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Does EBay Condone Fraudulent Coin Sales?
Last year I contacted EBay with evidence of fraud from a Chinese seller of fake coins. The coins are sold as 50% silver coins commemorating various US states, but the coins were just a cheap copper alloy with a thin plating of silver. I bought one and could tell it was not silver based on weight, the dull thud instead of a clear ring the coin made, and finally scratching of the coin to reveal the cheap copper underneath. I sent details and a photo to Ebay to complain of fraud. They sent me a nice email back saying that they take this very seriously and would have their committee on fraudulent coins investigate. Yeah, right! Never heard back. The Chinese seller is still offering the same kind of coins, alleging they are 50% silver. Some are even gold plated with 24k over the 50% silver body. Yeah, right.
I guess it is too much to expect EBay to take serious steps to shut down fraud. They profit from it, after all. And I bet I'm one of the only purchasers of those silver coins that bothered to take the coin out of its protective plastic case and see if it was really silver or not. Nice business model!