Broker Obligation

[Archive]

Posted By: Marc S.

When you sell a card raw - it comes with lots of implications. That is the precise reason that the graded card industry has evolved over the last 15 years - and why, especially, it creates value on Internet-based transactions.

Being that this is the case, the buyer has an obligation within a 'reasonable' period of time to examine the card and determine if it is or is not to his/her satisfaction. What that reasonable amount of time is is debatable - but certainly anything past one month seems too long.

I would hope that many collectors of pre-war material that are willing to spend six hundred dollars on a baseball card are at least reasonably educated as to alteration techniques and how to detect them. That being said - all major grading companies offer services that will turn around grading well within a month.

I think that you have been more than reasonable on your end - and I think that now the seller is trying to take advantage of your good graces. You have offered reasonable ways to make amends to this situation. But it is no longer your responsibility to refund the buyer nearly four months after the initial transaction took place. We can debate "reasonable" period of time ad nauseum here - but I cannot see anyone providing any valid arguments that 100+ days is reasonable.

Marc