Asking About Return Policies = Awkward.

When I am concerned with a return policy is when I am buying a coin online from a seller on ebay or other website. Here I am buying the coin sight-unseen and want to have the opportunity to return the coin if it shows up and is not as listed. i.e. I purchase an original seated half in MS-63, but after looking at it in hand I realize that it is AU and cleaned.

If you are looking at a coin in person (at a show) you should be able to determine the grade/eye appel on the spot and decide if you want it or not. I wouldn't think many dealers would be ok allowing people to return coins they bought at a show on a whim, but I could be wrong.

The problem with show returns is that most dealers are not from the area where the show is being held and do not have a retail location. Returns under those circumstances can be difficult and as I see it, there are only a couple legitimate reasons to want to return a coin that was examined by the buyer in person before purchase- counterfeits and alterations. A return should always be valid with these two events but only with proof of sale.

If you later find the same coin at another dealer for 50 bucks less, tough luck, you should have walked the bourse some more. If you agreed to the purchase price and grade but later had second thoughts that the coin was overgraded, too bad, you should have brought your ANA Grading Standards book with you. Face to face transactions should eliminate the vast majority of problems, except for the two noted above, that can occur with your typical ebay transaction(poor pics, item not as described, etc). Also, many dealers do not give out receipts at shows unless it is a major purchase. If the coin is out of sight from the dealer and he does not have a digital image to reference, how is he to know whether you switched coins or not? I guarantee that dealers do not remember the appearance of every single coin that they sell at a particular show and the dealer may not even remember you buying a coin. Those are even bigger points for large shows with an attendance in the thousands and dealer inventories in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Another reason for return could be that the coin was mislabeled (misrepresented). Can't see much of that happening with the US coinage but it was the case with me buying some Saudi coins. The dealer had two coins in 2x2's labeled as different varieties, I happily grabbed both of them. Upon arrival home and carefully studying them I discovered they were identical (and both misidentified). I brought them back to the dealer, pointed out his mistake, kept one of the coins, and got the refund on the other.

I would think that if you were buying a coin that you could physically hold and examine there should be no need for a return policy.

I have asked every dealer I have ever bought from about their return policies, many have business cards on their tables and also sell online, I usually pick up a card ask them if they list alot of coins or sell via email or otherwise, ask about their return policy, if they give me any guff, I put the card down and go to the next table and look at their coins and start all over again.

I use asking about returns as a sort of an integrity meter.

Returns from a show...I personally (if I were a dealer) would only honor a return if it was in "my" original packaging, and / or it never left the show.
To many chances to switch something out.
As a buyer, I might ask about return policy and take into mind my own personal views.
Finding it cheaper somewhere else in the show, would not be a good reason for return (IMHO)
As for hidden damage, you have the coin in your hand, and although I haven't been to many shows(ok just one so far) I would venture a guess that if asked, a dealer would remove the coin for better viewing.
Of course this would have to depend on the coin and the seriousness of the buyer.