ScottLee Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 Couple of weeks ago I found a beautiful looking pair of 1978 forks for my DT175 on Ebay that were in the US. If they were as good as the pictures I'd scored myself a decent pair that only needed new seal, oil and a little bit of a polish and they'd have been like new. So in anticipation of their arrival I bought some news seals and some oil for them. I was tracking them daily and after a slight delay because of bad weather everything was going swimmingly, until yesterday evening when I noticed on the tracker "Undeliverable" Never seen it before so I messaged the seller and asked if it would be an issue. Turns out I'm not getting them and according to what I've read about Ebay's 'Global Shipping Programme' it amounts to legalised theft and that they've decided they want them and will likely resell them for a profit. Pissed off is an understatement and their piss-poor explanation is nowhere good enough to explain why I can't have them. Going to attempt to get some answers out of them which is almost certainly going to be a waste of time but if they can't or won't give me an adequate explanation then I'll be closing my seller account and they can shove it. Raging! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Snakebite68 Posted February 23, 2021 Moderator Share Posted February 23, 2021 It appears that they've defined them as a restricted item. Usually reserved for things like chemicals, batteries or weapons. Why they should do this for a pair of forks is beyond me. However, there are various mechanical items and vehicles that come under these restrictions, but again, I can't imagine why a pair of forks would. The important thing is, you appear to be getting your money back. Keep looking... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator drewpy Posted February 23, 2021 Moderator Share Posted February 23, 2021 is there an appeals process? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottLee Posted February 23, 2021 Author Share Posted February 23, 2021 1 hour ago, Snakebite68 said: It appears that they've defined them as a restricted item. Usually reserved for things like chemicals, batteries or weapons. Why they should do this for a pair of forks is beyond me. However, there are various mechanical items and vehicles that come under these restrictions, but again, I can't imagine why a pair of forks would. The important thing is, you appear to be getting your money back. Keep looking... From what I've read it's totally arbitrary and rarely makes any sense at all. Money back is great but I really wanted the forks, I mean look at them, 40 years old and they're in that good a shape? I would happily have paid double what I did. Gutted. 44 minutes ago, drewpy said: is there an appeals process? Nope. Like the seller said, nothing we can do. Apparently they will eventually come up for sale again as Ebay keeps the items and resells them through a certain account(s) I'll keep an eye out for them and see if they reappear and try buy them again if they're affordable still. I had a good read up on what happens and there's a massive amount of people like me who've been shafted by ebay for no logical reason and ebay just say tough sh*t. There's stories of people sending valuable or precious items and ebay arbitrarily seizing them and they just vanish into a black hole. Seller doesn't get the item back but keeps the cash and the buyer gets refunded by ebay. Any amount of pleading or offering to pay or arrange alternate delivery just falls on deaf ears. Ebay's Global Shipping Programme. If the seller hadn't used it I would have got them delivered no problem. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Snakebite68 Posted February 23, 2021 Moderator Share Posted February 23, 2021 Possibly more than you'd want to pay, but comes with extras and look in good condition!Ebay link And coming from the UK..! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Airhead Posted February 23, 2021 Moderator Share Posted February 23, 2021 32 minutes ago, Snakebite68 said: Possibly more than you'd want to pay, but comes with extras and look in good condition!Ebay link And coming from the UK..! no good mate, nowhere to anchor the drum brake stator, and besides he'll no douubt want to keep to standard @Scott what's wrong with your original forks? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottLee Posted February 23, 2021 Author Share Posted February 23, 2021 58 minutes ago, Airhead said: no good mate, nowhere to anchor the drum brake stator, and besides he'll no douubt want to keep to standard @Scott what's wrong with your original forks? The original forks just need reconditioning. I've got 2 bikes to build and wanted these for the best of the 2. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Snakebite68 Posted February 24, 2021 Moderator Share Posted February 24, 2021 9 hours ago, Airhead said: no good mate, nowhere to anchor the drum brake stator, and besides he'll no douubt want to keep to standard @Scott what's wrong with your original forks? Aaah... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottLee Posted February 27, 2021 Author Share Posted February 27, 2021 I had to go through a few people but I got the answer that I wanted. Just a shame they couldn't have picked this up before it was dispatched as that would have given me and the seller the option of making alternate delivery arrangements and I wouldn't have lost this item. "Good news you got your money back" I don't want my flipping money back I want what I paid for! For the record, I fully appreciate their position regarding safety as it's via air freight. What I'm struggling with is them not picking this up before they were dispatched and the lack of them asking me if I want to make alternate arrangements, even if it cost me extra, which I would gladly have paid if it meant getting the forks. Moral of the story is that what you've paid for on eBay isn't yours until its delivered... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderator Snakebite68 Posted February 27, 2021 Moderator Share Posted February 27, 2021 Aaah, I was right then. Restricted chemicals... Still, it doesn't explain why the item can't be sent back to the seller. Ask Darren that..! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottLee Posted February 27, 2021 Author Share Posted February 27, 2021 17 minutes ago, Snakebite68 said: Aaah, I was right then. Restricted chemicals... Still, it doesn't explain why the item can't be sent back to the seller. Ask Darren that..! I have I think they're probably sick of talking to me now but am hoping that I've made enough noise for them to do something about it because it shouldn't be happening. If they know these are restricted as soon as they arrive at the freight centre then they should know they're restricted the moment they're sold and be able to either warn the buyer and or offer an alternative shipping method. That they can't/won't is a failing on their part. As soon as I got the 'restricted' message on the tracker I looked it up and found endless stories like mine of people who, through no fault of their own, had lost purchases, often of something they really wanted or needed, because they'd fallen foul of import restrictions, often at ebay's freight centre, which could have been remedied by simply redirecting the package through a different carrier and if need be asking the purchaser for a fee. I'd hazard a guess that most people when faced with losing their purchase would rather pay a little more to keep it. I would have, gladly. Ebay would probably argue cost but given how many people I've spoken to and how much time this issue has taken up, even before they've decided what to do with it, it must surely be more cost effective for them to just send it via another route. That way everyone is happy and the only thing anyone loses is maybe a little time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackhat250 Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 Corrupt to the core,, good scam to be had there tho,,,= friend in usa,, mark up big price on restricted item,,,, refund both ends,, Win -win ,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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