question about vcoins' shipping notice

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

Question: Does the automatic vcoins emailed shipping notice bear any correlation to reality?  I recently ordered something from a European dealer.  My first order, over a year ago, had taken forever and a day, but the automatic shipping notice was sent 3 or 4 days after the order.  The order itself took 4+ weeks from order to door, perhaps due to the mail, perhaps not.  I don't know.  Anyway, it's been a week and a half and no such notice.  I though that perhaps Netherlands post just took forever, but orders from Tom Vossen have arrived within a week and a half.

I went into the order expecting it to take forever (a month plus), but no shipping notice is a bit worrying.  Granted, my email is a bit goofy about making some emails disappear, although it's never happened to vcoins' stuff.

I built my order around one coin, which I really liked.  Taking a vacation from coins showing up was a little bit refreshing, so I didn't care so much about the forever part. 

Perhaps I should wait half a week and then try and touch base with the dealer? 

I don't really expect an Opisthodomos-type outcome (although I was one of the few to receive coins), but it's a bit annoying.  The Opisthodomos coins were actually quite nice and lovingly packed.  And to be fair, the coins from this dealer were quite nice for the relatively modest price.

[sand]

I live in the US. This year, I've only ordered from US Vcoins dealers. Therefore, it may be different for non-US Vcoins dealers. I don't remember. This year, whenever I ordered a coin from Vcoins, I always immediately received an email from an address of the form dealer@vcoins.com, which thanked me for the order, and showed my shipping address. Then, after I paid for the coin via PayPal, which I've always done immediately after I ordered the coin, I always immediately received a 2nd email from an address of the form dealer@vcoins.com, which said that the dealer had received my PayPal payment. Then, after a few hours or a few days, I usually received a 3rd email from an address of the form dealer@vcoins.com, which said that the dealer had shipped the coin, and the email contained the tracking number. However, if I remember correctly, 1 or 2 times this year, perhaps the dealer didn't send me the 3rd email, and I never received a tracking number, and the coin just magically appeared in my PO box.

Edited September 8, 2023 by sand

[Prieure de Sion]

4 hours ago, Nerosmyfavorite68 said:

Question: Does the automatic vcoins emailed shipping notice bear any correlation to reality?

 

To explain: some processes are automatic, some processes have to be controlled manually! I have also attached a screenshot.

 

Firstly, ordering.
When you make an order, it runs automatically. You get a confirmation of your order automatically from the system, I don't have to do anything as a trader. Only if I cancel your order, I have to do that manually.

Secondly, payment.
If you have chosen a payment that can be processed automatically (credit card, PayPal...) - then the system will automatically send you a mail that you have paid. However, if you have chosen a payment method - for example, bank transfer - then you will not automatically receive an email, because the money will not arrive until later. Then I, as the seller, can have an email sent to you when I click on the paid button.

Conclusion. The order and the confirmation email of the order are always automatic from the system! The payment confirmation email is always automatic if you choose a payment method that the system can process automatically (credit card, PayPal...). If payment is made later (e.g. by bank transfer), I as the seller have to update the order manually.

Thirdly, shipping.
You will NEVER automatically receive an email when shipping! If you receive a confirmation of shipment, this is always done manually by the dealer! How else would that work? The VCoins system cannot know when I send a package, it cannot know with whom and it does not know the tracking number. When I have done the shipping, I go into the admin system (see screenshot), enter the shipping date, enter the transport service, enter the tracking number, leave the checkmark set at "send shipped email" and then click on the button "Update Order Status". Only THEN will you as the buyer receive an email about the shipment status. 

I hope my explanation has helped you a little to understand the system. When I was still a buyer myself, I didn't really understand the whole thing with Vcoins either.

 

4 hours ago, Nerosmyfavorite68 said:

I went into the order expecting it to take forever (a month plus), but no shipping notice is a bit worrying.  Granted, my email is a bit goofy about making some emails disappear, although it's never happened to vcoins' stuff.

It must also be said that there are also delays. Especially with regular mail. I also finished a shipment on day 1. But the item was only picked up 3-4 days later. Regular post is currently a bit of a mess in many EU countries. First they had to deal with Corona, now with staff shortages. The post used to come every day, but now there are weeks when the post only comes 1-2 times a week. So you can send by post and enter it in VCoins - but it takes almost a week until the shipment even starts!

And if it's a normal letter - that also takes 6-8 weeks or more at the moment!

But the other senders are no better. I use UPS Express as the standard to the USA. The emphasis is on express! The delivery time from Germany to the USA is given as 1-3 days. The current reality is that the average transit time is 2 weeks.

Or DHL Express. I sent a coin by 48-hour express, which cost me a lot of money. Yesterday, after a week, the shipment finally arrived at the customer. Seven days instead of the guaranteed two! 

Shipping at the moment - regardless of the provider - is simply much longer than usual.

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

The most recent European order was from Numismatik Naumann, which was in May, which took 4 weeks.  However, they were pretty upfront about having to wait for the useless export permit.  The coin was quite nice.

Gosh, it's been March since I ordered from Savoca.  I recall that FedEx took a bit longer than normal, maybe 4 days instead of 2-3, but nothing extreme.

Out of pure chance, the rest of the orders were from U.S. dealers and Zurqieh.  Even Zurqieh was taking a bit longer, maybe 2 1/2 weeks.

It's been decades since the bulk of my orders from him, but IIRC, Allen Berman orders would take quite a while, back in the 90's.  However, most of my favorite Byzantines came from him.  I really liked the coins; I remember them 30 years later!  That was also the pre-internet age, so orders had to reach him by snail mail.

 

[sand]

I used to order frequently from non-US Vcoins dealers. If I remember correctly, I would usually wait 2 weeks for a tracking number. At the end of 2 weeks, I would check my PO box. If I had not received a tracking number, and if I had not received the coin at my PO box, then I would usually send an email to the dealer's email address of the form dealer@vcoins.com, and ask if they would provide a tracking number. Note that I and other persons, have had bad luck using the Vcoins internal messaging system. Therefore, I would always send my email directly to the dealer@vcoins email address, which I obtained from the 2 automatic emails from the dealer.

[sand]

P.S. : After I requested a tracking number, the dealer was always polite, and provided a tracking number. Sometimes, the coin had been shipped long ago. Other times, if I remember correctly, perhaps the dealer had not yet shipped the coin, but the dealer shipped the coin soon after receiving my request for a tracking number.

Edited September 9, 2023 by sand

[JayAg47]

I didn't see your post before I just made one on the same issue, I'd have accepted prolonged postal delays maybe a couple years ago, but they have no excuses now when the world has opened up and running! 

[ewomack]

I'll happily wait longer as long as they don't slap an import duty on it. That hurt.