[Chrysler300] buying 300 parts on ebay

["christopher beilby" <thelastbestgenius@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

I am in Australia, and one sees parts that will fit 300s on ebay, in my case 
for 300C. Otherwise, here in Australia, parts are near non existant, unless 
one flukes them, which with only two big national swaps each year, is even 
then not very often !

I now ask US 300 owners, and perhaps in particular, those around mine's 
year/era - 1957 plus or minus a couple of years perhaps - how have you fared 
re buying on ebay.
namely for starters I'll just ask three questions:
1) how honest have you found listings, and in particular re chrome diecast 
items, such as tailights, headlight surrounds/bezels, etc..
2) if you have had problems with items not as good as listing, what 
results/means have you used to try and sort things out?
3) apart from advising ebay item not as described after trying to resolve it 
with seller, what other means are there?

I have a number of cars, from 1957 to 1971, that I have purchased items 
(from US/Canada) for on ebay, and yet it seems if I am to get 
shafted/dudded, it is nearly always re 57 Chrysler stuff.

Some of other cars' results - 1971 El Camino tailights - arrived better than 
described.  Numerous diecast and other things for my 69 428SJ and 70455SJ 
Grand Prix - no dramas.  57 T/Bird - some rare hard to find diecast and 
other - no dramas, often better than described.  67 GTO - one straight out 
con man/liar, others OK. 58 Cad - no dramas. Etc, etc..

But 57 Chrysler:  chrome filler piece atop rear bumper rusted and dinted (no 
picture, so I learned from that one).   Supposed 57 Chrysler floorplan - 
when it arrives after much extra cost above US $850 cost to shipping 
container - never mind many things wrong re condition, where cut, etc - it 
has Plymouth ID tag still on it, despite me asking is out from a Chrysler 
length wheelbase before paying.   A pair of headlight bezels - listing 
mentioned one crack in top edge of one - picture didn't show it ran near 6 
inches, and plus seller pocketed extra airmail shipping money that was near 
price of one bezel, just got them surface mail 2 months later.   And the 
best latest one, pair of diecast tailights - (deep) gouge in red lens 
decsribed as intact, a (welded on) part of steel base not there, and one of 
diecast main bodies has deep scratches/gouge about halfway up outer face. 
Plus freckling is actually considerable pitting, that 90% does/did not show 
even when zoom in.

When I contact the seller of tailights that had to bid near US $350 for, 
this before shipping an customs, he apologises for not listing faults, but 
says something to the effect that as he did not list some of things, so he 
did not misdescribe them, and it was my fault for not contacting him and 
asking questions.

In hindsight, I should have asked/thought why did he not picture lights from 
the side gouge was on, but my final question for 300 Members more 
experienced with ebay, is can you take descriptions as given, or must you 
always contact seller and re-ask all they have given? (these tailights the 
seller has offered a part refund, but with my final costs of about $600, to 
end up with basically one light, I would rather have not spent a cent, saved 
my money for better ones.

Another experience was re 4 bolt exhaust manifolds, purchased at xmas, when 
un-arrived by June,  seller said guess what, forget to mail package, so 
already in for few dollars, I took the punt and Paypalled Airmail freight 
price - got them couple of weeks ago - one not as good as could/should have 
been. And then someone seemingly well known to some Club Members sends 
aftermarket upper suspension arm bushes that are not NOS Mopar that were 
listed, have Harris brand on them !!??  57 Chrysler Owners Hanbook (around 
$40) just put in envelope with no board to protect it, yet every other 
literature/advert, etc re other vehicles at cheaper prices sent way better 
packed.

Now against this mounting pile of Chrysler 'ebay misdescribers', etc., have 
been a few really good genuine sellers - eg another set of tailights exactly 
as listed, a rear numberplate surround I am rapt with - BUT THE QUESTION IS 
RE YOUR US MEMBERS' Experiences : 1) do they just dud dumb aussies like me, 
or 2) do they fairly regularly dud US 300 mid/late 50s Chrysler ebay buyers 
as well?

Sorry for the length of this, but ebay is great when it works, and if there 
were easier ways to pull dudders into line, never mind have them NOT put 
false feedback up if you tell the truth re them in feedback, it is the 
greatest - and many of our 300s need better bits that ebay seems to bring 
up?

Gas prices hit minimum 140c a litre for unleaded about 10 days ago, higher 
octane over 150c a litre - have a good driving weekend, gas prices don't 
look like they are going to get cheaper ?! And locally Govt has purchased 
another approx 120 speed cameras they mount inside parked unmarked cars, 
plus have just boasted they seized 50 odd speeders' cars in last couple of 
months - welcome to the 21st Century Oz style !! ( SA has a population just 
over 1 million for the maybe 300 car mounted speed cameras, automatic loss 
of licence re speeding approx 20 mph over limits)

Christopher in Australia




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