Ebay Seller cracking and selling cleaned coins

Discussion in 'Coin Chat' started by jmon, Oct 6, 2024.

  1. jmon

    jmon Numismatist In Training

    I generally don't bring up issues like this, but I've seen this particular seller do this several times, so I feel complelled to say something. The coin listed below was sold on Great Collections a week or so ago as a ANACS cleaned AU-58. This seller has cracked the coin out and listed it on eBay as a "NEAR+ GEM BU MS..." coin. Further, this is not the first coin I've seen this seller do this same thing with. In this instance, they're going to take a ~$60 coin and resell it for ~$300+. Perhaps the buyer notices, perhaps they don't. Regardless, it's not right.

    eBay listing: https://www.ebay.com/itm/1564454407...Qk/znNNZWXkR9nY+Q1Qn3d7A==|tkp:Bk9SR4KL9MnMZA

    GC listing: https://www.greatcollections.com/Coin/1664164/1908-S-Barber-Dime-ANACS-AU-58-Details
     
    Burnside_Q, capthank, wxcoin and 6 others like this.
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  3. jmon

    jmon Numismatist In Training

    Mr. Numismatist, rte and philologus_1 like this.
  4. -jeffB

    -jeffB Greshams LEO Supporter

    They're well-known for doing this, and for heavily juiced photos. They also trade as "Canyon City Coins".

    They quickly and cheerfully take returns and issue refunds when called out, and any seller who issues a refund can ask eBay to remove any negative feedback associated with the transaction. So there's really nothing to stop them.
     
    slackaction1 and jmon like this.
  5. Joshua Lemons

    Joshua Lemons Well-Known Member Supporter

    I was shocked it WASN'T the seller I thought it was. Another for the block list I suppose, though I don't collect US anymore.
     
    dwhiz and jmon like this.
  6. longnine009

    longnine009 Darwin has to eat too. Supporter

    I thought Ebay had a rule that you could not state a grade in the listing unless the coin was in a PCGS or NGC slab?
     
    Burnside_Q and jmon like this.
  7. jmon

    jmon Numismatist In Training

    I think that WAS the case - If it is still a rule, it is CLEARLY not enforced.
     
    longnine009 likes this.
  8. jmon

    jmon Numismatist In Training

    Do you just keep a manual list, or? I had a tool that used to allow me to block sellers in Chrome; however, it stopped working and I haven't been able to find a replacement.
     
  9. Pickin and Grinin

    Pickin and Grinin Well-Known Member

    Yeah, it just lands on someone that doesn't know better. I will say "buy in hand" and put the scammer out of business.
     
    Joshua Lemons and -jeffB like this.
  10. -jeffB

    -jeffB Greshams LEO Supporter

    You can't state a numeric grade unless it's in an approved slab.

    https://www.ebay.com/help/policies/prohibited-restricted-items/collectible-currency-policy?id=4337

    That value limit on ungraded coins and currency now means you can't list ungraded one-ounce gold (or even double eagles) without starting it below melt value. That pretty clearly wasn't the intent of the policy, and I wonder if they'll be updating it.
     
    longnine009 likes this.
  11. Jeffjay

    Jeffjay Well-Known Member

    I'm not at all surprised. I'm sure there are quite a few eBay sellers doing the exact same thing.
     
    dwhiz likes this.
  12. KBBPLL

    KBBPLL Well-Known Member

    I immediately recognized the old-timey bank check background. Any time I see a coin accompanied by images of piles of coins spilling out of safes or mint bags, I immediately know the seller is scamming. I don't know why other buyers don't recognize this.
     
    jmon likes this.
  13. Pickin and Grinin

    Pickin and Grinin Well-Known Member

    Not so illicit, just a pocket change dime. I can post what the coin looks like,
    upload_2024-10-6_22-25-42.jpeg
    upload_2024-10-6_22-26-5.jpeg
    Or add way too much luster.
    upload_2024-10-6_22-26-54.jpeg
     
  14. jmon

    jmon Numismatist In Training

    I agree with this, I just miss my old tool that allowed me to add sellers to a predefined block list and then never showed me their listings. Saved me the trouble of opening the listing.
     
  15. Joshua Lemons

    Joshua Lemons Well-Known Member Supporter

    Yes, just a list on a of paper. Most forums also have a thread or that has a scanner or do not buy list
     
  16. -jeffB

    -jeffB Greshams LEO Supporter

    There's an option under Advanced Search to look for "only these sellers", and there's a dropdown that lets you turn that into "except these sellers".
     
  17. Lon Chaney

    Lon Chaney Well-Known Member

    I agree that it's not right and clearly misrepresented. But I don't know that reporting it would do anything.
     
  18. wxcoin

    wxcoin Getting no respect since I was a baby

    Years ago I was banned from bidding anything from them; yes, there were a few PCGS graded coins they listed that I wanted to bid on later on. I believe that I was put on their black list after a negative review about an "original bank wrapped roll" of pennies. I admit, I was once one of those suckers who needed a hard lesson about "original and unsearched" rolls.
     
    Jeffjay likes this.
  19. Lehigh96

    Lehigh96 Toning Enthusiast

    EBay added ANACS & ICG to the list years ago, but I don't see anything in the crackout listing that says a numerical grade. I just see "Near GEM BU MS" which is allowed by eBay's rules.
     
    -jeffB and longnine009 like this.
  20. Lehigh96

    Lehigh96 Toning Enthusiast

    On a philosophical note, I don't mind a seller cracking out a coin and selling it raw if they disagree with the assigned grade or "details" reason, but if a seller is doing this as a business model, then they deserve the reputation that they get.
     
    jmon, wxcoin, -jeffB and 1 other person like this.
  21. jmon

    jmon Numismatist In Training

    There is, though it's a bit much to use IMO. At that point you still have to keep a list to enter in each time (though depending on your search parameters you could save the search with the excluded sellers). There used to be an extension that allowed you to enter the sellers you wish to blacklist and it automatically added the exclusion to any eBay page you displayed.
     
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