Power Tapping

**Crusty** · Aug 26, 2020, 01:08 PM

By low ball I meant at the bottom end of a fair price. When you're on a fixed income dollar bills matter and I almost never pay asking price because it's usually inflated for negotiating room. Sketchy, non-informative descriptions in the ad make me devalue an item too because I have to gamble that the item will work for me.

**marksbug** · Aug 26, 2020, 04:43 PM

it seems a lot of people put extreamly vauge discriptions on stuff as well as some creatave photos' like putting a tape messure next to something at a angle and not even with an y part of the item to make you think it's bigger than it is. I really dont understand why they try to do that kind of crap.almost like bordering on scamming. I recently got some risor blocks that were done that way.when they arived they were close to 6" shorter than figured by the angles they took pic at&the angle of the tape messure.. it's was still a good deal but sure wooda been nice if they were "honest" with their pics. along with the cosmoline on the bottom that was rust...not bad but....oh well it is what it is.like the 5c er32 that came in today...cant use it as it isant like the one in the pic witch is like a std 5c collet with the interand extrenal threads. this one is almost solid. totaly useless. and the discription states..as pictured.. so..they owe me $$ or the correct one. and the fight starts now. most places will do the right thing but some dont.you never know.

**Crusty** · Aug 26, 2020, 05:42 PM

I think sellers who deliver an item not matching the advertised description should pay a penalty to the buyer for wasting the buyer's time. Even if I'm fully refunded I'm still at a deficit for the wasted time and effort.

I've stopped buying things which don't clearly detail what's for sale. I've been searching for tips for an old oxy torch and of the sellers with some of these perhaps 1 in 25 shows a picture of the end of the torch tip (the most important aspect) so that I can see how many holes of what size are in it. Those don't make the cut for me. I think there's a lot of mook sellers on Ebay who are just selling stuff about which they have no knowledge, but a common dodge is to claim no special knowledge in the ad to put the onus on the buyer to determine from a few bad pictures if it's acceptable. Caveat emptor is still a good approach.

**Toolmaker51** · Aug 26, 2020, 05:53 PM

Identical to my fleabay modus operandi. Fun to undermine so many clueless bidders with fat pockets. Took some incredible auctions that way.
Such as that green ornament gracing the skyline shown in avatar.

PS to Crusty and crew; the sellers without decent knowledge loose a lot of money when us smart cats pounce on items. Once I decide/ calculate value to me, that's the limit. I'd bet that's not been jumped in my 700 something transactions. There are good clues telling wise bidder when it's time, or not.

**Crusty** · Aug 26, 2020, 06:20 PM

Know what you mean - I got a set of resharpened Latrobe number drills in a General upright index for $22 plus shipping and it's improved my throughput quite a bit because it lives at the drill press. Seriously - $22 for a Latrobe number set - that's a sweet deal and the index was a bonus. No one else even bid on them.

**Toolmaker51** · Aug 26, 2020, 06:31 PM

Originally Posted by Crusty

Know what you mean - [snipped] No one else even bid on them.

Sure, there are between 2 and 5 generations who have NO idea what the stuff is for.
I use OfferUp also. Seems regional, but certain tools wind up on there. A tiny percentage compared to nonsense like designer sneakers, RC cars, drones, action hero movie paraphernalia, custom print coffee house thermal cups...