E-bay fraud question/advice wanted
Stork
Posts: 5,206 ✭✭✭✭✭
I hope someone could give me a little advice about an ebay 'situation'.
I foolishly bought a raw 'gold' coin which, upon arrival, had a most unnatural color to it (like no gold I've ever seen), had very irregular reeding (like no coin I have ever seen), and most importantly, had a strange silvery hue peeking out from under the gold along some of the reeding. I even snuck it onto a laboratory scale and guess what, it was a bit light.
I e-mailed the seller (who had graciously taken my money via paypal) who stated that it couldn't be fake because the dealer he had bought it from had been in business for such a long time. I'm not sure I followed the logic. In any case he totally ignored my description, and in fact stopped answering my emails.
I started the fraud alert process with e-bay and I noticed that I will have to have a third party letter/authentication (or lack thereof in this case) complete with a company letterhead. I had initially thought about sending it to one of the services, but the fees for a rush job are pretty steep for what amouts to a $200 piece of junk. If I didn't send it for a rush who knows when I would see it again, and there is a time limit for e-bay. Also, I am in the Navy and stationed overseas so it's not like I can run down to the local coin shop to get an appraisal on the spot.
So, I ask, is there any particular service (maybe one of the lower tier ones) that could do a rush job and be reliable just for a real/not real statement? Or would anyone know of an appraiser who would take this on via the mail?
Also, in lurking on the boards the last few weeks, I have noticed more than one person talking about the Secret Service/US Treasury and the dim view they have of selling counterfeits. At this point, being a somewhat vindictive person, I would like nothing more than to send the coin and the guys contact info from ebay off to the 'authorities' so I can have pleasant fantasies about the guy getting a rude knock on the door. Does anyone know if there would really be that much interest in such a small transaction, and if so, where do I send it all?
Any words of wisdom would be appreciated, although I think I can safely say that "Don't buy raw gold coins from e-bay" would be a great place to start.
Thank you!
I foolishly bought a raw 'gold' coin which, upon arrival, had a most unnatural color to it (like no gold I've ever seen), had very irregular reeding (like no coin I have ever seen), and most importantly, had a strange silvery hue peeking out from under the gold along some of the reeding. I even snuck it onto a laboratory scale and guess what, it was a bit light.
I e-mailed the seller (who had graciously taken my money via paypal) who stated that it couldn't be fake because the dealer he had bought it from had been in business for such a long time. I'm not sure I followed the logic. In any case he totally ignored my description, and in fact stopped answering my emails.
I started the fraud alert process with e-bay and I noticed that I will have to have a third party letter/authentication (or lack thereof in this case) complete with a company letterhead. I had initially thought about sending it to one of the services, but the fees for a rush job are pretty steep for what amouts to a $200 piece of junk. If I didn't send it for a rush who knows when I would see it again, and there is a time limit for e-bay. Also, I am in the Navy and stationed overseas so it's not like I can run down to the local coin shop to get an appraisal on the spot.
So, I ask, is there any particular service (maybe one of the lower tier ones) that could do a rush job and be reliable just for a real/not real statement? Or would anyone know of an appraiser who would take this on via the mail?
Also, in lurking on the boards the last few weeks, I have noticed more than one person talking about the Secret Service/US Treasury and the dim view they have of selling counterfeits. At this point, being a somewhat vindictive person, I would like nothing more than to send the coin and the guys contact info from ebay off to the 'authorities' so I can have pleasant fantasies about the guy getting a rude knock on the door. Does anyone know if there would really be that much interest in such a small transaction, and if so, where do I send it all?
Any words of wisdom would be appreciated, although I think I can safely say that "Don't buy raw gold coins from e-bay" would be a great place to start.
Thank you!
0
Comments
ANACS would be the quickest - and if they won't slab it no one you can be sure it's counterfiet.
5-day service is $20 + S/H (I don't know how long their economy service takes)
What would probably be best is to ship it to your family in the US and have them take it down to a local shop or two.
But keep in mind ebay Fraud Protection is in itself a fraud.
My posts viewed
since 8/1/6
Try this
I hope that the e-bay fraud service will work. I've gotten paid by them in the past (that one fell under the 'if it looks too good to be true, then it probably is' and 'don't be so greedy' categories). We'll see about this one.
$20 for a 5 day service sounds reasonable--it looks like ANACS is the winner. I hate to put someone in my family to too much trouble. Besides I'd never hear the end of it.
Thanks for the other link too. I will use it once the official word is back from ANACS. After all, those funny lines, the silver metal, the wrong weight, the odd color (reminds me of electroplated jewelry you give to your 5 year old)...I could be wrong.
Russ, NCNE
<< <i>"Don't buy raw gold coins from e-bay" would be a great place to start. >>
better yet:
do not buy coins sight-unseen
K S
- j c c
this doesn't work. He received a coin. Paypal only gets involved in non-delivery, I've been through it. Send it to Jade. Their Letterhead paper declaring the coin a counterfeit (if in fact it is) is all you need to get up to $200 (minus $25 deductible) from e-bay, and I'd be curious do you get to keep the coin?
David
<< <i>Did you use a credit card via PayPal, if so, you might just tell your credit card company that the item was bogus and refuse to pay the bill (you will have to return the coin first). >>
...............here you go, do what stork said...call your credit card company...........now!!!!!!!.and refuse to pay for it........they should stop the payment to the seller........
Caveat Emptor.
roadrunner