One of the reasons ( of many ) I don't buy phonographs on eBay is it breaks my heart to hear of yet another phonograph lost to shipping. I can't afford to take that hit.I'm old school. Go to shows, go to Union. Hey it is fun to meet others. At shows like Union if you do it right you might just haggle a great deal instead of paying more than everybody else is willing to bid. Just a thought. BTW I understand that not everyone can go to Union ( like me, both cases ) or live in the outback were there are few antiques. I'm just advocating to keep other mediums alive.
Mike From [email protected] Thu Feb 15 10:55:15 2007 From: [email protected] (Robert Wright) Date: Thu Feb 15 10:55:36 2007 Subject: [Phono-L] PayPal/eBay/online trading saftey: tips and tricks - 1st revision References: <[email protected]> Message-ID: <[email protected]> BEFORE the auction closes: Get to know your seller as best you can with what information you can get. If the person has good spelling, grammar, and punctuation, they are not only intelligent, but conscientious about details. If they are hurried, borderline illiterate, snippy or just plain unsociable, that will show in their packing as well. Communicate with them about what they're into -- estate sales of anything and everything, or an emphasis on phonographs? Ask specific questions about the item that you may already know the answer to as a test of their knowledge, sociability, and communication skills. It can be done with a few simple sentences, and will tell you volumes about who you're dealing with. See "Seller's Other Items" to get an idea of what their general merchandise is. Go through their feedback and check the items they've recently sold as well. While in the feedback, look for negatives and see what kind of responses they offer in defense. Avoid sellers who respond hatefully -- these people will not help you if there's a problem. See what kind of feedback they leave for others. Take notice of how many items they sell a week, or a month, to get an idea of what kind of seller you're dealing with. This will tell you if they know the first thing about phonographs (and how to pack them) or not. After you've created a rapport, be specific about exact packing instructions. Make sure they know your requests won't be difficult, but they must be followed to avoid damage in shipping. Relate your negative experiences and try to give them an idea of just how valuable and historic the item really is. BEFORE or AFTER the auction closes: If you are purchasing a valuable item from a seller who you do not personally know, then obtain a written commitment that the seller will ship the item by REGISTERED mail only. You will receive your item intact even if the seller packs it in a used paper grocery bag. The cost is the USPS Priority Mail rate plus $7.35 additional (extra insurance will increase this additional fee as well). IF TRYING TO RESOLVE A PROBLEM WITH A SHIPPER OR PAYPAL/EBAY: Sometimes it helps to write a letter to the President or someone very high in the company. Send it registered mail to make sure that someone signs for it, which makes them feel accountable for at least directing your problem to someone who could fix it. It's also helpful to write to the second one down from the top -- they don't get as much complaint mail as the President, so they have more time to delegate the resolution of the problem to someone, and they may even be flattered to get some mail! That's all the tips we've seen from this PayPal discussion so far... any others you all would like to add? Best, Robert
