Attorney General's News Release

January 29, 2008

Online coin buyers who didn’t get what they paid for from Kansas City seller to receive $18,797 in restitution under agreement with Nixon

Jefferson City, Mo. — A Kansas City man who sold platinum and gold coins on Ebay and failed to refund the payments of consumers who did not receive what they paid him for will pay $18,797 in consumer restitution and another $5,000 to the state under an agreement with Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon. Nixon’s assurance of voluntary compliance with John Schaller, former owner of Schaller Salvage Reclamation, was filed today in Cole County Circuit Court.

According to Nixon, Schaller sold the coins to consumers through auctions on eBay during 2006, shipping the coins via Federal Express. Nixon’s office received complaints from consumers who indicated that, upon receipt of their package, many found fewer coins than they had paid for or in some cases, no coins at all. Nixon says that while Schaller claimed that he shipped the coins and suggested that the problem possibly involved Federal Express employees taking the coins, he kept the money paid to him by consumers.

Nixon’s office received complaints about Schaller from consumers in Colorado, Texas, Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. Two consumers paid as much as $5,035 for the coins.

“Regardless of how the coins were lost, this individual had a responsibility to refund the payments of consumers who did not receive what they paid for,” Nixon said. “Our concern is with the consumer, and we are pleased Mr. Schaller has agreed to refund their money.”

In addition to the $18,797 in restitution, the agreement requires Schaller to pay $5,000 to the Attorney General’s Office to cover the costs of the case.

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Inquiries from consumers should be directed to consumer@ago.mo.gov or 1-800-392-8222 (from within Missouri) or 573-751-3321 (outside Missouri).

All media inquiries should be directed to Press Secretary John Fougere.

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