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 Replies: 13 / Views: 2,726 |
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Forum Dad
 United States
24150 Posts |
APMEX Bullion Center Debuts on eBayQuote:"We have been aware of each other for some time,We initiated a deeper conversation and did our due diligence. Bullion is a key traffic driver for us.... We have definitely seen that it helps the collectible coin volume as well as other categories. We think it's a big deal for our broader selling community on ebay." Quote: "We've been working on this project for more than a year," Montgomery said. " ebay has been very interested in this for a long time. It's a completely different marketplace for us. It's a whole new world. and it's impossible to quantify how many new people will come into bullion through ebay. This is going to be a game changer for our industry. " "One of the biggest challenges for us was updating prices on a regular basis," Montgomery said. "On ebay, once you have a price, it stays on unless you go in and change it. They've never had this [regular automatic price adjustments] before on ebay."
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Valued Member
Canada
178 Posts |
Only ships to the United States... booo!
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Valued Member
Canada
442 Posts |
Ha, that was my first thought too. It would be nice to place small orders with them if the shipping rate dropped a good deal from their $35 to Canada.
Oh well.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
808 Posts |
Quote:Pay a maximum of $14.95 shipping on all eligible items from APMEX, when you use the cart to make your purchase. *OR* $0.25 shipping for each additional eligible item you buy from APMEX, when you use the cart to make your purchase. Those shipping terms look great to me! In the past, APMEX's shipping fees have always been a big problem for folks only buying a coin or two. All I can say is it's about time! |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1200 Posts |
I comparison shop every internet bullion order I place just to be sure I'm staying on top of prices and shipping rates. I do order from APMEX periodically, but their domestic US shipping rates frequently run about 2X what their competitors charge. APMEX has great product availability that's (close to if not) unequalled elsewhere in the marketplace, but their prices aren't really cheap and their domestic US shipping rates are a kick in the head. If they'd just ease back on the shipping charges, it'd make them more usable and probably boost their sales. |
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Valued Member
United States
404 Posts |
APMEX Silver Eagle $38.73+$4.95 shipping MCM Silver Eagle BIN $39.75 free shipping. APMEX Silver Maples $37.98+$4.95=$42.93 MCM Silver Maples $40.14 free shipping Buy 5 maples or 7 ASE or more and it's cheaper to go with APMEX, anything less and there are many notable sellers cheaper than APMEX and just as reliable.
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
I agree with Freddy, their prices arent bad and some of the graded coins at first look appear like a good deal. Then you go to check out and no matter what you got shipping starts at 15 bucks. I dont know why they do that but you can priority flat rate a heck of a lot for 6 dollars, 10 if you add insurance. I've always found their shipping frankly to be unreasonable except for large buys. I do think its intentional as well so they can say they have a low price and hope youll just go with it during the check out.
I love their selection but the shipping charges have really turned me off to them
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Valued Member
United States
456 Posts |
The one time I almost placed an order with APMEX, I was trying to check out when I noticed the price on an item was incorrect. I was being charged the credit card price even though I was going to pay by check. I went through their chat system on their website to try to get some clarification. The person on the website was not helpful at all. He repeatedly told me the pricing was correct and it absolutely wasn't. He then said he was going to check, and never came back. I suspect he found out I was right and didn't want to admit it. I then called them directly and explained the situation. They told me I was correct and that they would try to help me out. By the time everything was straightened out, they informed me that one of the items I was trying to buy had just sold out and there was nothing they could do. So, I never placed the order and haven't been back since. I'm not sure if the pricing/customer service issue was an aberration or not, but I've had too many good experiences with other distributors to go back. Like Fat Freddy and basebal said, I was attracted to them due to their wide selection and seemingly low prices. High shipping costs coupled with my poor experience with them has pushed me away. Sorry, not trying to complain. I just figured some out there might appreciate the feedback. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3670 Posts |
I can't help but wonder how much MORE business they would get if they offered FREE shipping? I know insane thought eh, lol.... I rarely offer free shipping on ebay sells, minus high cost item perhaps sometimes and I like to insure over 1k... Just does not compute mathematically as the wise here have pointed out often, esp about the price increase one needs via 5 or 6 dollars fast to quick flip an make anything at all.... I bet APMEX or Provident could raise their bottom line prices a wee bit and offer free shipping and clean up, get the little guy 4 an 5 oz. sales, add up in numbers in time perhaps.... How many of you would hesitate to grab a ASE at 40 shipped total, or something similar, say 38 on the Indian design generics.... I don't know, that 15 buck average shipping cost may sink them in time.... Ones things for sure, they probably got trained logistic experts crunching those numbers, and if they could turn more of a profit doing that, then they would be already.... Edited by Silverhawk74
10/18/2012 2:34 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
13014 Posts |
My experience with APMEX was I was looking for a PCGS MS70 commemorative half dollar for my set. The one I was looking for could be found on ebay at the time for 90. APMEX had it for 69 so I thought it was going to be a great deal. After the shipping cost I saved maybe 3 dollars and their shipping was extremely show. 15 dollars and couldnt even get priority shipping for a single coin and to make matters worse delivery confirmation is now free from USPS if you print the label yourself so they didnt even have that cost. I'm guessing it cost them 3 dollars in actual costs to ship that coin but got 15 for it. I havent ordered from them again since I personally dont like sellers who jack up shipping costs for no reason, but that was the 1 and only coin that was still cheaper there than ebay when you include shipping in the price. Ive ordered from Provident several times and have never paid over I think 11 or 12 dollars to have an order shipped and those were all multiple coin orders |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1200 Posts |
I think APMEX and maybe other internet dealers use high shipping charges to enforce a desired minimum order size threshold. Monex and Kitco are more honest about it - Kitco has a minimum order size of $2,500 and Monex sells ASEs, CSMs & Phils in minimum orders of 100 coins (which = around $3,500). APMEX has a per order minimum of only $50 but their shipping boosts the cost of anything in a barely-over $50 order up to a ridiculous high level. That loudly screams "We're making you pay a vicious premium for this small order." Their shipping prices force you to place larger orders or take a bad beating for not doing so. Most of my orders go to Goldmart. When I do a $1K order w/them (to take max advantage of their shipping prices), the price add-on works out to about 43 cents per coin on ASEs, CSMs or Phils. Their prices are the lowest I've found and even with the 43 cent per coin shipping, they're still better priced than anybody else I know of. I resent high shipping charges but Goldmart minimizes that problem when I bite the bullet & do a $1K order. I prefer to "save it up," wait & do the bigger order rather than get kicked in the head repeatedly with nasty shipping charges on a dozen smaller orders. I "hate to wait" but I'm "more frugal" (i.e: cheaper) than I am impatient. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4008 Posts |
Quote:
APMEX's shipping fees have always been a big problem for folks only buying a coin or two. Indeed. But then, APMEX gives a decent discount to those of us who like to buy in larger quantities... 50 oz. minimum. I usually buy 100-200 ozs. when the price dips. Gold Mart may have lower prices for a few coins but as the volume comes up, APMEX becomes quite competitive. I also like that APMEX stocks and sells BU and proof grade US 90% silver coins. I have ordered a good supply of dimes, quarters, and halves. Was looking at my buy records the other day and noticed that the Statehood Proof Quarters that I bought last June for $214 per roll of 40 are now around $275. On paper, at least, I have a good profit on these. Not that I am selling them, of course, but it looks a little better when a silver stash is gaining in value rather than losing, even if it is just temporary.  |
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New Member
United States
4 Posts |
APMEX is making sure any sellers of exonumia that show improving sales are removed from ebay. They literally wiped us out,reporting our items that were sold exclusively in exonumia, fantasy issue coins. These were not copies or replicas but our OWN trademarked designs.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
3789 Posts |
I think I said it somewhere here but in case I didnt, (it really doesn't matter anyways) but I do feel this deal with ebay was a sign that a top was in place for PMs. ... and look at where prices are at now since that deal... |
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Replies: 13 / Views: 2,726 |
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Posted 10/18/2012 11:33 am
