I ordered a four-coin gold proof set distributed in the US by Unicover of Cheyenne WY. Shortly thereafter I received an order acknowledgement - bear in mind they are aware of their allocation of each Royal Mint product.

Some weeks later I received a letter saying my order had been cancelled; the set I wanted was no longer available. No explanation was given. There being a thirty day no questions asked money back guarantee, I phoned customer service and asked to be placed on standby if a set was returned and either unopened or sent back to Wales for quality control inspection then resealed.

"We don't keep a list," came the response.

I wrote a letter to the head of customer services. Essentially the same reply, saying that to keep a waiting list "would be very cumbersome" [in the age of computers?] ... not to mention the fact that it would be difficult to ensure fairness of distribution if a product was returned." Really? I should think the client at the top of the list would be first up if merchandise were returned. I would call list-keeping good customer relations, but perhaps they do things differently in Wyoming.

While stating the maintenance of a computerized list would be "cumbersome" they had no second thoughts, suggesting that I tie up their toll-free line "to check with us periodically on the status of any given item." But if an item had been returned to stock and that status shown in their database, ANY order received by phone or by mail would get first crack at it.

I then wrote a letter to either marketing or customer service at the Royal Mint in the UK. The letter was not answered. Finally I wrote the mint again, saying that with their former US distributor, in New Jersey, I had the most excellent servicee; one of the order desk staff and I were on a first name basis! Twice I was able to take delivery of returned coin sets. I told the mint I would not place another order from them as long as Unicover had anything whatsoever to do with their operation and to remove me from their mailing list, thank you.

I had purchased over $20k worth of coins from the Royal Mint and because of their shortsighted US agent I found it necessary to "fire" them; there is no other market in the US outside of high markup coin dealers.

Some weeks after this final exchange I received a registered parcel from the Post Office . . . containing the very coins which were "not available."