# Buying online



## OldSkipTooth (Sep 12, 2015)

I have, like many of you, been buying and selling online for ever it seems. Some things change, and some things remain the same. One thing that HAS changed is listings where sellers say in their listing (s), "pictures are the best description of this item", well, I disagree, and you should too! Good pictures help tremendously, but NOTHING replaces an HONEST assessment of the item being sold, and this can only be done with full transparency between buyer and seller.   A bicycle is a 3 dimensional object, and a flat picture of the utmost quality can still hide problems that even the seller might be unaware of unless he or she looks at various angles and feels the item for problems with their hands. My point here is this: before you pay $500. or more for a bike online, don't assume the pictures are telling the whole story, ASK all the questions you need to satisfy yourself, it's your money afterall! Cheers Cabers!


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## fordmike65 (Sep 12, 2015)

Just did that this morning on a something I was thinking of purchasing. Got a bunch of grief from the seller for asking a few simple questions about the part's condition!


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## detroitbike (Sep 12, 2015)

I see where people put that in their listing so they
 Can't be accused by ebay of having a misleading description. I will ask them directly to Send 
pictures or describe any areas with dings, dents or paint loss , etc..


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## fordmike65 (Sep 12, 2015)




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## fordmike65 (Sep 12, 2015)

Vinci175174 said:


> Well obviously I agree with the matter "pictures are the best description of this item". Well, I am willing to add a new thing and that is, not only pictures, but also by only judging an website, it doesn't give an clear idea about the whole thing which I want. Here's an experience, I went to a renowned taxi services in Paris and they told me to look at their site. The fact what they explained that, everything was in their site so why I did just went?.. I was astonished you know! Then went to another one named "Taxis in Paris" and clarified the matters. Though there website and the pictures are not that HIGH. You want to see the proof? Well, here's the web link, see it: http://www.taxiinparis.fr
> 
> Cheers 2!




Did we just get craftily spammed??


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## OldSkipTooth (Sep 12, 2015)

I think wees been found via SKYPE! LOL


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## GTs58 (Sep 12, 2015)

fordmike65 said:


> Did we just get craftily spammed??




Well lets flag down a damn taxi to get him outa here!


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## stoney (Sep 12, 2015)

I am seeing more and more of this. For the most part I stay away unless the pictures are EXCELLENT and show all angles.


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## catfish (Sep 12, 2015)

I blame ebay and their return policy. It realy sticks it to the sellers. Most ebay sellers I know are getting hit with more and more returns.


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## Andrew Gorman (Sep 12, 2015)

What I find more annoying are sellers who fake ignorance of what they are selling.  It's amazing how many people who sell lots and lots of bikes and parts don't know anything about them.  I find that a pretty sleazy way to cover your butt and deceive your buyers.  BUT there are plenty of other people to buy from.


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## catfish (Sep 12, 2015)

Andrew Gorman said:


> What I find more annoying are sellers who fake ignorance of what they are selling.  It's amazing how many people who sell lots and lots of bikes and parts don't know anything about them.  I find that a pretty sleazy way to cover your butt and deceive your buyers.  BUT there are plenty of other people to buy from.




I agree. There are a lot of shady sellers on ebay. I'm always leery of anything on there that seems too good to be true. Especially if it's a "Buy it now". You can still get good deals. But they are few and far between. And ebay has made it harder to search for the stuff you want.....


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## OldSkipTooth (Sep 12, 2015)

Yep, and 15 years ago NOS really meant something...now NOS means buyer beware.


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## Jeff54 (Sep 12, 2015)

OldSkipTooth said:


> I have, like many of you, been buying and selling online for ever it seems. Some things change, and some things remain the same. One thing that HAS changed is listings where sellers say in their listing (s), "pictures are the best description of this item", well, I disagree, and you should too! Good pictures help tremendously, but NOTHING replaces an HONEST assessment of the item being sold, and this can only be done with full transparency between buyer and seller.   A bicycle is a 3 dimensional object, and a flat picture of the utmost quality can still hide problems that even the seller might be unaware of unless he or she looks at various angles and feels the item for problems with their hands. My point here is this: before you pay $500. or more for a bike online, don't assume the pictures are telling the whole story, ASK all the questions you need to satisfy yourself, it's your money afterall! Cheers Cabers!




Yup, and with eBay's newer return policy, seller gets stuck with returned expenses too. I'm dam careful to site in text whatever I can, within reason. It's not like you can remark every chip, but, with good photos and descriptions to lead ya at what's what in them, it would be dam tough for a buyer to stick me with a return. But, nothing's changed for me, anytime I've sold stuff at e-bay, in the past 17-18 years, my buyers were always very satisfied with my description, mostly saying "better than described" 

However, when I buy something and it does not fit the description,, look out seller, I've managed for sellers to pay return shipping all of that time too. long before e-bay's newer policy because, when you trust a perfect stranger wit your hard earned money and it comes out BS, I am not going to suffer further damage by paying  return too. 

Now with e-bay reinforcing it, last month e-bay completely refunded me for an auto part  because, seller did not want to send me a UPS return label. The seller did attempt to e-mail a label for me to print out, but, I told em I don't have a printer to begin with. Then e-bay tried to say I have to go somewhere and print that label, but I'll be dammed if I have to go out of my way, for some BS I did not buy and so, with a little persuasion, e-bay refunded. 

So, make sure you've crossed all your T's, dotted your I's before ya buy, or sell, (not to imply anybody here has to do with this)  because, dammit, I don't want no friggen 'free' item, I WANT WHAT WAS ADVERTIZED!

This year alone, e-bay has refunded me 4 things that after refund I did not have to send back to seller.. 4 dam pieces of crap that I can't use!.. thanks for nothing because, after waiting 10 days or so for e-bay to get the job done, getting my money back, I had to search e-bay again, buy from somebody else,  wait even longer etc. etc.  3-4 weeks later, I get what I needed.  eurgh.


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## Euphman06 (Sep 13, 2015)

It's also frustrating when you take the time to accurately describe what you are selling and people don't feel like reading it so they ask questions that don't need to be asked if they just read the description in the first place!


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## Jeff54 (Sep 13, 2015)

Euphman06 said:


> It's also frustrating when you take the time to accurately describe what you are selling and people don't feel like reading it so they ask questions that don't need to be asked if they just read the description in the first place!




Yeah I don't get that too. how friggen stupid is  the general public anyway?

Well I tell ya, one of the best places to discover just how dam stupid and ignorant, idiots the General public, on a minimum of 85% are is, inside of the stock market. I spend a great deal of time trying to educate 1,000's of idiots about the fundamentals of various companies which pitch 'get=rich-quick' stock buying opportunities.. 99% of these people not only never research the stock but couldn't understand basic fundamentals if you slapped em with a baseball bat.. Even those who have half of a clue, lose their money because they couldn't be bothered. They see a picture or read a pitch, toss the farm and expect to get rich by next week. from high school dropouts to PHD, SERIOUSLY!  It's nothing but a casino with idiots pulling the one armed bandit. 

So,, heck, apparently it's the golden rule. A great percentage of the GP, are just plain dumb. .


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