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If you notice a harmless typo in a dealer's national advertisement, should you tell them?

LongacreLongacre Posts: 16,717 ✭✭✭
I was looking through Coin World about two months ago. I noticed an advertisement for a rather prominent dealer. I won't mention the dealer's name, but he is located somewhere in mid-America. The advertisement had a clear typographical error in it. It wasn't a typo of something significant, like the price of a coin, but it was an English grammar error that a lot of people get wrong. Without getting accused of having too much time on my hands, when I got to work the next day, I wrote a quick email to the dealer, and I (very nicely) pointed out the typo, and said how I understand that he is paying a lot of money for the ad, and I am sure sure he just didn't notice the error, etc., etc. In the following issue of CW, I noticed that the change had been made.

Does anyone think this was a waste of my time? How important to you is the dealer's attention to detail with his ads, versus his attention to detail with his coins?

Also, the dealer never even responded to my email to acknowledge it. I was not looking for any great response, but I think a one word response like, "Thanks", would have been nice. Am I being too picky and should I just mind my own business in the future?
Always took candy from strangers
Didn't wanna get me no trade
Never want to be like papa
Working for the boss every night and day
--"Happy", by the Rolling Stones (1972)

Comments

  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,897 ✭✭✭✭✭
    You have too much time on your hands.

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • JulianJulian Posts: 3,370 ✭✭✭
    Why not. I would appreciate any constructive criticism.
    PNG member, numismatic dealer since 1965. Operates a retail store, also has exhibited at over 1000 shows.
    I firmly believe in numismatics as the world's greatest hobby, but recognize that this is a luxury and without collectors, we can all spend/melt our collections/inventories.

    eBaystore
  • ERER Posts: 7,345
    Yes you should, if it bugs you that much.image
  • coinguy1coinguy1 Posts: 13,484 ✭✭✭


    << <i>Why not. I would appreciate any constructive criticism >>

    Julian, in that case, you should place a "?" at the end of a question such as "Why not".image Sorry - the devil made me do that.image

    Edited to add: Thanks to a kind forum member for pointing out my (now-corrected) typo of "sich" instead of "such" above.image
  • tradedollarnuttradedollarnut Posts: 20,233 ✭✭✭✭✭
  • ERER Posts: 7,345
    Mark,
    Julian wasn't advertising anything, if you disregard his sigline.image
  • On ebay, I often tell people if they make a typo or are describing something wrong. I don't know how many people i've seen describe Mint Sets as Proof Sets and vise versa. Sometimes, I think the seller is being intentionally deceitful (e.g. calling a 1961 proof set 'the rare 1961 Mint Set') - but most of the time, it is just an honest mistake. On my last batch of auctions, I sold a bunch of Civil War era notes. I had several typo's -- where I put 196x instead of 186x. Somebody finally told me about them, but with less than 12 hours to go so I could not fix them.
    -----
    KR
  • BlindedByEgoBlindedByEgo Posts: 10,754 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>I was looking through Coin World about two months ago. I noticed an advertisement for a rather prominent dealer. I won't mention the dealer's name, but he is located somewhere in mid-America. The advertisement had a clear typographical error in it. It wasn't a typo of something significant, like the price of a coin, but it was an English grammar error that a lot of people get wrong. Without getting accused of having too much time on my hands, when I got to work the next day, I wrote a quick email to the dealer, and I (very nicely) pointed out the typo, and said how I understand that he is paying a lot of money for the ad, and I am sure sure he just didn't notice the error, etc., etc. In the following issue of CW, I noticed that the change had been made.

    Does anyone think this was a waste of my time? How important to you is the dealer's attention to detail with his ads, versus his attention to detail with his coins?

    Also, the dealer never even responded to my email to acknowledge it. I was not looking for any great response, but I think a one word response like, "Thanks", would have been nice. Am I being too picky and should I just mind my own business in the future? >>






    The English teacher that I had as a senior in high school would have kicked my butt if I had written a paragrapgh like your first one. Actually - with all of the commas - it is a run-on sentence, and not a paragraph.

    That being said, nobody likes proofreaders - and we are rarely acknowledged for our brilliance image

    Yeppers, too much time on your hands. Good for you, because I'm jealous.

    Keith



  • michaelmichael Posts: 9,524 ✭✭✭
    If you notice a harmless typo in a dealer's national advertisement, should you tell them?

    NO

    as more than likely they know already or have been told 100 times already

    and even if not (((from my personal experience))))) they do not care or really DO NOT want to hear about it
  • TahoeDaleTahoeDale Posts: 1,785 ✭✭✭
    Longacre,

    There are some ads, and auction sales that probably do need correcting. But if you are not interested in the sale(as a consignor), there is no need to be the Grammer Police for insignificant mistakes.

    However, there are no bad questions to ask your fellow forum members, as long as they are substantive, and you really have a need for the answer.

    TahoeDale
  • BigEBigE Posts: 6,949 ✭✭✭
    Only if they have an 800 nimber--------------BigE
    I'm glad I am a Tree
  • PerryHallPerryHall Posts: 46,897 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Only if they have an 800 nimber--------------BigE >>



    "You misspelled number."
    Longacre

    Worry is the interest you pay on a debt you may not owe.
    "Paper money eventually returns to its intrinsic value---zero."----Voltaire
    "Everything you say should be true, but not everything true should be said."----Voltaire

  • DentuckDentuck Posts: 3,824 ✭✭✭
    If his advertisement was correct in the next issue of CW, I don't think it wasn't your email that fixed it. Given the interplay of advertising deadlines, newspaper production time, and delivery variables, I'd say the ad was corrected long before you read its typo.

    Still, it was nice of you to inform him. Public image can hinge on things such as attention to detail.
  • UncleJoeUncleJoe Posts: 2,551 ✭✭✭
    I don't think it wasn't your email that fixed it.

    was image

    Joe. image
  • itsnotjustmeitsnotjustme Posts: 8,779 ✭✭✭
    If I were the dealer, I would appreciate your help with a short thanks.

    I often do the same for e-bay sellers who make honest mistakes. Most are answered with thanks!
    Give Blood (Red Bags) & Platelets (Yellow Bags)!
  • MarkMark Posts: 3,586 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Longacre:

    Go spend some time on the Legend website. I can guarantee you that if you want to correct grammar and spelling, this website will insure that you no longer have excess time on your hands. (Plus you'll have the pleasure of looking at some truly exquisite coins!)

    Mark
    Mark


  • TorinoCobra71TorinoCobra71 Posts: 8,063 ✭✭✭


    << <i>You have too much time on your hands. >>



    What he said............ image

    TorinoCobra71

    image
  • I am sure sureimage that you need a hobby.



    Have a Great Day!
    Louis
  • FullStrikeFullStrike Posts: 4,353 ✭✭✭
    .

    << <i>If you notice a harmless typo in a dealer's national advertisement, should you tell them? >>




    Give it up.

    Probably 70% of the native born and bred population can't spell correctly - and don't care to.

    The dealer in question most likely had little to do with his own ad. Probably had 3 or 4 $9.00/ hr people involved at different levels. If those people could spell, they'd be employed in higher paying occupations.

    P.S. Have you posed this question to your wife? Or is she about to snatch your head off? image I remember your QDB post.image
  • FatManFatMan Posts: 8,977


    << <i>If you notice a harmless typo in a dealer's national advertisement, should you tell them? >>

    Only if the dealer is from "NJ" and has "Legend" in their name. Then the correct way to notify them is to post it on PCGS forum. In short order the dealer will show their appreciation.image
  • BigEBigE Posts: 6,949 ✭✭✭
    Sorry about the "nimber" thing, how come nobody called meimage-----------------BigE
    I'm glad I am a Tree

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