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14th Jun 2013, 11:33 PM #1
Health hazard for ebay sellers. Be warned.
Gents...
As some of you know I occasionally am an ebay seller of fine metrology wares...the result of too adventurous bidding on local auctions, or the result of having to buy a wheelbarrow load of stuff to get the one thing I needed (wanted)
Anyway...back in May, just before my birthday I listed a nice Mitutoyo dial indicator. If Mitutoyo had a plant in Nice, this would have been made there. By my niece. Who is nice. See what I am getting at? N-I-C-E.
So one afternoon while I was running around like a headless chook trying to squeeze a year's worth of chores into my miniscule attention span I hear the cheerful ping of incoming email:
Dear xxxx
Good Afternoon Sir,
I am sorry to bother you with questions at such a late stage in your auction but if possible could you please clarify a couple of things.
"Oh oh, here we go" I grumbled to Cruella who instantly edged away, being no stranger to my more volcanic moods. I read on:
Does the indicator repeat accurately? By this I mean does the needle return to exactly the same position whether the stylus be moved in a forward or reverse direction?
"In one small paragraph my needle is in the red zone. "General Quarters!", just like in those navy films where they were fighting the dirty Japs who later went on to make Mit...never mind. Anyway, I am getting testy. He goes on:
Does the indicator have any additional engraving on it? I note that you reveal only one side in your photos. Is that an intentional ploy to mislead?
Danger! She's gonna blow! Mislead? Mislead? I'll show you mislead, mutha.....
Is that because the other side is adorned with the scribblings of some half witted, close to iliterate previous owner or the engravings of some tool room zealot
As you can imagine, by now I am channeling Tony Soprano. I am looking for my throw-away phone with Guido's number in memory when suddenly I realise that I am not actually in the mob. More heartburn, throw a few more logs on the blood pressure fire...
He continues: " I have been intentionally mislead by other unscrupulous Ebay sellers before,
Did I mention that I was in the red zone? I wasn't. Now I am...
...not that I am suggesting you belong in their ranks but if these questions are not raised then I leave myself open to disappointment.
So just when my scalp is getting all puffy like my head is going to explode, I read on to discover this:
Just ####ing with you GQ.
Ha Ha BT
If I pop an aneurism any time soon you will know whom to blame.It's all part of the service here at The House of Pain™
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14th Jun 2013, 11:42 PM #2Product designer retired
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- Nov 2006
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- Heidelberg, Victoria
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Sucked in
You, sucked in by some person in WA, I don't believe it.
Kennearth
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14th Jun 2013, 11:51 PM #3Most Valued Member
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Just finished watching the movie "Red Dog" seems they're all mad out west!
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15th Jun 2013, 12:06 AM #4
Actually, it was one of the better laughs that I've had in a long time, and thanks to Anorak Bob for crafting exactly the right gotcha. As a -take it has to rank right up there.
GQIt's all part of the service here at The House of Pain™
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15th Jun 2013, 12:11 AM #5Most Valued Member
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Greg sent me this as it happened. Even though it wasn't me involved I went through the same range of emotions, having had to deal with idiotic questioning from buyers also. It culminated with one of the best laughs I'd had in a very long time. Well done Bob!
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15th Jun 2013, 12:49 AM #6
Missed Opportunity!
Damn....
Having just yesterday bought, or should I say fallen victim to the persuasive wiles of GQ's eloquently crafted marketting hype, and would you believe it was a Mitutoyo Dial Caliper... And after all that I missed the opportunity to ask the pertinent questions you should always ask when buying fine metrology... but I do pride myself that I dodged the temptation to buy a plastic FP1....
Is that because the other side is adorned with the scribblings of some half witted, close to iliterate previous owner or the engravings of some tool room zealot
Priceless...
Regards
Ray
PS Thanks BT and GQ for the laugh...
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15th Jun 2013, 01:39 PM #7Product designer retired
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- Nov 2006
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- Heidelberg, Victoria
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- 79
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- 2,074
Revenge
Greg, next time you visit WA, hire a tiger moth and invite a certain WA resident up for a spin in the passenger's seat. Disable the seat belt first, then execute a few maneuvers , loop the loop, stall turns, barrel rolls etc.
If that doesn't wipe the smile off a certain WA green lathe/photographer's face, nothing will.
Ken
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15th Jun 2013, 01:44 PM #8
Nah, memories are long, and revenge is a dish best enjoyed cold, as they say in the (alleged) mafia. As a joke I enjoyed it very well.
GregIt's all part of the service here at The House of Pain™
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15th Jun 2013, 03:18 PM #9Most Valued Member
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So.... what's your opinion on Ebay sellers that pull listings early, then......?
PDW
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15th Jun 2013, 03:34 PM #10
...it depends.
...i usually find that aggravating. Yesterday though I ended a height gauge early because I decided that the item wasn't quite as good as I described, and that I would keep it for my own use as that was just easier for me. That was one day into the auction.
I have bought from a guy in Germany that ends many listings early, so I got into the habit of asking to sell it direct, and he always does. I imagine the angst that follows isn't pretty because he often wrongly labels rare things and sells them early for cheap.
In general I find ebay only just tolerable. I dislike the process, and the fees. But they are the only game in town for reaching a wide audience.
Why do you ask, Peter?It's all part of the service here at The House of Pain™
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15th Jun 2013, 04:25 PM #11Most Valued Member
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I was watching that height gauge and didn't want to offer you less than someone else would pay by trying to do an off-Ebay deal is all.
Send me an email about it if you like - my thinking was to use it as a base for measuring stuff off the surface plate as per your suggestion so the missing scriber isn't important to me.
I should add that I don't care at all that you pulled it nor if you'd sold it off Ebay early. Not like it's such a vendor friendly site after all, as you say. Some people I know only use Gumtree these days. Audience *is* a lot smaller though. I think I may be listing a few things on Gumtree soon - not machine tool related though, just stuff here that I want to go away.
PDW