Mitchell and other E-Bay con men.

["Dick Benjamin" <DickB@xxxxxxxxx>]

These and other recent comments about  eBay surprise me greatly.   I have
spoken up before with my own experiences, but maybe it's time to speak up
again.

I have been buying and selling on eBay almost since they started.

I have personally had two people banned from eBay for shady dealings, so I
can testify that if these transgressions are reported to eBay's "safe
harbor" department, they DO take action, and they do it QUICKLY!  You have
to give them enough info to prove that these problems have occurred, but
they are extremely interested in keeping the forum clean.

You may not be aware that after every transaction on eBay, an evaluation of
the seller by the buyer, and of the buyer by the seller, can be posted.  You
can also see what this person sold and what he bought in the recent past.
This is publicly displayed in the persons "feedback" file.   For example,
you can check on mine by going to:

http://cgi2.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=socalcarnut

As you can see, my eBay handle is "socalcarnut".  (appropriate, right?)

I have had about 80 transactions now, about evenly split between buying and
selling.  I have never had a transaction  in which an item was
misrepresented in any way, nor have I had any problem collecting from people
who have bought my items.  Without exception, the people I have dealt with
are just regular folks:  honest, friendly, and prompt.   Seller's
descriptions of parts that I have bought have usually been overly critical
of their own stuff, going out of their way to point out defects that might
not show in the photographs.

I seldom buy from commercial outfits on eBay, and then, only if they are
known to me to be fair dealers.  This would not include the folks that have
been mentioned here as troublesome, of course.

 I have of course run into a few flakes, both as bidders and sellers, in
which case I simply terminate the transaction or refuse to accept the bid.
The flakes and idiots in the world ALWAYS  tip you off, by the way they talk
or the claims they make - so the old rule of "Buyer Beware" is still in
force.

If you are at all careful to verify claims and use common sense, I think
eBay is a tremendous boon to the old car hobbyist!  If the transaction had
problems and is this fact is not posted in the person's feedback file, a
valuable factor in keeping the marketplace clean is wasted.

Most of the items I have bought are items that just are not around anymore,
like engine parts for my 40's Packards, and NOS trim items for Packards and
Imperials that I own.  The items I've sold are duplicate parts and things I
know I will never need;  selling them this way gets them exposed to the
millions of potential buyers in the world, without hardly any effort on my
part, and it sure clears out my storage shelves!

I have also experienced the swap meet scene for years, believe me folks,
eBay is SO MUCH BETTER!  You have no feedback system at a swap meet, the
seller can tell you anything to get you to buy the item, and when you
discover the hidden defect, you're stuck!    The people on eBay HAVE to be
honest (they have to guard their feedback numbers, as people won't deal with
anyone who has bad feedback).

Dick Benjamin
----- Original Message -----
From: A. Foster <monkeypuzzle1@xxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Monday, March 25, 2002 8:34 PM
Subject: IML: Mitchell and other E-Bay con men.


> Stan;
>  You should report him to the E-Bay people for that little stunt, you
could
> make it the most costly nine dollars he's ever stiffed somebody for. I
think
> that there should it should be remembered that E-Bay is often the last
> refuge of charlatans and hustlers in large part because they are allowed
to
> hold auctions under an alias. However if they are caught, just like with
> Hemmings, they can and do get banned.
>  I know that they claim buyer beware with E-bay but when they have goods
> being intentionally misrepresented how can one guard against that. As you
> have said about Mitchell they could put up a photo of something for sale
but
> whether you actually get it is another matter. Of course I have always
> thought that there was something shady about any parts dealer that would
> have to resort to E-bay to sell their wares while legitimate outfits
barely
> need advertising.
> Best Regards
> Arran Foster
> 1954 Imperial Newport
> Needing A left Side Taillight Bezel And Other Trim Parts.
>
>
>
>