So I just received my 5oz America the Beautiful (Perry's Memorial) from the US Mint and this is how it arrived. I contacted the mint and they can't guarantee that they will be able to reserve me one so after this bad experience I'm forced to buy a new one and hope that it comes in better condition than the one I currently have. This is ridiculous... On top of everything, I attempted to place an order with the girl at customer service and she added shipping to my order. I told her that they now had an offer of free shipping but she advised me that it was only on orders places online. I asked her if based on the current circumstance if she could waive the shipping cost and she told me she couldn't. I cancelled that order and needless to say, I'm furious with this experience.
That is really bad, Muck. What do you mean they can't reserve a coin for you and you have to purchase a new coin? Can't you just return that coin and have them replace it? It looks like Quality Control is on vacation, or they had to get rid of the Quality Control department in order to be able to lower the cost of the pucks. I have only purchased the bullion pucks this year and they have been pretty decent for what they are. I was thinking of getting the fancy Great Basin coin, but now I am not so sure. On a number of fronts, the Mint really seems to be falling down and it seems this trend has been escalating as recent years have passed.
Hey treehugger, Basically, if I return the coin they can't guarantee that another will be in stock by the time they replace it. If they don't have one in stock they send my money back. So the only way to guarantee that I'll get another one is to order a new one and hope that it comes in better condition than the one I currently have. What sucks is that the return has to be made in 7 days. So it's not like I can order the new one, wait until it gets here and then find out which one I'm going to keep. Now I have to pay another $153 or whatever it is and PRAY that it arrives in good shape.
I have the 2013 White Mountain -P puck and it arrived with a small ding mark by Washington's ear. The White Mountain side is perfect. I mulled it over (cost to return, another coin possibly being in worse shape) and decided to keep the coin. I wasn't interested in the Perry coin and considering getting the Basin coin with the reduced price and free shipping. However, I feel like I'd have to order 2-3 coins hoping 1 was pristine and then pay to send back the others. Not really interested in doing that.
It's just unacceptable...the perry side as you can see has small smears but the Washington side is much worse
Hey Muck, I would just do a return and get your money back. That sucks that they don't do quality control at the mint especially when you pay a higher premium to buy it from them. I would move on to something else bud. Sorry about your bad experience.
Just return the coin and get a new one. Chances are it will be much better. You shouldn't be upset about the free shipping. It clearly states that that is for online orders only.
Unfortunately, this happens with the US Mint products. With that said, I have returned several purchased items and have had no issue with the products that replaced what was returned.
Proper customer service would have been a supervisor who would have come and signed off on the free shipping. Yes I can be upset about that.
I agree with Muck regarding the shipping. Although it clearly states for online orders only, the Mint sent him a piece of doggy doo that, if their quality control was good, would never have left in the first place. Given that, this was a chance for them to go above and beyond and make an exeption to the policy as an apology for the crappy product. Obviously, they did not do that. This is what a customer-oriented business would have done. Because the Mint is a monopoly they can continue to mess up and then tell people to go pound sand when they could otherwise make a move to try to make the situation better. I think there is only 1 solution, but I also think it will never occur. That, of course, is to stop buying their items. If it was me and I still really wanted that coin, I would do what sodude said and return it for an exchange. The chances are they will still be there and the chances are it will be better than the coin you received. If not, then it was not meant to be. Good luck. If it was I who received that coin, I would be pretty miffed also.
You might as well buy another one and return the one you have, as the mint is going to double charge you for your replacement if you return the original, before a credit is issued for the return. The double charge happens every time I return an item and I’ve complained to the mint and was pretty much told, “Tough s**t”. I think it’s their way of discouraging returns, rather than improve quality. Don’t you love dealing with an abusive monopoly?
