I bought some coins from this website (www.collectorsinternet.com/) last year as I was just starting to get into collecting. You buy coins by the grade--they claim that they do so much business that they don't have time to show you pictures of the individual coins. The prices seemed good for the grade, so I bought some walking liberty halves and some buffalo nickels. To my untrained eye, they looked pretty good. But I took them to my trusted local dealer for his opinion, assuming he would praise me for getting a good deal. He showed me that all of them were cleaned or wizzed. The halves purchased at MS 63 were really just wizzed XFs. I was really disappointed, embarassed, and felt ripped off. It was a difficult and lengthy process to get my money back but I did (perhaps only because I am a lawyer and let that be known in my emails). Their policy is to charge a $5 per coin restocking fee on returns, to discourage returns. I got them to waive that as well. I have learned a lot in the past year and but still have a lot to learn. It's a shame that there are so many dishonest dealers out there. I was wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience with this company.
Interesting site, never heard of them before, and never will deal with them now Thank You for the heads up, and in coin collecting, you learn something new, every day
Never heard of them but thanks for the heads up, also you learn from your mistakes so dont feel to bad about yourself. Big question is though why buy something sight unseen? you would never buy a car from someone you did not know without 1st seeing it and the coins are no different LOL (not having a go at you here) Until you are happy with your coin skills I would sugest buying from your local trusted dealer or if you want to chance the net then ask the guy's for reccomended dealers. If you collect cents I can give you one here Arizona Jack at Messa coins, for other silver and gold then check out the Lost Dutchman both are honest and both are members of this and other forums.
I believe there was a thread a few months ago about them. If memory serves, you put the order in and then they go out and find the coin for you. In other words, they don't have their own inventory. They're a "middle man". Here's a copy and paste from their order page - look at how long it takes to get your order: Please allow at least one to three weeks for delivery. U.S. Postal Regulations allow for up to six weeks for delivery, but we often get shipments out in about half that time
With all due respect, and meaning this in the kindest way: You may be a lawyer, but you sound a bit naive nonetheless. You could have bought certified coins from PCGS or NGC. This would solve a lot of the problems you describe, although they don't always get it right (I have seen vastly overgraded coins, misattributed coins, even reengraved coins in those slabs--but those are exceptions). You could have bought from your "trusted local dealer"--I bet he/she wonders why you would spend your money with someone you don't know and don't have a history with. You could have asked BEFORE you spent your money if collectors on this forum had had good or bad experiences with the Internet firm. (I don't know the company but suspect that many people will have had similar experiences.) I have looked at many tens of thousands of certified and raw coins in my life, and one thing I have learned is that there is a reason why a coin is raw or slabbed by a particular TPG company. Why are most premium Red Lincolns in PCGS slabs? Why are so many gold coins in NGC slabs? Why do all those raw early coins not get into slabs? Find out the answer to those questions yourself through experience. Or ask people--coin dealers and collectors--whom you trust for their answers and expertise. I hope this has been helpful and again certainly intend no offense at all. "There is no Santa Claus in numismatics." Best Regards, George ================ VDB Coins
? EVEN WITH THE NEW POSTAL RATES? mAY BE NO Santa but guess I still enjoy diggin in old mason jars and holding up the checkout lane when I get my change......a sure way to interest folks in your collection. Impede them.:hatch:
It's a shame that I am expected to assume that all coin dealers are fraudulent without being called naive. I was buying something advertised as uncirculated and this company sent me coins that were altered to look uncirculated. They knew what they were sending me. I didn't expect them to blatently defraud me, but they did and I returned the coins once I figured it out. I don't really have the time to run to different coin dealers (I only know of 2 in may area that deal with the public) and shows. I shop online like almost everyone else in America. I always expect that I will receive what I pay for and if I don't I send it back. I actually bought all the Walkers and Buffaloes that my dealer had in the grade I wanted for the dates I needed. He's not offended that I purchase coins online. As for buying the coins slabbed from PCGS and NGC, I am aware of the benefits. I like to put my coins in a Dansco. My coins are not super valuable. My MS coins are common dates and the harder dates I try to buy in XF. I don't see the requirement to buy these in slabs--it would just add to the cost. The coins I mentioned above were about $30 a piece. No big deal. Finally, I only discovered this forum a few weeks ago, so I couldn't ask about this coin dealer back when I was buying from them. I spend a lot of time reading here and posting a few questions and replies. I will continue to use this forum to ask questions, but namecalling isn't very helpful.
I have apologized to squaredealer23 in private--and now I do so in public. I did not intend to offend. Best Regards, George =============== VDB Coins
