Just bought a Southern Railway Pacific on ebay. The following is a discription of the Model.
PFM Southern Rlwy 4-6-2 Ps-4 Steam engine Mint HO Brass
You are perusing Pacific Fast Mail Models, Southern Railroad, Pacific Class Ps-4, 4-6-2 steam engine. This HO brass scale model is Minty in its original box. The original foam is very good. Engine has been test ran on track, not just with alligator clips. Still needs a good tweaking and breaking in of course. The model does come with a decal set.If you need more pic's, please email me at XXXXXXXX and I will get them out to you.Winning bidder will pay $10.95 for priority mail service. Insurance is your option. I am not responsible for shipment after being posted, got it. For shipments outside of the United States the shipping costs will be USPS quoted amount, plus $2.00 handling.NO PAYPAL, I process all major credit cards at my location. All forms of commercial paper are also accepted. I have been in business full time for 22 years.Any questions about this engine or any of the other pieces I am offering this week, please email me at XXXXXXXXXXX during the business hours of 10am and 6pm CST. Thank you
I recieved it in the Mail Today but... It's missing the Headlight. I have sent an e-mail to the seller asking if it had fallen off during packing but if it comes back as "Sold as Advertised" then I ask the question. If it was advertised as "Minty" or in "Mint Condition" as there is no disclosure of missing parts, is this false advertising or misrepresentation? Or should I have asked for additional info?
There were 2 Photos on the e-bay one of the box and one of the loco in the Box lying in the foam. It looked good as it sat and It is hard to tell if a Headlamp is there from the angle of the photo.
The only good thing is I have ordered a SunBeam Visored Headlamp and a Pyle visored to fit as required (Anyone know which is the more protypical of the 2).
Yes I know, I know "I told ya so" and "buyer beware" has run through my mind but there has to be some level of integrity out there if society is to suceed.
I still haven't rated this guy yet on e-bay.
Fergie
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=5959
If one could roll back the hands of time... They would be waiting for the next train into the future. A. H. Francey 1921-2007
I would ask him if there was a headlamp on the engine before he mailed it. If he says no, then theres no need to leave bad feedback. If he says yes, I would look in the box, or ask him if it fel off before he mailed it.
If he doesn't respond I wouldn't leave feedback at all. I have done that several times. Ebay has something to the good sellers that if you leave a neg, or a neutral it doesn't show up on there feedback. I think thats crap.
Also I don't understand why someone only takes 2 photos. One of the box and one of the car. I see alot of that in the weathering section of Ebay. I take at least 10 or more.
Hope this helps.
Robby
"Rust, whats not to love?"
I don't know what to think
i'm hoping it just got knocked off before shipment
If it was missing he should have stated so in the description
Minty sounds like no missing parts to me
Good luck Fergie !
TerryinTexas
See my Web Site Here
http://conewriversubdivision.yolasite.com/
San Dimas Southern slideshow
I'm less likely to bid on a model with inadequate pictures. You should have taken up the seller's offer to provide additional photos on request. My hindsight is perfect.
It seems to me the seller misrepresented the product if he sent it to you without the headlight installed. Mint means no imperfections.
Regardless, the missing headlight on a brass, unpainted model is no major deal since a replacement can probably be obtained and installed without difficulty. Hope the rest of the model is in good shape and it is a good runner. If so and you paid substantially less than $400 for it, you have my permission to be a bit disappointed but not to feel too bad about this.
Good luck,
Mark
It's a FLEA MARKET - without the privelege of inspection. You're buying from an individual with a phony name and no address. You should expect to get 'flea-bites', and it's between you and the indevidual seller. Caveat Emptor indeed.
Would you buy a used car sight unseen? The only leverege you have is IF the Sellers description is not met. One's interpretation doesn't count. "Minty" implies like new.
Ebay can threaten cancellation of future 'space' rental, and offer arbitration, and that's about all. Contact the seller and see what he'll do - such as modify the price. What is a headlight worth?
SOME Ebay sellers are business-like, some are not. SOME buyers are cautious, some are not. Ebay attracts BOTH. Your best leverage is what the seller is willing to do to avoid a delisting. The picture doesn't show a headlight.
If you give him an unfavorable revue, he'll deny. & you'll get the same, back. Another thing: If you buy an item from an 'unauthorized' source, any warranty can become null & void.
SUMMATION: You bought his product via Ebay and your not happy because _____________. (2) what you want is _________________. (No threats). Offer / counter offer. The first thing Ebay will ask is 'DID YOU CONTACT THE SELLER?'
Wow, you guys are kind of harsh. (lol).
I can see the seller advertising it as MINT if that's how he got it. Maybe he never had it with a headlight. He does offer more pictures if you want them in his discription, which to me, like all items on eBay, puts it into the buyer beware factor.
Me, I'd give him positive feedback as long as he shipped it in a timely manner. It's not like it's missing the tender. Besides, you might want to give the guy a chance to respond first.
I look at stuff at ebay, no matter the description, as being as is, and I buy it there only if it's really cheap, or i simply cannot find it elsewhere (which is often the case). Therefore when it arrives less than perfect, I'm still happy that I have something that I couldn't get otherwise.
Hope you got a good deal on it! I'ts nice looking for sure.
I'm trying to model 1956, not live in it.
He offers more pictures and information on that (or any other) piece upon request.
You could have asked for more pictures and asked what "minty" means. "minty" to me, (unless that's some ebay-speak I don't know), does not signify nor imply to me that it is "MINT condition". "Minty" sounds like a sneaky way to mention "Mint" but not declare it. "still needs a good tweaking" is also suspect to me. No decent new item should need "tweaking", really. Breaking in is, however, a necessary evil in our hobby for locos. THAT seems reasonable.
Not to chastise you particularly, but to warn everyone: ebay IS, as mentioned above, a "flea market". Everyone is trying to get the best price for stuff (junk??) they don't want, and will pawn it off on whomever they can sucker into buying it anyway they can. This may mean conveniently leaving out details.
Even "brand new sealed in box" does not guarantee "mint condition" or that it will work right if the box has been banged around, or that the seller will provide any warrantee on it.
I would, however rate it as a misrepresentation, that should have declared "parts missing".
Many have slang names for e-bay. I call it "e-slay", because buyers often get "slayed" in the process.
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
galaxy wrote: He offers more pictures and information on that (or any other) piece upon request. You could have asked for more pictures and asked what "minty" means. "minty" to me, (unless that's some ebay-speak I don't know), does not signify nor imply to me that it is "MINT condition". "Minty" sounds like a sneaky way to mention "Mint" but not declare it. "still needs a good tweaking" is also suspect to me. No decent new item should need "tweaking", really. Breaking in is, however, a necessary evil in our hobby for locos. THAT seems reasonable.Not to chastise you particularly, but to warn everyone: ebay IS, as mentioned above, a "flea market". Everyone is trying to get the best price for stuff (junk??) they don't want, and will pawn it off on whomever they can sucker into buying it anyway they can. This may mean conveniently leaving out details.Even "brand new sealed in box" does not guarantee "mint condition" or that it will work right if the box has been banged around, or that the seller will provide any warrantee on it.I would, however rate it as a misrepresentation, that should have declared "parts missing".Many have slang names for e-bay. I call it "e-slay", because buyers often get "slayed" in the process.
I like the way that you think. Ask anybody on the street to define "minty" outside of this context. Did he drop an Altoid in the box? Sounds like a GREAT "CYA" word.
Minty as in Typo and not checked.
I wouldnt return the engine just because of the headlight. Search out some proto photos and find the best replacement. Of course check around the box for a loose headlight. Even ask the seller if there might be a headlight laying about that he doesnt know about.
I am still kicking my rear for not buying a 4-12-2 at a train show for 50 bucks, just because some siderod gear was missing, I know now I could fix that.
Missing headlight is a simple problem/solution. The issue most likely is that headlight was made by the brass maker, but headlights were often standard items purchased from headlight makers, the railroad might mod them a bit to their needs, or the loco builder suits to the railroad's request.
Hit Cal Scale (Bowser) or Precision Scale.
Always use Paypal or a CC. Then you have recourse.
I managed to have somebody arrested, charged and prosecuted who tried to rip me off on E-bay last year. That was a Money Order transaction.
Mint in brass parlance specifically means no blemishes, let alone missing parts. You have been mislead.
How much did you buy that loco for? the reason I ask is you still may have gotten it at a bargain price.
I've bought 20+ brass models off of E-bay. I've had only one problem.
I've bought a TON of rolling stock and quite a few structures. No problems. Know your vendors.
Martin
I recieved an e-mail from the seller this evening saying he was not aware of the missing part and that he would take a look for it. Fair is fair and one of the reasons why I excluded his name from the post. Regardless a new part has been ordered "just in case" and if I don't need it here I will have it for something else.
The reason I posted this thread is I am fairly new in the game when it comes to purchasing brass on e-bay and was hoping I would get some insight from the more experienced e-bayers, which I have and thank you.
Here is the "new baby" and as you can see it is overall in good condition. And yes the price was right.
I could go on but I won't. As far as "Buyer beware" if we believe that then what's the point of laws and regulations.
As to "minty"... regardless the The Headline Banner said "Mint" and has been said "Mint" means Flawless, No ands, ifs or buts!
The fact that the seller had acess to a layout to test it shows that he or whosever llayout knows a good bit about locomotives and should have known it should have had a head light. The descripition and with the use of the word "minty" would justifyably lead one to have thought it was perfect. In my opinion the seller deliberately missled you. I would say however that using minty instead of mint would have caught my attention. Like others have said, don't blame eBay blame the seller. I'd leave no feedback because a negative one will probably earn you one in retaliation.
Bob
Don't Ever Give Up
Is the seller a modeler or hobby shop owner? It sounds like he doesn't know his mint from a hole in the ground, and may not have realized that the model was supposed to have a headlight.
I had a woman bring a brass locomotive to me one day trying to sell it. According to her, it had been purchased by her father when he was in Japan shortly after WW2. The solder used on it was so poor that it was falling apart and would have had to be completely reassembled, but she thought it was in perfect condition.
I've had very good luck on EBay but I only buy from sellers with very high ratings and I've only purchased a couple of new in the box locomotives and a crossing gate. All showed up quickly and were brand new. I won't buy anything used on Ebay.
Engineer Jeff NS Nut Visit my layout at: http://www.thebinks.com/trains/
Fegie:
We can tell you're a 'newbie'. Re: Laws, etc. If you watch any'Small Claims' shows you'll realize that anything bought used from private party is AS IS, and Ebay is reputed to have a 40% dissatisfied customer base.
The only exemption is if you file a claim & can prove intentional fraud. Check Cal-Scale for a brass headlight, and go from there. Read 'em & weep.
You've received advice. Take it or not.
superbe wrote:I'd leave no feedback because a negative one will probably earn you one in retaliation.Bob
I'd leave no feedback because a negative one will probably earn you one in retaliation.
I don't mean to pick on you, Bob, but you're not the only one to note this (just the last). Sellers may no longer post negative feedback on eBay; it's been that way for a couple of months.
Not saying folks are out of touch, but there you are....
And IMHO the tragic case of the Hardy Boys and the Missing Brass Headlamp, is not worth a negative feedback post to the seller. Maybe he'll send you one, maybe he won't. You may have spent $200 plus for a brass loco that's no longer available, which came to you in pretty *** fine condition, and needs a $5 part.
Were it still NIB, and sealed, and advertised as such, but the motor was seized, would you female dog at him for that? I hope not.
Cheers!
No he gave me very positive feedback within a day as I had paid for it within hours of the purchase. One thing I do expect from sellers is correspondence and that way I know I'm not being fleeced. The price was very good, I have ordered parts as well as other parts for other locos from Bowser because of the missing part so not all was lost. Again Just wanted to get some thoughts and experiences from others regardinfg the subject.
Last loco I got had a bent pilot, which I straightened, a bent shaft, which I've corrected. I just didn't leave feed back.
I've had great luck with ebay transactions. Only around 40 all told.
My first ebay transaction was a rare, long out of production guitar for a significant amount of money.
The seller's wife advised against it, as I was '0 feedback', but our communications were reassuring and we were both comfortable with the whole process.
That's the key, good communication. If the other person seems hesitant, or constantly delays, or makes excuses, and doesn't provide asked for details, etc. then it's time to walk away, regardless of how rare an item, or how badly you want it.
Often there are perfectly good reasons for the hestancy, like inexperience or just poor organization, but better to play safe than get burned.
Small transactions should be given a little leeway, as the seller probably has more important things going on in life than selling one small reference book, or CD, or what have you, but the big sales have to feel right. If not, then leave it be. There are a lot of crooks out there, but there are actually more honest people who just don't know or care enough about ebay to be professional about an auction.
A professional looking auction is the first thing to look for. These folks seem to have it together, and just want to get the sale done with as little drama as possible. Email back and forth to get the feel of the seller, and if it seems decent, then go for it.
Another thing, always read the feedback. Even if it's only one or two neutral or negs, read 'em to see what happened, no matter what all the good ones say.
---------------------------------------------------
Hopefully the headlight problem will get sorted, and the deal was good enough to justify the headache.
Well, If we give him the benifit of doubt, According to him it was mint. We know now i wasn't, but I see no reason to say he purposefully misled you. Mistakes happen.
And to all of you saying Ferg should have askled for more pictures, good idea for later times. But again: DURING the sale, there was no reason to need additional pictures. It sure looked new and minty-fresh to me.
-Morgan
Flashwave wrote: And to all of you saying Ferg should have askled for more pictures, good idea for later times. But again: DURING the sale, there was no reason to need additional pictures. It sure looked new and minty-fresh to me.
Minty fresh??? Looks heavily tarnished to me.
Minty?
Am I the only guy who didn't know he was supposed to taste his locos?
To me, "minty" means "kind of" mint condition.
Which is about as credible as "kind of" pregnant.
It's eBay. You take your chances.
Craig
DMW
Stuff happens and sometimes there is nothing you can do about it.
Rich
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
PICKY! PICKY! PICKY! As someone else has said here: the seller may not have been aware that the headlight was indeed missing and therefore to him this item was in mint condition.
You have already followed the advice I was going to give you: BUY A HEADLIGHT!
From the far, far reaches of the wild, wild west I am: rtpoteet