Friday, November 1, 2013

Stupid eBay sellers

we all know them
crappy phone pic
or too many studio photos
overpriced
incessant relisting of same item
or
a short hiatus
then relist as if it's a new one
sometimes
"on sale!"
or 
"free postage"
woohoo
here then are some of the worst I have come across
outed
for your reading pleasure


ok, so it's got internal cable routing
Ideale 92 saddle, Maxicar hubs, etc, etc
and it's in really clean condition
but $6000? I mean, come on
I could buy a new custom frame rando for that much
and besides
it's a frame for someone no taller than 5'1"

I know I'm right because in 6 months of relisting it hasn't sold


this guy is a classic
one of a number of serial offenders who should know better
because they seem to be ebay shop owners
nevertheless
crappy, non-drive side photo (one only)
non-matching tyres
and a warning the bike needs servicing
but at least he's offering free shipping... :/
but $13,000??? even for a fillet-brazed Routens, that's steep.
a mint condition Rene Herse as featured in this book
recently sold for only $9,000.
been listed for months
and 19 failed offers in its history
but 131 people are watching it
so I suppose probikesfrance is waiting for a moron with more money than sense
to click the buyitnow button
only problem is most of those dickheads buy carbon, not old classic bikes...

probikefrance delights in charging twice what anyone is ever likely to pay.
in fact he's always so exactly over the mark that by halving his prices you can
get a pretty clear idea of market value for any particular item.
new Gilles Berthoud saddle?
currently on sale here for $90
but at probikefrance you can have it for $216.00 with free postage
I could go on but I've got a bored headache already



one of my favourite ebay idiots
pb bikes (perhaps a distant relative?)
based in Portlandia
want a vintage plastic bidon
that will make all your smart waters 
taste like you're drinking
from a vintage kids' wading pool? 
it's New Old Stock though! 
so it's $150 + postage!

He does have some spectacular stuff, I'll give him that much
so much so you wonder where it all comes from.
I have a theory that he's actually a collector and doesn't want to sell anything at all
like those hoons with "for sale 0400 555 555" in the window of their hotted up Hyndai Excel
they just want you to ring them up so they can talk shit about cars, or score a root, or both.

With 98 pages of stuff, he's got plenty to keep you amused.

And now for the piece de—whaa? 
they're not there anymore?
looks like the "Budget Bicycle Center" has closed its eBay store altogether
pity
they had some of the best, over-priced re-listings on eBay
and the delicious irony of the name just meant their site was 
laugh-out-loud ridiculous from go to whoah.

Just goes to show you can fleece a punter in off the street
but people on the net have too much choice
and knowledge to be taken in that easily.

He's even got a thread all to himself on bikeforums. (pbbikes gets a mention too!)




No comments:

Post a Comment