Should I send to China...?

[RockMyAmadeus]

So a buyer in China bought a couple of 1983 and 1984 Olympic dollars from me, and I absolutely cannot shake the feeling that they are going to be used to make counterfeits.

 

I could be totally wrong, but it just seems odd to me to have a buyer in China (I almost never ship to China) buying these particular coins.

 

Is there a reason a Chinese buyer would be buying US Olympic coins? Are there genuine collectors of US coins in China? I realize how absurd that sentence sounds, but with China counterfeiting everything, I dunno...it seems very likely.

 

Should I send the coins? Does it even matter?

[coinman_23885]

As long as you are protected (i.e. the coin is insured, there is tracking information to prevent a PayPal dispute, and the coin isn't paid from a credit card when the transaction can be reversed), I would have no problems shipping to China and the ultimate use of the coin isn't your problem. With this said, I doubt that anyone will be making counterfeit Commemorative Olympic coins anytime soon, especially when there are far more valuable coins to counterfeit. Regardless, I wouldn't worry about it. I am sure that there are probably some legitimate collectors of U.S. coins in China.

[WoodenJefferson]

If the counterfeiters don't get examples from you, they will get it from someone else.

 

You just have ti think the Chinese buyer is looking for bullion type coins or actually a collector interested in commemorative coinage from the US. Let the fur fly with the hide.

 

Glad to see you back RMA

 

[James_OldeTowne]

So a buyer in China bought a couple of 1983 and 1984 Olympic dollars from me, and I absolutely cannot shake the feeling that they are going to be used to make counterfeits.

 

I could be totally wrong, but it just seems odd to me to have a buyer in China (I almost never ship to China) buying these particular coins.

 

Is there a reason a Chinese buyer would be buying US Olympic coins? Are there genuine collectors of US coins in China? I realize how absurd that sentence sounds, but with China counterfeiting everything, I dunno...it seems very likely.

 

Should I send the coins? Does it even matter?

I know from experience there are Asian folks who avidly collect U.S. coins. We ought not to assume everyone in China is counterfeiting U.S. coins simply because a handful of unscrupulous people over there do so.

[TwoKopeiki]

Sounds to me like you've created a certain stereotype in your mind. China has a population of over 1.3 billion people. I'm sure there are coin collectors among them.

 

But if you don't feel comfortable, you can always exclude China from the list of countries you ship to. Not a smart thing to do in this economy, but it's your decision.

[Kamillion]

i see no reason to discriminate. =)

[PerryHall]

Can you insure shipments to China? It's not like a USPS mail man will hand deliver the coin to someone in China.

[e1cnr]

I sent an SMS Jefferson Nickel in a PCGS slab last week and wondered the same thing - cost the guy $10

 

I had to manually print label because the guy gave me 8 or 9 lines of address and said I could not abbreviate anything because most Chinese do not read English very well.

[MrBedrock]

Does it even matter?

Let your conscience be your guide.

 

And after you decide please ask a similar question about comics over in the other forum (thumbs u

[Oldtrader3]

I worked in China for almost 7 years and befriended a lot of the people that I met there and worked with in our plant. The other side of that coin (pun intended) is that you have no way of knowing whether you are dealing with unscrupulous people in China. Given the high rate and lack of government regulation on theft of intellectual property in China, my own experiences lead me to not do business with any Chinese businessmen.

[ultra-crepidarian]

... Should I send the coins? ...

Every ten years I change my race on the US Census. In 2010, I declared myself Chinese so I am particularly sensitive to these types of concerns. Commerce is based on trust. Trust is not easily achieved. You sold the coins; you are obligated to send them. It is that simple. In the future, if you feel uncomfortable in dealing with Chinese buyers simply exclude us from your sales.

 

 

[Oldtrader3]

It is not a racial thing. I have lots of chinese friends and associates whom I respect as individuals greatly. This choice has more to do with experience and history of dealings with business people in China. I worked over there on a project basis for (7) years. The entire issue is chinese businessmen's respect for business standards and intellectual property laws (counterfeiting).

[Houston Investor]

I would be concerned about tracking, insurance issues, etc. If the Chinese buyer says he did not get the coins, what is your recourse say with Paypal in fighting a dispute? I would be surprised if USPS tracking works for China!

[copper toning]

... Should I send the coins? ...

You sold the coins; you are obligated to send them. It is that simple. In the future, if you feel uncomfortable in dealing with Chinese buyers simply exclude us from your sales.

 

 

I agree it is a little late for this transaction.

[RockMyAmadeus]

... Should I send the coins? ...

Every ten years I change my race on the US Census. In 2010, I declared myself Chinese so I am particularly sensitive to these types of concerns. Commerce is based on trust. Trust is not easily achieved. You sold the coins; you are obligated to send them. It is that simple. In the future, if you feel uncomfortable in dealing with Chinese buyers simply exclude us from your sales.

 

 

It is the nation (particularly, its policies), not the ethnicity, that concerns me.

 

As far as "obligated to send them"...welll...I'm not so sure. It seems that way on the surface, but there are always different ways to look at it.

[RockMyAmadeus]

Thank you, everyone, for offering your opinions. The buyer hasn't paid, so maybe I'm off the hook.

[RockMyAmadeus]

Update..buyer never paid. No contact, either. So, I'm off the hook on this one. Weird, though.

[coinman_23885]

I would be concerned about tracking, insurance issues, etc. If the Chinese buyer says he did not get the coins, what is your recourse say with Paypal in fighting a dispute? I would be surprised if USPS tracking works for China!

 

But if you showed that it was shipped and insured, then the buyer would seemingly be out of luck (or at least this is the way it should be - I would make sure that the buyer understands that you cannot control what happens to the package after it leaves U.S. territory.)

 

Edited to add: Oops! I see that I am a bit late to the discussion.

[jgrinz]

It is an Olympic year - Perhaps this is what was putting the hesitation in your mind ... just a thought

 

[e1cnr]

there are a few countries I scratch my head about on shipping too [ you can check the guys feedback with the types of stuff purchased.

 

I am more concerned about claim of non-delivery than 'being used as template' for counterfeits - which couod occur anywhere in world.

 

For many countries, USPS insurance and tracking are not available once they leave the US - so there is always a chance I am giving something away for free + postage and packing when going across any border.

 

PS there are some avid coin collectors and legit coin dealers in CHINA

[PerryHall]

For many countries, USPS insurance and tracking are not available once they leave the US - so there is always a chance I am giving something away for free + postage and packing when going across any border.

 

Sounds like a good reason to not send coins outside the U.S.