I just wanted to create a thread letting you all know of a coin-dealer that is SUPER nice and honest. I've posted about this site before, but not only does Alex (the proprietor) offer tons of ancient and medieval coins at very reasonable prices (and tons of bulk uncleaned coins), but he is a very understanding person. For one, his eBay site has 100% feedback rating. That says a lot right there. On a personal note, I have purchased coins from his before, and they have always arrived safe and sound. Well, about two months ago, I ordered some Byzantines and a Russian silver wire kopek. After 30 days, no sign of them. I e-mailed Alex, and within a few minutes, recieved a reply that he would resend them free of charge. The second batch was sent on July 1st, and it has not been 30 days yet since they were sent, but they have still not shown up (though I am confident they will in a few days). After speaking with him yesterday about it, he again assured me that if this second package does not materialize, he will take the double loss and send them AGAIN. He was extrememly apologetic, even though I assured him that these things happen and that I feel bad he even had to resend them once. Amazing. Anyway, moral of the story is: check out the site and buy some coins from the man!
Another thing that "says a lot", is the fact that he withholds feedback in order to encourage his customers to leave positives, out of fear of retaliation, and he has two mutually withdrawn feedbacks which indicate his willingness to do so (retaliate). He might be a great guy, but there's more to his feedback than just the rating.
I have dealt with him many times, never with any problems at all. One of the better dealers for uncleaned...I highly recommend.
As far as I can tell, I see only one mutually withdrawn feedback. And why would you leave positive feedback for the guy if you had a terrible experience? Just out of fear that in retaliation he would leave negative feedback on your page? That would make the buyer dumb, not the seller. If I have a bad experience, then I will leave negative feedback, regardless of how the seller might respond to me.
It clearly says: "Ratings mutually withdrawn: 2". http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISA...ancientcoins.ca&ftab=AllFeedback&myworld=true Didn't say I would, but many eBayers want to protect their feedback rating just as much as the guy you're recommending. They know that if they neg him, then they're going to get one right back. That shouldn't be hard to understand. Well, I'm not calling anybody "dumb". I'm just stating facts. If you can disprove them, I'll be the first to admit it. Good for you. That's how it should be. Unfortunately, many eBayers don't adhere to that policy, and your friend knows it, otherwise he wouldn't withhold feedback.
This subject is where feedback gets to be a grey area. If negative feedback isn't left for fear of retaliation then what good is feedback anyway? I have had only one buyer leave negative feedback many years ago. One negative in many years. Do you know what that did to my rating? I am still only 98.7% after 75 positives and many years with just that one negative. I have 76 transactions. The situation was a buyer in Canada who had a sniper program set on one of my auctions. My bid description clearly said "No sales to Canada" and clearly said "No Paypal". My item was selling already and at the last second this Canadian's sniper program won my auction. He wanted me to sign up for Paypal so he could pay that way. He wanted me to ship to Canada. Obviously he did not even read my item description. When I said I wouldn't sign up for Paypal, he e-mailed the second highest bidder and wanted to sell the item to him. This is without the Canadian ever paying for the item or even having it in his posession! Then he sent me nasty e-mail using profanity. So after 2 days of negotiating that got nowhere, I left negative feedback. I warned him that I had no choice if he wouldn't settle. And I even bent my rules and offered to ship to Canada for him. Anyway, he immediately retaliated with negative feedback accusing me of "crying like a baby". This one experience ruined my 100% rating. And it is still affecting my rating. I don't know if it will ever clear up. So the moral of the story is- watch out before leaving negative feedback. Retalitory negatives, even if untrue, can ruin your rating. All this is to clarify that in most cases neg. feedback isn't left. Which brings me to my other point- what good is feedback anyway?
well...is he withholding feedback? or is he waiting for the transaction to be completed...as in, getting word that the buyer got what he ordered and all is well? dont know...when are you expecting the seller to leave feedback, as soon as the money is recieved? Anyway...all that said...Alexander is a fine seller in my book, I would, have and will recommend him again...there will always be problems here and there and unfortunately you have hit one...I have delt with him...maybe 10+ times, always with great results...if you are buying uncleaned...his are better than average for sure and if you know me...I am the biggest whiner when it comes to uncleaned and I have high expectations I am told for what they are....
One recent and one very old, but most of his 13 neutrals are really disguised negs. Still, 1 neutral every 7+ months while averaging more than 3 sales per customer who left feedback in ~!12,000 transactions isn't really a red flag.
yeah, and many of the neutrals are for sight unseen purchases of real cheap uncleaned...maybe a shipping mistake...or a person with expectations too high for what they are buying for instance: Two weeks shipping for 2 tiny coins, not really worth the money. Disappointed. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8358835665 these coins were ancient late romans for 4 dollars ea...the buyer didnt know what to expect...mad because they are small? 2 weeks is excessive? try to pay eight dollars and still have a detailed coin you can ID anywhere else Those are NICE coins for the price...period...I order some of them...full detail and attributable...and I know for a fact that if you get a coin from one of his lots like this and you are not satisfied because you cant attribute it...he will send another if you write him....because I did just that...and he sent several more with an apology. You are NOT going to get museum quality for 4 bucks each!! The next Neutral seems to be a mis shipping where he sent some uncleaned instead of the one coin that the person bought...probably just a mistake... overwhelmingly good feedback on the most part...which I would expect from this dealer...
BTW...here are a few coins I got from him...all in uncleaned lots...I could post many more...most are small without doubt...not all...but most...all are superior coins for the price...4-8 bucks
Jody, I originally thought Alex's username on eBay was coinsandrings (http://myworld.ebay.com/coinsandrings/). However, this is Mark - his father's - site. He, too, has 100% feedback, and they operate from the same address. As for "That shouldn't be hard to understand"...you're right: I have two B.A.'s, and yet I still don't understand why you just wouldn't leave the neg. feedback if you TRULY had a bad experience. Like Victor said, it might ruin your rating, but then again, what's the point of feedback if everybody's just pussy-footing around the issue for fear of retaliatory feedback? I will reiterate: I think that is dumb. As it stands, however, it should be quite obvious that the number of people who have had positive experiences with both Alex and Mark VASTLY outnumber those who haven't (incl. 2-0 right here on Coin Talk). That can't be said about the majority of 'dealers' on eBay, and even quite a few dealers who operate out of a physical store or from a bourse booth are not honest or kind people, IMO.
Also, nice coins, Drusus. I'm guessing Claudius II Gothicus on the middle one, and Constantine the Great on the third and final coin? Didn't really read the inscriptions, but the portraits tipped me off. BTW, the uncleaned coins from him have also cleaned up nicely, though I personally ruined one of them (they were my first uncleaned 'trial' coins).
I am a high school dropout, and I understand it perfectly. I've already explained why, so there's no use repeting myself. As you know, I never said he wasn't a good seller. I responded to the OP statement about 100% positive feedback saying a lot. I explained that there was more to the story than just the rating. Seems some didn't like that, and would like to read more into it.
Yes, you did explain the ostensible reasoning behind why people leave positive feedback even if their experience was NOT positive. I'm still baffled as to why people are too afraid to stand up to a seller or buyer if they were mistreated, but that's just me. I'm just as baffled as to why most people never stand up for themselves or for others in a myriad of situations in life that warrant taking a stand, regardless of the consequences. I didn't like the nit-picking, no. You've got me on that one. OK, gotta get back to work! CT is too addictive, sometimes...
Top is Valentinian I, Middle is Gallienus, Bottom is Constantine I....I DID get a Claudius II as well as an Aurelian and Probus and another Gallienus...none were in the best of shape but they were also VERY cheap...this is also what is good about his wares is that when you buy from him, you just dont get the usual Constantine and sons...you get a pretty good variety...I have also recieved Arcadius, Jovian, etc... Needless to say, I have a high opinion of this seller...there is no need to bicker about it...but I even think the neutrals he got were probably either from mistakes (he sells a lot, there are bound to be some) or people who didnt understand what to expect with uncleaned and 4 dollar cleaned ancient coins...With him I have never recieved blanks from completely uncleaned lots and I cant say that about any other dealer...and trust me...I have bought from MANY...and most will simply tell you...when you get 7 slugs out of 10...you gets what you pays for...
also, no one answered me...when IS a seller supposed to leave feedback? After he gets payment? once he receives news that the buyer has the wares? once the whole deal is complete and he has done all he can do (within reason) to make sure the buyer is satisfied? Where is the point where the seller is bad for 'withholding feedback' to make sure he gets GOOD feedback so he can retaliate?
As far as I'm concerned the buyers part of the deal isn't over just because they paid which is what most of the folks who feel feedback is being held hostage seem to think. If there is a problem with the transaction the buyer has a responsibility to handle things properly just as the seller does. The whole ebay feedback system is so flawed that it can only be used as a loose gauge. They need as escrow system for feedback to make it more fair to each side.
Are you also baffled as to why the seller withholds feedback, even after the buyer has fulfilled the contract, as set forth in the Ebay user agreement, and met the seller's TOS? And are you also baffled as to why the seller would want feedback removed from his rating?
