Posted by Rick Denney on August 14, 2000 at 16:41:20:
In Reply to: eBay tuba vs trombone offerings posted by Matt G on August 14, 2000 at 15:20:25:
Indeed. You will see threads on Tubenet and TubaEuph frequently concerning the offerings on ebay and other auction sites. Several of us watch those sites closely, just to see whats being offered.
Occasionally, when an instrument is misrepresented, a few of us will take action by challenging the seller, or, in blatantly fraudulent cases, complaining to ebay. I've only seen one occasion of the latter, but that did not concern tubas. But challenging sellers happens more frequently, and on one occasion concerning the misrepresentation, perhaps accidental, of just the same Chinese wall-hangers you mention. Seeing one on ebay and commenting on it is a good way to start a long discussion of their relative merits. I believe all the discussions I've seen of the poor quality of the Chinese brass instruments has been triggered by ebay sightings.
But I'll say this, too. There are many on this forum who believe strongly in the buyers' responsibility to educate themselves concerning their purchases, and discussions of action being taken to right perceived wrongs often generate a lot of controversy.
And, as you see down the list a bit, an offering of particular value or one that is unusual will get mentioned just to make sure everyone has had a chance to see it. This happens even more frequently than complaints.
Rick "ebay watcher" Denney