I buy the majority of my cards from online stores. It is the easier way for me to buy singles and certain boxes and decks if they are not available at local stores. I always check a seller’s reputation before buying cards from a store, but some times things do not go as plan. Cards arrive late, damage, or may never be delivered. Even the most popular card shops with great reputation can give you a horrible experience. Just because a lot of people love a store does not mean that everyone will share the same experience. Card shops make mistakes and USPS has horrible service as well. USPS’s slow service and mistakes such as losing mail are out of stores’ control. However, some times card shops are the ones to blame when you receive the wrong cards or cards in bad condition.
I never give card shops a second chance. Once I have a bad experience with a store, then it is game over with them. It is too risk to buy anything else from a store that failed to delivered the goods. Once I find stores that I like, then I typically continue to do business with them for most online purchases. The experiences that I am sharing with you are only focused on card shops making major mistakes. I will not be naming any stores to keep my transactions private.
1. Card Shop Wants To Keep My Cash and Card.
I made a large order with a well-known and beloved card shop in December 2013. The letter came in the mail, and it looked to be perfect until I noticed the last card. It was a gold rare Star-Dust Dragon. The bottom corner of the card was peeling off. The store advertised it as MINT CONDITION. How did they not notice this card was badly damage? I requested a replacement card in which they agreed to replace it with a card in mint condition.
I was not born yesterday so I bought a tracking number on the resent card to see when they receive it. They had the resent damage card for two days before I contacted them about when they were going to send the replacement card. The customer service representative lied that the card did not arrive, but my tracking information said the card arrived two days ago. They cannot keep my money and the card. Amazon immediately placed a claim on the order. Amazon gave me a refunded and a day later the store owner begged me to remove the claim. I ignored his pathetic request.
2. Where Are My Spellbooks?
A few years ago when I was still in college, I ordered a few Spellbook cards when the deck was one of the best decks in the format. I was excited to finally add The Grand Spellbook Tower in my deck. My order never arrived by the arrival date. I contacted the store to find out what happen to my order. The store gave me a tracking number to trace the package and as proof that they sent the cards. However, I tried using the tracking number, and it never appeared in the system. USPS confirmed the number was a fake tracking number. Amazon once again fully refunded me. The store no longer exists on Amazon. Maybe they were banned or went out of business.
3. Dirty and Scratched Prince Vegeta.
Last year ordered a Prince Vegeta promo card from Comic Con San Diego. The seller had a very good reputation so I decided to give him a shot and that was a huge mistake. The card arrived dirty and in poor condition with scratches and black spots on it. This card clearly was not in mint condition was advertised. I filed a claim on EBay to get a replacement card and waited for the seller’s response.
The seller responded a month after the complaint was filed. He said he was too busy with school to respond and claimed he was a very professional seller. I just ignored the guy. It does not matter how busy you are in life unless it is an extreme emergency such as an ill loved one. This guy did not have a good excuse for taking a month to respond to my complaint. He harassed me for a weeks with messages to give him another chance, but he blew it. I gave him the horrible feedback that he deserves.