I Am Stupid (Ebay Lesson)

Link?

Sorry to hear about your experience. There are millions of sellers and so sometimes you may get a bad experience, but I dont think giving up buying from anyone on ebay is the answer. You just have to be more careful about what you buy such as graded coins, or making sure the coin photos are actually what you are getting etc. Thankfully ebay allows not only negative feedback but returns if item doesn't match description.

Personally even the mint itself can send a bad coin as I have had happen, but that doesn't mean I will never again buy another from them, just that sometimes like you it does make me prefer to try to see one in person when its not graded and can see the photos and verify its current state (like milk spotting).

Did the seller offer return privileges in the first place? If not, why on earth would you buy?

I like Hondo's reply of base your purchase on the pictures. I mentioned before I used to try to cherry pick coins with errors or varieties. In one case they listed a 71-79s Lincoln Penny proof run gem from proof sets which had a nice error and great quality of coins, but turns out there were using one photo which might not even have been theirs to sell lots of these sets they were putting together.

I agree with Hondo and Dearborn also about finding good sellers and being a regular. I also think about bobbys posts from facebook and some of the posts people have made about whats being offered on ebay, so its always possible there is just a lack of knowledge in a particular seller.. Maybe a AU to them that looks good from being cleaned = GEM BU to them and they dont know what GEM BU actually should mean like a MS65 or better typically in my own mind/expectation. I guess just ask questions if unsure, check feedback and prior sales. And hopefully as coinfrog mentioned they have returns and all will be fine and lesson learned.

OP - how about a linky to the ebay auction you bought from?

Probably rivanna-coins

Sometimes stock images are perfectly ok. For example, I recently purchased the following, and the reputable seller used a US Mint stock image. I was 100% satisfied with what I received. But yes, be wary if the seller does not state that what you are buying is what is actually pictured.

Here is the link. Turns out it was a stock image, so my mistake there too.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/123610791400

The seller just responded abt 20 minutes ago, they are sending me a return label. Happy about that but I will say I much prefer to see stuff in person before I buy, its just a pain waiting for shows sometimes.