Vintage Cash Cow items missing

LoolooB

Hello All,

I just wanted to ask if anyone else has had a problem with Vintage Cash Cow.  I recently sent them a box of old jewellery, cameras a James Warren Swarovski crystal bracelet and a James Warren Swarovski watch.  

I then received a call from VCC and was given a valuation of £20 which I thought was extremely low as the bracelet and watch were worth approx £70.  I received an offer for the bracelet on Facebook marketplace for £30 for the bracelet.  So I refused the offer and asked them to return the box with all the items.  

A few days later I received my returned box but upon opening it I found all of the boxes of jewellery empty except the watch which was still in its box.  All the other items had been put in a clear plastic bag and wrapped in brown tape.  But when I opened the plastic bag only a few of the silver items were there.  The James Warren bracelet and 3 of the brooches I had enclosed were missing.  I called the customer service line.  The young lady on the other end of the phone didn't seem surprised, just bored, she filled out a form and said someone would get back to me and that these things were always sorted out. 

A few days later I received an email saying that CCTV cameras were going to be checked from when my items arrived. 

Two days later I received an email saying that the CCTV had been checked and that everything had been returned.  What I don't understand is if items were missing from their boxes when they received the items from me why did VCC not mention this or say that the box had been tampered with?

I have now received another email saying the matter is closed.  I feel like I have been scammed.  I sent the items to VCC in good faith and yet my items seem to have gone missing and no one seems to care.  I have been in touch with several other people who have been given very low valuations and not received all of their items back once they refuse the valuation.  I was just wondering if anyone had any advice on what I can do and or if anyone has had a similar experience.  I will not be recommending this service to anyone I am so disappointed.

Thank you for listening 
L

PollyAnna54

Interesting! I'm thinking of using VCC for my swarovski jewellery. I have quite a bit. One chunky necklace alone was £200,  plus I have a charm bracelet full of charms and each didn't come cheap. I also have rings that I no longer wear. After reading your post I'm doubtful I can trust them 😔 

FlorayG

I sent them a parcel of all sorts from 9ct gold to costume jewellery, all individually wrapped. They offered me half what a single piece of the gold was worth so I asked for it all back. I did get it back but it was all chucked into the box unwrapped so that much of the costume jewellery was scratched when I got it back. If you don't sell to them, they don't care

LoolooB

Everything I did receive back was all clumped together in a clear plastic bag secured with brown tape.  All of the chains etc were tangled. The missing items were a James Warren Swarovski crystal bracelet and 4 brooches.  The Tiffany & Co Jewellery was all there and I have since sold some of it on Vinted and eBay for £300 plus.  So I would advise anyone looking to sell on VCC not to but if they want to.  Take a photo of everything you enclose in the box and a list of all the items.  When they give you a valuation ask for a list of the items and how they have valued each piece.  Then when they return the items ask for a photo of the box with all the items being returned.  When you receive the returned box, please take a photo of the box before you open it and then take a video or photos of the items and how they have been returned.

I have contacted VCC yet again to ask about my items, they seem unable to give me a list of items received and or how everything was evaluated, they are taking no responsibility with regards to the missing items and just tell me as far as they are concerned the matter is closed.  They must have some type of insurance to cover the items people send to them and am more than upset with their customer service dept and just being fobbed off.
I know it seems like an easy idea to just put our items in a box and receive cash but I know feel my local charity shop would make more money out of my items that the £20 I was offered by CVV.

I would prefer to give me items to a friend to sell online and split the profit than send anything to VCC ever again.

Pancdoc_24

Hi all,
I have had a poor experience with VCC too - sent two boxes at the same time - silver and silver plate items - tea sets, coffee pot, trays, cutlery etc. - received a derisory offer of £20 - when I queried if this was the offer for both boxes, I was told only for the smaller box. When I enquired about the offer for the larger box, I was told that a second box hadn't been logged to my client account. I emailed a full description of the box and all contents and was told that they had no box matching this description or contents in the area where they keep their 'unmatched to client' boxes. They advised me to send postage receipt. Stupid thing is, I had thrown postage receipt away the day before because of their original email advising me of receipt of my 'goods'. I returned to the post office where I posted both boxes with Parcelforce using VCC's own pre-printed labels but they were gloriously unhelpful and told me they didn't keep an audit trail of transactions, so couldn't provide me with the tracking number for the second box. I am now stuck in that I don't have 'proof of postage' or tracking number and VCC deny ever having receiving my box and won't give me any of the bar codes on the pre-printed labels they sent me to use. My only hope is that the box somehow makes it way back to me because of the sender label attached. As this hasn't happened and it is over 3 weeks since I sent the boxes, this seems highly unlikely. My advice would be to avoid VCC at all costs - their offers are derisory and they show no care for the goods you send as previous posts suggest. I suspect their marketing material with delighted customers receiving £000s is completely fake. 

mareepsasja

I too have had a bad experience in the past couple of weeks. First time of using Vintage Cash Cow, and wasn't expecting a high valuation. I was realistic about not being offered terribly much.
I sent off a box of mainly sterling silver earrings, a marcasite brooch, a bronze-looking antique wedding band which I wasn't sure was worth anything, a Danish designer wristwatch (broken strap), a silver bangle and just one item of potentially some value - a small diamond engagement ring in white gold, with matching split wedding bands. All items were individually packaged in bubble wrap and carefully taped up, PLUS I included an itemised list of what was in the box. I took photos of the items and their hallmarks, if they had any.
Weeks later I finally was phoned to say they were only offering me £10 for the lot, and by the way, the diamond ring was not in the box!!!!
I had a couple of very frustrating phone calls with me steadfastly confirming ALL items had been very carefully placed in the box one by one as I typed them up on the itemised list. I asked what their processes were to open packages - surely they have and auditable system in place, a process where two people empty the box and note the contents? I never got a straight answer on that.
I was passed to at least three different people and none of them would acknowledge the fact that it was a bit strange the only item of potential value had mysteriously gone missing. I was told if I opened a claim they would review CCTV footage. But what if the item wasn't pocketed by somebody, perhaps it was accidentally chucked out with the bubble wrap etc? 
So I've just received back my items - minus the 'missing' diamond ring of course - and as others have noted, it's all just bunged in together like junk.
I'm about to lodge my claim but don't anticipate it will come to anything. In the meantime I recommend that you AVOID VINTAGE CASH COW. When it comes down to it, it's your word against theirs. 

MissLDD

I recently sent a box to VCC containing approx £1000 worth of hallmarked Silver. I rejected their offer of £200 - I had phoned them before sending to check if they paid above the money I could get by just selling the silver to be melted down for scrap - they had said they did but the offer was very low. I contacted them after a fortnight when I had not received my box back. Two weeks after that, they telephoned to say they had lost the box. They offered me a maximum of £300 compensation as I hadn't opted for extra insurance, not having seen this detail on the website. It seems incredibly suspicious that high value boxes can go missing so easily. I would not recommend this company and only wish I had seen this thread before using them.

TELLIT01

When people say they sent items of £x value, do they mean the original purchase price, the assumed scrap value, second hand value etc.  If, for example, VCC were sent silver items with a retail value of £1k, an offer of £200 doesn't sound unreasonable.  If it was taken to a local jeweller who buys silver and gold you might have got more.  That's the initial route I would take with any silver or gold items I no longer had any use for.

VCC comes across as the small item equivalent of Webuyanycar or similar companies.  The will low ball you if they get the chance.  They also hold all the cards as there is no way to prove what they receive unless they do film the contents of every box on receipt.  Even then it would be simple to 'lose' an item of jewellery in the wrapping.

I'm not suggesting they do that, simply observing that it would not be difficult.

Murphybear

I’m sorry to hear of the problems but this post has been useful to me.  I have a lot of jewellry to sell and was wondering which firm to use.  This is one to cross off my list 

TripleH

@murphybear I'd be inclined to use ebay.

Despite its flaws it does seem the best place unless you have a lot of higher end value items when sn auction house might be better?

Murphybear

TripleH said:

@murphybear I'd be inclined to use ebay.

Despite its flaws it does seem the best place unless you have a lot of higher end value items when sn auction house might be better?

Thanks, that’s useful.  Nothing very expensive.