Don't buy this rig on Ebay!!! Scam

[Scubadivemaster 3]

Just FYI. This thing has been "sold" more times than a retired hooker, and is about as real as Anna Nicole's boobies. Don't be taken advantage of. (As a side note, it seems that more and more of the skydiving gear on Ebay is a scam.)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180107844294

[bigway 4]

The helmet appears to have been fitted for a camera????

.Karnage Krew Gear Store
.

[howardwhite 6]

Wow.

A Mirage G3 canister system. Just what I was looking for.

HW

[Tonto 1]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=180107844294

Made clicky.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[Scubadivemaster 3]

Oops. Thanks!

[JohnMitchell 16]

I don't spend much time on E-bay, but I need to sell off some old gear. How can you tell the scams from the real thing? How can that person have such good feedback? This sucks.

[Scubadivemaster 3]

You just can't trust the feedback, which I learned the hard way. This seller, for example, has had no activity for 5 years. Probably a hijacked account. You also have to watch out for people who have run up their own rating by creating a few accounts and then selling small cheap items between them.

In the end, you are much better to buy from a skydiver on dropzone. I know that this pisses the "professional ebayers" off when others say it, but ebay is about as safe as buying and selling shit in an alley. You may get some good deals, but sooner or later, somebody mugs you.

[selbbub78 0]

Quote

You just can't trust the feedback, which I learned the hard way. This seller, for example, has had no activity for 5 years. Probably a hijacked account. You also have to watch out for people who have run up their own rating by creating a few accounts and then selling small cheap items between them.

In the end, you are much better to buy from a skydiver on dropzone. I know that this pisses the "professional ebayers" off when others say it, but ebay is about as safe as buying and selling shit in an alley. You may get some good deals, but sooner or later, somebody mugs you.

I bought my first rig off ebay, and the guy I bought it from I felt real comfortable with. He asked me questions as to what my level experience was, and where i jumped at, and bascally he was checking to make sure that his gear was "right" for me. It worked out well. Of course, his knowledge of his own gear was very high, plus he was asking me questions as well. I talked to him for a long while before actually bidding on it. It is possible to get good stuff on ebay, you just have to make sure you know who you're buying it from!

CReW Skies,
bubbles

"Women fake orgasms - men fake whole relationships" – Sharon Stone
"The world is my dropzone" (wise crewdog quote)
"The light dims, until full darkness pierces into the world."-KDM

[Dumpster 0]

Absolutely. I have have had no *real* problems on eBay at all, buying or selling. You have to be careful no matter where you go. I'd prefer to stay local with skydiving gear or sell thru the classifieds here on DZ.com. I've purchased 3 camcorders, a D-SLR, a very nice Seiko watch, all from reputable dealers with great satisfaction.

Easy Does It

[Scubadivemaster 3]

I have also made successful purchases from Ebay. Very much as you described. Eventually, you get comfortable, and somebody picks your pocket. Think about it, if you get screwed on one rig, you could have bought everything you ever bought from Ebay brand new and still saved money.

But my purpose was not to trash Ebay, but rather to point out that THIS particular rig is a certainly a scam. There are a couple of others that look suspiciously familiar as well, but this one I know very, very well.

[doug925 0]

Quote

I don't spend much time on E-bay, but I need to sell off some old gear. How can you tell the scams from the real thing? How can that person have such good feedback? This sucks.

I bought my first rig off eBay, and my second here.

The guy on eBay had 0, as in NO feedback.
I simply asked him for some pictures with the rig and that day's USA Today. I explained why I felt I need to ask (and I was semi-apologetic in doing so)
He had no problems with complying. I also asked where he jumped etc.

It went great. I got a nice deal, and he is really a nice guy. Heck, he has since invited me out to his small jump club, where he is the pilot.

My second rig was bought from a guy on the board. I made sure he had been around for a while. He was not new, and had quite a few posts in different forums. While no guarantee, it did make me feel a bit more secure. (that and he sent the rig UPS cod, so I could at least have a peek prior to paying)

Doug.

I have never developed indigestion from eating my words.
Winston Churchill

[ChrisL 2]

I want a canister system too

__

My mighty steed

[Scubadivemaster 3]

You think that on an canister system you deploy by unscrewing the top? I'm imagining a spring-loaded snake pilot shute.

[davedlg 0]

Quote

I don't spend much time on E-bay, but I need to sell off some old gear. How can you tell the scams from the real thing? How can that person have such good feedback? This sucks.

The easiest method of telling the real from the fake listings would be to contact the seller and ask some pointed questions that any skydiver should be able to answer. I would venture to guess that 95% of the scammers aren't skydivers and wouldn't be able to answer even the simplest technical questions.

[sundevil777 102]

I don't understand why people selling gear are willing to pay the fees for ebay autions when the classifieds on this site work so well.

I don't think many people that would be buying gear on ebay would be unaware of this site and the free classifieds here.

People are sick and tired of being told that ordinary and decent people are fed up in this country with being sick and tired. I’m certainly not, and I’m sick and tired of being told that I am

[Scubadivemaster 3]

Simple. Greed.

I'm a greedy bastard and hope that I can somehow buy something at auction that no one else realizes the value of. The buyer necessarily thinks he is somehow smarter than the other buyers, who don't realize the value of the item, and the seller, who doesn't realize it either.

The seller hopes that the buyer is a uneducated lout, who can be persuaded that the round main and reserve are state-of-the-art, and who will likely get caught up in the frenzy of the auction, and pay too much.

The seller, I suspect, is more often right.

Here, all you can hope for is a fair deal. Who wants fair?? I wanna STEAL it!
Of course, the rest of you may be pure of heart. But I doubt it.

[sharimcm 0]

Quote

I don't understand why people selling gear are willing to pay the fees for ebay autions when the classifieds on this site work so well.

I don't think many people that would be buying gear on ebay would be unaware of this site and the free classifieds here.

I bought my first rig, and sold two rigs on ebay. I listed the ones I sold on dz.com as well with no hits. Finally, I listed them on ebay and made money on both rigs after paying the ebay seller fees. I asked for a deposit via PayPal, and the rest as a Cashier's Check. No problems at all.

"I had a dude tip his black cowboy hat to me after I provided him with a condom outside my hotel room at 3-something in the morning." -myself

[JohnMitchell 16]

Quote

I listed the ones I sold on dz.com as well with no hits.

I've sold one on DZ.com and had another expire with no hits. So a mixed experience for me so far.

Thanks for all the input. I just stuck some gear back on in the classifieds. Any tall dude need an old Racer? The price is right.

[Duckwater 0]

Aviation Headsets and GPS's are also often scams. Be VERY careful. You need to look for feedback on similar items, not 20 cent dolls

[darwin143 0]

Looks like the item is now "invalid." Maybe ebay caught on to the scam...

[Scubadivemaster 3]

Amazing. It only took them 8 hours from when I reported it and gave them the item numbers it was previously sold under.

My brother suggested I bid on this one again and ask for a frequent buyer's discount.

[darwin143 0]

Good to see ebay is on top of it! They should definitely give you a coupon or something for reporting it