Reply to Thread

Message:: [QUOTE="Leadfoot, post: 303664, member: 2972"]Chris, Thank you for the explanation.  However, I understood your rationale the first time.  But apparently I wasn't clear enough when I tried to explain how it kind of made my case.... The reason why I pointed it out is because for a seller to coincidentally do all these things -- things that are commonly used on eBay to decieve yet are not common at all on "normal" auctions -- is extremely unlikely and your using of the terms "if", "probably", "may have" and "could" point to this fact.  To use the multiplicative feature of probability (joint probability)...if the likelihood, for example, of your wife using angled photographs was 5%, and the likelihood that she would ont use PayPal at 5%, the resulting probability of using both terms would be 0.25%.  In other words, while it is possible all these questionable techniques could be coincidental and done with a pure heart, there are just to many "ifs", "probablys", "may haves" and "coulds" for this explanation to be believeable. There are all types of scammers on eBay... Some play the overhype/overgrade game, like the sellers you mention.  Convince the ignorant the coins are worth more than they are.  (Although it is worth mentioning -- all accept returns.  All accept PayPal.  All have fairly good photos.) Others play the "unsearched hoard" or "sealed mint set" game.  Playing to the "treasure-hunter" in all of us. Yet others play the "inheritance" or "my grandfather's" collection game.  Which works for the same reason as the "unsearched hoard" game above. Some use the "photoshop" or "angled coin" game.  Making the coin appear nicer than it is. Still others use the "no returns" on knowingly problematic coins hoping to snag the ignorant. The really nefarious and crafty play more than one of these games at the same time. However, all rely on deception/ignorance -- quite often with a little "gold fever" mixed in for good measure.  Agree 100%.  Deception as a sales technique is as old as sales itself, and it has never been right. Agreed 100%.  And I would also hope by careful reading of this thread many could learn the pitfalls of purchasing through eBay and some of the deceptive sales techniques the scammers use. To sum up my position, let me ask you a (very pointed) question.... As an experienced eBayer and numismatist, would you bid on this seller's coins at these levels with these terms? Respectfully...Mike[/QUOTE]

Log in or Sign up

Reply to Thread

Useful Searches