Disgusted with eBay sellers

Art

Member
Is it just my luck or??

The last three used motorcycle items that I've bought off eBay have been grossly misrepresented as good usable parts in good condition, I've paid good money for them.
When the parts arrived, were rusty junk, should have been thrown away.

Is this the norm with motorcycle parts sellers? Am I trying to deal with a group that do this routinely?

I realize there are exceptions.
 

Darthvader

Member
You have to be real careful. A lot of pictures are taken to show the best angle. I always ask for many additional pictures in good lighting. Half the sellers will not send more pictures so I don't bid. I always ask for a detailed description too. That way I have a back up document. I have recovered $ on 3 items in the last year going through ebay with these documents from the sellers. Always always buyer beware.

The rep systems sucks too. You leave negative feedback as a buyer and you get blasted back. many people don't leave negative feedback just for that reason leaving the crooks unabated.
 
I have had about 50 percent luck on ebay. Many times you really have to look several times at a picture. I have also seen many ct70s on ebay misrepresented (maybe honestly, who knows) like with the wrong exhaust for the year of bike or other wrong features that were obviously changed. The seller saying it has fairly low miles and was never ridden....makes you wonder.

Yes, the feedback system on ebay is greatly flawed. I once gave a honestly negative feedback, and received a negative feedback that was just bogus. I had tried many attempts at getting the deal worked out before giving the negative feedback. I would never again give a negative feedback until feedback was first left for me (so they couldn't give a negative back).
 
The last part I bought off of Ebay was a "brandnew" shifter. Part that was sent to me turned out to be a sandblasted painted silver shifter. I told the seller I was going to be leaving bad feedback unless he returned my $$. He paid me the next day. :cool:
 

hondaman

Active Member
Thats why I usually buy from online sellers such as NEVC or Beatrice Cycle unless you absolutely can not get the part from them. Its better buying aftermarket and new than buying someone elses trash if at all possible.
 

ckyle29

Member
I bought a set of handlebars for my 78 one time that the seller said was "mint". When they arrived they were straight, but the knobs were rusted solid and the switches were full of dirt and spiderwebs and all the connections were rusted and corroded beyond repair. I've learned that when someone says "its the best I've ever seen" it only means they haven't seen much. It truly is buyer beware.
 

P.C.

Active Member
i bought new bars from classic honda and love them,for my 71H.used handle bars and switchs are always going to lead to dissapointment on e bay.they are one of the worst to buy sight unseen.so to speak.''pictures''.for my new build i lucked out on a pair for a 78.clean and straight. they dont have perches,which is ok. im running the web llc wiring harness 12v headlight,bezel, horn and switch package.
 
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69ST

Well-Known Member
Over the past seven years ebay has changed dramatically, yet I've been burned for less than $200 after 600+ transactions. The supply of OEM Honda stuff has gotten thin, cheapie PRC lookalikes predominate the listings anymore and ebay doesn't give a rat's ass about anything but collecting money.

It is still possible to deal through ebay with satisfactory results. Make no mistake, it is seat-of-the-pants flying. Above all, it's up to you to know what you're after and what you're viewing in photos. There are some truly honorable sellers and some real A-holes:mad:. Feedback, length of time on ebay, items sold/bought can tell you a great deal about a seller. When in doubt, walk away. Forget about restitution, except as a last resort, it's a hassle and the odds are against you. Best bet is to weed out any seller/item that might be shaky.
  • More than 1 negative feedback in the past 6 months
  • Less than 6-12 months on ebay
  • Unclear or missing photos...if it's not 100% clear in pix, don't expect it to look better when it arrives. A picture really can be worth 1000 words, if you know what to look for.
  • Discrepancies/holes in the details...an honest & knowledgeable seller will note any problems and won't want to disappoint. If the seller can't tell you what's being sold, then how do you now what you might get for your money?
  • Tonnage merchants...a seller with 10,000+ feedbacks is unlikely to be in tune with what he's selling, making it more like buying blind at a garage sale.
  • Shill auctions...usually more applicable to complete bikes and feeds off of auction hysteria. If the price is more than you're willing to pay, don't bid.

There's some gray area, as DV mentioned. Sometimes honest sellers lack photgraphic and ad writing talents, still not your responsibility to compensate for what sellers lack. Repop parts are a crapshoot, some are sold on ebay by established vendors, the vast majority are listings of fly-by-nighters. Have realistic expectations, anticipate the worst, hope for the best; reality will probably fall between the two extremes. Too good to be true? It probably is. Otherwise, I'd have a dozen of those "Honda quality" $300 chinese engines on the shelf waiting for upcoming projects:rolleyes:
 
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