MY PET PEEVE: CLAIMING CGC IN THE TITLE WHEN NOT CGC'd

[Darthdiesel]

EBAY IS CLEAR ON THIS, IT IS A NO-NO but people insist...read this below:

 

 

-----Original Message-----

From: darthdiesel@yahoo.com [mailto:darthdiesel@yahoo.com]

Sent: Sunday, September 29, 2002 3:09 PM

To:

Subject: Question for seller -- Item #717855577

 

 

Question from: darthdiesel

Title of item: ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN # 1 RED & WHITE CGC 9.8

Seller: e-roca

Starts: Sep-25-02 10:01:10 PDT

Ends: Oct-02-02 10:01:10 PDT

Price: Starts at $325.00

To view the item, go to:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=717855577

 

In reference to your "CGC guarantee": "If sent to CGC they should fetch

9.8

or a bare minimum of 9.6. If you send these books to the CGC and do not

get

at least a 9.6 will will give you a full refund. "

 

Is there a time limit on this guarantee as CGC takes about 2 months to

grade

books sent to them in Modern Tier? If they don't come back at least at

9.6,

then you will give a full refund for just the books returned to you as

sold?

Or would you expect them, to still be in the graded case?

 

If you are not selling a CGC graded 9.8, putting it in your title maybe

construed as misrepresentation and grounds for reneging on the buyer's

behalf.

 

Just being helpful. Thanks for your time.

 

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

ANSWER TO MY QUESTION

 

I do not think there is anything wrong with putting a possible grade on

the

title. I have seen many comics up with possible grades. I go into

detail

in my description stating that the comic is not graded. That is why

buyers

have to read the detail. But I don't have to tell you that.

 

As for the refund I expect them to be in the case upon receipt. And to

make

sure I get the same comic back I will make extreme close up scans of

the

corners and edges to make sure they match. And I think 6 weeks time is

enough for a refund.

 

 

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

What is your opinion? And how do you feel about this? It should be obvious "but I don't have to tell you that" Should I continue and attempt to enlighten this seller or am I totally in the wrong? Damn it, I want to list my ungraded items as CGC graded just to get more money too, but isn't this going way too far? Illegal or not, for all you lawyers to comment on?

[Darthdiesel]

I'm thinking of telling him, basically, his refund policy has just gotten someone to get his comics graded for him. Maybe I should email him some choice quotes from the thread with Bruce of quasar comic's return policy.

[Bonds25]

If he keeps doing it, Ebay will suspend his account. I guess it's called keyword stealing or something like that, and it's prohibited. I also hate when they claim CGC 9.4 and you read that it WOULD grade that if sent to CGC. I've done auctions before where I use CGC in the title when the comic is not graded, but it's done like this - Spider-Man #200 CGC 9.6?? At least that way you know immediately it's not graded. And even with the question marks, I was warned by Ebay.

[OldGuy]

Maybe you should report it to e-bay and let them address it if they want to. I agree that it's BS to use "CGC" in the title, but he is clear in the description that it's not CGCed so it's not fraud.

[Rubicon]

Is CGC a registered Trademark?

 

You can make your own grading system like:

 

ULTIMATE SPIDER-MAN # 1 RED & WHITE 9.8 NM/MT

 

But to use "CGC" in the title and the item is not graded by CGC then I would say it's against e-bay rules as Keyword Spamming. Report it to e-bay and see what happens.

[Darthdiesel]

Right - keyword spamming...It's one thing if you didn't know. The makes it a lesser degree of an infraction.

[Darthdiesel]

Any thoughts on the "return" policy?

[Rickdogg]

Iv'e noticed user id : barginbox overkilling on that title spamming

 

"not cgc but nice"

[Rubicon]

Deleted this post was thinking something else.

[Darthdiesel]

I would definitely return it cracked out of the case and in the sealed well. I don't want to give them a CGC 9.4 USM 1 white book to resell at hundreds more than he's refunding...you are right tho..I'd probably eat the lower grade and sell it myself for higher. But maybe that;s what he's counting on???

[scottish]

I don't think this return policy is worth a hoot. When I bid on auctions where the borrower guarantees CGC grades I bid with the knowledge that I'm not bidding based on that hooey.

 

I don't send eBay books directly into CGC upon receipt anyway. 6 weeks might be O.K. for Modern teir right now, but who's to say that it will be that way in another month?

[Rubicon]

My question to the seller would be why not send the books to CGC to get graded if he's saying it would grade at 9.6 - 9.8 ? Couldn't he get $325.00 for the Red cover alone? Something doesn't sound right here. He's hyping the books and going against e-bay's rules of Keyword Spamming.

 

This statement is also bothering me:

 

"Forget about these books never having beend read, they have never even been removed from their bags"

 

Did these come in a special bag or something? Didn't they have to be "placed" into the bag for the seller to be able to say they have never been removed?

 

"I would get them graded myself but if I do the prices would be astronomical. Save yourself a few hundred dollars and get these graded yourself. These 2 comics are so valuable and must haves"

 

Is he refering to the CGC fee or that the comics would sell for an astronomical amount of $$ ? Cause if he's talking about the 2nd I see no reason for him not to get them graded himself.

[OldGuy]

What are you talking about?

[Rubicon]

Oye I'm retarted. I was thinking something else.

[CosmicBob]

Six weeks is not sufficient time to have things graded for a reasonable price. Unless you send it in Express and he agrees to refund the grading cost too.

[JLA_ALL_THE_WAY]

Hey Darth,

 

What about sending them in pre-screening at 9.6? Would that take more time? You send in bulk anyway, plus you could find out about them (by calling in ahead of time) before they're even returned, couldn't you? Am I off-base here?

 

As for the whole deal, I agree with Rubicon. Too many reasons why he SHOULD send them in himself. I think the return time limit is the kicker; six weeks max? Only if you send them in express. That's only an extra...what, $150 with s/h! Now where did I put that penny dish???

[AlexH]

Don't chance it. It sounds a little suspicious that he wouldn't go to the trouble of getting it slabbed himself. And 6 weeks is not enough time to get it exchanged considering that it will probably take a week to get into your hands, another week to get it sent to you from CGC, and another week to send it back to the guy, not to mention the grading turnaround time.

 

DON'T DO IT!!!!

[Darthdiesel]

Please don't think that I'm buying this. I just wanted to query the seller on his return policy and use of CGC in title for keyword spamming. I already have my copies of USM 1 red and white

 

 

[Darthdiesel]

Excellent alternative. Send it in with next prescreen to grade for 9.6 and up!!! However, to get a prescreen going, I would have to submit another 98 modern books that I would want to get graded at 9.6 and up...

 

It does take longer I believe. Go prescreen add another month or two at least to the Modern turnaround time.

 

So it would come back too late for his return policy. I'm going to bring this option up to seller and find out. I just want to get him to come out and basically say, " I want YOU to get this graded for me, so you can return it based on my overgrading, so I can resell it for much higher."

[Darthdiesel]

My follow up letter:

 

Ok Showtime,

 

Here's the deal. I submit books through CGC via a prescreen process. That means I submit 100 books and ask them to prescreen them to grade books of a certain quality and higher, in the case of these books 9.6 and up. It takes about 2 months for the rejects to come back. If it comes back from CGC ungraded, then it means that it is not worthy of a 9.6 grade or higher. Would you refund then? Even though the books would be outside of the case, with proof from a CGC representative the they failed the prescreen?

 

I have qualms returning these books to you graded. Will you refund the cost of grading and shipping as well? Otherwise I just gave you a relatively more liquid, and potentially more lucrative commodity than what you started out with, all at my expense, none at yours.

 

Current turnaround time at CGC for Modern books graded straight, not prescreen method, is about 2 months.

 

 

 

As for including CGC in title:

 

http://pages.ebay.com/help/community/png-wordspam.html

 

eBay Policy on Key Word Spamming.

 

Excessive use of key words, including (but not limited to) brand names, which are referenced for the purpose of attracting or diverting buyers to a listing is considered key word spamming and is not permitted.