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Replies: 8 / Views: 750 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2023 Posts |
I won a China panda in a Heritage auction that closed on April 7, paid on April 8. The lot description says "Accompanied by original case of issue and PCS grading COA." I don't have a case/COA for any other pandas in my collection and was after only the coin -- the case/COA would have been a bonus. I still don't have either.
The live auction was at their Hong Kong office and Heritage sometimes takes more than a week to ship anyway, so I waited a while before checking back. Over the last weekend in April, I saw an "Action Required" note on my order, to "Contact Client Services to initiate shipment/pickup". I called them on April 29; the representative told me (my recollection) that the case/COA was still at the Hong Kong office, and I should expect shipment when they received it at their US office. They'd check again and follow up by email.
April 30, Heritage updates me that they "inadvertently sent your items to another customer" and "have sent a prepaid postage to the client, and he is in the process of returning the items". They asked if I "would like the coin shipped alone or wait for the box and COA to be received". I decided to wait for the box and COA to simplify shipping.
May 14, I sent a follow-up. "My main interest is the coin and I may have to accept that the box/COA are lost if they haven't arrived by now. If that is the case, I feel we should go ahead and ship the coin." Their response: "The box and COA are not lost. ... The client was out of town, and we were waiting for his return. We are now waiting for the items to deliver to our warehouse." I have not replied to this and have not heard further.
It's now been another two weeks since my last check-in, and a full month since my initial inquiry. They knew about the issue for some time before that, since there was a note on my account when I went to look for this order.
I feel it's time to check in again, but am not sure what to do here. Should I insist they send the coin, since that's the main thing I wanted anyway? Should I just accept the box/COA are lost, and should I ask for some kind of make-good? Or should I ask for another update and wait it out another two weeks before doing either of the above? Heritage has done pretty well for me in the past, but I'm losing faith with this one.
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Moderator
 United States
56855 Posts |
IMHO,if they can ship the coin have them do that. At least you will have the coin,with good luck. Have them send the box when they get it. Check with them on a weekly basis. If they end up not sending you the box ask for compensation of some kind. John1 
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Pillar of the Community
United States
656 Posts |
John meant to type "compensation", of course, not compassion.
Always check "spellcheck", John.
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Moderator
 United States
56855 Posts |
Fixed,thank you. John1 
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Moderator
 United States
54280 Posts |
Just tell them you want the coin now, and for them to get rid of the case/COA if they ever get it back.
Show your financial support of the Coin Community Family (click here)See my topic on Mexican Numismatic Medals (click here)
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
94367 Posts |
Compensation and compassion are both correctly spelled. Would Spellcheck find an error here?
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Moderator
 United States
54280 Posts |
Maybe fp meant "proofread"!
Show your financial support of the Coin Community Family (click here)See my topic on Mexican Numismatic Medals (click here)
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
2023 Posts |
Thanks for the feedback. I followed up the next morning (Wednesday).
Me: "If the box/COA have arrived or are imminent, please ship the lot. Otherwise, please ship just the coin. It has been a month since my first inquiry and ample time for the other customer to have returned the missent package." Heritage: "I have sent your request to the appropriate department for assistance. I will update you once I have been advised."
That's it. The package arrived this morning (Friday), with the box/COA. So they had it when I asked but they didn't send it (or even send me updates they promised) until I poked them. Nowhere in this communication from them was an apology for mishandling it, and they did nothing proactively. The most impersonal customer service I've experienced in quite some time.
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Moderator
 United States
187446 Posts |
Yikes, that was not a great experience. Happy to see you finally got the coin.
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Replies: 8 / Views: 750 |
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