Has Anyone Dealt with http://www.baseball-collect.com/

[jgmp123]

I am very leary about this site and the guy that owns it..A fella from Canada named Bob Semetka. Let me know if you have had any success working with him.

A couple red flags that I have seen...

- I sent an email asking if an item was available and made offer $20 less than he had listed...He then responded to me and went crazy on me for asking for the reduction. I thought I was the customer.

Also, probably the biggest red flag is the payment types accepted:

Straight from his website....

U.S. Order Payment Options - A U.S. Bank Money Order (subject to clearance) or "International" U.S. Post Office Money Order (orange pink color) or Western Union MO, Items will be shipped next business day.

Note - For various reasons I am not accepting any form of U.S. Bank Checks incl. personal or certified, draft etc.

Canadian Order Payment Options - A Canadian Bank Check (subject to clearance) or Bank or Post Office Money Order.

Cash is at purchasers discretion.

Credit Card or PayPal payments are not available - If interested to know why, type PayPal Complaints into your browser.

[7nohitter]

I've never dealt with them, and based on what you just stated comes from their site I will NEVER deal with them!

[powderfinger]

I believe this person once acted as a type of "agent" for specific hockey HOFers regarding the sale of their autographs. I remember specifically that Red Kelly and Norm Ullman were two of the payers he represented. There might have been more. Anyway, if you sent him your item and the required payment ( this was all pre-PayPal) items were always signed and returned. I never had a problem.

[Mr. Zipper]

Not accepting Paypal isn't necessarily a sign of a problem in my opinion. Many small time sellers simply cannot risk a Paypal chargeback or they way they can arbitrarily freeze accounts.

Years ago I got hit with an $1,100 chargeback from a comic book I sold on ebay. 45 days after I shipped the item and the buyer left positive feedback, he claimed "someone unauthorized used my account" and Paypal said I owed the $1,100 back. Even though I had delivery confirmation and positive feedback from the buyer, Paypal sided with the buyer and I was hit with the chargeback. Still makes me angry when I think about it.

And my story is not an isolated incident. So, I don't blame people for not wanting to deal with Paypal. Because they are not a true bank, they skirt many of the consumer protection standards you get with accepting or using a real bank card.

[jgmp123]

Originally Posted by Mr. Zipper

Not accepting Paypal isn't necessarily a sign of a problem in my opinion. Many small time sellers simply cannot risk a Paypal chargeback or they way they can arbitrarily freeze accounts.

Years ago I got hit with an $1,100 chargeback from a comic book I sold on ebay. 45 days after I shipped the item and the buyer left positive feedback, he claimed "someone unauthorized used my account" and Paypal said I owed the $1,100 back. Even though I had delivery confirmation and positive feedback from the buyer, Paypal sided with the buyer and I was hit with the chargeback. Still makes me angry when I think about it.

And my story is not an isolated incident. So, I don't blame people for not wanting to deal with Paypal. Because they are not a true bank, they skirt many of the consumer protection standards you get with accepting or using a real bank card.

Understand not using Paypal, but no personal or bank checks?? Only money orders/cash/wire service...

[drc]

These days, the money from a personal or bank check is deposited in your account right away, so there's little risk with them. In the past, it could take a while for deposit so I guess I could understand that. Sounds as if he may be an old school type of guy. It may be that he's been burned with other forms of payment. We hear of Americans complaining about problems selling to Canada. Maybe the problems work both ways.

[otismalibu]

Been some time since I lived in Canada, but there used to be a fee for cashing checks from USA.

[baseballart]

Originally Posted by otismalibu

Been some time since I lived in Canada, but there used to be a fee for cashing checks from USA.

Almost every Canadian financial institution now offers US dollar checking accounts

[otismalibu]

Almost every Canadian financial institution now offers US dollar checking accounts

Next thing you're going to tell me is that The Beachcombers is no longer on CBC.

[RichardSimon]

Originally Posted by Mr. Zipper

Not accepting Paypal isn't necessarily a sign of a problem in my opinion. Many small time sellers simply cannot risk a Paypal chargeback or they way they can arbitrarily freeze accounts.

Years ago I got hit with an $1,100 chargeback from a comic book I sold on ebay. 45 days after I shipped the item and the buyer left positive feedback, he claimed "someone unauthorized used my account" and Paypal said I owed the $1,100 back. Even though I had delivery confirmation and positive feedback from the buyer, Paypal sided with the buyer and I was hit with the chargeback. Still makes me angry when I think about it.

And my story is not an isolated incident. So, I don't blame people for not wanting to deal with Paypal. Because they are not a true bank, they skirt many of the consumer protection standards you get with accepting or using a real bank card.

That sux. Did you get the comic back?

[baseballart]

Originally Posted by otismalibu

Next thing you're going to tell me is that The Beachcombers is no longer on CBC.

If ratings and aging actors weren't enough, there was a fire near Molly's Reach:

Gibsons fire claims repair shop, hostel
Last Updated: Friday, June 4, 2010 | 8:07 PM PT
CBC News



Two buildings were destroyed by a Friday afternoon fire in Gibsons.Two buildings were destroyed by a Friday afternoon fire in Gibsons. (CBC)

A fire has destroyed two buildings on the waterfront of Gibsons, B.C.

The fire started at about 3:30 p.m. PT Friday in the 500-Block of Marine Drive, a few hundred metres from the town center.

Witnesses said the building that housed Coles Marine Diesel Repair Ltd. and a neighbouring tourist hostel had burned down.

There were no injuries.

The owner of the Wynken Blynken Nod Backpackers Hostel, Suzanne Senger, said she had just recently closed the business.

"Thank God," said Senger. "If I'd been full of hostelers right now that could have been a serious tragedy."

View Larger Map

A huge plume of smoke from the fire could be seen kilometres away.

Traffic along the main route to the Langdale ferry terminal was being diverted around the fire scene.

Gibson's is best known as the location for the 1970s CBC TV series The Beachcombers. The restaurant often featured in the series, Molly's Reach, still operates and sits several hundred metres away from the scene of the fire.

Gibsons is on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast, about 30 kilometres northwest of Vancouver, and is accessible only by ferry.

[thecatspajamas]

Originally Posted by jgmp123

I am very leary about this site and the guy that owns it..A fella from Canada named Bob Semetka. Let me know if you have had any success working with him.

A couple red flags that I have seen...

- I sent an email asking if an item was available and made offer $20 less than he had listed...He then responded to me and went crazy on me for asking for the reduction. I thought I was the customer.

Also, probably the biggest red flag is the payment types accepted:

Straight from his website....

U.S. Order Payment Options - A U.S. Bank Money Order (subject to clearance) or "International" U.S. Post Office Money Order (orange pink color) or Western Union MO, Items will be shipped next business day.

Note - For various reasons I am not accepting any form of U.S. Bank Checks incl. personal or certified, draft etc.

Canadian Order Payment Options - A Canadian Bank Check (subject to clearance) or Bank or Post Office Money Order.

Cash is at purchasers discretion.

Credit Card or PayPal payments are not available - If interested to know why, type PayPal Complaints into your browser.

I actually had a transaction in progress with Bob (my first) when you posted this, so held off on commenting until I had received the items. The end result was that everything came out okay. Being stateside, I had to jump through a few hoops to get payment to him, but everything arrived as promised.

My take on the situation is that Bob has probably been burned by Paypal in some way in the past, and rather than risk repeating that situation, chooses not to accept Paypal payments. Paypal does have its risks (primarily for the seller), but by enabling Joe Average to accept credit card payments without having to have a merchant account, it does simplify things a lot. In this case though, Bob had something that I wanted (stumbled across it with a simple Google search), so I decided to go ahead and jump through the hoops.

First, I found what I wanted on his website and sent him an e-mail to make sure it was still available and see how best to get the payment to him. I got a short reply back that he needed to know if I was in the U.S. or Canada (fair enough), and to look at the ordering instructions on the website (which gave shipping rates for individual cards, not card lots like the one I was inquiring about). So after I tell him where he's shipping to, he tells me that the prices listed on his site are if you're paying in Canadian $, and if I'm sending U.S. $ to add 8% to cover the bank conversion fees. He also asked that I advise whether I wanted to reserve the lot pending my payment.

A little less than 24 hours later I get a curt e-mail saying that if I don't want the cards, just let him know. That it doesn't take long to send an e-mail and he went to the trouble of weighing them and giving me a shipping quote, and that I needed to wake up. I'm assuming that Bob has also gotten a lot of inquirers that never followed through with the transaction, and is a bit short-tempered as a result. I politely ignored the tirade, e-mailed him back that I would be sending payment as he instructed (USPS international money order), and to please reserve the lot for me. When I did finally get to the bank and purchased the international money order, I noticed that it still gave the amount as "US $", so not being sure if this counted as sending Canadian or US funds to Bob, I threw in a few extra bucks cash to cover the 8% surcharge he had quoted.

I'm not sure if that was what was expected, but it seemed to work as I got an e-mail from Bob a couple weeks later that he was sending the cards out, and received them safe and sound and as promised a couple weeks after that.

So, all of that is to say that, while not exactly what I would call a smoothe transaction, Bob did everything he said he would do, even if I did have to do some extra legwork to get the payment to him. The whole thing really resembled ordering something from a print ad in the back of a magazine more than your typical over-the-internet transaction. I would also add that my purchase did not include any autographed items, so I can't speak with any personal experience regarding those.

To sum up my overall experience, I would say Bob may be a bit of a curmudgeon who could stand to brush up on his people skills, but he delivered everything as promised, and I never got the impression that he was up to no good.

[jgmp123]

Lance,

Thanks for the update. I had the same experience when asking him if he would be willing to take a lower offer if I purchased multiple items, he freaked out and called me cheap and a few other things...said he couldn't believe I would ask for a discount when the prices were already low enough....not the nicest of guys and I will probably never deal with him, but glad everything worked out for you.

[Mr. Zipper]

Originally Posted by RichardSimon

That sux. Did you get the comic back?

LOL

Of course not. It was gone in a puff of smoke just like the Paypal "Seller protection."

To this day I still scan auctions looking for the book. It had a few very distinctive flaws.

[Bob Semetka]

This complaint by James Graham was brought to my attention awhile ago hoeever I haven’t had the time to post my response due to a major renovation I was involved with. In fairness James didn’t include all the facts in his statement. James inquired if a signed cut by Chuck Templeton was still available, in an attempt to complete his collection of the 1955 WS Champs Brooklyn Dodgers team. I advised him it was a white unlined 3x5 index card, not a cut as listed on my website at $50. Templeton appeared in 4 games & not significant to the team’s overall success however was a difficult autograph for collectors to obtain over the years & known as a non signer via mail & in addition didn’t make card shows appearances. His signature is at the very least scarce (in any form). One dealer on the net has a Templeton 3x5 available for $195. He passed away in 1997 at a relatively young age of 67.

I asked James if he wished to reserve it. He replied asking if I would accept $30, a substantial 40% discount on $50. In response I stated “Before we go any further ... No discounts ... never had to, the $ listed are fair ... if I were to allow for it the $ w/b higher to compensate ... you should have asked about this in your 1st e-mail”.

James replied “Just asking...No reason to get so upset”.

He “Assumed” I was upset when I wasn’t & advised him so. Was I peeved a little ... yes. I did add a sarcastic remark because of the assumption which in hindsight I shouldn’t have. I wouldn’t have minded had he asked if a discount was available or offered 10% less, that would have been fine.

Now, in this forum he is “adding & spinning” my reply as “went crazy on me” & “he freaked out.” Not true.

In a further reply to Lance in this forum he states that he asked me if I would be willing to take a lower offer if he purchased multiple items. This is a complete fabrication & only inquired about the 1 item mentioned above.

He didn’t ask me why I only accept certain types of payment & only raised a “Red Flag” in this forum. The reason why I accept money orders only on U.S. orders is due to being in Canada. In the past I have received bad U.S. checks (insufficient funds) plus over the last few years, hundreds of different U.S. banks have closed.

I don’t accept PayPal due to numerous complaints listed on the net & thereby avoid possible needless complications. Have I lost sales because of it, sure, but it's my decision. Payment types are up to the seller.
There is a note on my web page regarding No PayPal which he could have checked, instead he chose to copy & enter it in his complaint. See Above.

In reference to the “Comic Book” postings. I don't sell or deal in comic books. This transaction was with someone else.

[thecatspajamas]

Originally Posted by Bob Semetka

In a further reply to Lance in this forum he states that he asked me if I would be willing to take a lower offer if he purchased multiple items. This is a complete fabrication & only inquired about the 1 item mentioned above.

He didn’t ask me why I only accept certain types of payment & only raised a “Red Flag” in this forum. The reason why I accept money orders only on U.S. orders is due to being in Canada. In the past I have received bad U.S. checks (insufficient funds) plus over the last few years, hundreds of different U.S. banks have closed.

I don’t accept PayPal due to numerous complaints listed on the net & thereby avoid possible needless complications. Have I lost sales because of it, sure, but it's my decision. Payment types are up to the seller.
There is a note on my web page regarding No PayPal which he could have checked, instead he chose to copy & enter it in his complaint. See Above.

Bob,

I'll simply say that I think you are confusing my post with one or more of the others in this thread.

I never inquired about a discount of any sort, and as you say, did purchase a single lot (of several postcards), at your asking price plus shipping/handling. I believe everything that I posted was a fair representation of our transaction, and my intent in posting here was actually to counter some of the other, more disparaging posts from those who had not actually dealt with you (I do apologize for the curmudgeon comment though, one interaction probably isn't enough to make that determination).

[theshleps]

I remember starting a transaction with Bob over 5 years ago but I wasn't comfortable with the signature and cancelled the deal. It went ago (the cancellation) but details are fuzzy

[Bob Semetka]

Lance,

Re "In a further reply to Lance"

I was referring to James & his reply to you.

[mr2686]

Originally Posted by Bob Semetka

Templeton appeared in 4 games & not significant to the team’s overall success however was a difficult autograph for collectors to obtain over the years & known as a non signer via mail & in addition didn’t make card shows appearances. His signature is at the very least scarce (in any form). One dealer on the net has a Templeton 3x5 available for $195.

Bob, no offense but I really don't think Templeton is Scarce. He's not hard to find at all and I would call him Readily Available. I know the dealer that has the $195 3x5 ( a very very well known and respected dealer) but his initial prices are always very high...and he is willing to deal. He also has a Templeton 1979 tcma for $175, and I paid $22 last year. When all is said and done, I still don't think $50 for a nice Templeton 3x5 is outlandish by any means, however, $30 is not a slap in the face either.

[thecatspajamas]

Originally Posted by Bob Semetka

Lance,

Re "In a further reply to Lance"

I was referring to James & his reply to you.

Ah, okay. I misread that. Thanks for clearing it up.

[Bob Semetka]

Lance,

You're welcome & also thanks for posting your thoughts. It was a fair representation of our transaction.

[Bob Semetka]

To Michael, (Tag: theshleps)

In fairness I don't have a problem with a comment being posted but it should include facts not just a vague recollection such as "I wasn't comfortable with the signature and cancelled the deal."

I realize you didn't say fake however a quote such as this may or could suggest or lead the reader in this forum to believe that I sell or have sold forged or ghost signed items & you probably meant no harm. For the record I have never sold fake signatures. I know what I have thru carefull study of the signers writing characteristics. The autographed items I have listed are authentic & unconditionally guaranteed to pass James Spence or PSA as noted on my web pages.

However I remember the transaction with you since it was the first & only time to date someone had questioned the authenticity or "wasn't comfortable" with of one of my signed items. It took me awhile but I located your mailed order sent to me with your CO address.

You purchased 11 autographed cards of various issues incl. a signed Sandy Koufax TCMA card & didn't "cancel the deal" as mentioned above. After receiving them your e-mail advised that you were not comfortable with it (a scan was included on my site which I believe you didn't click to view) & had shown it to a "knowledgeable" person with a negative response. I replied & explained it was signed in person, face to face at Copperstown during the HOF Inductions in the early 1980's. It was outside on the Otsego Hotel grounds on the side of the building where an area had been fenced off. People were calling for him to come over & he obliged. He took his time, was very relaxed & signed the TCMA card very neatly. When this explanation didn't suffice I offered another of the same w/ a somewhat rushed signature which I otained via mail from him. You agreed to the exchange & returned the original & I mailed you the replacement.

[Bob Semetka]

To Mike Richardson

No offence taken.

Over the past 8-10 years I have checked ebay, the web in general & numerous web sites on a regular basis regarding the availability of tough signatures I have incl. Chuck Templeton.

I have never seen a "Readably Available" or plentiful supply of his signature as suggested, except 1 here or there. As of today, Aug 11/12, there is 1 cut issued by a card co. avail on ebay, that's it & none where found on the net therefore they are "Scarce."

I agree this long time, established & knowledgeable dealer we are referring to with the C. Templeton $195 Index card is "well Known & respected." But lets be fair here, why whould he knowingly sell a "Readably Available" or plentiful signature at this price? Even if he allows for a discount from $195, how much would it be? He knows the signature is Scarce at a minimum & may consider it be Rare. He is telling you so with the price.

If you paid $22 for a signed TCMA card, that's exceptional & far below market value, a steal. The price may be due to the U.S. economy, a time in which people do drastic things during drastic times & in need of funds to pay bills. Or the seller is unfamiliar with the signature scarcity, hasn't checked or for that matter know what they are selling.

The $30 offered me $50 & 40% off is quite frankly ridiculously low.

[mr2686]

Bob, there were 3 card company cards of Templeton just the other day and one actually sold in late June for just over 18 dollars. Another one has been sitting at 49 and no bites...sorry, it's just not scarce. You're the seller, and you can believe and ask for anything you want, but you may be sitting on it for awhile.
...and to be fair, I don't know many 50 dollar autos that are scarce either.

[jgmp123]

Bob,
"In fairness" I did ask for a discount on the item and the proper response instead of the testy one you gave could have just been No. What's wrong with that? I have bought and sold a number items and know that in this hobby, if a guy gives you a deal, you most likely return to him for your next order.

If you have a business and you have customers who want to purchase an item, why wouldn't you want to have great service?

I asked for a $20 discount on an item that you probably still have and aren't going to move anytime soon and I'm sorry for that, but you can't expect everyone to pay the sticker price without asking for a better price first. You buy a car, do you pay the sticker price?

If you want to call me out directly, then that is fine...I'll let people decide for themselves if they would purchase from you based on the email record:

From: james graham
To: Bob Semetka
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2012 1:45 PM
Subject: Re: chuck templeton, s-81 (32-97, age 65) brklyn 10 games

I am in the US. Would you take $30 for the Signed Index Card? I can pay immediately.

From: Bob Semetka <bsemetka@bell.net>
Subject: Re: chuck templeton, s-81 (32-97, age 65) brklyn 10 games
To: "james graham" <jgmp123@yahoo.com>
Date: Monday, June 11, 2012, 4:30 PM
Before we go any further ... No discounts ... never had to, the $ listed are fair ... if I were to allow for it the $ w/b higher to compensate ... to save time, you s/b asking about this in your 1st e-mail

From: james graham
To: Bob Semetka
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2012 4:46 PM
Subject: Re: chuck templeton, s-81 (32-97, age 65) brklyn 10 games

Just asking...No reason to get so upset.

From: Bob Semetka <bsemetka@bell.net>
Subject: Re: chuck templeton, s-81 (32-97, age 65) brklyn 10 games
To: "james graham" <jgmp123@yahoo.com>
Date: Tuesday, June 12, 2012, 9:13 AM
I'm not upset, just telling you like it is .... you're obviously overly sensitive & suffering from ADD .... 1st, you didn't read that they are 3x5's (not cuts) .... Templeton was a tough signer & a difficult signature to obtain & you ask for a 40% discount ?? ... they don't grow on trees ... how many do you see out there ... do your homework

From: james graham
To: Bob Semetka
Sent: Tuesday, June 12, 2012 9:27 AM
Subject: Re: chuck templeton, s-81 (32-97, age 65) brklyn 10 games

Your "overly sensitive" comment just cost you a sale...I'll make sure everyone knows where not to go for autographs. In reference to my offer for the Chuck Templeton signature, true they don't grow on trees, but I also gotta believe people aren't beating down your door to purchase it.

Best of luck with your future business.

From: Bob Semetka <bsemetka@bell.net>
Subject: Re: chuck templeton, s-81 (32-97, age 65) brklyn 10 games
To: "james graham" <jgmp123@yahoo.com>
Date: Tuesday, June 12, 2012, 11:25 AM
I knew you would say "just cost me a sale" .... quite frankly I wouldn't deal w/ you anyway, that's why I said what I did ... I to can chose who to sell to. Right !

Believe what you wish, I'm not concerned If they are or not beating down my door.

And by the way, was "Best of luck with your future business" a sincere comment?


I still don't see how the response: "just asking...no reason to get so upset" translate to me having ADD...

[Bob Semetka]

To Mike Richardson

Mike, could you please advise me the names of the 3 card companies selling a Chuck Templeton signature.
Thanks

[mr2686]

Bob, I meant 3 cards from card companies, not 3 individual companies...although both Donruss and Panini are represented in a # of 5, and a # of 7 series. I will add, that when talking about Templeton, single signed baseballs are scarce and harder to find, although our previously mentioned respected dealer does have one available at a premium price.

[Bob Semetka]

To James Graham

James,

I regret the ADD notation & sincerely apologize however this was following your "Just asking...No reason to get so upset" comment. This combined with the 40% discount offer on $50 just had the best of me at that moment. Is it possible that you may have misinterpreted? I wasn't upset or angry but it's up to you to believe as you wish.

[jgmp123]

Bob,

Let's just chalk it up to a simple non-verbal communication misunderstanding. We are both in the same hobby and part of the same community.

I apologize for any comments that I made as well.

James

[Bob Semetka]

James,

These typed communication misunderstandings can happen from time to time in place of talking by phone or face to face.

Bob

[Bob Semetka]

To Mike Richardson,

Mike,

The Chuck Templeton Panini & Donruss issues are cuts & limited editions of 5 & 7 respectively, (cuts are less desirable than 3x5 index cards). Over the past 8-10 years I haven't seen & documented any 3x5 index cards or TCMA cards available on ebay or the net & therefore both are scarce. You were in the right place at the right time when you purchased the TCMA card for $22. Do a search & you will see. There are many former deceased players where index cards are valued at $50 or more.

[mr2686]

Bob, There was a tcma card available just a few days ago. Look, let's just agree to disagree. If you want to believe it's scarce, it's your business. Over and out.