, Sotheby's, Stack's or HA)
NEVER ARGUE WITH AN IDIOT.
FIRST THEY WILL DRAG YOU DOWN TO THEIR LEVEL.
THEN, THEY WILL BEAT YOU WITH EXPERIENCE.
MARK TWAIN
I would like hear your thoughts if you could clarify the bold statement. In my experience, GC has been best in class with respect to shipping turnaround times, and their customer service has always met my expectations.
Type Collector of U.S. Pre-33 Gold https://instagram.com/deplorable_dan Successful transactions with- @drfish, @Cladiator, @johnny010, @Pedzola, @PerryHall, @2windy2fish, @Ike1964, @JohnThePainter, @rpmsrpms, @REALGATOR
I noticed the improvement also, I won a lot on 5/7 HA shipped it on 5/12 before I paid for it. Someone at HA did a great job!
Maybe for you. Please do not forgot I live for moment in Canada, and I am conservative with shipping (difficult person???)
Been export from the point of the view of the law in place, I use my own accounts for import-export. Always I had problem to made them understand this. They are the only company with which I have to explain and explain again. For the delays, me I am OK. Look Dan, If I receive a week early or a week later?? do change something if I have my buy?? !! NO.
So this it is. Could be because the specific of the customer (me). With others, not only the biggest, no problem. They put note in my account, then they ask me about shipping and when the package is ready they announce me and I send the company of my choice. May be delay a week or two so what?, me I accept.
NEVER ARGUE WITH AN IDIOT.
FIRST THEY WILL DRAG YOU DOWN TO THEIR LEVEL.
THEN, THEY WILL BEAT YOU WITH EXPERIENCE.
MARK TWAIN
I see. I don't know much about international shipping procedures, but I would suggest that if you reached out to Ian, he might try to find a solution. Either way, thanks for clarifying your experience
Type Collector of U.S. Pre-33 Gold https://instagram.com/deplorable_dan Successful transactions with- @drfish, @Cladiator, @johnny010, @Pedzola, @PerryHall, @2windy2fish, @Ike1964, @JohnThePainter, @rpmsrpms, @REALGATOR
Thanks Dan for the way to take. I hope Ian changed a little bit the Australian accent, me to understand well. It is a funny smart young guy.
NEVER ARGUE WITH AN IDIOT.
FIRST THEY WILL DRAG YOU DOWN TO THEIR LEVEL.
THEN, THEY WILL BEAT YOU WITH EXPERIENCE.
MARK TWAIN
All the griping about waiting etc, I just got my lots from an Australian auction nearly two months after the sale. They were upfront about it taking a long time to send so I knew I would wait - but I got some very nice additions to my collection that were likely overlooked because they were in an Ozzie auction instead of a London auction.
Now I am waiting anxiously from a lot from Heritage - hoping to have in my clutches by Saturday.