# What was your worst Ebay Slot purchase?



## mking (Apr 25, 2000)

*What was your worst ebay slot purchase?*

Mine was in 1999 or 2000. I won an auction for a "bulk" lot of 100 brushes for Tjets and AFX cars......

I dont know what these were, but they were not standard carbon brushes. They were gold plated "buttons" just about the same size as a stock brush. They did work...sort of. About as well as spit works for watering plants. 

Apparently this guy sold alot of these "brushes", I kept seeing them on Ebay, even up to last year or so. I always wanted to warn bidders to just run away....


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## videojimmy (Jan 12, 2006)

mine was for a Faller VW van... it was described as mint and the pics looked great... but the clown send me a different one, rusted chassis, cracked body... I notified ebay and they did nothing, as usual. I was out about 100 bucks. 

To get back at the guy, I created several different accounts, this was before you had to verify them, and placed bids on all his stuff, then never paid for it. You can't get away that anymore, probably with good reason. 

overall, my experiences with ebay have been good. I usually just buy from the same people, over half of transactions are from repeat sellers. I've been flat out ripped off about 5 times in over 1,200 transactions, mislead in about 100 of them. 

Too any sellers throw the word " MINT" around, they think anything that works is "mint". I've seen chipped cars, cars missing parts, etc.. all described as mint.

Now I just ask questions before I bid, unless the seller has a 99.8% rating or better and more than 200 transactions.. then I feel safe trusting their descriptions.

"rare" is another world thrown around on ebay some of the most common cars are called that. I avoid those sellers as well, anyone that blatantly dishonest doesn't deserve my business


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## grungerockjeepe (Jan 8, 2007)

I thought I scored a deal on a tyco '79 Mustang. The teal and white one, described as 'mint'...I guess that teal green could be seen as mint, but the sloppily hogged out front fenders werent.


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## Bill Hall (Jan 6, 2007)

Hey Mike! Sorry about your luck. I got a pair of those "spit brushes" in a parts lot. I think you transposed a "P" for an "H" when you typed spit! I remembered seeing the add for those gold brushes, so I installed them and just as quickly quickly tossed them in the junk box. Crapola! 

My worst ever, so far, was the "steaming pile of mint" olive XKE. It affectionately became my Cowpie XKE custom that combined two "spit piles" to make one decent car.

Like Jimmy, I ask questions. The slotcar basics. Posts? A pillars? Wheel wells? Any distinguishing scars or tatoos?

The response was, "Oh yeah buddy :thumbsup: Shes good to go. Mint!"

Some of y'all will remember that this car arrived with a busted rear post, a warped and freshly gooed front post, all four bumper tips were re-glued in a childlike manner, two bent axles, four flat spotted tires, and four wobblin' wheels that looked like they came off a clown car. The front post repair was so bad that all four wheels were rammed tight into the front of their wells and the chassis set cockeyed in the body.

So Mr. Mint offered to take it back after saying that he actually never really looked at the car!!!!???? 

Homey don't play that. Ya lied to me buddy or at the least omitted some truths. Fool me once and your done.

I ate the deal, combined two XKE's to make one. The turd car did yield a nice zippy arm and a good solid rivet chassis.

I wonder if Mr Mint ever knew why the pizza guy showed up at his house with a couple deluxe combos and a bill in his hand......I do. Hope he liked the extra anchovies! :devil


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## Dunk21 (Mar 23, 2007)

last year i baught 2 cars total 29 something seller ttc04 never showed up he scamed about 10 people


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## videojimmy (Jan 12, 2006)

Now, when I see a broken car described as mint, I sometimes email the seller, asking him if he even knows the meanig of the word. Childish, I know..but it really pisses me off to see sellers try and pull that stuff.


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## T-Jet Racer (Nov 16, 2006)

I bought a 4 lane track with 4 mint tuff one t-jets. I sent cars back and forth 7 times The guy just could not understand what the problem was. cars were t-jet chassis and not mint!


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## coach61 (Sep 6, 2004)

My Worsts isn't so much I got shafted but I bought TWO 6 wheel elfs in a row.. both arrived broken thanks to the minions of the Us postal service.. I got my money back both times.. Oh wait there was the one where I bought a 6 wheeler and had to apply for a paypal refund got that money back too.. Needless to say I have 7-8 Elfs none mint lol.. Anyone have one they want to sell me? That has NO DAMAGE ( yet anyways..lol)


Coach


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## zanza (Sep 23, 2005)

In 2004, I get ripped by sellitall.sellit (previously named slotrods in 2002/2003 if my memory is correct - bought some nice cars from him during this period)

I was not apparently the only one who get ripped off .... I sent 80 bucks for a bunch of cars and never received them. Nobody reimbursed me by the way, PayPal was not eePay property at his time

In 2001, a guy (tweetygee, located in Germany) sold me a rare AFX BMW M1 Valvoline #9...There was only one left front picture , it didn't showed the right rear side, which was almost chewed by some rat or cat or...?
Hopefully as it's a really rare car I resold it for half the price I've paid, but with pictures clearly stating it's bad state


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## noddaz (Aug 6, 1999)

Guess I am fairly lucky...
I was only shafted once. A guy in Texas nailed me for about $5...
For a Teck Deck Dude..
PayPay could not do anything because the sellers account had been closed.
On and on it goes..


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## SplitPoster (May 16, 2006)

My single negative feedback came when a lady in PA sold a tuff ones Dino described as no cuts or splits. Car came with well done but very enlarged wells, no pick up springs or guide pin. Wasn't the one pictured, but "she had two" and apparently just used the better picture..... Didn't initially answer email, thus the negative feedback given and in retaliation, but I got partial refund, came away satisfied. Gave the body away, kept the chassis to put under an intact car.

Only ripoff deal came from my early experience with boosa14, first Lola GT I ever had. "We are selling some of our nicest tjets with few if any flaws." Badly cut ligntened chassis that wouldn't run because magnets moved around, window posts repaired with something other than original plastic, and not that well. Picture was just grainy enough.... Description and terms favored seller. No specifics in description, small print got him out of any liability, he didn't answer email. Live and learn, and go on, and never buy from him ever again. 
that said, all in all my experiences have been excellent with ebay.


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## TX Street Racer (May 8, 2004)

Well, out of the many transactions that I've had I've only gotten snaked on 3-4 deals.......and two of those were people who didn't send the items I won.

Sadly, I don't remember the first item I got raped on....but the second one I do. The one I remember was this one clown who listed a Model Motoring Penske Camaro......a car that I dearly want.....but didn't own yet (and ironically, still don't). I won the auction for something like $16 .......then the loser never shipped. :drunk: 

I love Ebay though...and am truely addicted...... I constantly have one window open on my browser for Ebay...as well as my Hotmail,Hobbytalk, and usually one other site that I'm browsing also.


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## RacerDave (Mar 28, 2006)

For me it was an old Tyco Chaparral. Not so easy to find one in good shape with an intact original wing. The seller mails this to me in a plastic sandwich baggie inside a large unpadded envelope. Not even wrapped in paper or tissue or anything. Of course the wing was crumbled into pieces. The guy charged me five bucks shipping and spent fifty three cents. A beautiful old slot spoiled by seller neglect. The little thing runs like a champ on its old curve-hugger chassis. Sad Dave.


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## micyou03 (Apr 8, 2003)

I can't remember who it was, but I won one of those Tyco open cockpit kits for $20. I dent the payment out and never got the kit. This particular seller had 100% feedback and suddenly he was getting all negatives. I started emailing other buyers and was finally told that the guy died.

Zanza, Many of my slot cars came from slotrods he was a great seller. He once sent me an Aurora vibrator Police car by mistake. I told him and sent it back to him. He said his 13 yo nephew was helping him and must have messed up. He was happy that he could send it to the right buyer.


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## videojimmy (Jan 12, 2006)

I won an AFX Custom Van, MIB banded.... when it came, it was loose inside the AFX shell, no tissue or wrapping, and the box was stuffed into a padded envelope. The thing was beat to crap and VERY far from new. Obviously it was a bait and switch deal and the seller actually was lame enough to pull the old "it must of happened in the mail" crap. To which I replied, "then why are the shoes worn and there's no broken band in the box?"

He had a decent feeback rating and he told me to send it back. I did, never got the refund... scammed twice. It seems he ripped off about 15 people inside week and then closed his account. I was out 36 bucks with shipping, which I paid 6 bucks for... only to have it stuffed inside an envelope.

I have this fantasy about looking him up the next time I'm in that part of the country, but there's no point being arrested, or worse... over a toy car. 

Ah yes, but it's fun to dream.


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## LeeRoy98 (Jul 8, 2005)

I have been very fortunate with my transactions. I watch feedback carefully and read the fine print (OK, not entirely true. Got 2 different cars where I didn't read the fine print... my fault entirely). I have had some very poorly shipped items arrive without a scratch. I recently won a car from Australia. Despite excellent packaging, the package arrived looking like it had been run over by the delivery truck. One small portion of the box wasn't crushed. And as amazing as it seems, the car had shifted down into that portion with all the bubble wrap exploded. But the car didn't have a scratch!!

BTW, I have an ultra rare and minty (another one of my favorite expressions... NOT!) UOP Shadow for sale. The very rare no wing version!! And don't forget to look at my ultra rare and... minty... L&M Lola with no stickers!!! Won't find many like this... LOL

Gary
AKA LeeRoy98
www.marioncountyraceway.com


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## zanza (Sep 23, 2005)

LeeRoy98 said:


> BTW, I have an ultra rare and minty (another one of my favorite expressions... NOT!) UOP Shadow for sale. The very rare no wing version!!
> 
> Gary
> AKA LeeRoy98
> www.marioncountyraceway.com



God, I have it too !! That's AMAZING (one other favorite expressions) :hat:


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## zanza (Sep 23, 2005)

micyou03 said:


> Zanza, Many of my slot cars came from slotrods he was a great seller. He once sent me an Aurora vibrator Police car by mistake. I told him and sent it back to him. He said his 13 yo nephew was helping him and must have messed up. He was happy that he could send it to the right buyer.


Like you said, he WAS.... I also bought some really cool and good slot cars that are proudly kept in my collection.
But between Christmas 2003 and January 2004, he apparently changed his seller name solding everything, get the money and never send anything to anybody.... I should have kept the emails exchange I received after from eBay, which apparently estimate that the police get the guy and put him in jail.


But eBay is still the best source I have for buying slotcars, and if you're wise and read well you don't really get screwed every thre auctions. The first ripoffs are part of the "learn your lesson"


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## win43 (Aug 28, 2006)

About a year ago I won 2 auctions for some Aurora lock and joiner track. Both from the same seller. My memory fails me a bit on these but, the first one was for about 30 9" straight tracks that I won for about 10 bucks. The second was for about 30 9" curves for about 3 bucks. I was just getting back into slots and the extra track seemed like a bargain. Neither one ever showed up, the seller dissaapered from Ebay, and Paypal refunded me 3 bucks for the second auction and nothing on the first.


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## Turbo880Kawasak (Feb 9, 2005)

had 1 bad slot car purchace bought 2 cases of JL slots 
was only sent 1 tryed to fight it with pay pal 
but since he had a shipping invoice ( which didnt weigh enough for 2 cases)
i never got my money back or other case of cars

what i have found out since 
pay with pay pal but pay by credit card
your credit card will refund your money right away
it saved me on a 1000.00 + purchase (not slot) motorcycle wheels

Paul


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## Marty (Oct 20, 1999)

I have been scammed a few times. The worst was 1/32 Eldon Dodge Daytonas and Plymouth Superbirds. I paid immediately and waited a week before contacting the seller. I got a story about how he is handicapped and his special van was involved in an accident. I would have to wait a week before he could get out again. More excuses and then it was too late to get ebay and/or Paypal involved. Then I started getting responses from a person claining to be his sister. Then I was told he passed away. Marty


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

I been pretty lucky too, a few non payer idiots and one feedback I got from a person who signed up bid on one item (mine), won, never paid, left me a negative, then closed their account...........my question, shouldn't fleabay take the negative away when they can see it was a total bullsh*t feedback?


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

I've been lucky, but that's mainly because most of what I buy off the bay is beaters. 7 bucks for a '67 T-bird with missing W/S posts and windshield, 8 bucks for an old Lincoln missing bumpers, lots of stuff like that... I could never get myself to buy a valuable collectible without seeing it in person, actually holding it. I feel the same way about selling... the one big slot sale I ever made (sold an orange mako for $700) I did at a show. I cringed at the thought of selling it on the Bay and it getting damaged in the mail or some bozo with a junk one opening the box and switching it for his beater and then demanding his money back, claiming that I sent him junk...

I did have good luck selling my old Buick wagon on the Bay. '92 Roadmaster Estate Wagon. 180k miles, transmission went. I posted a laundry list of stuff wrong with it and listed it for $100... worst case scenario, I'd get one bid and just cover auction fees. My wife thought I'd be better off getting 50 bucks from the local junkyard. The winning bid was almost 600 bucks, the guy had zero feedback... i had a bad feeling, but he sent me a MO for half right away and showed up with the other half in cash the following weekend, along with a big honkin Ford pickup and a trailer. Funny ending to the story... just now I checked the completed auction because I forgot exactly what it sold for... the guy now has 3 feedbacks. His most recent transaction was selling the car he bought from me, but with a working tranny that needed to be installed...

--rick


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## noddaz (Aug 6, 1999)

*hUH? yOU WANT WHAT?*



sethndaddy said:


> *SNIP* one feedback I got from a person who signed up bid on one item (mine), won, never paid, left me a negative, then closed their account...........my question, shouldn't fleabay take the negative away when they can see it was a total bullsh*t feedback?


You want Ebay to do something for the money they earn? :lol:


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