What do you guys think of the new US Mint return policy?

I don't buy that. If you can't get a defective coin back in the mail (postmarked) in seven days then it might be time for you to reorganize your life. There are those who complain how long it takes for the Mint to send something out, then they complain that they don't have time to sent the thing back. I do a lot of mail-order buying. I've gotten several things which didn't meet my needs or expectations and I've managed to send them back the same day (the Post Office is open until 7:00 PM) or the next day at the latest. How does the Mint's policy "discourage" returns?

 

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For one they no longer pay return postage.

 

ah so i wasnt the only one. i thought i imagined the shipping to be free but no so

 

Free return postage is a privilege, not a right.

Return something to Eddie Bauer.com, Lands End.com or Old Navy.com and return postage is deducted from your credit.

 

If the merch is defective they eat postage. If you do not like it (wrong size) you eat postage. In the mint case it is defective merch. Even Woot (who have the strictest return policy you can find) paid return postage when they sent me a defective tv.

 

Really, unless you order a very, very large quantity I think seven days is ample time to inspect your order. After all, you are only inspecting it for defective or damaged items.

 

The reason I dislike this policy is that in the past I have had a return rate of about 50%. These were all legit returns with spotted cents and Sac dollars and broken plastic. I have a job and a family, it is not easy to get to the post office in any given week. The time buffer allowed me to inspect the coins and get to the post office (usually on a Saturday) and get my return postage refunded. I have never abused the return policy (in fact I feel like the abuses are on the part of the mint in that they sent out so many defective products). the only positive in all of this is that in the last 2 years I have noticed that I have not had to return may coins. My last return was in 2007.

 

It does seem the quality has gone up in recent years. Lets hope the few people such as yourself that needed the extra couple weeks in the past will not be inconvenienced. I think some of the defective items are being caught with better inspections currently. Let's hope that if we get a new mint director (which is likely), the quality remains at least at current levels.