What you need to Know: Ebay Do's and Don'ts List

[Grumps]

PDF version with cleaner formatting:

http://boards.collectors-society.com/attachments//1156148-EbayWhatYouNeedToKnow.pdf

 

 

You could write a book on what to do and what not to do on eBay. Everyone has their own experiences and I myself don't consider myself an expert. I live in a rural area near a large city that doesn't really have a wide variety of coin dealers or shows that come through town on regular occasions and I'm hundreds of miles from any other metropolitan area that does have them. This leaves eBay as an excellent haven for my coin hunting pleasures. Unfortunately, as many of you know, eBay can be the devil's playground for the inexperienced dweller for the buying and selling of anything! So begins this thread. I'm not here to start a grand discussion on eBay, but to stimulate ideas and hopefully bring specific experiences to light for others that will aid everyone in having a winning experience whenever they buy or sell on eBay. I've broken it down into three parts. The attachment (see above) which will be a work in progress that contains a previous thread that was started in September of 2002 in one of the forums that was actually for comics and turned towards coins and any useful information that develops from this discussion that will be posted in the future. Entitled "Ebay What You Need To Know..." it contains what we will call the Golden Rules of eBay. The second part will be on the buying/searching process for coins on eBay and tips on how to find some great deals. Then to close it out I'll talk about the selling/listing process for coins on eBay and how some sellers make money. Please excuse the length of this if it becomes long winded, as I will try and be brief and to the point.

 

Since one man's junk is another man's treasure, only you can say what is valuable to you. Do your due diligence before you ever place a bid on any item on eBay. How can you do this? Follow some simple rules before you start:

 

1. Know what it is that you are looking for before you begin shopping. Set the amount you want to spend, the grade you would like, know the date, the variety, the color, how much you're willing to pay for shipping and any other details related to the purchase.

2. Research the current market values for the piece you are about to buy. Check coin magazines, Redbook, graysheets, online reports and any other recent news to get the best data on what current prices to get a feel for what your "best" offer should be when bidding.

3. Compare your piece for rarity conditions. Find out how many were made. If they are a particular grade, look up pop reports to see how many are available. Check to see how difficult it may be to obtain the piece you are about to seek out.

4. Research authenticity factors. If your selection is a rarity and you are insisting on purchaing it raw, you should further investigate how to authenticate your purchase. Learn details specific to the coin that can't be duplicated or look for signs of tampering with a like-coin to make it appear as the coin you are going to purchase.

 

Once you are prepared with this data, you're ready to begin searching eBay for your coin. For searching and finding what you are looking for choose your keywords carefully and know in which part of the listings to start your search. Sellers list their items in many different ways and may use different keywords from another. If you don't use the right keyword during the search, you could miss that perfect coin. This makes it essential to move closer to the root of the division sometimes in order to catch coins that may be listed in the wrong area. You get a larger listing this way, but you will get a much more accurate list that you can weed through quickly. I usually start in Coins:US Coins and then type in the keywords for the description. This gives you the maximum amount of coverage over all the coin areas. If you get too much, you can always move down a step deeper into the specific folder to narrow your search. Since your search tool is your key to finding what you're looking for, you sometimes need to come up with some other ways of finding what you're after. Remember that a single item you are looking for may be listed as a part of something else that could be overlooked. Using a wild example, say you're looking for a 1979-S Type 2 Clear S Susan B Anthony Proof Dollar. You've searched the sites and haven't found one, but did you look under Proof sets? Sometimes a seller may list a set as a 1979 Type 2 set and you miss the fact that you can pick up the dollar here and sell off the remaining Type 2 coins from the set. Use your search tool wisely and it will almost always lead you to what you desire.

 

This being said, I should probably say something about the three types of sellers you will encounter on eBay. The first type is those that disclose all information about the item they are selling and give good information and pictures. These are the best types of sellers to deal with on eBay. The second type are those that give information and pictures, but after reading their listings you feel sometimes like they are saying more by what they are NOT saying. Powersellers tend to fall in this category many times. They give long descriptions about themselves and their policies, but they don't give very good descriptions of their product always. You'll also find many individuals that are trying to unload less than desirable items this way. This is not to

say that these people are being dishonest or doing anything wrong. Just that they may have something to hide and unless you ask or inquire before the purchase you could be inheriting someone elses problem. Be cautious with these types of sellers. The third type of seller is sometimes hard to distinguish. I call them simply inexperienced. Whether it is the first time they have sold anything on eBay or whether it is the first time they have ever sold a coin on eBay, they give you the appearance that they really have no idea what they are doing. They may even tell you this in the description of their item. You have to be cautious with these types of sellers, but I will also say that these are usually the people where you get your greatest deals. This brings up some morals and ethics that you need to consider in your dealings with these types of people because you don't want to take advantage of them, but if handled properly you can make great deals that will make both parties happy. As one example, one time I had a gentleman that listed an auction for 109 half dollars. His listing didn't describe the half dollars it just said basically old half dollars from his grandmothers estate that he wanted to get rid of for $300. No one was bidding on it. I sent him an email and inquired further into what type and the condition. Come to find out 95 were Walking Liberty, 8 were 1964 Kennedys and the other 6 were Franklins. He said the dates on the Walkers ranged from 1916 through 1947 and were worn. He said he had talked with someone who told him they were worth around $3 a piece, so he listed it at $300 to see what he could get. He didn't have any pictures and I told him he may have been misinformed and that depending on the dates and condition they could be worth more. He said he didn't care he just wanted to get rid of them because he needed the money. I put in the $300 bid on it and no one else ever bothered bidding. When I got them, there were many early key date coins and the later coins were in higher grade condition. I already had a completed Walker set that I rotated over 25 better grade coins into the set, then sold all the individual coins and made over $500 profit. I could tell similar stories, but I'll leave it up to you to make your own success storeies like this.

 

Now on to selling/listing coins that you may want to sell on eBay. First let's talk about some of the ways sellers make money on eBay. The two main ways you'll see a seller list coins is through an Auction or "Buy It Now." Selecting "Buy It Now" simply purchases the item at the price it is listed. In an Auction, the price can go as high as anyone is willing to bid on the item. In both cases, the first thing that you need to investigate on an item is any "additional" charges that may be associated with the item outside of its sale price. This usually includes shipping, handling and insurance, but could also include other charges. It is not uncommon for a seller to add extra charges to cover his costs. It is up to you to determine whether these costs are ridiculous or reasonable. You as a seller will also be evaluated in this way when you list your items for sale. Be just and fair when you set up your auctions by using the following rules:

 

1. Identify clearly what your charges are up front, if possible. Most postage charges can be determined before the auction begins. If not, use the postal calulator provided in the auction listing.

2. Some sellers include an additional charge with postage that falls under handling. This may cover taking the package to the post office, the time to package the product, packing materials, or it may even include the costs to cover listing the auction on eBay. The point is that it is ok to include these as long as the amount is not too high. Some sellers put entirely too much in here and try to make a profit off of each auction.

3. Offer discounts to buyers who win more than one auction. If you only have to ship one package, you don't have the same costs listed above so you can afford to give the buyer a discount on shipping. Cut them a deal and they'll love you for it.

4. Identify whether insurance is required or not and don't play games with the buyer. If the buyer purchases insurance, don't ship it without insurance to make a few bucks. At the same time, don't overcharge for insurance either. Most buyers know what the insurance rates are for USPS and UPS.

 

Now on to selling your coins. You'll have to go through your own learning curve in setting up listings on eBay, but you're going to need a few things for a successful sale. First you'll need a clear picture or scan. These are sometimes difficult to obtain. You want them as large as possible so that the buyer can see all details and you should include obverse and reverse. Unfortunately, if you're a tightwad like I am, eBay only allows you one free picture with your listing so I usually combine my scans to keep from having to pay an extra 15 cents. This doesn't alway give a good clear picture. You can; however, have larger pictures available and include in your description that if the person would like to see larger more detailed pictures that you will be glad to email them. This together with a detailed description of the item you are selling is everything that a buyer needs to make an informed decision before he makes his purchase. Combining this with the rules above for setting your shipping, handling and insurance should produce a successful listing for your item.

 

Just remember...your experiences may vary. In a perfect world the buyer and seller are happy at the end of each sale and that's our objective with eBay whether you're a buyer or a seller. Hopefully some of the information shared here will lead you to this type of experience every time and if it does congratulations! If you have experiences or tips of your own, please share it so we can continue fine tune the Golden Rules of eBay and make everyones experiences a happy one.

 

Thanks for listening!

Greg

[Grumps]

The upload of the Word document didn't take. I can only upload in .jpg, .pdf, .gif, .css, and .png format. I'll need to convert the document to another format.

 

I owe everyone the document which I will upload tomorrow hopefully after it is converted.

 

Thanks,

Greg

[Jazzy]

That's all well and good.

 

I'll add another don't: Don't do what I did.

 

I got NARUED from ebay in 1999 because I made a fuss about fake Trade Dollars. A lot of them semmed to have flooded the market at the time.

 

At first, I complained to ebay officially - no action was taken.

 

Then I started talking about them on the discussion boards - I was given reprimands from the ebay staff.

 

Then I forwarded some of the auctions to the Secret Service - I never got any response.

 

Finally, I emailed some of the buyers and told them that they were buying blatant fakes. Finally I got some action - ebay showed me the door.

 

So I learned my lesson. Let the stupid suckers suffer their fate.

[Jazzy]

The upload of the Word document didn't take. I can only upload in .jpg, .pdf, .gif, .css, and .png format. I'll need to convert the document to another format.

 

I owe everyone the document which I will upload tomorrow hopefully after it is converted.

 

Thanks,

Greg

 

 

I'm reading your post just fine.

[sakorick]

I have around 800 Morgan and Peace silver dollars that I have been selling as "fun coins" on eBay. I sell them 5 at a time and promote them as excellent gifts for good grades, birthdays, pulled tooth etc. All the coins are in VG to VF condition....most being fine. I normally get 45 to 55 dollars per batch and have 100% positive feedback. I sold all the 21's and 22's first and now I'm selling the older dates. The older ones are mostly VG with an occasional fine coin. I try to put at least one fine coin in each batch. So far, I'm having a blast and everyone loves my coins.

 

Now the hard part. I've been using the money received from the fun coins to buy slabbed and GSA dollars with a sprinkling of toned coins. I have been out of the collecting hobby for around 25 years and assumed all the grading services were honest. Oh boy, was I in for a shock. I bought some really nice morgans and then got burned on a SGS MS69 Morgan. When I received the coin, I just couldn't believe it was graded that high. Then I did some research and found out about SGS......the question is, how do these crooks get away with this?

 

At any rate I joined this Club to get current on collecting and get good info on how to avoid getting cheated again. I have taken the MS69 coin out of the slab and am going to get it graded by NGC as soon as my packet arrives. If anyone has any suggestions on my fun coins or how to avoid rip offs on ebay, I'm all ears. I found Grumps post very informative. Regards, Rick.

[cpm9ball]

I have around 800 Morgan and Peace silver dollars that I have been selling as "fun coins" on eBay. I sell them 5 at a time and promote them as excellent gifts for good grades, birthdays, pulled tooth etc. All the coins are in VG to VF condition....most being fine. I normally get 45 to 55 dollars per batch and have 100% positive feedback. I sold all the 21's and 22's first and now I'm selling the older dates. The older ones are mostly VG with an occasional fine coin. I try to put at least one fine coin in each batch. So far, I'm having a blast and everyone loves my coins.

 

Now the hard part. I've been using the money received from the fun coins to buy slabbed and GSA dollars with a sprinkling of toned coins. I have been out of the collecting hobby for around 25 years and assumed all the grading services were honest. Oh boy, was I in for a shock. I bought some really nice morgans and then got burned on a SGS MS69 Morgan. When I received the coin, I just couldn't believe it was graded that high. Then I did some research and found out about SGS......the question is, how do these crooks get away with this?

 

At any rate I joined this Club to get current on collecting and get good info on how to avoid getting cheated again. I have taken the MS69 coin out of the slab and am going to get it graded by NGC as soon as my packet arrives. If anyone has any suggestions on my fun coins or how to avoid rip offs on ebay, I'm all ears. I found Grumps post very informative. Regards, Rick.

 

Hi, Rick! Welcome to the neighborhood.

 

You'll find it said here over and over, "Buy the coin, not the plastic." If you're going to purchase slabbed coins, try to stick to NGC, PCGS and ANACS and make sure the seller has a reasonable return policy. Last year I purchased two commems that were supposedly SEGS MS70, and they were a BIG disappointment. You could see nicks on the devices with the naked eye. I contacted the seller. He even sent me an RMA for their return (but don't expect this to occur too frequently) and I was given a prompt refund.

 

Chris

[Grumps]

Sorry it took so long to convert this. Here is the upload I promised that was supposed to go along with the post. See attachment.

 

Thanks,

Greg

1156148-EbayWhatYouNeedToKnow.pdf

[Grumps]

It was the attachment that didn't make it. It was in Word format and I had forgotten you can only attach certain file extensions. Everything posted went fine. I posted the attachment this morning in a PDF file, so everything should be there now. It's really just a condensed set of common sense rules that people can download and follow. I figure we can continue to add to it and develop it.

 

Thanks,

Greg

[RoelSports]

Nice post!Thanks for the information..scr

[CTcollector]

Thanks for the post !

 

One question - what type of recourse, if any, does EBAY offer in the event of fakes and counterfeits. Jazzy's commentary on the Fake Trade $ is not so reassuring.

[Stanley]

Thanks for the post !

 

One question - what type of recourse, if any, does EBAY offer in the event of fakes and counterfeits. Jazzy's commentary on the Fake Trade $ is not so reassuring.

 

 

Ebay does have strict policies concerning and not limited to:

Item not as described

Fake or counterfeit

 

I have had to file a few claims against sellers and always go with item not as described; do not mention counterfeit unless it is absolutely necessary, otherwise you will be asked to have merchandise appraised by a professional at your expense.

 

PayPal will get your refunds quicker, unless the seller has no funds in his account.

If you file a claim through ebay and seller doesn’t agree you will have to pay ebay 25.00 administrative fee per claim to proceed.

[Grumps]

While eBay does their best to try and control illegal activities on their site, I don't think they really care what happens. They do their best to control what goes on with their policies and if they find someone listing something in a way that goes against that policy, they remove the listing. I've seen it happen several times. That's about the extent of it though.

 

Greg

[Allan Ong]

While eBay does their best to try and control illegal activities on their site, I don't think they really care what happens. They do their best to control what goes on with their policies and if they find someone listing something in a way that goes against that policy, they remove the listing. I've seen it happen several times. That's about the extent of it though.

 

Greg

 

Ebay doesn't really care too much -- I've reported folks selling copyrighted material on illegal media (e.g. someone was selling DVD's of a TV series that never came out on video) and the listing was only ended because someone bought it... Or even listings of people selling Washington DC or Puerto Rico "State Quarters" w/out mentioning that they're novelties (I believe the Hobby Protection Act says that you have to say if it's a replica)...

 

--Nothing really seems to happen...

[pendragon1998]

Here's my advice to would-be sellers:

 

 

DO:

• 
  
• Take large, high-quality, in-focus photos so buyers can grade coins themselves
  
• Offer a decent return policy and be flexible with it.
  
• Don't gouge on shipping - we all know how much it really costs to mail a coin!
  
• Organize your page so that information is quickly and easily accessable
  
• Be open, honest, and courteous - you will win more customers in the long run by treating them well
  
• Leave good feedback for buyers as soon as possible
  
• Accept paypal - cash/check transactions online are inviting trouble for both parties.
  

 

 

DON'T:

• 
  
• Write in all CAPS - impossible to read and obnoxious
  
• Write in run-on sentences - It's a period, folks - use it
  
• Lie about the quality of the coins or their origins
  
• Offer replica coins or cleaned/dipped coins without noting it
  
• Pass on fakes
  
• Set a reserve price - just set a starting bid that you'd be happy receiving.
  
• Be rude - you're trying to get us to choose to purchase something from you.
  
• Give a negative simply because you were given one. It's petty and vindictive.
  

[Gene NY-migration]

Concerning Ebay let me share a story that just amazed me. In mid 2009 I lost my job. I made a very good living and my family was used to you want it you buy it. In any event while I was out of work one of the things my coin collecting was for was to convert small incremental amounts of items back to cash without my uncle SAM being my partner.

 

I had an account for about 3-4 years and was 95% a buyer, also from dealers, shows and direct from the mint. I needed to genorate about 20K per month for 2-3 months to keep the doors open here at the ranch until I went back to work.. So I got out all those expensive cameras I bought over the years and started selling 4 coins gold proof sets. I opened a store for $15 a month plus commissions and the paypal hit...so be it. Within 3 hours of listings 4 , 4 coin gold prood sets at 2750 each ( summer of 2009), which was a good 150 to 200 over closed auction prices ( my sets were all guaranteed to be no less than PF69 or better), money back 10 days. I am an honest guy, I wanted a premiun my coins were in pristine condition, stored with 5 pound box's of silica etc.

 

Well within 20 minutes of the first 4 sets going up for "fixed Price sale" some guy from NJ buys 3...$8250 in minutes. I grew up in NY, we are not lucky people. So I look at the guys account...it is 3 days old has done 1 transaction for about $1,000 with someother guy with an account that is 7 days old. Ebay comes back with that the guys account is "verified" which means as long as I ship to verified accounts the sellers protection plan guarantees my money. Now being a NYer I knew this was a identity theft credit card...it just was too good to be true. Additionally the account was verified with a PO box as the ship to.

 

I notified the buyer and told him I would not ship to PO Box as I required a signature of the actual buyer not an agent. I called ebay and notified them through their Fraud Detection Department....no one would talk with me, I was emailed that the account was verified, the credit card was good and that I better ship the coins. I needed the money and didn't want to off Ebay and close my account. So I force the guy to give me an address and ship the coins with signature verifications.

 

To rap this up here is what happened, the guy claimed that yes he signed for the box, but upon opening it all the mint boxs were there, all the COA but none of the coins. Bascially saying I just ripped him off for $8000. Ebay locks up my account and my $8,000 until they decide who is telling the truth. Keep in mind my outbound shippment has the exact weight on it as measured by the post office since I shipped overnight. I called ebay every day, I mean every day and just got the run around for 3 months while these Russian crime team in NY/NJ was doing this to a guy with a 7 year account, 100% feedback.

 

I kept sending Ebay fraud departmet a simple thing to do, get the box they recieved with the contents they say were in it and weight it, it will be 6 OZ off what left the Windermere Post Office...proof that a interstate feloney had occured, I told them I would pay my own expenses to fly there and meet them. Not a word...we are investigating, when we are done we will make a determination as to if you get the funds. Can you imagine that. Ebay and this is the first time someone pulls the empty box scam...I think not...sitting on my 8K for as long as they want with no indication of anything remotly close to an intelligent investigation. They never acknowledged they would get the box and weight it and match it to my PO Office reciept.

 

Well that was it for me. 2 weeks in I call the FBI, Postal Inspector and the local police in Orlando as well as the attorney generals office in NJ since that is where the coins went...Bergin County NJ. The first one to get back to me was 2 days later, the ADA of Bergin County and appoligized it took her 2 days. She said that it was a Russian organized credit card operation from overseas, shipped to a dead drop and thanks to me they got the guy on this end. I told her that the day this deal happened I told EBay it was a scam, no one buys 8K of gold from a guy they don't know and have it shipped to a PO Box, the account was 2 days old, it all smelled...but ebay didn't care, between them and paypal they made $660 and made me wait another 60 days before they gave me my money back. I wanted the seceret service to file charges against ebay for knowingly facilatating fraudulent credit card transactions....nothing happened, ebay downgraded me to bronze level for not being 100% complient with policy and thus I had to pay higher commissions. This is all true, and I have left out a lot of details of all the evidence I provided, the PI I highered to track one of these guys to Florida where he had a class 2 fellony conviction in Naples for assult on a pregant woman with a deadly weapon and got 10 year probation....these guys had my home address in Windermere...3 hour drive from Naples.

 

I recovered all my money but I put my family at risk, fortunately I have always held the belief you can never be too tall, too tan or too well armed...I was hoping they would come to my house; in Florida I can shoot anyone on my property with deadly force if I feared for my or my families safety. I had assult AR15's, PS90...seceret service use it, 2 -12 guages and 26 Sig Arms 239,226's,1911, and 220's with lazers and strobes all around my home in small quick open safes as well as a concealed carry H&K license...and 2- 80 lbs Wiemeriners. I am a nut, I know, but I was praying they would come. I had survallience cameras on DVR's installed aimed at the street and around the propety. I was convienced I would get a day time drive buy to size up the situtation and I wanted them on tape so next time that SUV/CAR entered the main gate at night I knew it was game time. They never came....which sucked.

 

Like I said it is all true and more to it than I have told...but bottom line Ebay would be in the business of selling human slaves if they thought they could get away with it. The legal issue is that they are in fact an acution house and are not held to the same standards of accountability that anyone with a state auction license has to complly with.......Anyone has any questions just email me or post...sorry so long of a post but when I saw the ebay comments I just thought that they don't know the half of it. Gene sorry for the bad spelling in spots.

[sfwendy]

:tonofbricks:Top Seven Warning Signs on ebay

 

a: Has a "ransom note" listing

All caps, or a mix of colors, fonts and WOW!s are common in unscrupulous listings

 

b: Says the coin "may" have been cleaned

IF it "may" have been cleaned, it probably was. You will want to look for faint scratch marks and signs of whizzing. On second thought, you will want to look elsewhere.

 

c: Says escrow is certainly NOT needed

my very favorite test question.

 

d: All sales Final

What you get is what you're stuck with.

 

e: Toolhaus.org shows lots of neutrals & negatives

Toolhaus is a cool tool

 

f: Listing is 'PRIVATE'

You can't tell who's really bidding, or how often.

 

g. One day listing "Get it NOW!"

What's the rush, pilgrim?

 

sfwendy

Commerce without morality is one of the seven blunders of the world.

 

[thehumantorch]

Number one rule for me, avoid sellers who can't spell.

[utah_ranch]

Im on ebay selling coin, been doing it for 5 years. OK, ad here, utah_ranch

for your look and see.

 

I buy proof and mint sets all the time, I cherry pick through the coins in the sets and remove the ones that I think/HOPE will grade the best, some go to NGC, some to PCGS. depending on the coin. PCGS grades hard and ussually a coin goes down a bit. NGC grades a bit higher. So I decide where the most return will come from.

 

Two weeks ago I broke out of a 1979-S proof set, with clear S mint marks, all but one came back as PF-69 U-cam from NGC, THEN I got a GREAT surprize. The kennedy came back as PR-70 UCAM. clear S. Ty2, I listed it in my store for 1200.00, An offer came in at 750,00, SOLD!!! I paid 6.35 for the set on ebay.

Also got a 1962 PR-69 Franklin back, SOLD 280.00! Paid 26.00 for the set.

Got a 1964 (pcgs) PF-67 AH Dcam, 175.00 SOLD! Paid 14.00 for the set.

Sometimes the world is just plain great.

Not all are successes, But the ones that are, are very nice.

 

I do collect coins, very small investment, cost of set, grading fees, Is what I do.

If A set cost me under 10.00, and I get 750.00 for ONE coin, I sell IT!

[johnny9434]

That's all well and good.

 

I'll add another don't: Don't do what I did.

 

I got NARUED from ebay in 1999 because I made a fuss about fake Trade Dollars. A lot of them semmed to have flooded the market at the time.

 

At first, I complained to ebay officially - no action was taken.

 

Then I started talking about them on the discussion boards - I was given reprimands from the ebay staff.

 

Then I forwarded some of the auctions to the Secret Service - I never got any response.

 

Finally, I emailed some of the buyers and told them that they were buying blatant fakes. Finally I got some action - ebay showed me the door.

 

So I learned my lesson. Let the stupid suckers suffer their fate.

 

I agree with you. Live and learn. Some have to get burnt before they learn, unfortanatly

[Oldtrader3]

Ebay has perfected the technique which we will call "Building off fraudulent listings for fun and profit, run as a serious and maybe even criminal enterprise". From these activities, Ebay earns a percentage of the take without actually defrauding any harmless party but instead by being a willing party to the fraud in the first place.

 

What Ebay is doing has the appearance of of indirect and parasitic racketeering which has yet not been identified as white collar crime under the statutes of criminal law in most states but should be included in the RICO laws and be identified for the criminal enterprise that it really is. Ebay appears a willing part and party to fraud and theft by deception in most if not all instances where they stand to gain by doing nothing..

 

Then as part of the Flim Flam, if you blow the whistle on several of these criminal conspiracies to sell counterfeit and spurious collector merchandise (raw coins in this case), Ebay will promise to take action against the most egregious of these criminal and counterfeit operations but will, in almost all cases take no action. This could be constued to make them criminals by proxy (through receipt of listing and receipt of commission fees by deceptive practices). This may be the case because in many instances, they have been given expert advice that the questionable merchandise is counterfeit or manipulated and wrong.

 

Some smart and ambitious, State Attorney General will figure this all out eventually and put a stop to it. However, in the meantime, be aware that you are aiding and participating by enabling Ebay to operate an enterprise and publicly deny standing or knowledge enough of the process to be held culpable.

[slingshot-migration]

You offered a lot in your Ebay do's & don'ts. Excellent tips. Sad but true I've bought from 3 sellers who have high volume and are highly rated but, it was what they didn't say. PNG, ANA, 100% positive buyers responses mean little. It is usually the same reply when one has the goods on them. Grading is

subjective and PCGS or NGC can be inaccurate also. However, it is usually the seller who is inaccurate when selling a cleaned coin. Cleaned coins are more cut and dried than the difference between an AU58 and a MS60. Either the coin is judged cleaned or not no variances. Hence, these sellers who know a lot sure know the ins & outs of unethical coin dealing.

I for one made the mistake of not returning coins in the return period because I gave too much credance to 100% seller satisfaction although I had my doubts. Ebay translation is well take it back if your quick but, get lost if it takes you 2,3,4 months to get it judged with a grade. My only suggestion to the public is find somethng you like from the USmint.gov website you like and look that over too to make sure you don't get a manufacturers defect. Difficult to buy coins on Ebay.

[Calamerica]

[VPhillips]

Great post, and still applicable 10 years later...

 

 

[EleMint Man]

My experience on Ebay has been good as a buyer. I steer away from raw coins unless their inexpensive and the photos are good. I use Numismedia as a general price guide, very good source imo. I had my best buys bidding which I've taught myself some good tricks...without using a snype! One of my better finds was a 1913 type 1 MS66  Buffalo. The opening bid was $160 and the auction ran for six days. The photo was terrible. I ended up winning the coin for I was the only bidder. When I opened the package I was astonished at how beautifully toned it was!! Dealers have told me it's the best Buff they've seen in hand. Just recently  won a 1954 S MS66 Franklin with REAL rainbow toning, five different tones on the obverse.  The photos didn't do it justice. A dealer friend told me I could sell it for at least double for what I paid. I do not sell any of my coins with great eye appeal!

I find the above comments very interesting. Have sent this thread to my friends that sell on ebay.  BTW, I did get through to ebay via phone on a dispute and had the customer representative chat with a rep from paypal. Had to use three phones,lol! Problem was resolved in my favor.