[Icom] postal inspectors

[icom@mailman.qth.net]

Bob,

I was reading your mail to Paul about ebay.  Sorry to hear
about your two bad experiences on ebay this year.  I have
been using ebay (selling and buying) for over two years
now.  I have not always come out satisfied but have never
been actually ripped off.

Since I still use ebay, knowing more details about your
experiences would be helpful.

I have learned to steer clear of descriptions that are
vaugue or incomplete.  Some descriptions describe terms and
conditions rather than the item being offered.  I steer
clear of those too.

It is risky, buying sight unseen from people you do not
know, but I find pretty much the same situation at
hamfests.  True, you can see the equipment but you still
will not be able to check it out.

Lately I have noticed that there is a lot of junk on ebay. 
Lots of radios that don't work, have something seriously
wrong, or were retrieved by dumpster divers.

Several dead givaway phrases that I have keyed off are:
1. I don't know anything about this.....
2. I was unable to check out the radio because the cord was
cut...
3. It has some sigs of tarnish on the chassis...
4. It worked three years ago when I put it in storage...
5. I am listing this for a friend...
6. It is working now but I can't say what rough handling
will do to it..

These are phrases from auctions I acually bid on and won. 
Here is what the phrases really meant:

1. It must have fallen off a truck.  Afterward it did not
rattle too much so it was not completely broken.  Looked to
be worth a lot so the guy listed it.

2. This guy avoided electrocution through laziness.  The
cord was cut for a good reason.

3. This was on a Drake R4A.  The underside of the chassis
did have some tarnish but the top was completely rusted out.

4. The reason he had to rely on a three year old checkout
was because he stored it in a shed with a leaky roof.  The
thing had a couple of controls that were rusted shut.

5. I don't believe this guy has any friends, just people he
steals from.

6. This guy is a small time ham radio dealer.  He covered
his behind by suggesting the radio may not work because it
might get rattled in shipping.  Ended up costing me several
days work to replace the TR relay in the thing.  It worked
fine after the repair but cost way much more than it was
worth.

Those are my experiences over the last 12 months.  I usually
don't bid more than half what I figgure an item is worth if
it ends up true to description.  Even a rusted out Drake R4A
is worth something to someone, if the price is right. And it
did work prefectly.

Good luck on ebay
Frank Kamp