caveat emptor

[wbrian63]

First - I am in no way suggesting that the seller is guilty of any improper dealings on eBay. I am offering this experience as a lesson to others and include a caution about doing business.

Now - the story:

I like information.

As part of the "gearing up" for the restoration of my newly acquired '76 Euro 6.9, I've been watching eBay for manuals, articles, etc.

Recently came across an auction buy-it-now priced at $22.89 + 6.80 s&h.

Here's how the auction read:

1976 Mercedes 450SE, 450SEL
Wiring Diagram
With Emission Control
Buy it Now
Check our store for more

Here's the picture:


I believe $22.89 is a reasonable price for a manual from that era for MB's. S&H is a little steep, but I'm not going to quibble over a couple of $.

Item promptly shipped by seller, and I got it in yesterday's mails.

This "item" is 5-1/2" tall and 8-1/2" wide and folds out to A SINGLE SHEET 11"x17".

To be accurate, the condition is good to very good, the only marring is the "do not remove" scrawl in red ink on the front "cover".

However, I was under the impression that this was a manual, not a sheet.

I believe this is a classic case of caveat emptor (buyer beware) - I didn't ask the seller if the item was a manual, I assumed it was.

I should have asked more questions. I would not have paid nearly $30 for a single sheet of paper.

I do not mean to suggest that the seller has been deceptive in their advertising.

I do suggest that they could be more forthcoming in their descriptions.

$22.89 is WAY too much for a single sheet of paper. Items like this routinely sell for between $5 and $10.

I have sent the seller a message via eBay detailing much of what I just stated, including the fact that I would be posting a "caution" email to my friends to learn from my experience.

The seller in question, whose name I will not reveal, has a very high approval rating (99.4) with a lot of activity (nearly 7,500) since 2005. Those #'s led me to be less than guarded in my dealings with them.

Again - they did not attempt to deceive. I "assumed" the auction offered more than I received, and did not ask.

My behavior is easily explained by the following corollary:

"Diamond Ring - $10,000" - one would assume from the price and the description that the ring offered has a large carat count.

Learn from me.

I will update this thread with any response I might receive.