About a week ago I won an auction for a multicade on Ebay. The seller had a reserve set, I met it two days before the auction closed. After it sold I paid by paypal, then exchanged info with seller. I setup and paid for shipping thru NAVL. The next morning I check paypal to see if items I was selling had been pair for and I notice a $1250 refund in paypal and a note from seller, " sorry, I decided I want more $$ for machine. I might list it after the holidays slightly higher. I will be happy to let you know when I do."

I planned on fighting this, especially for being a douche bag and telling me thru ebay why he was reneging on a binding contract. Figured he would sabotage game somehow if I forced him to sell.

When I recently sold my HS, I had given the "It's all yours" to a guy and dropped my ads. A month later after numerous conversations about the guy's schedule and inability to come and get it I finally relisted it and within a couple of days had cash in my hand.

So, my moral of the story is that I was full of integrity and really gave the guy the benefit of the doubt but after a while enough was enough.

Stuff happens and I don't think the guy was malicious at all but I needed the pin gone for space and found another seller.

Did you mention what the part was? Maybe a fellow Pinsider can help you find another one.

I had a pinsiders, a craiglisters, and ebayers tell me that they will ship next day after payment. Never received products, I had to fight to get my money back. If the deal is a good price, you need to beware and do your diligence with the seller. I only purchase from local craiglist and pinsiders that are local, and look at the product first, and deal with cash in hand. For ebayers, I only bid on sellers ratings that are good.

You're comparing waiting a month to waiting less than 24 hours? Not exactly apples and oranges there..

Once a buyer says they will purchase at a given price, I always put a deadline for payment on it. Something like, "OK, I'll hold it until noon Saturday; but at 12:01PM it is fair game again." And then I live up to that - no exceptions.

That way everyone knows what to expect.

I've had three pinsiders advertise looking for something I've had but had to hunt for

1. Found a wide lock down bar. He wanted pictures. Said he'd take it. Never heard from again

2. Someone wanted a board. Had one! Got silence so a week later I emailed, reply said "I will take if you still have it.". packed for Canada, never heard from again.

3. Had some freebies and someone from outside the US said they'd pay for postage, so I packed it and it's still sitting here, 6 months later.

On the other hand, I once drove an hour to get an Alien Poker for $250. When I got there, they guy said "you wouldn't believe the number of assholes that offered more, even when I told them you were on your way to pick it up"

You should take care of it Minnesota style. Walleye heads in his bed with that note that says "Don't cha know. You betcha"

While many solid hobbyists in pinball, we also have a good amount of dick heads. I've run into same thing, and for most part - sellers have stood their ground and kept the original sale.

The guy that stiffed you is a douche. Plain and simple.

I agree, I would say less than 5% turned up deadbeats. For the most part, people still keep with their word. Just be careful when the deals seems too good to be true.

I told a guy guy I would hold a game and told two other buyers it was sold and after being jerked around for a week I notified each of the other buyers the deal didn't go through.
They had moved on and bought something else.
The other problem is when these guys pull this the other buyers think there is something wrong with the game because the other guy didn't buy it.
Dealing with the GP is a PIA, I have a couple resellers I sell games to they give me my price show up with the cash and they can add their markup to the game.
They can deal with the lowballers and picture collectors and the price police.
I just sold 3 games to one of these guys, he got a restored WH2O for 5K and will probably get over 7K for it.
He will be earning every dime of his markup.

happy thoughts & the universe will present a new pin…

bb_homer_buddha_1.jpg

No way as a seller I would ever cancel a deal once a price - and deadline - is agreed for. Got a higher offer for pin I was selling, and declined it.

Only reason I would would be the wife saying, "if you sell that pin, I'll ask for divorce". Sadly this is never going to happen... she barely plays!

It's real simple, if as a seller, you utter the words "it's yours", and/or " we have a deal" be a man and hold true to those words. BUT, take it one step further and set up terms that must be abided by for both parties involved, such a time, place, and payment. If any of those cannot be met, then by all means move on to the next buyer. If you cannot stand by your words, DO NOT MAKE A DEAL, period!

To accept anything else and make plausible excuses of "that's just the way it is", make things no better.

Out the douche bag seller, and give him the reputation he deserves.

If you plan to sell it to the first one with cash, that is very reasonable, BUT SAY SO to any potential buyer! It's that simple!!!

The question of "how long should I hold it for" is stupid. That is the choice of the seller and that term should be agreed upon if you tell someone "it's yours". If the buyer cannot meet that deadline....next!

I'm cool with your approach except on the picture collectors comment. Hit a nerve.

You're selling a product post a freakin picture. Stick it up on google or any of the multiple free image host sites and let picture collectors - collect. But for the buyers, they see the product the are looking to purchase if not locally convenient. Plus, it's a hobby. It's cool to see how other people refurbish a game and customize it. Like car collectors sitting in a parking lot - guess you wouldn't lift your hood?? I just don't get this mentality but to each their own.

Same thing happened to me yesterday for a shaker motor. Granted, it took me 12 hours to paypal as I was not home. I was told it was mine. Got up this morning to an email that he was going to refund my money and sold it to someone else. Not the end of the world, but it is frustrating.

Just for very cautious guys like yourself i do it like this, if i sell something.

Exchange of pictures and set a price.
Then i send the items to the buyer (my risk for the value of the items, and i pay shipping)
Buyer inspect the items, and if he is content he PayPal's me the agreed price and shipping.
Items not to the likings of the buyer, he sends it back at his expence (so then i am out for oneway shipping as does the buyer for oneway shipping).
Works wonderfully well, never got burned once (knock on wood)

I had the same thing happen to me a couple years back, on Febay... Long story, but in the end they told me there was nothing they could do. Because ebay doesn't own the item, it cant force the seller to honor sale. I hammered the $hit out of that a hole with neg feed back... called him off shore scammer, every dirty thing I could think of. Never got what I paid for, just a refund... But, I hope folks thought twice about buying from that scum bag. After that I was not too keen on using Febay for anything. Hope thing have changed, but I think you might be s.o.l.

I guess we can all relate to the good and bad buying and selling experiences... Good luck and I hope you get your multicade.

schwing !!!

The picture collectors are the guys that want you to take a few more pics then a few more then they hit you with a lowball or don't even bother to reply.
I only sell locally cash and carry so if a few pics isn't enough to get them to come look at the game they really are not interested.
They can lift the hood, play the game and test everything.
Most of the games I sell already have buyers, they have already seen and played the game and they tell me to call them when I am ready to sell it.
I don't have to sell the product, it sells itself.
How many pics are needed?
Can't you tell what this game looks like from these 3 pics?
The guy that bought this game came up to buy one, a CV and ended up buying 4.
Most of the games that leave my shop look like this.

BK2K 029.jpg

BK2K 015.jpg

BK2K 004.jpg

I may be interested. Can you send me some pics?

Already sold this one but here are a few more.

BK2K 010.jpg

BK2K 023.jpg

BK2K 020.jpg

I am not building them anymore, too much time and money into them and people don't want to pay.
You have to pay top dollar for base games now and the parts and supplies are a fortune.
Just buying HUO Sterns and playing now.
Keeping the AFM.

AFMPFS 025.jpg

AFMPFS 003.jpg

hehehehehe. Don't be silly .

Ever heard of the Ethics Police ?
Be Afraid.
Be Very Afraid.
Centerflank and I will keep an eye on you, wherever you go, including overseas...