- Joined
- Oct 28, 1998
- Messages
- 136
Hello all,
Yes, Im a fool for placing trust in the e-Bay environment. Ive been pretty lucky, but finally my luck has run out.
I collect folding, locking knives. I have many factory versions, and a few custom ones. There are a few makers I like enough to go out of my way to find. These are from makers Ive taken the time to get to know. Many knife makers are also great people, who I am proud to now call friends of mine.
Well, recently I saw a knife from one of these makers on e-bay, which should have tipped me off right then and there. So I sent a quick e-mail to the maker to find out about this knife. I thought I was doing everything right, to avoid any problems. My e-mail was unanswered. I tried sending my question again, to no avail. Now, I know, I should have picked up the phone and called him. I had his number and it would have only taken me a minute to avoid a lot bad feelings. But I didnt do it. I assumed (yes, I know what assume stands for!) my friend, the maker, was out of town. Probably at a show or something. I watched the auction, and placed a bid near the end. It was not a sniping attempt. My late bid was placed with hours left in the auction. To my surprise, it was the high bid. This scared me.
Now, a little about the auction and how it was presented. The wording, now the auction has ended, should have warned me to stay away. The manner the information was given, looking at it with 20/20 hindsight, was very carefully worded. The seller could have written speeches for Bill Clinton. He knows what the meaning of is is, let me tell you. The picture was another perfect example of how to fool someone who isnt thinking clearly. The mirror polished blade gave the appearance of a black blade. Funny how that happens. It also hides a lot of what could be wrong with a blade. Like lots of little scratches all over it. Then the killer part of the auction an e-mail from the maker was shown at the bottom. The maker honestly tells the seller if this knife was made today it would cost so much money. If you were not thinking clearly, like me, you think this knife then is worth so much money. The seller doesnt say this, he doesnt need to say this. The buyer who is looking for a deal projects the value of this knife.
So, I get the knife. The lock doesnt work and the blade looks awful. But if you re-read the auction, now where does the seller say it may not be perfect. The seller says very little about the knife when you read the auction carefully. The way he does it is great, if you are the type who appreciates this type of deception.
What have I learned I can pass on to others? Here goes:
1) If the picture shows a black blade, dont buy the reflection caused it excuse. It isnt all that hard to show a shiny surface finish. Think of how many pictures youve seen of knives, and how few show the blade being black when it is really a polished surface.
2) If you can find the phone number of the person who made the knife, call him. The information you get will be worth the price of the call. Had I called instead of trusting in e-mail (see below) I never would have bid on this knife.
3) Have a friend read the description of the knife being offered. Someone who can be objective will ask the question I should have asked. Like what wasnt being said in the description of he knife.
4) Do not trust e-mail. I trusted e-mail and was burned because I did. The maker was having trouble with his computer, so my e-mail request for information went unheard.
5) If nobody is bidding on a knife, theres probably a good reason. Especially if the maker is one with a good reputation. Most makers will tell you all about any knife they ever made.
6) Do not put any faith in feedback. Feedback is a double edged sword. I left positive feedback for a person I believe with all my heart to be dishonest, because if I gave him a negative feedback he would do the same to me. There is no protection for the person who is right. It turns into he said he said, and there would be no way of knowing who was really telling the truth.
7) There are no deals. Things sell for what they are worth. Yes, we can all recount our great victory over a seller and how we got away with something and ended up with a Moran ST-24 for $29.95, but how often does this really happen? The odds are, if youre getting something for less than you should, you probably missed something.
There are probably a lot more I could learn from this. Ill gladly take my lumps here in the forum. Feel free to call me a dummy. Any advice as how to prevent this in the future will also be welcome.
As for the knife? Im going to give it to the maker to do with as he pleases. If he can fix it Ill be happy to pay him for it. If he wants to cut it up with a plasma torch, I hope he takes a picture of the cutting for me.
Yes, Im a fool for placing trust in the e-Bay environment. Ive been pretty lucky, but finally my luck has run out.
I collect folding, locking knives. I have many factory versions, and a few custom ones. There are a few makers I like enough to go out of my way to find. These are from makers Ive taken the time to get to know. Many knife makers are also great people, who I am proud to now call friends of mine.
Well, recently I saw a knife from one of these makers on e-bay, which should have tipped me off right then and there. So I sent a quick e-mail to the maker to find out about this knife. I thought I was doing everything right, to avoid any problems. My e-mail was unanswered. I tried sending my question again, to no avail. Now, I know, I should have picked up the phone and called him. I had his number and it would have only taken me a minute to avoid a lot bad feelings. But I didnt do it. I assumed (yes, I know what assume stands for!) my friend, the maker, was out of town. Probably at a show or something. I watched the auction, and placed a bid near the end. It was not a sniping attempt. My late bid was placed with hours left in the auction. To my surprise, it was the high bid. This scared me.
Now, a little about the auction and how it was presented. The wording, now the auction has ended, should have warned me to stay away. The manner the information was given, looking at it with 20/20 hindsight, was very carefully worded. The seller could have written speeches for Bill Clinton. He knows what the meaning of is is, let me tell you. The picture was another perfect example of how to fool someone who isnt thinking clearly. The mirror polished blade gave the appearance of a black blade. Funny how that happens. It also hides a lot of what could be wrong with a blade. Like lots of little scratches all over it. Then the killer part of the auction an e-mail from the maker was shown at the bottom. The maker honestly tells the seller if this knife was made today it would cost so much money. If you were not thinking clearly, like me, you think this knife then is worth so much money. The seller doesnt say this, he doesnt need to say this. The buyer who is looking for a deal projects the value of this knife.
So, I get the knife. The lock doesnt work and the blade looks awful. But if you re-read the auction, now where does the seller say it may not be perfect. The seller says very little about the knife when you read the auction carefully. The way he does it is great, if you are the type who appreciates this type of deception.
What have I learned I can pass on to others? Here goes:
1) If the picture shows a black blade, dont buy the reflection caused it excuse. It isnt all that hard to show a shiny surface finish. Think of how many pictures youve seen of knives, and how few show the blade being black when it is really a polished surface.
2) If you can find the phone number of the person who made the knife, call him. The information you get will be worth the price of the call. Had I called instead of trusting in e-mail (see below) I never would have bid on this knife.
3) Have a friend read the description of the knife being offered. Someone who can be objective will ask the question I should have asked. Like what wasnt being said in the description of he knife.
4) Do not trust e-mail. I trusted e-mail and was burned because I did. The maker was having trouble with his computer, so my e-mail request for information went unheard.
5) If nobody is bidding on a knife, theres probably a good reason. Especially if the maker is one with a good reputation. Most makers will tell you all about any knife they ever made.
6) Do not put any faith in feedback. Feedback is a double edged sword. I left positive feedback for a person I believe with all my heart to be dishonest, because if I gave him a negative feedback he would do the same to me. There is no protection for the person who is right. It turns into he said he said, and there would be no way of knowing who was really telling the truth.
7) There are no deals. Things sell for what they are worth. Yes, we can all recount our great victory over a seller and how we got away with something and ended up with a Moran ST-24 for $29.95, but how often does this really happen? The odds are, if youre getting something for less than you should, you probably missed something.
There are probably a lot more I could learn from this. Ill gladly take my lumps here in the forum. Feel free to call me a dummy. Any advice as how to prevent this in the future will also be welcome.
As for the knife? Im going to give it to the maker to do with as he pleases. If he can fix it Ill be happy to pay him for it. If he wants to cut it up with a plasma torch, I hope he takes a picture of the cutting for me.