Ebay removes references to the ANA from coin policy

Thank you for keeping on top of this. I for one have not done enough reporting of counterfeits. Cheers to all who have!

 

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I used to buy quite a bit on eBay before the new "Search Experience" was thrust upon us. I would have to say that 99% of my experiences have been good ones. I overpaid sometimes, but that was my own fault. Things might not go smoothly all the time, but things can be worked out.

The few unpleasant experiences have been like this one...

I bought a roll of "Gem Uncirculated 1943-s Lincoln Pennies" from a seller for $189. It was a "No Reserve" auction with a $0.50 start price. I got a pretty good price for the roll...no doubt.

I paid the Seller, but got a message the next day that he was having a party and someone stole the roll off his desk. I've done business with the guy before and felt sorry for him so I cancelled the transaction...but haven't been able to bid on his auctions since...just doesn't feel right.

A while later, I see him selling "Gem Uncirculated 1943-s Lincoln Pennies" again. I write him to say that if he has more rolls, he should do the right thing and complete our deal. I point out that it's likely costing him money not having me bid on his auctions. This is what he wrote back...

No, I wouldn't do the same thing...what he's doing is lying and fraud. He can set a minimum price...he's just afraid no one will bid. If he doesn't get the right price, he lies about it and takes advantage of the good nature of others. It's Seller like that that eBay is trying to rout out...and I don't blame them.

 

It sounds to me like this new CEO is behind a lot of this "anti-removal" going around on ebay.

 

I'm pretty new to buying coins on line so these questions may be a bit naive but do other sites such as Heritage, Teletrade, etc have so many problems with counterfeit coins and shaky sellers such as the one described above, (imagine not sending an item to an auction winner simply because you don't like the price you got and actually lying about it)?

900Fine has a good point about Ebay being only a technology and not an actual auction house. Then if this is the case why would anyone ever do business on ebay vs one of the auction houses?

 

Ebay

I have never had a problem with Ebay, but am still disturbed about the fakes being sold. I think they cast a pall over the hobby with those buying unslabbed coins being uncertain as to what they are really buying.

I recently saw a listing for a key US lincoln cent that was listed as a copy, but it wasn't stamped COPY or another designation. The bidding was already over $250 for this fake coin.

Didn't the federal Hobby Act mandate that coins be stamped?

 

No, the auction houses you mentioned don't have the problems with large numbers of counterfeits that Ebay does. And, unlike Ebay, they have possession of the coins they sell, there there isn't a problem with "shaky sellers" and non delivery.

Depending in the circumstances and the buyer's level of knowledge, Ebay can still offer some advantages, but there are a lot of negatives than can offset them.

 

I bought a 23-S Lincoln from a store on eBay for $32 under the assumption that the coin had been cleaned - as was the seller. I have since had it certified as 63RB. That is about a $1000 coin. It will pay for a whole lot of my other mistakes. Tht is why I continue to shop on eBay.

 

Yes, that violates the Hobby Protection Law. However, eBay does not police their auctions. As 900fine states, eBay is more a technology in stead of an auction house. However, they have and will respond to any violation reported to them.

 

They might "respond" in the sense of replying via a form-letter style email. However, there are far too many times when they clearly do not take appropriate action with respect to counterfeits, scams, etc.

 

EVERY one I know has been a counterfeit, the auction has been REMOVED. Sometimes that takes a couple days, but they do take action.

 

Unfortunately, my observations and experiences have been very different. I have reported and/or seen others report counterfeits , which, in many instances, have not been removed, even days or weeks afterwards.