Purchase etiquette question

Well, now you have intervened another party. If it is stabbed, the stabbing company is warrantying that its not tampered with. In that case of course cracking it out would invalidated a return to the dealer, but the claim could still be with the TPG. This applies if the slab was authentic. If it turns out it was a fake slab, the return would be with the dealer again.

 

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Welcome to CT! On MA-Shops, World Numismatic Marketplace, dealers must go through a vetting and screening process prior to being accepted and approved as a Certified Dealer. Each Certified Dealer guarantees that all of their items are guaranteed to be authentic. MA-Shops also guarantees this. Should a fake be unknowingly offered and sold on, a refund will be made.

 

Apples and oranges. I did not buy a graded coin. But…

Should not a grading company catch a fake patina before certifying/grading it?

Should not an experienced dealer catch a fake patina before offering the coin for sale?

With very little experience, I caught the fake patina (or at least was suspicious) within seconds of removing the coin from the packaging. I still do not understand how a professional coin dealer 1) missed it, and 2) is not responsible for selling it in that condition once the deception has been revealed (by a safe methodology).

I also read up thread that this is normal for coins of the region. I did not know this, but I do find it interesting. To me, it is an altered coin. I have no way to “fix” this coin without altering it myself.

Trying to avoid this situation in the future.

 

I am a MA-Shops customer already and am aware of this policy.

The coin is not fake. The coin had an oil-based powdered makeup applied to hide surface defects on the coin.

 

As a legal matter, I think you're completely wrong and should stop repeating yourself. The buyer didn't alter the coin itself here; he removed the fake patina consisting of make-up. As was necessary to demonstrate that the appearance of the coin he bought was fraudulently altered before the purchase, and, therefore, that the coin was not what the seller represented it to be in the seller's photo. Of course the buyer would be entitled to a refund; the seller can't benefit from his own fraud and breach of warranty. If the seller himself was defrauded by his own seller, then he can, in turn, pursue that seller. But anyone who would attempt to raise the buyer's so-called alteration to avoid a return and refund is out of line. And has very questionable ethics.

 

Absurd analogy. Rejecting a return in these circumstances is what would be poor etiquette. Any honest dealer would be embarrassed to do so.

 

Common sense qualifies me in this case, given that it was necessary for the buyer to "do[] something" to the coin in order to know that there was a reason to try to return it in the first place. Especially since what the buyer did had no permanent effect -- and wasn't actually "done" to the coin itself. Accordingly, if the seller is sufficiently dishonest he can apply make-up to the coin all over again and try to pass it off to some other poor sucker. I'd love to know where you get your standards on "good form" when it comes to buying and selling ancient coins in these circumstances.

 

Hi,

You did, actually. I see your point and agree with it.

Though I do not think I altered the coin, I did change the coin’s appearance by removing the makeup.

In the future, if I am unsure of a coin, I will return the coin rather than proceeding/testing.

 

Kinda sorry I brought this up. My point was that the dealer should offer you a refund. A dealer that refuses to take the coin back probably has the law on his/her side, but this is a red flag that this person values profits way more than satisfied customers, and you probably don't want to do any more business with this dealer.

 

No; it’s all good. Lots of good honest, opinions here.

It has been correctly pointed out to me that I should not have sought self remedy. I had not considered this. I did not think through the consequences of being “right.”

In this case, being right is actually being wrong. Lol

In the future, I will simply seek to return the coin/lot.

Thanks to all respondents for your time/opinions.

 

In most circumstances I would agree with your position. Not in this one.