Here's an eBay classic: "The oblique camera angle trick"...
http://tinyurl.com/qoshd
(BELOW)
What the part in question should look like.
See the writing? See the numbers? See the needle? See the air bubble above the CLEAR glycerine? See the shiny RUST-FREE chrome bezel?
(BELOW)
The pic in the eBay ad described by the seller as "NEW IN PACKAGE."
OK, so the seller ain't no Ansel Adams. There could be a blue gauge face in there somewhere. Right?
How far wrong can I go for only $27.99 (for "eBay-new" vs. $60 for "new-new") + only $9.38 UPS Ground (clearly padding profits for an itsy-bitsy gauge, but, hey, no more than Summit would charge).
Well, for $37.37 total, I'll come out way ahead of what I'd spend at Summit. Naw, screw bad ol' Summit Incorporated. They're "part of the problem." I'm "part of the solution."
I'll put my money where my heart is: I'll demonstrate my "esprit de corps" with a fellow gearhead eBayer who's just tryin' to make an honest buck in the good ol' U.S. of A.!
OK...I'll bite!
(BELOW)
Here's what showed up on my doorstep...
DOH!
Where's the writing? The numbers? The needle? The air bubble?
The shiny chrome? What's that? A little rust to sweeten the deal? Gee, thanks!
Anyone know the half-life of Scotch tape before it yellows and causes rust? 10 years? 20 years? Perhaps some carbon-dating is in order...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
OK. Oh, well, **** happens. Must've been an honest mistake. My comrade-in-arms eBay buddy ain't no cynical, malicious, connivin', money grubbin', lyin', mis-representin' scumbag! Not my buddy, no way!
Maybe he's just blind. Yeah, that's gotta be it. It's not his fault! Why, I'll bet he has one of those blue cards hanging from his mirror. Gets to park in those "handicapped" spaces at WalMart without getting a ticket. Cool. I'll just email my visually challenged comrade-in-gearhead-arms-eBayer-buddy and ask for my money back. I'm a nice guy, I'll even offer to save him the return shipping on this doorstop...
"Hey David,
I received this item yesterday. It is unacceptable and is not what was described in your ad.
Your eBay ad said it was "NEW IN PACKAGE." Though it may still be sealed in original packaging, it's ancient and must have been laying around for decades. The liquid inside the gauge has turned dark, rendering the gauge worthless. The casing and bezel have rust spots. The pic in your ad was out of focus, poorly lit, and taken at an oblique angle which did not show the actual condition. I wouldn't have considered buying it at any price if your ad had been accurate.
The text in your ad said "COMPARE THIS PRICE WITH YOUR MAIL ORDER SUPPLIES PRICE OF $59.95."
My comparison is: for $59.95, I would have had a gauge that I could see the needle on.
Here's a better photo that I took that actually shows the face of the gauge:
http://billwilner.com/ebay/problems/nosgauge.jpg
What I'd like is for you to email me back acknowledging that you'll accept my return of this item for a refund of the $37.37 that I paid, plus my actual expenses to return it to you (the amount of which I would tell you after I have shipped it to you).
Or, since this gauge is not going to be of any use to anyone, you could save the cost of reimbursing me for returning it to you: I'll toss it in the trash and you can refund me the $37.37.
RSVP.
Bill"
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
<waiting...>
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
No response.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
OK, I'll file a claim with PayPal...
"Technically, the part is "NEW IN PACKAGE" as the ad said, but it is apparently so old that the fluid inside the gauge has turned dark, rendering the gauge useless to anyone:
eBay ad photo: http://i4.ebayimg.com/01/i/06/45/35/14_1.JPG
Photo I took of the item I received: http://billwilner.com/rjdmnet/nosgauge2.jpg
I feel that the seller misrepresented the condition of this gauge and it is not what I was lead to believe I was buying. I emailed the seller asking for a complete refund of my $37.37 + reimburse me for return shipping if he wants the item back. I got no response from the seller."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
How the seller eventually responded after receiving my claim from PayPal:
"...IN READING YOUR EMAIL, SEVERAL THINGS COME TO MIND ABOUT YOUR PERSONALITY.
IN RESPONSE TO YOUR TRITE AND DEMEANING STATEMENTS, FIRST, THE ONLY DESCRIPTION WAS A GAUGE MANUFACTURED BY NOS NEW IN THE ORIGINAL PACKAGING.
SECOND, YOUR METHOD OF DETERMINING AGE MUST BE TRULY REMARKABLE.
THIRD, YOUR PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE MUST BE STAGGERING.
FOURTH, YOUR PHOTO PROWESS IS TRULY IMPRESSIVE.
FIFTH, YOUR ANGULAR DETERMINATION OF PHOTOS IS IMMENSE.
SIX (sic), YOUR DECISION MAKING ABILITY LEAVES NOTHING TO BE DESIRED.
...CONTINUING, YOUR COMPARISON ABILITY IS ABOVE REPROACH.
<Etc, etc, etc, blah, blah, blah, more personal attacks...>
BY THE WAY IN CLOSING, YOUR IDEA OF TOSSING THE GAUGE IN THE TRASH IS PLAIN INSULTING.
DAVID WRIGHT"
(eBay seller="cruzindw2")
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Refund sent?
Eh, nope.
http://tinyurl.com/qoshd
(BELOW)
What the part in question should look like.
See the writing? See the numbers? See the needle? See the air bubble above the CLEAR glycerine? See the shiny RUST-FREE chrome bezel?
(BELOW)
The pic in the eBay ad described by the seller as "NEW IN PACKAGE."
OK, so the seller ain't no Ansel Adams. There could be a blue gauge face in there somewhere. Right?
How far wrong can I go for only $27.99 (for "eBay-new" vs. $60 for "new-new") + only $9.38 UPS Ground (clearly padding profits for an itsy-bitsy gauge, but, hey, no more than Summit would charge).
Well, for $37.37 total, I'll come out way ahead of what I'd spend at Summit. Naw, screw bad ol' Summit Incorporated. They're "part of the problem." I'm "part of the solution."
I'll put my money where my heart is: I'll demonstrate my "esprit de corps" with a fellow gearhead eBayer who's just tryin' to make an honest buck in the good ol' U.S. of A.!
OK...I'll bite!
(BELOW)
Here's what showed up on my doorstep...
DOH!
Where's the writing? The numbers? The needle? The air bubble?
The shiny chrome? What's that? A little rust to sweeten the deal? Gee, thanks!
Anyone know the half-life of Scotch tape before it yellows and causes rust? 10 years? 20 years? Perhaps some carbon-dating is in order...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
OK. Oh, well, **** happens. Must've been an honest mistake. My comrade-in-arms eBay buddy ain't no cynical, malicious, connivin', money grubbin', lyin', mis-representin' scumbag! Not my buddy, no way!
Maybe he's just blind. Yeah, that's gotta be it. It's not his fault! Why, I'll bet he has one of those blue cards hanging from his mirror. Gets to park in those "handicapped" spaces at WalMart without getting a ticket. Cool. I'll just email my visually challenged comrade-in-gearhead-arms-eBayer-buddy and ask for my money back. I'm a nice guy, I'll even offer to save him the return shipping on this doorstop...
"Hey David,
I received this item yesterday. It is unacceptable and is not what was described in your ad.
Your eBay ad said it was "NEW IN PACKAGE." Though it may still be sealed in original packaging, it's ancient and must have been laying around for decades. The liquid inside the gauge has turned dark, rendering the gauge worthless. The casing and bezel have rust spots. The pic in your ad was out of focus, poorly lit, and taken at an oblique angle which did not show the actual condition. I wouldn't have considered buying it at any price if your ad had been accurate.
The text in your ad said "COMPARE THIS PRICE WITH YOUR MAIL ORDER SUPPLIES PRICE OF $59.95."
My comparison is: for $59.95, I would have had a gauge that I could see the needle on.
Here's a better photo that I took that actually shows the face of the gauge:
http://billwilner.com/ebay/problems/nosgauge.jpg
What I'd like is for you to email me back acknowledging that you'll accept my return of this item for a refund of the $37.37 that I paid, plus my actual expenses to return it to you (the amount of which I would tell you after I have shipped it to you).
Or, since this gauge is not going to be of any use to anyone, you could save the cost of reimbursing me for returning it to you: I'll toss it in the trash and you can refund me the $37.37.
RSVP.
Bill"
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
<waiting...>
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
No response.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
OK, I'll file a claim with PayPal...
"Technically, the part is "NEW IN PACKAGE" as the ad said, but it is apparently so old that the fluid inside the gauge has turned dark, rendering the gauge useless to anyone:
eBay ad photo: http://i4.ebayimg.com/01/i/06/45/35/14_1.JPG
Photo I took of the item I received: http://billwilner.com/rjdmnet/nosgauge2.jpg
I feel that the seller misrepresented the condition of this gauge and it is not what I was lead to believe I was buying. I emailed the seller asking for a complete refund of my $37.37 + reimburse me for return shipping if he wants the item back. I got no response from the seller."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
How the seller eventually responded after receiving my claim from PayPal:
"...IN READING YOUR EMAIL, SEVERAL THINGS COME TO MIND ABOUT YOUR PERSONALITY.
IN RESPONSE TO YOUR TRITE AND DEMEANING STATEMENTS, FIRST, THE ONLY DESCRIPTION WAS A GAUGE MANUFACTURED BY NOS NEW IN THE ORIGINAL PACKAGING.
SECOND, YOUR METHOD OF DETERMINING AGE MUST BE TRULY REMARKABLE.
THIRD, YOUR PRODUCT KNOWLEDGE MUST BE STAGGERING.
FOURTH, YOUR PHOTO PROWESS IS TRULY IMPRESSIVE.
FIFTH, YOUR ANGULAR DETERMINATION OF PHOTOS IS IMMENSE.
SIX (sic), YOUR DECISION MAKING ABILITY LEAVES NOTHING TO BE DESIRED.
...CONTINUING, YOUR COMPARISON ABILITY IS ABOVE REPROACH.
<Etc, etc, etc, blah, blah, blah, more personal attacks...>
BY THE WAY IN CLOSING, YOUR IDEA OF TOSSING THE GAUGE IN THE TRASH IS PLAIN INSULTING.
DAVID WRIGHT"
(eBay seller="cruzindw2")
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Refund sent?
Eh, nope.