a bad e-Bay buy

Joined
Oct 28, 1998
Messages
136
Hello all,

Yes, I’m a fool for placing trust in the e-Bay environment. I’ve 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 I’ve 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 didn’t 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 isn’t 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 doesn’t say this, he doesn’t 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 doesn’t 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, don’t buy “the reflection caused it” excuse. It isn’t all that hard to show a shiny surface finish. Think of how many pictures you’ve 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 wasn’t 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, there’s 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 you’re getting something for less than you should, you probably missed something.


There are probably a lot more I could learn from this. I’ll 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? I’m going to give it to the maker to do with as he pleases. If he can fix it I’ll 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.
 
I have to respect you for trying to trust others. I sincerely hope the maker is able to polish it up for you so don't lose money. While I think I'm pretty savy concerning Ebay purchasing, it's always nice to be sure of what you're doing. Let me also say that if I buy something, and leave negative feedback, I really don't care if the dealer wants revenge and give me negative feedback. Negative feedback effects the dealer MUCH worse than buyers. And it will disappear in 30 days anyway.
 
Sorry about your bad experience. I stay away from ebay unless I know the person who is selling. I've had good experiences with the folks here at BF.
The one thing I object to in your story, is the part about giving good feedback to someone you believe is dishonest. Sometimes, we have to have the courage to stand up for what's right, even if there are risks. At least, you shouldn't have given any feedback at all; by giving positive feedback, you become an accomplice in duping the next prospective buyer.
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<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Pergatory:
Negative feedback effects the dealer MUCH worse than buyers. And it will disappear in 30 days anyway.</font>

Pergatory,

Hey is that a new feature on ebay? Disappearing feedback?
Please provide more detail. Are you saying that people forget about buyers feedback after 30 days?


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"How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child.", King Lear, Act I, Scene 4.
 
DUMMY.
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i dont trust e-bay. i simply will not bid on anything there.i know most of the deals go off with out a hitch,the same for the forums here,too.but i would rather buy a knife here than e-bay for one simple reason.
knowledge- the folks on e-bay,most of em anyhow,sell a huge number of things,from vcr's to barbie dolls to cameras.
here,you find knives.the people that sell knives here will know more than the people on e-bay ,in general.
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2"> It isn’t all that hard to show a shiny surface finish.</font>

It is very hard to photograph a mirror-polished blade. Try it some time.

But, that doesn't excuse the seller. In my opinion, it is disrespectful of bidders to put up poor pictures. I generally don't bid in auctions where the seller says "Sorry about the picture" or "The item is much better than the picture looks." Instead of appologizing for the picture, retake the picture. Yes, that may delay your auction and few days and may cost you a couple of bucks, but it shows respect for your buyers.

People who have a really good knife to sell want top-dollar for it. They know that poor pictures won't pull top-dollar bidders. So, poor pictures are a tip-off.


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Chuck
Balisongs -- because it don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing!
http://www.balisongcollector.com
 
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