Classic and Vintage Bicycles: What's it Worth? Appraisals and Inquiries - Dishonest seller squeezing me

I need some advice. the seller offered me this bike in late Aug for $500. when we could finally meet for me to pick it up he called and said someone else was buying it for more. now it is on ebay. I contacted him and said I could have it for $800 ( his highest offer, not bid, has been $700) while I can afford this I do not really want to pay it and I also must take another bike for 150. what would you do?

the story is perhaps explained a bit better if you care to lok in the C&V forum for a Equinox thread

here are the bikes in question

Iwhat would you do?

I'd call his bluff and walk away.

Jim's Rule #45987597295: Never get into a biding war over a CL bike.

I'd say that my original, agreed to, offer, of $500 was good for 48 hours, and, then, walk away.

I think its simple, snipe the ebay auction, really snipe with a snipe service, set for 5 seconds to go. If you win, go get it. If you lose, such is life.

Was that rust at the bottom bracket lug I saw in the close-up image of the chainring?

The sellers ebay name tells you all you need to know about him: traderjimk
Sounds like a straight up wheeler dealer to me.

That really sucks, unless it was your grail bike, I'd walk away.

I'd walk. I don't get into bidding wars, because I don't believe the other offers exist in most cases. People can say anything. I just bought a Campy Super Record seatpost this morning after the seller had "several" offers higher than mine last week. He called back and said the other offers evaporated. Maybe or maybe not. I purchased for $30 less than the posted price. Draw your own conclusions, but I hate dishonesty. The person you are working with does not seem to be honorable.

I'd walk.

The guy enjoys playing people by preying on their desires -- first its 500, then someone else is buying for more, then its ebayed and the price for you is higher than his alledged highest offer + another 150.

There will be other Bianchi's that cross your path.

stan

I need some advice. the seller offered me this bike in late Aug for $500. when we could finally meet for me to pick it up he called and said someone else was buying it for more. now it is on ebay. I contacted him and said I could have it for $800 ( his highest offer, not bid, has been $700) while I can afford this I do not really want to pay it and I also must take another bike for 150. what would you do?

the story is perhaps explained a bit better if you care to lok in the C&V forum for a Equinox thread

here are the bikes in question

That's quite a long time between when you offered to buy and when you were going to actually pick it up. If there was no time gap between an accepted offer and a bike's acquisition you would have had it for $500.

In my opinion, they're both exceptionally nice pristine bikes and even $950 doesn't sound so bad... but then I'm a sucker for old classic lugged steel... ;)


Greg

Well, he's linked to that thread in his ebay listing, so as long as he doesn't catch on, you get a chance to reach his audience there. Nice move showing the 'Made in Japan' decal on the headtube, as he's obviously intending to deceive by displaying a pic of the 'Made in Italy' bartape. :thumb:

You're bidding against yourself. Withdraw the offer. Get him to acknowledge the withdrawal. Tell him your best price on the pair and give him 48 hours to accept.

He shouldn't mess with you like that. He's the kind that needs tire iron therapy.

I'd walk.

Bad karma. No need to deal with these kind of people.

This is the sort of person I think of as "one of those eBay guys." The whole mindset is there on display: "uncommon = rare and valuable" "rare = big $ for me" "Don't hate the playa hate the game" and yes it's all a game.

I avoid them.

Even if this is a grail bike there are more like it. And, even if the next one costs every bit as much (hell, I don't know if it isn't worth every penny) it won't come with the head games and jack around. You'll like that one more.

Like a shark getting a whiff of blood.

Don'y play into his game. Hold your ground and don't pay a penny more unless you feel it's justified.

When I bought my Medici I had my offer on the table for at least a month I think. I kept contact with the seller (great guy and didn't pull any funny business), but didn't go and start throwing more money on top of my original offer. The seller decided to make a deal.

Once the sharks know they can get more they'll take every drop.

I'd tell him to shove that bike, and the other one that he insists you buy, where the sun doesn't shine.

I'd walk.

Bad karma. No need to deal with these kind of people.

+1, When bike deals start going bad, I walk. If I make an offer and it's fair, and the owner starts upping the stakes, I get real nervous as to how honest they are. I don't like being a fish that someone is realing in.
Bianchigirl, Not long ago I HAD to have a Tange 1, Nishiki International. I mean I had to have one. Well, I found one and overpaid for it ($180 with flatbars, not original). Within weeks an all original Medalist, one of the rarest of Nishikis, in my size, fell into my hands for $110. So the International sits, waiting it's turn in the Q while I work on the Medalist and a Centurion I'm building. I'll bet if you pass, another Bianchi will come along that will make you forget about the bike you're looking at.

good morning everyone. thanks for commiserating with me. I am still very upset over this whole thing but, I am going to tell him to take his bike and ...... sell it to someone else. I am almost certain that for some odd reason it does not fetch enough on ebay for some reason he will not sell it. the two things that bother the most are, he intially contacted and offered me the bike, and he is a real weasal about not being more honest. back in sept when we were trying to meet I might have gone as high as 700. but not this 800 plus 150 for another bike.

instead I am going to use part of that ransome to have this monster repainted to match the one in the catlogue.

I agree with everyone else-walk away. When you agree on a price, then have the other party jack it up-see ya !. However, it all rests upon how much you really want this bike. When I was in my late teens, I owned a 22" bright orange Raleigh International, all Campy. It has been gone for a while, and every now and then I find one on ebait and bid on it. I have a financial ceiling which I will not go above. When I see the ending prices for the bidding, I just shrug. I was looking at purchasing a pair of Dia-Compe brown rubber brake lever covers a short time ago. Figured $15 was more than fair. When the bidding reached $40 a pair, I laughed. I don't need them that badly and am not going to be taken to the cleaners and over pay to the max.
Anyhoo, walk away and have patience. You never know when something comes onto the market and falls right into your lap. This seller sounds real sleazy. Plus who knows what else he is hiding in the actual conditon of the bike.

instead I am going to use part of that ransome to have this monster repainted to match the one in the catlogue.

NO! NO! NO!

White seat. Black or white bar tape and that would be one hot looking bike.

AHHH....A MAN WITH NO HONOR! What a shame...BLOW HIM OFF!!

I am relatively new to biking and buying. I have learned one thing...don't be somebody else's patsy. Don't give him the satisfaction.

I have let some bikes go for several reasons...dishonesty one of them...bikes I really wanted. To my surprise I did not die (hyperventilate and massive depression for days maybe) and within several days I found another bike I wanted just as much if not more. There are a lot of bikes out there and you will find another.

A shame he has to be that way. I don't agree that the typical ebay seller is like that...and I don't have a problem with anybody making as much as they can on a sale. But on the other hand...if he told you you could have them for a price...well then its done.

well this is rather odd. I set a snipe bid for this Equinox of $700, and of course I got out bid by $10. two days later I get an email from the seller explaining that, the winner does not have the money to pick up the bike, and will give him $50 to cancel her bid. if I would like both both bikes I may have them for $775.
I thanked him but said I would only go as high as $770 and oddly enough my brother just dropped them off to me! what a strange twist don't you think? the mysterious guy from NJ that was going to pay $900 vanished I guess. now I have to get them cleaned up and get the Forte' ready to sell.

Sorry no pic. I got a new camera but for some reason I can't upload pics.

wait, what? I missed something in that story. So you got the Bianchi in the first post?
Why the heck would someone HAVE to buy two bikes in order to buy one?

Seems the guy was shill bidding his own auction, and shill bidding you in person too. Sleeze.
Did you end up with your "holy grail"?

well this is rather odd. I set a snipe bid for this Equinox of $700, and of course I got out bid by $10. two days later I get an email from the seller explaining that, the winner does not have the money to pick up the bike, and will give him $50 to cancel her bid. if I would like both both bikes I may have them for $775.
I thanked him but said I would only go as high as $770 and oddly enough my brother just dropped them off to me! what a strange twist don't you think? the mysterious guy from NJ that was going to pay $900 vanished I guess. now I have to get them cleaned up and get the Forte' ready to sell.

Sorry no pic. I got a new camera but for some reason I can't upload pics.

BG,

Its good to hear you scored it. You played your cards well on this one.

Jim

BG,

Its good to hear you scored it. You played your cards well on this one.

Jim

I think we need an epilogue here. Who was Mr. $900 Offer? If a ebay bid, the seller would never know the max the high bidder was willing to go, just the amount that the next highest bidder would go, less the next incremental bid, with rare exception, I have one an auction for cents over on a four figure end price, at some point ebay just has to take the highest bid, the bounce back time is too long.
Congrats on the bike.
Why do I think there was a shill bidder in there somewhere?

I don't watch soap operas, but this might make one I'd watch if someone could get the screen rights.

yes Nomad I got that beautiful Equinox. I gave him that stupid idea *blushing*. when I was browbeating him for backiing off our first deal (which he claims we never had) I told him I was going to buy both just to make his life easier.

the 'shill bidding' was happening off line. what happened to the guy with 900 that was coming last sunday I have no idea. also I do not know exactly what happened to the bidder between me and the 'winner' but I guess he thought since he realized he was not going to get thousands for this one it was not worth his effort to sell the forte on ebay.

but all in all I am pleased with the outcome. I would have willing paid close to 7 for the Equinox alone when it was first offered. it is a very nice bike the Prestige frame and Deore XT with 600 brake levers and barends.

also after the way I BLASTED him in an email sunday *blushing* I figured if he was still willing to offer them to me I may as well be a lady and purchase them

now to get this pic thing figured out

Thanks for the recap.

Money is money, the guy figured out you were the easiest solution in the end.

Was that stem stock?!

now to get this pic thing figured out

Post your pics on a free Photobucket account and then post a link to them.

yes it is stock right down to the period correct pulley. also the handle bars are a unique design, heattreated Nitto 'dirtdrop' they are a bit wider/flared on the drops for better handling.

photo bucket? (or is it pronounced boo kay?) I already have myspace and flicker! I just want to take the pics from my scandisk card and post them. but I think the setting is too high. the files are 2.5 mb or something like that.

Myspace, won't be going there to look, that site is restricted on the home computer, Want the kids to use the computer for school, not drool.

photo bucket? (or is it pronounced boo kay?) I already have myspace and flicker! I just want to take the pics from my scandisk card and post them. but I think the setting is too high. the files are 2.5 mb or something like that.

flickr will work. But those are huge files. Here is what you need to do (using flickr) :


- upload the pictures on your computer
- open them in a photo editing app (like Photoshop; if you do not have that you can download GIMP -www.gimp.org-)
- resize the pic to something like 650 pixels in the biggest dimension
- save it is as a .jpg on your computer
- upload it to flickr
- click on it on your flickr page and then click the + button on top of the pic
- there should be a URL of the picture underneath the picture
- copy
- get back here. Make a post/reply. click on the mountain thing up there and paste the URL you copied from flickr on the pop up box.

Done :)

should work.