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Women of Distinction: Amelia Earhart


LadeBear68

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They have a very interesting website that really gives no clue as to who they are or if they geocache or not.

 

Their coins are interesting. Some I like, some I'm not crazy about.

 

If I were to purchase from them, I would place a small order to begin with. Check out their service, check out the quality of the coins, before dropping a bundle of money on them.

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They have a very interesting website that really gives no clue as to who they are or if they geocache or not.

 

Their coins are interesting. Some I like, some I'm not crazy about.

 

If I were to purchase from them, I would place a small order to begin with. Check out their service, check out the quality of the coins, before dropping a bundle of money on them.

 

 

 

I was thinking much along these lines as well... Whoever it is knows something about caching. I did think it was a strange way to introduce themselves to the coining community by selling coins through cointracking.com

 

 

Seems like alot of time and effort has been put into these new coins. Seems a bit strange to have so many coins to start with as well, but this could just be my suspicious nature.... only believing 1/2 of what I see, and nothing I hear.... :unsure:

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They have a very interesting website that really gives no clue as to who they are or if they geocache or not.

 

Their coins are interesting. Some I like, some I'm not crazy about.

 

If I were to purchase from them, I would place a small order to begin with. Check out their service, check out the quality of the coins, before dropping a bundle of money on them.

Agreed...would've been nice to see an "about us" link on their site so we (the general public) would know who is behind the designs.

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Well you can actually get a pretty good idea who the owner is for any website (for the most part) by checking out whois.com . Then scroll down to the administrator portion.

 

I won't say the person's name on the thread but it appears to be someone who is located in Michigan (not a name familiar to me though).

 

Man I can't spell today.

Edited by tsunrisebey
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They have a very interesting website that really gives no clue as to who they are or if they geocache or not.

 

Their coins are interesting. Some I like, some I'm not crazy about.

 

If I were to purchase from them, I would place a small order to begin with. Check out their service, check out the quality of the coins, before dropping a bundle of money on them.

 

Thanks for the words of wisdom! I do like the women of distinction coins but..... some things about the site do not add up?! Some coins are marked with a GRAND opening price but this is not reflected when the coins are placed in the shopping cart and.... I may be being brain dead but I am having a tough time finding the "contact us" link :unsure:

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Coin Name: Edition Amelia Earhart: Women of Distinction Size and Shape 50mm (2″) Tip to Tip, Round Thickness 3.5 mm Finish Chrome Issue Date 04/01/09 Trackable at Geocaching.com Yes, Stamped on Side of coin Custom Icon Yes Weight 1.2 oz

 

Looks like they do have a Custom Icon (if you can believe the web page)

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Interesting. I looked up the domain name on whois and it gave me this person's name, address and telephone number. Googling his name, he is in Brighton, MI and part of the boy scouts. :unsure: I like the coin but I won't buy it as I have no clue who the person is. Too many people taking money and not delivering these days. Also, prices are too high. $15 for one coin?

Edited by LadeBear68
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I really like the coins and would be willing to take the chance except it says once you have entered your info at checkout, have your credit card ready. Paypal isn't mentioned. I didn't go far enough to see if it was on the second page of checkout or not.

 

:yikes: WHAT NO Pay pal. Hmmmm curiouser and curiouser :D:unsure:

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I sent a contact email to whoever runs the sale asking a couple of questions and providing them the link to this thread here.

 

I'd absolutely LOVE to spend some of my money on a couple of their coins but unless and until I have more information (or they at least respond to my questions about their product) no way am I willing to take the chance.

 

I hope that whoever it is, they will realize that their apparent secrecy about their identity is losing them potential customers.

 

The coins are beautiful...and tempting...but there are simply too many unknowns at this point for me. :anicute:

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I sent a contact email to whoever runs the sale asking a couple of questions and providing them the link to this thread here.

 

I'd absolutely LOVE to spend some of my money on a couple of their coins but unless and until I have more information (or they at least respond to my questions about their product) no way am I willing to take the chance.

 

I hope that whoever it is, they will realize that their apparent secrecy about their identity is losing them potential customers.

 

The coins are beautiful...and tempting...but there are simply too many unknowns at this point for me. :anicute:

 

YES, Their coins ARE beautiful ( the hole is spreading in my pocket - but I need to wait)

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Anyone wishing to email me the name, I might know them? I have an idea of who it might be, but not sure.

 

email sent with the name info too.

 

I'm a Michigan cacher and not far from Brighton but that name doesn't ring a bell at all......Maybe if I knew the caching name.

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Anyone wishing to email me the name, I might know them? I have an idea of who it might be, but not sure.

 

email sent with the name info too.

 

I'm a Michigan cacher and not far from Brighton but that name doesn't ring a bell at all......Maybe if I knew the caching name.

Boy Scout Troop 347, WebMaster.- Brighton, Michigan Must Not be too many cachers who is a webmaster. :anicute:

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I sent a question via cointracking and received this response:

What a great question. And thank you for asking.

 

Hello, my name is Joel T Craig and my caching name is Thor's Hammer. I began geocaching since May 2008, after I read about the sport in Costco magazine and was looking for something to get back into shape. I have two preteen age children at home and figured if I was going to live long enough to enjoy them and any future grandchildren, I better get into shape. So off I went into the woods.

 

I have been collecting coins since I found my first coin in a cache and was bit. I didn't even know about geocoins at the time and did not know what to do with it. When it was explained to me, I went crazy and started buying coins from around the world.

 

My company is brand new to the geocaching world. I too have been a victim of some of the problems in the coin world, that was one of my motivations to start this company. As a result of some bad experiences from these companies, I made the decision not to advertise ANY preorders. All of the coins listed currently exist in my inventory. My minor in college was art and I quickly became bored and frustrated with the poor designs and poor quality of the coins I was purchasing, and knew I could do better. I have always been an entrepreneur and saw the challenge to start a new company that would deliver the kind of designs and quality that I was looking for.

 

Because other business I have owned had been very successful I have the resources to fund and operate this company. 5 years ago I sold my business in Michigan and retired to Texas (the problem was I was only 43 and everyone I knew was still working) so I was sitting around bored and getting fat.

 

I know from my years of self employment that an unhappy customer will kill your business, expesically in the caching world because it's so small. I take pride in my work and my business ethics. Many of the cachers in the Austin TX area know me and have seen these coins, and know they exist.

 

If you like you may contact a couple; Gigi and Jojo and TheJump have received their orders and are very happy.

 

I understand the power of a happy and satisfied client. I know that if your happy, not only will you buy more products from me ( I have 16 designs currently in different stages of production), but you'll tell all of your friends and they will be happy customers as well. As with many new ventures, we have and will continue to experience growing pains. I was anticipating some of the problems Compass Coins has already experienced but know they're are more to come. Be patient with us. I was not anticipating the huge response in the last 15 hours since posting our coins on cointracking.com. I have orders in process all over the office. I guess that's what happens when you do things right!

 

My success is not based on my sale to you, but your satisfaction AND all of the satisfied customers YOU bring me. Just as I have asked you to trust me and Compass Coins, I have to trust you. I would be glad to fill your order with no prepayment from you. When you receive your order and are satisfied please send me your payment. Thank you again for being prudent with your hard earned money. This is exactly what I would and have taught my children to do.

 

Thank you in advance for becoming a customer of my new company, Compass Coins

 

Joel T Craig

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I have still not yet purchased but I did notice something when I used the website.

 

The Amelia Erhart coins are listed on the website for $13 each (grand opening special) yet when you put them into your shopping cart, they are listed as $15 each.

 

Also, it didn't appear they were charging for shipping and handling - at least not that I could tell - I cancelled once I got to Paypal.

 

I sent another email asking for clarification of these issues. If I ever get a reply, I'll post an update here.

 

It would be easier if they would come here and address our questions openly. It sounds from the reply Toojin posted that they are wanting to provide good customer service. I can't help but think responding here would go a long way toward helping provide that.

 

Maybe that's just me though... :anicute:

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Well two things jumped out at me, they state all the coins are in hand, but several are shown as finished artwork - not finished coins. Second - I don't know of any coin company that would openly state to their customers to choose whatever coins they would like and once they have received them they can send the money. Is this intended to lull prospective customers into a false sense of security and pay upfront anyway. Usually if something sounds too good to be true it usually is. Testimonials from just three customers, no presence in the coin forums and the comments option on their website closed. This company may just be naive and a bit green about the gills, but ............................

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Hmmm...that is weird that the names do not match up. I just don't feel comfortable yet with this new store. Too many unknowns. And, although the owner did give the names of a few happy customers, I have no idea who they are...so that does not raise my comfort level much (nor do I recognize his caching name - I checked his profile, and he's only been caching for a year). Maybe I am old-fashioned, but I would feel better about buying something if he came here and introduced himself.

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I would just like to say, this company seems to be getting the short end of the stick from most of the comments here and this guy hasn't even offered a pre-order or started a thread of his own to promote his coins. Before we through him under the bus, maybe we should wait for a response from the people who've contacted his company and/or recieved an order.

Just a thought....

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I would just like to say, this company seems to be getting the short end of the stick from most of the comments here and this guy hasn't even offered a pre-order or started a thread of his own to promote his coins. Before we through him under the bus, maybe we should wait for a response from the people who've contacted his company and/or recieved an order.

Just a thought....

 

I have to agree here. The person hasn't posted in here, yet is getting flak about it. If they wanted to advertise here, they surely would have, or they don't know about the coin forums? I can't see where some would expect him to come in here and answer questions, maybe they don't even know this thread exists!

 

I do not know the person, but I would say, if you're nervous about ordering, order a small amount and see how it works out. remembering that credit cards/paypal have a safety net of sorts, you can likely buy with confidence!

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I would just like to say, this company seems to be getting the short end of the stick from most of the comments here and this guy hasn't even offered a pre-order or started a thread of his own to promote his coins. Before we through him under the bus, maybe we should wait for a response from the people who've contacted his company and/or recieved an order.

Just a thought....

 

So true. Convicted before charged. No, this is convicting even before a crime has occurred. I guess some folks are "once bitten, twice shy". Let's give the guy a chance to even tell you he's offering his geocoins himself before badmouthing a business you've had no contact with whatsoever.

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I would just like to say, this company seems to be getting the short end of the stick from most of the comments here and this guy hasn't even offered a pre-order or started a thread of his own to promote his coins. Before we through him under the bus, maybe we should wait for a response from the people who've contacted his company and/or recieved an order.

Just a thought....

 

I have to agree here. The person hasn't posted in here, yet is getting flak about it. If they wanted to advertise here, they surely would have, or they don't know about the coin forums? I can't see where some would expect him to come in here and answer questions, maybe they don't even know this thread exists!

 

I do not know the person, but I would say, if you're nervous about ordering, order a small amount and see how it works out. remembering that credit cards/paypal have a safety net of sorts, you can likely buy with confidence!

 

I'm not for throwing anyone under a bus, or bad mouthing anybody - I just pointed out some observations, they have no contact details on their website, clicking on contact us takes me to a pre-order form, I see finished artwork only for a number of coins, after recent shenanigins by some vendors is it so surprising that people are cautious ? and yes they may be totally unaware of the geocoins forum - but it seems a long stretch since they know enough to list at Coin Tracking.com

 

Anyone serious in business knows his/her market, knows how to target that market and this so far has been another example of how not to do things, IMHO. From what I have seen, they look to be nice coins if somewhat expensive, however I will never again deal with any internet company that does not provide full contact details on their website (my banks suggestion - not mine) - and you may find that any protection offered by your credit card company or even paypal will have a caveat that requires this before honouring any guarantees.

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I would just like to say, this company seems to be getting the short end of the stick from most of the comments here and this guy hasn't even offered a pre-order or started a thread of his own to promote his coins. Before we through him under the bus, maybe we should wait for a response from the people who've contacted his company and/or recieved an order.

Just a thought....

 

I have to agree here. The person hasn't posted in here, yet is getting flak about it. If they wanted to advertise here, they surely would have, or they don't know about the coin forums? I can't see where some would expect him to come in here and answer questions, maybe they don't even know this thread exists!

 

I do not know the person, but I would say, if you're nervous about ordering, order a small amount and see how it works out. remembering that credit cards/paypal have a safety net of sorts, you can likely buy with confidence!

 

I agree. Plenty of people don't ever come into the forums. It took me a couple of years of caching to enter the forums, I was advised at an event by another cacher that the forums were the best place to get info on the latest coins coming out, I already had a pretty huge collection at that point but had no idea that there was even a coin section in the GS forums.

 

I know we've had some bad experiences with a couple of companies, and thats probably what's putting some people off. But I'd say give him a shot.

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I would just like to say, this company seems to be getting the short end of the stick from most of the comments here and this guy hasn't even offered a pre-order or started a thread of his own to promote his coins. Before we through him under the bus, maybe we should wait for a response from the people who've contacted his company and/or recieved an order.

Just a thought....

 

So true. Convicted before charged. No, this is convicting even before a crime has occurred. I guess some folks are "once bitten, twice shy". Let's give the guy a chance to even tell you he's offering his geocoins himself before badmouthing a business you've had no contact with whatsoever.

Well...I am definately not trying to bad mouth anyone...just very cautious with where my money goes these days. Since this person is relatively new to geocaching (and geocoins), they might not be aware of the geocoin forums. Maybe TPTB should send him an invitation to join us in the forums.

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So I decided to purchase some coins but as I wrote previously, I was being charged the wrong price ($13 advertised on the website - $15 charged to Paypal per coin). So I got an email from the owner and a rebill with the advertised price of $13.

 

However, with the rebill, the previous charge for s/h of zero magically went to $3.99.

 

I'm still waiting to hear back about why this was changed. My previous Paypal statement listed "none" under s/h.

 

Unfortunately, I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this...

 

I'll post any further updates here.

 

PS - I also sent a link of this thread to the contact listed through the website. I will send it directly to the owner when/if I hear back from him again.

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I too have been burned on pre-orders, so please don't think I am not without caution when it comes to a new (unproven) vendor and my bank account. I don't want anyone thinking I was pointing fingers, I just didn't want it to get ugly and ruin this guys chance at selling coins before he even had a chance. I hope, for the sake of anyone who has placed an order with him that he is on the up and up. So if you have please keep us informed.

Wanna

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*I am not being paid or compensated for the following but just going on personal experience*

 

For anyone that has any doubts on Thor's Hammer (the owner of compasscoins.com), he is a legit business owner and very dedicated geocacher. His home is in Austin, Texas and his web guru is in Michigan.

 

His approach to geocaching is to have fun. Short and simple.

 

His coin business is to provide high quality geocaching coins that are unique and bring attention to various and different aspects that are not with the norm of geocaching. The Rosa Parks coin, for example, is something that for one has not been done and is a reminder that challenges are still out there and we can conquer them.

 

Many of the coin vendors in the geocaching scene are constantly revolving on a limited scene of just geocaching. Thor's Hammer has coins that are either artistic, practical, or both. His coins are very intricate and detailed, so of course the price of the craftsmanship and quality is going to be higher than the standard stuff you find out there.

 

I received the Native American Sealion series (4 coins) today and was very impressed on not just the price but on the craftsmanship of the coins. His Mayan Astronaut series is very detailed so it is very evident that he and his crew have gone through a lot of research to produce a great product. His other coins series are also excellent so it is evident that he wants to make sure you get a high quality product instead of a highly produced low quality mass produced item.

 

In short, he is going for quality over quantity. And once you see his product, you know it is some awesome work.

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Well two things jumped out at me, they state all the coins are in hand, but several are shown as finished artwork - not finished coins. Second - I don't know of any coin company that would openly state to their customers to choose whatever coins they would like and once they have received them they can send the money. Is this intended to lull prospective customers into a false sense of security and pay upfront anyway. Usually if something sounds too good to be true it usually is. Testimonials from just three customers, no presence in the coin forums and the comments option on their website closed. This company may just be naive and a bit green about the gills, but ............................

 

Tooey - There are trusting souls out in the world. For example, I know of a vendor in Arizona that sells Koa wood fountain pens. They usually run about $35-40 each. One day I wash mine with a load of clothes. I tracked the guy down and he, on good faith, send me a replacement pen and just asked me to send him a check after the pen arrived. He now has a loyal customer in me and I have purchased several of his pens.

 

Just because this vendor does not haunt the GC forums does not mean he is a shady character. Nor does having the comments closed on his website. Give the guy a chance instead of prejudging him...

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Just an update to say that my issues with Compass Coins has been resolved. The owner has been quite responsive and assures me that he is very committed to customer service. His efforts so far indicate to me that this is true.

 

I again sent him the link to this thread and have invited him to introduce himself to all of us - letting him know that he will likely reach out to many more customers by having open communication with us on the board here. It may be that internet message boards aren't really in his comfort zone. That sounds pretty understandable to me. Ultimately I hope he will stop by and say hello. Hopefully he will be made to feel welcome if he does. :unsure:

 

I definitely look forward to seeing the coins in hand when they arrive. The picture posted by BVnLJ looks pretty great. Thanks for posting that!

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