How big is the problem?

[+Wandering Vikings]

There are several threads going right now discussing problems with coins never being received or delayed excessively.

 

In order to get a picture of just how big the problem is I'm wondering if people will share a little...

 

Please, no names of either coins or companies- but how many times have *you* personally had issues with coins you purchased?

 

We have purchased one coin that was delayed about two months (with communication from the seller and an offer of a refund), not had any coins that didn't come at all.

[+AtwellFamily]

Please, no names of either coins or companies- but how many times have *you* personally had issues with coins you purchased?

 

As long as this is facts, why can't people put in the company and coin? Just having 100 people say they have had 3 coins delayed. Means somewhere between 3-300 different coins had issues. That really wouldn't help me understand the issue.

[+Renegade Knight]

Specific problems ICE has had. LoriDarlin can speak better to this list but this is what I hear her talking about.

 

Crappy packaging. Coins are heavy, they will destroy bad packaging more efficiently than the apes working the luggage section at the airport.

 

Most delivery issues were caused by the Post office. Either someone who had access stole the coins, or an employee. LoriDarlin started using a PO Box and that solved most things, but not all. Thus far in every case the vendor shipped new coins and we got those. 9key has had the worst luck with ICE in this regard. He's always come through.

 

Our worst error is when our order gets screwed up. We get 3 LE's and not 2 RE. Overall for whatever reason these errors have been to our benefit. You would think it would be vice versa. Normally it's not worth the shipping to fix and we are told to just keep the extras or LE's.

 

ICE is a buying group focusing on State, Province, and Country coins. We don't do other kinds though our members do on their own.

Edited September 25, 2008 by Renegade Knight

[+4damFam]

I've had a few delays with coin vendors, but feel pretty lucky overall. I do have one delay right now that I prepaid back on June 22nd. I have not heard a word from the vendor. THey have not provided any communication or information about the delay. Two days ago I finally called and was provided information there were some personal things that were affecting the business. I will not elaborate, because they did not want to discuss it publically, which I fully understand and will respect their wishes. They re-assured me that my order would be fulfilled and that there should be more information in the next few days.

 

However, I think it's still the vendor's responsibility to communicate to the customer. I should not have had to make a call and I should not have to wait so long for an order to be fulfilled.

 

Hopefully this issue will get resolved in the near future.

[+ThirstyMick]

Zero. But I think I started getting a lot pickier with my purchases right about when all of the problem coins were for pre-sale. Especially picky about pre-orders. Also, I didn't trust one of them right from the get-go.

[+Wandering Vikings]

 

As long as this is facts, why can't people put in the company and coin? Just having 100 people say they have had 3 coins delayed. Means somewhere between 3-300 different coins had issues. That really wouldn't help me understand the issue.

 

I am trying to get an idea how big the problem is- there are several threads discussing the specific problems with companies, and I'm not trying to add to that. I'm just curious how many individual people are being affected and by how many companies.

 

If this is a case of one or two companies who each skipped out on a coin then it is a different ball-park from twenty companies who consistantly have delivery issues.

 

Trying to get a scope of how many people are being effected and how many (like me) are just trying to get a solution that will stop the growing negativity over pre-sales.

 

If we can list specific coins without it turning into a flame-fest or without getting it shut down then I have no objection to that, but there are plenty of threads already going to voice concerns. I just am curious how many people are having problems.

[+Hula Bum]

How about a list similar to the coin travel/mileage thread? So I would say:

XYZ Coin

---Ordered 3/14/08 by Hula Bum, not yet received

Then someone could add and edit so it would then be:

 

XYZ Coin

---Ordered 3/14/08 by Hula Bum, not yet received

---Ordered 3/16/08 by Joe Cacher, not yet received

 

Go Coin

---Ordered 5/12/08 by Joe Cacher, not yet received

 

and so on. Perhaps a minimum of 2 or 3 months before the coin is listed on the page?

 

This would show just how many people have not received what coins, no flaming necessary, just simple and concise facts.

 

 

G

[+Wandering Vikings]

How about a list similar to the coin travel/mileage thread? So I would say:

XYZ Coin

---Ordered 3/14/08 by Hula Bum, not yet received

Then someone could add and edit so it would then be:

 

XYZ Coin

---Ordered 3/14/08 by Hula Bum, not yet received

---Ordered 3/16/08 by Joe Cacher, not yet received

 

Go Coin

---Ordered 5/12/08 by Joe Cacher, not yet received

 

and so on. Perhaps a minimum of 2 or 3 months before the coin is listed on the page?

 

This would show just how many people have not received what coins, no flaming necessary, just simple and concise facts.

 

I like that idea a lot! 2-3 months seems like a long time to me (since PayPals dispute window is like 45 days) but it would seem to be the most fair way to do it.

[+AtwellFamily]

How about a list similar to the coin travel/mileage thread? So I would say:

XYZ Coin

---Ordered 3/14/08 by Hula Bum, not yet received

Then someone could add and edit so it would then be:

 

XYZ Coin

---Ordered 3/14/08 by Hula Bum, not yet received

---Ordered 3/16/08 by Joe Cacher, not yet received

 

Go Coin

---Ordered 5/12/08 by Joe Cacher, not yet received

 

and so on. Perhaps a minimum of 2 or 3 months before the coin is listed on the page?

 

This would show just how many people have not received what coins, no flaming necessary, just simple and concise facts.

 

 

G

This is the most helpful and realistic idea so far. The vendor could respond int eh exact same manner.

 

Go Coin

---Ordered 5/12/08 by Joe Cacher, not yet received

---Ship date will be 12/12/12 by Company XYZ

---Coins shipped. 12/12/12 by Company XYZ

 

Next posted would remove shipped coins from list. Could be added back if issues come up. This is like the BBB suggestion but not a Good House Keeping seal.

[avroair]

I have had a much greater success rate of shipping coins when I stick insurance (black slip) or delivery confirmation (bright green slip) on all my packages.

 

International deliveries are a whole other thing since customs can hold them up or just destroy them.

[+Cheesy pigs]

I have had a much greater success rate of shipping coins when I stick insurance (black slip) or delivery confirmation (bright green slip) on all my packages.

 

International deliveries are a whole other thing since customs can hold them up or just destroy them.

Destroy them??

 

I have had geocoins and pathtags held up by customs, but they usully have a snoop, then send them on their way. I have never had a coin destroyed....

 

And I really like Hula Bum's way of addressing the issue. Nice and concise

[+LionsLair]

I've never had a problem with delivery in the past 2 years I have ordered over 400 coins and although some delayed shipping issues have arised in the past 6 months, delivery has never been an issue.

 

 

There is this one coin that I'm having an issue with now, but that's another story and I'm pretty sure delivery issues are not the problem.

 

I like Hula Bums idea though...

[+Wandering Vikings]

A little over 300 views and so far no one has posted about not getting a coin they've paid for.

 

Does this mean that the problem really *is* just the couple well known ones detailed in other threads, or are people just not wanting to post about problems?

 

Not being snide- I really am wondering...

[+Team Van Stoffelen]

It went wrong only two times (of appr. 100 orders in the last year).

 

The first time the package was end from the vendor but never arrived. After I have send an email to the vendor the coins where shipped again and this package did arrive. This was a vendor that has been badly spoken of in a other topic, but as you can see, my experience was quit different.

 

The last time was a strange one. A handmade coin I ordered was send to me, but there was a little problem with the coin. I send it back, but the package never arrived. The vendor made the coin again and shipped it to me. The package never arrived. And now the vendor will ship another coin. It might even arrive I am sure that i can not adress this problem to the vendor. I ordered (in the same time) more coins of him and they all arrive.

The only think I can think of is a big hickup at customs, or (but not very likely) the adress the vendor uses (most shops has the american way of registrying an adress - f.e. we do now use states in adressen and print the zip code before the cityname). But becourse other packages did arrive that can't really be the problem.

[+pandabeertje]

I've paid for a set of coins which I never received, and I know it was not only me.

Because the coin was never produced .

 

Look and you'll find the tread about it .

 

But that's the only problem I got so far, and yes ... it made me a little bit more carefull when ordering pre-sales .

[+slowdownracer]

I can say that I am quite surprised at how honest and generous all my transactions have been. Over the past 3 years I have bought 300+ coins, had 150 of my own coins made and traded half of them away, and also traded 200+ wooden nickels and poker chips I had made or made myself. I have yet to be stiffed by anybody. Sure I had to send reminders for trades, and once or twice I had to replace wooden nickels that arrived broken. And once I was sent the wrong coin and insisted the right coin be sent before I return the wrong one. So I'm used to things arriving late too. But the people I have dealt with are some of the best and most honest people around. I thank you all very much.

[+nielsenc]

A little over 300 views and so far no one has posted about not getting a coin they've paid for.

 

Does this mean that the problem really *is* just the couple well known ones detailed in other threads, or are people just not wanting to post about problems?

 

Not being snide- I really am wondering...

 

There are people you know which have not shipped coins from back in May. I know people who arent saying anything because they really really want the coin.

 

While they may ship the coin in the future, there is no reason for them to sell a coin from May and not ship it within 4 - 6 weeks. Unless of course they already spent the money and waiting for the next batch of coins to sell, which IMHO, is bad business.

[+Wandering Vikings]

 

There are people you know which have not shipped coins from back in May. I know people who arent saying anything because they really really want the coin.

 

 

This brings up a (semi) related question-

If a vendor encounters difficulties outside of their control, and offers to refund the money to anyone who wants a refund (as this vendor did and is still offering on their website) then are we justified in dragging them through the mud? If they have offered the only recourse currently available to them and someone chooses not to take them up on their offer then in essence isn't the customer agreeing to continue to wait?

 

Expanding it to all vendors in general, and not just the specific vendor being mentioned-

When you give someone money for a product you are creating a contract of sorts. If for what ever reason the terms of that contract are not being met and the vendor gives you the option of ending the contract with a full refund or continuing to wait for the contract to be concluded and you do not take advantage of the offered refund then aren't you agreeing to the second option by default?

 

There may well be plenty of other reasons to be unhappy with vendors (which is a subject for a different thread please!), but as far as the actual transaction itself it would seem that the vendor is taking a bad rap for something they have no control over. They offered a refund, you declined, so you are agreeing to continue to wait.

 

People's thoughts?

[+Sileny Jizda]

We've received all the coins we have ordered. Only one instance of it taking a very long time and bad/lack of communication. If we have communication with the dealer/maker we are much more understanding and are quite reasonable.

[+earthrooster]

 

If a vendor encounters difficulties outside of their control, and offers to refund the money to anyone who wants a refund (as this vendor did and is still offering on their website) then are we justified in dragging them through the mud? If they have offered the only recourse currently available to them and someone chooses not to take them up on their offer then in essence isn't the customer agreeing to continue to wait?

 

Agreed

---

 

As to the thread topic, the only issue I've had is the presale situation in which the coins have not been made and there has been no offer (in my case) of refund. In fact, my repeated requests for refund were ignored.

 

Now I have bought other coins, from other vendors, by presale and had no real problems. There have been delays here and there but communication was always good and I did receive my orders. Overall, though, my coin buying experiences have been great (and coin trading too for that matter).