Looks like another self slabber has appeared on e-Bay. GEC Website HERE. E-Bay auctions HERE. Mostly high graded moderns. A few Morgans all MS66. And noted two FIRST STRIKE MS70 1/10 Gold Eagles. OK what's with their barcodes? I just downloaded 5 different images from different auctions all the barcodes appear to be identical. It appears they are using an inkjet printer that doesn't do a very good job of printing barcodes or the imaging equipment they are using isn't very good due to the barcode various black absorbtions. I believe they are all identical barcodes. I am sure the barcodes are meaningless and have nothing to do with record keeping for each different coin. Nor do the slabs have any type of serial numbers to differentiate themselves uniquely. I for one do not understand the added barcode? I wonder what they intended the addition of it to impart to the potential buyer? Here's a photo of one of the slabs which I have edited to include a barcode from a Wisconsin quarter slab.
Here's a statement (poor grammer and all) right from their website under "A Word About Grading": "We do not subscribed to any form or standard in coin grading; our grades are designed by us and are not to be confused to mean the same as any other grading company." At least they admit they don't use grading standards. The barcode thing is really funny, btw.
Ya gotta give them credit - at least they aren't using Coin World slabs and cheesy gold labels. IMHO the bar codes are just a marketing device to say "See how modern we are!"
The reason I beleive them to be "SELF SLABBERS" is that there are NO pages on their website that offer YOU their grading services. No fees, no address, no phone numbers, no forms, ONLY an e-mail address link. Also their website domain was opened just last 27 May 2006 and paid for only a year. Either they don't expect to be around long or may be changing their name and domain neme next year. Also looking at the e-bay seller's feedback they started selling "GEC" coins big time last May as that is when the majority of their feedback began taking off. You gotta really love this statement (TERMS OF SERVICE) from their web site. Subjectivity: Coin grading is the subjective judgment and or opinion of the grader(s). Therefore, all parties agree that GEC Grading has made no warranty and shall have no liability to the customer for the grade assigned to any coin by an agent of GEC Grading. GEC does not guarantee the grade and authenticity of the coins it certifies and encapsulates in an GEC holder Any dispute under this Guarantee will be resolved by binding arbitration before a single arbitrator conducted at the home office of GEC Grading, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the American Arbitration Association. The grading of coins is an exercise of judgment and opinion, which can be subjective and may change from time to time. As a result, GEC shall assume no liability of any kind whatsoever and makes no warranties or representations to Customer for any grade assigned by GEC to any coins. It is funny that the e-Bay seller offers a COA! There isn't one on GEC's web site. This could be a problem for the seller. How can they offer this COA if... 1. GEC didn't create it 2. It offers an authenticity when GEC's website states that they DON'T guarantee authenticity. An interesting tidbit is that the e-Bay seller does NOT use "GEC" in any of their auction titles. It will be interesting to see where theis seller's feedback will be a year from now. OH WELL, buyer beware!
We do not subscribed to any form or standard in coin grading; our grades are designed by us and are not to be confused to mean the same as any other grading company. Now that's an interesting statement too.... I wonder if the inventor of the Sheldon coin grading scale could sue them? After all they are apparently using it claiming that they designed it!:headbang: :headbang: :headbang: Here's a contridiction on their "A WORD ABOUT GRADING" page. We make no guarantee as to the quality of the coin graded or the condition of the coin graded. We do guarantee the coin to be authentic and will stand by the authentication of the coin to be minted by the mint represented in the offering. However, that guarantee is a limited guarantee. So they DO or they DON'T guarantee authenticity! What double talk!!!!!!
I have actually been in a coin shop browsing and seen someone come in to sell a collection of "graded" coins... they where none ot happy when the dealer told them they had been ripped off. I feel bad for them, but i must admit i had a moment of Schadenfreude...
Yikes, thanks a lot. Apparently, just by going to their website, I've now agreed to be bound by all their terms and conditions. "[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]By your use of the GEC website you are expressly agreeing to the foregoing terms and conditions."[/FONT]
I just bought a GEC slabbed coin for 4.00. I told them to keep their gold box and they could keep the slab too but it made such a nice mailing container that I'd rip it open myself when it arrived. Hey I got a 12.00 coin for 9.00 and after all it's a "PR-70" Yuck! Yuck! Gonna slip it right into my Whitman. :rolling:
Double Talk Silver Striker talked about the "double talk" concerning GEC's guarantee, but if you read the FINE PRINT, it's clear it isn't double talk: GEC Certificate of Authenticity "However, in the event the ITEM is damaged or altered, any such alteration makes this guarantee null and void." You cannot properly authenticate a coin without opening the slab (aka: altered/damaged) and once the slab has been opened for authenticating/grading by anyone, including legitimate grading companies, the guarantee is NULL AND VOID. It's a play on words, not double talk. Basically, GEC is "silver" tongued but their coins probably aren't! Ribbit, Toad :smile
What exactly does GEC stand for? A.) Grading Expert Company? B.) Grading Extreme Coin's?? Or, C.) GONE EXTREMELY CRAZY??? That's right, it's the Stuppie Quiz? TAKE C and you're a winner! Disclaimer: We, I, make no claim and express NO Warranty as to this post being legitimate, original, factual or any other worth while informative/knowledgeable piece of information. We, I , do Guarantee this post with our Titanium-Gold Bond Seal(Box Set not included), to be as a matter of fact as part of our legitimate, informed knowledge regarding anything we say. All Warranties will be Null and Void if tampered with, altered or misinterpretted in any way. BAR CODE PROTECTED. Think I'll go sell some coin's now?
