Fellow CR members,
I recently had an experience with the same seller of the Rene Herse tandem bike on eBay which may or may not have any bearing on your decision to bid.
I recently bid and won a Simplex bottle-holder and two bottles on eBay,
listing # 150153499535, see
http://ebay.com/
As you can see, the listing clearly states that the item "Works great". However, when it arrived, I quickly discovered that both bottles were defective, one bottle has a pin hole and the other has a crack. I promptly informed the seller, and this is his reply: "Hi Sorry I assumed the person that won the auction would be using this for display only. they are more or less to be admired and not used. I regret that these are sold as is. thanks, david"
I then communicated with him that his response was not satisfactory, and that he should have disclosed the defect in his listing. I also told him that I am a member of this list and I am seriously thinking of sharing my experience with others.
David wrote back this time and said he would refund the money but that I will have to send the item back to him first. I wrote back to say that I do not want to be out-of-pocket for the shipping cost and he should refund my payment first. Long story short, we are at an impasse. His last email to me, in essence, says that if I go public on this that I can forget about the refund. I decided to go public.
While the shipping charge of a cage and two bottles are relatively small, potential buyers of a tandem bike should think twice before bidding. Buyers would be well-advised to look at the bicycle first or be in a position to pick it up in person.
I hope the above helps.
Lewis Ting
Glencoe, Illinois