What A Bummer!

Cannonball

More Trains Than Brains
I recently won a new Bachmann Spectrum 2-8-0 Baldwin on eBay. It arrived in the mail yesterday afternoon. I didn't get a chance to test it yesterday so the first chance I got this morning I threw out some track for it's first run. I put it on the track and........... Nothing. No light, no motor hum, no movement. It just sat there and looked pretty. I thought it might be the transformer since I have one that's been acting weird lately and I'm expecting it to die soon anyway. I got out one of my other engines to test this theory and it ran like a top around the loop I had laid out. I shut the power back down, put the Spectrum back on and got nothing. Switched out the transformers just to be sure and still got nothing. Tapped it a few times. Nothing. Wiggled it. Nothing. Used foul language. Nothing. :mad:

Fortunately, the seller I bought it from listed his number with eBay so I called him. Very nice fellow and he was shocked to hear of the trouble I was having. (He's also an N gauge runner and really likes the Spectrums.) He told me to ship the loco back to him at his expense and he would send a replacement out. He also said he would throw in a free item as something extra for my trouble.

So even though it was a bit disappointing that the loco didn't work, it's good to know there are sellers on eBay who will stand behind their products. It should be a happy ending anyway. :)
 

steamhead

Active Member
Ooopsss...Don't know where the rest of my reply went...Thing disconnected just as I hit the reply button...I just wanted to point out that despite all the bad-mouthing eBay gets, there are more like this seller than there are scammers out there. I had a client offer to return a duplicate item I had sent him after we thought my original shipment had gotten lost. Just for being honest, I told him to keep it.... :)
 

Cannonball

More Trains Than Brains
Ooopsss...Don't know where the rest of my reply went...Thing disconnected just as I hit the reply button...I just wanted to point out that despite all the bad-mouthing eBay gets, there are more like this seller than there are scammers out there. I had a client offer to return a duplicate item I had sent him after we thought my original shipment had gotten lost. Just for being honest, I told him to keep it.... :)

Yeah, I've dealt with a lot of great people on eBay- both buyers and sellers. I had a Peavey Firebass amp head that blew it's capacitors after only 5 minutes of being plugged in. The seller paid ot have it shipped back and refunded my money there as well. I can honestly say that I've only had 3 real complaints since I've been on eBay. The first was a ceramic figurine that got broke in shipping because the lady wrapped it in newspaper and stuffed it in a box. She refused to do a refund since I didn't buy insurance even though her crappy packing is the reason it was broke. The second was a guy that screwed me out of $240 and a bass guitar. That was a long story. The third was a pair of earrings I ordered for my wife and never received. Finally had to go through a Paypal dispute for a refund.

Other than that, every deal I've had on eBay has worked out pretty well. I find more good in it than bad. I just ordred my wife and I both new cellphones from a seller on eBay as well. CAMERAPHONES for taking unexpected railfaning shots! :D
 

oldtanker

Member
Cannonball, you know what they say about musicians?

If they can't play a guitar give em a bass, if they can't play that give em a set of drum sticks, if they can't play the drums take one stick away and make a conductor......


Rick
 

myltlpny

Member
Cannonball, you know what they say about musicians?

If they can't play a guitar give em a bass, if they can't play that give em a set of drum sticks, if they can't play the drums take one stick away and make a conductor......


Rick
THAT's funny!:mrgreen:
I sing in choirs, so along the same lines;
How many choir conductors does it take to change a lightblulb?
Nobody knows...who ever watches the conductor?

Back to topic.
I love eBay. Given that the only brick and mortar hobby shop (selling trains, at least) in the area closed, I have very little recourse, except for the internet. I've only gotten burned once on an internet deal. All things considered, I've done very well. It's good when you find a seller like that. Very few will absorb the shipping charges as well.
 

Cannonball

More Trains Than Brains
Cannonball, you know what they say about musicians?

If they can't play a guitar give em a bass, if they can't play that give em a set of drum sticks, if they can't play the drums take one stick away and make a conductor......


Rick

Actually I play bass and a little guitar. ;) I just prefer the deep thump of bass. So do most women when they sit on my amp. :D
 

bigsteel

Call me Mr.Tinkertrain
i've gotten burned a few times but nothing serious,the straw that broke the camels back is when me and my father boutght a 1968 coronet R/T and when the flat bed arrived...well lets just say ui had a few choice words for the guy.this car was R-O-T-T-E-N,bad floors,bad quarters bad eng.compartment,everything! and this guy said it was my fault for not loking lose enough,so ill never use E-bay unless i personally know the person i buying from I.E a guy i've had previous experience with.--josh
 

Cannonball

More Trains Than Brains
Got an e-mail from the seller today. They said my first loco made it back and the new one will be shipped out tomorrow morning. I just hope it runs better than the first one did. Actually, that wouldn't be hard to do considering the first one didn't run at all.
 
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