[rich pern]

OK, some of you have seen the recent posts in the tech area about the 427 I bought and was shipped a 402 instead.
Theres a new way to scam you on ebay. Here's how it works. They sell some legit objects, high dollar things, in my case engines. They sell them cheaply,and get great 100% pos feedback on related high dollar things. Then when they are ready, they put these things on ebay (in this case a rebuilt HiPerf 427) Once bidding gets up there and several people email them back asking specifics, they edit the auction with a "buy it now" offer. Remember, there feedback on high dollar itmes is great. Things like "said engine had 400 horses, I got 425! Great Seller" and such. They then call everyone who calls about the buy it now, which usually is not to low to believe, and in fact is a little high, but he is offering up a motor that is supposed to be totally rebuilt by a shop, which uses all name brand goodies in it. When you send the money, he ships you a cheap replacement item that is not worth near what you paid for it.
It is then VERY hard to get anything done, as you have recieved something for your money, and in fact in this was was an engine. You then have to explain to a investigator the difference between a 68 vette 427 and a 70 Monte Carlo 402. The seller claims you bought a Big Block Chevy and that is what he shipped you. It gets real hairy, unlike other scams where you get nothing for your money. They make thousands by selling you a 1500$ motor for up to 3 times that amount. Not a bad "profit" at your (my) expense.
In my case, the only good thing is this kid (He's a 24 year old college student) reportedly tried this last on a senator from Michigan, and was arrested prior to my complaint. Apparently his father is an attorney, and sued the police department in Bellingham, WA. Man, were they glad to hear from me. They really want to go after the kid now. Anyway, be extra careful, even if they have 100% pos feedback, and look like they sell expensive items, look at their auction history to make sure that they have low auction cancellations. This kid had a 60% calcellation ratio.

 

[Pink68Camaro]

I know a few people who have been scamed but then
arrive at the scammers front door and.......needless to say they got their money back.These people dont realize who they might be
scamming and find out the hard way.

 

[novaderrik]

yet abother reason to avoid things like ebay- everything is a potential scam. at least if you buy from someone person to person, you can look at what you are getting..

 

[RS3SDL2MG]

this type of scam may be new to ebay but it used to happen all the time in small repair shop's , one guy I know used to work on muscle car's all the time in his home shop , he was a good mechanic and could fix anything , but now if you took him a car with a 427 in it and asked for a rebuild you would get back a 454 with orange paint on it , I know one time a man took a 69 Z/28 (I KNOW BUT THIS ONE WAS REAL ) and when he got it back the 302 had changed into a 350 , muncie 4 speed's would change into saginaw's and so on , I never did figure out how he got away with all that stuff but he did ,,
I'm glad my personal mechanic and body is a man I can trust (ME) , If I had to hire an engine rebuilt or car repainted I would just quit !!
I can't afford that stuff anyway !!LOL!!

 

[HwyStarJoe]

I put ZERO stock in peoples feedback on EBay. Zero. It never factors into an auction I want to bid on. Unless they've got numerous negative feedback complaining about the same issue from different people and then reply with nasty remarks, I don't care what the feedback says. Positive feedback means nothing to me either. If I email the seller and don't get a responce, I don't bid.

But then, I'd never buy something like an engine off of EBay. I can see certain things like cars, where you actually go and SEE it, but not an engine. An engine can be found close to home and the seller's front door is a lot easier to knock down if something goes wrong.

 

[OverAnxious]

I buy and sell alot on ebay, I have been for years.

But - I would never buy a high dollar item like that sight un-seen. Hell, I drove to Yipsilanti to see the 67 panel truck on ebay I bought last fall before I placed a bid on it.

On these engines, I would at least exchange info like casting numbers or part numbers on the item so you would at least have some 'proof' of what you were to buy...

 

[Infamous]

yet another reason to avoid things like ebay- everything is a potential scam.

Derrik...that's not necessarily true. Don't let a couple bad apples sway your opinion about e-bay. I've been using them for years to buy and sell items and have found the Feedback ratings to be very indicative of the sellers character. As a matter of fact, my cousin just bought a 383 crate engine from AR Racing (who sells a lot of engines on e-bay) and it looks and runs fantastic. They have a 99% positive feedback and have been selling engines on there for over 3 years now. They've received very little complaints. I even helped research the company for him before he purchased the motor by e-mailing about 25 purchasers that were listed in the feedback section. All had glowing things to say about them. One guy even put his engine on a dyno and the numbers came out just about where AR Racing said they would. For reference here is a link to one of their auctions

I still use e-bay and always will. They are one of the greastest success stories of the internet age.

 

[kz1000ltd]

I agree with Infamous, although there are scammers out there, I'd say 95% or more of people on eBay are legit. I've had probably 500 or more transactions on eBay, and a total of 3 problems, I bet alot of other folks here would tend to agree. There are bad apples everywhere, not just on eBay, and the bargains you can get make it well worth the effort, not to mention the money you can make buying and reselling things. If it weren't for eBay, it would have probably taken me twice as long as it did to restore my Camaro, not to mention all the nicest parts went on my car!!!!

[ 04-29-2004, 04:08 PM: Message edited by: kz1000ltd ]

 

[rich pern]

Hi guys.
I did ask all the "right" questions. Made sure it was not a 454 with a 396 crank, casting numbers "HiPerf" marks etc etc.

However, I have bought (and sold, I was the guy with the rusty 69 z28 on ebay recently)several cars on ebay, and this is only the second time I was "taken". I guess you just have to factor in potential for loss when you buy and sell.
I will continue to use ebay, but try and be even more careful!

 

[camaroman7d]

You can ask all the questions in the world and if they lie then the questions don't mean much.

With that said I have bought and sold quite a few things on e-bay and really have only had a two questionable transactions, one was my fault for buying an item without a picture (I was a rookie).

All in all I have had god luck. Now if you are buying a high dollar item, get the seller to agree to an escrow account, this way he doesn't get the money until you are happy with the product. The money is held in "escrow" until the deal is made good. I know two guys that have gotten burned on big dollar items, they got the item but it was not as described, one was a twin turbo 377 ci Chevy, the other was a Dino (car) it was not in the shape the seller claimed. Both items arrived so there was no real recourse as you are responsible for knowing what you are buying.

Personally I would never buy a big dollar item (car) without seeing it firsthand, maybe if it was a poject and real cheap.

 

[383]

You can ask all the questions in the world and if they lie then the questions don't mean much.

I tend to agree. While I have never purchased or sold anything on E-bay, I would never buy something sight unseen, especially something like an engine. Yes, there are probably some good deals on E-bay, but let's not forget the old adage "buyer beware". Nowdays it seems that a lot of people are looking to make a quick buck. Some honestly and others not. Brings to mind two phrases I live by.... Never loan money you want repaid,... and never gamble money you can't afford to lose. I'll stick to cash on sight. At least you can make an informed decision.

 

[Wayne]

It seems that the scams have gotten worse in the last two or three years. I have bought two cars from Ebay both cars were from L.A. the first one was described just exactly like the guy said. The second car was a good car but the guy did not give any extra's with it in his decription and did not provided any close up pics. like the first one did. I bought a car from this web sight last month and the guy misrepresented this car, he said rust free I even posted on here RUST FREE what does it mean, I guess to some people as long as the bondo has it covered it is rust free and was not even good body work to cover it. He said it had a 5 foot paint job I thought in 5 foot it has to be pretty good it was more like a 25 foot paint job, but I guess that is what you get if you do not go look at the cars or items before you buy.

 

[mjs-13]

Ebay has made buyers LAZY!!! Lazy because bidders/buyers are unwilling, not unable, to go look at the product they are interesting in purchasing prior to bidding.

Without Ebay the buyer would not know the product existed and therefore would only continue their search locally or through friends/relatives. On Ebay the world becomes your store for shopping!

Don't bitch when your own laziness costs you money!

 

[rich pern]

"Don't bitch when your own laziness costs you money!"

Mike,

If a car or engine were close enough OK. BUT, in many cases it is not feasible to travel across the country to look at a car, unless it is a Yenko or something equally valuable.

As a purchaser I believe you have a right to expect a seller to be honest about what they are selling. Condition, as opposed to a different object altogether is another thing. One is subjective and the other not. One mans junk is another’s project.

However, it seems that a lot of dishonest sellers have your opinion. That they can substitute "parts" and "descriptions" and if a buyer gets ripped off, it is there own fault (I was told to "hey, just resell it on ebay and screw someone else"). Not only is this morally wrong, it is legally wrong!

These sellers use the internet, knowing that they could not get away with that behavior locally.

I suspect you will start seeing this taken to a new level, vigilantism since a lot of local law enforcement seem to share your views.

What really sucks is that I am lucky. I got this same response as your statement from the Bellingham law enforcement. Luckily I have a cousin at the FBI and was able to get in touch with the officer that originally arrested this scumbag. He was of course cockey with the cop, so the officer was helpful in suppling information.

The FBI is now going to take it over.

What if I (and many do not) did not know anyone or have connections?

Are you saying that it is OK to screw someone and mis represent what you are selling?

I may have misunderstood your post, and if so, I apologize in advance. If not, that I must respectfully disagree.

Rich

 

[camaroman7d]

Rich,
I agree with you 100% This is no different than buying something from a mail order place lets say a cam, you order one for a small block Chevy but, they send you one for a Ford instead. Should you just put it on e-bay and lie to another person? NO. What he did is false advertisement.

Good thing you have an "inside" connection.