Found Collection

by **mba..** » Thu, 15 Jun 2000 04:00:00

A coin I sold on eBay recently seems to have been lost in the mail. The
final price on this coin was $445. The auction ended on 5/20 and the
coin was shipped on 5/27.

As you can imagine, the buyer is getting a little nervous about having
sent me $445 and not receiving a coin in return. I have started the
claim process, but according to the form, I must wait 30 days before I
can file it on a insured item.

What should I do in the meantime? Should I send the buyer a check for
$445 or tell him that the claim has been filed and he'll get his money
when it is settled ?

--
I hate spam :

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.

by **Paul Matu** » Thu, 15 Jun 2000 04:00:00

Quote:

> A coin I sold on eBay recently seems to have been lost in the mail. The
> final price on this coin was $445. The auction ended on 5/20 and the
> coin was shipped on 5/27.

> As you can imagine, the buyer is getting a little nervous about having
> sent me $445 and not receiving a coin in return. I have started the
> claim process, but according to the form, I must wait 30 days before I
> can file it on a insured item.

> What should I do in the meantime? Should I send the buyer a check for
> $445 or tell him that the claim has been filed and he'll get his money
> when it is settled ?

Assuming of course you have no fear of fraud on the buyer's part...

How sure are you that the coin is lost and not simply delayed? How sure are
you you will eventually recover on the insurance? If you're 100% sure on
both, I'd return his money immediately. Speaking as a small businessman, the
good will is worth more than the short term loss of the coin's value and the
bad will by making a nervous buyer wait.

by **Borr** » Thu, 15 Jun 2000 04:00:00

You could always place the money into an interest bearing account until the
matter has been settled. Advise the buyer you have done this, so he/she
knows that you are not taking advantage, nor using their money, if the coin
shows up, the money is your, if the insurance claim is settled, eventually,
return the money plus interest to the buyer.

Quote:

> > A coin I sold on eBay recently seems to have been lost in the mail. The
> > final price on this coin was $445. The auction ended on 5/20 and the
> > coin was shipped on 5/27.

> > As you can imagine, the buyer is getting a little nervous about having
> > sent me $445 and not receiving a coin in return. I have started the
> > claim process, but according to the form, I must wait 30 days before I
> > can file it on a insured item.

> > What should I do in the meantime? Should I send the buyer a check for
> > $445 or tell him that the claim has been filed and he'll get his money
> > when it is settled ?

> Assuming of course you have no fear of fraud on the buyer's part...

> How sure are you that the coin is lost and not simply delayed? How sure
are
> you you will eventually recover on the insurance? If you're 100% sure on
> both, I'd return his money immediately. Speaking as a small businessman,
the
> good will is worth more than the short term loss of the coin's value and
the
> bad will by making a nervous buyer wait.

by **Dr. Richard L. Hal** » Thu, 15 Jun 2000 04:00:00

It depends on how comfortable you are with the person you're dealing with.
The only time I had this happen to me, I waited until I had the insurance
money in hand before I sent a check. But I did communicate with the person
a couple of times to let him know what was going on.

But two and a half weeks may not be enough time.

I sent an order to a dealer in Texas last year and after waiting for a month
or so and not receiving anything, I was finally about to write a letter when
the package appeared in my mailbox with a post mark two days after I sent my
check. So the insured package had apparently rattled around in the postal
service for a month or so.
It took some of the fun out of the expectation of receiving some coins in
the mail, but other than that,
everything worked out well in the end.

Richard

Quote:

> A coin I sold on eBay recently seems to have been lost in the mail. The
> final price on this coin was $445. The auction ended on 5/20 and the
> coin was shipped on 5/27.

> As you can imagine, the buyer is getting a little nervous about having
> sent me $445 and not receiving a coin in return. I have started the
> claim process, but according to the form, I must wait 30 days before I
> can file it on a insured item.

> What should I do in the meantime? Should I send the buyer a check for
> $445 or tell him that the claim has been filed and he'll get his money
> when it is settled ?

by **Frank Provase** » Thu, 15 Jun 2000 04:00:00

We send the bidder an immediate check, then wait for our
claim. It ties up our money for a while, but the bidder is
disappointed enough that he didn't get the coin.

by **Harry Smit** » Thu, 15 Jun 2000 04:00:00

The intended recipient needs to sign the claim form in order to get the
refund processed. Personally, I would refund the money as soon as I
received the signed claim form back from the buyer. You have the option
of specifying that the refund come back to you (the mailer), so there's
no use in making the buyer wait, as long as the claim form is signed and
submitted.

Just an opinion,
Harry Smith
=================

Quote:

> A coin I sold on eBay recently seems to have been lost in the mail. The
> final price on this coin was $445. The auction ended on 5/20 and the
> coin was shipped on 5/27.

> As you can imagine, the buyer is getting a little nervous about having
> sent me $445 and not receiving a coin in return. I have started the
> claim process, but according to the form, I must wait 30 days before I
> can file it on a insured item.

> What should I do in the meantime? Should I send the buyer a check for
> $445 or tell him that the claim has been filed and he'll get his money
> when it is settled ?

> --
> I hate spam :

> Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
> Before you buy.

by **biggfred** » Thu, 15 Jun 2000 04:00:00

Quote:

> You could always place the money into an interest bearing account until
> the
> matter has been settled. Advise the buyer you have done this, so he/she
> knows that you are not taking advantage, nor using their money, if the
> coin
> shows up, the money is your, if the insurance claim is settled,
> eventually,
> return the money plus interest to the buyer.

The only problem is the money was his once he fulfilled his side of the
bargain and sent the coin. If you send someone to my store with cash for a
Krand, I take the money and hand him the coin, I'm done. If you don't get
it, I may have to prove that I gave the coin to your courier, and you may
have to argue with his bonding company. Why should I have to put MY money
in an interest bearing or escrow account because someone else has managed to
misplace or lose a coin?

--
Have you been told to go to Hell? Looking forward to the trip?
Don't forget to take along spending money! They don't take American
Express,unless you have an asbestos card. We have what you need, here:
http://cgi.ebay.aol.com/aol/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=353782938

by **Paul Matu** » Thu, 15 Jun 2000 04:00:00

Quote:

> > As you can imagine, the buyer is getting a little nervous about having
> > sent me $445 and not receiving a coin in return. I have started the
> > claim process, but according to the form, I must wait 30 days before I
> > can file it on a insured item.

> > What should I do in the meantime? Should I send the buyer a check for
> > $445 or tell him that the claim has been filed and he'll get his money
> > when it is settled ?

> The USPS has a reason for the 30 day wait. While it doesn't look good for
> you to delay him, a jpg of the insurance receipt should satisfy him that
you
> sent the coin, and are covered.

> If you want to be a Nice Guy, you could send him the check, but that is
not
> only taking the USPS's problem on your own shoulders, but also putting
> yourself at risk if the coin was in fact delivered.

> I'd show him proof of filing and proof of shipping, and offer my
apologies.
> I tend to be cautious that way.

It's not USPS's problem. They're a big bureaucracy that will fulfill their
legal obligation, no more or less.

It's the seller's problem. How he responds will either create a happy
customer who may repeat business and speak well of him to others or make a
disappointed customer even more disappointed. It's big time unfair to have
bad feelings toward the seller, but ask any of the "messengers" throughout
history who were shot for merely delivering the bad news.

As an aside, if the buyer has to provide an affidavit of non-receipt, a lie
is (I believe) a Federal offense.

by **biggfred** » Thu, 15 Jun 2000 04:00:00

Quote:

> As you can imagine, the buyer is getting a little nervous about having
> sent me $445 and not receiving a coin in return. I have started the
> claim process, but according to the form, I must wait 30 days before I
> can file it on a insured item.

> What should I do in the meantime? Should I send the buyer a check for
> $445 or tell him that the claim has been filed and he'll get his money
> when it is settled ?

The USPS has a reason for the 30 day wait. While it doesn't look good for
you to delay him, a jpg of the insurance receipt should satisfy him that you
sent the coin, and are covered.

If you want to be a Nice Guy, you could send him the check, but that is not
only taking the USPS's problem on your own shoulders, but also putting
yourself at risk if the coin was in fact delivered.

I'd show him proof of filing and proof of shipping, and offer my apologies.
I tend to be cautious that way.

--
Have you been told to go to Hell? Looking forward to the trip?
Don't forget to take along spending money! They don't take American
Express,unless you have an asbestos card. We have what you need, here:
http://cgi.ebay.aol.com/aol/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=353782938

by **Paul Matu** » Thu, 15 Jun 2000 04:00:00

Quote:

> > You could always place the money into an interest bearing account until
> > the
> > matter has been settled. Advise the buyer you have done this, so he/she
> > knows that you are not taking advantage, nor using their money, if the
> > coin
> > shows up, the money is your, if the insurance claim is settled,
> > eventually,
> > return the money plus interest to the buyer.

> The only problem is the money was his once he fulfilled his side of the
> bargain and sent the coin. If you send someone to my store with cash for
a
> Krand, I take the money and hand him the coin, I'm done. If you don't get
> it, I may have to prove that I gave the coin to your courier, and you may
> have to argue with his bonding company. Why should I have to put MY money
> in an interest bearing or escrow account because someone else has managed
to
> misplace or lose a coin?

You don't HAVE to. But this is one of the many small decisions that make for
a happy or unhappy clientele.

My coin shop, a fairly big dealer who publishes a catalog for their mail
order and walk-in customers every few weeks, won't die without my business.
But they always have a moment or two to chat, to haul out some special coin
for my kid's birthday or answer my question as to which snap-lock holder is
the right size for a Quarter Eagle. They're never too busy to root through
their stock for a banknote or special item.

They also provide a coffee pot, some nice butter cookies, and really tasty
caramels.

They don't _have_ to provide any of this. But I (and I'm sure, thousands of
others) think of them first for coins, supplies, books, Numismatic News, and
many other items that I would either snoot out on eBay or buy on the
Internet otherwise. I always go to the trouble to obtain cash to pay them,
rather then make them eat the credit card charges, because I feel they're
going an extra mile for me.

And I speak well of them (Martin Rubenstein Company of Bay Shore, NY) to
everyone. I hope your customers can speak as well of you.

by **biggfred** » Thu, 15 Jun 2000 04:00:00

Quote:

> As an aside, if the buyer has to provide an affidavit of non-receipt, a
> lie
> is (I believe) a Federal offense.

Wonderful. So if he lies, and has the coin, he has my coin, my money, and I
have the satisfaction that someone MIGHT do something about the fact that he
broke the law.

--
Have you been told to go to Hell? Looking forward to the trip?
Don't forget to take along spending money! They don't take American
Express,unless you have an asbestos card. We have what you need, here:
http://cgi.ebay.aol.com/aol/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=353782938

by **biggfred** » Thu, 15 Jun 2000 04:00:00

Quote:

> I hope your customers can speak as well of you.

Only if I manage to stay in business. Which, so far, I've managed to do for
a quarter century.

--
Have you been told to go to Hell? Looking forward to the trip?
Don't forget to take along spending money! They don't take American
Express,unless you have an asbestos card. We have what you need, here:
http://cgi.ebay.aol.com/aol/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=353782938

by **mba..** » Thu, 15 Jun 2000 04:00:00

Quote:

> The intended recipient needs to sign the claim form in order to
> get the refund processed. Personally, I would refund the money as
> soon as I received the signed claim form back from the buyer. You
> have the option of specifying that the refund come back to you (the
> mailer), so there's no use in making the buyer wait, as long as the
> claim form is signed and submitted.

I like this one. As long as I have a signed USPS document, I think
I'm safe to send a check to a un-happy buyer.

A side note: I have another package missing! I shipped six items on the
day in question and another customer hasn't received their coin yet.
I've shipped over 1000 insured packages and this is the first two
lost(so far).

I've talked to my local postmaster and he thinks this is something that
the investigators will find interesting to look into.

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.

by **biggfred** » Thu, 15 Jun 2000 04:00:00

Quote:

> Where is your shop Fred?

Beautiful downtown Kosovo ^H^H^H^H^H^H Lancaster, Ahia, a block from the
Sherman House. Same location since 1982.

--
Have you been told to go to Hell? Looking forward to the trip?
Don't forget to take along spending money! They don't take American
Express,unless you have an asbestos card. We have what you need, here:
http://cgi.ebay.aol.com/aol/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=353782938

by **VVALHAL** » Thu, 15 Jun 2000 04:00:00

Quote:

>The USPS has a reason for the 30 day wait. While it doesn't look good for
>you to delay him, a jpg of the insurance receipt should satisfy him that you
>sent the coin, and are covered.

>If you want to be a Nice Guy, you could send him the check, but that is not
>only taking the USPS's problem on your own shoulders, but also putting
>yourself at risk if the coin was in fact delivered
>I'd show him proof of filing and proof of shipping, and offer my apologies.
>I tend to be cautious that way.

That's exactly what I'd do and say. Fred, you are the Man!

Found Collection

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