25th anniversary set - Begun, the eBay scams have

mixman

So, I sold an opened 25th anniversary set on eBay last week. Buyer gets the package on Saturday and today leaves me negative feedback saying some of the coins were out of their air-tites and one had a rim ding. I have some serious doubts as I packed these things in about a mile of bubble-wrap and they never left the air-tites under my watch but whatever. I told her she could return them to us at her expense and she'll get a refund once we receive them back. I'm upset but figure since i sent them insured I should be okay if they are damaged.

However, my wife was checking the buyers feedback left and noticed that the buyer left feedback this evening on about 6 other sets including another negative on someone else. She paid the most for my set (about $800). I'm now almost certain that the buyer is cherry-picking all there sets and returning to me there rejects. My question is what should I do? Since I already said she could return them I'm guessing eBay would not have my back in this case, but is this something I can report to eBay? Has anyone ever heard of this sort of cherry-picking before?

Sorry to start another 25th set thread but this really set me off and I wanted to vent and get some thoughts. I sent them opened BECAUSE i was concerned about people trying to scammers and so I could bubble-wrap them extra carefully in order to avoid this kind of thing yet still get picked off in a scam.

EDIT / UPDATE: The users eBay handle is trisha00714. I've had a few more emails with them since I posted this last night, brief update near the top of the 2nd page.

MercLovin

Don't accept returns in the future.

Lesson learned. Expect to get coins that have been out of the air-tites and one with a rim ding.

lordmarcovan

<< <i>Begun, the eBay scams have >>

Like Yoda, you sound there.

Sorry you have that headache... and have possibly been scammed. I don't really know what to suggest.

stealer

Be sure to video tape the opening of the return package.

If there's nothing inside you'll have evidence.

comma

Nothing you can really do...and merclovin, Im pretty sure you have to accept returns on coins...I might be making that up...

coindeuce

As DNADave mentioned in another of the hundreds (is it thousands yet?) of 25th Anniv. threads, "the tulips are starting to lose their petals".

MercLovin

Well, depending on how much feedback you have, you could say screw it, pull the cash and tell your bank to deny any transactions to paypal, and just sacrifice your ebay account.

Then just tell the winner you're denying the return.

I'd rather be NARU'ed than scammed.

PinkFloyd

Ouch....sorry to hear about that. Something I tried this go-around was setting a high BIN and then using Best Offer to cherrypick my buyers before selling. If you get a buyer with a mountain of positive feedback, it'll probably be a smooth sale. Seems to have worked so far.

segoja

I think you are making a lot of assumptions about the buyer. I thought there was a 7 day wait period before you could leave a neg.

He's already left you a neg, then not much to loose. Did you say no returns?

vann

Personally, if I were selling raw opened sets on eBay I would ship the coins in a saf-t-mailer, perhaps even in a sealed flip to ensure the capsules remained sealed and the coins are not switched in the event of a return. Unfortunately, the buyer would likely win a dispute since you already agreed to take the coins back.

Buzzybest

It would seem open sets like these must be sold like any other numismatic coins of similar value. Post good magnified photos of each coin on both sides to make it much more difficult for any buyer to claim a problem that was never there to begin with.

vann

<< <i>It would seem open sets like these must be sold like any other numismatic coins of similar value. Post good magnified photos of each coin on both sides to make it much more difficult for any buyer to claim a problem that was never there to begin with. >>


That is a good suggestion but with ultra-moderns, it's almost impossible to differentiate a coin from a picture, especially Proofs since a tiny hairline or nick only visible through magnification is often the only difference between a 69 or a 70.

derryb

video taping previously mentioned is a waste of time, meaningless to PP/EBAY.

With items that have such volatility in price as these ASE sets, it is worth the extra expense to overnight express to buyer. Gives buyer less time to find a lower price and change his mind.

Unfortunately buyer has the upper hand on claims, comes with selling on ebay. PM me buyer's name will add to blocked list.

crypto79

I would like to point out that I have not been scammed with the 1 set I bought and added to my collection. Don't people realize when they try to milk a situation for every last drop you are going to subject your self to a lot of thirsty people who may or may not play by your rules. I have little compassion for flippers, the easy money on a sure thing is the good part of being a flipper and this is the bad and you don't get to chose. Thats the thing about blood being in the water(profit orgy), it brings out the sharks and some of the people get bit.

vann

<< <i>video taping previously mentioned is a waste of time, meaningless to PP/EBAY.

With items that have such volatility in price as these ASE sets, it is worth the extra expense to overnight express to buyer. Gives buyer less time to find a lower price and change his mind.

Unfortunately buyer has the upper hand on claims, comes with selling on ebay. PM me buyer's name will add to blocked list. >>


If it is shipped insured or signature required, I would pick it up at the post office and open the package at the counter. That way you will have documented proof for filing a mail fraud claim in case the buyer tries to send you something other than what was shipped to him.

Solo

<< <i>Don't accept returns in the future.

Lesson learned. >>



That doesn't matter. If the buyer tells paypal you misrepresented the auction you're still screwed. Paypal will almost always rule against the seller...

Dice21

I think of most concern would the buyer accumulating several sets trying to put together a 70 set (in theory) and sending the crappy coins back to a legitimate seller...............if selling open sets you can pack foam or bubble wrap into the set case and that would prevent the coins moving around..............Unopened sets???.........if a buyer opens and the coins are spread around there is not much you can do unless the buyer reads these boards and knows the coins are moving helter skelter..........IMO

PinkFloyd

PM me the username too. One less lowlife to deal with.

thisnamztaken

Please, either out that buyer's name publicly in this thread, or at least PM me their name so I can block them. Thanks.

19Lyds

Yet one more reason to have had your sets graded.

As for the scam? Possibly but IMO most of these coins are extremely high grade so inless some are actually scratched, there's little point in cherrypicking them.

Just take the return and then resell them.

NotSure

Glad I sold off ebay......no scams, no SNAD, no FVF, no fees at all...buyer even offered to pay shipping!....Even if my 5:20pm order gets cancelled, I'll be happy with the profit I made.....it'll afford me a nice pre-'33 coin that I've been looking for, but lacked funds for. IF the sets drop, I can get another set, it'll be free, I'll still have left over $$, and hopefuly they'll rise again.....though someone mentioned 'tulips'......if it's 'tulip time', glad I got out now (prices DO seem softer right now, no?). With option of buying for less than present prices on a dip, win/win for me.

It seems I made just as much as the 'set breakers' (about $900 a set selling the RP and 'S' mintmarked, then the 3 'so-so' coins and OGP individually). The NGC MS69 set that went for $969 (after fees, $853, give or take a few cents, and if it was free shipping, whoo boy, that'll bring it to around $810 or less....I still netted more, or way more, for a raw set than the NGC 69 set). I think you'll see that be the norm (raw, sealed sets bringing better $$ than 69's or lower).

OR, I just got lucky with someone that 'had to have it NOW and made an offer I couldn't refuse'.....smart buyer baiting me with the off ebay ploy, pointing out how much $$ I'd save going 'gift'.

mixman

I've updated the OP with the username. There were a few more emails after I posted this last night. The user has backed off some of there original nastiness but I'm still convinced I'm not going to get the set I sent. We may have gotten them to the point of having our negative feedback removed, which isn't that big of a deal honestly and I think it's part of the plan.

As I said the user left feedback for about 6 or 7 sets last night, she left negative feedback on another one, saying that the seller wouldn't take a return. I'm at work and can't check now but I believe that auction was a preorder in original mint box. So I'm guessing the buyer got the sealed mint box from the other seller, opened it, found that the mint packed them horribly and that a coin or two popped out and tried to get a return with the original seller. After the original seller said no she went to the one she paid the most for (me) and did a preemptive negative feedback to use as leverage to get a return.

Now, my problem is that I should have just let it be and not offer to take the return. But I figure that if the buyer really wanted to push it eBay/paypal would side in there favor anyway and I could be out money and the coins. I can't afford to take that chance, which I guess is why we'll see how this goes.

Thanks for the suggestions on videotaping / opening the package at post office for witnesses. I think we're going to do the post-office pickup thing just so we can have somebody there, but honestly I doubt eBay/paypal would care. I'll try to give an update after I get the package back.

derryb

In cases where a dispute/claim has been opened with PP and fraud is claimed, PP will require a police report be filed before it will consider siding with the frauded party.

cochese

<< <i>In cases where a dispute/claim has been opened with PP and fraud is claimed, PP will require a police report be filed before it will consider siding with the frauded party. >>



I was shipped a fake PCGS holdered coin (high grade CC Morgan) and when filing a claim with eBay they asked me to file a police report. When I attempted to do this, the local police officer basically said that this was a civil matter and they wouldn't file a report. In the end, eBay said yeah, we know this but we ask you to file a police report anyway because it's just more documentation in cases of fraud. I think they might also do this to "scare off" people making fraudulent, fraud claims. (that sounds funny!)

In the end, eBay/PP ask for the police report, but in the end don't seem to require it. My case was ruled in my favor, but I was the buyer in this case.