What would you do?

Update: Problem has been resolved.


Let's do a hypothetical.

Say you buy a card from someone. You and the seller agree to a price and you send a check in the mail. While you're waiting for the seller to receive your check, the card that YOU purchased is sold on ebay by that seller. Now the seller didn't list it after you bought the card, but the card was listed there and he never took it down after the arrangement.

So what do you do?

You try to contact the seller via email the day before the check is supposed to arrive and you get no responses. Normally you shouldn't care, but being that the card is now sold to someone else and he would have your money, what do you do?

a) Do you freak out, jump the gun, and cancel the check?

b) Do you wait to hear a response from the seller (but in the back of your mind you think you could be out a good amount of money)?

c) Do you trust the seller (that has 100% positive feedback), that he will return your check?

d) ??????

Cancel the check-PRONTO

I am in the cancel the check department, there is always other cards out there to be bought. This would end any other possible headaches.

Lee

Yeah even if theres some sort of mixup, you can always send another check. You cant however get the money back if it ends up being a rip-off.

name of the seller might be helpful to others

I suppose it depends on what I know about the seller. If it is a seller that I know and that is well known / respected, the chances are that I would be able to get a phone number and call them - in order to figure it out - in the hopes that they would reassure me by saying that they will cancel the eBay transaction. This would only apply be a handful of people that I have dealt with...

If I don't know or have a relationship with the seller, I would probably cancel the check. Chances are that the (presumed) BIN price would exceed your agreed upon price, so the seller would most likely take the eBay sale over yours. Again, if the seller is well-known and cares about their rep (and it was simply an oversight), then they will cancel the eBay sale and honor your deal.

I have actually had a particular card in hand after delivery of a sale and it is still on eBay. ie... I bought a particular card through someone's online store and they had it simultaneously listed in an eBay store and hadn't taken it down for whatever reason. Even then, I felt weird about seeing it listed... and nobody had hit the BIN.

Bottom line: cancel the check unless you (hypothetically) personally know the dealer or know that they are a nationally known dealer with a good rep and are commonly set up at shows... such that you have a shot at getting the card anyway.

Definitely cancel the check.

OK....thanks for the responses.

This scenario obviously involves me (it's not rocket science..... ).

The seller uses the ebay handle: tik (<----- link by clicking on "tik"). He has an ebay feedback rating of 100% on 1147 transactions. His name is Terry Knouse.

Emails leading up to the deal were like clockwork. Every email I sent, he responded. We agreed on a deal for a T216 McGraw. He had it listed for $695. We agreed on $635 by check, so he actually comes out ahead on the transaction because there are no ebay or paypal fees. I dropped the check off at the PO on Saturday (after hours) so it didn't leave until yesterday morning. But I communicated all this with him.

Last night, someone won it off ebay with a BIN at the $695 because he did not take it off. I've sent him 3 emails today (since 6am) with not one response. Yes I know he could be away and 12 hours isn't a lot of time to give a seller, but I have no protection and a check is on it's way that is due to arrive either today or tomorrow.

The last email I send was: "Do I need to cancel the check, or are we good?" Still no response. I guess I'm planning on stopping at the bank after work to cancel it. Freakin' no deal is going to cost me $31. But I guess that's better then $635.

Anyone have any experience with this seller?

Get his phone # through Ebay, call him and see what's up. If he skips around the question...cancel check.

Mark

Square_Frame_Ramly wrote:Get his phone # through Ebay, call him and see what's up. If he skips around the question...cancel check.

Mark

I can't get his phone number because I've never dealt with him in the past. It won't give you that info unless you've had dealings with them.

Terry Knouse is a long time dealer that you can trust. Many of us know him and/or have dealt with him. I'm sure the issue with the BIN was an honest mistake. Be patient and wait for his response - he will make good of this no doubt.

I just tried to maybe bid on one of his items, that way you can contact him but all his stuff if BIN or high start price. He does have a $12 item and if you buy that then you get his phone #.

Mark

cool....thanks Ben. I've never had dealings with him so that helps.

Again, I know the time I'm giving for responses isn't all that much, but not knowing the seller myself, worried me a bit. I'm fine if it was a mistake, as long as I get an email back from him saying so. Hell I really shouldn't be buying any cards right now anyway, so if it doesn't work out, whatever. I just don't want to be out that much money and nothing to show for it.

fisherboy7 wrote:Terry Knouse is a long time dealer that you can trust. Many of us know him and/or have dealt with him. I'm sure the issue with the BIN was an honest mistake. Be patient and wait for his response - he will make good of this no doubt.

That is my reaction too. I remember the Tik & Tik ads from SCD in the 1980s. I have not heard much about Terry lately, but I also have never heard anything bad.

Thanks again fellas. I'll wait this one out.

I sent him another email letting him know that I'd wait the situation out because quite a few peeps in the vintage card world vouch for his good character.

I guess I could have made this all a bit easier by just outing him from the beginning.

Will let you know what happens.

Terry will do the right thing. Tik & Tik is legit. Don't cancel the check. Contact them.

Maybe its just a simple misunderstanding or lack of communication.

jebren72 wrote:Maybe its just a simple misunderstanding or lack of communication.

Not on my part.....unless my emails aren't getting through.

terjung wrote:Terry will do the right thing. Tik & Tik is legit. Don't cancel the check. Contact them.

Again thank you all for chiming in. It is appreciated. I've settled down from where I was earlier today. That's why I love this board! It's like therapy for the vintage card dude.

I'll give Terry a thumbs up too. I believe that you are safe on this one.

yea tik sr./jr. are one of the few dealers i actually respect. if you attend the national you'd usually see the whole family grandma/grandpa/teenager tik/baby tik just hanging around the booth.

Might as well jump on the bandwagon. Nothing but good things to say about Tik. He'll talk cards and 19th century historical stuff with you for as long you like. I've only had a few dealings with him over the years and it's been awhile--much of his stuff is scarce and the $$$ more than I can afford--but all good. He's shown me four or five Just So's when I'm pretty sure he could read my poor poker face and know I'm not going to buy. Real good guy.

It's possible you're dealing with his son--as it is a family business. He is also a pleasant enough guy, and I get a real strong vibe that the family is at the higher end of the ethical scale. I am confident you'll get your card.

I too bought some cards from a dealer who left them up on ebay for a week or so thereafter. A little odd, and you hope no confusion arises, but since I had my cards in hand right away, I didn't feel your anxiety.

Congrats and looking forward to seeing the card in the new pick-ups thread.

No one should ever be afraid to mention a seller if they are having problems. Like here, I and as many others have already done, could have vouched for him right away. Even if it's a smaller eBay seller, chances are someone on this board has dealt with them and can give you some info.

Jay

I didn't want to air out my dirty laundry, but I see why posting the name of the seller from the get go would have eased my worries right away. And note to self.....I'll do that next time.

AND....Terry emailed me back. Turns out he was out of town Sunday and Monday so he didn't have the opportunity to take it down. But he's going to honor our deal and I'll be posting my new T216 pickup on the board in the next week or so.

So again, thank you everyone.

Nice card and great price!!!



Mark