Statement from Centsles

Anyone see this and care to comment?
October 9, 2007
To: The Customers of Centsles
From: Robert Johnson, Owner, Centsles, Inc.
Many of you have e-mailed us at Centsles regarding the sudden change in the way our coins are listed for auction. Due to a recent eBay decision, eBay sellers are limited in the information that can be used in the title and description for some coin auction postings. We have been advised that this is an effort by eBay to reduce fraud and fraudulent listings. The following link will direct you to their new coin selling policy:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/selling-coins.html
As you can see under the title Some Examples, we are no longer allowed to list the certification (grading) company name, or the grade assigned, in the title or the description of the auction listing for any coins not graded and encapsulated by PCGS, NGC, NCS (owned by NGC), ICG and/or ANACS. We will still be able to list coins not graded by those 5 companies mentioned in the policy, but they will now be considered by eBay as raw/uncertified. This policy is now being enforced as of October 1, 2007.
Susan McMillan, American Numismatic Association (ANA) Consumer Awareness Coordinator has stated in the ANA press release of September 18, 2007:
In order for consumer fraud to occur, three elements must be present: a person's
desire, ability and opportunity to commit the fraud, said ANA Consumer Awareness
Coordinator Susan McMillan, We cannot control a person's desire or ability, but we
can try to remove the opportunity.
In our opinion, her statement implies that Centsles and those dealing in coins not certified by the 5 authorized companies are committing fraud. Also in our opinion, it implies that collectors and resellers of coins purchased from Centsles, and other dealers, are also committing fraud. As stated within this press release, those representing the ANA, applaud and support this decision as an improvement by eBay to protect you, the consumer, from yourself. A link to the ANA statement has been provided below for your additional clarification. Also keep in mind while reading, ANA President, Mr. Stuppler (eBay id verypq ) and ANA Acting Executive Director, Mr. Kenneth Hallenbeck (eBay id Hallenbeckcoins), both quoted in the ANA statement, are eBay Powersellers who only sell coins certified by NGC, PCGS, ANACS & ICG coins.
http://www.money.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=11936
In fact, the value of the coins certified by those five approved grading companies could now have the potential to have an artificially inflated cost due to the decrease in supply of available alternatives.
While we strongly disagree with eBay's new policy, we are making every effort to comply. However, it is our opinion that this policy may in fact violate antitrust laws. If you feel the same, we strongly encourage you to do some research into this question, and if convinced, contact the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). We are supplying the following link regarding the antitrust laws found at the Department of Justice website:
http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/contact/newcase.htm
It may interest you to know that some of the unauthorized grading services, eBay sellers and consumers, such as yourself, have made the effort and have already contacted the Department of Justice regarding eBay's policy. The more people to protest eBay's policy to the DOJ the stronger the demand for an investigation into the overall impact this policy will have.
If you do not feel as strongly about this as an antitrust issue, but still feel this policy is in some way unfair and unjust, please contact eBay to make your statement at: http://pages.ebay.com/help/newtoebay/questions/contact-support.html
We thank you, our customers, for your continued confidence in and support of Centsles as an eBay Powerseller!
This email was sent by: CENTSLES
PO BOX 621748 ORLANDO, FLORIDA, 32862, UNITED STATES
October 9, 2007
To: The Customers of Centsles
From: Robert Johnson, Owner, Centsles, Inc.
Many of you have e-mailed us at Centsles regarding the sudden change in the way our coins are listed for auction. Due to a recent eBay decision, eBay sellers are limited in the information that can be used in the title and description for some coin auction postings. We have been advised that this is an effort by eBay to reduce fraud and fraudulent listings. The following link will direct you to their new coin selling policy:
http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/selling-coins.html
As you can see under the title Some Examples, we are no longer allowed to list the certification (grading) company name, or the grade assigned, in the title or the description of the auction listing for any coins not graded and encapsulated by PCGS, NGC, NCS (owned by NGC), ICG and/or ANACS. We will still be able to list coins not graded by those 5 companies mentioned in the policy, but they will now be considered by eBay as raw/uncertified. This policy is now being enforced as of October 1, 2007.
Susan McMillan, American Numismatic Association (ANA) Consumer Awareness Coordinator has stated in the ANA press release of September 18, 2007:
In order for consumer fraud to occur, three elements must be present: a person's
desire, ability and opportunity to commit the fraud, said ANA Consumer Awareness
Coordinator Susan McMillan, We cannot control a person's desire or ability, but we
can try to remove the opportunity.
In our opinion, her statement implies that Centsles and those dealing in coins not certified by the 5 authorized companies are committing fraud. Also in our opinion, it implies that collectors and resellers of coins purchased from Centsles, and other dealers, are also committing fraud. As stated within this press release, those representing the ANA, applaud and support this decision as an improvement by eBay to protect you, the consumer, from yourself. A link to the ANA statement has been provided below for your additional clarification. Also keep in mind while reading, ANA President, Mr. Stuppler (eBay id verypq ) and ANA Acting Executive Director, Mr. Kenneth Hallenbeck (eBay id Hallenbeckcoins), both quoted in the ANA statement, are eBay Powersellers who only sell coins certified by NGC, PCGS, ANACS & ICG coins.
http://www.money.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=11936
In fact, the value of the coins certified by those five approved grading companies could now have the potential to have an artificially inflated cost due to the decrease in supply of available alternatives.
While we strongly disagree with eBay's new policy, we are making every effort to comply. However, it is our opinion that this policy may in fact violate antitrust laws. If you feel the same, we strongly encourage you to do some research into this question, and if convinced, contact the United States Department of Justice (DOJ). We are supplying the following link regarding the antitrust laws found at the Department of Justice website:
http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/contact/newcase.htm
It may interest you to know that some of the unauthorized grading services, eBay sellers and consumers, such as yourself, have made the effort and have already contacted the Department of Justice regarding eBay's policy. The more people to protest eBay's policy to the DOJ the stronger the demand for an investigation into the overall impact this policy will have.
If you do not feel as strongly about this as an antitrust issue, but still feel this policy is in some way unfair and unjust, please contact eBay to make your statement at: http://pages.ebay.com/help/newtoebay/questions/contact-support.html
We thank you, our customers, for your continued confidence in and support of Centsles as an eBay Powerseller!
This email was sent by: CENTSLES
PO BOX 621748 ORLANDO, FLORIDA, 32862, UNITED STATES
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
0
Comments
Russ, NCNE
Coin's for sale/trade.
Tom Pilitowski
US Rare Coin Investments
800-624-1870
RIP Mom- 1932-2012
Rob
"Those guys weren't Fathers they were...Mothers."
Centsles is at least following the new rules even though they are wrongly against them. While not perfect the search listings for e-bay coins is slowly getting cleaner.
Pardon me, but I don't see it as there being a "decrease in supply of available alternatives." Any of those examples can still be sold, they just must be listed differently. They are STILL on the market. Just look for them where they are now listed, if you really want them.
And a real stretch is Also in our opinion, it implies that collectors and resellers of coins purchased from Centsles, and other dealers, are also committing fraud How is a collector of these coins committing fraud? How is a re-seller committing fraud?
Really, in my opinion, the fraud comes when pretending NNC or SGS or ACG graded coins are on par with PCGS, NGC, or ANACS.....
As for the big boys selling coins slabbed by the reputable services, isn't that what you would expect from a professional? And further, if they were selling NNC or such, then they would be saying do as I say and not as I do.
The grapes are sour today.
approved repair centers into using what they refer to as genuine repair parts.
They have also warned the public that all other parts including foreign made parts
are substandard and, in some cases, dangerous.
This seems to equate with Ebay's policy of approving some grading companies
and restricting others they deem to be substandard. In view of this, eBay is
not in violation of antitrust laws.
1. One wins a sanctioned grading contest and has proven to be expert in this regard.
2. Then slabs his own coins.
3. Sells the slabs where less than 1 percent would cross with the grade on those slabs at the grading services Ebay approves.
Can one live with oneself?
link
"If I say something in the woods, and my wife isn't around to hear it. Am I still wrong?"
<< <i>His new listings all have pictures of slabs
link >>
This will probably work a while for his repeat customers who regularly check his listings.
What gets me is that we all got to read his sob story about being screwed by ACG when the ANA was soliciting donations for the ACG lawsuit legal defense fund. So, in the aftermath of that, it seems he took the attitude of "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!!"