Stolen Harry Potter SS Coin Cards(3) and Sorcerer's Stone Card

[Guest]

[LikORish-Spider]

Growgirl, did the box show any sign of tampering, like tape that was cut, being double-taped, or a slit anywhere on the box?

Next, you paid with postal money orders, so you do have some protection through the post office.  Here are some links to get you started:

http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/welcome.htm

http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/tipthief.htm

Make sure you keep the shipping box and all materials that came with it.  They mayb be needed for the postal investigation.

The weight of the package will also show up in the amount of postage paid. For example five more cards with top loaders and padding would cause the postage to go up a couple of ounces or so.
This would mean, for example, an original "empty" box would have been, say $1.15 in postage. If the box HAD the cards in it when it was sent then the postage would have been, say $1.61. Get my drift?

[Anna]

The weight of the package will also show up in the amount of postage paid. For example five more cards with top loaders and padding would cause the postage to go up a couple of ounces or so.
This would mean, for example, an original "empty" box would have been, say $1.15 in postage. If the box HAD the cards in it went sent then the postage would have been, say $1.61. Get my drift?

That's a good observation John.   When I received Tower's costume cards from this seller, they were packaged oddly. The seller had placed the thick cards in 4-pocket pages, thinner cards in cut-up 9-pocket pages, and then wrapped them up with layers of some light-weight foam sheeting (thinner than the kind that's used for binders); I guess she didn't have top-loaders or penny sleeves.  I've never seen cards packaged this way before, but they were secure and all 13 cards were there.

[growgirl]

Had the box been opened? Or had they not been put in in the first place?

Don't Know although I was told all were put in box.

[growgirl]

I always require that the seller send me items over $1000.00 by registered mail and insured which I pay for. If they won't do it I don't buy. I see that this seller had a ratring of 6 on his feedback score. He did sell some great cards.

Yes, I'm a dumb ass.I won't fall for that again. I was those damn cards.I was so enchanted by them I wasn't thinking straight.

[growgirl]

Growgirl, did the box show any sign of tampering, like tape that was cut, being double-taped, or a slit anywhere on the box?

Next, you paid with postal money orders, so you do have some protection through the post office.  Here are some links to get you started:

http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/fraud/welcome.htm

http://www.usps.com/postalinspectors/tipthief.htm

Make sure you keep the shipping box and all materials that came with it.  They may be needed for the postal investigation.

Guess What? box is gone. I went to the dump to try to find it.It's gone forever. I did fill out a theft form at the post office.

[growgirl]

The weight of the package will also show up in the amount of postage paid. For example five more cards with top loaders and padding would cause the postage to go up a couple of ounces or so.
This would mean, for example, an original "empty" box would have been, say $1.15 in postage. If the box HAD the cards in it went sent then the postage would have been, say $1.61. Get my drift?

That's a good observation John.   When I received Tower's costume cards from this seller, they were packaged oddly. The seller had placed the thick cards in 4-pocket pages, thinner cards in cut-up 9-pocket pages, and then wrapped them up with layers of some light-weight foam sheeting (thinner than the kind that's used for binders); I guess she didn't have top-loaders or penny sleeves.  I've never seen cards packaged this way before, but they were secure and all 13 cards were there.

I really wish I would have kept that crazy box. I keep everything else. I feel like such a moron!

[growgirl]

Hi and welcome.

I'm sorry it's under such awful circumstances, but I'm sure we can help to keep an eye out for them for you - if they turn up on ebay hopefully we'll spot them. I've put the numbers on a post-it note on the wall by my monitor.

Good luck!

Thanks for keeping an eye out for these cards. It's my only hope.

[rns91294]

Wow, great cards is right!  And low BIN's.  $199 for a Devils Snare?  And I recognise that incredible deal Tower got on the costumes.  Don't give up hope that it may come in the mail after all.  I remember sending out 5 small packages and my buyers not getting them for over a month.   
Sometimes they get lost, then pop up found at the post office.

Actually, the Devils' snare went for $149.00 BIN.   

And Tower's lot had some really nice costume in it as well!!

Something is strange here.  You said the letter card was still in the box?  If someone was going to steal them, wouldn't they take ALL the cards, or would they leave one so that you got something?  I really think the seller forgot to put them in there.  I would write the seller again and ask again. 

[Anna]

Something is strange here.  You said the letter card was still in the box?  If someone was going to steal them, wouldn't they take ALL the cards, or would they leave one so that you got something?  I really think the seller forgot to put them in there.  I would write the seller again and ask again. 

Growgirl, was your Acceptance Letter card wrapped up in that white foam sheeting?  Once the cards are wrapped up in it you can't tell what's inside.  Maybe the seller got the cards mixed up and sent it to someone else by mistake.

[Tower]

Anna had the same thoughts as me. I thought, this could really possible. So i started contacting other buyers. But i didn't get a reply yet. 

[growgirl]

Anna had the same thoughts as me. I thought, this could really possible. So i started contacting other buyers. But i didn't get a reply yet. 

Wow, thanks!!!!!!!

[rns91294]

Tower, let us know if you get any replies!! 

[banditwolf]

sorry to hear about your problem. it does seem rather odd how the items were packed for as expensive as they are.

[Tower]

Well, i started first (only) with the buyer who could have got most likely the cards. I didn't get a reply yet, 2 days are gone. What could this mean? Holidays? Gulity conscience? 

[kbmum]

Maybe the buyer was uneasy responding to a third party about the cards they got from another eBayer?  I think it's wonderful you're trying to help, Tower, but the person who needs to be doing this is the seller.  If she won't work to resolve this, then growgirl needs to file a claim of mail fraud with the post office (as opposed to mail theft).

Maybe if USPS notifies the seller that she's being investigated, she'll be more willing to get to the bottom of this.

[grecopa]

I think not accepting Paypal for a purchase this big is just rediculous for a seller to do.  And then not to offer or REQUIRE insurance, registered, or at least tracking (I know tracking wouldn't help in this case) is insane!  You would think that the seller would at least want to cover their own butt, even if they don't care about the customer.

[ferdinand_the_yak]

Maybe she started getting cold feet after looking at what she sold them for and what she was seeing them go for in theopen market.

Its just weird that growgirl would get one item out of 2 (letter) and then an empty box? I do not think that the seller had áccidentely' left them out because, if she did, surely she would have noticed by now - 'ooh, I have 4 cards that were meant to be in that box I sent sitting on my table now'?

Or another possibility, is that, yes - she DID accidentely send them off to someone else, and I do not think that we'll be seeing those cards back, in that case, unless the recepient is very honest.

I still think I smell a rat though - how can you just send off very carefully wrapped up PACKAGING???

[growgirl]

Maybe the buyer was uneasy responding to a third party about the cards they got from another eBayer?  I think it's wonderful you're trying to help, Tower, but the person who needs to be doing this is the seller.  If she won't work to resolve this, then growgirl needs to file a claim of mail fraud with the post office (as opposed to mail theft).

Maybe if USPS notifies the seller that she's being investigated, she'll be more willing to get to the bottom of this.

I made out a postal mail theft/fraud form at the post office.ust waiting to hear from them.Tower is really kewl to be helping me out like this. Thanks Tower!

[growgirl]

Hey, Could everyone keep an eye out for my stolen cards?I purchased them on ebay and they weren't in the box when I received it!The seller didn't offer insurance :'(.The missing cards are:Gold Galleon36/40,Silver Sickle32/40,Bronze Knut 11/40,and the Sorcerer's Stone Card 242/265.I paid $1500.00 for this set with postal money orders (the only form of payment this seller accepted)so unless I find them I'm out the money. I'm offering a cash reward for whoever gives the info that brings the return of those cards to me =Thanks everyone and get those spy goggles out

8/11/05 P.S. I contacted seller,she insists that all cards were in the same box.She says she didn't accidentally send them to another person. She says if I received one card I should have received all of them although I didn't.I filled out a theft form at the post office.I threw away the box already so I can't investigate for tampering or check the postage amount. Ebay will only reimburse $200.00 if I win the claim. Seller said she would return $300.00 if I close the claim on ebay. I'm going to take it,it's better than nothing.

[growgirl]

Something is strange here.  You said the letter card was still in the box?  If someone was going to steal them, wouldn't they take ALL the cards, or would they leave one so that you got something?  I really think the seller forgot to put them in there.  I would write the seller again and ask again. 

Growgirl, was your Acceptance Letter card wrapped up in that white foam sheeting?  Once the cards are wrapped up in it you can't tell what's inside.  Maybe the seller got the cards mixed up and sent it to someone else by mistake.

I actually talked to the seller on the phone. She insists they were packaged all together.And Yes, it was wrapped in white foam sheeting with crumpled up newspaper around it.Thanks for asking