Sew What’s Up Presents
The Sew What’s New Archive
This archived content is from Mary Wilkins’ sewing and
quilting message board “Sew What’s New,” which was
retired in August 2007. It is being provided by
“Sew What’s Up,”
which serves as the new home for many members of “Sew What’s New.”
From: Patty22
Date: 06-21-2006, 04:19 PM (1 of 13)
|
The past few weeks I have been periodically checking eBay for sewing machines. I tend to tell everyone to look there for a machine so I thought I would heed my own advice out of curiosity. All I have to say is, you have to be careful. One deal in particular seemed a little too good to be true. A Bernina 440Q was going for $1000. In the ad, the person said to reply to his aol account and 5 machines were available. The seller had an excellent feedback record and had been doing eBay business for over 5 years, however, I thought it was strange that he dealt mainly with sports memorabilia and now he was dabbling into sewing machines. I decided to write the seller at his aol address and ask a few questions about the machine, such as was it a refurbished model, etc. and how he came about the machines. When getting the email back, it became quite clear to me that this individual had stolen the ebay account identity and had placed this sale. The money was to be deposited western union and I didn't need to worry about shipping costs  ..hmmmm.... wonder why someone wouldn't need to worry about shipping when it is being sent from Europe.By the time I had a chance to go on eBay this morning after getting my email, the sewing machine had been deleted, and I hope no one was taken in this scam. So please, please, please, for those of you who are new to sewing, please be careful when buying used sewing machines. Check out the models so you understand what you are purchasing (or suppose to have in attachments with the model) and thoroughly check out the dealer. Don't do business (reply to different accounts) outside of eBay if you expect them to protect your interests. There are many wonderful, honest people in the world and it only takes a few snakes to make one cynical. I hate to see anyone get scammed. Patty
|
User: Patty22
Member since: 03-29-2006 Total posts: 1194 |
From: Sherri
Date: 06-21-2006, 04:35 PM (2 of 13)
|
I was bidding on some of these just for the fun of it. Ebay catches the auctions quite quickly and shuts them down. The ones I were bidding on were Husqvarna. I bought my current machine off ebay. It is very easy to tell the scams from the real thing. Sher My website
|
User: Sherri
Member since: 02-07-2001 Total posts: 357 |
From: Tom Land
Date: 06-21-2006, 11:51 PM (3 of 13)
|
A few months ago I had a lady come in with a TOL machine she had bought new over e-bay. Upon inspection I found that someone had removed some circuit boards and replaced them with bad ones. She was unable to find the seller. Then last week I got a call from a woman in San Antonio. It seems the previous lady had decided to get her money back by putting the machine back on e-bay. When she sold it she forgot to take my estimate out of the box so the latest victim knew the seller was aware of the problems. I don't know where it will end up but the seller was refusing to make good on it. I could write pages on the stories of people that I know of personally that have been burned on e-bay and other internet sites. Without exception(in the U.S) - 1. no quality sewing machine can be sold over the internet and the warranty be honored by the manufacturer. 2. Even if the machine is only a few days old and someone decides to sell it on e-bay it is a used machine which means no manufactures warranty. I wouldn't dream of spending(risking) the money some of these people do over the internet. Even if they don't get burned they are left with no local support and in many cases not even someone local to work on the machine since s lot of dealers will not service machines purchased over the internet. Have fun or don't do it, Tom
|
User: Tom Land
Member since: 09-21-2005 Total posts: 514 |
From: lamx
Date: 06-22-2006, 08:03 AM (4 of 13)
|
Wow! I could write a book about this, having been a long-time eBay buyer and seller. A comedian once said," no one ever sold a car because it ran too well." Same goes for sewing machines. If the seller is selling it, there is probably something wrong with it. Even if the "selling because I upgraded" story is true, it means the old machine doesn't have enough features to make sewing an enjoyable experience. Ever notice how many eBay sewing machine listings inform that the seller knows nothing about sewing machines? I suspect that is only an excuse to sell a pig in a poke. If you are not able to work on a sewing machine yourself or prepared to pay someone else to work on it, eBay is probably not the place to shop for a machine. I suspect I will get several rebuttals from people who got wonderful deals on fantastic machines, but they are in the minority. The only good eBay deals I ever got were sewing machines that were incorrectly described. I once bought a freearm Singer Featherweight for the price of a flatbed Featherweight because it was billed as just a Featherweight and the photo was too dark to see all the features. EBay is a wonderful place to sell items anonymously. My local Janome dealer doesn't even sell used machines any more, he immediately lists all his trade-ins on eBay. He says he doesn't have to service them or guarantee them, they sell within a week, and no one will be bringing them back to the store with complaints. Is this the kind of product you want to buy? I had my eBay account hijacked about a year ago and the crook listed a late-model Corvette and a late-model Nissan Z car in my name with buy-it-now prices of $4500 each. The tip off was the demand not to bid until contacting the seller. Why would anyone list an item on an auction, then tell you not to bid on it? He is trying to complete the sale outside of eBay either because the item is stolen, doesn't exist, or just trying to cheat eBay out of the seller's fees. If you want a new machine with all the features available on computerized sewing machines, buy from a dealer. You will either get something brand new straight out of the box, or serviced and checked out by someone who knows what they are selling. If, like me, you only sew straight stitch and zig zag 99% of the time, vintage machines are totally adequate and cheap. Learn to service them yourself and you will be sewing while your friends are pacing the floor, waiting for their machine to return from the shop. At that point, you can buy your machine on eBay, a yard sale, or the local thrift shop. The problem with that is that when you find out that your $10 Dressmaker sews everything you want, you pick up another as a backup. Then one for parts in case something should go wrong with one of the others. When your friends find out you are into old sewing machines, they start giving you their old machines that have sat in the closet for 20 years. Soon you have a house full of old sewing machines and start looking for places to get rid of some to make space. Ed |
User: lamx
Member since: 05-04-2006 Total posts: 44 |
From: wghmch
Date: 06-22-2006, 12:25 PM (5 of 13)
|
Amen to everything that Tom & Ed have warned about. However, re: "I was bidding on some of these just for the fun of it. Ebay catches the auctions quite quickly and shuts them down....It is very easy to tell the scams from the real thing." Don't bet the rent on this. Some of these crooks are pretty clever, and can come off sounding like "Mr. Honesty" himself. Until you have developed the skills and suspicion to spot these things yourself, find someone who has, that you can fall back on, or avoid "pushing the send key" when it could get you in a lot of trouble. Bill Holman |
User: wghmch
Member since: 03-04-2003 Total posts: 249 |
From: Sherri
Date: 06-22-2006, 04:35 PM (6 of 13)
|
Thats a little rude. I know fully well what I am doing when I bid on eBay. I am going in with my eyes open and I never bid anything more then I am willing to loose. Every scam auction I bid on knowing they were a scam because of reading the listing was shut down with in 2 hours of when I bid. Do expect when you are bidding on EBAY that you will pay a reasonable amount for what you are bidding on. I live in a remote area so I often buy things off Ebay. It is conveniant. I bought my machine off ebay. I use it everyday it works wonderfully. No it doesn't have a waranty or support but those things would do me very little good here so it doesn't matter. The "machine snobs" on this forum drive me nuts. Not everyone has aceess to a $5000 up machine with full waranty and support. Not everyone needs it either. Not everyone on EBAY is a crook trying to rip you off. I also sell on EBAY at times and usually it is stuff I don't need. Not stuff I am trying to rip people off with. END OF RANT My website
|
User: Sherri
Member since: 02-07-2001 Total posts: 357 |
From: wghmch
Date: 06-22-2006, 04:43 PM (7 of 13)
|
"Thats a little rude. I know fully well what I am doing when I bid on eBay." Easy there Sherri. What I had problems with was this line: "....It is very easy to tell the scams from the real thing." Note that you did not say "It is easy for ME to tell...", but I fear, gave the impression that it is easy for almost anyone to tell. I would not try to judge whether or not you can tell, but I would caution others not to assume that they are able. Bill Holman |
User: wghmch
Member since: 03-04-2003 Total posts: 249 |
From: Patty22
Date: 06-22-2006, 07:15 PM (8 of 13)
|
Hey people....everyone hold onto their own knickers. I will reiterate what I originally posted: "All I have to say is, you have to be careful." My husband buys and sells on eBay so it is not as though I have never seen an eBay sale. The way this ad was worded I couldn't tell this was a scam until the seller (scammer) wrote back. It was a convincing ad as I am one cynical/critical/frugal shopper. The email address was similar to the account name so I didn't think of it as unusual at first. My original point was that I usually tell people to try and buy a used machine if they are looking for a certain brand that might otherwise be out of their budget. I didn't say to buy a particular brand... eBay would be a natural place to look to find a machine if you didn't know where else to go. Especially if you want to find out what your machine is selling for and what your dealer is willing to give you in a trade-in if you wanted to upgrade. I wouldn't hesitate to sell my present machine on eBay, but with that said, I would also include the serial number and machine service reports. About "machine snobs" out there.... just remember, just because an individual has some loaded up machine it will not make them more creative, more talented or sew any better than someone with a model that only does straight stitch. What it might do is make their life easier if they have the talent/patience/time to invest into their garment/project. I've seen women with expensive machines and their "stuff" still looked the same (frumpy). If someone would call me a machine snob to my face because of the kind of machine I own without knowing me, I would tell them to  ...well, use your imagination. I am not going to defend myself because I have never had any problems with my machine. But a snob? That's too funny....Hell knows, I've got enough *&^%^$ that I don't want a machine adding frustration in my life. I can already swear like a pirate; I don't need anymore vocabulary practice time. So, as I originally said, I would never want to see anyone get scammed. Be careful. You're not going to get pregnant from a scam, but it is going to hurt a whole lot and leave you emotionally scarred.  Okay, just trying to throw in a little humor.......... 
Patty
|
User: Patty22
Member since: 03-29-2006 Total posts: 1194 |
From: Sherri
Date: 06-22-2006, 09:18 PM (9 of 13)
|
As an example. This is probably a scam. The cost is way to low. And the first line of the auction says please email me @gmail.com if you want this. These are always scams. And it is very easy to pick out. http://cgi.ebay.ca/HUSQVARNA-VIKING-1-SEWING-EMBROIDERY-MACHINE_W0QQitemZ290000814430QQcategoryZ21219QQrdZ 1QQcmdZViewItem My website
|
User: Sherri
Member since: 02-07-2001 Total posts: 357 |
From: guppie
Date: 06-22-2006, 09:44 PM (10 of 13)
|
Sometimes, I too, have a problem knowing the scams from the real thing. However, after watching what happened with several brands of TOL machines, there are a few scammers that I caught on to--those 'sellers' (loosly said) seem to be not as prevalent now, but then there are the 'newer, craftier' ones that are being seen. We all should use caution, esp when buying high-priced items. I love ebay! I have a very hard time shopping in stores (I REALLY hate to shop!) and ebay lets me purchase things for which I may have to hunt for otherwise. I've only had one problem with a seller. I bought a SM that was a good brand and I was very familiar with it. Problem was it only ran in reverse--try as I might, there was no way that baby would sew forward. The machine also had a piece of plastic chipped--I found it while unpacking. It was the poorest packing job I'd ever seen. I contacted the seller immediately, and he told me his mother had used the machine just 2 months previously with no problems, it must be something that I was doing, and that I didn't know how to use this machine!  GRRRR! This was the same model I already had, I just wanted the ebay one to use in a different room, and so that I could use the same bobbins and be familiar with the machine. Well, $150 later, the machine is ok. The repair man told me it was frozen, and that no way could his mother have sewn with it. And I also later bought the same brand but different model, and she's just a charm.Yes, I do take some chances, but I also have learned alot (like not to bid $1,500.00 when I MEANT to bid $15.00! That seller and I became good friends, and we laugh about it often. If I want to buy something specific on ebay, I'll spend a good 2 months just watching what is out there and doing some follow-up. So far, so good. And yes, there are many more good, honest sellers out there than there are unscrupulous ones! In all my 500+ feedbacks, I've only had problems with that one. And I still buy on ebay and will most likely continue, just being careful. Cathy
|
User: guppie
Member since: 12-29-2004 Total posts: 43 
|
From: guppie
Date: 06-22-2006, 09:52 PM (11 of 13)
|
Oh, YES, Sherri! This is probably the most common scam, and now they're one-upping us by 'accepting' PayPal! Some tip-offs: Seller is in United Kingdom, item in Detroit. Hmmm. Bids are private, so the 'scam hunter' people cannot contact the bidder and warn them. As previously stated, look for the ominous part 'email me at before you bid' line, and also items the seller has previously sold, and what they are selling now. I used to send 'caution' emails to the bidders, but there were so many, I couldn't keep up. It's always better to err on the safe side. Happy hunting! Cathy
|
User: guppie
Member since: 12-29-2004 Total posts: 43
|
From: Sancin
Date: 06-22-2006, 10:30 PM (12 of 13)
|
I bought my Featherweight on EBay very satisfactorily, after watching for a long time and communicating with the person I bought it from. On the other hand, I have got burned by 'trial bidding' and ending up winning the auction, which was a fraud. The seller put a 'whatever' regarding my reliability and I had to appeal it. It took a lot of time. I did learn from that not to bid on more than one thing of the same type as one never knows when the bidding will end and you will be the winner. I THINK I know a fraud when I see one, but I am not sure. Several things I have bought turned out to be very satisfactory transactions, but one was not. It was not worth my nervous energy to complain or return it when I found it damaged.
*~*~*~* Nancy*~*~*~* " I try to take one day at a time - but sometimes several days attack me at once."
|
User: Sancin
Member since: 02-13-2005 Total posts: 895 
|
From: Patty22
Date: 06-25-2006, 04:46 PM (13 of 13)
I was just on eBay checking out the sewing machines and there was the same scammer under another eBay seller's name. I sent a note to the seller, but I couldn't get through the eBay reply form system because it wouldn't accept the fraudulent id number. No kidding...the number wasn't correct, so I couldn't report it.  eBay just sent a form note back saying not to reply to personal emal addresses. Okay, so how does one get a note into report a scam? Patty
|
User: Patty22
Member since: 03-29-2006 Total posts: 1194 |
Visit Sew What’s Up for the latest sewing and quilting tips and discussions.
This page was originally located on Sew What’s New (www.sew-whats-new.com) at http://www.sew-whats-new.com/vb/archive/index.php/t-19446.html
Sew What’s Up is hosted by ZenSoft