I normally scroll right past the extensive Gordian III in auction listings because I'm generally not interested. However, I spotted this in the middle of a ho-hum lineup in the last Zeus auction: Hostilian, as Augustus IMP CAE C VAL HOS MES QVINTVS AVG, radiate draped bust right SECVRITAS AVGG, Securitas standing left, leaning on column. I was the only one to spot this coin, and won it for just £14, about right for a Gordian III. It arrived today and I eagerly ripped open the package, and... They sent me lot 831, a pedestrian Gordian III / jupiter ant.
I emailed them about it. Lot 831 sold, so my coin is probably either with another collector, or at least in transit. Best case scenario in my mind is that they might refund my money, worst case they refuse to respond or ask me to send the other coin back and pay shipping. I *highly* doubt that another collector who got a $20 Hostilian would volunteer to fix the error.
That really sucks. They offered the coin at a reasonable price because someone misattributed it. They should stick with their cataloging and send you the piece you rightly ordered. You should not have to suffer for their mistake. I guess I'd ask for my money back, at minimum, if I were you I might ask them to send you a Hostilian coin in lieu of the one you ordered, if they have to take a loss on it, so be it.
Why? He did not buy a Hostilian, but a "Probus". If you mail them before the auction end and tell them it's a Hostilian, then you buy a Hostilian and you can ask for another one. Otherwise, you can ask your money back, as you did not get the coin you bought. Or at least this is what I consider fair. @Finn235 Situation is funny. With this home confinement I got a few coins from Zeus too. No Probus or "Probus", but looking forward for what will arrive.
Aren't you supposed to be bidding on the actual coin in the photo, whether they have it misattributed or not? What is the point of the photo if it is not the definitive illustration of the item that you're bidding on? They probably realized their error and sent you a Gordian on purpose. If I bid on one Gordian coin that was illustrated with a photo, and they sent me a different Gordian coin, I would be rightly annoyed and expect them to correct it. If this were not the case then they could send anything they want that remotely matched the description and never send you the coin in their photos...
Arrgh! When I won this coin: ... the auction firm mistakenly sent me this coin instead: Needless to say, I sent the coin back so it could go to the person who actually won it. Hopefully, if they've sent the coin to the wrong person, that person will send it back. If not, the auction firm owes you compensation for their TWO mistakes. I think that compensation should be for, say, a low-end ("bargain") market value for the coin based on auction records from the last two years, based on the supposition that you only bought the coin because you thought it was a bargain.
Wow!! What a mistake someone made. I wonder if the person who shipped that great Caesar denarius still had a job! Nice of you to send it back. I had a wrong coin sent to me and I sent it back to the seller and he sent me $10 along with the coin I bought. I wasn't familiar with the coin he sent (I think it was a Greek coin) but he sure thanked me.
I don't think there is anything to be gained by assuming bad faith on the auction house. Mistakes like these do happen. I can't remember the details, but I do remember getting a coin once that was a lot nicer and more valuable than the one I had won in the auction. I contacted the dealer and returned the coin. He was very appreciative and offered to cover my shipping charges. There was no greed or dishonesty involved, just a simple mistake.