eBay-style "games" now being played here
As both a seller and a buyer, I have a strong desire for this site to be the go-to place for all things philatelic and would love to see HS eventually blow eBay out of the water in the stamps category. It is with this in mind that I push this place anywhere I can, such as, fr example, the many philatelic message boards I frequent. Whenever I sell something on eBay, I always include links to HS along with the buyers' invoices to help get the word out. And of course, I suggest to all my collector friends that they shop here as well, having myself had nothing but good experiences whenever I've done so.
So imagine how delighted I was with the phone call I just got from a dear collector friend of mine who finally took the plunge and bid on two auctions here, each one for a German stamp and each one offered by a different seller. In both (!) cases, the stamp he received was not the one pictured in its respective auction listing, and to make matters worse, one of the stamps arrived with a diagonal crease. Needless to say, my friend is not a happy camper and (half) jokingly blames me for bringing him here. I'm used to hearing about this kind of crap happening on eBay, but am more than just a bit shocked to see this kind of malignancy metastasizing its way over to HipStamp. Hopefully my friend will get his money back without any hassles, but dishonest sellers such as the two involved here should be outed and tossed off of this platform. I don't know if my friend will now continue to shop here, but I do know that bad news travels fast and the two clowns are potentially hurting the honest sellers here (who are in the vast majority).
So imagine how delighted I was with the phone call I just got from a dear collector friend of mine who finally took the plunge and bid on two auctions here, each one for a German stamp and each one offered by a different seller. In both (!) cases, the stamp he received was not the one pictured in its respective auction listing, and to make matters worse, one of the stamps arrived with a diagonal crease. Needless to say, my friend is not a happy camper and (half) jokingly blames me for bringing him here. I'm used to hearing about this kind of crap happening on eBay, but am more than just a bit shocked to see this kind of malignancy metastasizing its way over to HipStamp. Hopefully my friend will get his money back without any hassles, but dishonest sellers such as the two involved here should be outed and tossed off of this platform. I don't know if my friend will now continue to shop here, but I do know that bad news travels fast and the two clowns are potentially hurting the honest sellers here (who are in the vast majority).
Comments
Keep up the good work George and apply for a referral fee
It is good to know your seller, ask him questions most professional dealers are more than willing to answer any concerns. The Grandpa collectors turn dealer will almost always be unprofessional. I had one guy I bought several items from because I really wanted just 1 sent me a different stamp than was actually pictured. when I messaged him he said to me "Leave me alone I am an Old man and probably sold that item years ago". All you can do is laugh and move on.
So if you are looking for a good seller and you see someone here that has the material that interests you, contact them and tell them what you collect and what are your requirements. Ask him if the item I am purchasing is the one actually pictured. Build a good healthy philatelic relationship with them and you will probably never be disappointed with your purchases (and if by chance something is not quite up to your standards they will make good on it). I would Assume that like me, other sellers feel that a Happy Customer is a Repeat Customer.
https://www.hipstamp.com/store/harry-patsalos-philatelics
As a 'grandpa' my self I would often include in my listing
'I ship this item to you".
And yes, I agree. If we have dishonest sellers, REPORT THEM and kick them off hipstamp.
That's all I've heard so far...stay tuned.
Seller #2 contacted my friend, apologized for his error, and is sending the correct stamp. He obviously handled this much better than seller #1.
Second The mention of ‘borders on fraud”…… Well there really is no “borders on” about it. It is fraud.
It is fraud because a generally accepted definition of fraud is “a deliberate act of deception to secure unfair (or unlawful) gain………..
another legal definition is … “an intentional misrepresentation of material existing fact made by one person to another with knowledge of its falsity and for the purpose of inducing the other person to act, and upon which the other person relies with resulting injury or damage. Fraud may also be made by an omission or purposeful failure to state material facts, which nondisclosure makes other statements misleading”.
I do like the second sentence. I think here about sellers not fully describing the stamps offered.
Be that as it may, one final point. Harry P make a very good point… “ I Think the problem is hobby wide and has been around for a long time” How true.
So, I conclude: All of the above is why the Internet Philatelic Dealers Association (IPDA) was started back in 2002. Read more at www.ipdastamps.com
And buyers, please look for sellers who are members of this Association or other respected and recognised philatelic bodies. And Yes George, I think you are correct, the honest sellers are in the majority.
Michael IPDA General Secretary
PS and before anyone writes and tells me it is acceptable to show a “stock image” of a Mint Never Hinged stamp - please think again .. perforation differences, centering differences, colour / shade differences they all can make a stock image be a misrepresentation.
As a IPDA member, I offer a quality product for sale. When sold, I ship THAT item to the customer.