Is This A Scam?

I got this in the mail today and when they say "if it sounds to good to be true then it probably isnt" I have 7 days to send in. Has anybody ever heard of this company?PCS STAMPS & COINS

HI Tina...You can try searching the company's name in google as there are some good consumer protection websites around that would post experiences of consumers on whether a scam is in the air or not.

They've actually been around for a while; at least I remember getting offers from them since the 1980s.

While the product looks nice, the sales pitch is mostly hype. The resale value is pitiful, and you'll be lucky if get 10%-20% of your original purchase price back when you resell. I don't even bother entertaining sell offers, because I know they will get really mad when they find out the true resale value.

It's not a true scam, but you'll feel like you were hood-winked when you try to sell.

I never bought anything from them, but I have gotten 30-40 free covers/replicas from them over the years, including a very nice binder. Never had to send anything back other than the "discontinue" note. Read the offer carefully, some of the offers including approvals -- don't even bother with those offers because you will incur expenses mailing it back. All the offers I took them up on were with no approvals and no commitments.

I should re-emphasize that I would NEVER buy anything from them. Most of their ads are highly misleading, including the "22kt replica" phrase. HINT: it's not just the stamp that is a replica.

However, they have not done anything illegal. But the phrasing they use makes it easy for the reader to jump to quick and incorrect conclusions. They are just out to hawk overpriced trinkets.

Tina.......

I would not give a penny for a hundred of them.

Here's what I found on ebay.....

http://desc.shop.ebay.com/i.html?_n...t=261&_rdc=1

Here's a buy-it-now .......11 for $14.75.....$1.34 each....How much in your special offer ?

http://cgi.ebay.com/11-22K-Gold-US-...4s_W0QQitemZ310172148440QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item4837b362d8

Oh, I might be willing to spend a penny on 100 of them, but not 1 penny more!

The foil replicas are actually kinda nice looking, even if they aren't really "22k gold".

I kinda like the replicas. They look nice and are usually decent quality.

It's the Franklin Mint all over again....

PCS stands for Postal Commemorative Society. I have requested their free items before, just for novelty. They are well presented and like most things of this nature overpriced. You will not be able to resell and make a profit down the road. Most informed collectors stay away from these types of companies.

Now if you could guarantee getting a free Abraham Lincoln cover with no strings attached, I would send away for it.

Their offer tends to change back and forth over time.

Just make sure they aren't going to send approvals, there's no obligation to make any additional purchases, and that you can cancel at any time.

Also, it is better to get covers WITHOUT your name and address on it. You do have that option.

I read every little part even fine print and it says nothing about joining any club or receiving anything else but the free cover so we will see I sent it off in the mail

What they will probably do is send you the free cover. Then try to pressure you into buying their high priced stuff.

Skip it Tina. They just want you to subscribe to their monthly approvals. Get you hooked on a set and keep you buying them. They are sent 3 per month whether or not you ask for them. They have little to no resale value. Many of us got suckered into that years ago and can't get rid of the items now. If you like them, I will sell you a set or two for a fraction of what I paid just to get rid of them. I no longer even consider them a part of my stamp collection.

Tina...I think the general opinion is Skip It!
I prefer to collect stamps, not replicas,
Bud

I'd certainly buy them if they had a Certificate of Authenticity!

While we are in agreement that PCS items have very poor resale value, there are those who do collect them. We may have our opinions on whether we like them or not, but I think we should respect that some people like to collect them because they are "pretty". Think about all the things that others have said about our interest in collecting "stamps".

As long as Tina has read the fine print and it doesn't say anything about approvals, additional obligations (other than cancelling), or purchase commitments, I really don't see anything wrong with sending off for the freebies. I've done so many times, and it has never cost me a single cent, not even a postage stamp to send the decline card. There are different offers out there from PCS. I don't respond to the ones that send approvals or require additional purchases. They used to have a toll-free number that you could call to decline a subscription. It's been over 15 years since I last responded to their offers, so things may have changed. But back then, everything was supplied postage paid (even the decline card). Several offers I received did not sign you up unless you sent the subscribe card in (i.e., by default, it was no subscription -- you didn't have to do anything).

It did happen to me once that they sent me some items and tried to bill me. I simply sent the bill back to them stating that I had read the fine print and the original offer stated nothing about receiving additional items on approval or subscription. I asked them for a postage-paid label to send the items back to them. They sent a letter to me apologizing and telling me I could keep the items they had sent. If they send you approvals without your consent, you are under no obligation to pay for them, nor incur expenses to return them.

Anyway, I would agree with the others and suggest that you pass; they are not a perfect company and do bungle things, as in my example above. I did it because I thought having a few might be neat. The true value of these items is not in the resale value.

Just my opinion.

k