Would you buy from this ebay seller?

I am not involved in any of these auctions. This auction for an 2009 Lincoln silver dollar (MS70) ended Monday evening. 20 minutes later the coin was relisted. I contacted the seller, ebay id firststrikecoins, and asked how that was possible. He responded that dealers buy multiple coins of the same type. That's fine and dandy, but then I saw that he sold the same coin 2 weeks ago. All three listings are for the same coin according to PCGS. All 3 auctions feature pics of the same coin in a PCGS slab. Ethical? Would anyone here buy from this seller? I know I've got him on my very special list of ebay sellers.

 

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Well, I'd be perfectly fine buying from him, if he stated in the auction, that the coin pictured was not the coin received, and was just a stock photo, then I MIGHT take a chance, but very unlikely, thank you for pointing this out my friend

 

I agree that if the seller indicated the picture was not the actual coin then I would have no problem. He doesn't do that, however, and all 3 listings have exactly the same "item specifics" including the last 4 digits of the PCGS certification number. Caveat emptor.

 

well that could very well be laziness on the sellers part by not taking photos of all three coins. At best it is suspicious. I would have questioned the seller directly and bluntly.

 

Laziness yes...
On modern issue coins, I don't know if I would have a problem with this, if the seller would just say, that it is a stock photo, and that you'll be receiving a similar coin, with no spots, and is problem free. I'd be okay with that
I would never buy a coin, like a Morgan for example. I wouldn't even touch the listing if it said MS63, coin pictured is stock photo, you'll be receiving similar coin, but with a modern issue commemorative, in a 70 or 69, I think I'd be a-okay with purchasing the coin from a stock photo, I've done it before, on my 2001 D NGC MS69 buffalo, and it looks fine, and was pleased with my buy
I think what I'm trying to say is, I'd have a bigger problem with this seller, than I already do, if he was doing this on non modern coins. (Doing this with St Gaudens and Morgans, Peace and Indians and such)
What he is doing is NOT okay, by no means though, and should be questioned, and reported.

 

I'm not going to report the seller to ebay.

• ebay caters to powersellers and is likely to ignore any complaints
• not my job to do potential buyers' (victims) homework for them
• playing "ebay cop" is a thankless undertaking

These particular coins (this ONE coin, perhaps) only affect me indirectly, so I'm not going to worry too much about it. Having said that, I don't think it's "OK" at all the way these listings are done. The relisted auction - the latest one - is clearly against ebay's relisting policy. It bothers me, too, that ebay's guid pages refer to their "Code of Conduct for Selling Coins", but there are no working links to any such policy anywhere. All the links I found on ebay lead to a blank page. Maybe that is actually ebay's policy: anything goes. Especially for power sellers.

Sad. That seller will never get a dime out of my pocket, and that's enough for me.

 

To be quite blunt , I don't blame you in the least.

 

What's the problem? People use stock photos for coins all the time. Especially 70s. If it's theoretically a perfect coin with no defects, why should he waste the time to photograph and list every, actual one? In photos, they will all look exactly the same.

 

I have no problem with them using stock photos - so long as they do not tell you that "This Coin is on hand and will ship ..........." and they even list the serial number in the heading.

 

many times when i do a month or 2 week long ebay string, i will just use relist without pics, these coins are your 1910-s, 11-s, etc etc the semi's....later in the week i will get to the pics, but i do want the exposure of the 7 day listing, so thats what i do when i do a whole date run.

it is not uncommon for the modern sellers to use stock photos......usually it is perfectly acceptble, like said above....if they tell you those are stock pics

 

It is not unusual for eBay sellers to use stock photos, and I suspect that is what's going on here.

Personally, I would not buy from sellers that do this, as I prefer to see a pic of the actual coin before making a decision -- even from sellers I trust implicitly much less an anonymous eBay seller.

 

There is NOTHING that says the photo is a stock photo, that the coin being sold is a different coin, that the photo is for illustrative purposes only... none of that. This is the textbook definition of fraud.

Stock photos is one thing, but without a disclaimer in the wording it's borderline fraud IMO. The coin appears as a PCGS slabbed MS70, serial number included. A reasonable person would infer that that is the coin that's being auctioned. The wording of the listing says, "This Coin is on hand and will ship...". THIS coin. Not some other coin just like it. And if I was going to bid on it I sure as heck would RELY on the fact that the coin in the photo - and no other - was the coin I was trying to buy.

The only way it could not be fraud is for the previous 2 sales of the same coin, all within the last 15 days, didn't actually happen. If that's the case then there are some serious violations of ebay rules that have been going on.

He may very well have several of these in MS70 slabs, but either way, I wouldn't buy from someone who invested in PCGS slabs but can't be bothered to take pictures of each one individually. That's a major red flag in my book.

 

Fraud is a very strong word, and I'm not sure it is justified in this case.

Had the seller stated the coin pictured is the one you receive then you would have a much better argument, but he doesn't -- and the word "this" can be interpreted in different ways than referring to the picture (for instance "this" could refer to the coin described in the text of the listing).

To be frank, there are much larger problems on eBay than selling modern MS70 widgets with stock photos, IMO.

Respectfully...Mike

 

Only real problem here is that he did not state that the coin pictured is not the coin you'll be receiving...
I don't think I'd have a problem, if it is modern coin, and looks the same....
Next time though, this seller needs to state in his auction, that the coin in picture, is just a stock photo

 

Any chance we could hook him up with the seller in the You"ll get a kick outta this thread?

 

They've gotta be already related!

 

they should open their own shoppe.... that would be entertaining as all get out....:desk:

 

I'd be the first one in, and the first one out...
Wonder how their store would do???

 

It would be on HSN or QVC in mere minutes....

 

I could see it now...

RARE 1924 S PEACE DOLLAR...
THEY DONT MAKE THESE ANYMORE
THEY WERE ALL MELTED
THEY ARE, THEY ARE HARD TO COME BY
AND, AND, IT COMES IN THIS SOLID OAK PRESENTATION BOX
19 Million Dollars.... And it has 5 value pays... And we will ship it out free... Now I only have 100 in stock, and this will sell out, will sell out...
LOL