Oh, fer cryin' out loud...
I use eBay a lot and have never been burned. However, I'm willing to accept that risk. Were I to lose $100 on a locomotive because of fraud, you'd better believe I'd be upset, and that would kick my modeling budget back a long ways.
But I would never buy a car on eBay. Somethin' about actually seeing it and test driving it first...
Hmmm...
Dave's gonna refer to himself in third person here for a moment. Dave uses eBay. Dave doesn't care if other people use or don't use eBay. Dave's a little tired of the eBay-haters trying to convince eBay-users that eBay is evil. Dave figures most people are smart enough to decide for themselves what degree of risk they're willing to accept. But then, Dave remebers the addage that "a fool and his money are soon parted." So, Dave says be like Dave and make informed eBay purchases, take acceptable risks, or don't use eBay. But don't try to convert the rest of us.
Happy bidding!
Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.
Pathfinder wrote:Just to be clear, nowhere did I say not to use e-bay.This is just a friendly reminder that things can go wrong and that e-bay may not help you (or the police) out. And with over 1,000 Canadians reporting similar frauds, it is more than just a one time thing. As I noted, buyer beware.And yes, buying something like a car on e-bay and then wiring the money to them without seeing the car is somewhat naive.And thanks for the insightful post David B. I hope this fellow in Calgary is not a neighbor of yours. If it is another useless thread, then why bother wasting your time responding?
Well you should also warn everyone about the
causes of Smoking
Buying a car at a dealership
renting apartments
etc etc the list goes on and on. What do any of them have to do with model railroading though? Nothing. I use ebay to make purchases and I love Ebay. I guess I better beware of those outrageous $75 scams on model train items too?
Pathfinder,
My mistake... Sorry! But I do have to say there's a lot of animosity toward eBay out there. Yet it's been a Godsend for some of us.
Just two weeks ago I got a brand-new Bachmann Spectrum 4-8-2 in N scale through an eBay store. MSRP? $175. What did I pay? $51. Beat that at your LHS!
Pathfinder wrote:And yes, buying something like a car on e-bay and then wiring the money to them without seeing the car is somewhat naive.
I'd call it just plain stupid!I just assume when I send a payment that I'm throwing money in a fire. Then, if I actually get the item, I'm surprised. And If it's actually what I bought and it's in good condition, I'm REALLY happy! I agree about not risking more than a couple hundo $$ on any E-Bay purchase.
Buying a car sight un-seen for 20K! Doh!
loathar wrote: Pathfinder wrote:And yes, buying something like a car on e-bay and then wiring the money to them without seeing the car is somewhat naive.I'd call it just plain stupid!I just assume when I send a payment that I'm throwing money in a fire. Then, if I actually get the item, I'm surprised. And If it's actually what I bought and it's in good condition, I'm REALLY happy! I agree about not risking more than a couple hundo $$ on any E-Bay purchase.Buying a car sight un-seen for 20K! Doh!
What? No. Most people NEVER buy the car sight unseen. The Ebayers provide many of pictures and then require a $500 deposit. You go to pick up the car IN PERSON then if there are any further discrepencies you do not purchase it or you are satisfied and drive off with it. That is in most cases however there are a few dummies out there waiting to be taken. That is the exception not the rule though
Some years back my wife and I set up an EBAY account using a new email address which we reserve only for that purpose. Move forward to about 2 years ago and I start getting emails to my personal email address from "EBAY" saying that my account is at risk of being closed due to failure to pay or that this person has lodged a complaint of paying but never receiving the item. Interseting thing is that EBAY nor PAYPAL have ever received my personal email address!
After about 10 or so of these I called EBAY and PAYPAL to ask what is happening. They say either my account has been hijacked or someone is phishing. I ask what I should do.........they say do nothing. OK...........does EBAY or PAYPAL want me to forward the emails to them for investigation????? They say no need to because they are not responsible for actions taken outside of their servers. I can somewhat understand that reason but at the same time would not EBAY's crediability be hurt if they ignore the issue? If someone opened up an online car dealership (use ford for example) but never deleived a vehicle after payment I would think ford (or whatever make it was) would be front in line for finding the culprits.
Since then I refuse to open any ebay or paypal related emails sent to any address other than the one set up for ebay. All are saved (unopened) to a scam folder. We have reduced our ebay purchases somewhat but use much more caution when buying. AND I still receive 10-20 bogus emails a week................
On the other hand, I know 2 people personally that have bought cars thru ebay. One drove 2 hours to see it and buy it. The other lives in western PA and wanted a Torino in Tenneesee. He arranged for the car carrier to verify certain info before sending funds via Western Union with the understanding (signed contract with the carrier) if he failed to deleiver the car as per the aggreement then the carrier becomes responsible for buying the car and for absorbing the the deleivery fees.
Both were happy with what they got.
Concretelacky- I love the E-mails I get tfrom E-Bay telling me my Pay Pal account is over drawn and I need to SEND MONEY NOW! (I don't have a Pay Pal account...)
Anybody that spends 20K on ebay for a car, sight unseen, deserves to be ripped off.
Normal people have a used car inspected by a licensed Automotive Technician or at the very least a knowledgeable friend / family member. For that money he could have a warranty from a dealer.
Perfect example why I call it idiotbay.
Jim
pathfinder, Good for you I agree with your post because I HAVE been takein by ebay and their assoiates. Sorry some of these people think ebay is so good . I still buy from ebay but bid on things as if their is no gerentee! put more of this on and watch.Thank you maybe if these so good people ever get stuck and watch what they got to say then.
Slow Train Ed
loather
even better is the follow up email from the same sender saying "YOU ARE NOW A POWER BUYER!!"
LOL
Dave Vollmer wrote: Pathfinder,My mistake... Sorry! But I do have to say there's a lot of animosity toward eBay out there. Yet it's been a Godsend for some of us.Just two weeks ago I got a brand-new Bachmann Spectrum 4-8-2 in N scale through an eBay store. MSRP? $175. What did I pay? $51. Beat that at your LHS!
was it stolen? don't know for sure, do we?
I've never had any problems on Ebay, other than a BLI engine that got banged around in shipping. It didn't run, but the seller wouldn't take it back, and told me to keep it and refunded my money. a NIB BLI PRR GG1, for free. Repair bill was about 30 dollars.
I wouldn't spend 20 thousand on a car without going to see it and test drive it first!A buddy of mine bought a BMW on Ebay, went to get it, and it was a dud.It ran but had more problems than Hogan's Goat.But I still use Ebay.Basically, you pay your money and you take your chances if dealing with someone unknown, but there are a lot of good reputable dealers on Ebay I have dealt with more than once.My own personal policy is spend no more than $300 unless I know the person I am dealing with and where they are located.
One Track Mind wrote: Dave Vollmer wrote: Pathfinder,My mistake... Sorry! But I do have to say there's a lot of animosity toward eBay out there. Yet it's been a Godsend for some of us.Just two weeks ago I got a brand-new Bachmann Spectrum 4-8-2 in N scale through an eBay store. MSRP? $175. What did I pay? $51. Beat that at your LHS! was it stolen? don't know for sure, do we?
Jeez... I'm sure it wasn't stolen. The eBay store I bought it from is called The Favorite Spot. The have a huge stock, including multiples of the same item. 100% positive feedback too.
I'm sorry I pressed you button with my LHS comment. I do support my LHS. But I just don't have a monster budget to pay MSRP on a locomotive I'm going to chop up and kitbash anyway.
I've seen these ads in ebay, mostly car auctions. Found the same car(69 camaro) for sale 4 times with different listers at the same time. Always don't email me just call me and wire the money. Smelled fishy.
Otoh I got scamed on a model tractor I bought, paid with paypal,75.00. filed claim and got my money back and still have the tractor.
Buyer beware and protect your self.
The automotive section of ebay is practically the most corrupt of them all. Bait and switch is commonly done with auto parts and autos themselves.
I have had good luck with ebay so far with N scaling....knock on wood....I would never do a purchase over $100 with someone I never dealt with before or knew of. There are a lot of bozos out there dealing in model trains too: "LQQK!" or "RARE!" you know the drill. I just keep cruizing.
Dave Vollmer wrote: Hmmm...Dave's gonna refer to himself in third person here for a moment. Dave uses eBay. Dave doesn't care if other people use or don't use eBay. Dave's a little tired of the eBay-haters trying to convince eBay-users that eBay is evil. Dave figures most people are smart enough to decide for themselves what degree of risk they're willing to accept. But then, Dave remebers the addage that "a fool and his money are soon parted." So, Dave says be like Dave and make informed eBay purchases, take acceptable risks, or don't use eBay. Happy bidding!
Dave's gonna refer to himself in third person here for a moment. Dave uses eBay. Dave doesn't care if other people use or don't use eBay. Dave's a little tired of the eBay-haters trying to convince eBay-users that eBay is evil. Dave figures most people are smart enough to decide for themselves what degree of risk they're willing to accept. But then, Dave remebers the addage that "a fool and his money are soon parted." So, Dave says be like Dave and make informed eBay purchases, take acceptable risks, or don't use eBay.
YEEEEESSSSSSSSS!!!!!! Too funny. Nice to see some humor..
To post or not to post on an Ebay thread Hmmmmmmm?
Nice job Dave.
BTW: the favorite spot is a reputable dealer. I have bought lots of stuff frrom him. Top notch...
Guy
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
Hmmmm. For any joker who would send 20 grand for a car sight unseen, I have a 92 GMC truck I'd be willing to sell. For 20 G's, I'll even deliver it (in the U.S.). I figure the truck to be worth about 10-15% of that. All my eBay purchases have gone smoothly. I never use credit cards or personal checks (though I did use Paypal once). I only use USPS money orders. They tend to investigate when you go in to file a claim on one of their own money orders. I would NEVER send ANY money (except a deposit) for a large item until I had the chance to actually see the item in person and settle the transaction in person.
I did sell one item (garage door) to a fellow who wanted me to ship via truck about 100 miles. I told him that for the cost of shipping, that I would actually deliver, install, and warranty the installation for a year for $75. Needless to say, he took me up on that offer. A few days later I get an envelope with 2 money orders, one for the item, the other for the install fee. Something about having already bought the first M.O. I finished the transaction (installation) within the week.
Brad
EMD - Every Model Different
ALCO - Always Leaking Coolant and Oil
CSX - Coal Spilling eXperts
If this story is true, that guy who lost the $20 grand is an idiot.
I sold a car on e-bay a few years ago. It is very easy to set up an escrow account for the sale (I don't remember if it was through Paypal or not), and e-bay strongly recommends using an escrow arrangement to complete the transaction.
Basically, the buyer puts the money for the purchase in escrow, and when the buyer indicates to the escrow holder that they are accepting the car, then the funds are released to the seller.
Here's what happened in my case:
I was selling a Honda Insight. I live in New Jerkey. Buyer lives in California. Buyer won the auction, then paid to have the car shipped to CA. Sale money went into escrow, and car was shipped at buyer's expense (if buyer were to refuse car upon its arrival, buyer would have paid to return car to me). Buyer inspected the car and decided to keep it. He notified the escrow company, who then told me to send the executed title. Buyer has no way to get the money back short of a court order, so I know I'm safe. When the buyer got the title he notified the escrow company, who then released the funds to me.
Using the escrow company cost around $100, as I recall, but that ensured that the buyer got the car he thought he was buying, and that I got the money the buyer had agreed to pay.
Not protecting yourself in a transaction of this size is just dumb!
Mark P.
Website: http://www.thecbandqinwyoming.comVideos: https://www.youtube.com/user/mabrunton
Dave Vollmer wrote: One Track Mind wrote: Dave Vollmer wrote: Pathfinder,My mistake... Sorry! But I do have to say there's a lot of animosity toward eBay out there. Yet it's been a Godsend for some of us.Just two weeks ago I got a brand-new Bachmann Spectrum 4-8-2 in N scale through an eBay store. MSRP? $175. What did I pay? $51. Beat that at your LHS! was it stolen? don't know for sure, do we? Jeez... I'm sure it wasn't stolen. The eBay store I bought it from is called The Favorite Spot. The have a huge stock, including multiples of the same item. 100% positive feedback too.I'm sorry I pressed you button with my LHS comment. I do support my LHS. But I just don't have a monster budget to pay MSRP on a locomotive I'm going to chop up and kitbash anyway.
Dave: no problem here, no apology necessary. I broke my own rule about responding to something without thinking it through for about 30 minutes first.
Having giving it some thought, I offer three things that might explain why I did the Quick-draw McGraw post:
1. I should have saved the article, but did not...in our paper 2 or 3 years ago was an item where a theft ring was broken up. The criminals were breaking into container cars and stealing the normal stuff...TVs, stereo stuff, sneakers.... and model railroad equipment. This happened either in or near Philadelphia, where Bachmann is located.
Obviously this doesn't mean that a lot of Bachmann items on eBay are stolen... perhaps none are... but we do know that stolen items are fenced on eBay. Sometimes 2 and 2 adds up to 4.
2. About a year ago, a customer asked why the Bachmann On30 item he ordered from me had not arrived yet, when it was already on eBay for less than my cost one month before it was released to hobby shops. Legitimate question for sure. When I asked how this could happen, no one can give me a straight answer.
3. Here we have your example of a dealer selling a locomotive for far less than cost. They sold it for less than the distributor's cost, as I understand things. While I can comprehend the idea of ridding one's shop of items that are not selling... I really don't understand why anyone would sell something this cheap on eBay. Shooting yourself in the foot (in the long run) is the phrase that comes to mind.
Hopefully I don't come across in an accusatory manner. Not my intention. And I don't hate eBay, I've purchased many items over the years, mostly with good results.
loathar wrote: Concretelacky- I love the E-mails I get tfrom E-Bay telling me my Pay Pal account is over drawn and I need to SEND MONEY NOW! (I don't have a Pay Pal account...)
I get a lot of those from banks I've never banked at, too.
What kind of idiot would respond to one of those?
Dave
Lackawanna Route of the Phoebe Snow
Dave Vollmer wrote: Dave uses eBay. Dave doesn't care if other people use or don't use eBay. Dave's a little tired of the eBay-haters trying to convince eBay-users that eBay is evil.
Dave uses eBay. Dave doesn't care if other people use or don't use eBay. Dave's a little tired of the eBay-haters trying to convince eBay-users that eBay is evil.
This poster points out to Dave that every model railroader who thinks eBay is "evil" is one less person to bid against him when he wants to win something cool!
Dave Vollmer wrote: Pathfinder,My mistake... Sorry! But I do have to say there's a lot of animosity toward eBay out there. Yet it's been a Godsend for some of us.
And for good reasons in many cases to include those pesty E-Bay phishing letters I get on a daily bases.
Don't bother they been reported time and again and still they come.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
Phoebe Vet wrote: loathar wrote: Concretelacky- I love the E-mails I get tfrom E-Bay telling me my Pay Pal account is over drawn and I need to SEND MONEY NOW! (I don't have a Pay Pal account...) I get a lot of those from banks I've never banked at, too.What kind of idiot would respond to one of those?
The same type of every day common people that get hook by scam artist or have their ID stolen.
YOUR id could be stole as well.
Then what type of idiot would you be?