Caveat emptor on Poppe Stamps

[larsdog]

I purchased 6 Postage Due stamps from Poppe Stamps. The shipping was steep from the Philippines, but the total for all 6 stamps plus shipping was a bit better than any other deal I found so I placed my order. The packet arrives and 5 out of the 6 stamps (including BOTH of the high value ones) are wrong! Instead of the Flat Plate perf 11 stamps I ordered, they sent Rotary Press perf 11x10.5 stamps which are basically junk stamps in used condition. Now instead of 25% of CV I'm paying over 200% of CV PLUS POSTAGE of $4.00 for stamps I don't need. The total order was about $7.50, $4 of which was shipping, and they refuse to issue a refund unless I send the worthless stamps back which will cost about $2 unless I want proof of delivery (which I should probably get with this seller) so now it doesn't make sense to mail the garbage back. Instead I will consider it a lesson learned, never buy from them again, and hope others can avoid my mistake.

When I requested a refund, their response was: "Please be informed that we do not check our stamps on watermarks or perforations"

Seems like that would be a good thing to let folks know ahead of time. They listed these stamps under Scott catalog numbers and then try to hide behind the ruse: "We based our stamps on the Stanley Gibbons worldwide catalog which does not include the watermarks and perforation as in the Scott Catalog. Scott numbering might be erroneous as they are added as an extra service to the american customers." and finish with "You can send back these stamps and we'll arrange for a refund but we do not pay for postage." Once I pay for return postage with delivery confirmation I'm lucky to break even for THEIR mistake!

That may be OK if they listed these under SG numbers, but they were listed as Scott numbers. Here are the listings:

http://stampwants-stamps.bidstart.com/United-States-of-America-J69-Used-1930-1-2c-Postage-/4306586/a.html

http://stampwants-stamps.bidstart.com/United-States-of-America-J71-Used-1930-2c-Postage-Due-/4263813/a.html

http://stampwants-stamps.bidstart.com/United-States-of-America-J72-Used-1930-3c-Postage-Due-/5263598/a.html

http://stampwants-stamps.bidstart.com/United-States-of-America-J75-Used-1930-30c-Postage-/4306609/a.html

http://stampwants-stamps.bidstart.com/United-States-of-America-J76-Used-1930-50c-Postage-/4309815/a.html

The 10c stamp I got with these was actually correct, but it only has a CV of $2 so I certainly wouldn't have paid $4 shipping to get that one stamp!

If you are considering a purchase from Poppe Stamps, BUYER BEWARE!

[lokos]

You can't check a watermark or perfs from a scan so this is one of the things a buyer has to rely on a seller accurately identifying.
I understand some collectors are better at checking these things than others and that occasionally mistakes happen but how is it allowed that a seller can identify a stamp as a one issue, list it with that cat. number and then hide behind a " we don't check perfs or wmk's".
Then how the hell did you identify it as being that issue???

Its bad enough to let the buyer do the work the seller should have done in the first place but then to charge the buyer for your mistakes and/or incompetence or laziness is just bullsh*t.

Where in their description do they state we're selling it as this catalog number but we never actually checked it to see if that is really what it is. It should have said unidentified postage due and here's the scan, make your own best guess.
"We only add the Scott cat. numbers as a convenience for American customers", then why did you list it with the Scott numbers in the title and not make any statement within your description that the cat. number conversions from SG might be wrong?
So bottom line is they have 800,000 listings that may or may not be what they've identified them as and if you purchase from them then your just gambling with your money.

Sorry to hear that happened Lars, if it was me I'd definitely be contacting Mark to let him know what their listing and return policies are including their replies. I can't believe that kind of practice is allowed. It shouldn't make any diff. if you talking about $1 stamp or a $2000 dollar stamp, intentionally listing stamps specifically stating the catalog number knowing full well that you never checked to see what the actually cat. number is is just plain lazy at best and downright dishonest at worst.

Rick

[larsdog]

I haven't contacted Mark yet. I sent Poppe Stamps a PM via BidStart and they ignored it. Then I sent a dispute through PayPal and Poppe Stamps made the reply I mentioned. Based on their response I have escalated it to a claim with PayPal. I thought I would wait until that played out before advising Mark. But I agree, if something was listed as SG with a POSSIBLE Scott cross reference, that's one thing, but to list it by the Scott # and then say you don't check perforations seems to be, how should I say it? Scatological behavior associated with the C in KFC.

[khj]

"Scott numbering might be erroneous as they are added as an extra service to the american customers."

It's not a service if the catalog number is wrong.

Furthermore, I don't care if the SG simplified worldwide catalog doesn't include watermark/perforation/... varieties. Shoot, then we should just list SG A548 (24c Jenny) as Scott #C3a. After all, they were all made from the same plates.

[bels99]

.

[michael78651]

The SG Simplified only lists one of a kind of stamp without regard to watermark or perforations. So, all those green and carmine 1 and 2 cent Washington-Franklins will have one listing in the simplified catalog, but it will be the lowest valued stamp from the standard catalog. You know by the SG catalog number what stamp it is, and if you go to the standard SG catalog you will find the complete listing. The same for the SG numbers on postage dues. After I get home from work, I'll see if I can post a picture of the simplified listing of the postage dues, unless someone else beats me to it. I don't have the SG standard catalog listing, though, so if someone could post a picture of that, then the two can be compared for reference purposes. The SG simplified world catalogs is not a good tool to use when selling stamps like these.

[estampshop]

Happy to oblige. This is the page from the 2010 simplified listing

Less than one column for ALL US Postage Dues - a very simplified listing indeed.

[michael78651]

Thanks, Chris!

[bcgrizzly24]

Thanks for the heads-up Lars. I have almost bought from these people a couple of times, but their high shpg. changed my mind. Good thing.
Wm.

[youpiao]

It's like going to a car dealer and buying a Ford Explorer, then having the dealer deliver to you a Ford Escort.
"We just meant it was a Ford, that's all."

[khj]

It's like going to a car dealer and buying a Ford Explorer, then having the dealer deliver to you a Ford Escort.
"We just meant it was a Ford, that's all."

Back in the early 1990s, I outsmarted them and bought a Ford Escort. Got 200,000+ miles on it and even used it as a trade in for a new car later on (not a Ford).

[rrraphy]

I was undecided until I faced a problem, and then the issue of shipping costs and returns made me decide not to shop there, unless I must have it, and have no other option.
Which is where negative feedback and neutral feed back sort capabilities would be sooooo very useful. When I check someones feedback, the ONLY thing I want to look at, are the neutral and negative feedbacks. Don't want to go through a Zillion positives to get to the few negatives, because quite frankly they are the only ones that matter. So it would be a nice improvement to be able to just look at the positives, negatives and neutrals feedbacks separately!
So, as reference, this is what I had posted. I issue very few if any negatives. I would prefer to issue a neutral unless I really had an issue that could not be resolved. So this is what I wrote, re my purchases form poppestamps:

ALL
Neutral Shipment took too long...it may be the postal service, but not sure if the wait was worth it. Many stamps are priced above catalog, and shipping is high. Selection is great, awsome store, so I am giving a neutral feedback, as I am honestly undecided.
ONE
Negative Described as hinged...but scotchtape on the back is not hinged! Waited 4 weeks to receive the shipment. Disappointed!

rrr....

[youpiao]

It's like buying a Ford Explorer and finding the door scotch-taped to the body instead of hinged.

[larsdog]

I was undecided until I faced a problem, and then the issue of shipping costs and returns made me decide not to shop there, unless I must have it, and have no other option.
Which is where negative feedback and neutral feed back sort capabilities would be sooooo very useful. When I check someones feedback, the ONLY thing I want to look at, are the neutral and negative feedbacks. Don't want to go through a Zillion positives to get to the few negatives, because quite frankly they are the only ones that matter. So it would be a nice improvement to be able to just look at the positives, negatives and neutrals feedbacks separately!
So, as reference, this is what I had posted. I issue very few if any negatives. I would prefer to issue a neutral unless I really had an issue that could not be resolved. So this is what I wrote, re my purchases form poppestamps:

ALL
Neutral Shipment took too long...it may be the postal service, but not sure if the wait was worth it. Many stamps are priced above catalog, and shipping is high. Selection is great, awsome store, so I am giving a neutral feedback, as I am honestly undecided.
ONE
Negative Described as hinged...but scotchtape on the back is not hinged! Waited 4 weeks to receive the shipment. Disappointed!

rrr....

I agree that it would be nice to be able to JUST see the neutrals and negatives. I rarely leave either, and would have left a positive "Good Communication" if I had gotten a refund. It took a while for the stamps to get here, but that was to be expected. I knew the shipping charges going in, so that wasn't an issue. If one of 6 was misidentified (instead of 5 of 6), especially one of the lower CV ones, I probably would have let it slide. But when you factor in the cost of return shipping, which they won't cover even in a case like this, along with catalog numbers that are a "maybe", I think it's important to factor all that in when trying to make a apples to apples comparison. I've had a great deal of luck with overseas sellers. It always takes a while and the shipping is always more, but in some cases it's just a better deal overall, and (unlike Doug) I can certainly wait to get my items.

[khj]

It's like buying a Ford Explorer and finding the door scotch-taped to the body instead of hinged.

And the pin-striping done with a Sharpie...