I "won" an auction for what I thought was a McLaren Elva Flamethrower.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=350189894837

However, when I received the car not only was it not lighted but the chassis wasn't even the correct one and obviously there wasn't even a bulb.

I tried to contact the seller but got no response. Since he is selling slot cars I thought it best to let future buyers know this guy was not quite honest so I left honest negative feedback.

Then I get a request to remove the negative feedback where the seller says he sent me an email (which I could not find) and an offer, I think, to refund $7.

Then he leaves me positive feedback with this comment which I'm not even sure what it means:

LIAR "I DIDN'T REPLY" I OFFERED A $7 EXCH.TO A HOLLOW RVT F/T CHASSIS w $3 LIGHT

Just curious if anyone feels that I had raised expectations based on the description. Should I have expected a lighted chassis or just pay the extra money like I think the seller is offering?

Well technically you got what he described, however, he could have added two words to his auction and this would not be an issue now . . . "non-lighted" in front of the word chassis.

I'd leave it as it sits, personally. No point going back over it now.

Here is what the seller listed.

"Here is a Black and White McLaren Elva. This is a Flamethrower body. Glass no flaws, Motor stack pipes, no flaws Driver , No Flaws(has head)....Has Original Aurora solid rivet chassis.Body stripe good, no flaw. Mounting post good.,from what I can see."

In his description in identifying the chassis, though muddled, he is trying to say that it is not a JL or AW. Seller did not say lighted chassis in any way. As he wrote it, he believed was was describing what he was selling. I do not think this seller is trying to deceive anyone. He just didn't spend enough time thinking about his auction description.


It looks like he is offering you an open rivet chassis w/bulb for 7 dollars.
Heck, at what you paid for that car, it was a steal already. :thumbsup:
Cut the seller a bit of slack, yeah? He did not intend deception and is trying to make it right with you. *I would buy from him with that kind of integrity.

After reading through his description I do understand that he is inferring that since it is a solid rivet chassis that it is not original.

What threw me off was the header that said "Lighted,lights"

I agree. The lead-in (header) to the auction does say "lighted".

Seller has a good rating so I think I would try to work it out.

His decription stunk as do his photos. I wouldn't have bid on it given the overall quality of the photo and the wheels hanging out all over the place. I was not aware that there was no such thing as a solid rivet flamethrower chassis. I have a solid rivet chassis with the holes for the light bulb wires in my stock. Like this one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=400044944609&ssPageName=MERCOSI_VI_ROSI_PR4_PCN_BIX_Stores&refitem=350189894837&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=closed_view_item&refwidgettype=osi_widget&_trksid=p284.m263&_trkparms=algo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%252BP%252BS%2 52BIA%26itu%3DIA%252BUCI%252BUA%26otn%3D4%26ps%3D1 0

You got a fairly costly body. From the looks of the completed autions for similar auctions, complete cars with running lighted chassis go for about $20 plus shipping. Maybe the negative will motovate the seller to write clearer descriptions, learn how to use his camera's macro mode, or buy a decent camera. I kinda doubt it. Weather through a seller's deception or stupidity, the end result is the same:
http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=252777

I agree. The lead-in (header) to the auction does say "lighted".

Seller has a good rating so I think I would try to work it out.

I agree, if a seller has good feedback I usually give him the benefit, but, I do hate when I have to write 2-3 times to get an answer on a problem.

You guys know I list on fleabay all the time, last week or so I sold a white tjet vega, no cuts, no sanded wheel wells, window posts fine. What I didn't notice was that part of one of the screw posts was cut and re-glued, And I got an email about it........not an ugly one, but the guy basically said "I would have never bid had I known this, try to be more descriptive in your future listing"
I have flawless feedback........and because the guy didn't whine for money I apologized and returned him 10.00 (on a 36.00 sale) to his paypal account.

So I kinda understand a lil bit here, selling is getting hard because of increased fees and buyers having the right to throw around negatives to easy, and fleabay/payuppal usually make sellers jump threw hoops to make a small, part time job outta it.

Before leaving a negative to anyone I always try emails first, if that dont work I file a claim with paypal, that usually has sellers work with you. I think I left 2 negatives in the past 8 years. to the same idiot who sold me burned "original" psp movies, then after returning them (with del. conf.) he refused to refund me 11.00 dollars, paypal made him pay me back, and he got 2 neggies.............

'Scuse me ?

This guy has a 27 HUNDRED! His handle is Ohio slot cars er some such nonsense.

No excuses for poor pix and lame descriptions...off with his head!

Next!

Hahahahahahahahahha!

thanks for pointing that out.. I must have been blinded by the non functioning Lighted lights!!! Coming from a seller who has by his seller name wrapped hisself in a slot guru moniker with 2700+ feedbacks should know the difference between a lighted and non lighted chassis... NO excuses!!!!! The jury is out!! :lol:

desototjets,
Did you ask the seller if it was a lighted chassis?
I'm not sticking up for the seller. He does need to learn how to take better pictures. And his descriptions need to be more precise.
But you have to protect yourself also. If you found the auction early in the listing then you had time to ask and get a response. He did post one question that was asked if the body was cut and his reply stating it wasn't.
If you found the auction late then yes, there's less time to ask and get a response. So if you don't ask then you have no way of arguing that you asked the question.
When you ask the seller a question, you can have Ebay send you the same question and have it as evidence if the seller says you never asked.
We as buyers have a responsibility to protect ourselves and get the best deal we can be happy with. Randy.

A/FX,

No, I did not ask if it was a lighted chassis. I assumed it did based on the header.

I also didn't ask if the chassis ran or even had an armature, gears, brushes, or any of the other parts I could see.

Perhaps I am a bit naive in assuming that when it says lighted that it would actually come with the bulb.

I guess I was lucky it even came with the body.

Hutt agrees with Dr. Hall and SCMan. This is not some newbie selling a slot car for the first time. We are looking at a VERY seasoned veteran; twenty-seven f'ing hundred is not a rating to be sneezed at. The seller may not have intended to mislead anyone but it is the result, not the intent that counts here.

Send in the High Plains Drifter... :drunk::hat::freak::dude::tongue:

Paging Jim Duncan...

Marshall Jim Duncan please!

Paging Jim Duncan...

Marshall Jim Duncan please!

GOOD ONE BILL!!!!!!

Description vs. header is not so great, though I would never assume that a solid rivit chassis = a flamethrower chassis. From reading the description alone I would have expected exactly what you got. For a 16.75 sale I wouldn't go all ballistic either - solid rivit chassis in good shape alone bring $10 or more. I'd try to work it out politely, but I wouldn't lose sleep over this one.

I hadn't considered the value of a complete solid rivet chassis in my previous comments. So, all things consided, not such a bad deal.

I would have responded bite me to the exchange and $7 offer. Seller has what he knows is the "correct" chassis in stock apparently.

Thanks, guys, for the opinions. In retrospect I should have read the entire description and considered the solid rivet chassis part.

He does have the "correct" chassis in stock.