NOS is NOS, not dis-assembled and inspected. NADA. When idiots like your high bidder demand refunds, I tell them I will make a second chance offer to the 2nd highest bidder, if the 2nd highest bidder accepts (knowing the complete history of craphead winner) then craphead winner ships to 2nd highest bidder, and craphead bidder gets to pay the shipping AND eBay fees. They always have gone away. b.t.w. the "shop mechanic" doesn't know squat. Last time I drenched one of these pups in THIRTY weight, it became dead silent, couldn't even hear the pawls! "missing a bearing or two indeed!
Sorry to hear of your eBay fun, Mark, ain't life grand?
PFFT
Dale Phelps Montagna lunga Colorado USA
Cleaning out the bins and ebaying some stuff I don't want / will never use, off it goes to ebay. Who's not doing it. I have 600+ ebay positives.
Recently sold a Regina ORO freewheel in the desireable 14-28 ratio - complete with box and inner wrapper, box a bit tattered but all there, not faded, etc. Went for $130 which was a good bid.
Pics at http://www.flickr.com/
Sent the item off and received the following request from the buyer:
"I'm not happy with the freewheel's quality, mechanic says there are a couple bearings missing, I don't like the sound, I want a refund".
Well I sent the standard reply, "maybe the grease is dried out, we used to run 90 weight in these, suggest you flood it with synthetic oil or Phil Tenacious oil, don't worry be happy".
No, the buyer insists, I want a refund. I offered a $15 rebate, which was refused. Buyer (ebay feedback of 4) wants a rebate. Since it's a NOS item and at least some of the perceived value has been lost since it's been on a bike, I don't think I should offer a refund - my thought is, if you don't know what you're buying, don't bid on a NOS item expecting to try it out and return it if it is not to your liking.
I'd really like to know the thoughts of the group on this.
Couple years ago I sold a set of VERY nice Porsche tail lights for an early car (68) that were in very, very nice shape - these things are plastic, very fragile and of course no longer made. They went for $250 which was a spectacular deal! They were worth twice that. Well, winning bidder was in Greece of all places, he pushed back on the shipping cost, and then was apparently not satisfied and wanted to return them. So my response was, I said ship them back at your expense, when I receive them if they are as I sent them (unmolested, not installed) then I'll refund your money, less listing fees and shipping. They never showed up ! But I got a negative feedback. Dang.
So I want to be ethical, but I think I'm on the right side of this. What do you think ?