Anybody Got A Two By Four?... (Knock Against Ebay)

[Guest]

...Good!, Please bonk me over the head with it. (Just might smarten me up a bit)
I received my set of bagpipes yesterday, which I had purchased on Ebay...
It only took about 5 seconds for me to realize that I'd been duped, so maybe I'm not all that stupid...
This "set" is nothing more than a cheap imitation, a wall hanging or child's toy at best.
I wanted to investigate things a bit further and see what I could dig up...
I wound up on a bagpipe forum, a forum just like our forum except it's all about bagpipes and such...
I was just one of many Ebay duped bagpipe wannabees that had found my way there.
Don't get me wrong... my set is playable, but just through the main Chanter. (The flute part) All of the Drones (The pipes) are all fake.
My cat loved it, she started stalking it while the kids and I were playing it, and yes... it sounded like a wounded bird crying out.
BTW- It's impossible to hold a constant note with this main Chanter because of the poor quality.
Lessons learned....
I had to laugh at myself when I saw the same thing going on at the bagpipe forum as I've seen going on here.... Members complaing about someone ripping off their personal pictures and selling cheap imitation junk on Ebay.
This whole experience has changed my outlook of what Ebay is all about.
I'm really surprised that Ebay even allows this sort of crap to happen.
I've heard the saying... Buyer Beware, I feel that's an understatement.
One thing this little lesson has done... It's sure quenched my desire to play a set of bagpipes that's for sure...
I doubt that I'll be doing any more business with Ebay also...

[Arne]

E-BAY certainly is a mixed bag. I did find a dog training collar on ebay for 1/2 the price of walmart, so it worked out.....

We tend to hear more from disappointed customers than satisfied people.

I think they usually have an email address to send ?? to the seller, perhaps that is the ticket to avoid disappointment... if you get false information that way, you can reflect it in the seller review rating, which you can do anyway on this item, I believe....

[Guest]

Arne,
I thought about jumping right on the net and giving this guy a bad review, but I didn't have time... I had to go get stuff setup for a barbeque I'm cooking at this evening, so I just slept on it.
I don't see any use of giving this guy a nasty review... I think I just need to... ONCE AGAIN, Chalk this up to experience.
Like I say.... Sometimes I just amaze myself...
I'm sure I'll be able to work this whole thing up into a good campfire story...
BTW- Although I paid 180.00 for this wonderful piece of crap, I read where others paid as much as 900.00 for the same thing, so I'll just let it go...

[Ma3tt]

Whats that? there's a "piece of crap" for sale on EBAY? how much, I'm gonna go over to the "piece of crap" forum and see if it is a good deal. nope the members of the forum say that one is an imitation "Piece of Crap" you can only get real "pieces of crap" at harbor freight!!!!!:lol:

[Arne]

I don't know if there is a comments section on the revew, but it wouldn't hurt to specify what you thought you were getting and what you really got. Might save someone else some hurt....

[Woody]

BAGPIPE FORUM , the internet is a vast and wonderous place

[Turtle49]

Man Dean that blows. If it were me I would go back to the auction and verify that the item you recieved matches exactly with what was offered. And if it doesn't turn it in to Ebay so they can investigate and hopefully get your money back.

If you paid with a credit card your credit card company may also be able to help you. Fraud is illegal and you do have ways of getting your money back. If the auction showed this item and you just didn't catch on there isn't much you can do.

Just for the record, out of my 40 auctions both buying and selling I've only had one issue with somebody. That was turned over to the credit card company and I got my money back. My advise is, always try to pay with a credit card so you get the extra protection.


Chin up dude.
Tim

[asianflava]

I thought about jumping right on the net and giving this guy a bad review, but I didn't have time... I had to go get stuff setup for a barbeque I'm cooking at this evening, so I just slept on it.
I don't see any use of giving this guy a nasty review... I think I just need to... ONCE AGAIN, Chalk this up to experience.

You should leave negative feedback. At least it will warn others who plan on bidding on a similar item. If he had negative feedback, it may have given you some warning.

[Arne]

I check my credit card statement pretty closely, and about 1 year ago found a charge for $19.95..... seemed like a reasonable amount, but had no receipt... there was no phone number...

For the heck of it, I did a google search and found it was a scam. I guess they were charging thousands of people figuring a lot would just pay, as the amount was not terrible significant and it did seem like it could be legit.

I called the credit card company and they said they would investigate... 2 months later they sent me a "contragulations, we took the charge off" letter.... always have to be alert.

I do not know how they got my number, but I've used the card a lot so am not too surprised....

[tupelosue]

I've done lots and lots...and lots... of buying on eBay, and have not once
had a bad experience or felt frauded or cheated. i almost always check the feedback that the seller has received, and if there are more than a couple of negatives, especially if the seller hasn't responded and explained, i will not bid on the item. i try to leave feedback every time and don't think i've ever had to leave negative. please be sure to leave feedback, even if it's days later.

so sorry about the pipes. i was looking forward to hearing you play

[Guest]

I've got one person to blame.... ME! (for being to trusting and not investigating it deep enough before comitting)
I thought that I had used up most of my dumb, earlier in life... Looks like I've still got a ways to go.
I've put it behind me and feel that I got of pretty good, compared to some of the stories I read about people paying $900.00 and up for the same thing.
BTW- Those pipes are on their way to Minden right now... Hmmm...

[kurtibm]

Man Dean that blows.

Tim

No one else caught this........

[Ron Dickey]

E-BAY certainly is a mixed bag.
We tend to hear more from disappointed customers than satisfied people.

I have been in retail for many years and the one thing I do know is
the one that got treated right or got a good deal tells 10 people they know.
The one who got a bad deal or misstreated tells 100 people they do and do not know.

Sorry you got a bad deal does the fluit sound better then playing your nose
Good thing it was not real you'd be practacing in your trailer while we are trying to sleep

[JunkMan]

I have been using ebay as a buyer and seller for over 8 years, and have a feedback rating of over 2500. While I can't say that I have never been cheated on ebay, the few times that it has happened, it was usually my own fault for not reading the auction description closely. Usually it was when I thought I was getting a great deal

I have bought everything from a $10,000 truck, a boat, a camper, and small items such as books and T shirts.

As a seller, the few times that I have had unsatisfied customers, (usually due to problems with the shipping company), I have issued a full refund ASAP. I have also had people that recieved their items, in good condition, file a chargeback with their credit card companies and get a refund, while keeping the item (I later learned that I was not the only one that they did this to).

Considering the vast number of auctions that are on ebay daily, there is no way that they can moniter every auction. They do watch certian types of auctions, and will take action if they recieve several complaints on a particular seller, unfortunatly, the bad seller usually just takes a new user ID, and starts over. This is why it is good to deal with people that have a high feedback rating, and also to look at their feedback for potential problems. Don't worry if they have one or two negatives, you always get someone that bitches about something that they shouldn't, but if they have several complaints for the same thing (crappy product, slow shipping, item not as advertised, etc.), then you might want to look for another seller.

[Guest]

One good thing this experience did, was cure me of any desire to be a bagpiper... I guess Norwegians should just stay away from them darn things...
It's probably a good thing none of my neighbors are bagpipers...
I've got this funny feeling that the next tme I hear someone playing them, I'm going to have a desire to do bad things...