Need advice - what do I do? (FULLY RESOLVED, updated 7-6)
 

Need some help please, Net54!
Backstory behind problem: I ended up winning an auction for T206 Shag Shaughnessy via eBay. Card went high (as Shags usually do), which seller was not expecting. He seemed to be a dealer in antiquities and had little/no knowledge of old tobacco card values. He let me know he would ship Priority Mail. Card went out Friday.

Problem: Card comes in today. Eagerly open package and find this:
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Card is, unfortunately, taped on the top left corner. Big time. I gently tried peeling back a very small sliver of tape, but already could tell paper loss packets would be inevitable.

Solution? Options:
a) I really want to keep this card. I suck it up because I still got a fair price. No contact to seller.
b) However, this was not the card I purchased. I contact seller and return item for full refund.
c) Either way, I do want to keep the card. I contact the seller in hopes of a partial refund and try to reduce paper loss as best I can.
d) ???

Leaning towards option D right now :) Any advice, Net54? The package is still in the same shape I received it, have not moved the tape since the sliver. Should I try soaking? Going for a full refund?
Let me know what you guys think. I leave for work at 4:45 Central, any help before then would be appreciated!
Best,
NJ Dunkin

Contact the dealer and return the item for a refund.

There are no other options. Don't try to rationalize them.

Contact the seller for a full refund. I love the Shag card and it is rarer than most T206s, but there are plenty of them out there.

That looks like a mess. How was it packaged (box, envelope, etc.)? How did the tape come into contact with the card?

+1

+2

++3!!!!!!!!!!
 

my only question....."what was the seller thinking ?????????????:confused:??????????????????????????? ???????????????

Just something to consider if you really want the card. Use a hot iron to place on the taped area. Sometimes the heat will loosen the adhesive and allow it to be pulled off without paper loss but you must peel when the tape is still hot. DO THIS AT YOUR OWN RISK AS I DO NOT WANT TO BE RESPONSIBLE IF IT DOES NOT WORK.
Good Luck,
Robert

I have no problem requesting a partial refund for a fair amount, but if the seller isn't interested then you obviously have to return it. If, as a seller, I screwed up somehow, I wouldn't mind someone throwing some options on the table.

Thank you for the responses, everyone. I will contact the seller now and ask to return the item, and request a full refund. Hopefully another one surfaces for a reasonable price such as this one :)
Jeremy W - it was a big mess, even to start. It came in a Priority Mail Flat Rate envelope (which did not fit the size of the cardboard card protector), and had this holder inside.
MrVster - I have no idea! I concluded that the seller is most likely an antiquities/collectibles dealer, but had little to no knowledge of cards, much less T206s. I will post the auction link if you folks would like - however, I don't think it is necessary. I assume this was just a simple mistake.
NJ

I would file a "item not as described" claim through Ebay. If you try dealing directly with the seller they may want you to pay for return shipping and there is no guarantee that you will get a refund once they have the card.
James

Agreed. Returning for a refund may be painful (the card had such great color!), but there are other Shags out there. You're clearly searching the right way, since that one stayed off a lot of people's radars. You'll find another, and it won't have a corner's worth of the front ripped off.

May be a way to avoid fees..I shall look into it. Thank you James!

I was saddened, as well - the color was fantastic. Only piece holding this card back is that crease across the front. Either way, hope things turn out well. Another one will show up at some point or another :]

While infrequent, when this happens to me I contact the seller to return, explain the situation, then add "condition is extremely important for card collectors and with this additional damage it's not worth ($price) anymore". They usually volunteer a certain amount to refund. If good, take it. If not, return it.

+1. If you would still want the card in your collection with the paper loss give it a shot. You still have the option of filing a claim that should be easy to win.

Thanks guys. Filed a claim a few days ago (item arrived damaged), have not heard back from the seller. Secretly hoping that nothing happens and I receive a partial/full refund from eBay...but in all honesty, a return for a refund sounds pretty good right now. Thank you everyone for the responses!
NJ :)

Crying Shag update - no longer in tears! I talked with the seller, they suggested a partial refund after my return request was approved by ebay. After seeing the damage, they refunded my money! Thus, I got a fully intact Shag with a slight amount of paper loss and crease for under 60 bucks. On top of this, it has a beautiful Old Mill back. Will post pics when I get home. I am happy and the seller is happy!
Thanks for the support everyone!
NJ

late to this party, but I disagree with this advice. Twice I've had items not as described, and reached out to the seller first. One time we had a back-and-forth until they stopped replying, one time no reply at all. In both cases, ebay looked at my messages, saw that I was trying to be fair about the whole thing, and handled my cases well.

Ken

To the OP, if it's not too late, I might recommend something similar to this, but much less hot (like a hair dryer or a heat gun on low setting).