Yes. He seems to always have some interesting and unusual LRBs, though he prices them accordingly. But he had a lovely Trier Galerius that was in my price range. Looking forward to getting it.
I don't even necessarily subscribe to that. Sometimes the customer is unreasonable. I don't think I'm being unreasonable though.
I hope this gets sorted out... very disappointed to read this. I have never had any problems at all with any VCoins dealer I have purchased from (Tom Vossen, Aegean Numismatics, London Ancient Coins, Herakles Numismatics, Incitatus Coins, Vaughn Rare Coin Gallery and Zurqieh).. all have provided excellent service. Most of my coin purchases are through VCoins.
I’m so sorry to hear about the problems you’re having, furryfrog. . That’s not cool business practice at all. All of my brother’s artifacts came from Mark and there was never a problem. Maybe he lucked out. I hope it gets sorted soon! Erin
My marketing prof in biz school also said "Nothing happens until somebody sells something" which he offered up as a defense of the practice of putting accounting, strategy, operations ahead of sales & marketing from a corporate perspective. It also could be taken to mean that the sales process is sacrosanct. So it's the duty of the seller, for the most part, to satisfy the customer. Yeah, there are jerks out there and highly demanding customers, you get them once in awhile, but it's always best to be honest about a transaction. </rant>
I think my main gripe with buying coins, other than on eBay surprisingly (or not surprisingly considering the feedback system) is the lack of basic transparency, which may come in part from computer literacy as Doug suggests. In this instance, it's more than that, due to what appears to be a dishonest relisting of a 'sold' coin. But what I mean is, more widely, the seller being up front about their sales practices. If you post once a week on a fixed day, say it on your sales page. If there is a delay, send out an email saying so. Put the basic provenance information on the coin listing, even just something like 'purchased at auction', 'from a private collection', etc. If you're going on holiday, say so on your sales page.
I think this seller falls into the category of “not great at computer stuff.” It doesn’t excuse the at minimum tone deaf relisting of the coin. Knowing him a little from shows I don’t see this being a part of his modus operandi. If an answer would give you satisfaction, I would call him and put him on the spot. If not then I’d say give your business to another dealer who does better at managing online selling or at least at customer service. This is our fun; avoid the aggravation if you can. Sorry for a lousy experience.
Or, as in the thread I started a few minutes ago, "sorry, but we don't ship to the USA and have to cancel your order." And you'll get a Paypal refund at some unspecified future time!
I sent two emails and have still not received a response from him. I don't have a ton of time to be making phone calls when I get home from work. I have 3 kids and a house full of animals (including the kids) that need my attention. If you aren't good at computer stuff, perhaps you should: 1) get better 2) hire someone who is 3) not sell your items online Especially if you maintain an online presence as large as that.
@furryfrog02 I get it and that is why I said if you think an answer would help you get some satisfaction then go for a phone call to cut out the email. But if not, write him off and let his poor business practices online diminish his earning online. I am fully in the same boat with kids and work so I am not a fan of aggravation of any sort in the hobby I love, my retreat from people and problems in the world.
You're telling me an established dealer is fraudulently cancelling a sale like this over a measly $7. Nope. I don't buy it. I believe the things you experienced all happened as you say, but we're missing a part of the story here.
@furryfrog02 isn't telling you anything of the kind. He's stating facts, and allowing us to draw conclusions. If there's another part to the story, and an innocent explanation for what happened, why hasn't the dealer responded yet? Don't tell me he's too busy. Every day that goes by with his continued silence makes the situation seem more fishy.
I’ve stated the facts as they are. I have emails, bank account statements, as well as the seller’s own store page as proof. Maybe something innocent did happen. I’m all for giving the benefit of the doubt. But as @DonnaML said, the seller has yet to reply to me besides the paypal note saying the coin had already sold, even though it is back up for sale on his page at a higher price than what it was sold to me for. The longer he stays silent the less trust I place on him doing the ethical thing. Those are facts.
I received a response back from vcoins last night and in the spirit of full disclosure, I will post it here with just names redacted: Hi (furryfrog02), I am sorry for my delay. I had the flu and I’m still sorting through some emails now that I’m feeling better. Yes, what you described below is definitely a violation of our policies. I am going to contact the dealer tomorrow and also bring it to the attention of the administrator. I am sorry for this experience. I am really not sure why this dealer would do such a thing. I actually know him and it’s absolutely out of character. I will let you know what I find out as soon as I speak with him. All the best, (vcoins rep)
In China I think they say: 聽另一邊. I am always willing to hear the other side out but when they don’t respond, it becomes somewhat...difficult.