Wow. That is shocking - and just plain wrong. If it weren't such a bore to everyone else i'd post the email correspondence that flatly disputes his account of the situation. As a side note, I just realized that he posted positive feedback with a negative statment to my ebay account. Wow - what a jerk. Turns out though that this is a violation of Ebay terms and he may now have his account suspended. Bittersweet really...I'd just rather have a functional bike.

As an aside, I didnt file an ebay claim because I feared that it would take a long time and a tomn of effort to resolve. The seller also told me with the certainy of one who must have gone through this before, that Ebay would most certainly decide that his resolution was appropriate, and that I would end up shipping the bike back on my own dime and getting a refund. I have desperately wanted a 610 since riding my friends over the winter, and didnt want to have the money I budgeted for the purchase tied up any longer than I had to. Looking back on it now though, I appear to be stuck with a bike that is going to cost a lot to make usuable.