Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
Discussion - Member to Member Sales - Research Center
I went to a show in August and paid $50 for a stamp I thought I needed. It took me until later that month to get around to working my purchases into my album before I caught it. I emailed the seller, he lives across the country and asked if I could simply return it for a refund, he replied immediately in the affirmative. I mailed to him around 9-1. No reply by 9-29 when I asked him to confirm he got it. He replied he was 'on the road' that he'd look for it upon his return. As of today, no word and no reply to another followup.
Do I write this off as a dumb mistake on my part? I sense I antagonized him by messaging too much. If this were a lower priced item I'd have long since written it off.
I'd be interested in how this turned out with anyone else. I might add, I spent several hundreds with this guy.
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It is a bad amount to deal with. Too small to warrant a registered letter and too large to just leave on the table. If the seller does not acknowledge receipt of your item, I do not think there is anything you can do.
I do end up with a fair amount of duplicates - some bought in the process of acquiring a few stamps I actually need in a lot and others , for the same reason as you - forgetting what I already have.
I just turn around and swap them for stamps I need. I may end up losing a few cents in the process, but damage is negligible. It is mostly the time spent that counts, and we all spend time with the hobby because we like it.
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I wind up with duplicates all the time. Sometimes the cost was negligible, some times it was more in line with the discussion.
When that happens, I usually just put the duplicate up for sale online. As Cougar says, sometimes I break even, sometimes it cost me a couple of bucks.
I wouldn't start sweating right now. The fall is stamp show time. He probably is out on the road. Give him time to get caught up with things. He probably isn't on the young side either. Dealers don't like giving refunds, but he said he would, and I would go with that. If you don't hear from him by the end of October, I would contact him again and see what he says.
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Actually, sometimes I intentionally purchased duplicate for 2 reasons:
.
Reason #1 I keep a duplicate as a back up if it gets damaged in the future.
Reason #2 I keep it so I can build a 2nd collection (Topical).
.
I never sell or swap duplicate because it undermine my goal.
Always have a duplicate if your stamp is high value or rare.
This is like an insurance. A strategy I used often to protect the collection.
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There are more reasons to keep duplicates. These are some that I have duplicates for:
Reason #3 A particular city cancellation (sometimes it interferes with the stamp design, so you need another copy with a small cancellation)
Reason #4 You like the stamp so much that you cannot help it keeping duplicates (some Pro-Juventute stamps come to mind)
Reason #5 You expect the price of the stamp to go up, so you want to have a few around for exchanges at a later time.
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I've had this experience. The last stamp dealer here closed shop, so I buy at shows or from ebay. When buying via ebay, I check my albums first. I learned to do that through hard experience. Most dealers are accommodating, taking returns. I do not always ask to return an item. Sometimes I just add it to my collection. My Germany collection as many examples of the same stamp if there is a shade or an interesting postmark.
I take my album with me when buying at a show. They're heavy, especially in my old age - arthritis and such. But I can confirm I need something before I buy it.
Dealers who travel show circuits are slow to act on returns because they are away for extended period. Patience is required.
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I've kept my powder dry until now, but I have to say this. Why is the dealer expected to take a return for an erroneous purchase?
I'm as focused on customer service as anyone, and I accept returns on a no-quibble basis if the stamp isn't up to standard, but I doubt that I would accept a return for a change of mind.
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01:30:11pm
'....I seem to buy the same stamps over and over again at stamp shows. ..."
That is how topical pages are born.
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Interesting comments, thanks all.
My gut tells me he's not going to refund me. I ought to have just kept the damn stamps, resold them on Ebay at a slight loss and moved on. If that happens he's getting a wide berth from me in the future. You spend $7-800 with someone you expect better than this.
He's getting one last message from me the end of October before I put it down to experience and move on. You live and learn.
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Granted, and that's obviously important. However, the dealer will have adjusted inventory, and possibly reinvested the profit from the sale to replace the sold stamp.
This is precisely why fair trade laws don't cover "change of mind".
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Bumping this up as I want to add one detail I left out. The show I attended with this dealer was the APS Stampshow in Omaha. There's still dead silence on his end, a simple 'Yes I haven't forgotten and still will check on this when I can get to it' would suffice at this point. He's just blowing me off which I find maddening.
Does anyone have an opinion whether a referral to the APS would help? I don't want to file a formal complaint but just possibly if he hears from someone he might get a little more communicative. Id bet he has this item back in his inventory by now and thinks I will just go away.
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Call up APS and get their opinion. If the dealer is an APS member, the dealer is bound by the APS Code of Ethics.
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I would just resell the stamp and move on.
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He doesn't have the stamp. He sent it back to the dealer who hasn't sent the refund.
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Just checked my inbox and got this from him:
'I am finally home and have been busy with stuff around here. I will get a check in the mail for you today. '
I never did identify him on here so this thread had nothing to do with this. I fully realize show dealers often have a rigorous schedule but geesh.. it's a stretch to believe he couldn't have attended to this before now.
If this ever happens again I will simply find some use for the duplicate in my collections or will put it out on Ebay. Lesson learned.
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At least it worked out for you, although it took a while.
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Hi Everyone;
List in SOR auction or eBay or....?
still just sortin'....
TuskenRaider
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We've all done it. You go to a show with your wantlist and when arriving home you find you purchased a stamp you already had, you somehow forgot to cross it off your list. Do you keep it, or do you try to return it to the dealer?
I went to a show in August and paid $50 for a stamp I thought I needed. It took me until later that month to get around to working my purchases into my album before I caught it. I emailed the seller, he lives across the country and asked if I could simply return it for a refund, he replied immediately in the affirmative. I mailed to him around 9-1. No reply by 9-29 when I asked him to confirm he got it. He replied he was 'on the road' that he'd look for it upon his return. As of today, no word and no reply to another followup.
Do I write this off as a dumb mistake on my part? I sense I antagonized him by messaging too much. If this were a lower priced item I'd have long since written it off.
I'd be interested in how this turned out with anyone else. I might add, I spent several hundreds with this guy.
Login to Like
this post
re: Bought Duplicate by Mistake; Need Advice
It is a bad amount to deal with. Too small to warrant a registered letter and too large to just leave on the table. If the seller does not acknowledge receipt of your item, I do not think there is anything you can do.
I do end up with a fair amount of duplicates - some bought in the process of acquiring a few stamps I actually need in a lot and others , for the same reason as you - forgetting what I already have.
I just turn around and swap them for stamps I need. I may end up losing a few cents in the process, but damage is negligible. It is mostly the time spent that counts, and we all spend time with the hobby because we like it.
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01:21:29pm
re: Bought Duplicate by Mistake; Need Advice
I wind up with duplicates all the time. Sometimes the cost was negligible, some times it was more in line with the discussion.
When that happens, I usually just put the duplicate up for sale online. As Cougar says, sometimes I break even, sometimes it cost me a couple of bucks.
I wouldn't start sweating right now. The fall is stamp show time. He probably is out on the road. Give him time to get caught up with things. He probably isn't on the young side either. Dealers don't like giving refunds, but he said he would, and I would go with that. If you don't hear from him by the end of October, I would contact him again and see what he says.
Login to Like
this post
re: Bought Duplicate by Mistake; Need Advice
Actually, sometimes I intentionally purchased duplicate for 2 reasons:
.
Reason #1 I keep a duplicate as a back up if it gets damaged in the future.
Reason #2 I keep it so I can build a 2nd collection (Topical).
.
I never sell or swap duplicate because it undermine my goal.
Always have a duplicate if your stamp is high value or rare.
This is like an insurance. A strategy I used often to protect the collection.
1 Member
likes this post.
Login to Like.
re: Bought Duplicate by Mistake; Need Advice
There are more reasons to keep duplicates. These are some that I have duplicates for:
Reason #3 A particular city cancellation (sometimes it interferes with the stamp design, so you need another copy with a small cancellation)
Reason #4 You like the stamp so much that you cannot help it keeping duplicates (some Pro-Juventute stamps come to mind)
Reason #5 You expect the price of the stamp to go up, so you want to have a few around for exchanges at a later time.
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12:37:17pm
re: Bought Duplicate by Mistake; Need Advice
I've had this experience. The last stamp dealer here closed shop, so I buy at shows or from ebay. When buying via ebay, I check my albums first. I learned to do that through hard experience. Most dealers are accommodating, taking returns. I do not always ask to return an item. Sometimes I just add it to my collection. My Germany collection as many examples of the same stamp if there is a shade or an interesting postmark.
I take my album with me when buying at a show. They're heavy, especially in my old age - arthritis and such. But I can confirm I need something before I buy it.
Dealers who travel show circuits are slow to act on returns because they are away for extended period. Patience is required.
Login to Like
this post
re: Bought Duplicate by Mistake; Need Advice
I've kept my powder dry until now, but I have to say this. Why is the dealer expected to take a return for an erroneous purchase?
I'm as focused on customer service as anyone, and I accept returns on a no-quibble basis if the stamp isn't up to standard, but I doubt that I would accept a return for a change of mind.
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Silence in the face of adversity is the father of complicity and collusion, the first cousins of conspiracy..
12 Oct 2019
01:30:11pm
re: Bought Duplicate by Mistake; Need Advice
'....I seem to buy the same stamps over and over again at stamp shows. ..."
That is how topical pages are born.
Login to Like
this post
re: Bought Duplicate by Mistake; Need Advice
Interesting comments, thanks all.
My gut tells me he's not going to refund me. I ought to have just kept the damn stamps, resold them on Ebay at a slight loss and moved on. If that happens he's getting a wide berth from me in the future. You spend $7-800 with someone you expect better than this.
He's getting one last message from me the end of October before I put it down to experience and move on. You live and learn.
Login to Like
this post
re: Bought Duplicate by Mistake; Need Advice
Granted, and that's obviously important. However, the dealer will have adjusted inventory, and possibly reinvested the profit from the sale to replace the sold stamp.
This is precisely why fair trade laws don't cover "change of mind".
4 Members
like this post.
Login to Like.
re: Bought Duplicate by Mistake; Need Advice
Bumping this up as I want to add one detail I left out. The show I attended with this dealer was the APS Stampshow in Omaha. There's still dead silence on his end, a simple 'Yes I haven't forgotten and still will check on this when I can get to it' would suffice at this point. He's just blowing me off which I find maddening.
Does anyone have an opinion whether a referral to the APS would help? I don't want to file a formal complaint but just possibly if he hears from someone he might get a little more communicative. Id bet he has this item back in his inventory by now and thinks I will just go away.
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11:43:42am
re: Bought Duplicate by Mistake; Need Advice
Call up APS and get their opinion. If the dealer is an APS member, the dealer is bound by the APS Code of Ethics.
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re: Bought Duplicate by Mistake; Need Advice
I would just resell the stamp and move on.
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12:26:28pm
re: Bought Duplicate by Mistake; Need Advice
He doesn't have the stamp. He sent it back to the dealer who hasn't sent the refund.
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re: Bought Duplicate by Mistake; Need Advice
Just checked my inbox and got this from him:
'I am finally home and have been busy with stuff around here. I will get a check in the mail for you today. '
I never did identify him on here so this thread had nothing to do with this. I fully realize show dealers often have a rigorous schedule but geesh.. it's a stretch to believe he couldn't have attended to this before now.
If this ever happens again I will simply find some use for the duplicate in my collections or will put it out on Ebay. Lesson learned.
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02:55:39pm
re: Bought Duplicate by Mistake; Need Advice
At least it worked out for you, although it took a while.
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re: Bought Duplicate by Mistake; Need Advice
Hi Everyone;
List in SOR auction or eBay or....?
still just sortin'....
TuskenRaider
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