Should I keep this card or send it back?
Economics forum
Posted on Dec. 15, 2014, 9:25 p.m. by Doom_of_Valyria
Hey everyone, I was hoping for some advice for what you would do in this situation:
I had a Sword of Fire and Ice (Darksteel) shipped to me via this PucaTrade site (~$41). The card was supposed to be in NM, however it arrived in what can only be described as MP. It has plenty of nicks and scratches and edge wear to boot. I messaged the seller, and he said he'd be willing to accept it as SP (~$33) or he'd like it returned. So now, what should I do?
On one hand, it's ~$6 cheaper than TCGmid, which is pretty cool, right? I'm going to put it into my EDH deck, so it'll be used in games.
However, the collector in me can't help feeling like I should send it back. It's much more difficult to move cards in worse condition, and then there can be disagreements over the condition as well. Like I said, I don't see myself trading it, but I take pride in my collection, and having your money cards in pristine condition seems like a given.
So what would you do? Keep the card because of the lower price tag, or send it back and pay full price for something in NM condition? Thanks a ton for any help everyone!
Also, I am pretty sure this is the right forum, but I sincerely apologize if this should be Economics or something else.
i both invest and play, but i try and keep the two separate. My edh decks and several legacy decks are full of HP cards i picked up at 40-50percent of TCG mid so i can afford to play multiple decks. I would rather have 2 HP savannah in my legacy deck at $40 each instead of 1 mint at 75.
as an investor / trade when picking up cards of high value you want mint condition. But i wont put mint cards i'm investing in or spec'ing on into decks.
December 15, 2014 9:37 p.m.
Schuesseled says... #4
Nothing wrong with played cards, as long as you can still read the card.
December 15, 2014 9:42 p.m.
Doom_of_Valyria says... #5
Well the site itself isn't great at trading card for card, but if I wanted to keep the card it would be at 80% of the original priced ($33 instead of $41). The $8 would go back into my account, to be used for future purchases on the site. Other than that, my only other option is to pay shipping and send it back for a full refund on the site. If I took that route, I'd probably just try to acquire the card again (in NM condition) from a different seller.
Also, thank you for clearing that up, it won't be an issue in the future.
December 15, 2014 9:42 p.m.
JexInfinite says... #6
Schuesseled Some players, myself included, like to have all NM/M cards. I don't like have SP cards in my deck full of pristine mint cardboard.
December 15, 2014 9:51 p.m.
Hootiequack says... #7
I had a similar situation on the site with an Umezawa's Jitte. In general, I've found the site's traders to be fair and accurate with the cards they've sent. But that particular card was considerably in a lesser condition than I was willing to accept, seeing as how I'd traded points equivalent to the value of a NM card.
The user was upgraded, however, and so we were able to work out appropriate compensation. I don't personally mind getting cards less than NM, but I like to know before I receive them so we can decide if something extra needs to be worked out. In the case of the Jitte, I planned to play it and possibly put it in a cube I'm putting together with some friends, so NM wasn't so important. I have turned down trades for cards that I wanted for collecting purposes though.
The last thing I'll add, I made a note of who sent me the card, and if they agree to send more to me in the future I plan to message them before they ship to discuss the condition of the card(s) involved. Also, I believe there is a block function on there, but I've not used it so I can't vouch for its usefulness in this scenario.
December 15, 2014 9:54 p.m.
It really comes down to personal preference, but I would've probably sent it back. I'm pretty particular with card conditions, and even if you don't plan on trading it, I think it's always best to consider that future value hit that non NM cards take. Also, for me at least, its kind of about the principal of the thing. Don't represent a card as NM if it isn't, that's just plain lying. I've had that happen to me a few times on eBay, and I've always demanded a refund.
December 15, 2014 10:09 p.m.
Depends on what you want it for the most. I'd return the card myself because I'm a MTG collector that plays once in awhile but that's not the norm sp you may be best off taking the $8 refund and playing the card since it sounds like that's what you got it for anyway.
December 15, 2014 10:13 p.m.
Didgeridooda says... #10
You are on the hook for return shipping if the cards are in bad condition? The site does not deal with anything less then sp. I think the sender should be on the hook for that cost.
December 15, 2014 11:47 p.m.
Named_Tawyny says... #11
I'm with Didgeridooda on that one. The seller sent you something other than what the two of you had agreed upon. It's no different than had he accidentally sent you a Sword of War and Peace - in both cases it's not what you ordered, and not what he contracted to send you.
He should absolutely be responsible for the return shipping.
December 16, 2014 12:12 a.m.
I completely agree that the seller should be responsible for shipping, but unfortunately for most online stuff it doesn't work that way.
December 16, 2014 12:21 a.m.
Named_Tawyny says... #13
Any online stuff that I've bought, if the seller sends the wrong thing, they absolutely return it at their expense.
It'd be different if you just decided you didn't like something - but if they send the wrong thing, that's entirely on them.
December 16, 2014 12:25 a.m.
Like I said, that's the way it should be. But it doesn't always work out that way. Ebay in particular is horrible about that kind of thing.
December 16, 2014 12:28 a.m.
Named_Tawyny says... #15
I guess we just use different websites. shrug I'd suggest changing your online retailers.
NB: The PucaTrade site specifically mentions that "...on PucaTrade it is the sender's responsibility to ensure that all cards arrive in Near Mint condition."
December 16, 2014 12:34 a.m.
Yeah. If the seller advertised the card as one thing, but sent something else, then that is what we here in the states call 'bait and switch'. That's illegal. I have had bad experiences on a few sites with it, one of them being a trade done on here which I was told a card was from one set but when it arrived it was a different printing, which altered the value of the trade and caused me to lose a decent amount in the process, but that happens because some do not know how properly evaluate what they have. I allowed for an honest error, but I also know I will not trade with that person again. Beyond that, if you are buying from someone, they should know what they are selling, and they should properly evaluate it and market it right. Mistakes are for amateurs, not professionals who are selling. If you are ok with the card for playing, request a credit for the difference. If not, have them pay or refund the cost of return shipping, because they are at fault here, and you should be made whole. That is what any good business would do.
December 16, 2014 6:22 a.m.
Doom_of_Valyria says... #17
Hey everyone, thanks for the advice. I tend to agree with what kmcree in that the future hit on crappy cards must be considered. Not only that, but everytime I draw that card my eyes are going to zero in on all of the damage. The seller said he'd "send something cool to me to make up for shipping" (wtf does that even mean haha).
But I do think I'm going to send it back, because I am pretty meticulous about my cards. It might be a different story if I was paying SP for a SP card, but I'm paying SP for a MP card. I kind of would rather just recoup my losses and hope for more honest traders next time.
December 16, 2014 8:32 a.m.
Fleetwood-Mat says... #18
if you're buying it for $$, you'd be better off going to your local store where you can examine the cards' conditions before making a purchase, and they will also let you choose which one you get if they have more than one in stock. I would personally avoid the online trading route since you can never be sure about a card's condition, and people can lie about those kinds of things. If they're dishonest enough to lie, they will NOT compensate you for any badly conditioned cards they send you in the trade.
Epochalyptik says... #2
TP handles the organization of trades, but Economics handles the discussion of trades. Moved.
Is there any option for partial compensation? In trade or partial refund?
December 15, 2014 9:33 p.m.