Another Ebay Gem!

[71tr]

Bidding is at $158 for a pair of ball joints, what gives? Check out this auction and tell me if I'm missing the gold plate disclosure or something else.

https://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayIS...;category=34200

 

[Radford]

I don't get it these things are $41.00 the pair at Moss - I didn't even see the magic NOS claim. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nonod.gif

 

[jsneddon]

$40.95 for a pair at moss....

https://www.mossmotors.com/Shop/ViewProducts.aspx?PlateIndexID=32797&SortOrder=11#top

I don't think we're missing something.

Same guy bought a chrome cover for his wiper motor for $130 bucks... you can get the whole motor for $107...

Must be a very special TR6 that deserves 4x overpriced ball joints

 

[71tr]

they don't even have grease fittings!

 

[jsneddon]

I'll sell him some zerks for $25 each. I'll even polish them by hand with dew collected during full moons.

 

[DART]

And all that bidding action is from 3 poor souls who obviously are not BCF members. BTW, is the battery cut off switch usually on the hot or the ground post?? The ebay seller has them for a reasonable price but they fit the neg post & my sp250 is the typical LBC positive earth.

 

[jsneddon]

Just wondering out loud....

Since I'm an ebay member and I can send messages to these users.... I wonder what the rules are for pulling the rug out of the seller by sending a friendly message to the bidder stating that he might want to re-think his bid???

Might go unnoticed... might open up a can of worms...

And I doubt my wife would appreciate me starting a flame war with our account and killing our decent rating.

ahhhh.... what to do... what to do....

 

[71tr]

I wouldn't get in the middle of this. Caveat-Emptor as they say. I've purchased from the seller before so I don't think there is any supplier funny-business going on.

 

[ObiRichKanobi]

On parts I always check the online catalogs before even thinking about bidding. For example, there's a used brake failure switch being offered right now on EBay for a starting bid of $34.95. Brad at Wedgeparts lists a brand new one for $37.35.

 

[lesingepsycho]

There seems to be something fishy going on there but it is none of my business. If you look at the bid history however, one guy "mistakenly" placed a bid of $4151.00 and didn't catch it until 37 minutes later. I think somebody there (the seller) might be artificially inflating auction by using a second ebay account, which is super-duper against ebay rules for anyone who is wondering.

JACK

 

[jsneddon]

yeah.. you're right. I wasn't suggesting that the seller was doing anything wrong.

I just feel bad for the fellow british car nuts... but then again I'm about the biggest cheapskate you'll ever meet and would never pay for something "off-the-cuff" without some good research first.

 

[LastDeadLast]

I agree with 71tr, I've purchased a few items from this seller before. I've found him to be very professional and honest.

If this was a car, or something expensive, I would would be weary, but for a pair of ball joints???

 

[jsneddon]

Again... I'm not saying that the seller is doing anything wrong. He's making a fantastic sale. He's not doing anything wrong. It's not his fault.

I'm just saying that it is unfortunate that the buyer is so uninformed as to spend 4 times what it is worth.

He may be someone to which money is no object.

Or.

He may get so discouraged trying to keep his Triumph running due to his percieved reality of prices being so high and we end up losing another fan of the breed and he walks away from what I feel to be a fantastic hobby before he discovers a great community of other fanatics like us who are more informed and becomes a true believer.

He's obviously excited by his TR from looking at the other things he's been buying. (magazines with TR articles, models, Triumph Parking signs, etc.) I just hope he doesn't sour from the money drain.

That being said....

I'm certainly not getting involved.

 

[Guest]

I've bought quite a few things from Joe myself, he's a pretty straight shooter and a nice guy to talk to.

It seems this is just a case of an uninformed buyer, as Jim says. I do the same thing that Rich does on Ebay, watch for the bids to cross that magic number of what the part can be had for directly from a retailer. If it goes above that I usually walk unless it's a brand that I really want and the retailers don't offer.

 

[71tr]

Remember, it takes at least two to tango. Someone else was bidding up the price as well. Just doesn't make any sense. I can't believe there is an LBC owner out there whom doesn't have a copy of a big-three price list! Shoot, my TR came with all three.

 

[KVH]

I was told by Moss that the newer ball joints are superior in manufacture and do not require zerk fittings? TRF appears to offer ones with zerk fittings. Who's right here?

 

[71tr]

I would always go with the zerk fittings option. You control the lubrication and know its being done rather than counting on new technology which promises permanent lubrication.