Is eBay trustworthy?

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Hi guys!
I'm new to coin collecting both as a hobby (started about a year ago) and as a member of this community (joined yesterday). As a newbie, since day one, I had this question: Are sites like eBay trustworthy to buy coins from? Or do people prefer to swap coins online in terms of safety?
Thank you!
[Ancient] coins are a practical approach to History. Owning and holding something that was used by others hundreds or thousands of years ago, has a sense of connection through time and space.
Welcome Nijadeen,

it's years ago I used EBay, but swapping is for me a more or less weekly thing.

I only swap with partners of a good rating, in and outside the numista world.

I don't give any opinions to you. In the end it's always your own decision and risk!

Ole
Globetrotter
Coin varieties in French:
https://monnaiesetvarietes.numista.com
I buy and sell stuff on Ebay all the time. have done for decades.
Even quite expensive (relatively, for me) pieces.
If a seller has a substantial presence and history there, they are in it for the long run, and implicitly trustworthy.

There are plenty of fakes and scams on ebay too. they are everywhere else as well, even here! It's part of the business world.
The old wisdom" If its too good to be true, it probobly is" always obtains.
Jamais l'or n'a perdu la plus petite occasion de se montrer stupide. -Balzac
Welcome to Numista!

Ebay's trustworthiness, in general is like more or less real life marketplaces; there are good apples and there are rotten ones, and it's more important to know your stuff than to know the dealers. Probably some people prefer swapping, others buying; but this is personal and has no bearing in the grand scheme of things.

I buy on Ebay quite often; I have tried local online dealers as well, but nothing comes close to my usage of Ebay. Usually like Mr.Midnight said; buy from dealers with three or four digit numbers of positive reviews, and you should avoid 99% of scams if you combine that with knowing how to tell obvious fakes from photos.
Beware:

The totally not fake PCCB (Professional coin collection box) extra professional Napoleon*S DEFET Rouble of 1912


...Still on sale


These are seriously a big problem.
https://en.numista.com/forum/topic51668.html
I would not trust PCCB slabbed coins
Quote: "Nijadeen"​Hi guys!
​I'm new to coin collecting both as a hobby (started about a year ago) and as a member of this community (joined yesterday). As a newbie, since day one, I had this question: Are sites like eBay trustworthy to buy coins from? Or do people prefer to swap coins online in terms of safety?
​Thank you!
​I buy quite a few coins from eBay sellers. As CassTaylor mentioned, it is basically like real life marketplaces, there are good and bad sellers. Also, eBay does have a money back policy if you end up with a coin that is sold as original and you find to be fake after receiving. So far i have had no issues such as this, although i have seen some sellers offering coins as original that are unquestionably copies. Russia, Ukraine, China and India sellers you must exercise extra caution with, as the majority of fakes are coming from those places. Also a lot of sellers start off auctions with very low opening bids, this is not unusual, and is common practice, as they are hoping to get a lot of people interested in their auctions with low starting bids at the beginning. It is when you see a normally high value or scarce coin that is offered with a low buy it now price in regard to its usual value, this is a red flag that it is probably fake.
I buy almost all my coins on eBay. I prefer by far to buy from Canadian sellers, thus avoiding international shipping expenses and customs. Occasionally I buy from US sellers if a coin rarely shows up for sale, but the exchange rate is not good. I have the advantage of collecting mostly Canadian coins, which means that most of the dealers I follow anyway are located in Canada.

I do not buy from China. Period. Not even coin holders or albums. Nothing. Zilch. Rien. Nada.

I am very hesitant to buy ancient coins on eBay, especially if they're sold by sellers I don't know. Many fakes of ancient artefacts, including coins, are made in the Middle-East (especially Lebanon) and Cyprus, so I am reluctant to bid on anything from those places even if I might get a coin at a very good price.

It is worthwhile to visit the seller's eBay page where he explains who he is, and sometimes provides pictures of his brick-and-mortar store. It's easy enough to google them and see if there are any problems. Sometimes, you'll find out that they belong to a professional dealers' association, which is a good sign. (In Canada, they belong to the Canadian Association of Numismatic Dealers ─ CAND.)
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In general, yes its safe.

When you see something that interests you:

- Check for delivery costs, some ask too much here.

- Check for sellers rating, 98.5% and below is to my feeling already very bad.

- Check for accepted ways of payment (Already had one purchase which then only accepted payments via Check or pay cash at pickup).

- Scarcer coins I would only accept from sellers that have previously sold more than 100 objects on Ebay. (Some sellers who sell fakes get a negative feedback after lets say 20-30 ratings and then just create new accounts.

Cheers,

Paul
If you like coins, medals and tokens with ship motives follow my new instagram account with regular updates @numisnautiker
From time to time I sell some coins on Ebay make sure to follow me @apuking on Ebay.
Most of the time ebay is trustworthy, but you may as well ask me if it's safe to cross the road today, it might be but i can't guarantee you won't get run over!
a question that cannot be answered with certainty.
people talking without speaking, people hearing without listening
That’s a good question. Many collectors trust eBay and have no real problem. But the thing is that the user can upload any image of the coin and set a random starting bid. If you want to buy coins from eBay, you should first research and find out the actual market price. You also need to take expert advice from someone regarding condition.
Thank you everyone for your answers!
I ask because my collection started off by my grandfather and started expanding after me acquiring it and buying almost everything else off eBay.
Is there any validating method I can follow to make sure I didn't purchase a fake? Because in all these examples people mentioned, it so happens that I stumbled upon some.
I'm based in Cyprus and I did buy pieces both from local eBay sellers and other European ones, like ancient Roman, Byzantine trachys, medieval european and modern pieces ranging from 1700s to 1940s and I would like to see if all that trouble was worth it.
[Ancient] coins are a practical approach to History. Owning and holding something that was used by others hundreds or thousands of years ago, has a sense of connection through time and space.
Quote: "Nijadeen"​Is there any validating method I can follow to make sure I didn't purchase a fake?
​The best cure is prevention in this case, and you can prevent buying fakes by only purchasing things that have clear photos of both sides listed, and from dealers with high ratings. You can even post photos of listings here if you're still not 100% sure personally.
Welcome to Numista!

This is a great place to learn more about coin collecting. Many here want to acquire coins by type from as many countries as possible. Others like me prefer a more historical approach, focusing on one or a few countries or themes.

So, enjoy the hobby and do not hesitate to post your new coins and questions on the forum!
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I am really into low value coins, so eBay is pretty safe for me. There isn't much money in faking those.
What I collect: US, 3rd Reich Germany, Philippines, Ancients, Vatican City, North Korea.
A great deal of the stuff from China is fake, even the cheap items, but ebay is good about it.
(It hurts me because I collect cash coins.)
Also the programmers at ebay work for Satan, and if something is working well, they'll change it.
Their live operators are great, but there are often long waits.
A smart man learns from his mistakes.  A smarter man learns from someone else's.
Quote: "Kurt53"​A great deal of the stuff from China is fake, even the cheap items, but ebay is good about it.
​(It hurts me because I collect cash coins.)


​I concur. I have only bought cash coins from my local coin shops and shows since I would trust them a little more than eBay.
What I collect: US, 3rd Reich Germany, Philippines, Ancients, Vatican City, North Korea.
I have been on eBay since September 1997. I have a feedback rating of 27,278 and have received feedback on 49,213 transactions. (Part of this difference is because, in the early years, only the first feedback from a unique Buyer was counted in your feedback rating.)

Other members have given you a good overview of eBay. I feel that eBay's return policies and other policies are heavily in the Buyer's favor, and a Buyer can only get hurt if you fail to follow the return and complaint guidelines. I do have a few recommendations for you:

1. Grading is an art, not a science. Learn how to grade what you want, and grade your purchases. (Keep in mind that return privileges may require the coin to be in its unopened holder.) If you sincerely feel that the coin is overgraded, send the Seller a message and discuss it. Make certain that you meet the return deadlines, if you cannot come to an agreeable resolution.

(Note: If you are challenging the grade or value of an auction item, and you were not the only bidder, the Seller may feel that they are required to get a return/give a refund, and offer the coin to the second highest bidder.)

2. Some Buyers look only at Auction listings. You should always also search for Fixed Price listings of the coin you want. You may find a coin that has been misidentified, or has been priced some time ago and is a bargain.

3. When bidding in an auction, set your ceiling for what you will pay for an item, and stick to it. Some bad apples do have "shill bidders" who keep bidding to drive up the price (this is against eBay rules, but it does happen).

4. Many Buyers set up "sniper" bids to be placed within seconds of the end of the auction. Be careful if you place a very high bid--you may well have to honor it.

5. Sellers may have more than one of a specific coin. Do not be surprised if you get a Second Chance Notice if you were not the high bidder. (You must have your settings to permit a Second Chance Notice.)

6. If you find a Fixed Price coin you wish to buy, do not be afraid to make a counter offer or to ask for a small discount. Bear in mind that a Seller will generally only get about 80% of the sales price, due to eBay and PayPal fees, so the margin on the coin may be rather thin. Requesting a discount of 10%, on a total purchase over $100, is reasonable. Offers of 40-50% off the listed price will generally be ignored--or get you on that Seller's Blocked Bidders list.

7. You can, if you wish, ask a Seller to reduce the minimum bid on an auction, if you sincerely feel that it is overpriced (or it is slightly out of your price range), and you will quickly place a bid at the lower price. I would do this very rarely, if at all.

8. Finally (and this should not need to be said), if you place a bid, you should honor it. (You would be surprised how many bidders do not pay for the auctions they have won!)

Welcome to eBay! I hope that you establish long-term relationships with your favorite Sellers.
That information is so useful, I will keep them in mind for future purchases!
Thank you so much for your advice!
[Ancient] coins are a practical approach to History. Owning and holding something that was used by others hundreds or thousands of years ago, has a sense of connection through time and space.

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