Obama Collector's Coins Turn Out To Be Stickers Stuck On Regular Coins
You may have seen the commercial where Montel Williams hawks some goofy collectible coins with President Obama's face IN FULL COLOR OMG. If you were planning on ordering some, though, watch this video from KATU 2 TV in Portland, Oregon first.* A father and daughter bought the coins and discovered that they're just regular money with color stickers applied. One of the news anchors even comments that she could see the face on the coin through the sticker when she looked at it from the side.
The company that's scamming them, U.S. Coin Network (uscoinnetwork.com and obamacoincollection.com), won't let them cancel the remaining orders they placed that haven't shipped yet, either.
We think this looks like the sort of thing the feds may want to get involved in. And if they don't do anything about it, we're going to go buy some new ink for the old color printer and start selling collectible Obama Pennies online.
* And also hit yourself in the head with a mallet, kthx. Return to post.
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Comments:
Montel Williams should be held somewhat financially responsible for this. While I think the man will say or do ANYTHING for a buck and is useless, there are people who bought this assuming "Montel Williams" would not enforce a scam.
Since he has, he should be refunding their money.
The White House has recently been trying to get some control over Obama's image, which is in the "public domain" like other Presidents. This is why.
The YouTube ad in the link reminded me of someone in a movie theater with a camcorder making a bootleg.
"Act now, supplies are extremely limited"... yeah, as if they can't get any more coins from a bank to put stickers on top of. More likely, "act now, because when word starts going around that this is a scam, we'll be forced out of business."
Who would buy this crap anyway?
Aren't these coins made by the same scammers that sell those "non-circulating liberian legal tender" 9/11 commemorative coins and the like? I don't understand how these guys are allowed to stay in business. I feel like the fact that they act like these coins are authorized by someone is blatantly false advertising.
Agreed. Even if these weren't regular coins with stickers, why would you want them? I assume these are the same people who buy their home decor at a drugstore chain.
Wow, this is a total ripoff....a $19.45 sticker....
Montel Williams should be held somewhat financially responsible for this.
How? Using that logic, anyone on the Food Network who put peanut butter in their recipes should be "held somewhat financially responsible" for PCA's salmonella-contaminated peanut butter.
Last I checked, his excellency hasn't done anything worthy of getting his face on a coin *any other way* than on a decal.
Stickers? That's even lamer than I thought -- I had assumed the Obama pictures were painted on the coins.
Anyway, pretty much all of the "collector coins" sold on TV are scams -- even the genuine semi-commemoratives (like the 50 state quarters) aren't as valuable as those dopes on the home shopping channels want you to believe.
Get this rare limited issue from the
U.S. Government State Official Mint Company (not affiliated with the Government, State or the Official U.S. Mint) while they last.
The U.S. Mint has produced a whopping 33,774,200,000 state quarters since the inception of the 50 State Quarters® Program in 1999. The total does not include the several hundred million Arizona state quarters that started to hit circulation in June. And by the program's completion with the final Hawaiian commemorative later this year, the Mint will have issued well over 34 billion state quarters.
I laughed my ass off the first time I saw this commercial on... where else... Comcast digital. I couldn't imagine anyone being stupid enough to actually buy this crap.
I guess I'll probably not be underestimating the almost sublime stupidity of the American TV shopping public again.
What were you expecting.
@Michael Bauser: I'm also surprised it was that kind of sticker. From the looks of the coins on TV, they were plastic decals glued on quarters or half-dollars. They didn't even look high-quality on the informercials.
There's something allegorical about this. Were any of the coins Lincoln pennies?
Yeah, That's pretty awful ...
Shocking!! /Sarcasm.
I don't understand why people buy these things in the first place. to each their own I suppose. I do hate their commercials as well.
Wow-change you can't believe in.
/ducks
This just supports my theory that if it isn't endorsed by Billy Mays, IT'S CRAP.
why isn't the guy simply calling his CC company?
i would never chalk up 150 dollar ripoff as a lesson.
Duh, you can tell that from the ad. Why is anyone surprised by this? When they say they colorized a regular coin with Obama's image what did you expect? I guess you might have expected it to be painted on rather than just a sticker, but either way it's not a real Obama coin.
The first clue that these are a scam should be the fact that the government will not put a living president on money. No exceptions.
@rubyfrog: They *are* authorized by someone - the government of Liberia. Who apparently just happens to enjoy having American symbols imprinted on their coins.
So really, depending on the exchange rate that day, you're buying $20 worth of pennies, really.
@Joyce Godsey: I doubt you will win via the credit card company. Since the ad does say it is a real coin that is colorized with Obama's image. It never says it is an Obama coin. If you claim you got scammed because Obama's image was not physically part of the coin, you lose. If it is just a sticker, maybe you can claim it should have been painted on.
Seriously, ALL of these "coin" products are ripoffs, no questions asked.
It looks like they're ripping you off in more ways than just the sticker.
The following is from their web site;
"Yes, I would prefer to order 5 sets at just $89.95 plus shipping and handling. I save over 20%..."
"Yes I want to order for family and friends so please send me 10 sets for the low price of $179.95 shipping and handling. I save 35%..."
Now let's do the math, 5 sets at $19.95 each comes to $99.75. If we subtract 20% it comes to $79.80 not $89.95. But it gets even better. Ten sets at the regular price comes to $199.50. If you deduct the so-called 35% savings it should bring the price down to $129.68 not $179.95.
I wonder if target and Walmart are handling the math for this company?
Ha! That's so apropos.
This is a perfect metaphor for the Obama Administration. Hyped by celebrities, and immediately apparent the product wasn't as advertised.
I knew they were too good to be true?
Though I wonder if the stickers can be taken off and put on a oven to see if they're made of the same stuff as Shrinky Dinks.
People really order these things?? Come on now..
Just wait until the American people find out what a scam Obama himself is. Once you peel off the shiny cover, everyone will discover he's just a regular, old dirty politician, just like all the rest.
@louiedog: Questionable taste aside, these people still got scammed. Doesn't matter if it's something you would buy - the point is they sure didn't get what they paid $150 for.
US Code Title 18, Part I, Chapter 17.
"Whoever fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates, impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined at the mints of the United States, or any foreign coins which are by law made current or are in actual use or circulation as money within the United States; or whoever fraudulently possesses, passes, utters, publishes, or sells, or attempts to pass, utter, publish, or sell, or brings into
the United States, any such coin, knowing the same to be altered, defaced, mutilated, impaired, diminished, falsified, scaled, or lightened, Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than
five years, or both."
How is this company still around considering that they are knowingly altering and defacing US coinage?
This company won't cancel an order that has been placed but not shipped yet. It sounds like they charge a grossly inflated shipping fee which they won't refund once the buyer returns the coins to them. So even if the coins are returned for a credit of the purchase price, the company still makes money off of a nonrefundable inflated shipping fee.
If I were this man, I would cancel my credit card/check card and get a new number. He should call his bank and tell him the card was lost. Then when this stupid "US Mint" goes to charge him for these as-yet-unshipped coins, they won't be able to put the charge through on his old number.
Simple solution.
@SabreDC: "alters, defaces, mutilates, impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens" - I'm not sure how applying a sticker to a coin counts as any of those...
@Michael Bauser: Isn't pretty much ANYTHING you can buy off TV commercials a scam? I am not talking about things like QVC I am talking about the 30 second commercials where you call a number to order a product.
Though I do like collecting coins, I don't like colorized old coins with new images. When I saw the commercials I couldn't imagine why you would want one if they aren't done by the government. Just my opinion. You don't let banks print their own money do you?
HAHAAHA! These are probably the same people that fell for Obama being president in the first place. Wait until they realize Obama is just a puppet with a sticker over him!
Suckers, this is what you get.
I love it! They're sort of representative of Obama. I should order some :)
OK, time for me to log out and prep for tonight. I read,
"And if they don't do anything about it, we're going to go buy some new ink for the old color printer and start selling collectible Obama Pennies online," as
"...start selling collectible Obama penises online."
Sigh.
@TheUncleBob: It defaces the coin, just like placing giant stickers over street signs is defacing public property.
@dragonfire81: @xtc46: I would be absolutely shocked if any such case ever went to court, let alone anyone was ever convicted for putting stickers on coins...
Why the hell are they buying this crap anyway? Just get a circle and put obama's face on it!
Its partly their fault for buying the thing, no, it is their fault for being bad consumers.
The company isnt much better though
@Microshock:
Oops, i just saw the video and this guy sells obama stuff at his store, but 150 dollars for 4 sets??!
Wow. They should just do a chargeback
Everyone is trying to make money off of this corrupt Chicago politician from the t-shirt sellers in the ghetto to these schmucks.
@Eoghann:
Last I checked, his excellency hasn't done anything worthy of getting his face on a coin *any other way* than on a decal.
i have to agree with you, even though i have a feeling you aren't an Obama supporter- why has Obama "memorabilia" become collectible?
wait for him to DO something! he's talked about closing Guantanamo, but has he? no.
Well, obviously.