Code of Ethics
As a member of the American Philatelic Society I agree
to conduct myself in accordance with the APS Philatelic
Code of Ethics. A breach of ethics by any member
reflects, directly or indirectly, upon all other members.
Such a breach shall be considered conduct prejudicial
to the welfare of the Society and cause for disciplinary
action by the Board of Directors.
As a member of the American Philatelic Society, I agree:
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to support and be governed by the Constitution and
Bylaws of the APS and such amendments, resolutions,
and policies as may be established.
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to abide by all federal, state, and local laws relating to
philatelic matters.
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to conduct myself so as to bring no reproach or
discredit to the APS, or to impair the prestige of
membership therein, or to philately.
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neither to buy nor sell philatelic items of which the
ownership is questionable,and to report promptly to
the proper law enforcement agencies information on
suspected stolen material.
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to correct promptly any error I may make in any
transaction.
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to assist in the prosecution of violations, of which
I have knowledge, of laws pertaining to philatelic
matters, and to report promptly to the proper law
enforcement agencies any such violations.
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not knowingly to sell, trade, produce, or advertise
repaired, altered, or otherwise modified philatelic
items unless that condition is clearly stated. I further
agree not to sell, produce, or advertise counterfeit
material in any form, in violation of any law.
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to fulfill all contracts made by me, either orally or
written, to make prompt payments upon delivery, and
to return promptly any item that is not satisfactory.
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When exhibiting, to display only material from my own
collection or else to state clearly the contrary intent.
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that substitution of stamps or covers, in circuits, approval
selections, auction lots, etc., is dishonest and is cause for
expulsion.
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to bring known examples of irresponsible or unethical
tactics to the attention of the societies in which I hold
membership and which embrace this code.
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to conduct myself in accordance with accepted
standards of morality and courtesy in philatelic
activities not specifically cited in the code.
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that requests for extension of time to return purchased
material while awaiting expert opinion is not an
acceptable reason to hold up payment for same.
Prompt refund shall be forthcoming from the seller
should the material submitted for opinion be deemed
other than as offered or described by the seller. Unless
otherwise previously agreed, the seller shall also bear
reasonable costs for obtaining the opinion if material
is other than as offered or described. The buyer shall
inform the seller immediately after receipt of any
expert opinion.
Requests for extension of time must be in writing.
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to read, understand, and be bound by the “terms of
sale” conditions before submitting an auction bid or
placing a philatelic order.
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that if I should be found guilty of unethical or unlawful
conduct, the record thereof may be disclosed to other
philatelic societies of which I am a member.
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that any dispute concerning philatelic transactions
in which I am involved may be settled by arbitration
mutually agreed upon by the parties involved.
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not to knowingly participate in any way in the
advertisement, sale or trade of any philatelic material
using any deceptive practices including, but not
limited to, false or misleading claims of sales, scarcity,
value, condition or investment potential.
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that no dealer or auctioneer knowingly shall represent
in any way, including, but not limited to, a prices
realized report that a bona fide sale of philatelic item at
a given price has occurred when, in fact, no change of
ownership did occur.
