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frozenheroes

Why Should The 'Buyer Beware' ?

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frozenheroes
, 09-02-2012 at 02:22 PM (808 Views)
I had an interesting conversation with a seller on the Bay a couple of weeks ago and I have to be honest and say that I finally snapped. Here I am thinking I'm helping a seller out because he is trying to sell a card that isn't what he is claiming it is so I send him a message. Well the reply I get is an absolute jioke and treats me like I've committed some crime. I am so sick and tired of hearing that the "Buyer Should Beware" that I could have driven down to this sellers shop and done something really stupid. This is absolutely ridiculous that someone can be so arrogant or deceitful that they would intentionally lie about a card. Worse then that they claim to have been in the hobby for many, many years so they should know better. Now for me it isn't a question about an honest mistake as I first gave them credit for now it is an out and out lie and attempt to be dishonest and misleading.

If you have been in the hobby long enough you know what is a rookie card and what isn't. A card that is in the player's rookie year but not part of the regular set ISN'T a Rookie Card ! In this case it is a Jonathan Toews 2007-08 Ultimate card, an Ultimate Signatures card ! Yes it is from his rookie year but it ISN'T a Toews Rookie Card

Here is my message to this seller: As a coutesy I wanted to contact you and tell you that this isn't a rookie card and nowhere in the description on the card is the word 'rookie' used. This is simply an autograph card from Jonathan's rookie year. Your listing is quite misleading abd could cause problems for you down the road.

Here is the seller's wonderful response: Its a rookie card. His first year was 2007-08 therefore it's a rookie. Many people list it as a rookie. Did you harass them too? Must be nice to have so much time on your hands. It doesnt have to say "rookie" on the card for it to be a rookie. This is not misleading. Ultimate is an NHL release and it is a set. This is Toews Rookie Card from that set. You are being way too anal on this one. Dont contact us anymore.


After saying don't contact us anymore I get the following message from the seller "This is a petty overbearing bunch of nonsense" and then I get this one later on "We are reporting you to ebay for harassment. What part about DO NOT CONTACT US dont you get? Get lost. Who made you God on here? There's no lie in this listing. I've been collecting for 56 years. Mind your own business and do not contact us again you arrogant snob."

I should have bought the card myself and then filed a claim for selling an item not as described. Then I could have left negative feedback and hopefully stopped this ™™™™™™™ from selling his crap to unsuspecting suckers.

It is always the novice collector or someone trying to buy something for someone who gets screwed here. They get told it is a rookie card or something like that when it isn't. I get at least two to three people a week in my store who bought something from someone for whatever amount of money and I have to tell them that they either didn't get what they were told the item was or they paid way too much. That is just as bad as selling a card on the Bay for $69.99 when you know that it books for $30.00 (same big store from previous rant). As a store owner in this hobby we are responsible for educating the collector, being sure they know what they are buying and teaching them what is or isn't. These stores or sellers who are just taking the buyer's money by overcharging or misrepresenting what the item actually is are a disgrace to the hobby and should be damned ashamed of themselves. These people or lowlifes are the reason why this hobby has such a bad rap and why stores don't last. Too many people get ripped off and leave the hobby because they have lost interest and feel that nobody in the hobby can be trusted
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  1. frozenheroes's Avatar
    Well thanks all for the comments on my blog post.

    Just to follow up this message was just received from the seller. The same seller who said not to contact him anumore and then continued to email me.
    "Get over yourself. We aren't liars and it was jealousy on your part, not an honest intrest in us, that made you post us. Your comment that "people like us" are part of the problem on Ebay was out of line and since Ebay never coontacted us about your snivvling whining accusatory nonsense, we remain assured that your rant was not from the heart at all. Ebay has told few have a record like ours but since there are stalking ™™™™™™™s like you out there, we closed our store. There's other ways to get rid of these things. It isn't worth it anymore. Since your prices are so out of whack we know you dont want to sell anything. Save your anal BS for someone else...got it hoser?"

    My reply to this comment is simple. I am not jealous as my thirty-five years in this hobby proves that I have nothing to be jealous about. I have never been accused of cheating, ripping off, artificially increasing prices or giving advice for personal gain. If my prices are so out of whack I seem to get a lot of collectors who appreciate that I don't charge above Beckett for my 'guide listed' items and in fact sell at 50% off the guide in my store everyday, even for hot rookies such as Nugent-Hopkins. Yes there are exceptions such as non-guide listed scarce items or consignment items but our basic practice for our stuff is 50% off guide. The bottom line is there is a Beckett guide which clearly states what is or isn't a rookie card and in this case it isn't. Why should someone deem that while it isn't booked as a rookie I'm going to sell it as one and then when the purchaser brings it to someone who knows what is what and tells them that it isn't a rookie they get the big disappointment ? As for the closing of your store I thank you on behalf of all jonest collectors. The only reason eBay didn't say anything is because I couldn't be bothered to go any further with the issue and get them involved. I was so pissed off and wanted to leave the hobby myself because I've had enough of con artists and crooks ripping collectors off. When people come into my store and say that people selling cards are like car salesmen or life insurance salesmen it hurts even though the comment wasn't directed at me directly. It starts to beat you down and you question why you even bother trying to make the hobby better. Then you get a comment from a collector (this is exactly as we got it unedited or changed) like the following and you feel a lot better.
    You wonder if there are still people around who remember why people collect.....then this is the place. I met Doug a couple of years ago....back at the old location (would you like a tatoo with your rookie card ;) ), I met Doug and Angie, and I found someone who has a heart. That is really rare in this field, as many, many people care about the almighty $. Now don't get me wrong, I know this is necessary to survive, but the two of them are not in it to get rich. They do it for the love of collecting, and are honest with people. These two have given the shirt off their backs for people, because it is the right thing to do. I have always said that karma exists, and for these two they deserve all the positive karma that is out there. People need to visit this store for not only the product, not only the cards, but for the people. With Mike involved (Mr. Cup ;) ), I think Durham Region will now get what it has been missing for years, a true blue (and that is hard to say being a Philly fan), genuine card/memorabilia store. Come see what will be an amazing place.