rootboy 

Not sure if this appropriate or not, but I found this so reprehensible I thought it deserved repeating here.
For anyone who might contemplate purchasing from an outfit called The Pro's Closet. Many here know them.

Copied here, without the OP's permission, from the Classic rendezvous list. FWIW.

"So, about three weeks ago, I had a 70s Mondia frame on Ebay, which did not sell. I was approached, after the auction closed by a fellow named Sean Sullivan, from Boulder, CO, who enquired if I would sell the frame to him off-Ebay. I try to play by the rules with Ebay, but the auction had closed, and I agreed. He nickled and dimed me on the price, which was already absurdly low, because he was “building a L’Eroica bike for a buddy who is on a tight budget.”

Tonight, while skimming Ebay, I find THE SAME FRAME, untouched, except that the valuable Phil Wood bottom bracket has been removed, for sale from THE PRO’S CLOSET, in Boulder, CO. And for roughly TWICE what I sold it to Sullivan for. I looked up THE PRO’S CLOSET website, and gee, what a surprise, Sean Sullivan is a “buyer” for THE PRO’S CLOSET!!!!

Needless to say, I will never do business with TPC again. Too bad, as I have done quite a bit of business with them in the past. "

jet sanchEz

Reprehensible. Add me to the list.

KonAaron Snake 

I've bought from them before...I won't again.

Edit - It probably wouldn't hurt to send them an email letting them know why...and possibly giving them the chance to fix/address the issue and/or apologize.

I think the fundamental problem here is that people, understandably, want to turn this hobby into a sustainable business, and most of us either won't play ball with that pricing, or resent/complain about it.

clubman 

Me too. I'm out.

kcblair

Me too, I bought wheels from them , never again. KB

AlexCyclistRoch

FWIW, anybody who is trying to sell stuff in the dead of winter has to expect 'bottom feeders' like this guy.

KonAaron Snake 

FWIW, you're missing the point...which is one of integrity and not pooping where you eat.

jethin

I've always disliked TPC. Their entire business model is to take C&V bikes and part them out for top dollar. That's about commerce, not cycling. I'm interested in building and restoring C&V bikes, not tearing them apart. I like to share my hobby -- and my parts -- with likeminded people. If I want to make money I go to work.

They also charge inflated shipping fees.

repechage

What folk do to make their "numbers" at work. Must have had a history on the car dealership biz.

I don't bother looking at their offerings with any intent. Too often I observe stuff that should be mentioned in the description left for the viewer to discover in the images. Red Flag. Obviously they have a framework they are satisfied with, with a healthy dose of self promotion that a magazine has bought into.

Waiting for the skating on the thin ice of mod life to fully crack under them.

KonAaron Snake 

<---haven't ever told someone I was buying for a friend to ride at eroica and then flipped on ebay.

I understand that many people aren't capable of nuanced thought...I also understand that some aren't here for thought at all, instead looking to be irritants. Even so, it shouldn't be that challenging to understand why this would annoy some people...and why it might not have been a terribly sound strategy for pro's closet.

But by all means, return to your bridge constructed of fishing fly wheels

satbuilder 

This just might be the straw. Word gets out in the community real fast.

gomango

Honesty is everything.

My dad used to tell me not to screw up my good name or reputation.

You'd only get one chance with that he'd say.

BTW I would love to hear from the TPC guys on this matter.

trail_monkey

I am kind of torn. If they lied or misrepresented themselves to screw you over then shame on them. If however they gave you a fair price but then resold it for a profit then that's just business. But I see you said he nickel and dimed you so shame on them. It's one thing to do fair business and another to lie for profit.

I bought a non running Ford Ranger, years ago when I ran an auto repair shop, for $50 from a migrant worker who was on the run after his workplace was raided. He needed to abandon the vehicle and hop in with his buddies. He had the title in the glove box. It was 3 weeks before Christmas and business was poor. I refused his offer to sell it cause I really didn't have any extra spending money. He kept on me to give him something for it so I threw out a $50 dollar bill thinking he would laugh at me. He took it. A week later I went under the hood and found some wiring that was burnt from the exhaust. Long story short I cleaned up the truck and got it running and sold it for $600.

Sorry for your misfortune.

KonAaron Snake 

I sent them a friendly letter letting them know about the "issue" and suggesting they address it.

satbuilder 

I think it's one thing to buy and flip. It's quite another to flat out lie to someone. But I guess that doesn't bother some people.

rootboy 

Some of the guys on the CR list suggested the seller contact the owner of TPC. I agree.
Maybe he is not aware that his buyer is lying to gain something from sellers.

And then, some on the CR list, while not exactly condoning the buyer's tactics... seem to suggest with their responses that this is somehow...OK. At least, getting an item and re-selling it. Which is OK in my book.
But it all depends on how you get the item, IMO. Lying to get it for a better price is terrible. Scoundrel.

qcpmsame 

This ends my even considering them when shopping for parts, forget frames from them. Social media will most likely be taking them to task for this habit, and rightly so. Probably ends my subscription to their print promotion partner too.

And, I never have flipped a bike in this manner, from anyone. Skip the trolling comments please, its are becoming very apparent just who you were/are.

Rootboy, just to clarify, this is someone on CR, and not yourself. Is this correct please?

Bill

70sSanO

I really don't care for their stuff or how they sell. Made a minor purchase a few years ago and the condition was not as good as depicted in their picture "angles". Now if I see something and it's their listing, I don't even look. I agree, reprehensible.

John

rootboy 

Yes Bill. It was not me. Some fellow on the CR list. If I had a Mondia frame, I'd likely keep it !

John E

Sorry to be a party pooper, but I do not see a problem.
1. No one forced him to sell it to Mr. Sullivan. The cock-and-bull story was part of negotiation. It does not fit my personal ethics paradigm, but there are far worse forms of fraud out there.
2. If it did not sell the first time on eBay, what makes anyone think it will sell at Mr. Sullivan's inflated asking price? For all we know at this point, he may end up flipping it at a break-even, or even a loss, and all of us can then applaud when justice is served.

rootboy 

Repechage wrote:
"Too often I observe stuff that should be mentioned in the description left for the viewer to discover in the images. Red Flag."

Aint that the truth. It's a real sore spot with me. I don't buy bike parts anymore on ebay. But I buy some other things. And this trend among ebay sellers, especially "pro" sellers, to commit as little as possible in writing, saying "the pictures are the description", really bothers me. But this is off-topic.

rootboy 

So, you think it's OK to lie to gain something?

repechage

Precisely. The foibles are artfully dodged, included but when the f-stop or placement in the frame does not help paint the picture.... There is a reason.

KonAaron Snake 

I wouldn't buy from a guy who lies to buyers. Does this rise to the level of Enron? Of course not...but this is a small community, and deceiving them while selling to them is probably not a wise long term strategy. Had he said I need to buy at ___ because I'm a business, I'd have no issue with it. I have no issue with tough negotiations either.

Pro's Closet might be in a position to be more patient on the same...or their advertising strategies might be more effective. That's not my concern...if they can make a profit from it, god bless them. I wouldn't ever begrudge someone a profit on a non-essential good (not even PB).

John E

To restate my position, I do not condone that sort of behavior, but the seller could have elected NOT to sell it to Mr. Sullivan at the low-ball price. Lying on the part of a seller is a much bigger problem than lying on the part of the buyer, as long as the agreed-upon payment is indeed made.