Ebay: 2003 Sil. Proof Set "Error Letter." Scam?

Sequitur

Ebay seller silvereagles2004 is auctioning 2003 Silver Proof Sets, claiming buyers will receive a "copy of the Mint letter explaining the ERROR in this Mint set." But what is the error? What do these letters say? Are they only photocopies?

More troubling: seller is auctioning multiple "copies" of this Mint "error letter." See
items for sale.

My opinion: silvereagles2004 is photocopying a purported Mint "error" letter and stuffing them in with 2003 silver proof sets to juice his auction, and even worse, is making copies of said letters available to other cons so this cancer can metastasize across Ebay. And less-informed buyers don't realize 2003 silver proof sets are still available from the Mint.

Further proof of a scam: $15.01 in fixed shipping costs for a proof single set, and seller does not combine shipping costs on multiple wins. Yes, already reported these auctions for fee avoidance.

kamehameha00

They accidentally(sp?) put down the quarters,half,and dime were made of clad instead of silver.This caused a bunch of people to buy them at high prices just to see the error.They corrected this error quickly though.

Russ

<< <i>Further proof of a scam: $15.01 in fixed shipping costs for a proof single set >>



High shipping costs, in and of itself, is not a scam. If he were selling these for $1 a set, you'd have a case for fee avoidance. He isn't, though. He has a reasonable opening bid of $24.99.

That said, I think you're right about the rest. This guy's auctions do not pass the smell test.

Edit: Just checked his other auctions - starting at a penny. Yes, the shipping charge does look like fee avoidance.

Edit again: The one penny auctions aren't for the sets, so we're back to my original premise.

Russ, NCNE

Sequitur

As a followup, the New York Times is running an article on Ebay "vigilantes." Link (you may need to register).

According to Ebay:

"'We love it that people want to help, but there's a right way to do it and a way that isn't constructive or in the interest of a good community marketplace,' said Rob Chesnut, eBay's vice president for rules, trust and safety, who added that eBay was doing everything it could to make it safe to buy and sell on its Web site. . . .

"EBay estimates that of the 20 million or so items that are for sale on its Web site at any given time, only about 2,000 items, or one-hundredth of 1 percent, are fraudulent. But that figure reflects only those cases that are settled through the eBay buyer protection claim process."

Ebay's statements are fraudulent. The New York Times reporter should visit these forums.