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Unfortunately, your description is untrue

Last Sunday I had an auction (link) close and the buyer paid instantly with paypal. On Monday I shipped the item and on Thursday I got the following e-mail:

Hi Wally, You described this set as follows: "Silver Dollar, and one Uncirculated (with beautiful matte finish) 1997 Thomas Jefferson Nickel. The set comes to you with all the original packaging and paperwork which is in excellent condition." Unfortunately, your description is untrue. The dollar coin is severely toned on the reverse. The nickel also has a marking on the reverse and is slightly discolored. I have rarely had to deal with this kind of issue. You should be careful about your representations. Frankly I really prefer not to keep it...I will either return it or I would like a $40 credit. Please let me hear from you ASAP. I will save your shipping box. Hank

Although I never mentioned the toning in the description, I thought my pictures had accurately shown the physical condition of the coins.

After I cooled off a bit I sent him a polite e-mail asking him to return the set for a refund that included shipping.

Any comments Forum Members?

wally

Comments

  • MadMartyMadMarty Posts: 16,697 ✭✭✭
    You did the right thing... Damn buyers are so fickel!!!
    It is not exactly cheating, I prefer to consider it creative problem solving!!!

  • mgoodm3mgoodm3 Posts: 17,497 ✭✭✭
    I'm not sure what's inaccurate except that the dollar isn't entirely silver, it's a little bit brown also. Should have called it a "silver with a little bit of brown dollar." The guy was probably looking for a higher grade matte nickel to make a profit off of it.
    coinimaging.com/my photography articles Check out the new macro lens testing section
  • mrearlygoldmrearlygold Posts: 17,858 ✭✭✭
    Good to accept the return.

    Tom
  • Catch22Catch22 Posts: 1,086 ✭✭
    Some people (myself included) are not fans of toning on recent issues. It was pretty evident from your pics, however scanning can produce images that look toned when in fact they are not. In any event, I always appreciate clear descriptions as well as clear images.

    You did the right thing and the buyer probably didn't look very carefully at the pics.


    When we are planning for posterity, we ought to remember that virtue is not hereditary.

    Thomas Paine
  • krankykranky Posts: 8,709 ✭✭✭
    Perhaps the buyer has a lousy monitor or it's not adjusted properly. If that's the case, it could explain why he was surprised that the coins were toned. I suspect there are many collectors of modern commems who never see any with toning, and might feel that it's a lesser coin. I checked about 10 of the auctions the buyer has won, and all were for modern commems.

    New collectors, please educate yourself before spending money on coins; there are people who believe that using numismatic knowledge to rip the naïve is what this hobby is all about.

  • fcloudfcloud Posts: 12,133 ✭✭✭✭
    This toning is normal for this set. The glue in the package causes the tone. The set I purchased had it on the nickel and the coin grades SMS69FS.

    The buyer is wrong, but you did the right thing. I would be leary of a set that didn't have the toning.

    President, Racine Numismatic Society 2013-2014; Variety Resource Dimes; See 6/8/12 CDN for my article on Winged Liberty Dimes; Ebay

  • K6AZK6AZ Posts: 9,295
    You did the right thing. Never, ever give in to a partial refund request, some bidders do this with everything. He either returns the set for a full refund, or he keeps it for what he bid. Period.
  • numonebuyernumonebuyer Posts: 2,136
    You handled it very well. You showed true professionalism. Now, to the point of your post. Since you provided a picture and sent the coin that was in the picture, it was really up to you.

    I like that you took the high road on the issue (especially when you really didn't have to take the high road).

    image
  • BikingnutBikingnut Posts: 3,375 ✭✭✭
    I would have given him a refund minus the shipping. The pictures look pretty good to me. I think after the refund I would ask if he looked at the pictures and then block him from bidding on future auctions.
    US Navy CWO3 retired. 12/81-09/04

    Looking for PCGS AU58 Washington's, 32-63.
  • ms70ms70 Posts: 13,954 ✭✭✭✭✭

    Good move. Take the return & forget about it. Unless he negs you of course.

    Great transactions with oih82w8, JasonGaming, Moose1913.

  • I agree with Bikingnut. If the guy did not look at the pics, he does not deserve returned postage.
    Gary
    image
  • Hi,

    You did the right thing but... the coins look toned in the photo, and actually the toning looks kinda cool.

    Nothing wrong with your description.

    Spanky
  • mr1931Smr1931S Posts: 6,246 ✭✭✭✭✭
    "Never, ever give in to a partial refund request, some bidders do this with everything. He either returns the set for a full refund, or he keeps it for what he bid. Period."

    Right on the money (no pun intended). Also, I think its most generous of the OP to offer to refund return shipping expense.

    $40 credit? Give me a break. The buyer either likes the coins or not. Period.

    Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.-Albert Einstein

  • robertprrobertpr Posts: 6,862 ✭✭✭
    After your refund has been completed, quietly block this bidder from your auctions in the future.
  • cosmicdebriscosmicdebris Posts: 12,332 ✭✭✭
    The toning was clearly there in the photo. ( I love the toning on these ) Your description is fine also. This guy is an idiot and does not deserve a refund.
    Bill

    image

    09/07/2006
  • BoomBoom Posts: 10,165


    << <i>After your refund has been completed, quietly block this bidder from your auctions in the future. >>



    EXACTLY...Good that you cooled down and didn't argue. Just accept the return, refund him in full and then HOPE he doesn't
    post an unwarranted negative. Unfortunately, I've seen people make a big deal over a $5.00 item. You don't want customers
    like that. If YOU haven't posted feedback yet-DON'T-then it becomes a standoff. If you HAVE and do the right thing as it seems
    you are willing to do...that's ALL you can do! GOOD LUCK!image
  • razorface1027razorface1027 Posts: 4,242 ✭✭
    You did the right thing... Damn buyers are so fickel!!!

    I concur.image
    What is money, in reality, but dirty pieces of paper and metal upon which privilege is stamped?
  • MFHMFH Posts: 11,720 ✭✭✭✭
    Wally,

    You did the right thing, but I wouldn't have picked up the S&H. The images are crystal clear, the reverse toning is very evident in the pictures, so I don't know what the buyer is griping about. Asking for a $40.00 credit is BS, he may have realized that he may have been able to pick up the same set for a few bucks less on another auction and had "buyers remorse" for bidding as high as he did.

    Mike Hayes
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Coin collecting is not a hobby, it's an obsession !

    New Barber Purchases
  • mr1931Smr1931S Posts: 6,246 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Any on-the-level seller should take an allegation of misrepresentation seriously. A buyer who makes such an allegation should not do so lightly.

    I would do the refund and make request that the buyer leave no feedback for me.

    Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds.-Albert Einstein

  • dpooledpoole Posts: 5,940 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You did the right thing. The customer is always right is a good by-word in most businesses.

    Offering a no-questions-asked refund policy makes for confident bidding if you have feedback confirming it. Theoretically it gets you a careless bidder or maybe a tire-kicker like this one on occasion, but in my experience that is very rare. I suspect and hope that this is true in your experience as well. Just look on this incident as a cost of doing business.

    And as you know, a Biotanical Garden C&C set will not be hard to resell!
  • pontiacinfpontiacinf Posts: 8,915 ✭✭
    I have decided in cases like this to appease the buyer and promptly make sure theres no further possability of this happening again.
    image
    image

    Go BIG or GO HOME. ©Bill
  • pontiacinfpontiacinf Posts: 8,915 ✭✭
    I have 7 of these sets and they all have some degree of tonning. Also, for anyone interested in these sets which are sooo hard to find, coin world in the first few pages has these available for a good price.
    image

    Go BIG or GO HOME. ©Bill
  • Thanks everybody for your comments, made me feel much better!
  • topstuftopstuf Posts: 14,803 ✭✭✭✭✭
    My Lord, man. The paper dollar even appears to be TILTED to a degree or so in it's mount.

    UNACCEPTABLE!

    Refund, neg, blocked, disgruntled, grrrrrrrrrrr...

    And......TONING.......aaaaaaarrrrrrgggHHHHHH!

    How could a COLLECTOR be satisfied?

    image

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