Strange

Using the ebay "ask seller a question" facility, I asked a seller if I could
view his bike (10 day listing) before I bid.

he took 2 days to reply and said it was available for viewing, so I sent him
my contact details because his reply did not contain his.

2 day later still no reponse, so sent him another mail asking when I could
view, ! day on still nothing.

Now the strange bit is; I saw this bike on ebay this time last year when I
passed my DAS and thought and failed to get it then. Oh I thought he
couldn't have sold it last year, but now it's all coming back to me... think
I had the same problem then.

So whats all that about?

D

 

He isn't keen on you seeing it.

We have experienced quite a lot of this in our quest for a 125.

Walk away, another one will be along shortly.

--
Dan L (Oldbloke)
My bike 1996 Kawasaki ZR1100 Zephyr
M'boy's current bike 1990 Suzuki TS50X (Heavily fortified)
M'boys NEW bike 2003 Honda NSR125R
BOTAFOT #140, DIAABTCOD #26

 

That's what I thought, but the winning bidder is gonna see it at some point
, I mean if I won it I would go to pick it up and if it was not in the
condition he said it was in I'd just walk away.

Sort oh don't make sense or am I missing something... Hmmm maybe he would
isist on payapl payment before collection or summit.

D

 

I think this type of seller works on the basis of if you've won the auction
you've bought it, no negotiation.

--
Dan L (Oldbloke)
My bike 1996 Kawasaki ZR1100 Zephyr
M'boy's current bike 1990 Suzuki TS50X (Heavily fortified)
M'boys NEW bike 2003 Honda NSR125R
BOTAFOT #140, DIAABTCOD #26

 

Oldbloke says...

I thought that's how it was meant to work and why so much tat seems to
get off loaded onto E-Bay.

 

Yerbut take this scenario, you are the winning bidder of a bike that was
described as "immaculate" and "well looked after" so you turn up with your
wedge of cash, you look at this heap of crap, realise the picture you saw
were taken when it was 2 days old.

Now, do you hand over all that hard earned cash to someone (that is trying
to shaft you) because them are the rules or do you lamp the bastard for
trying to rip you off?

D

 

David Thomas says...

I seriously wouldn't by a bike from E-Bay unless either I'd already seen
it or know the seller. I've been looking at other bikes the last couple
of weeks and the amount of crap out there being advertised as "Well
looked after" is unbelievable. A lot of it from dealers to.

Immaculate = Wheels and fairing still attached.
Good Condition = Wheels or fairing still attached
Scratched on one side = Totally trashed on the other
Needs some TLC = Worn out, smashed up pile of shite

etc...

 

Tough - caveat emptor. It's pretty obvious to me that Ebay is often a
dumping ground for a load of old crap. There appears to be a proportion
of people who do decent business and are fair in their descriptions of
what they are selling but it strikes me too many people hype what they
are offering for sale and many buyers are too greedy to see past the end
of their nose.

The whole process of Ebay appears to be predicated on a bid which is
then accepted with the cash to follow swiftly on in order to close the
deal. If people routinely broke deals then the system would collapse. A
reasonable seller would be prepared to let you see a bike or car in
advance of purchase but with suitable precautions in place to reduce the
risk of theft - no different to any other private sale. If the buyer
won't let you see the bike then as Mups says - walk away. Let your
brain rule your heart and not the other way round, no matter how much
you want a bike.

 

Paul Corfield wrote

Yebbut, what if it is a black one?

 

Rather oddly the Hillman Imp [1] I sold had quite a few bids (it had
appeared on a number of imp forums/mailing lists) but not one person came
to view or even asked to.


[1] <kenyon bot> FREAK!

 

Ah that's different... just go for it.

D

 

I think this oft repeated phrase is the key to explaining the non
conformist buyer behaviour.