+your eyes Good post 66, no test is perfect including conductivity and xray . In the last month I have 2 new gold and 1 platinum coins from eBay. Under spot, one by a significant margin. Honestly though if I hadn't been looking specifically for these coins I wouldn't waste time saving.a few hundred bucks.
Thank you everyone for their feedback. I finally got my money back from Paypal. It was quite stressful. So it appears that buying off ebay and gumtree is to be avoided? Is the 'seller feedback' history of individuals selling on this platform a reliable indicator outside the physical tests everyone mentioned on testing any bullion you may be buying?
I've never had a problem with eBay. I'm very careful that descriptions are clear, photos are clear, always use Paypal (except if its a known dealer with ABN) and seller must have a 100% feeback history including selling gold. Ask questions before buying to test the integrity of the seller. If they say they don't know anything about what they are selling or how to ship or give a dumbshit response then simply move on to the next listing.
Good luck mate.... I had seller with 700+ positive feedback on all coins and ended with fake 1oz bar... Of course, seller has to take his return (thx to fleeBay/PayPal) and covered him/herself with BS reply of got it from reputable supplier... Errr, Alibaba?!
I've simply never had a problem that couldn't be resolved quickly in 15 years. It was also been the single best place to initially network with likewise collectors/small time dealers. I steer clear of BS. Recent example 1. A seller was crying poor about reluctant sale for his grandkids. Raises reflag and I break off contact with sob stories. Example 2. Seller refuses to send AusPost to PO Box. Nope. Example 3. Seller takes offence to final price and demands a price higher than what they probably paid in mid year. Nope. Next. Always gonna be a few bad apples on eBay, Gumtree, Instagram and here.