Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Last week I responded to an ad in Linns offering a price list for a poplar collecting area. This is a dealer who does not have a website. I emailed him at the web address in the ad with my mailing information.
Yesterday I got an envelope from him, a very small one, I knew it did not contain a list. Upon opening I found a download of my request and a terse handwritten note. It seems I had asked for one in the past and had not responded so they are not mailing one to me. He gave the date- it was in 2011! I honestly do not recall ever getting a list from him. Apparently I did.
I understand dealers not wanting to spend postage sending out lists to folks who don't order. Why doesn't he ask for postage in his ad? The whole thing left me with a bad feeling, sort of embarrassed and annoyed at the same time. He plays 'gotcha' with a prospective customer. Nice.
You'd think dealers would be falling all over themselves to get business these days. He clearly is not. I've had similar things happen recently. I enclosed postage in a reply to a Linn's advertiser who did send me a list but also a nasty note saying I hadn't sent postage. I know I did, he misplaced it. Life goes on, it's just no wonder our avocation is suffering.
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Snick:-
Unfortunately this happens throughout the world not just for us stamp collectors.
Every area of trade has these types of guys and gals.
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The dealer is obviously not that interested in selling stamps. Best to leave him alone.
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Yeah, it cost him as much to send me the note as it would have a price list.
There have been instances in the past when I have asked for a second list after an interval and always I enclose postage or a dollar. It's his loss.
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I cannot understand dealers in this day and age having paper price lists. I can understand smaller dealers not having a website, but it's downright archaic not to be able to email a PDF list.
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Not everybody is computer literate.
Many businesses, especially one man/woman businesses have many reasons that they do not produce PDF/email price lists etc.
They are:-
The cost of computer.
The cost of Broadband.
The cost of WiFi.
The cost of the other phone line to take the Broadband.
There is no Broadband in their area.
There is no WiFi in their area.
There is another reason why businesses do not go into computerisation:-
They are quite happy running THEIR business THEIR way.
To be quite honest I detest the assumption of companies that everybody has access to the internet and insist on doing everything by email/internet, because they fire you information that you cannot access because your system is incompatible with theirs!!!
Another thing that gets my goat is if the info comes through the internet I have to spend time trying to scroll through pages and pages of their bumpf and 20 page price lists, and use my internet limits and paper and ink, when a paper price list and brochure are easier for me.
Yes, Yes I am a dinosaur. A computer system is an aid to manage a business NOT to rule it.
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07:41:32pm
So we have two demons to contend with, the tech savvy seller who has a multi-page overly complex price list that the antediluvian stamper looks at and gasps, and the good ol'time collector who has barely advanced from hand written price lists to use of a 1927 Smith-Carona Deluxe with a worn out ribbon. It is a wonder the "Hobby of Kings, and the King of Hobbies" is still around..
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WOW -- who needs dealers like that?!
I agree-- it's their loss, move on.
BOB
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Yes, move on.
Of course, then this could explains why some dealers are disappearing and claim the hobby is dying. My Dad is not computer literate and admitted regretting not learning more when younger. Every time I visit I have to work on his network and final;y replaced his ancient computer. Now, I think Win 10. especially the initial versions really due to forced UI, set back some people due to the interface who are not that computer savvy when it comes to getting a new computer.
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Businesses and the wider population have been influenced by governments, other authorities, media, computer/software companies that you must have access to the worldwide web to do business.
The populace has been brainwashed that this is so.
I love it when, in my wifes gift shop, they come in looking for stuff, when "Their order from some internet company" failed to appear or did not live up to the picture and/or the glorified description.
Support your local Independant businesses by getting off the couch and buy from them. You'll probably find that the excercise will do you good!!!!
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From US Census Bureau, I am unsure why they would be trying to brainwash anyone.
I do not agree that there is some worldwide conspiracy to get others to think that we must all use online business. We have people walking around with instant access to more information in their pockets than we (older folks) had at our entire local library. They have more computing power with their smart phones than the astronauts had in going to the moon.
The reason is obvious, online convenience and time savings are compelling reasons to learn, shop, and do activities like paying bills online.
Brick and mortars won't die, but they are having to evolve. Gone are the days of 'easy' business, replaced with having to provide superior customer service. The issue is that a large number of brick and mortars are clueless on how to do this as is described by Snick1946.
If nothing else online business is offering an alternative and additional competitive pressures which benefit all consumers.
Don
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Here's a real life illustration of life in 2017.
Yesterday my friend and I were at a hobby show in Maryland. We didn't know the area and wanted to have lunch. So I spoke into my smart phone, "Find a place for lunch." The phone knew my location and instantly listed a dozen places for lunch. I scanned down the list, discounting places where they wouldn't have had a beer. There was a pub 2 miles down the road. I clicked on it, and was taken to the Yelp website which had several good reviews of the restaurant, with photos of the place both inside and out. Then I clicked on the pub's website. Reviewed their on-line menu and decided that was the place we'd try.
That's how business is done today!
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AAHH!
I have known dozens of businesses that have been "advised" to get a website to sell on line(by Government/local authority/banks) and how much have they actually sold? NIL, ZERO, NOTHING or VERY LITTLE.
Why??
They cannot get the hits through google. They cannot afford the advertising. The general population will only go to the "National" Brands or "International" Brands.
Considering the ransomware that has affected thousands of businesses throughout the world this weekend/or when somebody develops an EMP device,
Where will the next generations be?.........Answer?......back to the Stone Age???
Yes it is convenient and time saving but is it BETTER?
What do you do with your saved time? (Hopefully buy more stamps on Stamporama)
In all fairness there is room for every type of business, however many businesses are at a disadvantage because they do not have equal access to the internet
Internet accessibility is not equal . It was NOT available to ALL at the same moment in time. Those in the cities got it first therefore those in the countryside were put at a disadvantage. (They still are!!! Due to the very very slow speeds)
Advertising on the Internet is costly for the small business as the "Keywords" have already been "purchased/used" by others.
As I have said before...Support your local small businesses!!!
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Maybe we could even things up a bit for the bricks/mortar shop by having online stores pay rates and property taxes equalling or proportionately related by turnover/profit to that paid by high street retailers.
We live within 8 miles of two "towns" of around 3-5000 people. Neither has a shoe store, to buy footwear we have to travel 40 minutes to a larger town where there are shoe stores.
We tend to shop a couple of times a month and buy bulk, except for bread, milk, and water which we pick up locally.
Local food is overpriced and lacks variety. Freshness is almost a dirty word.
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AYE,
The Bricks and Mortar shops can't compete on basic price with internet.
My wifes gift shop has annual fixed costs that works out on average as 39% of turnover. That % figure does not include the cost of goods for resale or other variable costs related to Sales eg Bags, Postage, Advertising, etc.
People who live in large towns and cities have very little idea of how people in rural areas are limited in their choices for food, entertainment, travel etc.
If these rural communities fail to support their local businesses these shops close and then there are no shops at all.
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Brick and mortar stores need to have an internet presence... to bring in foot traffic! People look things up on Google like we used the phone book in the old days. Read my illustration about how we found a place to have lunch.
The business doesn't need to sell things online and compete with online stores, but needs to have a website with it's name and location, the hours of operation and a nice presentation that will draw people into the store.
It's also good to be involved in any local on-line email chains or websites so people know you exist. And once you have customers, it's nice to have a regular customer newsletter or sales and such via email. It's good to stay out in front of your customer base.
My wife and I frequent a local pub. They use the Internet effectively. A funny thing, when I moved here six years ago I Googled, "town name, wings" and this was the first place that came up. So I went there to have some beer and wings. It's a local place, but not on a road I would have traveled, so I never would have found it otherwise.
They have a website with their menu and specials. They have great reviews on Yelp. They have a FaceBook page and publish their food specials of the day there daily. We are members of their customer club and when we hit $500 we get a $25 gift certificate. Since we use our membership card when we pay, we regularly get emails to do a customer survey. I've had the owner reply to me via email to address some of my concerns. Just an example of how a local business can use the internet to it's advantage.
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Yes. The internet can be a wonderful thing.
However it can be extremely destructive to businesses.
Take the case of a family business who started selling a particular range of products through an "International Brand" medium for selling on the internet. They increased their sales through this medium and were doing so well that they were able to employ more local people in their small town. They were not the only business selling this product range through this "International Brand".
This "International Brand" then contacted the manufacturer of these products, cut the selling prices and thus almost destroyed this particular small family business. (they had taken out a lease on extra storage/distribution space and of course the "Extra" employees lost their jobs)
A manufacturer that I know of is now in dispute with an "International Brand" as they dropped the Selling Price they had agreed with the manufacturer. In essence the manufacturer was getting less than the cost of manufacture when all the "International Brand"'s fees were taken into consideration.
Never mind the "false" customer reports put by some businesses' competitors/agents/customers? or the pornographic uploads put on some sites.
Yes the internet can be a good thing. Just look at the wonderful people I have met on this site, but with cyber bullying etc what is it doing to the younger generation and to those that follow?
Fin.
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Yes. brick and mortar stores can be at a disadvantage especially when internet buyers do not need to pay sales tax in many states. The internet has replaced the telephone book "yellow pages".
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"Take the case of ... "
Ian, your anonymized story made me giggle, remembering the time I ran home from the playground (at age 8) crashing into my parents bedroom mid-snog, and yelling...
"If a boy was playing hide-and seek, and the boy was on the top of a slide, and someone pushed the boy off, and the boy heard a cracking noise, and the boys arm hurt really bad, what would you say?"
My dad said "I'd say the boys arm was f*(&^(* broken" to which I shrieked "I'm the boy".
So, in your story, were you the boy/aggrieved party? And who is the "International Brand"? I'm guessing Kentucky Fried Chicken, but admit I could be off-base.
Dave.
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Lemaven,
I like your boy story.
In answer to your questions
No. I was not the boy.
No. The "International Brand" is not KFC, they are not an internet Sales Platform.
The point I have been trying to make is as far as business is concerned the Internet is NOT the Be All And End All.
How can a small family retail business compete on price/service against International/National chains on the internet?
They CANNOT.
They have to depend on the local population buying from them. They can have their internet presence as BenFranklin says but in my experience your footfall increases by 0.01% and your sales increase is 0.0002%. So it is not worth the time and effort to try the "internet". You are far better spending your time and effort on local marketing solutions.
I have seen this on too many occasions where "consultants/advisors/banks" tell business people "Do this and do that" and your business will expand, grow etc etc etc. AND when this "advice" is followed the business in question is dead and buried within two years.
We looked at buying a business, had discussions with the bank, who were also the sellers bank, and they said this was a great business to buy. Once I had sourced the financial information on this company, YES it was a great company, FOR THE BANK, not the Owner......we declined!!!
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"“…How can a small family retail business compete…”"
Here is my boyhood story #1735….
In the late 1980s and early 1990s I was working in the small family retail business. It had an 8088 Tandy PC and dBase II as an inventory system and I was clueless about computers. I decided to learn how to write SQL queries and custom reports in dBase. I also became better educated on how computers worked. Within a few years I got a contract job writing code at a technology company. After 6 months they hired me full time as an engineer. Within 5 years I had worked my way up to VP of Engineering. Within another 5 years I becoming a full partner in the company.
As a small retail business in a rural town we survived the impact Walmart coming to town. We survived when that one was torn down and a new ‘super’ Walmart was built. We survived when a huge flea market opened down the road which offered indoor retail space to competitors; many of whom avoided paying any income or sales tax.
But in parallel I worked to stay relevant and figure out how to take advantage of technology, for both the business and my own career. I appreciate the challenges that face a small retail business but I am here to say that it can indeed be done. Make lemonade!
Don
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51 Studebaker:- You are correct.
You change, adapt, seek out new products, innovate, create and educate, especially within your own locality.
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"Take the case of a family business who started selling a particular range of products through an "International Brand" medium for selling on the internet. They increased their sales through this medium and were doing so well that they were able to employ more local people in their small town. They were not the only business selling this product range through this "International Brand".
This "International Brand" then contacted the manufacturer of these products, cut the selling prices and thus almost destroyed this particular small family business. (they had taken out a lease on extra storage/distribution space and of course the "Extra" employees lost their jobs)"
And that's the story of every company that has a success and puts all their efforts into it without looking ahead as to what the next great thing will be. Business moves very quickly today. If you have a success, you'd better branch out into a few different products so not to have all your eggs in that one basket when it goes bad!
It also goes with companies who depend on one client. Good business practices is to not depend on more than 20% of your business from any one client, and never stop looking for new clients. I once contracted a service from a small company. They had multiple accounts when we started. Our account became big and they kissed off their other clients. I warned the owner that this was not a good thing for his business, but he was fearless and put all his efforts into my account. There was a big corporate change over and I got laid off in the mix. The new people involved in the function had their own friend in that business and the company that had served me way too well was out on the street. He was out of business soon after.
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Some observations from someone who ran a small country business for 32 years. A website was fruitless- Brechinite is 100% right about that. No new traffic resulted. I feel mostly this was due to the obscurity of not being recognized by search engines. Small businesses can't pay for the privilege of being among the top 1000 results in a search pattern. Unless someone actually knew our web address we were hard to find. However- a Facebook Page was and still is a huge success and has brought many customers from 20-60 miles away to the store for homemade bread, bulk foods, craft beers etc. Since I'm not computer savvy my daughter and son-in-law take care of that but if a small business can find a way to spread the message on the internet you can profit from it.
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Seems plenty of Luddites still around. That picture of Brechenite is pretty scary.
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That picture is of a puppet that was used in the TV adaptation of "The Goon Show"...The Telegoons.
The Goon Show was a radio programme that ran on the BBC during the 1950's and 60's.
The TV programme took some of the Goon Show scripts and used puppets for the characters.
I must post some of the other characters, they are probably even more scary!!!
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The dealer I alluded to has still not been heard from. I thought he did leave the door open a crack on possibly mailing me a list anyway but it's been over a week and I think it's evident the matter is closed for him. He spent a stamp to send me his little note.
Part of me wants to email him and read him out. That would accomplish nothing. It won't change him, this sort of dysfunctional behavior is usually pretty deeply ingrained. He may be a decades long Linn's advertiser but he's a first class jerk. Why bother?
He's a dealer stubbornly refusing to maintain a web presence. Ought to tell you something....
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I agree with the statement that the dealer is a "first class jerk".
However, I disagree with your closing statement - "He's a dealer stubbornly refusing to maintain a web presence. Ought to tell you something."
If a dealer is comfortable with mail order through Linn's and/or selling at stamp show there is absolutely no reason for them to establish an on-line presence. I have thought about giving up my store on Bidstart and the few postal history auctions I do on Ebay. Why - Time, plain pure and simple. An online presence requires a commitment to check your sales daily, to spend time going to the post office daily. Doing just shows leaves hundreds of hours a year available to build up your stock rather than scanning and listing. Hundreds of hours ........ Were I not on Bidstart I could have my entire inventory of material ready to sell rather than in bankers boxes, cover boxes, etc In five years since I retired I don't think that I have been able to put 10 per cent of my material online.
Before we all went online I could sell more on a weekend either at a show or taking material to another dealers house or shop than I sell online in a couple of months. A lot more ....... my yearly gross sales today are about 20 per cent of what I was doing with no online presence.
I know quite a few dealers with no online presence who make a very good living selling to other dealers or to a select, cultivated clientele. There is no time wasted scanning and listing so they have time to travel and buy and sell.
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Webpaper, time to start to employ someone to do the scanning/uploading for you. Minimum wage, tax deductible, part time, of less hours than minimum to pay benefits. Think of all the other items to claim against tax, equipment, training, premises etc.
My problem always seems to be that the dealers with websites do not answer emails or send invoices for me to pay.
Being a two and an half hour drive from the nearest dealers, all my purchases are done online.
I understand that if you are on your own, that a web site, other than to get your name known is not a viable option. Again search engines are probably not going to put you very far up the return list.
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One final note- I was reluctant to identify this dealer- until now.
It is Lehigh Valley Stamps, operating out of PA- a Linns advertiser for decades.
I tried to send him an email this morning to tell him no need now to send anything as I'd decided i didn't wish to pursue this. I kept it polite. The email bounced back. Apparently he has me blocked on his account. He's a real peach.
Anyway that's all on this for now. There are good apples in our hobby and there are bad ones. He may be a good dealer to those he deems worthy of his attention, but I will apparently never know.
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I order specialty printed premium items both for my hobby show and for my company. For the hobby show, I'd get the samples etc, and the order would be sent from our art director. We had ordered from one company, and the following year I asked for a sample for that year's order... I got back a scathing reply... we sent you a sample last year and you never placed an order so we won't send you anything!
I shrugged and moved on to the next company, who was happy to send me samples. I have since done tens of thousands of dollars worth of business with the second company!
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Back in the 90's there was a now defunct supply dealer going great guns out of Dallas Tx- Dwight March. He was running weekly ads in Linn's, I had replied to one of ads offering pricing information and got back a brochure offering to mail his whole range of supply lists for $10 postage- it wasn't refundable. I sent back $2 in cash telling him I only needed current catalogs for two album publishers. He sent back the same brochure with a nasty note saying he would only send the complete package or nothing at all. I was 'wasting his time'. By then I decided he was a bit nuts and accepted the loss of my $2.
I filed a complaint with Linns- it seemed he was really just peddling packets of catalogs. In return I got a reply telling me he'd been kicked off their ad pages.
For years after I got mailings from him, he always sounded grandiose - he was the 'biggest supply dealer in America' etc. Then he faded away. The APS as I recall also expelled him.
As before, it's their loss.
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Has anyone had any dealings with Postlynx, despite a couple of orders (which I am still waiting for total invoice price) and emails including via Delcampe I am unable to elicit any sort of response from the business.
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I got to thinking about Dwight march and did a Google search on him which led to this:
https://stamps.org/Disciplinary-Action
It's a page on the APS site recording expulsions and disciplinary actions against APS members going back it appears to the inception of the website. I knew this was out there but wonder if many on here are aware of it? Lots of familiar names on there...
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For unknown reason(s), the number of APS disciplinary actions has dropped significantly over the last number of years.
Don
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Perhaps this is commensurate with the decrease in enrollment.
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Yeah that's probably the case. Remember the complaints tracked are only those against APS members. Heaven knows how many sleazy dealers have been discussed on here in the past few years. Many of those were Ebay sellers, though.
The dealer who wants to be sure I don't bother him again is an APS dealer, advertises in the Philatelist. I wouldn't do it but it'd be fun to file complaint on him. He didn't probably do anything that would get him in trouble but he was a real ass.
I did something like that years ago against a member dealer advertising in their magazine, offering approvals. I contacted him several times and he'd never answer. I always identified myself as a member and gave my #, still nothing. I finally filed a complaint against him saying he was treating a fellow member with discourtesy. He wrote them back that he'd never heard of me. Yeah, sure. It was his right to turn me down, all he had to do was communicate with me.
Got to wonder if the Lehigh Valley guy knows I am an APS life member. Best to move on..
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I would suspect there are a lot more internet sellers not affiliated with APS and with ebay/paypal there may be other actions. I do not think it means much to be an APS seller on ebay...few sellers even mention any membership. It has lost its cachet in that aspect.
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The decline in membership is probably because they expelled everyone. Note the majority of actions are from their sales unit
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One reason why I have not participated in the Sales division. I know myself- I procrastinate. They give I think a week to ten days for forwarding a circuit to the next member. Not enough for a slowpoke like myself.
Some years back I ran into Ken Martin at the APS table at a major show. We were chatting and he asked me what I liked most about the American Philatelist- I had to think and he then said what do you turn to first? without thinking I replied that I always looked at who got expelled that month. Wrong answer. Now it's funny, but could tell it upset him. Later his assistant come up to me and told me she thought what I said was a hoot. Apparently no long term damage done. They didn't expel me, anyway.
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Hi Tom,
I think you may be mistaken about the list of members expelled. The list shows members who were disciplined but doesn't state they were from the sales division. Most of the expulsions relate to transactions outside of the sales unit by APS members.
I had a problem with a member who sold on ebay and refused to send me my stamp (value under $10.0) even after I showed him my cancelled check. I filed a complaint with the APS and he was happy to send me my stamp.
Most of the dealers I have transactions with on ebay and the internet are APS members. I think membership is still a good reference when dealing with other collectors and dealers, especially when I am making a large transaction.
Vince
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"Got to wonder if the Lehigh Valley guy knows I am an APS life member. Best to move on.. "
Snick: If it is any comfort... up until a few years ago, Lehigh Valley advertisements in Linn's and The American Philatelist featured a Royal Canadian Mounted Police Constable. Not under any circumstances are you to use the National Police Force in advertising. You are not allowed to use the effigy of Her Majesty The Queen, nor Her Royal Cypher, etc.
I had an R.C.M.P. Sergeant in our stamp club, and I showed him the advertisement in the American Philatelist.
The next month, and thereafter, there has not been an R.C.M.P. Constable in their advertisements.
David in Ottawa, Canada
APS member since 2004
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Dsvid, I'd nearly forgotten about this thread when I ran across it just now. I have long since put this behind me and it is just sort of amusing now
Lehigh never sent me anything further other than the nasty note. Why the owner didn't simply email me back with a request for postage- which I'd gladly have sent- and instead chose to handle as he did is a mystery. Then to block my email. This is a guy who is uninterested in his business.
Life is too sort for bad whiskey and lousy stamp dealers
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Reopening this thread. I'd mentioned Dwight March. Some may be interested to know he is one and the same seller as 'hottexan':
https://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=hottexan&iid=382342028511&de=off&items=25&searchInterval=30&which=negative&interval=365&_trkparms=negative_365
I needed some mounts for a project I am trying to finish and bought some on Ebay from him earlier this week, had no idea who he was. Today I get this message from him:
'Thank you for your purchase(s). Your shipment went out 1-26-2018 via USPS.
I have had to change the way I give feedback because buyer's think because a seller has a high number of feedback they don't need to leave feedback for the seller. In the past 90 days 728 people who purchased items from me have not left feedback. ALL feedback counts and my new policy is, I will leave feedback 1 for 1, for each feedback you leave you will receive a feedback.'
Yeah it's him all right. He hasn't changed in over twenty years. He's always right and still passive aggressive, almost to a toxic degree. There is nothing really wrong with his feedback policy. It is more or less what I do when I sell. He just had to let me know he is keeping score, sort of funny and annoying at the same time.
Probably I will get my order without complications. I will also leave him his feedback. If you read some of the replies to negatives in is feedback you will know why I think he's toxic. Just be aware..
(Modified by Moderator on 2018-01-27 11:51:21)
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He banned me from buying from him. Nothing like a crap attitude to chase away paying customers. I didn't leave him feedback from my purchase. His responses to those who leave less than stellar feedback is often bordering on abusive and worthy of being reported to ebay.
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I simply do not support the bogus eBay Feedback system. Instead I take the time the send the seller a follow-up email describing my experience; this is better on every level.
The eBay Feedback system is badly flawed to the point of being meaningless.
1. You can buy existing eBay accounts with hundreds of feed-backs and 100% rating. Google ‘buy eBay accounts’ to find many of the 3rd party site which you can do this.
2. eBay removed negative feedback upon request from the bigger sellers. Does anyone really believe that you can have thousands of transaction without a single negative feedback? Some humans are jerks, anyone who has worked retail knows that sometimes a buyer will get angry even if you have done nothing wrong.
3. The Feedback system is gamed constantly in both directions. If you want retribution or revenge on someone for ANY reason (like you get them mad at you in a forum), then they just buy a inexpensive items and leave a negative feedback. If you block them, they shave multiple accounts they will keep buying and keep leaving negative feedbacks. In the other direction, it is easy to pump up a large number of positive feedbacks, simply use multiple accounts and buy cheap items from yourself. (This is how people built the accounts they offer for resale.) And of course, most seller ‘work-around’ the feedback system by posting “Don’t leave a negative feedback, contact me first’.
Don
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02:03:30pm
Early on in this discussion someone suggested
that getting back a list of restaurants
from an on-line inquery was just great
and good for the business, in this case
a lunch place. He is undoubtedly correct.
RE:: " ... The phone knew my location
and instantly listed a dozen places for lunch.
I scanned down the list, discounting places
where they wouldn't have had a beer.
There was a pub 2 miles down the road.
I clicked on it, and was taken to the Yelp website
which had several good reviews of the restaurant,
with photos of the place both inside and out.
Then I clicked on the pub's website. ...” and so on.
However,, I feel that, there is another angle to consider
when the business is a small time stamp seller.
In all my years of stumbling around this hobby,
I never received a written pricelist or advertisement
from a stamp dealer that also advised me
of a half dozen of his competitors,
what they offered and how to conveniently
reach them.
Never!
In fact, I never even considered asking
a non-tech-savey seller if he knew of
another source of stamps,
so I could compare prices.
To find a nearby lunchroom as well
as many other businesses,
the internet is a fantastic aid.
But, as noted, there are many colletors
who suspect that they can catch a virus
from the keyboard.
Often they like to know just who they are dealing with
and perhaps where the sellers are located
on a Mercator Projection.
A few weeks ago I came across an advertisement
for certain stamps and had a shipping cost question
to ask before I made a purchase.
Nowhere on a multi page site could I find a phone number
or even a vague address.
So, question unasked,
answer not received and
as of today there has been no order.
(I would have had to make a purchase
to discover where to send funds )
and they suggested the ubiquitous
“PAYPAL” to learn the account info.
On the other hand,
I never received a printed price list
that did not bear some indication
of what part of the world
the stamps would be coming from.
I just felt that other possibilities might be in play.
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"Nowhere on a multi page site could I find a phone number
or even a vague address."
Always irritates me that it is not a legal requirement that all websites must include a postal address for the purposes of contacting the site. Even major firms do not always have an address.
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Since this has gone on, I had true story to share..
Many years ago I was buying printed advertising items. I saw something a company was selling and per their information to ask for a sample. I asked for one sample of one item. I liked it and forwarded it and the quote onto the artist who would draw the logo and place the $1000 order. The item was well received and I thought well of the company.
The next year I went back to their catalog on-line and requested a sample once again. Instead, I received a scathing email, "Will not send you any samples. We sent you a sample last year and you never ordered anything." I wasn't going to argue so I went to their nearest competitor who happily sent me a sample. I ordered $2500 worth of mugs.
That second company valued my business and was very nice to deal with. That led to more orders and in time the volume I did with them merited my own sales consultant. To this day I do over $20,000 a year with this company, and am pleased with their service on every order!
Company one lost all that business over a dollar sample!
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Reopening this thread as I am dealing with another Dwight March thing.
Against my better judgement I bought some vintage mounts from this guy last month. They were fine and I was happy with the price. I thought OK, maybe I can get away with buying from him under certain circumstances. Last week I bought this pack of mounts:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/HAWID-BLACK-MOUNTS-210X24-25-RETAIL-PRICE-11-50/382703357240?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
Can someone with better eyesight look at this listing for me? It says this is a 'new' pack and unopened. Upon opening the envelope I found a ratty old pack opened with several strips missing. There looked to be dust caked inside the package,the mounts were rippled. The gum on them was cracked and they had white staining on some of the strips. It looked like something he'd pulled out of a box that sat for years in some old basement.
I communicated with him and got a terse reply- 'send it back'. I'm doing so today. Want to bet he's going to accuse me of substituting an old pack to get something for nothing?
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Maybe you should have looked at his 23 negatives first,he uses interesting Language !
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Oh I was very aware of his negatives. It's just a case of being an optimist coupled with badly wanting the right size of mounts to complete a remounting project.
I assume I'll eventually get a refund, if he doesn't do it, Ebay will. I just won't leave any feedback so he cannot bad mouth me on rebuttal. I know what he'll do- call me a THIEF and claim I switched mount packages.
This guy is breathtaking. He lists a pack of brand new mounts then sends me something that looks like it was pulled from a box of rat droppings. Isn't there a point at which Ebay just shuts someone down?
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Hello,
I took a look at this listing. I spotted a couple things.
First of all, it is on the seller NOT the buyer if the seller chooses to send the mailer without tracking. The seller is on the hook for items not delivered if he the seller chooses to send without tracking. Implying otherwise is a violation of eBay rules. The buyer does not have to purchase tracking.
Second, the buyer does not have to pay for insurance--implying otherwise is a violation of eBay rules. It is on the seller NOT the buyer if the item is lost, stolen or ends up as broken or damaged during delivery.
From the description, I'm seeing that it states that it is unopened. So you were sent something not is as described. You should turn this in officially so the seller has to send you a label to make the return. If the seller ignores the official ebay form sent, then you will just automatically be refunded your money and the seller is issued a negative mark on his account. He can only receive so many of these before action is taken.
Bruce
Addendum: I see you stated you are sending the not-as-described item back so you are spending more money to send that back to him--that's just plain wrong. Also, assuming you popped it into an envelope and mailed it back to him, what is to stop him from saying it never arrived? Only if you used tracking would he be unable to wriggle out that way. Looking over his negative feedback that would not surprise me. Seems like a real ****censored*****.
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I'm a member of the APS, and state that proudly on my website, my Facebook page, my Twitter feed, my Ebay and Hipstamp pages.
When you're buying, it's nice to see that you're buying from an APS member. However, there is a far greater likelihood of ethical and honest service if you purchase from a member of a trade association.
I'm a member, and former Regional Director, of the Internet Philatelic Dealers Association (IPDA), established in 2002. There are many better-known and long-established trade groups, but we are the only trade body specifically created to address the online buying dilemma head-on, to ensure customers are treated honestly and with integrity.
You can find a list of members at the website
http://www.ipdastamps.com/
Moderator note: link has been fixed.
(Modified by Moderator on 2019-01-26 21:37:50)
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That link is not working for me, Dave;
it just says, "FILE NOT FOUND"
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Fixed now 
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Snick:E-Bay will not shut him down,just as they didn't shut this Fellow down who sold me these wonderful Zep's with Polar fahrt Ovpt.,signed by Schlegel !Problem is when I got them I realised they came from a small Mini sheet produced for a Stamp Exhib.I sold one on SOR some time ago for a $ 1.I informed Ebay that this fellow produced obvious forgeries,but he is still dealing.He pops up about every two weeks and makes quite a lot of money.I took a case against him and send the stamps back as required by Reg mail.After 6 weeks the letter came back from Roumania saying the Address was insufficient.See pics below.
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Why not name him? Everyone here is FAR too polite!
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I will post a link to the above set I bought,that's probably all I can do.
https://www.ebay.ie/itm/GERMANY-lot-POLAR-FLIGHT-ZEPPELIN-SIGNED/183508114132?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
Mod fixed link
(Modified by Moderator on 2019-01-27 06:25:56)
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I need to know if I can post two messages he send me after I complained to him about the stamps.Believe it or not he actually send them through the Ebay messaging system.I don't know who to ask here.Is it Roy ?These two messages give you an idea about him.
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Has anyone ever suggested that the forum has a "name 'em and shame 'em" area? Access could be for members with X number of posts, so Joe Bloggs couldn't just join and see what we think of him. I can't see a downside to this, and remember, no comment can be deemed libelous if it's true
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Maybe APS could have a name them in every issue.
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It's true alright.I can give Roy my Password so he can see those messages are there in my inbox.I can post a pic of the returned letter.No problem.Come to think of it.Since this "Gentleman" used the Ebay message system tghey should fall under public record ?The 2nd and 3rd are rather revealing.
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"Has anyone ever suggested that the forum has a "name 'em and shame 'em" area? Access could be for members with X number of posts, so Joe Bloggs couldn't just join and see what we think of him. I can't see a downside to this, and remember, no comment can be deemed libelous if it's true"
When I first started Stamp Smarter 5 years ago, the first community database project was a ‘Online Listing Review’. Members can submit their reviews of any online listing. It supports screen grabs, since eBay removes older listings. As a database, it also supports looking up a particular stamp by catalog number. This is a nice feature since buyer can search the archive and see previously listings of questionable listings; learning what to look out for. And of course it also helps educate buyer about the sellers themselves.
The project also support notifying the sellers of possible issues in their listings; after all everyone can make a mistake. So rather than just ID ‘bad’ listings, the database can also be used to ID those sellers which promptly address issues found in their listings.
The original project release was met with predictions of libelous doom and gloom. Not surprisingly I also got a lot of push back from some of the worst sellers; those who ‘troll for suckers’, intentionally mis-describe material, sellers of altered and faked material.
In terms of libel, this is a ‘review’ function; in the free world folks are allowed to offer their opinions. So the ‘default’ review always has it hard coded into the review the starting words ‘In my opinion…’. I also disallow any personal attacks; I have code which detects trends where a reviewer constantly posts negative reviews against a particular seller. And of course I also vet and review all memberships.
In 4 years and nearly 2000 listing reviews, I have not had any legal issues. I have received two nasty emails from disgruntled sellers, both of whom threatened legal action. Both are pretending to be lawyers themselves (Hint, they use it in their eBay names) but their obvious legal saber-rattling was ignored and they predictably went away.
There is nothing libelous about saying ‘In my opinion this listing contains an altered stamp, it has been reperfed on the left side’. or ‘In my opinion this listing contains a mis-identified stamp’. Of course you cannot say, ‘In my opinion this seller is a thief’ unless the person has been convicted of that crime. I have not had any trouble with malicious reviews or members saying stupid things like that.
Don
http://stampsmarter.com/BuyingOnline/Home_ViewDB.html
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In my Opinion someone is forging 3 Signatures :Schlegel;Peschl;Buehler.
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In keeping with the theme here, here are a couple links to some interesting and
potentially useful info;
http://www.slingshotvenus.com/stamps/fakes.html
http://www.sheryll.net/Forgeries/Forgeries_article.htm
As a side note, the following is a statement from one of the link's authors;
"eBay - only a venue
eBay is only a venue, according to the eBay User Agreement. It doesn't get to see the items offered by sellers, and as such cannot authenticate them. It is up to buyers to find out all they can about items, sellers and the terms of sale before they bid and complete the transaction.
Before you buy at eBay, the words "caveat emptor", meaning "buyer beware" and seen at the end of each category search listing, are far and away the most important to remember."
**I am neither supporting or attacking Ebay here - only reporting
on what I have read.
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Snick1946,
Why would you want to give him any business. You knew he was a jerk from his previous response to you. You can certainly find mounts from other dealers.
Most of my ebay transactions have been good. Dealers at shows are another thing. I have gotten up from a dealer's table more than once and will not go back to them.
Vince
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Just like anything else - there will be good and bad.
We will always have bad dealers, bad sellers and on and on...
Seek out the good ones and patronize them;
avoid the others like the plague.
They will come and go.
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I dealt with an idiot on eBay about a year ago. I purchased a set of US 1940 Famous American plate blocks on album pages. I didn't care about the pages, they were just shown that way. I won the bid.
When I received them I saw why they were still on album pages. There was no way to remove them without damaging them. Many of them were stuck to their mounts. A good quantity of the rest were in hand fashioned mounts, created with old cellophane tape, which of course had aged and the dried glue had seeped into the mounts, staining the stamps. I'm believing the idiot hoped the buyer would just leave them on the pages and not notice.
I had seen that the same seller had two more sets of the same stamps on eBay at the same time. I emailed him, disclosing the issues, and suggested he send me one of those other sets, if indeed they were mint, never hinged as advertised... with no damage. He responded, never challenging my claims so I know he knew... "Just return them for a refund." He wasn't going to send me a good set for what I had paid!
So I paid to return them, never to deal with him again! The one time I had a problem on the 'bay!
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We have often seen discussions on here and other boards about why this hobby seems to be losing ground. One good reason may be the attitude of some professionals in it.
Last week I responded to an ad in Linns offering a price list for a poplar collecting area. This is a dealer who does not have a website. I emailed him at the web address in the ad with my mailing information.
Yesterday I got an envelope from him, a very small one, I knew it did not contain a list. Upon opening I found a download of my request and a terse handwritten note. It seems I had asked for one in the past and had not responded so they are not mailing one to me. He gave the date- it was in 2011! I honestly do not recall ever getting a list from him. Apparently I did.
I understand dealers not wanting to spend postage sending out lists to folks who don't order. Why doesn't he ask for postage in his ad? The whole thing left me with a bad feeling, sort of embarrassed and annoyed at the same time. He plays 'gotcha' with a prospective customer. Nice.
You'd think dealers would be falling all over themselves to get business these days. He clearly is not. I've had similar things happen recently. I enclosed postage in a reply to a Linn's advertiser who did send me a list but also a nasty note saying I hadn't sent postage. I know I did, he misplaced it. Life goes on, it's just no wonder our avocation is suffering.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
The dealer is obviously not that interested in selling stamps. Best to leave him alone.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Yeah, it cost him as much to send me the note as it would have a price list.
There have been instances in the past when I have asked for a second list after an interval and always I enclose postage or a dollar. It's his loss.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
I cannot understand dealers in this day and age having paper price lists. I can understand smaller dealers not having a website, but it's downright archaic not to be able to email a PDF list.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Not everybody is computer literate.
Many businesses, especially one man/woman businesses have many reasons that they do not produce PDF/email price lists etc.
They are:-
The cost of computer.
The cost of Broadband.
The cost of WiFi.
The cost of the other phone line to take the Broadband.
There is no Broadband in their area.
There is no WiFi in their area.
There is another reason why businesses do not go into computerisation:-
They are quite happy running THEIR business THEIR way.
To be quite honest I detest the assumption of companies that everybody has access to the internet and insist on doing everything by email/internet, because they fire you information that you cannot access because your system is incompatible with theirs!!!
Another thing that gets my goat is if the info comes through the internet I have to spend time trying to scroll through pages and pages of their bumpf and 20 page price lists, and use my internet limits and paper and ink, when a paper price list and brochure are easier for me.
Yes, Yes I am a dinosaur. A computer system is an aid to manage a business NOT to rule it.
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
13 May 2017
07:41:32pm
re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
So we have two demons to contend with, the tech savvy seller who has a multi-page overly complex price list that the antediluvian stamper looks at and gasps, and the good ol'time collector who has barely advanced from hand written price lists to use of a 1927 Smith-Carona Deluxe with a worn out ribbon. It is a wonder the "Hobby of Kings, and the King of Hobbies" is still around..
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
WOW -- who needs dealers like that?!
I agree-- it's their loss, move on.
BOB
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Yes, move on.
Of course, then this could explains why some dealers are disappearing and claim the hobby is dying. My Dad is not computer literate and admitted regretting not learning more when younger. Every time I visit I have to work on his network and final;y replaced his ancient computer. Now, I think Win 10. especially the initial versions really due to forced UI, set back some people due to the interface who are not that computer savvy when it comes to getting a new computer.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Businesses and the wider population have been influenced by governments, other authorities, media, computer/software companies that you must have access to the worldwide web to do business.
The populace has been brainwashed that this is so.
I love it when, in my wifes gift shop, they come in looking for stuff, when "Their order from some internet company" failed to appear or did not live up to the picture and/or the glorified description.
Support your local Independant businesses by getting off the couch and buy from them. You'll probably find that the excercise will do you good!!!!
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
From US Census Bureau, I am unsure why they would be trying to brainwash anyone.
I do not agree that there is some worldwide conspiracy to get others to think that we must all use online business. We have people walking around with instant access to more information in their pockets than we (older folks) had at our entire local library. They have more computing power with their smart phones than the astronauts had in going to the moon.
The reason is obvious, online convenience and time savings are compelling reasons to learn, shop, and do activities like paying bills online.
Brick and mortars won't die, but they are having to evolve. Gone are the days of 'easy' business, replaced with having to provide superior customer service. The issue is that a large number of brick and mortars are clueless on how to do this as is described by Snick1946.
If nothing else online business is offering an alternative and additional competitive pressures which benefit all consumers.
Don
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Here's a real life illustration of life in 2017.
Yesterday my friend and I were at a hobby show in Maryland. We didn't know the area and wanted to have lunch. So I spoke into my smart phone, "Find a place for lunch." The phone knew my location and instantly listed a dozen places for lunch. I scanned down the list, discounting places where they wouldn't have had a beer. There was a pub 2 miles down the road. I clicked on it, and was taken to the Yelp website which had several good reviews of the restaurant, with photos of the place both inside and out. Then I clicked on the pub's website. Reviewed their on-line menu and decided that was the place we'd try.
That's how business is done today!
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
AAHH!
I have known dozens of businesses that have been "advised" to get a website to sell on line(by Government/local authority/banks) and how much have they actually sold? NIL, ZERO, NOTHING or VERY LITTLE.
Why??
They cannot get the hits through google. They cannot afford the advertising. The general population will only go to the "National" Brands or "International" Brands.
Considering the ransomware that has affected thousands of businesses throughout the world this weekend/or when somebody develops an EMP device,
Where will the next generations be?.........Answer?......back to the Stone Age???
Yes it is convenient and time saving but is it BETTER?
What do you do with your saved time? (Hopefully buy more stamps on Stamporama)
In all fairness there is room for every type of business, however many businesses are at a disadvantage because they do not have equal access to the internet
Internet accessibility is not equal . It was NOT available to ALL at the same moment in time. Those in the cities got it first therefore those in the countryside were put at a disadvantage. (They still are!!! Due to the very very slow speeds)
Advertising on the Internet is costly for the small business as the "Keywords" have already been "purchased/used" by others.
As I have said before...Support your local small businesses!!!
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Maybe we could even things up a bit for the bricks/mortar shop by having online stores pay rates and property taxes equalling or proportionately related by turnover/profit to that paid by high street retailers.
We live within 8 miles of two "towns" of around 3-5000 people. Neither has a shoe store, to buy footwear we have to travel 40 minutes to a larger town where there are shoe stores.
We tend to shop a couple of times a month and buy bulk, except for bread, milk, and water which we pick up locally.
Local food is overpriced and lacks variety. Freshness is almost a dirty word.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
AYE,
The Bricks and Mortar shops can't compete on basic price with internet.
My wifes gift shop has annual fixed costs that works out on average as 39% of turnover. That % figure does not include the cost of goods for resale or other variable costs related to Sales eg Bags, Postage, Advertising, etc.
People who live in large towns and cities have very little idea of how people in rural areas are limited in their choices for food, entertainment, travel etc.
If these rural communities fail to support their local businesses these shops close and then there are no shops at all.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Brick and mortar stores need to have an internet presence... to bring in foot traffic! People look things up on Google like we used the phone book in the old days. Read my illustration about how we found a place to have lunch.
The business doesn't need to sell things online and compete with online stores, but needs to have a website with it's name and location, the hours of operation and a nice presentation that will draw people into the store.
It's also good to be involved in any local on-line email chains or websites so people know you exist. And once you have customers, it's nice to have a regular customer newsletter or sales and such via email. It's good to stay out in front of your customer base.
My wife and I frequent a local pub. They use the Internet effectively. A funny thing, when I moved here six years ago I Googled, "town name, wings" and this was the first place that came up. So I went there to have some beer and wings. It's a local place, but not on a road I would have traveled, so I never would have found it otherwise.
They have a website with their menu and specials. They have great reviews on Yelp. They have a FaceBook page and publish their food specials of the day there daily. We are members of their customer club and when we hit $500 we get a $25 gift certificate. Since we use our membership card when we pay, we regularly get emails to do a customer survey. I've had the owner reply to me via email to address some of my concerns. Just an example of how a local business can use the internet to it's advantage.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Yes. The internet can be a wonderful thing.
However it can be extremely destructive to businesses.
Take the case of a family business who started selling a particular range of products through an "International Brand" medium for selling on the internet. They increased their sales through this medium and were doing so well that they were able to employ more local people in their small town. They were not the only business selling this product range through this "International Brand".
This "International Brand" then contacted the manufacturer of these products, cut the selling prices and thus almost destroyed this particular small family business. (they had taken out a lease on extra storage/distribution space and of course the "Extra" employees lost their jobs)
A manufacturer that I know of is now in dispute with an "International Brand" as they dropped the Selling Price they had agreed with the manufacturer. In essence the manufacturer was getting less than the cost of manufacture when all the "International Brand"'s fees were taken into consideration.
Never mind the "false" customer reports put by some businesses' competitors/agents/customers? or the pornographic uploads put on some sites.
Yes the internet can be a good thing. Just look at the wonderful people I have met on this site, but with cyber bullying etc what is it doing to the younger generation and to those that follow?
Fin.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Yes. brick and mortar stores can be at a disadvantage especially when internet buyers do not need to pay sales tax in many states. The internet has replaced the telephone book "yellow pages".
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
"Take the case of ... "
Ian, your anonymized story made me giggle, remembering the time I ran home from the playground (at age 8) crashing into my parents bedroom mid-snog, and yelling...
"If a boy was playing hide-and seek, and the boy was on the top of a slide, and someone pushed the boy off, and the boy heard a cracking noise, and the boys arm hurt really bad, what would you say?"
My dad said "I'd say the boys arm was f*(&^(* broken" to which I shrieked "I'm the boy".
So, in your story, were you the boy/aggrieved party? And who is the "International Brand"? I'm guessing Kentucky Fried Chicken, but admit I could be off-base.
Dave.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Lemaven,
I like your boy story.
In answer to your questions
No. I was not the boy.
No. The "International Brand" is not KFC, they are not an internet Sales Platform.
The point I have been trying to make is as far as business is concerned the Internet is NOT the Be All And End All.
How can a small family retail business compete on price/service against International/National chains on the internet?
They CANNOT.
They have to depend on the local population buying from them. They can have their internet presence as BenFranklin says but in my experience your footfall increases by 0.01% and your sales increase is 0.0002%. So it is not worth the time and effort to try the "internet". You are far better spending your time and effort on local marketing solutions.
I have seen this on too many occasions where "consultants/advisors/banks" tell business people "Do this and do that" and your business will expand, grow etc etc etc. AND when this "advice" is followed the business in question is dead and buried within two years.
We looked at buying a business, had discussions with the bank, who were also the sellers bank, and they said this was a great business to buy. Once I had sourced the financial information on this company, YES it was a great company, FOR THE BANK, not the Owner......we declined!!!
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
"“…How can a small family retail business compete…”"
Here is my boyhood story #1735….
In the late 1980s and early 1990s I was working in the small family retail business. It had an 8088 Tandy PC and dBase II as an inventory system and I was clueless about computers. I decided to learn how to write SQL queries and custom reports in dBase. I also became better educated on how computers worked. Within a few years I got a contract job writing code at a technology company. After 6 months they hired me full time as an engineer. Within 5 years I had worked my way up to VP of Engineering. Within another 5 years I becoming a full partner in the company.
As a small retail business in a rural town we survived the impact Walmart coming to town. We survived when that one was torn down and a new ‘super’ Walmart was built. We survived when a huge flea market opened down the road which offered indoor retail space to competitors; many of whom avoided paying any income or sales tax.
But in parallel I worked to stay relevant and figure out how to take advantage of technology, for both the business and my own career. I appreciate the challenges that face a small retail business but I am here to say that it can indeed be done. Make lemonade!
Don
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
"Take the case of a family business who started selling a particular range of products through an "International Brand" medium for selling on the internet. They increased their sales through this medium and were doing so well that they were able to employ more local people in their small town. They were not the only business selling this product range through this "International Brand".
This "International Brand" then contacted the manufacturer of these products, cut the selling prices and thus almost destroyed this particular small family business. (they had taken out a lease on extra storage/distribution space and of course the "Extra" employees lost their jobs)"
And that's the story of every company that has a success and puts all their efforts into it without looking ahead as to what the next great thing will be. Business moves very quickly today. If you have a success, you'd better branch out into a few different products so not to have all your eggs in that one basket when it goes bad!
It also goes with companies who depend on one client. Good business practices is to not depend on more than 20% of your business from any one client, and never stop looking for new clients. I once contracted a service from a small company. They had multiple accounts when we started. Our account became big and they kissed off their other clients. I warned the owner that this was not a good thing for his business, but he was fearless and put all his efforts into my account. There was a big corporate change over and I got laid off in the mix. The new people involved in the function had their own friend in that business and the company that had served me way too well was out on the street. He was out of business soon after.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Some observations from someone who ran a small country business for 32 years. A website was fruitless- Brechinite is 100% right about that. No new traffic resulted. I feel mostly this was due to the obscurity of not being recognized by search engines. Small businesses can't pay for the privilege of being among the top 1000 results in a search pattern. Unless someone actually knew our web address we were hard to find. However- a Facebook Page was and still is a huge success and has brought many customers from 20-60 miles away to the store for homemade bread, bulk foods, craft beers etc. Since I'm not computer savvy my daughter and son-in-law take care of that but if a small business can find a way to spread the message on the internet you can profit from it.
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02:17:18pm
re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Seems plenty of Luddites still around. That picture of Brechenite is pretty scary.
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Auctions - Approvals
re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
That picture is of a puppet that was used in the TV adaptation of "The Goon Show"...The Telegoons.
The Goon Show was a radio programme that ran on the BBC during the 1950's and 60's.
The TV programme took some of the Goon Show scripts and used puppets for the characters.
I must post some of the other characters, they are probably even more scary!!!
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02:38:21pm
re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Well, thanks to the Brechster!
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
The dealer I alluded to has still not been heard from. I thought he did leave the door open a crack on possibly mailing me a list anyway but it's been over a week and I think it's evident the matter is closed for him. He spent a stamp to send me his little note.
Part of me wants to email him and read him out. That would accomplish nothing. It won't change him, this sort of dysfunctional behavior is usually pretty deeply ingrained. He may be a decades long Linn's advertiser but he's a first class jerk. Why bother?
He's a dealer stubbornly refusing to maintain a web presence. Ought to tell you something....
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
I agree with the statement that the dealer is a "first class jerk".
However, I disagree with your closing statement - "He's a dealer stubbornly refusing to maintain a web presence. Ought to tell you something."
If a dealer is comfortable with mail order through Linn's and/or selling at stamp show there is absolutely no reason for them to establish an on-line presence. I have thought about giving up my store on Bidstart and the few postal history auctions I do on Ebay. Why - Time, plain pure and simple. An online presence requires a commitment to check your sales daily, to spend time going to the post office daily. Doing just shows leaves hundreds of hours a year available to build up your stock rather than scanning and listing. Hundreds of hours ........ Were I not on Bidstart I could have my entire inventory of material ready to sell rather than in bankers boxes, cover boxes, etc In five years since I retired I don't think that I have been able to put 10 per cent of my material online.
Before we all went online I could sell more on a weekend either at a show or taking material to another dealers house or shop than I sell online in a couple of months. A lot more ....... my yearly gross sales today are about 20 per cent of what I was doing with no online presence.
I know quite a few dealers with no online presence who make a very good living selling to other dealers or to a select, cultivated clientele. There is no time wasted scanning and listing so they have time to travel and buy and sell.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Webpaper, time to start to employ someone to do the scanning/uploading for you. Minimum wage, tax deductible, part time, of less hours than minimum to pay benefits. Think of all the other items to claim against tax, equipment, training, premises etc.
My problem always seems to be that the dealers with websites do not answer emails or send invoices for me to pay.
Being a two and an half hour drive from the nearest dealers, all my purchases are done online.
I understand that if you are on your own, that a web site, other than to get your name known is not a viable option. Again search engines are probably not going to put you very far up the return list.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
One final note- I was reluctant to identify this dealer- until now.
It is Lehigh Valley Stamps, operating out of PA- a Linns advertiser for decades.
I tried to send him an email this morning to tell him no need now to send anything as I'd decided i didn't wish to pursue this. I kept it polite. The email bounced back. Apparently he has me blocked on his account. He's a real peach.
Anyway that's all on this for now. There are good apples in our hobby and there are bad ones. He may be a good dealer to those he deems worthy of his attention, but I will apparently never know.
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Approvals
re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
I order specialty printed premium items both for my hobby show and for my company. For the hobby show, I'd get the samples etc, and the order would be sent from our art director. We had ordered from one company, and the following year I asked for a sample for that year's order... I got back a scathing reply... we sent you a sample last year and you never placed an order so we won't send you anything!
I shrugged and moved on to the next company, who was happy to send me samples. I have since done tens of thousands of dollars worth of business with the second company!
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Back in the 90's there was a now defunct supply dealer going great guns out of Dallas Tx- Dwight March. He was running weekly ads in Linn's, I had replied to one of ads offering pricing information and got back a brochure offering to mail his whole range of supply lists for $10 postage- it wasn't refundable. I sent back $2 in cash telling him I only needed current catalogs for two album publishers. He sent back the same brochure with a nasty note saying he would only send the complete package or nothing at all. I was 'wasting his time'. By then I decided he was a bit nuts and accepted the loss of my $2.
I filed a complaint with Linns- it seemed he was really just peddling packets of catalogs. In return I got a reply telling me he'd been kicked off their ad pages.
For years after I got mailings from him, he always sounded grandiose - he was the 'biggest supply dealer in America' etc. Then he faded away. The APS as I recall also expelled him.
As before, it's their loss.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Has anyone had any dealings with Postlynx, despite a couple of orders (which I am still waiting for total invoice price) and emails including via Delcampe I am unable to elicit any sort of response from the business.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
I got to thinking about Dwight march and did a Google search on him which led to this:
https://stamps.org/Disciplinary-Action
It's a page on the APS site recording expulsions and disciplinary actions against APS members going back it appears to the inception of the website. I knew this was out there but wonder if many on here are aware of it? Lots of familiar names on there...
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
For unknown reason(s), the number of APS disciplinary actions has dropped significantly over the last number of years.
Don
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Perhaps this is commensurate with the decrease in enrollment.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Yeah that's probably the case. Remember the complaints tracked are only those against APS members. Heaven knows how many sleazy dealers have been discussed on here in the past few years. Many of those were Ebay sellers, though.
The dealer who wants to be sure I don't bother him again is an APS dealer, advertises in the Philatelist. I wouldn't do it but it'd be fun to file complaint on him. He didn't probably do anything that would get him in trouble but he was a real ass.
I did something like that years ago against a member dealer advertising in their magazine, offering approvals. I contacted him several times and he'd never answer. I always identified myself as a member and gave my #, still nothing. I finally filed a complaint against him saying he was treating a fellow member with discourtesy. He wrote them back that he'd never heard of me. Yeah, sure. It was his right to turn me down, all he had to do was communicate with me.
Got to wonder if the Lehigh Valley guy knows I am an APS life member. Best to move on..
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
I would suspect there are a lot more internet sellers not affiliated with APS and with ebay/paypal there may be other actions. I do not think it means much to be an APS seller on ebay...few sellers even mention any membership. It has lost its cachet in that aspect.
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Approvals
re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
The decline in membership is probably because they expelled everyone. Note the majority of actions are from their sales unit
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
One reason why I have not participated in the Sales division. I know myself- I procrastinate. They give I think a week to ten days for forwarding a circuit to the next member. Not enough for a slowpoke like myself.
Some years back I ran into Ken Martin at the APS table at a major show. We were chatting and he asked me what I liked most about the American Philatelist- I had to think and he then said what do you turn to first? without thinking I replied that I always looked at who got expelled that month. Wrong answer. Now it's funny, but could tell it upset him. Later his assistant come up to me and told me she thought what I said was a hoot. Apparently no long term damage done. They didn't expel me, anyway.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Hi Tom,
I think you may be mistaken about the list of members expelled. The list shows members who were disciplined but doesn't state they were from the sales division. Most of the expulsions relate to transactions outside of the sales unit by APS members.
I had a problem with a member who sold on ebay and refused to send me my stamp (value under $10.0) even after I showed him my cancelled check. I filed a complaint with the APS and he was happy to send me my stamp.
Most of the dealers I have transactions with on ebay and the internet are APS members. I think membership is still a good reference when dealing with other collectors and dealers, especially when I am making a large transaction.
Vince
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
"Got to wonder if the Lehigh Valley guy knows I am an APS life member. Best to move on.. "
Snick: If it is any comfort... up until a few years ago, Lehigh Valley advertisements in Linn's and The American Philatelist featured a Royal Canadian Mounted Police Constable. Not under any circumstances are you to use the National Police Force in advertising. You are not allowed to use the effigy of Her Majesty The Queen, nor Her Royal Cypher, etc.
I had an R.C.M.P. Sergeant in our stamp club, and I showed him the advertisement in the American Philatelist.
The next month, and thereafter, there has not been an R.C.M.P. Constable in their advertisements.
David in Ottawa, Canada
APS member since 2004
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Dsvid, I'd nearly forgotten about this thread when I ran across it just now. I have long since put this behind me and it is just sort of amusing now
Lehigh never sent me anything further other than the nasty note. Why the owner didn't simply email me back with a request for postage- which I'd gladly have sent- and instead chose to handle as he did is a mystery. Then to block my email. This is a guy who is uninterested in his business.
Life is too sort for bad whiskey and lousy stamp dealers
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Reopening this thread. I'd mentioned Dwight March. Some may be interested to know he is one and the same seller as 'hottexan':
https://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&userid=hottexan&iid=382342028511&de=off&items=25&searchInterval=30&which=negative&interval=365&_trkparms=negative_365
I needed some mounts for a project I am trying to finish and bought some on Ebay from him earlier this week, had no idea who he was. Today I get this message from him:
'Thank you for your purchase(s). Your shipment went out 1-26-2018 via USPS.
I have had to change the way I give feedback because buyer's think because a seller has a high number of feedback they don't need to leave feedback for the seller. In the past 90 days 728 people who purchased items from me have not left feedback. ALL feedback counts and my new policy is, I will leave feedback 1 for 1, for each feedback you leave you will receive a feedback.'
Yeah it's him all right. He hasn't changed in over twenty years. He's always right and still passive aggressive, almost to a toxic degree. There is nothing really wrong with his feedback policy. It is more or less what I do when I sell. He just had to let me know he is keeping score, sort of funny and annoying at the same time.
Probably I will get my order without complications. I will also leave him his feedback. If you read some of the replies to negatives in is feedback you will know why I think he's toxic. Just be aware..
(Modified by Moderator on 2018-01-27 11:51:21)
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
He banned me from buying from him. Nothing like a crap attitude to chase away paying customers. I didn't leave him feedback from my purchase. His responses to those who leave less than stellar feedback is often bordering on abusive and worthy of being reported to ebay.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
I simply do not support the bogus eBay Feedback system. Instead I take the time the send the seller a follow-up email describing my experience; this is better on every level.
The eBay Feedback system is badly flawed to the point of being meaningless.
1. You can buy existing eBay accounts with hundreds of feed-backs and 100% rating. Google ‘buy eBay accounts’ to find many of the 3rd party site which you can do this.
2. eBay removed negative feedback upon request from the bigger sellers. Does anyone really believe that you can have thousands of transaction without a single negative feedback? Some humans are jerks, anyone who has worked retail knows that sometimes a buyer will get angry even if you have done nothing wrong.
3. The Feedback system is gamed constantly in both directions. If you want retribution or revenge on someone for ANY reason (like you get them mad at you in a forum), then they just buy a inexpensive items and leave a negative feedback. If you block them, they shave multiple accounts they will keep buying and keep leaving negative feedbacks. In the other direction, it is easy to pump up a large number of positive feedbacks, simply use multiple accounts and buy cheap items from yourself. (This is how people built the accounts they offer for resale.) And of course, most seller ‘work-around’ the feedback system by posting “Don’t leave a negative feedback, contact me first’.
Don
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
29 Jan 2018
02:03:30pm
re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Early on in this discussion someone suggested
that getting back a list of restaurants
from an on-line inquery was just great
and good for the business, in this case
a lunch place. He is undoubtedly correct.
RE:: " ... The phone knew my location
and instantly listed a dozen places for lunch.
I scanned down the list, discounting places
where they wouldn't have had a beer.
There was a pub 2 miles down the road.
I clicked on it, and was taken to the Yelp website
which had several good reviews of the restaurant,
with photos of the place both inside and out.
Then I clicked on the pub's website. ...” and so on.
However,, I feel that, there is another angle to consider
when the business is a small time stamp seller.
In all my years of stumbling around this hobby,
I never received a written pricelist or advertisement
from a stamp dealer that also advised me
of a half dozen of his competitors,
what they offered and how to conveniently
reach them.
Never!
In fact, I never even considered asking
a non-tech-savey seller if he knew of
another source of stamps,
so I could compare prices.
To find a nearby lunchroom as well
as many other businesses,
the internet is a fantastic aid.
But, as noted, there are many colletors
who suspect that they can catch a virus
from the keyboard.
Often they like to know just who they are dealing with
and perhaps where the sellers are located
on a Mercator Projection.
A few weeks ago I came across an advertisement
for certain stamps and had a shipping cost question
to ask before I made a purchase.
Nowhere on a multi page site could I find a phone number
or even a vague address.
So, question unasked,
answer not received and
as of today there has been no order.
(I would have had to make a purchase
to discover where to send funds )
and they suggested the ubiquitous
“PAYPAL” to learn the account info.
On the other hand,
I never received a printed price list
that did not bear some indication
of what part of the world
the stamps would be coming from.
I just felt that other possibilities might be in play.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
"Nowhere on a multi page site could I find a phone number
or even a vague address."
Always irritates me that it is not a legal requirement that all websites must include a postal address for the purposes of contacting the site. Even major firms do not always have an address.
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Approvals
re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Since this has gone on, I had true story to share..
Many years ago I was buying printed advertising items. I saw something a company was selling and per their information to ask for a sample. I asked for one sample of one item. I liked it and forwarded it and the quote onto the artist who would draw the logo and place the $1000 order. The item was well received and I thought well of the company.
The next year I went back to their catalog on-line and requested a sample once again. Instead, I received a scathing email, "Will not send you any samples. We sent you a sample last year and you never ordered anything." I wasn't going to argue so I went to their nearest competitor who happily sent me a sample. I ordered $2500 worth of mugs.
That second company valued my business and was very nice to deal with. That led to more orders and in time the volume I did with them merited my own sales consultant. To this day I do over $20,000 a year with this company, and am pleased with their service on every order!
Company one lost all that business over a dollar sample!
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Reopening this thread as I am dealing with another Dwight March thing.
Against my better judgement I bought some vintage mounts from this guy last month. They were fine and I was happy with the price. I thought OK, maybe I can get away with buying from him under certain circumstances. Last week I bought this pack of mounts:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/HAWID-BLACK-MOUNTS-210X24-25-RETAIL-PRICE-11-50/382703357240?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
Can someone with better eyesight look at this listing for me? It says this is a 'new' pack and unopened. Upon opening the envelope I found a ratty old pack opened with several strips missing. There looked to be dust caked inside the package,the mounts were rippled. The gum on them was cracked and they had white staining on some of the strips. It looked like something he'd pulled out of a box that sat for years in some old basement.
I communicated with him and got a terse reply- 'send it back'. I'm doing so today. Want to bet he's going to accuse me of substituting an old pack to get something for nothing?
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Maybe you should have looked at his 23 negatives first,he uses interesting Language !
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Oh I was very aware of his negatives. It's just a case of being an optimist coupled with badly wanting the right size of mounts to complete a remounting project.
I assume I'll eventually get a refund, if he doesn't do it, Ebay will. I just won't leave any feedback so he cannot bad mouth me on rebuttal. I know what he'll do- call me a THIEF and claim I switched mount packages.
This guy is breathtaking. He lists a pack of brand new mounts then sends me something that looks like it was pulled from a box of rat droppings. Isn't there a point at which Ebay just shuts someone down?
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02:49:32pm
re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Hello,
I took a look at this listing. I spotted a couple things.
First of all, it is on the seller NOT the buyer if the seller chooses to send the mailer without tracking. The seller is on the hook for items not delivered if he the seller chooses to send without tracking. Implying otherwise is a violation of eBay rules. The buyer does not have to purchase tracking.
Second, the buyer does not have to pay for insurance--implying otherwise is a violation of eBay rules. It is on the seller NOT the buyer if the item is lost, stolen or ends up as broken or damaged during delivery.
From the description, I'm seeing that it states that it is unopened. So you were sent something not is as described. You should turn this in officially so the seller has to send you a label to make the return. If the seller ignores the official ebay form sent, then you will just automatically be refunded your money and the seller is issued a negative mark on his account. He can only receive so many of these before action is taken.
Bruce
Addendum: I see you stated you are sending the not-as-described item back so you are spending more money to send that back to him--that's just plain wrong. Also, assuming you popped it into an envelope and mailed it back to him, what is to stop him from saying it never arrived? Only if you used tracking would he be unable to wriggle out that way. Looking over his negative feedback that would not surprise me. Seems like a real ****censored*****.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
I'm a member of the APS, and state that proudly on my website, my Facebook page, my Twitter feed, my Ebay and Hipstamp pages.
When you're buying, it's nice to see that you're buying from an APS member. However, there is a far greater likelihood of ethical and honest service if you purchase from a member of a trade association.
I'm a member, and former Regional Director, of the Internet Philatelic Dealers Association (IPDA), established in 2002. There are many better-known and long-established trade groups, but we are the only trade body specifically created to address the online buying dilemma head-on, to ensure customers are treated honestly and with integrity.
You can find a list of members at the website
http://www.ipdastamps.com/
Moderator note: link has been fixed.
(Modified by Moderator on 2019-01-26 21:37:50)
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
That link is not working for me, Dave;
it just says, "FILE NOT FOUND"
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Fixed now
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Snick:E-Bay will not shut him down,just as they didn't shut this Fellow down who sold me these wonderful Zep's with Polar fahrt Ovpt.,signed by Schlegel !Problem is when I got them I realised they came from a small Mini sheet produced for a Stamp Exhib.I sold one on SOR some time ago for a $ 1.I informed Ebay that this fellow produced obvious forgeries,but he is still dealing.He pops up about every two weeks and makes quite a lot of money.I took a case against him and send the stamps back as required by Reg mail.After 6 weeks the letter came back from Roumania saying the Address was insufficient.See pics below.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Why not name him? Everyone here is FAR too polite!
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
I will post a link to the above set I bought,that's probably all I can do.
https://www.ebay.ie/itm/GERMANY-lot-POLAR-FLIGHT-ZEPPELIN-SIGNED/183508114132?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
Mod fixed link
(Modified by Moderator on 2019-01-27 06:25:56)
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
I need to know if I can post two messages he send me after I complained to him about the stamps.Believe it or not he actually send them through the Ebay messaging system.I don't know who to ask here.Is it Roy ?These two messages give you an idea about him.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Has anyone ever suggested that the forum has a "name 'em and shame 'em" area? Access could be for members with X number of posts, so Joe Bloggs couldn't just join and see what we think of him. I can't see a downside to this, and remember, no comment can be deemed libelous if it's true
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Maybe APS could have a name them in every issue.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
It's true alright.I can give Roy my Password so he can see those messages are there in my inbox.I can post a pic of the returned letter.No problem.Come to think of it.Since this "Gentleman" used the Ebay message system tghey should fall under public record ?The 2nd and 3rd are rather revealing.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
"Has anyone ever suggested that the forum has a "name 'em and shame 'em" area? Access could be for members with X number of posts, so Joe Bloggs couldn't just join and see what we think of him. I can't see a downside to this, and remember, no comment can be deemed libelous if it's true"
When I first started Stamp Smarter 5 years ago, the first community database project was a ‘Online Listing Review’. Members can submit their reviews of any online listing. It supports screen grabs, since eBay removes older listings. As a database, it also supports looking up a particular stamp by catalog number. This is a nice feature since buyer can search the archive and see previously listings of questionable listings; learning what to look out for. And of course it also helps educate buyer about the sellers themselves.
The project also support notifying the sellers of possible issues in their listings; after all everyone can make a mistake. So rather than just ID ‘bad’ listings, the database can also be used to ID those sellers which promptly address issues found in their listings.
The original project release was met with predictions of libelous doom and gloom. Not surprisingly I also got a lot of push back from some of the worst sellers; those who ‘troll for suckers’, intentionally mis-describe material, sellers of altered and faked material.
In terms of libel, this is a ‘review’ function; in the free world folks are allowed to offer their opinions. So the ‘default’ review always has it hard coded into the review the starting words ‘In my opinion…’. I also disallow any personal attacks; I have code which detects trends where a reviewer constantly posts negative reviews against a particular seller. And of course I also vet and review all memberships.
In 4 years and nearly 2000 listing reviews, I have not had any legal issues. I have received two nasty emails from disgruntled sellers, both of whom threatened legal action. Both are pretending to be lawyers themselves (Hint, they use it in their eBay names) but their obvious legal saber-rattling was ignored and they predictably went away.
There is nothing libelous about saying ‘In my opinion this listing contains an altered stamp, it has been reperfed on the left side’. or ‘In my opinion this listing contains a mis-identified stamp’. Of course you cannot say, ‘In my opinion this seller is a thief’ unless the person has been convicted of that crime. I have not had any trouble with malicious reviews or members saying stupid things like that.
Don
http://stampsmarter.com/BuyingOnline/Home_ViewDB.html
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
In my Opinion someone is forging 3 Signatures :Schlegel;Peschl;Buehler.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
In keeping with the theme here, here are a couple links to some interesting and
potentially useful info;
http://www.slingshotvenus.com/stamps/fakes.html
http://www.sheryll.net/Forgeries/Forgeries_article.htm
As a side note, the following is a statement from one of the link's authors;
"eBay - only a venue
eBay is only a venue, according to the eBay User Agreement. It doesn't get to see the items offered by sellers, and as such cannot authenticate them. It is up to buyers to find out all they can about items, sellers and the terms of sale before they bid and complete the transaction.
Before you buy at eBay, the words "caveat emptor", meaning "buyer beware" and seen at the end of each category search listing, are far and away the most important to remember."
**I am neither supporting or attacking Ebay here - only reporting
on what I have read.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Snick1946,
Why would you want to give him any business. You knew he was a jerk from his previous response to you. You can certainly find mounts from other dealers.
Most of my ebay transactions have been good. Dealers at shows are another thing. I have gotten up from a dealer's table more than once and will not go back to them.
Vince
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
Just like anything else - there will be good and bad.
We will always have bad dealers, bad sellers and on and on...
Seek out the good ones and patronize them;
avoid the others like the plague.
They will come and go.
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re: 'You Don't Get a Pricelist'- So There!
I dealt with an idiot on eBay about a year ago. I purchased a set of US 1940 Famous American plate blocks on album pages. I didn't care about the pages, they were just shown that way. I won the bid.
When I received them I saw why they were still on album pages. There was no way to remove them without damaging them. Many of them were stuck to their mounts. A good quantity of the rest were in hand fashioned mounts, created with old cellophane tape, which of course had aged and the dried glue had seeped into the mounts, staining the stamps. I'm believing the idiot hoped the buyer would just leave them on the pages and not notice.
I had seen that the same seller had two more sets of the same stamps on eBay at the same time. I emailed him, disclosing the issues, and suggested he send me one of those other sets, if indeed they were mint, never hinged as advertised... with no damage. He responded, never challenging my claims so I know he knew... "Just return them for a refund." He wasn't going to send me a good set for what I had paid!
So I paid to return them, never to deal with him again! The one time I had a problem on the 'bay!
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