robinkd2029

normal or bent derailleur? I bid on this derailleur on ebay and won (for $16) i didn't notice at first but it looks kinda strange. Is it bent or is just the photos/open position? it's already been shipped but if the consensus is that it's probably not functional i'll probably refuse the package so that the seller doesn't think I switched it or something.

trailangel

How can you tell from these photos?

shelbyfv

Do your research before you bid. You've bought this one. I agree there is nothing to be learned from the photos except it looks beat up. New 105 is about $32.

wrk101

Consensus of whom? How can they tell from those pics that it is not functional? Refuse the shipment? You bought it. You owe the seller the courtesy of mounting it and seeing if it works.

MisterK

it just looks a lil beat to me. if anything looks out of whack id just say it were the angle of the photo because noone but yourself will truly know until you recieve the item.
all in all you didnt really save much anyway conditionwise

fietsbob

Best Buy New in order to Be Safe.

FBinNY 

There's no way to know, but it looks OK to me. The main bodies of these derailleurs are pretty stout and rarely bend without the whole derailleur being destroyed. Most of the time it's the cage which bends first, and this one looks OK with no obvious signs of trauma.

There are some scratches on the outer bottom area, but those are par for the course since that's sticking and hits the road if the bike falls on the right. I've never seen a well ridden bike without similar cosmetic damage, and tend to discount it.

In any case, as others point out, you bought this at auction, so there's a contract obligating you to accept it. If when you open the package and examine the derailleur you discover that it isn't as advertised, then you have recourse.

BTW- if you bought something from me on ebay and refused delivery, I'd insist you pay for 2nd postage and fulfill the contract, or would refund your money, less the postage, my ebay fees and maybe a penalty of some kind (10-15%) depending on the circumstances.

ThermionicScott 

What part looks bent to you?

dr_lha

You'd do that for something you paid $16 for, based on the opinion of people on a forum, and not actually looking at the item?

People like you are why I stopped eBaying stuff.

robinkd2029

I do not know much about parts and I thought all the 105 derailleurs of the same speed had the same shape (given the question I'm truly surprised no one brought up shape differences between years/series). After looking at pics of the 105 5600 series it did not look as "flat" which is why I posted the question thinking it was bent or something. After looking at more photos it's probably a 5700 short cage, hence a different shape and my confusion.

almondjay

You'd be surprised what you can learn through google. Additionally, a quick post on the forum asking about something like this would have been prudent prior to you bidding. Hindsight being 20/20, I could understand your situation as I've certainly bought bike parts without thorough research. Best thing to do is check it out. If the part isn't compatible take it as a $16 lesson learned. Don't punish the eBay seller unless the item is not as described.

CroMo Mike 

Camera-lens induced distortion - getting real close with a wide-angle lens.

Retro Grouch 

$16.00 for that derailleur looks to me like a good deal. Look at how square and sharp the jockey pulleys are. Looks like a low mileage component to me. I see a couple of cosmetic scratches but that wouldn't scare me. If you get psyched out this easily you should maybe stick to buying new parts.