Is it just an oversight or can something be read into this......

Bochiman

1) Almost 2 weeks ago, saw a new item from a dealer I am on the list for.
2) Contacted dealer in email (was after hours) and asked for pictures.
3) Next morning, dealer got back to me...item still available, here are pictures in email.
4) Contacted dealer back and asked about a couple of things in the photo ("is that an artifact of the photo or something on the coin?", "that mark at 12o'clock, what does it look like in hand?")
5) Family emergency came up...in and out of hospitals for family member...sporadic emails, but not calling the dealer....family comes first, coin can wait type of thing.
6) Email looked at over course of time, as I can. No more replies from (well known) dealer about the coin, after I asked about the things in the picture.
7) I sent email twice more just to follow-up from my side. Once to add the 2nd question when I had a few more minutes to look at the picture (the first email I sent I was almost ready to purchase immediately until something caught my eye and I sent the email) and then as an overall "hey...just checking to see if you got my emails..." a couple of days later.
8) Skip ahead almost 2 weeks and coin is still on website, picture is there now (same ones emailed to me), same price, but still never a follow-up. It's now after hours on the weekend.
Since we had email exchange, spam folder isn't the issue...their emails obviously got through to me (and, my phone # was given...I just never made the call as I had more important things and my time wouldn't free up until late at night....I don't call friends/family that late at night, and won't call a dealer that late either.


So, possible oversight by dealer? My emails/inquiry got innocently forgotten?

Maybe my (and they were nice, but not flowery) questions asking what the 2 things in the picture were upset the dealer? Maybe it was PVC (active or not) for one of the issues and they knew (I have purchased coins from said dealer, both in person and online, in the past) that, if the 2 items were true issues, inhand, the coin would be returned and wasn't for me.....but that no one cared enough/bothered to contact me about that and just dropped the communication?

The medical issue is, hopefully, about over right now, so I may be able to call them next week....but kind of wondering if I should bother. Coin is hard to find, IN THE RIGHT PLASTIC (registry) and RIGHT GRADE, but not as the coin itself.....nor is it unique in that grade. No sticker on the coin (they do sell coins with stickers as well as raw, NGC, PCGS, ANACS), which may not mean anything...or, it may.


Not "outing" the dealer. Not trying to stir things up.
I've just been preoccupied with the real life issue that came up and am finally sitting down and going through things to catch up and this is one, so I wanted to toss the question out there to see..."am I reading too much into the lack of their follow-up in email"?

LanceNewmanOCC

<< <i>"am I reading too much into the lack of their follow-up in email"? >>



i personally am not a fan of such things (being ignored after repeated inquires). how hard is it to eventually tell someone, something?

i would say it is time for a polite phone call just to inquire if the item is available and ask your question(s) then or if you can live without the item, time to move on to the next. i personally have only met/spoken to a couple people i would beg to do business with and their ability to keep things simple, positive and effective are/were guinness-book worthy and i dare not even stand in their shadows.

that's my take anyway.
.

lostincoins

I agree you did nothing wrong, if it were me and I could find this item elsewhere I would as you may never feel good about the purchase no matter what they say on the phone to you. I also hope the medical issues are going ok as a person who deals with a lot of them daily I can sympathize.

NotSure

<< <i>I agree you did nothing wrong, if it were me and I could find this item elsewhere I would as you may never feel good about the purchase no matter what they say on the phone to you. I also hope the medical issues are going ok as a person who deals with a lot of them daily I can sympathize. >>



This...and Bochi, I truly hope the medical issues are behind you now, myself.

coinbuf

Baised on some of the things I have read here from dealers I would guess that he decided that you would be a problem customer and has put you on ignore. I don't see where you did anything wrong but that matters little if the dealer did not like you questioning his inventory. I would follow up with a call, it may have just been an oversight, perhaps.

Bochiman

<< <i>

<< <i>I agree you did nothing wrong, if it were me and I could find this item elsewhere I would as you may never feel good about the purchase no matter what they say on the phone to you. I also hope the medical issues are going ok as a person who deals with a lot of them daily I can sympathize. >>



This...and Bochi, I truly hope the medical issues are behind you now, myself. >>



Thanks guys.
Medical issues were not mine but a close family member (too many ER visits, regular doctor visits, and cardiologist visits in last 2 weeks.... mentally fatigued by it all right now.... even worse for the member it happened to).

I am leaning towards the "it's them, not me" bit as, for folks that have met me or worked with me on coins know I am pretty direct but clean with my communications....I don't get monkeyed up or point fingers, so the lack of response was surprising... particularly given the previous purchases and the fact I paid their full retail.

Oh well.

I am moving on, but I did find it interesting as I wind down the last couple of weeks.

tcmitssr

Drop the dealer from your buy list. He clearly does not respect you enough to deserve your business.

Boosibri

Happened to me before as well almost exactly as you describe. If you can live without the coin I'd just move on and not give it another thought. If it is a coin which you really want then place a call.

Bochiman

Thanks folks.
I am still on the fence between calling and asking about the coin (if it has the issues in hand.... as I would like to add it since that type/year doesn't have that grade in PCGS plastic very often), but I am like many that have posted in that I often will cross a dealer off when they do something like this (if I find it intentional). I have no dealers I would beg to deal with. No coin I can't live without. Coin collecting is fun for me, and if it stops being fun, then I will switch from whatever made it stop being fun (used to collect SAEs in plastic.... changes to guarantee made that not so fun, so I sold most of them and just kept a few certain ones).

Like I said, I was coming back to normal from an exhausting 2 weeks and clearing things off my plate when I got to wondering if I was reading something from nothing there, but it sounds like others, given the information I have supplied (and, without naming names, I have tried to be accurate as possible), have much of the same thinking I do.

ricko

I would try at least one phone call.... you will know from that if the situation is an oversight (they could have had some problems as well) or intentional.... then you can make the decision. Cheers, RickO

leothelyon

CALL..........and offer shipping both ways plus $10 if you return on a must have, seldom seen coin. If it's common, why bother? But I think more than one question needs an in person contact.......what I've learned.



Leo

Max2

Maybe dealer had a medical emergency also.

the point is that there may not be time for email - just call.

crypto79

Life to short to worry about things you can't control. Approach the situation based off of how much you want the coin

DaveG

Well, if it were me and I valued the relationship with the dealer, I'd send an email apologizing for the transaction getting dropped and explaining that I had been dealing with a family medical emergency and that you hoped to see/do business with him soon.

(It's kind of like squabbling with your wife - being the first to apologize, especially if you're right, wins you points.)

I have found that if I'm nice to people, they'll often be nice to me in return. Being nice to people has even short-circuited "pi**sing contests."

You may find that, even if he took offense previously, your attempt to be nice might elicit an attempt to be nice on his part.

Otherwise, I'd just move on.

Swampboy

Hope all is well with your family member Ron.

I would call since I've been wrong more than once reading something into an 'electronic' No Response.

Keep us posted.

AUandAG

Dang, that is the part of ebay I hate the most: messages.

Pick up the phone.

bob

stman

There are some dealers that appreciate the questions to help avoid returns and get you the coin you want. There are some I've ran into they only want to hear "I'll take it." and if they do respond it will be a one or two word response. I ask questions most times as I not only want to save the dealer the waste of time but also myself. I don't like returning coins. But if I'm treated decent I usually send something for their shipping to me. If I'm not treated decent I send nothing.

There are also dealers I've ran into through the years that would rather send the coin to you, then answer any questions. I've actually had a couple dealers tell me when I asked one simple question that they would rather just send me the coin. Are they being nice? Or are they thinking a better chance the coins sticks once you have it, and some folks won't return a coin once they have it?

TomB

I would guess that the dealer dropped the ball inadvertently and has not realized it. However, it seems like he/she dropped it more than once. I realize that in the past I have likely also forgotten to get back to folks, but it has never been intentional.

Bochiman

<< <i>Dang, that is the part of ebay I hate the most: messages.

Pick up the phone.

bob >>




Ebay? I never said Ebay, and it isn't Ebay.
This is a full on dealer, been around for a long time. Does shows, etc. Not a 1-person operation either.

I'll likely try to call on Monday/Tuesday (have a few more doctors' appointments I have to go to to support the family member so still bouncing around a bit, but things are definitely on the upswing and not as dark as they were).

Very unlike this dealer(ship) to forget to answer emails (at least, in the past), and I don't think they hit anything medical as the site is still updated.

I'd post a picture of the coin and see what others thought, but their picture style is too distinctive, imho, so that wouldn't be fair.
For a couple hundred bucks, give or take a hundred or so, I wouldn't mind the coin, but not if there is a problem. Then, it wouldn't fit right in my set.

Like I said, I may try to call and see.

dagman100

If you are really still interested in the coin, call in person. Email is a great timesaver - most of the time. Sometimes though, you need to have the conversation. Hope it works out for you.

Bochiman

Since I publicly asked for thoughts, and since folks provided thoughts, I thought I would give a small update.....

I am not one to play games nor be deceitful, so I did call yesterday but got voicemail (she could have gone home, or she could have been out, or she could have been helping someone else). No problem with that. I left a message. Identified who I was and mentioned I was calling to see about the coin and that I had had a lot going on the last 2 weeks so wanted to close the loop.

I wasn't calling anyone out about email or anything, nor was I apologizing other than I had been rather busy with the health issue for my family member. No harm, no foul, is how I looked at it (but I didn't mention any of that in the vmail I left).

I then identified the coin and asked about the 2 things in the photo. I gave my real name and my real phone # (again, I have purchased before and this dealer has my contact info....in fact, I am on the "New products email blast" that is sent out).

It's been over 24 hours. Too short of time to say anything about it other than I am less than impressed.



No, I don't "NEED" the coin. I don't "NEED" any coin.
Yes, I would have liked the coin IF it didn't have a problem.
I may occasionally glance at the dealer's coins in the future, but, since the coins are always priced at full retail plus, there are usually no killer coins (some nice coins, to be sure, but nothing killer), I won't be putting much effort into things with this dealer.


To me, it is a shame as just an honest reply to the email saying "this coin may not be for you or your collection since there does look to have been something at that spot you mentioned" would have had me disappointed I did find what I needed, but happy with the dealer. Even after I called, if she didn't want to deal with me, I know she has my email, so a follow-up email saying "I got your phone message and wanted to get back to you on the coin.....(see response above)" type of thing would have been cool.

Maybe I will get contacted in the next day or so, which is fine, I guess, but just doesn't make me feel like much of a customer, valued or not. If so, good for them. If not, well, it wouldn't surprise me moving forward. Kind of like the things I hear when people get blocked on ebay for asking a question about a coin.....



Thanks for the responses and I am moving forward and not upset at all. Just a bit disappointed.


PS..... tcmitssr, you had posted this "Drop the dealer from your buy list. He clearly does not respect you enough to deserve your business. "

I agree with you and, the funny thing.....I had put a lot of my purchases on hold since last year when I left my work to spend time with my family. I was "headhunted" a bit and ended up taking a job for awhile (still doing it) and have some "extra cash" now.....so, I have been looking for certain things. Anywhere from what we all may agree is "cheap" up to a bit more. And, you are right, I am largely dropping them from my buy list now. I am glad for them that they are so successful and rich that they don't need my business

Bochiman

Oh, and just for what it's worth.....the coin is still listed on the dealer's webpage as available.

Lakesammman

I would give them a deadline since you are trying to decide between 2 coins - so when they eventually call, you can say you no longer have the $$.

bidask

If your offered a return privilege on the coin by this dealer what's the big deal?

Bochiman

<< <i>If your offered a return privilege on the coin by this dealer what's the big deal? >>



They have a business to run. I don't want to waste my time, nor theirs, nor add on any unnecessary cost. That's the "big deal".
Just trying to be respectful of their business as well as my own needs.

There can be "issues" with slabbed coins....and not everyone will care, but, by the same token, some do care. If you see a photo of a coin you are interested in, is it not ok to ask about something in the photo that may concern you? Or, do you just say "send it to me anyway....here's my money...and I will use your return policy (they do have one) if I don't like it once in hand"? I have only returned a few coins over the years, and I don't like having to do it.....


Lakes....you are evil