Seller Guarantee on books vs. CGC grade - Comments please 0

[comicinvestor-migration]

I think no matter the return/refund policy you adopt, the only requirement is for it to be spelled out. If you guarantee CGC grading, but don't refund CGC fees or shipping, then state this in black and white. If you won't accept returns on CGC'd comics, then just put this statement clearly on each auction.

 

My only problem with return options is when the seller hides very important factors and leads me to pay higher or even bid in the first place on his/her auctions. How you run an auction is your business, as long as nothing is hidden behind Door Number 3.

 

We stand by our grade: If you choose, at your expense, to have a book purchased from us slabbed by CGC we guarantee our grade will be at least as high, numerically, as the CGC grade. If not, return the comic to us, within six months of purchasing it, in the undisturbed CGC holder, in the same condition as we sent it to you, and we will refund your original purchase price, your original postage/handling charge that we charged for shipping the item to you as well as your return postage expense to us.

 

See this still hedges around the point and wastes space. You run around stating what is refundable when a simple sentence would leave no questions asked:

 

CGC Grading Fees are NON-REFUNDABLE

 

No questions, no confusion, no nothing.

[Darthdiesel]

Bruce,

 

Since everyone is doing a total 180 and kissin your @$$, maybe I should pucker up too.

 

 

Just kiddin. The complete return policy is very good. If a buyer decides to take you up on the CGC part of the return policy, after he's had a chance to look it over for 7 days and return if not satisfied, I'd even go so far to say, "Bite Me! Yo Sorry Wanker!", not that I'd do that...often...but I'm speaking as if I was you.

 

Your policy does indeed rock! But I can't leave well enough alone and must throw in a bit of criticism. If I were you that "complete" policy is so long....on the books that you post, I would take forever reading each and everyone. Maybe you could post the bulk of your policy in your eBay me page and just direct folks there with a link like "for my complete shipping and return policy...click here"

 

[Bonds25]

Bruce, I think your return policy is a little bit better than this sellers (I won't list his name for fear of embarrasing him, but he is a powerseller with over 2000 feedbacks).

 

Here it is!!

 

WE STAND BEHIND OUR PRODUCT. IF THE ITEM WE LIST IS NOT THE ITEM YOU GET WE WILL REFUND YOUR MONEY.

 

 

Mighty big of them I'd say!

[Guest]

Thanks everyone for the comments. When I list some more stuff I think I will list the basics (in the listing but have 'em click to my about me page for the full policy).

 

I am undecided as of yet regarding leaving the CGC part in there. I'll either leave it as is or remove it altogether. Either way, I will ADD a note about undisclosed restoration and CGC with a guarantee for that.

 

As for that Power Seller's policy ofif you don;t get what we say it is.... that sure leaves a lot of room for an essentially no refund policy or am I misreading the intent of that type of policy??

 

Excelsior,

 

Bruce

 

 

[Bonds25]

<<>

 

Say what?

[Guest]

It got messed up, I was replying in response to that "Power Selle's" policy which was quoted as:

 

WE STAND BEHIND OUR PRODUCT. IF THE ITEM WE LIST IS NOT THE ITEM YOU GET WE WILL REFUND YOUR MONEY.

 

If the item we list is not the item you get basically souns like no refunds unless the mail does not deliver the product. I may be wrong, any one have any experience with the mystery seller?

 

 

 

[Hensley300]

I probably wouldn't hold you to that cgc grade unless it came back super low, but to be on the safe side knowing the high quality crowd that makes up most of ebay, I would just stand by your own grading. Besides, what if cgc is in a strick grading period. As a non-dealer, I routinely have many books that I can't find a flaw with come back 9.6 and then sometimes 9.8 with a smaller flaw. Its a gamble. Its also probably more trouble than its worth. The real collectors can tell, give or take a point or two, if your grading is on target once they receive it.

[Bonds25]

I'm not sure - he had really good feedback. I just don't think his return policy was as explicitly stated as yours.

 

I ran across this joker tonight - what a great return policy and attitude -

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=960409507

[scottish]

It's seems there's no end to the number of dweebs on eBay.

At least to this seller's credit the policy is very clear.

[murph0]

I don't like the "seller guarantee" like that. It leaves an alterior motive for a seller to undergrade. Lets say I have an ASM 94 and I say its a NM+ 9.6 or better and guarantee if it's lower...I'll give you your money back...ok..so someone buys it for whatever prices, sends it in and it comes back a 9.2. The buyer says, I want my money back..seller refunds..now seller is working with a CGC graded book and can probably get more money for it then non-graded. It's pretty cut and dry, either you take returns regardless..or you don't..don't do some inbetween and say "yeh, if this ONE independant party says it's different then I'll refund"

 

Brian

[Guest]

This has all been very interesting. I think a lot of people appreciate the fact that the CGC part of my guarantee is an added bonus, up and above the very reasonable 7 day return (refunding postage costs both ways). That is the way I think of it.

 

Never the less, it appears a notable minority still some how get the feeling that I am trying to pull something over on them since I won't refund the slabbing fee.

 

Thus, it appears I will satisfy all the reasonable collectors simply by sticking with my 16+ year old 7 day return without the added CGC bit. AND, it appears this will also satisfy most of those who think the CGC bit is trying to pull something over on them since they wont have that to focus on and will instead only see the part about my way above average return policy.

 

Therefore, unless several people make compelling cases to the contrary, my policy will go back to the 7 day full satisfaction full postage/shipping refund and this will apply with the next batch of books to go on ebay and not even worry about what one might do with the book after the 7 day period is over.

 

I know the many friends and collectors I have dealt with over the years will be happy, as they currently are, and only those paranoid folks who seem to constantly look at things from the worst point of view will still have something to complain about.

 

Any more comments?

 

Excelsior and happy collecting,

 

Bruce :-)

ebay: quasarcomics

www.QuasarComics.com

 

Any more comments?

[snizzenfixit]

Thus, it appears I will satisfy all the reasonable collectors simply by sticking with my 16+ year old 7 day return without the added CGC bit. AND, it appears this will also satisfy most of those who think the CGC bit is trying to pull something over on them since they wont have that to focus on and will instead only see the part about my way above average return policy.

 

THAT sounds like sour grapes. "Everyone who liked my idea is reasonable, and everyone who didn't is not"

 

I know the many friends and collectors I have dealt with over the years will be happy, as they currently are, and only those paranoid folks who seem to constantly look at things from the worst point of view will still have something to complain about.

 

Did it at any moment occur to you, that the people who saw the possibilities of a scam, have been scammed one too many times? What do you think they should do? Sit quietly and not tell you that they see a POTENTIAL for abuse in this? You asked for opinions, but maybe you should have just said "Please reply to this thread ONLY if your opinion is in line with mine"

 

Phil

 

 

[Kevin Boyd]

Yowza, that was harsh!

 

Bruce wanted to go the extra mile to give an extra guarantee, and there's nothing wrong with that. He got the feedback (good and bad) that he wanted and he's made a decision.

 

If you had an idea that you thought was a good one, and a lot of people shot it down, and some people even made negative accusations about you along the way you might be a little bitter too!

 

Kev

[comicinvestor-migration]

The seller has the right to make any guarantee he/she sees fit, as long as it's properly spelled out with no gray areas.

 

For example, I hate when sellers offer a CGC guarantee, but leave out important parts like not refunding grading fees. They don't have to, but STATE THIS CLEARLY IN THE AUCTION. Otherwise, it's bordering on scamming, since you're withholding crucial information to make the auction more saleable.

[Guest]

The seller has the right to make any guarantee he/she sees fit, as long as it's properly spelled out with no gray areas.

 

For example, I hate when sellers offer a CGC guarantee, but leave out important parts like not refunding grading fees. They don't have to, but STATE THIS CLEARLY IN THE AUCTION. Otherwise, it's bordering on scamming, since you're withholding crucial information to make the auction more saleable.

 

 

Absolutely agree... that is what I did (and do and will always do) in my return policy.

--------------------

As for the other recent response re "Sour grapes". Well, yeah, in a way. The bottom line is that I should have left well enough alone with my return policy (7 day full refund including postage both ways) which has already been noted as much better than average and so should still be fine for new potential customers.

 

Anyway, happy collecting to all, including those who are totally aginst me now!

 

:-)

 

Exclesior,

 

Bruce

 

PS - By the way, I had someone ask about exclesior and they thought it was "Wood Shavings" and why would close like that. I told'em it really really in homage to/honor of Stan Lee and meant in the iotehr sense of meaning "always upward", striving to improve!

[Darthdiesel]

"Excelsior!"

[Darthdiesel]

Where did wod shavings come from? Entymology is so interesting sometimes...

[Guest]

Did it at any moment occur to you, that the people who saw the possibilities of a scam, have been scammed one too many times? What do you think they should do? Sit quietly and not tell you that they see a POTENTIAL for abuse in this?

 

Actually, it did not occur to me before I had an inquiry in that regard. this brings up a whole new issue actually and that is the issue of ETHICS.

 

I am talking about both seller "dealer" ethics and collector "buyer" ethics.

 

While I agree that there have always been people out there who want to give the other party the shaft, so to speak, I truly believe this has increased (the tendency to be cheated by the other party) over the years.

 

We could get into a whole series of comments regarding how this occurred but I would instead like to throw this out for comment:

 

What are the moral and ethical obligations of the seller and buyer to each other in completing a comic book transaction?

 

I think we can all probably agree on the bare minimum that s tolerable from an "honest" seller or buyer BUT -

 

What criteria for sellers AND buyers do you think are examples of exemplary behavior?

 

This could be eBay as well as more traditional mail order.

 

I believe it would be wonderful if a set of seller/buyer exemplary criteria could be developed that people would voluntarily agree to and where this would have some "moral authority" behind it.

 

This is a lot more complicated than it sounds but I would love to hear other's thoughts.

 

I will also post this in a new topic to start off fresh (to be called "Seller/Buyer Code of Ethics". So please find that topic and post replies there.

 

Excelsior,

 

Bruce

 

[Guest]

That's a good question, the primary meaning apparently comes from Latin "Exemplar" per Collins New World Dictionary. It also gives the secondary meaning of "wood shavings" but does not sight the root word.

 

Dictonary.com, by the way, ONLY gives the Wood shavings definition off the main page if you type the word in.

 

I'l have to look it up in a bigger dictionary later.

[homer-migration]

Bruce - If I might be so familiar - I think your 'guarantee' to be very fair, even though most Ebayers will perceive it as just more dealer ranting. To the most cynical however, having clicked on your link, I note that the maximum 'buy it now price' is about $24.94. It seems to me that, since these are amost all, if not all (I didn't look that closely), pre -'Modern' submissions; that the grading fee would be $25.00 - Not too mention the cost of to and fro Sarasota. And the reason you have 'buy it now' prices so reasonable is because they are so low grade - not exactly the quality of book that would make it worthwhile grading. So even if someone grossly disagreed with your grade (thought it was lower), then obviously the only reason they would send it to CGC would be to prove your grading was lousy (as they would be out an extra $30 or so even when refunded)

 

I must say that the 'guarantee' would be much more applicable to higher value books, as I can absolutely guarantee that you will never see one of the books in your link sent back CGC graded - Which, only to the cynical mind you, makes the guarantee a bit silly..........But what do I know?