Littleton Coin Company

[Crohnos01]

Ok, I think I did a bad thing.....

 

My wife handed me an add out of a magazine from LCC where I could get all of the Pres dollars for just slightly over face value... I thought it might not hurt to have some tucked away since I didn't have any...after all they're gold...(sorry...I couldn't help myself....I am still musing over the other thread)

Any way, I got the dollars and that's fine, but apparently I signed up for a "coin of the month" club when I got the dollars.... Now they are sending me horribly over priced coins in awful packaging (a "proof" dollar in a plastic bag?!) with the idea that I have 15 days to review them and then either buy them or send them back....

 

I never wanted all this.... Has anyone else successfully gotten out of a relationship with LCC?

 

Quit laughing at me..... I am going to call them today, but something tells me it ain't gonna be that easy.....

 

[brg5658]

I signed up for that service when I was a teenager because there was some "introductory" offer. I don't even remember what it was now 20 years later. Nonetheless, if you call them they should cancel your membership. If they don't listen at first, you can make it clear to them (in writing) that if they continue to send you coins you will not return them. That should get their attention.

 

Try the non-assertive request first -- and remind them that (I would guess) you didn't sign anything contractual to obligate you to their program.

 

-Brandon

[Dcoin]

Try the non-assertive request first -- and remind them that (I would guess) you didn't sign anything contractual to obligate you to their program.

 

-Brandon

 

Actually this may not be true. Many of those 'deals' are with the understanding that you are signed onto thier approval program.

 

 

[johnny9434]

I did that with there stamps many years ago ( no and im not still doing stamps ) i returned the stamps and asked to get removed from the mail list. They did. Who knows these days. Best of luck with it and keep us posted.

[BillJones]

Littleton has been doing this stuff for years. They bait you with an introductory deal and then start their approval service. It's one of the reasons why I don't even want get anywhere near their booth when I see them at shows. I just don't want anything to do with them.

[johnny9434]

Littleton has been doing this stuff for years. They bait you with an introductory deal and then start their approval service. It's one of the reasons why I don't even want get anywhere near their booth when I see them at shows. I just don't want anything to do with them.

alot of others feel the same way billjones

[brg5658]

Try the non-assertive request first -- and remind them that (I would guess) you didn't sign anything contractual to obligate you to their program.

 

-Brandon

 

Actually this may not be true. Many of those 'deals' are with the understanding that you are signed onto thier approval program.

 

 

Signing up for an approval program concurrently with getting some introductory deal is not a legally binding thing. As I said, I have dealt with these guys, and if you ask they will remove you. If they don't, then you can become more assertive.

[mtnstyne]

I don't know if it stil applies as it may be dated information but I will share anyway.

 

When I was studying business law in college a "few" years ago. The similar situation with the music and video companies came up. You remember where you would get 5 or 10 free CD's and then only have to buy 5 more over a certain period of time or whatever the deal was. Anyway, they would use a similar tactic of sending you the CD's or movies of the month and you had to return them or be billed for them.

 

At the time consumer protection laws were pretty simple. All a consumer had to do was notify the company sending these items that they were not interested in their products and that any future mailings would be considered a "gift" from the company. Of course notification had to be done in writing with a registered letter, but I would think if they won't be nice about it you might be able to find the "not-so-nice" way to make it happen.

 

Good luck.

[thebeav]

I just don't want anything to do with them.

 

They are awfully strong buyers for stuff that may not be so easy to move any other way......

 

Paul

[RWB]

Ike dollars by the ton....

[BillJones]

I just don't want anything to do with them.

 

They are awfully strong buyers for stuff that may not be so easy to move any other way......

 

Paul

 

And I've heard from a couple very reputable dealers that they are darn picky about what they buy at the prices they advertise. They had to pay the return postage on the rejected pieces. The cases in point were Indian cents in strictly Good condition, and I have reason to believe that the dealers involved were sending them problem coins.

[Ducksoup]

I recently signed up for 2 different clubs with them and when i got the coins on approval i returned them with a note saying i had all the coins i needed... They havent sent me any since.

[Chris1976]

Just call them and tell them that you do not wish to be a bart of their on approval service. They will remove you without any issues. I recently had to do the same thing with them when I purchased a 1982 GW silver commem for their introductory price of $9.95

[jgrinz]

In defense of them and the industry in general - They got a LOT of younger people interested in coin collecting at a young age. I being one ... we are talking this company has been around around for a LONG time doing the SAME thing - I would say their business model works.

It may irratate you,but when I was a young'un I couldn't wait for the next selection to come - it was convincing the parents to pay was a big problem

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Crohnos01]

Update:

 

So I called LCC today and told them that I didn't want to receive anymore of their sample coins. The lady was very nice on the phone and told me she would take me off "that club list".... I then told her that I didn't want ANYTHING more from them, the Pres dollar club (which I so unwittingly became a part of) or any other club for that matter. She then asked if I would like to receive catalogs and I told her no..

 

So in theory, I am off the hook. I just have to send back the coins they just sent me and I am done... we will see..... I am really starting to swoon over this 1971 Ike they sent me for the low, low price of $39.95.....I wonder if I can get some of the Arizona ocean front property too.....

 

Anyway, thanks for the ideas. Hopefully I am done.... I actually had another method to coax them into stopping sending me stuff if it came down to that.... Since they send the coins and then a postage prepaid envelope to return them in if you don't want them; I started thinking about.. "Gee, if I put the coins in an envelope, and then tape the envelope to a nicely packaged concrete block, I wonder how much that will cost them in postage?"

[bochiman]

Just call them and tell them that you do not wish to be a bart of their on approval service. They will remove you without any issues.

 

Bingo!

I have had 2 transactions with LCC over the last 10 years. The first time, I "joined" when I wanted their item, and I got the first shipment of overpriced items and returned them and said, in big letters on their invoice, "PLEASE REMOVE ME AND CANCEL ME FROM THIS MEMBERSHIP" and they did, no problems.

 

Later, I saw something else I wanted and just wrote on the form that I sent in for the item "I do not wish to be enrolled in any membership, so please do not sign me up" and they did as I wanted.

[Houston Investor]

They try to sell over priced stuff and undergrade if your trying to sell them anything.

 

Guy in coin club had same problem with them sending him stuff. He simply kept it (without paying) and they never bothered him again. Some of them he put in coin club auction.

 

No wonder they markup their stuff up high, they must loose a ton of stuff people simply decide to philch.

[WoodenJefferson]

philch

 

 

 

I'm not street wise and I had to look this word up...but I still don't understand.

[RWB]

The business models used by Littleton and Mystic Stamp have been around for a very long time. They appeal to a segment of the market, and, as noted above, do not necessarily appeal to more sophisticated collectors.

 

From the comments above, they appear to be honest and responsive, although some will disagree with the "grading" of coins.

[PerryHall]

Signing up for an approval service and then just keeping what they send you without paying can't be good for your credit rating.

[Crohnos01]

I couldn't/wouldn't just keep the coins myself... And credit scores are certainly something to consider before resorting to the "coins? What coins" philosophy. Hopefully, they will be responsive to my request and will quit shipping me stuff. While I would never intentionally not return their coins, I can think of several scenarios where coins accidently don't get returned. As I write this, the coins are in their return envelope in my truck waiting for me to make another trip to town because I don't get or send mail from my rural address. What if the bag falls behind the seat and my 50 year old brain has a senior moment? I find them next summer...oops.

All in all I wouldn't have a huge issue with their business model if they were more up front about what you were signing up for when you sent in an order...nowhere did I see something like "by responding to this offer, you agree to become a member of our coin review club" They just started showing up.....

I feel the same way about an ad I saw on tv last night. Have you guys seen the add for the "24 it gold buffalo" on tv? They start off taking about the value of a 2008 US Gov minted buffalo and even show a chart wit a value stair stepping up to nearly $4000. The whole time showing a clad commemorative coin minted by Franklin mint or whoever... Suddenly they switch to talking about the clad coin, but still showing the same photo...You can call it marketing or salesmenship or whatever you want, but in my book it's misleading and designed to victimize more easily confused old people watching late night tv.....which by the way is fast becoming ME! I watched my grandfather go through several disappointments from buying "on tv" junk when he was alive...I think it just mean and unfairly targets the older generation.

[bochiman]

philch

 

 

 

I'm not street wise and I had to look this word up...but I still don't understand.

 

He's trying to say "filch" and meaning that they mark things up higher than they should, to cover for items that are "filched" (stolen), which is a complete loss and has to be offset by higher margins on other items that are sold.

[BillJones]

Have you guys seen the add for the "24 it gold buffalo" on tv?

 

Yea those buffalo coin ads were on TV some months ago and now they are back. They are selling a gold plated or maybe only washed piece of that isn't worth anything and leading the viewers to believe it is a collectors' item. They were doing the same thing with a reproduction of the 1929 half eagle. Watch for that one to make a comeback also.