Friendly (not friendly) sellers on ebay

[Pedropete]

Had a fun chat with a seller on ebay this evening.

Chap's selling an Extracycle Edgerunner (long-tail) that looked perfect for a mid-drive e-cargo bike conversion. The listing mentioned some issues with the seat tube but on closer inspection it looked like the post has seized at some point in the past and some owner or shop wally has cut the seat tube and post below the clamp to free it. I can only imagine that they've then heated the seat tube and whacked in an extension or just another section of tube. Whether it was brazed in, bonded or just left as effectively shrunk-fit, the addition has started to fail at some point, probably when the new seatpost has seized again (well maintained bike this) and they've tried to 'persuade' it out.

No option to ream it out and re-slot the seat tube-top as it'd be too close to the welds. You'd have to braze in another (possibly custom) extension.

Seller immediately accused me of trying to lowball him when I said I wanted more info and pics to see if a repair was viable and at what cost before making an offer via the 'Best Offer' facility. When I shared a bit more detail on what I though had happened to his bike he got a bit stroppy. i'd started enjoying myself by this point so had to wind him up a bit more. There really are some plonkers on ebay... and they're not always me.

Regardless, if anyone's willing to take a chance on this as a project or just fancies winding him up a bit more, here's the link: Extracycle Edgerunner

Tell him I said hi

 

[Rusty Nails]

The seller put a lot of pics and a very comprehensive description, including the faults. You are of course entitled to ask any questions you want details on, but if as you said you had "started enjoying myself by this point so had to wind him up a bit more" I'm not surprised that things turned a bit iffy.

 

[Roger Longbottom]

Can't see what the seller has done wrong in his description. He has explained the seat post problem, what else can he do?

 

[Pedropete]

Without sharing the message exchange - that'd be a bit off, wouldn't it - you'll have to take my word for it that he was overly touchy about some perfectly genuine and politely phrased questions about things not shown or specified in the description. What was odd was the way he became quite aggressive, and personally insulting, without any provocation and essentially said he didn't want to sell it to me when I said I'd like to speak to some frame repair specialists before considering making an offer. That was when I decided to wind hime up, not before. Guess you had to be there. Either way, still an interesting bike if you can find a way round the seat tube/post issue, and are willing to deal with the idiot.

 

[HMS_Dave]

Whatever you do, DO NOT check that sellers other items for sale....

 

[Globalti]

Whatever you do, DO NOT check that sellers other items for sale....

Go on....? I can't access EBay from where I am.

 

[MontyVeda]

Whatever you do, DO NOT check that sellers other items for sale....

 

[HMS_Dave]

Go on....? I can't access EBay from where I am.

Something to do with vintage ladies and their 'shrubs'...

 

[sleuthey]

Can't see what the seller has done wrong in his description. He has explained the seat post problem, what else can he do?

He can answer the customers questions helpfully in order to increase chances of a smooth sale

 

[sleuthey]

Had a fun chat with a seller on ebay this evening.

Chap's selling an Extracycle Edgerunner (long-tail) that looked perfect for a mid-drive e-cargo bike conversion. The listing mentioned some issues with the seat tube but on closer inspection it looked like the post has seized at some point in the past and some owner or shop wally has cut the seat tube and post below the clamp to free it. I can only imagine that they've then heated the seat tube and whacked in an extension or just another section of tube. Whether it was brazed in, bonded or just left as effectively shrunk-fit, the addition has started to fail at some point, probably when the new seatpost has seized again (well maintained bike this) and they've tried to 'persuade' it out.

No option to ream it out and re-slot the seat tube-top as it'd be too close to the welds. You'd have to braze in another (possibly custom) extension.

Seller immediately accused me of trying to lowball him when I said I wanted more info and pics to see if a repair was viable and at what cost before making an offer via the 'Best Offer' facility. When I shared a bit more detail on what I though had happened to his bike he got a bit stroppy. i'd started enjoying myself by this point so had to wind him up a bit more. There really are some plonkers on ebay... and they're not always me.

Regardless, if anyone's willing to take a chance on this as a project or just fancies winding him up a bit more, here's the link: Extracycle Edgerunner

Tell him I said hi

Please paste his messages into this thread so we can provide an opinion

 

[DCLane]

They've been honest, but maybe not nice in the messages.

On Saturday I won a pair of wheels and the seller immediately asked for another £170 extra as they had gone too cheap. They chose to re-list as I said no, so they've been reported.

 

[tom73]

Whatever you do, DO NOT check that sellers other items for sale....

Too late ...

 

[Pedropete]

Whatever you do, DO NOT check that sellers other items for sale....

Blimey! Writes a great listing title, doesn't he

 

[Pedropete]

They've been honest, but maybe not nice in the messages.

Looks that way doesn't it, but these bikes don't have an extended seattube, just a slightly taller than usual bit above the tt/st/ct junction with a standard notched and clamped interface. The bit where you'd have to insert a seatpost is actually a bodged extension that obviously can't be removed easily. So you're stuck with a previously damaged and very long extension on a bike that'll be primarily used for moving kids and heavy loads around. Not a great combination. He was trying very hard to convince me that this was normal for these bikes.

On Saturday I won a pair of wheels and the seller immediately asked for another £170 extra as they had gone too cheap. They chose to re-list as I said no, so they've been reported.

Charming. I had a guy win a frameset from me who left it until after he won the auction to ask what size it was, then accused me of using 'made up' sizing descriptions in order to confuse bidders. It was listed as 'Large or 56cm'. I tend to avoid it where I can these days as there's just so many idiots on there, buying and selling.

 

[Pale Rider]

Where do you get off on 'winding him up' and deciding to 'wind him up a bit more'?

All done, no doubt, from the safety of your keyboard and a made up user name.

Seems to me a nasty, cowardly, way to behave.

And over what?

A tatty old bike worth a few hundred.