eBay problems, resolutions, shenanigans, questions and info (not bike finds)

Yea, I'm doing it all as ebay told me to... the discussion thing at the moment, being polite but clearly stating the item is as described. If and when ebay fuck me in a week's time when the buyer no doubt escalates the claim, I'll just accept the return and take a few deep breaths.

Is this an actual Reynolds 853? The reason for i am asking is that i believe reynolds 853 sticker must be above bottom bracket shell on seat tube. And I know nothing more about 853.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/RARE-HANDMADE-BRIGG-UK-CLAUDE-BUTLER-PROFESSIONAL-REYNOLDS-853-FRAME-FORKS-/221901669297?hash=item33aa5ec3b1

By the way, someone bought it just after i sent the previous message above. I suppose 'someone' is from LFGSS? Great bargain if it is an actual 853.

UTFS "Claud Butler Professional".

thanks!

I'm selling a frame on Ebay, and I'm worried the bidding will not reach what the frame is worth. I did not enter a reserve price. Am I liable for negative feedback if I don't sell the bike after the auction?

A less scrupulous person would use a shill in this situation. After all, it's basically just a way of setting a reserve price without having to give eBay extra money...

What's a shill? Is that bidding on it yourself from another account?

Yeah. Massively forbidden by eBay, but pretty widespread I think. It's as moral as you make it. If you're doing it to exaggerate the price then it's probably a bit shitty, but if you're just doing it to get a guaranteed price then...

Well I definitely won't be doing that then.

To shill well you could ask someone here/elsewhere to put a single bid on your behalf at the 'reserve', and cancel the transaction with them if they have the highest bid at the end. Basically a shill, but beware when the bid is placed....and only have that person do it with one of your auctions. Even if they put in 10 bids to shill like a pro, don't let them do it on more than one auction on your account.

Visible to the world is this info, for example this trispoke set on ebay:

Bidder Information
Bidder: p***b( 185 )
Feedback: 100% Positive
Item description: Specialized Trispoke Wheels
Bids on this item: 1

30-Day Summary
Total bids: 19
Items bid on: 12
Bid activity (%) with this seller: 5%
Bid retractions: 0
Bid retractions (6 months): 1

So it's easy to see if someone is shilling, or bidding a lot on the same user's auctions, or just being a dick and bidding and retracting a lot.

Well, it sounds dishonest and not in the spirit of Ebay and therefore certainly not something I would ever consider under any circumstances whatsoever. It saddens me that there are people who do such things.

"in the spirit of Ebay" made me smile.....

If you do as pdlouche says and just get someone to put a bid in at your minimum comfortable sale price then it's exactly the same as setting a reserve. It's only as immoral as putting a reserve, it just means eBay don't get the extra dough and I'm absolutely ok with that.

Well I'm glad you think it's ok but some people have principles.

;)

Ha ha. Ya got me.

Well I'm glad you think it's ok but some people have principles.

Can't tell if being serious or...

Just taken delivery of a fixer-upper Roberts and the the drive side dropouts have snapped in half. Also the dent in the top tube is bigger than described. Also i assumed the measurements were c-c and not c-t so it's coming up a bit small. Wonder what I should do now?

So I finally have the fund to build up my Colnago C40 which I bought in January.
Brought it to the bike shop to remove the BB and replace a new CK headset, turned out the BB is really stuck and the guy in the bike shop could not remove it even using a long wrench.
I suspect the previous owner had used a BB in wrong size/thread or it is just really stuck. Can I still open a case a ask for refund? What should I do? So frustrating I've been saving money just for this project, will bring the frameset to Evans before open a case maybe.

IANAL but January was 9 months ago. That's a long time.

Can you prove that you've not used it, stored it outside etc?

No I don't have any valid evidences. The guy in bike shop contacted Colango UK distributor for me but apparently they finished work early on Friday.

Then I imagine you might just be, how do you put it?

Fucked.

9 months is a long time not to give something a proper check! That being said it's unlikely that a bottom bracket issue will be terminal. onces you've got the old one out, which might be a bitch but it will come out, one way or other. At worst you'll end up with a self threading BB which are alright.

It's a tuff lesson to learn, I got burned in the early day of eBay with a frame with a seized seat post too.

Ask your bike shop to invest in a vice?

^Yeah that actually. Vice > scaffy pole.