Hey Ya`ll, In the indian artifact community we have an un-official bad sellers list(e-bay sellers) that circulates around and gets constant updates. Is there anything like that in the coin collecting community?
There are many individuals who keep such lists. The only forum I know of that has a list available for all of its members is Forvm-Ancient Coins. As the keeping of such a list on a public forum could cause a liability to the forum, most refrain from having anything official that can be connected with the forum. I am sure that you could PM a number of the members here, though, and get some information on sellers to avoid. There are also many tell-tale signs to watch for. These are the items that should raise red flags: 1) Private feedback 2) Poor descriptions/pictures coupled with the statement "I know nothing about coins" 3) No return policy stated or "AS IS" auctions. If no return policy is stated, you should email the seller to find out if they accept returns. 4) Although this will sound biased, I have to say it: US coins being sold from locations China, Shanghai, etc. Just about all of those that I have seen are cast copies and there are multiple scams coming from there. It's best to just avoid them completely. 5) Poor or neutral feedback comments. Notice I did not say poor feedback rating. Many negative comments are made under the guise of a positive feedback in order to avoid retaliation. Read the comments - do not just be guided by the feedback rating. Here are some ways to protect yourself: 1) Use common sense: If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. If you want to take the chance anyway, take responsibility for that choice and be sure that you are not going to risk more money than you can afford. 2) Pay with Paypal whenever possible. Paypal offers buyer protection and it is relatively easy to get your money back if you don't receive your item. Hope this helps.
These two in particular are usually bundled with another phrase that should raise suspicion: "Estate sale."
Good advice. Just a note, Ebay has an official 3 day return policy for all it's auctions unless the seller states otherwise.
Good luck trying to find a seller that will conform to that statement. Ebay has stated that they are a venue only and I guarantee that they would not get involved in a return.
You'd better be very careful regarding Paypal.They can (& often do) freeze accounts without telling you.Here the link to a website; www.paypalwarning.com .
I am well aware of that. We've been accepting Paypal since the beginning (back in 2002). It's attached to an account that is kept with a minimum amount and we transfer our money out of our PP account via Paypal card at the bank. If you do it as a cash advance, you get money back on it, so we make money every time we make a deposit at the bank. I learned a long time ago how to make Paypal's loopholes work for us instead of the other way around.
Weatherwise, things are fine here but lots of snow left on the ground. There was talk of another couple of inches tonight, but I don't think so. I guess I'll find out in the morning
