Dale, You are correct in that these Dia Compe hoods are definitely not what the seller is presenting them as. However, in situations like this I like to approach the seller with the assumption that he is just plain ignorant. He probably IS trying to decieve the buyer, but he may just be really, really stupid. A carefully worded e-mail will let him know that he needs to decide which of these two things he is. People usually prefer to be stupid and will post an addendum to the auction admitting such. One time I sent an e-mail to a guy in Australia who was selling a set of Nuovo Victory hubs as NOS Campy Nuovo hubs. I told him that most people considered the hubs he had to be Victory, and that even if the box does include the Italian word for "new" use of this word generally implies Nuovo Record, at least among collectors. He lashed out pretty viciously, telling me to mind my own business, learn to read, and generally letting me know that he was a vintage bike expert and I was a "wanker." I proceeded to tell him what I really thought of his lying and scamming, including a suggestion that, despite his posts, track riders do not favor Triomphe pedals, not even in Australia. Anyway the whole thing was pretty entertaining. In the end he told me that because I was such a wank, I would not be allowed to buy any of his special reserve equipment that doesn't go on Ebay. I'm not sure how I would have been able to buy this stuff anyway, but he made a point of sending me a jpeg of a set of late C-record hubs. Wow, Campy exotica at it's mid 90's finest, and now I can't score a third set. Tom OROBOYZ@aol.com wrote: "NOS CAMPAGNOLO REPRO GUM BRAKE LEVER HOODS".......?
http://ebay.com/
Larry Black brought this to my attention. This seller rates high on the scale of sheer horse manure in his obviously intentional misrepresentation of these brake lever hoods. I have written to him complaining about his duplicity.
Key points: - These are not "repro Campagnolo hoods". They are original replacement for Dia Compe brake levers and fit those and Weinmann (which the Dia Compe is a copy) , ONLY! They do not fit, in any reasonable way, Campy, Modolo, Superbe Pro, etc. To imply that they were made to fit these is a flat lie.
- To use these levers in a restoration is a joke. The "safety levers" removable plugs alone would make their use at best goofy and inappropriate for a decent restoration project.
- The stuff about a warranty by Dia Compe is also sheer fantasy and BS. I defy this "dealer" (I shudder to think this charlatan is a real bike dealer) to produce a Warranty in print for routine Dia Compe brake hood covers.
Anyway, like Larry, this sort of stuff more than annoys me as it purposely misinforms and devalues all of us in the vintage bike hobby. If any of you know this ZeroCycle character, how about chastising him/her on all of our behalf?
As a short aside, I have been criticized before by a few saying "Who made you the Ebay police?" .....implying I should butt out in situations like this. I think it is my responsibility (and yours too!) to expose dishonest sellers and it is my duty to protect anyone who might fall for the con artist's line. I hope all of you would also be vigilant as well and perhaps save me from a gullible mistake at some future time....
Here is the text of the auction,
"Ground Zero Cycles is pleased to offer this brand new pair of Dia-Compe gum rubber hoods for non-aero brake levers. Fit Campagnolo Record, Nuovo Record, and Super Record; Dia-Compe; SunTour Superbe Pro; Modolo; and many other brands of standard brake levers. Perfect for restoring your favorite vintage ride!
Brand New in the Package!
IMPORTANT! This pair of Dia-Compe brake lever hoods is covered by Dia-Compe's complete warranty since it is being auctioned by an authorized Dia-Compe dealer. Most items listed on eBay are not offered by authorized dealers and are not covered by any warranty."
Dale Brown cycles de ORO, Inc. 1410 Mill Street Greensboro, North Carolina USA 27408 336-274-5959 Fax 336-274-6360 cyclesdeORO.com Classic Rendezvous _______________________________________________
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