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In Reply to: eBay transaction... posted by AAG on March 26, 2006 at 14:31:57:
Unless otherwise noted what one offers up for bid on Ebay should work and not be defective. But Ebay is the new frontier for, shall we say, the "ugly underbelly of capitolism" where scam artist and other scumbags separate people from their money. All cowards welcome, they can steal your money and never have to look you in the face. When you are a unsatisfied customer and you cannot send the mechandise back, you've just encountered one of these people.Yes, there are ethical sellers on Ebay, and there are some great deals to be had. Maybe I've been lucky, but all the NOS tubes I've purchased have been good deals and well below prevailing prices elsewhere. My tube tester confirms the quality of my purchases. As another poster has already stated, getting these deals does entail much more risk than buying from a retailer. Also, here on the AA, that is supported by vendors in competition with Ebay, you will not find any sympathy.
Follow Ups:
Ha ha. I know. I have purchased tubes - and many other things on eBay and gotten some great deals...and I have been ripped off.Once I was surprised in that the person who sold me a tube that was bad actually replaced it free of charge. Fantastic.
But it has me thinking about the warranty issue and thought I would gather opinions on the subject...and this is my reason for posting.
Is it just something folks put up with? Caveat Emptor?
Another question then - who here has purchased a bad tube and NOT given a negative feedback or sought resolution from the seller? Just shrugged it off as an 'Ah well, better luck next time?' and a 'Not worth the hassle'.
And I have nothing against the sellers of tubes who are boutique sellers with their own sites, businesses, etc...neither would I expect their sympathy nor their condemnation for not purchasing from them. Actually, it probably helps their business because they do stand behind their product...so, should I expect their thanks that I am discussing getting bad tubes on eBay, right? But by your reasoning I shouldn't discuss vendors who do not support AA?? That hardly makes sense. If I bought an amp from eBay and not a vendor who advertises here...would I still have a right to discuss it??
I'm not really sure what you mean about my "reasoning" behind the AA vendors in competition with Ebay, or the conclusions YOU came to. I can assure you that my logic is quite solid. The vendors that support this forum provide tested, guaranteed tubes - NOS and new production. They spend time testing, matching, and evaluating these items to provide you with a suitable product for you audio needs. Yes, the prices can be described as "premium" in some cases. Conversely, this site is full of posts about unsatisfied Ebay customers getting scammed - all in an effort to "save a few bucks". Yes, it's been heard here before. The answer, buy from a reputable dealer anywhere but Ebay.If you really want unbiased opinions about purchasing tubes on Ebay, you might want to try a board not supported primarily by VENDORS. If you cannot grasp that logic, I cannot help you.....
Well, you stated that:"Also, here on the AA, that is supported by vendors in competition with Ebay, you will not find any sympathy."
By stating this you assumed I was looking for sympathy rather than exploring the expectations of eBay vendors...which is the notion that I was objecting to. If I was only griping and expecting sympathy then I would be told to take a hike over to the whiners forum...and deservedly so. But what I was trying to suss out is if there is a difference in expectation from a boutique seller and an eBay seller, why is this so? What are the legal and moral standards they are to be held to and why do they differ? This, to me, is perfectly worth of discussion and I find it fascinating.
I would imagine that there are plenty of members who do in fact shop on eBay for tubes and that I am not alone in doing so. And there are plenty of satisfied customers who made purchases from eBay vendors...myself included. However, those vendors are a diverse crowd...I see 'warnings' posted here about scams on fake or misidentified tubes for particular auctions...so it is not without peril...and not beyond the pale for discussion. But my questions were not 'is it safe' but rather, again, what are the expectations?
And you said:
"If you really want unbiased opinions about purchasing tubes on Ebay, you might want to try a board not supported primarily by VENDORS."
But to to state that this is not an appropriate forum for discussing this because it is supported by advertisers who are in competition with those sellers who do not advertise here...which I think is the core of your argument...well, I think that if that were the prevailing attitude then it biases and debases the whole forum and calls into question the validity of opinions expressed here. This is because it would limit discussion to only vendors who advertise and, since they support the forum by advertising, speaking any ill of them would not be tolerated. It would reduce the whole experience to nothing but a thinly-veiled product placement session with a hollow mercantile soul. But thankfully I do not think that this is the prevailing attitude...nor should it be.
And what if an eBay vendor started advertisting here? Would that change your opinion? Would then then be worthy of discussion? Piecemeal or en masse?
Is the forum on home brew cabling detracting from the revenues of the cable vendors? Certainly. But by your logic and reasoning it should not be allowed because it is in competition with those who 'support' the forum by advertising.
It is a slippery slope you are traveling with this belief.
I never once called into question the prices of boutique vendors nor stated that it was unreasonable to pay those prices for the services and product provided.
I do not question your logic, just the conclusions you came to and where they lead.
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