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 Replies: 16 / Views: 2,834 |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
686 Posts |
I was in at a dealers the other day, where I haven't been since I was in university (5-6 years ago). I wasn't a big customer back then, so I was basically a new customer. I sat down with one of the guys for at least an hour showing off some stuff I wanted to get rid of, and checking out a few things I wanted to buy. He started showing me some high end items that he had in stock, and had left them at the desk with me alone, while he stepped away to calculate some prices. I ended up purchasing a few coins, and went on my way - it was a pleasant experience.
Flash forward to a couple hours ago, when I received an e-mail from him saying that a $5000+ coin that he had shown me had disappeared. He advised that the surveillance footage looked suspicious (I remember flicking through the coins on the table when he had stepped away), and wanted to know if I had accidentally taken it. I spent the next hour looking through my car (which was a mess), and the coin book I brought in with me to find it, and had no luck. I let him know, and he said he would review the footage again in slo-mo to see what happened.
Turns out the coin was never in the batch he had brought out to show me. A co-worker of his had moved it elsewhere, and they were finally able to find it. I'm a pretty relaxed person, but I was getting pretty concerned of what was going to happen to me about this. I can just imagine how concerned he was though.
However, all's well that ends well.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1700 Posts |
Nice ending to the story. Congrats!
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Rest in Peace
United States
2668 Posts |
Since he never showed you the coin, let him know you might like to see it, with the appropriate 'whoops' discount.
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Bedrock of the Community
Canada
10743 Posts |
Probably shouldn't have stayed in the room with 'high end' coins when he left. I would have left with him, and came back when he did.  |
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Pillar of the Community
1844 Posts |
 I would have left also... |
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Valued Member
United States
95 Posts |
I think he handled the whole situation poorly. He never should have left you alone with the valuable coins. It's not a matter of trust, just good business sense.
A few weeks ago a guy walked into Tiffany's in NYC asked to look at two very expensive necklaces at a counter by the door. The sales person turned their back to hi for a moment leaving the two necklaces on the counter, the guy scoffed them up and bolted out the door and got lost in the crowd on 5th Avenue.
He's really lucky you're an honest person. Imagine if they didn't have your contact info, you could have pocketed a slew of coins and been in the wind as they say.
I guess just to keep yourself covered you should have left the room with him, but that's only because he didn't safeguard the coins properly
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Pillar of the Community
 Canada
686 Posts |
For the record, I wasn't left alone in a room. The table we were sitting at was in the main room there, he went into a back room to determine some prices, and to give me a few minutes to look at the coins on my own.
And Shaft, if you're suggesting the coin doesn't exist, I have on good grounds that it does. Not going to say more, because I don't want to reveal the dealer!
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1984 Posts |
The store owner should have done a canvas of all of his employees before, in essence, accusing a customer of theft.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
3234 Posts |
I agree with Shaft on this one...
He should have done the proper R and R before calling you and suggesting that you were the cause of the missing rare coin.
As you said...It almost gave you a heart attack....
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
548 Posts |
Having worked in retail myself, I can assure you the employee was probably closer to a heart attack than you - he's the one who was responsible for the coin. I imagine the ensuing discussion in the store amongst the employees and their manager got rather... loud shall we say? That employee is on the slippery slope that leads to the unemployment line.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1354 Posts |
The guy should not have left the merchandise out and then leave the room or he should have accounted for all of it before you left the store. I would not have appreciated a call saying something is gone, the camera looks suspicious, did you "accidentally" take it prior to checking all his other avenues first.
If he had checked all avenues first then a simple call saying "did it accidentally get mixed in" would suffice. If it wasn't 100% evident on camera he should not have stated anything to you and if it was he should have gone straight to the police. Apart from that maybe it would have been a lesson for the future that he should be more conscientious with his job. especially if he wasn't the owner.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
686 Posts |
Coin Chick - In his defense, he had e-mailed me asking if it accidentally got mixed in at first. After the coin was found, he told me that the camera footage looked suspicious.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
2781 Posts |
Quote:
asking if it accidentally got mixed in at first that's just a polite way of saying I think you stole the coin but here's your get out of jail free card (because he never should have let the coin out of his site, the camera footage more than likely did NOT show anything conclusive and he was trying to cover HIS OWN BUTT) personally I think I would politely, but firmly, tell the owner you didn't appreciate the way it was handled. |
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
686 Posts |
You're right Wade. I'm trying to take the high road with it all though. He told me (after the fact) that the camera quality isn't great - they're planning on installing hi-def cameras soon.
I really had a pleasurable experience at the store. I brought in a bunch of coins, and ended up trading a bunch of mine, for two that I wanted of theirs. They offered me virtually the same % of trends for my coins, as the % they wanted on theirs, and the difference was only $40. He even told me to keep the $40 (I told him we can split it, so I gave him $20).
I don't want to make a bigger deal about it, and who knows, maybe they'll be even more generous to me next time I'm in.
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Pillar of the Community
Canada
1700 Posts |
Be careful the next time you visit that store.
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1949 Posts |
I personally would be really off-put by the whole experience... Being accused of theft when it was a mistake by the dealer... I would personally avoid that store like the plague... What would have happened if the coin didn't turn up later that day? Imagine the hassle if the police got involved...
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Replies: 16 / Views: 2,834 |
Posted 08/08/2013 04:35 am
