LOT OF 12 U.S. COIN RARE HALF SILVER DOLLAR, QUARTER, DIME COLLECTION 1803-1917 24 HOUR CLEARANCE SALE! I saw this sitting at $800, and wondered what the trashy title concealed. Well, there was quite a bit there, including an 1805 quarter, several draped-bust halves, a Barber quarter that looked like it might be pretty well into MS, a bust dime with lots of detail (but probably cleaned), an 1846-o half labeled "T.D.", and a few other odds and ends. Positive indicators: 24-hour sale (maybe the knowledgeable folks hadn't yet spotted it), coins in 2x2's with old rusty staples (maybe gradable but collected before TPGs conquered the world), straight auction (maybe the price is low because it's a short auction, not because the seller is trying to dump problem stuff). Negative indicators: looks like at least one or two problem coins (that shiny, shiny dime), odd seller history (listed a flowing-hair dollar and then canceled it; several other coin auctions, but all for lower-end stuff), and, most importantly, it's WAY outside my "knowing what I'm doing" comfort zone. I decided to pass; it closed around $1150. If some of the apparently high-grade or high-demand coins are indeed problem-free, someone got a bargain. If that 1846-O really was a tall-date variety, someone may have gotten it well below half-price, with 11 nice freebies thrown in -- but based on a few quick checks, I don't believe it is tall-date. Maybe I should've gambled; with a 14-day return policy, my risk would have been limited. But I'm not feeling much regret, and if I had bought it, I think I'd be pretty worried about how I was going to evaluate the coins during the return period. So, I guess I did the right thing. Feel free to change my mind, though.
I don't agree with buying coins you're not sure as a gamble and using the14 days as an in-home evaluation period.
I don't agree with passing on coins you're not 100% sure of because you're reluctant to take advantage of return policies. In this case, I imagine the seller would've realized considerably less from the auction if he hadn't had a return policy in place. I've certainly bid higher on auctions that had a reasonable return policy, and lower on auctions that didn't -- and in hundreds of transactions, I've only returned accurately-described items maybe once or twice.
There's a big difference between "100% sure" and "maybe 25% sure", and also a big difference between "I'll be able to tell as soon as I see them in-hand" and "I know almost nothing about Bust coinage, except that sometimes it's worth big bucks". That second part was my main motivation for passing here. It's also why I posted this -- I'd like to get opinions from people more knowledgeable about the coins in question, even though the auction is done.
I've gotten some of my best coin deals from Sellers (with solid feedback) that don't specialize in coins.
I agree with the guy who said you shouldn't use the return policy to your advantage like that. The policy isn't so you can cherry pick auctions, take the coins home to have someone tell you what they are worth, and then waste the sellers time by returning them if you didn't make a killing on them. The return policy is for coins that may come to you damaged, or other than described, or heck even maybe the wrong coin gets shipped to you by accident. What you are doing is akin to a woman who buys a new dress for a night on the town that she can't afford knowing that if she keeps it clean she is returning it the next day. It is in my opinion dishonest and not fair to the seller......if you aren't sure if you want the coins or can afford them then the answer is simple, don't buy them. My opinion but one you would share if you sold coins online and people started doing this to you.....somewhere, someone on here said once that if there is ANY question as to whether something is morally wrong or not, it probably is.
I think you did right passing on it...too many questions, uncertainties, and discomfort on your part. If I ever feel out of my comfort zone or hesitant in any way about a deal I just walk away and don't look back. There's always another deal behind the next door. Forget about it and move on. Bruce
Wow -- I don't see it that way at all. First, while eBay does apply some pressure to sellers to offer extended return policies, it's not a requirement. If a seller doesn't want to accept returns, he doesn't have to offer them. If he does offer a return policy, it's entirely up to the buyer whether or not to use it. Second, the other cases you describe are covered regardless of whether the seller offers a return policy -- damaged-in-transit is covered either under the seller's insurance, or under the not-as-described clause, and the others are simple "not as described" cases. In most of the instances where that's happened, I haven't had to invoke Buyer Protection at all, because most sellers are ethical and reasonable. Like I said, I've hardly ever returned things that were accurately described, because I'm ethical and reasonable. In a situation like this, as you see, I decided not to bid (although I would have if the price in the closing seconds had been a bit lower). But if I had decided to "take the gamble", counting on returning the lot if it didn't work out, I don't see an ethical problem. If I'd found the coins weren't what I thought, I'd be taking advantage of an offer that was baked into the transaction; if I kept the coins, the seller would have gotten more money than the next-lowest bidder offered -- and that's the big incentive for offering a return policy. If you offer one, more people are willing to bid on your stuff.
yeah I can see the point to that....and also it seems like you are not the type to take advantage of the return policy....my point was that if people bought things with impunity with the thought in their head that if they don't come out ahead they can just return it since that is an option, then sellers would be getting the short end of the stick. Sellers offer return policies because as you pointed out more people feel comfortable bidding on their items and it lends an air of legitimacy to their operation. I do not think sellers, and many on here do sell and can maybe weigh in on this, offer this return policy so that people who overbid and have buyers remorse can send their coins back so they don't take a loss.
Yeah, I think buyer's remorse might be an issue. I imagine, though, that a lot of people with buyer's remorse just don't get around to returning the item -- it's a model that's worked for decades for Littleton. There are also a number of successful brick-and-mortar or hybrid businesses (REI, for example) that have return policies even more generous than this. I'm sure some customers are abusive, but apparently it's working out well enough to keep the policy in place. Personally, I'd be more scared of buyers swapping out coins or returning an empty (but shipped-with-tracking) box. Then again, my last experience as a big-ticket eBay seller was very bad indeed.
