Dealers State Of Mind And What To Expect?

The title is rather correct: What is the logic behind some of the dealer's actions, and what is reasonable to expect from him?

1) Stamps on letters and packages: If I can't expect stamps on philately issues, where can I expect them? Is the dealer so busy running after the buck that he can't find time to stamp his delivery or ask the postal clerk to do so? I can accept no stamps with specialized stamps and objects, but when he offers kiloware and WW stamps - doesn't it stand to reason to use stamps?

2) Stamp quality - how desperate is a dealer to sell stamps missing an entire side, or having a hinge ripped off of the back with part of the stamp, or tears or bending that mutilated the stamp face? I'm referring mainly to selling bulks of stamp, 500, 1000, 5000 or by weight. Isn't it clear that one damaged stamp negates the effect of 100 fair condition stamps in the eye of the buyer? I saw once a dealer offering stamps described as "space fillers" and I admired his honesty.

3) Honest description - I recently received a batch of 5000 WW stamps that the stock scan showed only large pictural stamps, and in reality had over half as small definitive. Why? Did he think I won't check it?
There are offers like WYSIWYG, which are likely to be more accurate, depending really on how much you get to see (stamps partially covered by other stamps or stuck in the album give very partial info).

So, my 3 points (feel free to add more), are stamping etiquette of the shipment, stamp quality, and honest/accurate representation.

I'm not a dealer, but, when I sell things on ebay, if it will go in the pillar box, it will have stamps. If I'm at the post office counter, with a queue behind me, I'll take what I'm given, which is the printed-off label.

Why not prepare the package at home, and shorten the time at the post office? Is it possible in the US to ask for stamps, whatever stamps, then printed-off labels?
I have a dealer/seller in ebay, who's every envelope is a celebration of stamps. He even uses old stamps to please his buyers.

adding a point:
4) When I buy a thousand matches, I expect to get a thousand matches, each usable and unburnt. Why can't I expect, when buying "1000 different stamps", to receive the whole 1000, with no duplicates?

A dealer, by definition, is someone who is running after the buck. There is no school, there is no mandatory test you have to pass to become a stamp dealer. True of stamp buyers, too.

If dealers do things that are not popular to their customers, they will go out of business sooner or later. One thing that keeps sloppy and bad actors in business are people being cute, trying to pick off "gems" that are misidentified or not what they seem. Why buy or continue to buy from somebody that does not present or represent their wares properly?

Demanding stamps on a package is rather worthless in these days of Covid. The vast majority of incoming mail from everywhere is uncancelled, or pen cancelled by the mail carrier. Would you rather have your stamps the soonest date possible rather than 3-4 days later when the mail-order dealer can get to the post office? And then complaining about non-delivery?

Matches and similar commodities are packaged by machines. On and off paper stamps are packaged by weight and do you really think that for a few dollars somebody is going to go through 1000 stamps and make sure that they are all different and perfect? Would you do it if you were selling the same thing?

My advice is to try different kiloware sources and find one that suits you.

As far as stamps on packages goes I like to get them too but there is a difference between an auction or other large firm trying to get 1,000 packages out the door and make people happy and a seller dealing with a few packages a day or a week. The same principal applies to getting a cancel.

In the age of 'distance buying', its always best to buy from people you have dealt with previously and have had good experiences with...if at all possible.

I always prepare philatelic mail at home. In the past, I have made it a point to deal with experienced postal counter people to avoid disasters. In 'covid world', this is not possible. Almost all of the counter workers at my p.o. are new and struggling to understand procedures.

It's no longer a big deal for me how my philatelic mail order purchases arrive; stamped or something else. I simply want the packages as quickly as possible.

I should say exactly what you have experienced.
Sometimes you have to walk in others shoes.
Try organising 500g of kiloware without a duplicate or damaged stamp.

The two problem areas are what you expect,
and the vendors invitation blurb.

As Bob suggests find a decent dealer, (it may take a few tries) and stick with them.

I have had one dealer for over 10 years, hardly ever a complaint
even when I received a set of pages 10 years of Romania,
He cut through a $30 souvenir sheet.
I copped it sweet, his errors in my favour overweighs this rare
absent mindedness. Why be a grinch.

Single stamp buys from ebay rarely have problems, I find most vendors decent, I always look at the negatives before buying.

I had one this morning $5 to send me a stamp from Oz
His polite reply

1) I am no longer able to use stamps on the letters and packages that I mail out. With all the COVID regulations, there is nothing the friendly clerks in the PO can do. This being the case, I do not expect to get stamps on the letters and packages that I receive. (Even when I do get stamps on my incoming mail, most are either cancelled by the marker monkey, or uncanceled, but this is another topic...).

2) On the point about stamp quality, I generally find a difference between big time dealers and small collectors wanting to dispose of their own kiloware. For the former, time is money, and I cannot expect the dealers to go through all the stamps in the kiloware to make sure that everything is perfect (or without duplicates), just for that few bucks - it's just not worth the effort. Perhaps they could have added a caveat that there might be some damaged and or duplicate stamps, but most are OK. You may think thet one damaged stamp negates the effect of 100 fair condition stamps, but there will be others who think that the 100 fair condition stamps more than make up for the one (or two) damaged stamp.

3) Honest description - Just curious - what did the listing of the 5,000 WW stamps say? I faced a similar situation once - bought a lot described as 1,000 WW stamps with a stock scan of many large commemoratives, but I counted about 800 low-value UK Machins when I received the lot. I looked back at the description - there was nothing to say that the lot only contained commemoratives, or that it will not contain many small definitives. I learnt my lesson not to assume (that's what some dealers play on), and to ask the sellers questions if need be.

4) "When I buy a thousand matches, I expect to get a thousand matches, each usable and unburnt. Why can't I expect, when buying "1000 different stamps", to receive the whole 1000, with no duplicates?" I find this somewhat similar to point 2 above. And I have encountered sellers who told me the same stamp with different cancellations are considered different stamps....

Buyers beware, as usual. You will need to shop around and take some hard knocks before you find the sources that suit your needs.

I think this is the nub of the question.
Learning all the twists and curves in Philately, is an apprenticeship,
we get burnt, we get diddled, and all sorts, but we gradually learn to reduce risk, and disappointment.

I had a another this morning on a "watched" ebay lot.

I just don't buy the FOMO, fear of missing out, perhaps because I am a worldwide collector.
In fact it has the opposite effect, I just deleted the ebay lot

I do not use stamps on outgoing parcels that are over more than $50 value and prefer the same for my incoming packages. I certainly hold no ill will towards anyone for their use of stamps or not; I have no idea of their situation. For example, they might be disabled and have a hard time getting to the PO and instead ship from home and have USPS pickup.
Don

In today's world no sense bringing extra attention to your package. Just asking for trouble.

If it's not worth it, he shouldn't sell and leave it to those that care more about their customer. The argument "I can't bother to keep my word but I still want your money - shouldn't be considered a valid reason.
As for counting the stamps, in most cases I received less than offered, so statistically it's not an honest mistake. A logical mistake would be that stamps stick together and you get more, not less.
As for the seller's handicap, in what other trade will you accept less than what was advertised/promised due to the seller's handicap?

About Covid - though the theoretical origin was contaminated food, I never heard of infection not caused by breeding someone else's aerosol. Perhaps in any of your countries there's different info. So, assuming the stamps won't breathe on me, I should be safe.

I guess what I'm trying to ask, is what to expect from an honest seller. Then one can assume that if the seller doesn't meet these expectations he's not too fair with the customer, and I can throw the book at him. In ebay's case, it will be negative feedback and refund by ebay or Paypal or the credit company, each has a veto right to the deal.

Again, basically what you have experienced in your first post.
I have experienced similar, over time, but I consider we are dealing in the most part, stamps worth around 10c each.

Now, when collectors are buying stamps in excess say of $20 ? $30 ?
each (set your own limit)
Then all aforesaid is off.
I would expect full and transparent accurate information.

Most of the time I am not in that league.

Rob, is it?, you're international ya? I'll give you an example of when I tried to be nice and use a boat load of stamps on a registered large envelope to Switzerland. It was $22 postage required and I covered that envelope in stamps. Blocks of 4, a $3.85 and even a 9.95$ for good measure. I go back to the window after applying all the stamps (I went up before to find out how much was due) and the postal lady refused it. She asked her neighbor clerk what she thought and she said it would be considered "suspicious mail". Excuse me? She said registered mail is "handled differently" and they wouldn't accept it, and also it was "excessive postage". Excessive postage isn't defined by the USPS on its informer about suspicious mail but I suppose it could be figured in two ways: first, way too much postage as in a lot of stamps or second, as way too much value, paying $50 for a $20 bill. She chose the former. Ok. I didn't ask to talk to the manager (can you do that?) and went to a different post office with different postage applied (i had to break up a block of 4 $9.95 stamps). I showed the lady the original envelope and she said sure why wouldn't it be okay. ????? She said the first lady just didn't want to count

Edit: Have attached the offending cover