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 Replies: 47 / Views: 6,670 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4870 Posts |
Just received this today and was sent by Canada Letter Post. The problem is how it was packaged. Coin was placed on invoice and a small piece of cardboard covering some of the coin while the tape is on top part of the coin! I would have expected at least a coin flip or the like. Oh it gets better...used a 96 cent stamp and charged $3.50 for shipping! Am I over reacting? By the way, the coin is a canadian 1978 half dollar w/round jewels.   Edited by TheForce
02/28/2008 4:17 pm
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Moderator
 United States
6563 Posts |
I'd leave it be and ship it back. the guy have a return policy?
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
4870 Posts |
Well I already removed it. I couldn't stand to see a good coin take such abuse. There is return policy, however its less the S&H fees. By the time I pay to send it back would it really be worth it to get $6 back? Also want to note the sellers listing says The seller of this item is away until March 17, 2008. You may purchase the item, but there may be a delay in processing your order.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5318 Posts |
I think your concerns are well-founded because the coin isn't packaged with care, and you at least paid for better shipping. $3.50 should easily cover a flip or 2x2 in a bubble mailer. That's what I typically receive from sellers in Canada. The seller used your $3.50 to pad his profit margin. I hope you report the seller here--everyone should be warned. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4870 Posts |
Just posted about it at the link you gave.
Is it wise to send coins via letter post? Doesn't envelopes go through mail sorters that could cause damage to a coin?
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Moderator
United States
6563 Posts |
That is more then likely how the coin shifted. Is this seller a normal coin dealer?
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5318 Posts |
Right--those sorting machines concern me as well--who knows what could happen? That said, I haven't yet found any damage getting to a coin in a bubble pack. "That is more then likely how the coin shifted. " Yes, and judging from several arced impressions I see in the photo, I'll guess the coin shifted several times during mailing. Those marks are not reassuring, because that tells me the pressure from the letter sorter reached the coin.  Edited by KurtS
02/28/2008 5:44 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4870 Posts |
I just looked at his other auctions and he sells mainly coins. I don't know if I should leave a neg...
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Moderator
 United States
23522 Posts |
quote:
I just looked at his other auctions and he sells mainly coins. I don't know if I should leave a neg...
Not if you're keeping the coin. Hit him with the Shipping evaluation. Afterwards, email him and tear him a new one. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
549 Posts |
I understand your concerns with the way the seller packaged this item; however, the s/h charge is not unreasonable IMO. Sellers who "Hit him with the Shipping evaluation" are the ones who make ebay a nightmare for sellers. If you purchased an item of similar weight from just about any other online retailer (outside of ebay), the s/h charge would normally have been $5.95 or more. People don't complain endlessly about the s/h charges assesed by retailers, but when eBayers do it they go wild. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4870 Posts |
For the price I paid for shipping I would have expected better packaging and the seller still would have had a little left over from the postage I paid. I think its unreasonable to charge that amount when all thats used is a stamp and a regular letter envelope. This thing didn't even come in a flip or a 2x2. If this was sent packaged better I would have NO beef with that shipping charge.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1000 Posts |
I agree that the way your coin was packaged is extremely unreasonable. I would leave a neutral at the least and the Handling part of the S&H is what is getting the low evaluation. But I do agree with mahgobbi regarding the new S&H evaluation that ebay has started and people who feel that Shipping was too much even though it is clearly stated in the listing. This is my opinion: Whenever I go to buy a coin I add shipping into the equation as if it were part of the price. It also appears that others do the same thing. A lot of wheat pennies usually sell for around $.05 a coin with S&H included. If shipping is free the price is a little higher. If shipping is $10 than the sale price is lower. Higher shipping charges has always been a way to reduce your fees paid to ebay, not to defraud a customer. I think ebay added this function to punish those sellers who outsmarted their Final Value Fee. But again this is just my Two Cents. |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2254 Posts |
quote:
however, the s/h charge is not unreasonable IMO
The shipping charge is absolutely unreasonable when looking at the received product. I don't think nds would have ever complained about the price had the coin arrived safe and sound. I don't care one bit about why some sellers have low shipping ratings. It wouldn't have mattered if it was $1, free, or $10, that shipment was absolutely unsatisfactory. Insinuating that leaving negative feedback for this seller is what causes problems for other sellers it is not satisfactory either. This seller deserves anything that nds would give to them regarding the shipping evaluation. I do agree that $3.50 as a shipping charge is definitely a good price, but not at the expense of the coins safety. This seller deserves no stars for shipping. |
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Forum Mom
United States
5877 Posts |
The shipping charge is completely unreasonable and the fact that he will only refund your purchase price and keep the s/h is unacceptable. Personally, I would leave at least a neutral and explain the shipping issue in your comments. Since the seller states that his return policy is for purchase price only, that makes his return policy unacceptable. Why should a buyer have to pay for shipping both ways when the fault is on the part of the seller?
Mahgobbi, I completely disagree with your statements here. Whether nds76 keeps the coin or not, the return policy terms are unfair and the seller overcharged for shipping. The seller deserves a neutral or a neg for this. This is NOT what makes things hard for good sellers. If this seller offered a full money-back guarantee, shipped his coins properly, and charged fair shipping for the service he provides, we would not be having this discussion. I have to ask...do you sell coins? It's not the same as selling clothing or other items and, for the most part, comparisons cannot be made between coins and other goods. The only true comparison is between sellers of these items and whether they provide fair terms and good service.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
549 Posts |
No, Susan, I don't sell coins, other than excess from my personal collection (which isn't very much).
I stand by my original statement that the s/h CHARGE is not unreasonable. I never, ever tried to stick up for the way this seller packaged the item. That was unacceptable.
My opinion is that the seller should be criticized in the "Item as described" feedback section. The coin was not described as "covered in sticky tape" in the listing; therefore, it was improperly described. The s/h feedback section isn't asking you whether it was packaged nicely. It is strictly "Shipping and handling charges" and I don't feel that the charge was excessive. A 2x2 would have added (at most) $.10 to the seller's cost. Is that really the difference between reasonable "Shipping and handling charges" and excessive "Shipping and handling charges?" I don't believe so.
I just think the problems need to be addressed in the appropriate section of the feedback rating and the real issue at hand is that the item wasn't described properly. The OP said herself that she didn't have a problem with the s/h CHARGES, so if COST isn't the issue, then don't zap the seller on cost. Get the seller on the description.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
5318 Posts |
I don't think any of us want to get into another protracted ebay discussion, lol  Mahgobbi, I agree that $3.50 is an OK shipping cost, but only in the proper context. If I was sent a valuable coin properly protected, I would gladly pay that amount (and I normally do) But for any coin that arrived like the one pictured above, I would be just as dissatisfied as nds76. |
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Replies: 47 / Views: 6,670 |
Posted 02/28/2008 4:20 pm
