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 Replies: 41 / Views: 28,887 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2661 Posts |
I'll tell ya if was a good buy or not. I got 4 of them from my favorite convenience store a couple of months ago and they worked very well in the soda machine at work. Send them back unopened as soon as you get them.! If you paid 25 cents each plus shipping you got ripped of.
Edited by Tim Stroud
05/11/2011 7:06 pm
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Valued Member
United States
187 Posts |
I think that it could be a good buy for you if you really like the way they look and enjoy them. I am reading how everyone is busting on you for buying them. Unfortunately they are right, but if you really like them, then it is a good buy for you.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
809 Posts |
BadThads first post is correct! What you just bought was some fancy quarters worth 25 cents each! Actually they are all damaged coins so no coin collector would give you any premium for them....if they wont give you your money back you might as well use them in the Pepsi machine...at least you can have some cold drinks!  |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2734 Posts |
I've received over a dozen gold-plated Quarters in my change. This means they were spent for face value before they reached me. And then consider that I spent all of them except one. I confess, I couldn't resist keeping a gold-plated Colorado Quarter, since it did only cost me 25 Cents...  I also have a gold-plated 2010-D Lincoln Shield cent from circulation. Edited by DNA
05/11/2011 9:17 pm
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Valued Member
United States
335 Posts |
Notwithstanding the comments and post, I can relate that some other TV hucksters got me buying coins, eight years ago. The four Morgans that I originally bought are finally and just recently worth the $100, sorta! I havent made a penny, but the collection value is there, at least now. So good luck to the poster, he has the coin bug, and those gold coins haha.
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Valued Member
United States
277 Posts |
In my opinion what these clowns do is criminal, they knowling go on TV trying to rip people off. So in reality they are no different than someone that breaks into your house and steals your valuables or someone that picks your pocket on the street. The only difference is the cops will go after those crooks.
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Valued Member
United States
362 Posts |
Well I will try and be positive. Some, like me are in this hobby for the enjoyment the coins bring us. If you like the coins then you were not ripped off. Besides, how do we know they won't be worth something in 10 20 50 years? Enjoy them!
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Valued Member
United States
277 Posts |
I understand the enjoyment of the hobby, but just because someone is new or doesn't know everything about the hobby doesn't mean other people or companies should rip them off and try to get rich off them. What ever happened to a fair price that both sides can live with?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1081 Posts |
Quote:
n my opinion what these clowns do is criminal, they knowling go on TV trying to rip people off. So in reality they are no different than someone that breaks into your house and steals your valuables or someone that picks your pocket on the street. The only difference is the cops will go after those crooks. They don't rip people off, although their products may be a rip off. They are excellent at marketing and provide goods that people, if they choose, can purchase. I think there is a huge difference between what they do and what a burglar/thief does as people who buy these items do it voluntarily. If they want, they can do their research and realize it's not a great deal, but again they don't have to. I don't know about you, but I've never invited a thief into my home to steal my stuff. You may not like what they sell or how much they charge, but the greatest part is, you never have to buy from them. You should take responsibility for your own actions and not try to blame somebody else when you make a bad purchase (nothing against the OP as he seems to have realized this). |
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Valued Member
United States
277 Posts |
They don't provide goods and they don't provide a service, they act like they do but it isn't even close. They falsify facts, and prices. I think it is criminal that they are allowed to prey on misinformed, or the newbies of a hobby, and mislead them even farther for their personal gain. If I had bought something I would feel like I invited someone in to take money from my wallet, and maybe they can make a sandwich before they lef too.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1817 Posts |
Criminal, no; unethical, yes. There are tons of people who are interested in pretty things as the throngs of people attending garage sales, flea markets, antique fairs, and the like bear witness. Most of them aren't interested in resale possibilities or flipping a sale item to make a quick profit, but to look for a nice deal for gift giving or to enhance their home or life in some way. When pressed most buyers of collectibles and antiques vaguely want their item to holds its value, but the majority of people simply have no clue about an object's real worth. Look at HSN's opposite, the PBS show, "Antiques Roadshow," as an example. Different demographic perhaps, but this is the same kind of mentality HSN looks for in its ideal shopper: someone with cash to burn, and an advanced case of wishful thinking. The fact that these people can be preyed on their susceptibilities is an ethical and moral quandary.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1081 Posts |
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They don't provide goods and they don't provide a service, they act like they do but it isn't even close. They falsify facts, and price I don't mean to harp on this issue, as there are many different opinions about it. However, to say they don't provide goods and that they falsify facts and prices is just plain wrong. They may sell items for more than other business do, but the price is clearly stated and they send you what you purchase 99% of the time. I think it's great to inform new hobbyists that their alleged deals really aren't deals at all, but by stating facts that are plain wrong is just as bad. It only leads to misinformed decisions. The government already regulates the sale of consumer goods through various means and legislation. it all gets back to personal responsibility. I agree to some extent with Bizybackson that it is unethical in some respects. However, IMO, it's not automatically unethical. I recently ran into a similar situation. My girl friend showed me an advertisement for stamps that are sent to your home every months. You get a nice display box and every month you get 5 stamps which come in a nice little protective case. She thought it was only $3.95/month but I pointed out that it is really $3.95/month per stamp. The total would have been around $545 for all the stamps over a little more than 2 years. I told her that that price is probably much more than what the stamps are actually worth and in fact, she would be grossly overpaying. However, she still considered it because it was convenient, you get a nice display box and it looked cool. (she ended up not buying them) Now what is criminal or unethical about that? Edited by DavidZerbato
05/12/2011 3:51 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
10045 Posts |
I've watched HSN, Coin Vault, etc as a case study of sales language, carefully skirting the law. Coins are just one area targeted by these hucksters; others are far more blatant, where details are conveniently omitted that would help buyers determine a fair retail value. Imo, they know full well what they're doing--they're using the media to lend credibility to their sales pitch. The same might be said of those worthless Stauer watch and jewelry ads in the back of "credible" magazines like Smithsonian. Whether it's fraud or not depends on whether that carefully worded sales pitch accurately represents the product. /rant  Edited by DVCollector
05/12/2011 8:01 pm
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Valued Member
United States
277 Posts |
The say such and such set of coins should go for x and we are selling at y (which is less than x) is false. Those coins will not sell for that much at the time of sale, not even close. As far as the government regulating them, they only regulate enough to get their money (taxes, shipping with usps etc. etc.) or if enough people complain about the service or goods provided, that the money the government makes doesn't make it worth the hassle of the complaints from these people is costing more than they are making.
Just because they word it in such a manner that they avoid legal trouble doesn't mean it isn't fraud or criminal. Our laws are writin so vaguely as it is, that there are loop holes in everything. Exploiting those loop holes is criminal.
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Valued Member
United States
312 Posts |
I agree with DVCollector that they are "carefully skirting the law." Obviously some of these companies have run into trouble already for not making it clear they are unaffiliated with the mint - but they do just the bare minimum to explain that.
And I like David's line, "They don't rip people off, although their products may be a rip off." If someone hits the street selling ugly, dripped-paint art at ridiculous prices, it's the buyer's fault for buying it despite the fact that no one else would ever buy it off of them. So long as it's not being advertised as a Pollock, the seller isn't in the wrong then - the buyer is just uninformed.
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Replies: 41 / Views: 28,887 |
First Page
Posted 05/11/2011 7:05 pm
