What sort of feedback would you leave?

NickM

The card was a SGC 96 of a modern rookie, and was graded straight from the factory (2000 UD Graded) and inserted into a pack. I picked it up cheaply ($4.04 including shipping).

The seller sent it about 2 days after I PayPaled him.

He shipped it in a bubble mailer , and the card was wrapped in a folded PayPal invoice (taped closed), with no additional protection.

The bubble mailer arrived severely creased across the middle, and the SGC case was shattered when I opened the paper wrapping. The card was damaged - creasing and surface damage on the back and creasing on the front.

The seller left me positive feedback when I paid. His feedback is 150 and has 1 neutral and no negatives.

His one neutral was for using a penny sleeve as "protection" for an expensive modern rookie.

His auction terms state:
The item will be shipped usings protective methods to ensure quaility. I expect payment within 7 days after the aution has ended.I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR UNINSURED ITEMS BEING LOST OR DAMAGED IN THE MAIL.

He charges $3 for insurance.

What sort of feedback, if any, would you leave?

Nick

pc

i'ld ask for a refund and then respond accordingly.

jrinck

Did you insure the package? Probably not for such a low value. I wouldn't either. I'd email him and tell him what happened. For such a piddly amount of money, though, he should refund and move on. If he balks, leave him a neutral stating the packaging was insecure. He'll lose more than the measly $4.00 due to lost bids. Hopefully if he's smart he'll realize this.

Aknot

For four bucks you suck it up. (the seller not the buyer) Its only common sense. Unless of course he sells very rarely. Then it might be a "big" deal to him.

qualitycards

NICK - The same thing happened to me, a cheap PSA graded card arrived loose in a paded envelope. With shipping it was like $5.00,
about half the cost was shipping at $2.50. I never contacted the seller since he didn't scam me, he did send the card out. It wasn't worth my while to try to get the money for the card back. After all, I would have to ship it back to him, and it wasn't worth a shipping fee to try and recoup about $2.50 of the card cost. If the card was worth more I would take different measures. I left no feedback...jay

EagleEyeKid

I agree. Email the seller and explained to him what happened. If I were the seller, I'd just give you back the $4 and move on. What stinks is bubble mailers seem to be very popular and everyone ships this way. 95% + it usually arrives fine. That small percentage however......those postal workers sometimes throw them on stamping machine instead of hand stamping them and that's where the card holders usually get cracked. I had one bubble mailer arrived with a boot print on it....obviously someone stepped on it.
I try to ship everything I can in cardboard boxes. I get mine from a box place (5000 different sizes) and they're not that much more than bubble mailers. I buy in bulk. Even if it's for one card, I still use it and use cardboard padding with a rubber band, and then packing peanuts.
Here's another thing to take in consideration. The post office will "not refund" a slabbed card because they're policy is, they don't insure glass. This happened to me 1 time about 3 years ago, and I was out $100 even though the item was insured. I refunded the buyer and just ate it.

Eagle

Buckwheat

It takes very little time, and no money, to put cardboard around a card. Or to put extra bubble wrap, or possibly a smaller bubble envelope, even used, inside a larger one. I have never sent or received a card with cardboard in a bubble wrap that was damaged, though I have received 2 cards simply placed in a bubble wrap with no other protection that broke. Both of which I paid hundreds of dollars for!

As far as your auction, let the seller know. If he refunds, which he certainly should, of course positive. If he doesn't, citing lack of insurance, then I would just leave no feedback and just move on, storing that in your memory bank. After all, he did say he was not responsible for uninsured items, and putting a $4 card in a bubble wrap seems reasonable.

Rainman

interesting that these cards keep getting damaged. i don't sell many graded cards, but have shipped them using a variety of methods- i.e., team bag/cardboard around card/in box, team bag/cardboard around card/in bubble envelope (clearly marked 'do not bend/fragile on front and back), and team bag/no cardboard/bubble envelope. i've never had a card arrive damaged that i've sold (knock on wood) and outside of 2x where cards arrived w/scratches on the holders (which the seller replaced w/comparable psa 10s...they're a large volume seller so could easily do that), i've had 50+ graded cards arrive safely- the majority of which are simply dropped in a bubble envelope w/no further care taken.

to answer your question, i'd email the seller- see if he'll give you the $4 back. if not, i'd leave a neutral- something to the effect of 'seller should've taken more care in packaging' etc.

ctsoxfan

I left a neg for a seller a while back, after the graded card he sent me was destroyed as a result of being simply thrown in a bubble mailer, with no added wrapping. A bubble mailer alone isn't enough to ensure safe transport, it seems. I would at least give him a chance to respond, but it being an inexpensive purchase, I wouldn't necessarily give him a neg without hearing his reply.

wufdude

I received a relatively cheap graded card packed the same way that was completely broken in half. I contacted the seller and he sent me a replacement card quickly. Very nice dealer. I'd at least give the guy a chance to refund your money before leaving a negative. I admit, I've sent some cheap graded cards in the same way. I would certainly refund a buyers money if the card arrived damaged.

yawie99

I'd e-mail him simply explaining the situation and then leave feedback based on the response you get. No response or a "them's the breaks, should've paid for insurance" reply would definitely get him a neutral. An offer of a refund or replacement might even get him a tepid positive.

wallst32

It would be unfair to leave him a negative since it is the shipper's fault the item was damaged in transit, not the seller's. I know everyone likes to save a buck here and there, but that's what insurance coverage is for. The reality is, 99 out of 100 times, a packaged shipped in that fashion is going to make it without any problems. By asking for a refund, you're basically asking for insurance coverage without paying for it.

"He shipped it in a bubble mailer , and the card was wrapped in a folded PayPal invoice (taped closed), with no additional protection" - I would say this is standard. I slab all my shipments between two pieces of cardboard, and then the bubble envelope, but I can tell you this is more the exception than the rule. I would say I receive the same type of packaging on less than 3% of the stuff I buy.

I always look all the full auction terms before bidding (ie shipping and insurance costs, accepted forms of payment). If I don't like the terms or think the shipping is excessive, I'll just walk away. Or in some cases, if it is something I really want the item I will contact the seller and say "it only costs this amount to send it this way, can I pay you that much?" Sometimes you will get a response, sometimes not, but again, you shouldn't force yourself into buying something if the terms aren't good. In this case, I would have questioned why the insurance coverage was so high. It should only cost $1.25.

I've had one PSA slab get cracked on me, and one that never arrived at all; both insured, and got all my money back.

radiationguy

This may not be a popular response but so be it. How about giving the seller a chance to make restitution before posting about what type of feedback to leave for a $4.00 card. The guy shipped promptly and gave feedback promptly so he sounds like a decent seller. A $4.00 card shipped in a bubble mailer seems appropriate to me. If someone steps on the package I don't care if it is wrapped in cardboard it will break. Let's give the seller a chance before you hang him up by the short hairs.

Billy

MorrellMan

These threads regarding feedback is very interesting. Am I to understand that many of you leave negative feedback without giving the seller an opportunity to resolve the situation? I've been on both sides, and I just feel it's unfair of me to neg someone without reaching out first - am I being too soft?

Spigrimace

Sorry for my extreme candor in advance, I watch way too many Judge Judy's and just drank a pot of Colombian expresso....

Let's pretend you went to small claims court for this....

This was the contract: "The item will be shipped usings protective methods to ensure quaility. I expect payment within 7 days after the aution has ended.I'M NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR UNINSURED ITEMS BEING LOST OR DAMAGED IN THE MAIL."

The judge would have a field day with the buyer and say:

1) A bubble mailer, SGC case, taped paypal invoice are evidence of protective methods
2) Unless you can prove it was damaged b4 it went into the mail (which you obviously cannot prove), the contract to which the buyer agreed to says the seller is not responsible if lost or damaged in the mail.
3) it's the buyer's fault that you didn't insure it, and seller even stipulated in the contract that he is not responsible for uninsured items
4) Finally, did you inquire as to what the protective methods would be? no? why not?

In conclusion, caveat emptor = buyer beware. You have to do due diligence as a buyer to ask questions and get the things in the contract you want.

Ruling for the defendant.

NickM

Spi - feedback is not the same as going to court. Also, why would you purchase insurance (even if it were only $1.30) on a card for which you were paying a TOTAL of $4.04 ($1.04 for the high bid and $3.00 for shipping).

Considering the amount of $ at stake and the fact that I collect the player (Jerry Porter), I'm going along with what jay did - not leaving feedback and not contacting the seller.

Thanks for everyone's comments.

Nick