flyingveepixie

"Love'll fly you to the moon and back", tra la la  🎶  Great song that, and a great album too as a matter of fact...
However : I can't make any sense of the gold price and movement at the moment so perhaps someone can enlighten me (again!  grrr)   I see the £ falling against the $, then I see it rising again and gold seems to do what it likes with no apparent pattern.  
I'm obviously a bit naive and by not looking at the full picture have perhaps a somewhat simplistic view of how it all works, but what am I missing?  Global inflation..?   Chinese and Russian stockpiling?  manipulation by crooked international bankers?  Covid?  (lol) Climate change? (lol again)  WEF shenanigans and fear mongering?  All or none of the above?  
What..?  
It's very frustrating

The whole crux of the problem lies in the fact that ebay couldn't care less as long as ebay's best interests are covered, ie their bottom line.  This wasn't always the case as I can clearly remember them pulling fakes and kicking crooks off the site with regularity whenever they were reported or detected, but this was many years ago in their very early days.  Nowadays they just couldn't care less.
As for Paypal, I'm astounded (but nonetheless pleased) that the OP managed to get any kind of goodwill payment out of them..
 

Another day, another ebay story, although this time with a positive result for the buyer.  I've purchased bullion on ebay in the past but only silver and would no longer take the risk as I don't trust it or sellers who use it an inch, mainly for the reasons of
1.  there being too many crooks and scammers who use it nowadays - at least on the UK site, maybe it's different and a bit more honest in the US..?  but the few (or many?) bad apples on ebay UK have tarred everyone with the same brush and in my own experience at least (almost 20 years of buying and selling on ebay) it's no longer worth the risk or the hassle.
2. Ebay customer service is at best poor in the UK and when you get to speak to them on the phone it's like talking to an automaton who tends to not listen to your concerns and use any kind of creativity to fix the problem but who can only read lines from a set of terms and conditions which are always loaded in ebay's favour - undoubtedly not their fault as individuals but that's the way it is with ebay UK.
As to signing for an item. I've hardly had to sign for a tracked item since March 2020 when physical signing went out the window. Small signed for and special delivery items are now simply pushed through my letterbox and large items are dumped on my doorstep with the delivery driver taking a pic of it for his own benefit before he rings the bell and dashes off at high speed.  I can only imagine the bad vibes which would be aimed in my direction from delivery drivers if I stopped every one of them and insisted I inspect the package at length before accepting it, and to be fair I couldn't really blame them as they have so many deliveries to get through in a day that if they stopped at every customers door to go through a rigmarole they'd be lucky to get finished before midnight.
In general pretty much the only item I ever actually have to physically sign for these days is if I happen to buy a bottle of whisky on Amazon or at the whisky auction, and that's only because Nanny insists that I have to be over 18 (or is it 21?) to accept an alcohol delivery.  Everything else just gets dumped on the doorstep.
Maybe it's different in the US but here in the UK the usual excuse of "due to Covid"  has given so many companies  - and usually the biggest ones - the opportunity to throw decent customer service out of the window, probably along with half their employees...🤔

The whole crux of the problem lies in the fact that ebay couldn't care less as long as ebay's best interests are covered, ie their bottom line.  This wasn't always the case as I can clearly remember them pulling fakes and kicking crooks off the site with regularity whenever they were reported or detected, but this was many years ago in their very early days.  Nowadays they just couldn't care less.
As for Paypal, I'm astounded (but nonetheless pleased) that the OP managed to get any kind of goodwill payment out of them..
 

At least you got something back ...

At least you got something back ...

Final update: PayPal gave me £55 as a goodwill gesture and Royal Mail have just sent a cheque for £50+postage as on my lost item form I stated that it wasn't a genuine coin, it was a replica, therefore should be covered.

If I had only posted it with Special Delivery it would have either got there or I would have been refunded. I am never sending anything any other way. A very valuable lesson.

Disappointed in myself, disappointed in the system that has no allowances for a human touch. Just automated yes/no black/white.

Seller responsive on eBay but just saying he's offended I've accused him of trying to defraud people and feels like I'm suggesting he is a delinquent because I gave a negative review (lol).

Wonder if I'd paid £1450 he'd still have been offended. He probably needs the cash more than me.

At least I've got a story out of this to warn others:

Don't buy unless from a trusted source
Don't post cheap
Don't escalate to PayPal before eBay has completed their resolution process
Don't be stupid
 

Paypal are scumbags. Paypal have always been scumbags.  A real rogue organisation, although to be fair they have upped their game considerably since the very early days. Back in the early days (early 2000s) they locked my account not once but twice for absolutely no reason whatsoever and were completely uncontactable. Coincidentally this happened on both occasions when my ebay accounts of the time were hacked and I was permanently locked out of them. On both occasions I lost the balance in the account.  I am currently on my third Paypal account as a result and as much as I dislike using it, what choice do we have so much of the time and on so many occasions in this crappy modern age with the endless and constant creep of globalisation..
Ebay are scumbags.  Ebay have not always been on the same level of scumbagism ala Paypal, but they were never exactly what you might call a bastion of honourable trade.   Back in the early days it was probably a good bit safer to trade on ebay than it is now when it was mostly just joe bloggs from down the road selling his unwanted second hand tat.  When all these businesses started using it as a selling platform rather than an auction site as it had been around 10-15 years ago, it became so much more global in it's nature and so big that it could and can do apparently what it likes, that's when it really started to go downhill.
Royal Mail : well their reputation precedes them but provided you jump through the correct hoops you will usually always get most of your money back.  In this instance you didn't jump through the correct hoops and should have sent the coin by Special Delivery.  Did you not know you wouldn't be insured sending it via bog standard signed for?  They do explain that fact clearly enough on their website and give specific mention to items such as coins, currency, and other valuables.
I do sympathise with you and I'm sorry this has happened to you as I've had a few hair raising moments of my own on ebay over the years, and as with many others on here I am furious on your behalf, but against these faceless global entities we are all virtually powerless. 
The bottom line is that you'll probably lose out this time but hopefully learn the hard lesson and stay away from ebay unless you're looking for some trivial item like a hairbrush or a cheap screwdriver as it's infested with dishonest hustlers and crooks these days, especially in respect of trading rare and valuable items. In my own line of speciality on ebay I've seen many fake guitars pop up over the years bearing the names of Gibson and Fender and really looking the part,  and sometimes they can be very difficult to spot until after the event as you only have photographs to look at and a description from the seller. 
As stated in another thread just a few days ago I'm sick to death of ebay and what it has become and I'm almost completely done with it, with it's dodgy dealings and bloated fees, scripted customer service read by automatons, and the whole thing designed to protect and serve the interests of ebay itself rather than the customer.
As already suggested above - you have his address. You could always go and pay him a visit to get your refund...

Ach man it's just daft banter and as far as I'm concerned infinitely preferable to the kind of c**p you get as mainstream on the likes of fartybook and twatter.   It's a good bunch of guys and gals on here and all very knowledgable.
If it helps put your mind at rest I posted the same concerns on a thread here several months ago after I had bought a few coins on ebay.  See here..
I still have the coins and am still not 100% sure they are wholly genuine although I think they probably are...
I was a complete newbie on here at the time and was humbled when @James32 messaged me to extend the same offer as he has done for you on this thread, although I didn't take him up on it at the time, but you get what I mean right...    A good bunch of blokes as I say and the daft banter is part and parcel of just about every single thread on the forum..
To summarise : inasmuch as 'anything can happen' and you may or may not have purchased a duff coin or two, but TBH if you bought them from a reputable dealer I would seriously doubt it and suggest the probability of it being the genuine article is much higher than of it being a fake.

That's odd that you can't see the thread, maybe something to do with your subscription level..?   Although there isn't a lot to see really. Just more or less the same as this one but with less replies..

Thanks for that.  Sadly I cant see the thread.
Im a lot calmer about it than I was now anyway!

Ach man it's just daft banter and as far as I'm concerned infinitely preferable to the kind of c**p you get as mainstream on the likes of fartybook and twatter.   It's a good bunch of guys and gals on here and all very knowledgable.
If it helps put your mind at rest I posted the same concerns on a thread here several months ago after I had bought a few coins on ebay.  See here..
I still have the coins and am still not 100% sure they are wholly genuine although I think they probably are...
I was a complete newbie on here at the time and was humbled when @James32 messaged me to extend the same offer as he has done for you on this thread, although I didn't take him up on it at the time, but you get what I mean right...    A good bunch of blokes as I say and the daft banter is part and parcel of just about every single thread on the forum..
To summarise : inasmuch as 'anything can happen' and you may or may not have purchased a duff coin or two, but TBH if you bought them from a reputable dealer I would seriously doubt it and suggest the probability of it being the genuine article is much higher than of it being a fake.

If you could drag them away from fartbook and the important business of painting their toenails pink...

Horrible story - sorry this happened to you.
You have his address for justice, or go down the legal route, i'm sure the police would be keen to investigate someone selling counterfiet coins. 

Yeh PayPal back in 03/04/05 times were awful. I was a big seller on there when the Von Dutch hat craze was about. The customer service was awful and restricted to America online I believe in terms of contacting customer service. Ahhh the good old days of receiving cheques in the post and waiting 5-7 days to clear before sending out the items lol.

Paypal are scumbags. Paypal have always been scumbags.  A real rogue organisation, although to be fair they have upped their game considerably since the very early days. Back in the early days (early 2000s) they locked my account not once but twice for absolutely no reason whatsoever and were completely uncontactable. Coincidentally this happened on both occasions when my ebay accounts of the time were hacked and I was permanently locked out of them. On both occasions I lost the balance in the account.  I am currently on my third Paypal account as a result and as much as I dislike using it, what choice do we have so much of the time and on so many occasions in this crappy modern age with the endless and constant creep of globalisation..
Ebay are scumbags.  Ebay have not always been on the same level of scumbagism ala Paypal, but they were never exactly what you might call a bastion of honourable trade.   Back in the early days it was probably a good bit safer to trade on ebay than it is now when it was mostly just joe bloggs from down the road selling his unwanted second hand tat.  When all these businesses started using it as a selling platform rather than an auction site as it had been around 10-15 years ago, it became so much more global in it's nature and so big that it could and can do apparently what it likes, that's when it really started to go downhill.
Royal Mail : well their reputation precedes them but provided you jump through the correct hoops you will usually always get most of your money back.  In this instance you didn't jump through the correct hoops and should have sent the coin by Special Delivery.  Did you not know you wouldn't be insured sending it via bog standard signed for?  They do explain that fact clearly enough on their website and give specific mention to items such as coins, currency, and other valuables.
I do sympathise with you and I'm sorry this has happened to you as I've had a few hair raising moments of my own on ebay over the years, and as with many others on here I am furious on your behalf, but against these faceless global entities we are all virtually powerless. 
The bottom line is that you'll probably lose out this time but hopefully learn the hard lesson and stay away from ebay unless you're looking for some trivial item like a hairbrush or a cheap screwdriver as it's infested with dishonest hustlers and crooks these days, especially in respect of trading rare and valuable items. In my own line of speciality on ebay I've seen many fake guitars pop up over the years bearing the names of Gibson and Fender and really looking the part,  and sometimes they can be very difficult to spot until after the event as you only have photographs to look at and a description from the seller. 
As stated in another thread just a few days ago I'm sick to death of ebay and what it has become and I'm almost completely done with it, with it's dodgy dealings and bloated fees, scripted customer service read by automatons, and the whole thing designed to protect and serve the interests of ebay itself rather than the customer.
As already suggested above - you have his address. You could always go and pay him a visit to get your refund...

Ach man it's just daft banter and as far as I'm concerned infinitely preferable to the kind of c**p you get as mainstream on the likes of fartybook and twatter.   It's a good bunch of guys and gals on here and all very knowledgable.
If it helps put your mind at rest I posted the same concerns on a thread here several months ago after I had bought a few coins on ebay.  See here..
I still have the coins and am still not 100% sure they are wholly genuine although I think they probably are...
I was a complete newbie on here at the time and was humbled when @James32 messaged me to extend the same offer as he has done for you on this thread, although I didn't take him up on it at the time, but you get what I mean right...    A good bunch of blokes as I say and the daft banter is part and parcel of just about every single thread on the forum..
To summarise : inasmuch as 'anything can happen' and you may or may not have purchased a duff coin or two, but TBH if you bought them from a reputable dealer I would seriously doubt it and suggest the probability of it being the genuine article is much higher than of it being a fake.

Ach man it's just daft banter and as far as I'm concerned infinitely preferable to the kind of c**p you get as mainstream on the likes of fartybook and twatter.   It's a good bunch of guys and gals on here and all very knowledgable.
If it helps put your mind at rest I posted the same concerns on a thread here several months ago after I had bought a few coins on ebay.  See here..
I still have the coins and am still not 100% sure they are wholly genuine although I think they probably are...
I was a complete newbie on here at the time and was humbled when @James32 messaged me to extend the same offer as he has done for you on this thread, although I didn't take him up on it at the time, but you get what I mean right...    A good bunch of blokes as I say and the daft banter is part and parcel of just about every single thread on the forum..
To summarise : inasmuch as 'anything can happen' and you may or may not have purchased a duff coin or two, but TBH if you bought them from a reputable dealer I would seriously doubt it and suggest the probability of it being the genuine article is much higher than of it being a fake.

Ach man it's just daft banter and as far as I'm concerned infinitely preferable to the kind of c**p you get as mainstream on the likes of fartybook and twatter.   It's a good bunch of guys and gals on here and all very knowledgable.
If it helps put your mind at rest I posted the same concerns on a thread here several months ago after I had bought a few coins on ebay.  See here..
I still have the coins and am still not 100% sure they are wholly genuine although I think they probably are...
I was a complete newbie on here at the time and was humbled when @James32 messaged me to extend the same offer as he has done for you on this thread, although I didn't take him up on it at the time, but you get what I mean right...    A good bunch of blokes as I say and the daft banter is part and parcel of just about every single thread on the forum..
To summarise : inasmuch as 'anything can happen' and you may or may not have purchased a duff coin or two, but TBH if you bought them from a reputable dealer I would seriously doubt it and suggest the probability of it being the genuine article is much higher than of it being a fake.

Ach man it's just daft banter and as far as I'm concerned infinitely preferable to the kind of c**p you get as mainstream on the likes of fartybook and twatter.   It's a good bunch of guys and gals on here and all very knowledgable.
If it helps put your mind at rest I posted the same concerns on a thread here several months ago after I had bought a few coins on ebay.  See here..
I still have the coins and am still not 100% sure they are wholly genuine although I think they probably are...
I was a complete newbie on here at the time and was humbled when @James32 messaged me to extend the same offer as he has done for you on this thread, although I didn't take him up on it at the time, but you get what I mean right...    A good bunch of blokes as I say and the daft banter is part and parcel of just about every single thread on the forum..
To summarise : inasmuch as 'anything can happen' and you may or may not have purchased a duff coin or two, but TBH if you bought them from a reputable dealer I would seriously doubt it and suggest the probability of it being the genuine article is much higher than of it being a fake.

More or less correct, but would not apply in the case of fakes.
T&Cs can never override criminal law or statutory rights.
Dealers have different T&Cs.
😎

Statutory rights notwithstanding, isn't it a condition of sale from dealers that bullion is not normally returnable due to the ever fluctuating spot price?  And isn't that normally stated on all dealers websites? 
Lawrence? @LawrenceChard

Statutory rights notwithstanding, isn't it a condition of sale from dealers that bullion is not normally returnable due to the ever fluctuating spot price?  And isn't that normally stated on all dealers websites? 
Lawrence? @LawrenceChard

Well I'll certainly endorse your logic. It makes a lot of sense to me.

I'd like to sell some of my silver bullion but there's no point as it's now worth less than what I paid for it, and that's before you take into account the VAT rip off.