I bought this cute little number on ebay. The listing plainly states that the machine is in WORKING CONDITION.
Doesn't working condition usually mean that it has at least a belt and a foot pedal? There is neither.
The first picture shows the machine in the ad....the others, what I received!
Not just that, but the machine was packed SO poorly that the wooden base broke all apart in the shipping, and bent the spool pin! The bobbin hook mechanism was left to roll around the bottom of the box. :c(
It's a disaster. I love this little blue machine, and it's paint job and decals are beautiful. But when a listing says it is in "working condition" this is just not what I expect.
I have contacted the seller, and will be contacting ebay. Something else funny,as I was tracking the package,I saw he printed the label at only weighing 8lbs. UPS said I was to recieve this 8lb box. If that isn't fraud I don't know what is, because the box weighed 33lbs.
24 comments:
Sorry about your misfortune, Bonnie. Hope you have some success with eBay.
Best wishes - Lurline.
I am saddened but the dishonesty that seems to be so inherent in society anymore. Good luck with the seller and ebay. Keep us posted.
nancy
Hi Bonnie!
I've been collecting old machines for several years now and in talking with other collectors everybody has the same ebay rule - never buy a sewing machine on ebay unless you KNOW the seller knows how to ship it or you can pick it up. They are so heavy they will always get damaged unless packaged very well. There's a website somewhere that gives very good directions for packing one, can't find the link right now. Most ebay sellers don't have a clue about old machines unless you happen to find one that is a machine lover. However, true machine lovers hoard machines like quilter's hoard fabric, so probably don't sell too many! Ha!
Patricia
PS - Hopefully you can get your machine working!
I hope that paypal gives you a refund, and that you don't end up losing your $$ on this bad deal. I
Hope it can be salvaged. Some people sure ruin things for so many others.
Bonnie,
So sorry this happened to you. I'm sure you know this. . . but ALWAYS check the feedback rating BEFORE bidding on eBay (I'm always reminding my mom!). A seller with 65 feedback and only 90% positives probably isn't someone you want to buy from. :o\ Hope you're able to get a refund.
~Erin
Bummer! I knew a gal once who collected old machines and she got several from eBay, so I know it can be done well, but you just have to be so careful these days.
Hope everything works out to your satisfaction!
How frustrating. Hope the seller and eBay can make it right - or a good machine repair guy!!!
I feel your pain! We have gotten several machines from eBay and you have to be careful about what comes with the machine. Some sellers don't know about machines and what they should have with them and others know but usually put in the listing that it doesn't have a foot pedal or cord or something because this is the way they got it.
nate is right - it is important to pack a sewing machine correctly. They can't be packed in their carrying case unless there is lots of packing material in there. It is a 'carrying' case, not a packing case!
Good luck from someone who has gotten 5 or 6 machines from eBay (not always with great success!)
Hi Bonnie:
I had a similar experience with getting a damaged machine (but it looked as if the package had been run over by a truck...not bad packaging).
If you file a claim for the damage to the case (which appears to be in several pieces) make sure that the PO knows it is only the CASE.
I was told I needed to get an estimate for the case & when I filed my claim the USPS was only going to give me a check for the replacement of the case but they weren't going to give me the machine back. It took talking to several people for more than a half hour for them to realize that I was only looking for reimbursement for the case, not the entire machine (of course, in my case, the machine was not damaged at all).
Good luck with eBay & your seller.
Sherry
I'm so sorry. Such a disappointment. I hope it all gets worked out sooner than later. You deserve better.
I'll say a prayer for a favor that your money is returned without too much hassle. If it "ain't" one thing, it's another.
I feel your pain - I have been there many times.
Over the years I have purchased about 20 machines online and almost everyone has arrived with some sort of tale of woe. They either have been tossed around in shipping or the photos are not representative of what arrives or a part gets broken or is missing. Fortunately I have been able to fix or replace all the mishaps thus far. It is very dissapointing and sometimes frustrating to have to deal with the mess that arrives in the box.
But once you get the little beauty up and running you will soon forget it's troubled trip. I have found that some of the most custom packed machines have arrived with multiple injuries and some of the poorest packed machines have arrived basically intact. Go figure!!!!
Polish her up-- dig up a foot pedal from another machine and drag out the wood glue and clamps. While it is all drying tangle with the seller :)
carrie
the mischief maker
Bonnie, Sorry to hear you got burned on eBay - I've used it over the eyars and always been happy with everything purchased... until this past time - no good were ever delivered. I had ordered a Snow White DVD for my daughter... and it never showed up and shortly after the seller took my paypal he closed his ebay account and I was enver able to contact him again. Thankfully my credit card company credited me back and are now investigating.
You may wnat to contact yoru credit card company about your insident too... maybe they can help force the seller to reimpurse you since they advertized it as working condition. Good luck!
Love from Texas! ~bonnie
Bonnie,how dissappointing for you
Paypal give you some kind of guarantee, I would contact them and complain.
That's not good enough!
After receiving a Featherweight with a bent spool pin because it had been left to rattle around in it's case with no additional packing material I now give the seller specific instructions on how to pack the machine and what I don't want to happen to it. So far this has worked very well, as I've had no damage since. Knock on wood.
I hate to see vintage things get damaged unnecessarily. There are a lot of clueless/unscrupulous people looking to make a fast buck. eBay is a haven for them. I never bid on anything where the pictures are poor quality.
Hope you can get a quick resolution and can get the Blue Wizard up and running.
Hi Bonnie, how disappointing, I am sure things will work out for you. I love reading your blog and thank you for sharing your expertise. Warmest Regards Lyn
The crime of this (in addition to ripping you off) is the damage that resulted from poor packing and shipping... this poor little machine didn't deserve this type of treatment! Best wishes for getting this situation straightened out.
How disappointing for you! I purchased a mechanical Bernina on E-bay. I ask lots and lots of questions. The answers tell me lots about the seller. The seller of my Bernina told me he had never had so many questions asked by a buyer. I knew what I was gettingl If I didn't like a sellers response or lack of response I didn't bid or quit bidding. Hopefully, you will have things resolved. Yes, report this to your credit card, Ebay and Pay Pal.
It is very disappointing to receive a machine in this condition. More so, it is disappointing that there are people out there that are only interested in lining their pockets at other's expense.
Been there a few times with sewing/quilt related items. I think a lot has to do with sellers selling things they know absolutely nothing about. I have learned you cannot assume anything on eBay. Ask lots of questions and if you don't like what the seller says, pass up the item. And pay close attention to the return policy. Good luck resolving this. Keep us posted!
If you get a second, check out my recent blog entry. I posted lots of finished quilts. I especially want you to see my strip pieced quilt, because you're the inspriation. Every since I saw yours, I've been dying to try it. I finally did and I love it. I want to make 10 more just for fun. I can't stop sewing strips!
HELP!!!
I just hate when the dishonesty of others invades my positive attitude! Cheating is cheating is cheating and this seller is a cheat. Shame on him/her. Best wishes for recovery of your money!
That is a beautiful machine though... In my one ebay shipping of a sewing machine experience, the seller did a superb job packing - he had taken pictures of the process and the finished packing job - but customs did not repack it well at all after they opened it for inspection; this I know because of the yellow customs inspection tape stuck to the inner packing which was now just higgledy-piggledy stuffed in the box. The machine survived, the case was shattered.
So sorry to hear about your bad Ebay experience.
I once bought a Bernina 501 Sport on Ebay and it arrived damaged. I had questioned the seller before bidding about how it would be packed and she had parroted back all of right things about how a sewing machine should be packed. But that's not how it was packed when it arrived. Though double boxed, the only padding was just a little crumpled newspaper. I'm not surprised it was damaged. I managed to get a refund from the seller, but she made we wait until the post office paid her the insurance on it. I had to take the machine and all packing materials to my local post office so they could judge whether she had packed it well enough for the insurance to "count." I didn't think they would approve her insurance claim, but they did.
Post a Comment
If you are commenting as "anonymous" please leave your name at the end of your comment.
Did you know that ad space on this blog provides for all of the free patterns and free mysteries and challenges at no cost to you? Without ads, this blog would not be possible.
Thank you for understanding the many hours that go into this blog 6 days a week, 52 weeks a year. :)