carstoreguy

Well I know you all hear storys but here is mine. Any advice is apreciated!
The addirect quote)

"Wattage ultimate nitro conversion"
RTR balsa construction PLANE INCLUDES!! OS ENIGINE,4 x HS 55 SERVOS, BATTERY,REMOTE NEEDLE,QUICKFILL FUEL ADAPTER, Just add your receiver and GO!!!!!
I have $325.00 into it so this is a bargain!!!!!!
It has only been flown 3 times. I enjoy building, flying, selling and moving on to the next extreme project. So help me keep my hobby alive.
God Bless!!!

I was going to build one when I ran across this ad so I figured what the heck! 3 shakedown flights, it sounds great. $199 + shipping add my reciever and I'm airborn! (not too good to be true, like mom always said) but a pretty good deal.

Now it starts getting good. Pay on paypal next day after auction ends (28th Nov.) e mail the dude wondering if he had directions (always handy for c.g and such) no reply. E mail dude for tracking number, no reply. E mail dude again for tracking number and ship date , no reply!
File a complaint with paypal , BOOM! He emails me said his e mail was broken ( eha?) then tells me was waiting for funds from pay pal. ( my moneys gone to his account a week ago)

Fast forward to Dec 9th. Hey my plane is here! Open the box, oh boy I cant wait!
Shocker! The remote fill has been pushed through the fuse and the part thet makes it a filler is not in the box! Oh well lets check this bad boy out! Another quick look and I see the wheel pants are busted and the wheels are junk! (stay cool , lets see the good parts inside) Off comes the hacked spinner ,4 screws and the cowl is off, Damn the linkage for the carb hits the motormount! and this thing has a fuel tank made from a shampoo bottle glued to the inside of thr fuse! Oh well other than these problems all I have to repair is the rudder hinges torn from the vertical stab. and replace the rusty rear wheel and i'm done.

On a lighter note my 8 year old son now has a sweet looking bipe hanging in his room! (I'ts a $200 dollar decoration) Please dont tell my wife!
Anyone need a badly used 0S 15LA? or a shampoo bottle?
Thanks a bunch Flynpete a.k.a fanuctech
p.s what goes around comes around!

tperry2054

My Feedback: (15)

Email him again and ask for refund. If he says no, contact paypal again. Give him bad feedback to help the next guy. Did you check his profile first?

Tom

Tim Wiltse-RCU

Flynpete,

Well it looks from the picture that the spinner was already cut way to big for the prop. How much of the "damage" was from shipping? I wouldn't rush and say you got scammed. Maybe the dude was slack on getting back with your emails but remember it is a USED plane what you were not able to see first other than the auction info and the pictures....Buyer Beware after all. As for just being a ceiling hanger ditch the pants add a new set of wheels tweak the carb linkage and off you go!

LAter,
Tim

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

OS .15 with HS 55 servos....hmmmm...some might call it adventurous, some might call it daring, there must be a better description around here somewhere.......

cwrr5

My Feedback: (32)

Here's one: strip! No way are those going to handle a plane pulled around by a .15! However, they are perfect for controlling a ceiling ornament!

Sorry to hear, doesn't sound like the guy that sold it was very experienced in the hobby.(dang! a shampoo bottle?!?!? Why didn't I think of that?)

carstoreguy

lather -rince - re"pete"....................as in flyinpete

BMatthews

Sorry to hear about your experience but what happend to you reflects the norm at swap meets I've been too. There's a lot of hack jobs out there and I'm constantly amazed at what some of these people think their models are worth. It's a major reson why my folding currency is safe when I go to a swap meet. I don't see why Ebay would be any different. There IS the odd pearl out there but for the most part I have no doubt it's mostly scary stuff if you have even normal standards of workmanship.

Dukester

My Feedback: (31)

Obviously its a little late now, but I am one of those guys that buys all kinds of stuff on Ebay. The thing I think you missed was getting the guy to e-mail you a good description of the condition of all the items on the plane. The problem for you now is that in the ad he never states the conditions of any of the items. So you don't have a strong case to make that the items were not as described if there was none to start with.

That being said, if you feel jerked then e-mail the guy with a list of complaints and damaged parts not clearly identified and see what he says. If you don't hear back within two days then go ahead and complain to Paypal again. Worst comes to worse you end up right where you are now.

Good luck,
Duke

flyinrog

My Feedback: (1)

I do a bit of baying myself, lesson learned with the last guy, I spent 3 months getting 4 servos, even though I had all my ducks in a row it still took that long...if its more than $20 email the person if you are serious about buying, if they dont email back, dont bother with it...it may take a day or 2 ...Rog

Bipe Flyer

I don't know if you got scammed, but you probably didn't get your money's worth. You'd be amazed at how many guys build and fly planes like you described and think that they are perfectly fine. I'd replace the servos and fly the heck out of it.

You can't tell a lot from the picture, but the spinner and cowl do look hacked up. All the upper case and exclamation marks in the description put me off. Excessive capitalization, exclamation marks, bolding, italics, coloured fonts etc. makes a description feel like a used car ad to me.

carstoreguy

Bipe, do you know where the c.g is measured on one of these little bipes?

rrragmanliam

My Feedback: (1)

Carstoreguy, Sory this happened. There is alot of hacked of crap for sale on the bay and everywhere. Bottomline is if someone else built the thing and you cant get your hands on it before you buy it, don't do it. I can only think of a few people I would buy somthing like this from sight unseen. Most ARF planes are of marginal quality to begin with, then some guy hacks it up for glow power. Wasn't a good situation from the get go. I've learned the hard way myself.

Darren

carstoreguy

[&o] I should have known, Your right "RR" sight unseen = not so good.
Like a blind date the beauty is in the eye of the beholder! I just wish I was told that she had a glass eye, wooden leg , facial hair and vd.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

CARSTOREGUY, look at the plane from the top and take the overall chord measurement from the furthest forward leading edge, to the rearward most trailing edge of which ever wing that may be. Usually the top wing is in front ,so you will use that wings' L.E., and the bottom wings' T.E. for reference. Now all you have to do is take 25% of the combined chord[ that you just arrived at], and mark that spot on the top wing. I have never seen 25% of the chord fail for RC or CL.

BMatthews

25 to 30% but yeah it's a cheap and easy way to get the CG of a bipe.

Bipe Flyer

Calculate a safe CG and find your preferred CG by making adjustments after flying it. Piggy and Bruce are correct, 25% to 30% is is safe for a bipe. For a bipe with 2 identical wings the combined chord is LE of front wing to TE of rear wing. I've attached an illustration of how to calculate for a bipe with 1 swept wing and 1 straight wing. Just change .3 (30%) to whatever % you are trying to find.

carstoreguy

thanks guys! when I get this thing out of my kids room I might try to fly it! ( hope the guy I got it from grows a spine and takes it back though )[:-]

Dukester

My Feedback: (31)

Just my 2cents (or was that opinions are like *****___s???) but I think you stand a better chance to negotiate a partial refund than a full one. If you want all your money back, then you'll probably end up paying the return shipping. Also that means he has to try and sell it again (and maybe explain to wife/GF/mom whatever why he has to give the money back, etc).

I think you'd be better off deciding what you think its really worth and asking for the difference back. Used .15, 4X HS-55s, and the plane (for what its worth). Say $30 for the .15 + 4x $10 servos, plane $30 or whatever. So maybe you really got $100-$120 in actual value. Try and hit him up for the difference.

Don't be afraid to lean on him with threats of Paypal complaints. You may find he's more willing to participate in a partial refund rather than risk having to give back all the money and take the plane back.

Duke

Dukester

My Feedback: (31)

Oh yeah, don't forget that the Paypal complaint limit is a hard 30 days exactly to the hour. So even if it looks like its going to work out somehow make sure you file the complaint before 30 days or he may just drag his feet and you'll be screwed. You can always cancel it and tell them its all worked out.

Duke

MikeSell

My Feedback: (2)

I'm sorry to hear of your experience and I can empathize but:
You talk about being scammed. Did he set the price or did you bid it that high? Maybe he thought that he made a mistake and wondered if someone else would want to salvage the parts. I've had people tell me that something they were selling on ebay went for way more than they thought it should. If someone offered you $100 for a piece of yarn in your pocket you might feel that you were on Lets make a Deal but would you take it?
Before crying foul, talk to the seller, file a dispute if the product was actually misrepresented and look before you leap. I would never choose to buy a light duty electric that could maybe be converted to a .061 that had been flown with a .15. The ARF construction is questionable in itself but with the torque and shaking of a .15 glow I can't imagine what condition it would be in.
All the items on ebay are there for a reason.
*They're the items culled out of somones inventory. They keep the best.
*They're there to make a profit. The seller seldom knows the history of these items.
*They're there because the owner fell on hard times and needs the money.
*They're there because someone lost interest and is liquidating.
*They're trash that someone is trying to get rid of without throwing it away.
Evaluate why its being sold, The knowlege level of the seller and The history of the seller. Then make your decision of the items worth.
I ebay all the time but some items are better left alone.

carstoreguy

Mike, with a feedback of +259 on e bay and the owner of a hobbystore (as well as an avid r/c nut) I understand how it works with auctions. I've never told someone that an item was better than it actually was. I understand your comments. However, did you read the discription? I'm shocked mostly because my airplane customers are by far the most educated and honest customers I have. Just assumed (never a good thing) With 3 flights this plane would be fine.
Oh well! Wachagunnadooo?

Silvaire

My Feedback: (50)

I have a little experience both buying and selling on ebay, and would like to add a few thoughts on getting a fair deal.

First, LOOK AT THE SELLERS FEEDBACK. Not just the numbers, but what people actually say about the seller. Just like people everywhere, sellers come in all flavors. Some are out to make a quick buck, some are honest to a fault, and most lie somewhere in between. Seeing what items a seller is also offering or has offered in the past can also be helpful in sizing up a seller. Also, see how long a seller has been registered on ebay. (Just because someone is a new seller on ebay does not make him bad, but someone with 3 positive feedbacks that currently has 50 items offered for sale is not new to ebay! New sellers are just "unknown quantities" and as such pose a greater risk.)

Second, VERY THROUGHLY READ the sellers description and terms. If something is unclear to you about what is being offered, ASK! Sometimes a seller is intentionally hiding something by omission, but most often they just do not know enough about the item to provide the important information in their description. (Whatever you actually think, it is probably best to assume the latter when phrasing your questions to a seller!) If you do not receive a reply or the answer is not clear (or is not to your liking) DO NOT BID! The burden lies with the buyer to determine the meaning of anything that requires interpretation or clarification, or if the item will meet his expectations. Anything unclear regarding condition (or completeness or shipping or payment terms or whatever) should be cleared up before you bid on the item.

I have had very few bad experiences buying on ebay. These few bad experiences pale in comparison to the many wonderful deals and great items that I have been able to find to add to my collections. By following the above advice you will eliminate most of the problems usually encountered with ebay buying. Be willing to accept that buying anything entails risk. Buying "sight unseen" from an unknown seller is a greater risk than when you can see the item in person. Asking appropriate questions first and buying from a seller with a good track record will greatly reduce your risk when buying on ebay.

Arlen

carstoreguy

WOW - LET ME READ THAT AGAIN!

Dukester

My Feedback: (31)

No one ever accused us of being shy or short on opinions.

Duke

toy264

Here's what I did when I was unwise and was taken by a scammer.
You have to have patience and a sense of humor , and a mix of Sherlock and Clueso. Realize that you’ll spend more than $200 on a lawyer, so you’re not really going to sue, you’re playing psych games! All this assumes you didn’t have any luck with PayPal (Wow, what were the chances?), and your credit card co.

1. Use his email address if you have it. If not, check his feed back and get in touch with someone else who left some. Keep asking until you find someone who has his email address.
2. Go online and back trace his email to a name and address.
3. With his street address, send him a certified letter. Politely ask for your money back. Keep everything POLITE even when you threaten to sue.
4. You can start this one at the same time as 3) above, ‘cause you won’t get a response—Get the name of the DA for the guy’s city and send him a letter laying out that you were ripped off. You’ll get a form letter response. Send him a copy.
5. Go on line and get a phone number. Call on a weekday afternoon and (hopefully) leave a message. (“Honey, some man left a message—says he was defrauded!?”) Tape any phone calls - but say “I’m taping this call.” To be legal.
6. Get a friend who’s a lawyer to send a snappy letter on letterhead. No, lawyer friends? Have your son show you how to fake letterhead in MS Word. Use words like "aforementioned" and "felonious"
7. Keep it up until you win or get tired of it- it took me three months to finally get in touch with the parents of a 17 year old who was, unbeknownst to them, putting adds for licensed versions of Photoshop CDs on Ebay for $250. Which they returned with an apology.
It took some time, but not a lot, and I work too hard for my money to hand it over to someone who doesn't, without a bit of a tussle.

Good luck.