eBay GSP screwed me out of my IBM 5150

[2icebitn]

This is an idea I like, but what happens when something goes wrong? Say someone in the UK were to buy an Altair from someone in the US. You handled the US side and I handled the UK side. Well what happens if I drop it, or it's damaged between you leaving it in a shipping container and me pulling it out? If something like this were setup, IMHO it would be better to do it as a for profit business, with insurance etc. It's could also have issues with creating rifts between people. I dunno, I'm open to ideas about something like that, may be just need to iron out the bumps.

You're always taking a chance. Seems like it's better, in some instances anyway, if "real" flesh and bone are handling the transfers. You do have to be realistic though. There has to be an approved way of packing something for instance. In the least conceivable space and weight (no newspaper for instance, it's heavy). If people aren't willing to do a little dumpster diving LOL for soft foam, to save costs, then they shouldn't be involved. Each item/s can be prepacked by the person shipping in the event of a fellow collector. If it's something you say buy on ebay, it likely would have to be repacked by the receiver, or packed together with other items if going into a bulk crate. I'm not pretending to know anything about bulk shipments. I've shipped a few things to other countries, always small items. One brass locomotive I sent to japan, it wasn't even in a box, but rather just wrapped in many layers of foam. It looked like an (American) football LOL LOL LOL LOL. Got positive feedback. There was only 1 questionable shipment, an early one, yes I did use peanuts, but the receiver's credibility was very much in question. O/w never had a reported problem. I've shipped computers, monitors, heavy cast iron machine components. I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty. You just have to be willing to put in the extra effort to make ABSOLUTELY SURE the item gets their in the condition it was sent. There aren't a lot of people willing to put in the effort. Shipping 15 - 20 items seems like an arduous thing in the beginning, and it's been years, but after a while it wasn't bad at all. You gather what you need, then go to work. And virtually all my packing materials were cast offs.

If anyone needs help putting a shipment together, contact me I can likely walk you through it. It's easier when it's in front of you, and you know what you can (or sometimes can't) acquire to pack it. I've done lots of it. Awkward shaped items, all sorts of crap.

If people's credibility is in question, well generally we all have our methods for determining that, we' re all adults. If a grew of people were to get together and decide they wanted to make this happen, full disclosure would be necessary, names, addresses, driver's license copies, etc. etc.

 

[2icebitn]

if you think you've uncovered a big scam, contact the offices of the Attorney General in the states involved. You have to know how to make a stink. I inadvertently donated the straw that broke the camel's back and had the Helmetta Animal Shelter shut down (and it's still shut down, building is up for sale I believe). I've been missing a cat for years. A lady friend forced me to sign up for Facebook. I would scope around here and there. In searching for my cat, actually I was first alerted to this scandal by a Craigslist post about the Hell-metta shelter. Joined up with the Facebook group. I saw photos and video of people fighting with the cops, mayor, picketing, etc. It went on and on for months, maybe over a year. I simply posted "why don't you all get the media involved!!". 2 days later it was on channel 12 news Caine on Your Side. Within days various townships were pulling out of this regional cooperation, as it would have been bad press to have strays or whatever sent there, as there were disease outbreaks, animals neglected and dying. A mother cat and her kittens were found dead in a cage, don't know the specifics. Not long after that the ASPCA went in there and raided the place (and yes they have guns). I don't think anyone's doing time, but the mayor, the cops, everyone was protecting this cash cow I guess. The borough of Helmetta is so small if you sneezed as you drove though it, you'd miss it. Typical Jersey corruption.

 

[SomeGuy]

I'd also suggest at least trying the media. I don't know what the media is like in the UK, but TV news around here loves to run stories about scams, questionable business practices, or consumer advice. At the very least it might raise public awareness.

The other day there was a story about some lending company that specialized in offering loans for the purchase of a pet (apparently some people spend thousands for special dog breeds or certain kinds of animals) but this loan company was actually signing them up for a "lease" (yea WTF?) with the end result that they wound up having to pay around twice the actual cost. All perfectly legal by the letter of the law apparently, it just relies on people not reading the complicated fine print.

Anyway, what I find extra despicable in this case is that this shipping outfit just gave a runaround when asking what happened to the package. If there were a real shipping problem, I would have expected that a simple call would yield the exact answer with enough information to document the problem and throw mud in the face of whoever really screwed up. Of course, the lack of that strongly suggests there was no shipping problem.

 

[Trixter]

"Without your consent" isn't quite right. I'm not sure what the best way to word it is though.

That's fair; I took out "consent" and rewrote the sentence.

 

[tezza]

FYI, this enraged me so much I decided to write up a summary of this thread and spread it around a little: https://trixter.oldskool.org/2018/0...-do-not-use-the-ebay-global-shipping-program/

It was a good idea to write this up.

GSP...Completely unethical!

Tez

 

[mR_Slug]

FYI, this enraged me so much I decided to write up a summary of this thread and spread it around a little: https://trixter.oldskool.org/2018/0...-do-not-use-the-ebay-global-shipping-program/

mR_Slug, I really feel for you. I'd be absolutely livid if this happened to me. At no point were these terms communicated clearly when being introduced to the GSP.

Thanks, that's a great idea. Hopefully it will help someone else in the future.

These user agreements are getting ridiculous. Are there not limits to what you can write in a user agreement? I guess eBay would say if you use the service you consent to the agreement. I certainly didn't think I had consented to that. I think the solution to this, is to get a law passed that they have to be understandable to a 6-year old. They can't then bury all this is pages of legalese.

@2icebitn
I see what you mean. Yes if people don't pack things well there are going to be problems. I'm just throwing out some ideas here. You could perhaps go as far as having the service uninsured, and work on the basis that the packaging is the insurance. With domestic postage here in the UK, that is basically what I do. Trying to make a claim for something in the Royal Mail is not worth my time, the form is horrendous.

But here is a scenario. Suppose you packed something to your good standards. It's put in a container but a heavy box is put on the top. looks fine when it goes in. When It comes out your box is squished. Who is to blame? The easy answer is whoever put the box on the top of yours. But it could be that your box is 90% as strong as you thought, the box on top was 110% it's stated weight, etc etc. As I say it could work out well, but I just envision long threads about the structural integrity of double-wall cardboard Perhaps I just don't know that much about shipping.

Interesting about the animal shelter. BTW did you find your cat? As for uncovering a big scam, I don't know. I think If I were to contact the Attorney General, they would want more evidence than one case.

I'd also suggest at least trying the media. I don't know what the media is like in the UK, but TV news around here loves to run stories about scams, questionable business practices, or consumer advice. At the very least it might raise public awareness.

UK media is basically in search of the next moral panic. I've just given up watching it. I could write paragraphs about it, but it may violate the rule of 'be civil'. I very much doubt they would be interested.

... loans ... pet ... "lease" ...

So what if you don't pay? they repossess your pet? You've have to be psychotic to come up with a scheme like that.

Anyway, what I find extra despicable in this case is that this shipping outfit just gave a runaround...

I have asked them countless times what the 'customs issue' is, they can never give a straight answer.

---
I noticed that the seller 8ten1944 has an atari 400 or 800 (can't see on this computer), under vintage computers. I wonder if the same thing happened there. May be google's reverse image search can be used to investigate this a bit further. I think if I could find countless cases of this going on, media or the Attorney General may be more interested. I'll have a look tomorrow.

 

[NeXT]

Do you guys down in the states have some equivalent to Global's Consumer Matters or CTV's W5 or do your major networks keep away from that to keep the sponsors happy?
People reported terrible business practices to them a few times and the companies either got federally investigated or the issue was swiftly resolved because the PR was so hot they had to shut it down/undergo major restructuring now that they were on top of the news headlines.

 

[inotarobot]

Its interesting to see all the photo in both eBay sales are the SAME Sure begs some interesting questions,

Original listing pic from WhiteFeathers2005 at Item location: Elkhart, Indiana, United States eBay item number:273283847165


Relisting pic from 8ten1944 at Item location: Cass City, Michigan, United States eBay item number:163169047795


Original listing from WhiteFeathers2005 at Item location: Elkhart, Indiana, United States eBay item number:273283847165


Listing pic from 8ten1944 at Item location: Cass City, Michigan, United States eBay item number:163169047795

 

[inotarobot]

FYI, this enraged me so much I decided to write up a summary of this thread and spread it around a little: https://trixter.oldskool.org/2018/0...-do-not-use-the-ebay-global-shipping-program/

mR_Slug, I really feel for you. I'd be absolutely livid if this happened to me. At no point were these terms communicated clearly when being introduced to the GSP.

I am equally appaled by this. And will raise this story with a major TV Current Affairs Journalist I know. With luck they will do a story that will be aired across Australian TV.

 

[KC9UDX]

I'll have to keep an eye on ABC (I have it in Kodi).

 

[mR_Slug]

I am equally appaled by this. And will raise this story with a major TV Current Affairs Journalist I know. With luck they will do a story that will be aired across Australian TV.

Thanks, if something airs please let me know. It seems mad that you have to raise awareness that a shipping company, might just decide to flog the item. How would that work with anything else? Take your car in to be serviced, come back, and they tell you "we sold it". I will have to look thru the sellers items and see if I can do a bit of an investigation myself. Kinda been fed up with the whole GSP and 5150 fiasco. My brain hurts thinking about it.

On the plus side I think I've found an \/ \/ \/ OMTI ESDI controller \/ \/ \/ on eBay. I'm having it shipped via myUS, for obvious reasons. I'll change my signature once it actually arrives. I just don't know now what might happen between now and when it gets here. Wonder what would happen if you tried to import an ISIS system?

One thing that was odd, eBay wouldn't let me buy it, "b-becus your address is UK", so I had to set my primary address to the myUS one. Must switch that back, nearly sent some BIOS chips from china to it! Anyway, if the seller has something similar setup, it's very likely I wouldn't have been able to easily buy the 5150 from the second seller.