HAVE PEOPLE GONE MENTAL

[bike-pusher]

To be honest, I don't have a problem with people asking silly money for something that's available for a fraction of the price elsewhere - if people don't do their homework and shop around, that's their lookout.

What annoys me are the sharks who sell stuff that simply isn't what it's claimed to be.  Instruments are the Number One category here.  I've lost count of the number of people who are offering "400 Four" clocks that are actually off a 250 or, quite recently, a CB175.

There's some bod selling a 1978 yellow 400 Four recently, mileage 22k or something, and the speedo is a 110mph one from a very early bike, so the mileage is really.... well, your guess is as good as mine....

This one: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Honda-CB-400-Four-1978-/271614226023

[Trigger]

I know this 400 well. The thing that baffles me with it is the crank case is a nice painted finish but, the barrel up don't match.

[tom400f]

How do you know it trig? The tank decals are wrong too. The blue is way too light. Should be almost black. Like something from IKEA

[AshimotoK0]

Quote "To be honest, I don't have a problem with people asking silly money for something that's available for a fraction of the price elsewhere - if people don't do their homework and shop around, that's their lookout."

Each to their own I suppose and I am just a hobbyist as far as bike restoration is concerned and not relying on it to earn a crust but I could never justify myself charging someone 7 times the price for anything  that they could buy it for new at any Honda dealer. Just the way I was brought up I suppose. I put some 400/4 parts on eBay years ago and a silly bidding war started. At the end of the auction I just emailed the buyer and told him to pay me a figure much less than the finishing price, basically what I thought they were worth tops. I was happy and so was he. Also I have become really good friends with a few people I have sold to on eBay, they are often fellow restorers and we now swap ideas/parts/grumbles etc.

Cheers ... Ash

[paul G]

Ash,

                     I am of the same opinion, I put something on eBay yesterday and just wanted a fair price for it so I started the auction at £15 but wanted to put a but it now price on at £20 but eBay won't let you.
Why does it need to be 40% more all I want to do is make sure the price is fair (trigger and his 99p bargains
Seems fair to me but not to eBay !!

[Trigger]

Paul, You are never going to let that 99p deal go. It has been a year now. Still waiting for my 99p brake lines from your CB650

[tom400f]

Why does it need to be 40% more all I want to do is make sure the price is fair (trigger and his 99p bargains
Seems fair to me but not to eBay !!

Ebay is very aggressive for its revenues. Its wording is very dubious to me (you surely do not have a binding contract when you win an internet auction) and if you want to close your account you have to wait 6 months "to ensure there are no revenues due to us"). If something goes wrong (eg your account gets hacked - because they lost their entire database as it turns out) they are not interested - "we are just a venue".

They make the widest inventory available to the widest audience, which is a good thing, and ultimate market forces are brought to bear. Ok. But in other ways they are quite shitty.

[bike-pusher]

Paul - so why didn't you set a reserve price instead?

Tom - there's a lot to criticise about eBay, but I find that as a business seller, if you play the game fairly, they're damn good.

[paul G]

Trigger you have not sent the 99p yet 
Still trying to get my hands on some of this cheap Tesco oil but non of my local stores stock it.
I have had some great deals with eBay but the policy on 40% higher is stupid all I want is a good fare price !!

[bike-pusher]

I'm quite happy to give stuff away - a lot of my regular customers find 'extras' popped into their parcels from time to time.

The value of something is what someone's prepared to pay for it.  When you're into intangibles, like what it's "worth" to get something "right", as you see it, all bets are off.

What pisses me off is people flogging shit i n a deceitful manner.  Like the twonk who tried to sell me that cb125 engine recently - only the right-hand side (badly) photographed, so you didn't see the total absence of left-hand engine casing, stator, alternator, points (not to mention the mullered crankshaft end) until you got there.  And it wasn't a CB125 engine anyway.

He even got snotty because I left neutral feedback.  He deserved a neg.

There are just too many people trying to con would-be restorers and starry-eyed fifty-somethings who want to recapture their salad days.

[Bitsa (Ralph Wright - RIP)]

Bike pusher
Totally agree with you, now you know why I mentioned a what pisses you off page.Sounds like I am not alone
Cheers
Bitsa

[AshimotoK0]

Did you ask for your £2.20 back for that 125cc  engine? 

Cheers ...Ash

[bike-pusher]

Ash - I took cash.  But didn't hand it over....

[tom400f]

Crackin' joke though 

[hairygit]

Probably worth more than £2.20 as scrap metal!