The expense of returning coins to the Mint
TopographicOceans
Posts: 6,535 ✭✭✭✭
I have a subscription for Silver Proof sets from the Mint @ $53.95 plus $4.95 S/H. The Ike $1 was a POS, so I wanted to exchange the set.
On the return form there are three options: Replacement, Refund or Exchange for new items.
To me Replacement is the same as Exchange, but I checked the Replacement box and paid the $4 in postage to ship it back.
The Mint posts a $53.95 credit to my credit card. Someone here mentioned that if you call them they will also issue a credit for the $4.95 S/H so I did.
The rep was clueless so after 10 minutes I asked for a supervisor.
I said that since the set was damaged, I wanted a replacement. She said they don't understand the difference between a Replacement and an Exchange, so they just issue a refund.
She did issue a credit for $4.95 for the S/H, but then I had to order a new set and of course she charged me $4.95 S/H again.
Obviously, they do understand the difference between Replacement/Exchange vs. Refund and that's the $4.95 S/H charge to ship the replacement set.
I'll go back to buying them in the secondary market.
On the return form there are three options: Replacement, Refund or Exchange for new items.
To me Replacement is the same as Exchange, but I checked the Replacement box and paid the $4 in postage to ship it back.
The Mint posts a $53.95 credit to my credit card. Someone here mentioned that if you call them they will also issue a credit for the $4.95 S/H so I did.
The rep was clueless so after 10 minutes I asked for a supervisor.
I said that since the set was damaged, I wanted a replacement. She said they don't understand the difference between a Replacement and an Exchange, so they just issue a refund.
She did issue a credit for $4.95 for the S/H, but then I had to order a new set and of course she charged me $4.95 S/H again.
Obviously, they do understand the difference between Replacement/Exchange vs. Refund and that's the $4.95 S/H charge to ship the replacement set.
I'll go back to buying them in the secondary market.
0
Comments
<< <i>I only returned one coin to the mint in all the years I purchased from them. It was a proof ASE with scratches.... not sure what option I used but I paid return shipping and they replaced/shipped it free. That was back in the mid/late nineties. Cheers, RickO >>
I have understood that the mint would pay for returns like that, but I was a dealer I had two returns, (one for a fingerprint on a Proof dime and other for a planchet defect on a Proof Sacajawea dollar that I should have kept.), and I ended up paying both ways.
I buy my annual Silver Proof Set from the secondary market. I've had too many obvious problems with the Proof sets I've gotten directly from the mint.
A "Refund" is intuitively obvious.
As for the refund on the shipping back to the mint, from what I understand, the sender should include a receipt for the amount of reasonable return shipping charges.
Buying on the after market has cost benefits but it also has some negative impacts as illustrated by the current high costs of the 2012 Proof Sets. If folks wait until they feel comfortable buying after the fact, they could end up paying much. much more for what they want.
As for the Eisenhower Dollar? Its a Presidential Proof with an aftermarket value of about a Buck-Two-fifty. I'd have just picked one up, replaced what was in the set and spent the trashed coin.
The name is LEE!
<< <i>As for the Eisenhower Dollar? Its a Presidential Proof with an aftermarket value of about a Buck-Two-fifty. I'd have just picked one up, replaced what was in the set and spent the trashed coin. >>
Likewise
but it's a proof with a value of about a Buck-three-seventy five
At least with the mint, you have a chance to cherry them.
I order multiples, usually 10, and still have trouble assembling a full set of merely halfway ok coins
That golden Ike is an extreme case of bad, but streaking is not new on proof coins fresh from the mint. Perhaps it is worthy of a return shipping refund. However i have only asked in extreme cases. Otherwise I pay for my own cherry picking. It's been years since I've asked.
<< <i>On the return form there are three options: Replacement, Refund or Exchange for new items.
To me Replacement is the same as Exchange, but I checked the Replacement box and paid the $4 in postage to ship it back. >>
It seems to me that even though you did not clearly read the question on the website, you still selected the correct box. Note that the question asks is you want a replacement, a refund, or an "exchange for new item". Exchange for new item means you no longer want the proof set, and wish to exchange it for a different product, such as a mint set, for example.
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