Scammed on EBAY - Be Careful with raw notes on ebay

I am more of a coin collector, so maybe the rules are different with paper money, but in coins any alteration needs to be disclosed.

It doesnt seem right to me to buy a PMG 20 probably for $600, take it out of the holder, wash it, bleach it, trim the edges, and whatever else was done then to represent it as a "near AU with no problems, razor sharp edges, etc ".

Seems that is only a step above altering a mint mark on a coin then trying to pass it off as the higher valued example.

As far as not researching it further, maybe I should have. This guy has 100% positive feedback over 9 years on Ebay. I guess ebay rating system doesnt mean much. Also, if you look at bid history, you will see I bid right at the end of the auction. Didnt think I would win as far worse examples were going off at $1300-$1400 or higher. When this went off at $1100, i knew I either got very lucky or there was something I was missing. So that only leaves 1 possibility, it means there was something I was missing.

He messaged me back and said he was consigning it for someone else and that he didnt know. he says he will give a refund so I guess I lucked out.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

His ebay auction listing does say NO TEARS and there is still a tear even though its been partially repaired. So even if you give him a pass for the alteration, the Ebay auction listing clearly mis represents the true condition.

 

Yeah I hadn't even noticed that. That is his auction listing, he put 454. Thats not the only through false on that auction description.

 

Every item he has up for sale right now has been restored

His current auction

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1928-500-FE...624&pid=100012&prg=1014&rk=4&sd=151020961203&


It was listed 2 months ago on Ebay in a PMG 20 holder for $999 and got 0 bids.

Item number 300863563655

It now has 9 bids $1300 price and 5 days left.

He is making a nice income on this.

 

Jimrob is a sneaky scammer. It's obvious what he is up to. Many of the notes are obviously cleaned. I think I even know what he used to doctor these notes.

Red inks are particularly sensitive to this chemical. You can pick out doctored notes on red seals easily. Check out this 1896 $5 Educational: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1896-5-SILVER-CERTIFICATE-EDUCATION-ABOUT-ALMOST-UNCIRCULATED-/151032422092

You should definitely get a return, considering he lists a 14-day money back guarantee and puts this up on his listings:

 

Two plus years ago we had an identical situation mentioned here, with a seller on eBay called n777mwood. He would buy the notes on eBay in VG up to VF condition, and turn them into AU and higher, all being graded. You couldn't believe all the notes he sold this way. I think one or two CT members were the original note owners but at the lower grades. The controls on paper money must not be as stringent as they are on coinage.

 

Yeah he said he is refunding and cancelling the transaction. He said he was selling it for a friend and had no idea. That is BS, but I just said send the refund and cancel the bid. I just left it at that. No need to get any more into it with him, I just want my money. I guess I am the lucky one, another poster on this board, "legolas" says he bought $8000 in doctored notes from jimrob and was refused any refund.

 

Wow. I'm sure it takes skill but yeah seems they're making easy money from uneducated buyers with questionable descriptions. It's ahame.

 

Doctored

Well, looks like it was all doctored up. Nice detective work though on tracking the info down. Nice looking note otherwise! I know now this seller needs blocked on my account...

 

I guess I do not know the answer to this question. Since you have proof it was a doctored note, first I would send it back. Second, would Ebay care? I would definitely send both auction listings to them, along with any other auction listings showing this seller is doctoring notes to their anti-fraud section. I am sure they don't "care", but processing complaints will cost them money, and if they decide its not worth it for the risk they may decide to pull the plug on this seller.

Regardless, I always send bad coins/notes back. If it is someone else who doctored it hopefully it will get returned to them.

 

I don't know squat about paper money, but someone in this thread mentioned that a certain process/product shows up on red seals, as a somewhat obvious alteration flag...but didn't fully explain.

No one has mentioned use of UV light for detection of doctoring banknotes...maybe for good reason; it doesn't help? I'd be grateful for any comments about using UV light for the purpose of showing suspect condition of banknotes.

 

Most chemicals used to clean paper money have a bleaching effect. The red inks are sensitive to this, and have been known to fade faster than their blue counterparts. Red seals and serial numbers will either become more orange in color, or they will fade to a light red, depending on what was used.