Collectorsinternet.com

I had an AWFUL experience with buying coins from this company. They advertised that their coins would grade MS64 at the lowest. After purchasing a few of their "specials" for several thousand dollars, having them graded, and receiving the results, I was more than shocked. Before I ran into this awful scam artist of a website, I though coins were so great. Interesting, tangible, historical, and an investment nonetheless, instead of ****ing away money on other things. I now have NO faith in any of these dealers. The run around they gave me was purely criminal. They had posted on their website that they stood behind their advertised grades 100% guaranteed. The day I sent them an email requesting a refund because my coins did not meet their grade, they responded by telling me that all that guarantee was was a "typo". They have no phone number so the dude just sits there behind the scenes and never shows his face or lets anyone hear his voice. They have no pictures of coins on their website, just descriptions and promises. They then threatened me that I as harassing them, extorting them, and slandering them, all because I told them I wanted my money back and if I didn't get it, I would tell my story. When I told them slander is about untruths and I ahve an amendment given right to speak, they didn't have too much to say. After I pointed out their guarantee that the coins would grade to what they said they would, they IMMEDIATELY changed thier website wording! In response to my email! Unreal. I am stuck with losses that will take me many, many years to make up. I know, buyer beware should have been my thinking. This company is truly unreal. I mean NO humanity. Their lies about the quality of thier coins was so out of whack with reality, one coin came back AU58 and one came back cleaned. When I got them back, I used the knowledge I ahd gained since sending them out, and there is not a reasonable honest dealer in the world who would claim to your face that these coins were Gem 64-66. Come out from under your rock, collectorsinternet. Has anyone else had an experience like this with them?

 

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Welcome to CT, JuicyFruit. I'm sorry that you had such a poor experience. I wish you had come here first. There is a wealth of knowledge here on CT. Everyone here will share their knowledge with you freely. If you are unsure of anything, ask here first.
Please don't give up on the hobby because of this one bad experience. There are many more good dealers than bad. We can help you sort them out.

 

This is terrible and very unfortunate. No I have never dealt with this company; and after hearing your horror story am glad that I haven't. What did the guarantee claim to do for you if their coins did not grade at least ms64? Although this is a very expensive lesson, you now know that you should NEVER purchase coins sight unseen, especially from an dealer that you never done business with before.

-LTB

 

Hey rickmp. Thank you, I really appreciate it! As a general question, how does one find a good deal on a raw coin? It seems like raw coins are that way
for a reason.Cause there is something wrong with them so no one has ever bothered to have them graded. So If I wanted to, say, purchase a rare 20 cent
coin, where would you even begin looking? What are even a couple of good, reputable dealers? I am SO frusrated at what they did to me that I just
don't even know where to turn for coins. Who out there actually sells an honest product? Cause at this point I would have no idea where to take money
to and spend it on eye pleasing coins that aren't way overgraded. I would like to be able to have options, to be able to see what their is for sale somewhere
besides ebay. I don't even know where to turn! Any help would be appreciated and thank you very much for the warm welcome. I think I'm gonna repost my
above post because it is just one long sentence that you have to scroll across to see...

 

I had an AWFUL experience with buying coins from this company. They advertised that their coins would grade MS64 at the lowest.
After purchasing a few of their "specials" for several thousand dollars, having them graded, and receiving the results, I was more than shocked.
Before I ran into this awful scam artist of a website, I though coins were so great. Interesting, tangible, historical, and an investment nonetheless,
instead of ****ing away money on other things. I now have NO faith in any of these dealers. The run around they gave me was purely criminal.
They had posted on their website that they stood behind their advertised grades 100% guaranteed. The day I sent them an email requesting a refund
because my coins did not meet their grade, they responded by telling me that all that guarantee was was a "typo". They have no phone number so the
dude just sits there behind the scenes and never shows his face or lets anyone hear his voice. They have no pictures of coins on their website, just
descriptions and promises. They then threatened me that I as harassing them, extorting them, and slandering them, all because I told them I wanted
my money back and if I didn't get it, I would tell my story. When I told them slander is about untruths and I ahve an amendment given right to speak,
they didn't have too much to say. After I pointed out their guarantee that the coins would grade to what they said they would, they IMMEDIATELY
changed thier website wording! In response to my email! Unreal. I am stuck with losses that will take me many, many years to make up. I know, buyer
beware should have been my thinking. This company is truly unreal. I mean NO humanity. Their lies about the quality of thier coins was so out of whack
with reality, one coin came back AU58 and one came back cleaned. When I got them back, I used the knowledge I ahd gained since sending them out,
and there is not a reasonable honest dealer in the world who would claim to your face that these coins were Gem 64-66. Come out from under your rock,
collectorsinternet. Has anyone else had an experience like this with them?
​

 

I am far from being an expert, JF, but I'll give you my opinion. Buying raw coins on the internet is hard. Photos are easy to manipulate. Sellers can make 58 coins look like 69's. My experience finds that the best, most reputable, firms to buy from are Teletrade and Heritage. Their photos are most always accurate, almost like seeing the coin in hand. These are auction sites. If you want to buy there, do your homework. Know what you want and how much YOU want to pay. Enter your maximum bid and wait for the outcome. Sometimes you'll win at a lower price than your max bid. Be sure to figure the buyers premium (usually 15%) into your bid. Don't succumb to trying to snipe. If you lose, so be it. There will always be another. That's how I get my raw coins, and I've never been disappointed.

 

Hey Louie_Two_Bits. Thanks I appreciate the reply. You're right...what an expensive lesson to learn. Its so hard to believe there are people like that out there,
yet it shouldn't be that hard to believe I guess. I just know that I couldn't sleep at night knowing that I am pocketing peoples money in such a fraudulent
way, while they slave away just to make a living. I spent my entire expendible income for a whole year on this companies promises. So foolish. To be honest,
I don't even know of any place in Minnesota where you can go and look at the coins before you purchase them. I don't mind paying a lot, if the coins are
what the advertiser says they are! But literally there is no place around here to go to see coins and then buy them. I just don't even understand where people
get their coins. Maybe it's differen't in different states. But you're right...I will never buy another coin sight unseen...ever. Because when you do, you feel
like you have to pass them along to the next poor sucker. But I won't do that. I'll just wait till silver hits about 80 dollars an ounce and I'll finally make my
money back. Man what a shame. Here's what they advertised when I bought from them in March:
"All items carry a 14 day return privilege, after you receive them, and a written lifetime guarantee to grade and authenticity."
Here is what they changed it to a few seconds after I asked for a refund based on the above and a few seconds after they told me it was a typo: "
All items carry a lifetime guarantee of authenticity and grading is guaranteed with a 15 day return privilege."

It's number #1 in the "about us" section of their website. I just can't believe how they will not stand behind their guarantee and there is nothing I can do
about it. Even if they had not made that guarantee, I strongly believe that by advertising the coins as Gem BU 64-66, that when the coins come back AU58
or not even gradeable because of cleaning, that one would be so embarassed that they would at least attempt to make the customer happy in SOME way.
Instead I get threatened that I am trying to extort them, slander them, and they told me if I email them one more time, that it would constitute harassment.
They went so far as to threaten to blacklist me from the coin community by sending out my name to their 27,000 customers or something ridiculous like that,
and they said I should get a good attorney and that I should talk to their attorney if I needed anything further. All because I complained that the coins they
advertised as gems didn't even come close and that I wanted a refund. It's so hard to believe they could get away with these business practices and that so
many more poor people are going to get bilked out of their hard earned money by them. And all they had to do was switch a few words around in their website,
a month after I relied on the guarantee when I bought the coins. Hard to believe!!!!!If anyone has any advice as to how I can squeeze some justice out of
this, I'm all ears!!!

 

My suggestion for you is this. Copy their website offers and guarantee they promote. Make a formal request in writing to them to stand by their guarantee. ( certified mail ) Contact your local ANA representative and discuss the situation with them and ask for guidance in this matter.

 

I have never purchased from this Website you posted. Can you post photos depicting all of the coins you received? You say someone guaranteed MS64 or better. Did they say who would grade the coins MS64 or better? Where did you send the coins to be graded & what grade did the coins receive?

I went to the Website & it states all items are authentic and lists a 15 day return privilege.

 

Did you pay by credit card? If so, you may be helped by the card company. Dispute the charge. A chargeback might get their attention. Just a thought, but worth a try.

 

Rick thank you thats exactly the type of tip I was hoping for. And even though I have read about Great Southern Coins on here, and all the bad stuff
people say about them, AT LEAST they honor their no questions ask money back policy. They even told me I could return a coin up to 6 months later!
I'm not saying I'm gonna buy from them but just that they're not out there trying to send a one way package, cash the check, and hide behind the internet
like collectorsinternet.com.
Coinman: I did exactly that!! I copied and pasted their warranty and sent it to them in an email and thats when they responded that I ordered through
email, not thier website (which I responded that it is laughable that after all the correspondence between us and building of "trust" before I actually purchased
the coins, that I wouldn't have looked at their website and seen their guarantee) so I only got a 14 day return policy unlike others who actually get to take
advantage of the gurantee of grading. I told them its ridiculous that they have a different return policy for ordering through emails than on their website.
Thats when they responded that their grading guarantee was a "typo" and then changed thier website about 30 seconds later!! Is that fraud or what???
Ok so write them a formal letter asking that they stand by their guarantee, in certified mail, and also contact someone from my local ANA..Sounds like a
very good idea. Really good. I just joined ANA for $28. I don't know if its the same thing you're meaning....If it is, I guess being a member might help.
I guess I'll google my local ANA rep or something. Thanks to everyone!! I want to put this behind me and get some good coins!!

 

Welcome to the neighborhood, Juicy!

I'm sorry that your introduction to the hobby was under such unfortunate circumstances. Yes, there are a lot of scumbags like the ones you encountered who prey upon people like you, so you have to proceed slowly and find out all you can about them before you put your money at risk. It's unfortunate that these scam artists reflect poorly on so many honest dealers in the hobby.

Here are a few suggestions to keep this from happening:

1) Never, never buy raw coins unless you can see them in hand, first, and you know and trust the seller.

2) If you're buying coins on a webstore or some place like eBay, only buy coins certified by NGC or PCGS.

3) Don't buy any certified coins from televised shows like Coin Vault, QVC or HSN.

4) Never purchase rare coins raw under any circumstances unless you know how to grade and spot problem coins.

5) If an internet site is selling a certified coin using bad photos, ask for better photos and get a second opinion of the coin before you commit to purchase.

6) If you don't know what a fair price should be for a certified coin, post photos here for help before you commit. All too often, we have had people post here saying, "I just bought this. How did I do?". Unfortunately, some of them had paid way too much.

7) Finally, adhere to the old adage, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

I wouldn't give up just yet on the possibility of getting your money back from those chiselers. Send them one more e-mail and give them 72 hours to agree to refund your money or you will contact the US Attorney because using the internet to defraud is a federal crime. I had a similar situation happen to me about 7 years ago when an eBay seller switched coins on me. He kept giving me the runaround, and when I threatened to file a complaint with the US Attorney, he lashed out and said he knows all about the law because he was a magistrate in Tennessee. I replied, "Fine, then I will also file a complaint with the States Attorney's Office in Tennessee and you will be out of a job." I had my refund in three days.

Don't just give up. That's what they're hoping you will do. Tell them it isn't a threat, it's a promise!

Chris

 

The ANA really can't do much to them except maybe revoke their membership if they even are a member. No, you want the BIG BOYS! File a complaint with the US Attorney. You want Federal Marshals raiding their business, confiscating all of their records, computer equipment and merchandise. You'd be surprised what information can be found on those hard drives even though it has been erased.

Make them suffer and agonize just like you had to do.

Chris

 

Hey rick. I called Visa (yes I bought with a Visa. when i said the cashed the check and walked away i was just being sarcastic or whatever.) I called Visa
and they said they would send me some dispute forms. Guess I'll see how far that gets me. The order was also done through Google Checkout, so I contacted
them too. Filled out some online forms and supposedly theyre supposed to contact them and look into it. I actually wrote to the FTC and the BBB too. Next
I guess will be the ANA. Gottak keep in mind though that theyre threatinging to sue me for feakin harassment just for trying to get my money back. Thats
how far theyre willing to go to protect the few thousand dollars they ripped me off for. Thats what is so amazing about all this. You'd think if the coins were
as great as they advertised (they were all Morgans, some multi colored rainbow toned, some GSA CC's), that they'd have no issue taking them back. If they
really were Gem quality coins as advertised, why wouldn't they want them back when I bought them in March and silver has gone up by about $18 an ounce
since then? I am really wanting to file a small claims suit against them but I live in MN and theyre in CA, so I don't know how that would work. But I would like
to at least make it so they are sorry that they wouldn't stand behind theyre guarantee statement and sorry that they are so shameless in advertising Gem
coins that are actually either not even MS or cleaned. But this guy is really saying that I'm harassing him or something. Probably just trying to scare me away
so he can protect his small windfall he made from me.
But my other reason for coming on here besided to complain and get some ideas of what to do about them is to get some ideas on how one actually aquires
decent coins...and you have helped me in both respects and I appreciate it. Where you live, do you go to coin shows too?

 

You can call the ANA in colorado and they can provide the information for the local rep both in your area and the area where these folks conduct business in CA. I would contact your area rep and see if perhaps he can discuss the situation on your behalf with the Ca. rep. The fact that you ordered via e-mail or by carrier pigeon is of no consequence when it comes to their Guarantee. If there was an error in the wording, thats their problem, not yours . Hopefully you will get the satisfaction due in this situation. I noted they are not members or affiliated with any Numismatic Dealer Associations. That should have been your first red flag when considering a purchase from any coin company. But live and learn.

 

9 ball I like it. First off thank you for the 7 great advice points. Makes navigating the murky waters a little easier. Probably saved me even more money cuz
you'd think you could trust certain organizations but you just can't. This capalistic society allows for such leeway on honesty in fair dealing in business that
it truly is a buyer's beware world. As for the US Attorney General, I kind of tried to navigate their site a little and thats what led me to the Federal Trade
Comission complaint form. But after I filled that out they basically stated that they do not resolve disputes so a lot of good that will probably do.
So even though though they have threatened to file some harassment claim on me if I contacted them again, do you think I should threaten the US Attorneys
Office? I think the answer probably yes. But should I send it to him, or his lawyer? He named his lawyer in one of the emails, but didn't really give me any
contact info. If it came down to it, do you think I could get the US Attorneys Office to review the matter?

 

Save and print all those e-mails and forward them to the ANA rep.

 

Thank you Coinman.All your guys support is very appreciated. There was just no one else to talk to who understood. I will do what you suggested, for sure.
If they try and reword their website, I believe, like 9 ball said, the hard drive would show what used to be on there. I will let you all know what unfolds.
I hope that Google, Visa, the FTC, ANA, AG office, BBB etc...will eventually get them to cough up what I think is the swindled money they took from me.

 

Don't threaten! Promise! The BBB and FTC are like old gators with no teeth. If you live near Mpls/StP, there is probably a federal bulding there with a branch office of the US Attorney. Like I said, using the internet to commit fraud is a federal crime.

Chris

 

Did they send their guarantee in writing along with your coins?

Or more importantly is it within 15 days from when you received the coins back from the grading company? If so, you are eligible to return the coins.

Inform him that if he doesn't accept a return honoring his 15 day return guarantee, you will perform a chargeback on your credit card.

Don't worry about his empty threats to sue you; he's just trying to scare you away.

As far as the best place to buy coins, I would say coin shows and ebay. None of the nonsense that you're dealing with would be an issue of you purchased through ebay using paypal; return guarantee or not, the seller would have to give you a refund if you were not satisfied.

-LTB