Ebay bargins

[xmexclusive]

Hi All

With the glut of firms clearing out New Old Stock bits ebay has been fun over the last year or so.
Have stocked up with quite a few bits against the future some at real bargin prices.
There have been a few disappointments though as some of the best "buy it now" bargins turned out to be Scotch mist.
Yesterday I bought a new 2.5TD injector (the one with the sensor) for £60ish with p&p, very good value I thought.
Today I learnt it was a pricing error but the firm will honour the sale. Not all firms are that good.
A couple of months ago a firm in Stoke sold me a job lot of a dozen or so XM front wheel bearing kits for 99p each.
They just put the kits back on at £30.99 and returned my paypal payment. I tried negotiating but got no joy.
Not always like that, about 6 months ago I bought and paid for a couple of lots of genuine Citroen front front brake pads (25 XM and 25 Xantia).
Bit over £30 including p&p. Bargin I though, will not ever go short of those and someone is bound to want the Xantia ones.
Well they sent me one set of each, no note , no explanation, no apology. That wound me up a touch. Still from the name and address it appeared to be a dealer. Worth a visit I thought so a day out in Brum it was. Went in showed my paperwork and asked for the other 48 sets of pads, that started things going. Got offered my money back but after some haggling came away with 6 sets of XM pads for my money.
Then there was the firm offering small radiators for 2.5TD XM's for £42, ad said they had 49 in stock and had sold only one in the last year. Needing one urgently having just checked and found all my secondhand ones beyond repair I thought big stock not turning over I can get a better price. So I ignored the "buy it now" and rang up for best price for quantities of 3, 6 and 10 expecting something in the region of £25 each. Big mistake that as the quote came back next day at £64 each plus p&p, no reduction for quantity. Turns out that some of these firms offering many items in quantity on ebay do not have any stock on hand, just a supply direct arrangement with a main supplier. The quantity of items quoted in the ad is just a number to keep the ebay ad working, not real at all and the price quoted is just the price the last one was sold for. Rads and exhaust parts particularly seem to be sold in this way.
Happy Ebaying.

John

[steelcityuk]

Very disappointing, can't think why some dealers have such a poor reputation...

Steve.

[Peter.N.]

Hi John

You have been busy! I recently had a similar experience in trying to obtain an exhaust for the 2.1, I ordered a back and centre box from two firms who were offering them on ebay, only to be told that they had none in stock and niether did their suppliers, it took me sometime to get a refund from one of them. I had to buy genuine Citroen parts eventually, expensive but at a considerably reduced price compared with the dealers. About a week later someone was offering cheap ones again but I must admit that the Citroen weighed about twice as much as the pattern part.

Peter

[onthecut]

Hi Guys.

There certainly does seem to have been a sharp increase in new XM pieces appearing. One of the key things I've noticed though is the hopeless inaccuracy of many of the applications. Generally, I only look at OE stuff and then I always check the part number against the description --- I'd say easily half are incorrect. Once or twice I've mailed the vendor with the correct application (not for any personal gain, I hasten to add) and never once have I seen them alter the listing. I've then seen stuff relisted, still incorrect.

So --- for any new XM owners, be careful and always ask for the part number, then check on the forum -- you'll be unlucky not to find someone here to help.

Mike.

[kenhall]

Not all the wide boys (and girls) are in the House of Commons, there are plenty hiding behind the alleged respectability of ebay. Caveat emptor is still very much the case I'm afraid.

Ken

[andmcit]

Sadly need to work on the basis that every seller is out to hide something and con you/me out of
the hard earned until proven otherwise. Larger chunks of money are only paid by hand and collection
is usually the only preferred route. OK, some sellers turn out to be REAL gents and folk you wish
were your actual neighbours!!

Andrew