ebay

isler · Veteran Member Joined: 12 Dec 2002 Posts: 430

does anyone know who uses the ebay name "Committeefan" ????

dr-pepp · Posted: Wed May 18, 2005 4:21 pm Post subject:

This has come up in several past threads. Here is one that I found:

http://www.trumpetherald.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=31398
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isler · Veteran Member Joined: 12 Dec 2002 Posts: 430

something needs to be done about this cat. He has snaked me on every auction that I have bid on lately. I am a regular at the ebay thing and he has a snipping program that got me on the last second of the auction. He goes by the name hotdealsmoke1 or something like that. I hope he reads this because I am not the only person upset about this guy. the horn I was trying to win he will be offering for 3 times that much when he gets it and puts it back on ebay. Its one thing buying a horn that needs work and then selling it which I have done many times. I am all for buying something that needs work and then selling the horn but this guy is crazy. Ebay need to do something about the snipping programs!!!!

James B. Quick · Posted: Wed May 18, 2005 8:54 pm Post subject:

I often use Auctionsniper when I bid on eBay, especially if I really want the item. I refrain from bidding it up before the auction closes. And, I often still lose. It's an auction, and the person who gets the highest bid in before the end of the auction wins. There is nothing unfair about that. If you want an item, well, put in a high bid..... jbqd

BixHarryLouis&Cliffor · Posted: Wed May 18, 2005 9:36 pm Post subject: ebay

Without going into too much detail,I will say that I had one very bad experience with this person(I sold a Committee to him),enough so that I blocked him from my email,and try not to think about that experience as much as possible. I like to think that the majority of people in this world are kind and considerate at heart,but this person altered my view somewhat. Alex

supportlivejazz · Heavyweight Member Joined: 05 Jan 2003 Posts: 3757

"something needs to be done about this cat. He has snaked me on every auction that I have bid on lately. I am a regular at the ebay thing and he has a snipping program that got me on the last second of the auction."

I just don't get it. I have NEVER BEEN OUTBID when I bid more than anyone else. I have ALWAYS BEEN OUTBID when someone else was willing to bid more than me.

HMMMM. What is the complaint here?

So if I bid higher than Isler something needs to "be done about me" because I have "snaked" him? C'mon, really.

As stated in the Godfather II by Mr. Roth... "It's the busness we've chosen". Strictly business here. You want the horn, bid higher.

As far as the particular individual specified here, he may be a bad apple. I don't know. But, if he is, it is not because he is out bidding Isler or anyone else. I imagine the sellers of the horns in question are happier with his bids than the bids below his.
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1940s Blessing Artist
Olds LA Special Model Cornet

"I'm not apologizing, I am what I am. There'll be no compromising, I don't give a damn."

Solar Bell · Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 3:48 am Post subject:

Hi,

I have also never been outbid when I really want something at my price.
Use a stopwatch and bid a one second.
If I will not be home, I use Esnipe. http://www.esnipe.com/
It has a default setting of 5 seconds before auction ends, but you can modify it to one second.
A word about eBay bidding.
Do not bid untill the very end of the auction.
Resist the need to see your name as high bidder.
Never mind how low the price is....bid the highest amount the item is worth TO YOU!
i.e. If the price is $100 with 1 minute to go, but the item is worth $500 to you....bid $500. eBay only takes the minimum amount over the highest bid.
On the above you may get it for $150.
Bid to win, not just to be the highest at that time.
Again, MAKE YOUR FIRST BID AT THE LAST POSSIBLE SECOND AND BID YOUR HIGHEST AMOUNT AT THAT TIME!

Chuck
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Chuck Willard

jophst · Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 5:21 am Post subject:

Technically, there isn't anything illegal about him hogging all the horns and making a profit on them. That's just simple business, plain and simple. I don't particularly agree with it along with "committeefan" 's hidden feedback (why does he need that?) or when he relists the horn as HotDeal1Smoko and claiming the horn to be in better condition than when he bought it, i.e. Mint when it clearly isn't Mint (lacquer wear, dents, etc.).

Here are the items committeefan has won and that you will see on Ebay in the future if you haven't already:

http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws1/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewBidItems&userid=committeefan&sort=9&page=1&rows=25&completed=1&all=0

I will say that HotDeal1Smoko has purchased a couple horns from me in the past and likely resold them, I don't know. He purchased them as his previous alter ego "coolhorns" though. Well, because of me revealing his identity on the TH, he decided to go ahead and leave a negative feedback for one of the horns I sold him. Can you believe that? Was I out of line, ... maybe .... but what did that have to do with the horn I sold him at a very nice price which I'm sure he made a profit on? NOTHING!

Unfortunately, his system is working and this is sustaining his methods of business. I just can't see myself buying a horn at a decent price and turning around trying to sell it at a Near New Retail price. Every once in a while, I'll get a good deal and make a little profit, but that is rare. I'll generally mark up what I paid for it $100 or so to cover the auction and PayPal fees.

P.S. Isler, that would have been a nice deal on the N. Y. Mercedes!
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jophst · Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 5:27 am Post subject:

He has a couple websites as well if you'd like to see:

http://www.macroarts.com/marektrump.html

http://trumpettime.tripod.com/

Call me resourceful.
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Bb - Yamaha Xeno 8335RGS
Picc - Yamaha 9830 w/PVA
Flugel - Yamaha Shew 6310Z
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StevenPSparks · Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 5:53 am Post subject:

No such thing as sniping: High bidder always wins, that's why they call it an auction.
Committeefan? aka HotDealSmokinCrack? If I can't say something nice, then.......
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jophst · Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 6:02 am Post subject:

..... can't say nothing nice about this guy, you are probably right.

... If I can't say something nice, ....
_________________
Bb - Yamaha Xeno 8335RGS
Picc - Yamaha 9830 w/PVA
Flugel - Yamaha Shew 6310Z
Laskey's 68MD,68C,PIC,68F,68DB

josephus07 · Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 6:38 am Post subject:

What I don't like about this guy is his dishonesty. One time I called him about a "Monke" rotary C to get some info.

After getting some "info" from him, he tried to pressure me into buying the horn for $2000. At one point when I said I'd like to wait to hear back from my teacher he said something like, "Sooner or later you have to grow up and make your own decisions about horns."

I later found out that it wasn't even a Joseph Monke, but a Willhelm Monke. That's a jerky thing to do. Glad I didn't buy it. Never will buy anything from him.

jsmn4vu · Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 6:45 am Post subject:

Just a personal peeve, but I won't buy anything from someone who uses the word "mint" in connection with something that's not just like new. If they'll lie about that, they'll likely lie about other things, as well.
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Peachtree Wind Ensemble

jophst · Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 6:48 am Post subject:

As I recall, the original owner of that very horn you were talking about came on the Herald in the Marketplace and the Forum to warn members of the auction that it wasn't a "true" Monke trumpet.
_________________
Bb - Yamaha Xeno 8335RGS
Picc - Yamaha 9830 w/PVA
Flugel - Yamaha Shew 6310Z
Laskey's 68MD,68C,PIC,68F,68DB

brass2002 · Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 12:15 pm Post subject:

Three years ago, I bought a Bach C with Blackburn leadpipe from him on Ebay. He called me up one hour after the auction ended. He insisted that I must pay him with Paypal right away. I was not impressed as the auction stated that I could pay with Paypal or money order. But he kept on talking for half an hour, he was so pushy that I decided not to deal with me again.

Ken V · Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 12:48 pm Post subject:

I have seen items for sale on E-Bay with a line stating " people without feedback or negative must contact seller before bidding or the bid could be cancelled". Could this also be done to people with "private" feedback which in my eyes is like no feedback. I don't know if those terms of sale are legit but people do it all the time.

Something like this could help a little with people who trade horns often but a lot of the desirable horns are sold by people that don't have a clue like the person selling the Bach Mercedes. The bottom line though is that the auctions are for a stated period of time and people have a right to bid whatever and whenever they want within that time period.

KV

KV
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plp · Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 1:53 pm Post subject:

I will give him one thing, he does have a good eye for quality equipment, and isn't scared to drop a lot more change than I would.

I have lost several sleepers to him in the past. I like to check out his smoko persona just to see what he has for sale, but he has added markup by then and it is more than I am willing to pay.

wintaper · Posted: Mon May 30, 2005 9:26 pm Post subject:

Yeah he burned me on one too. Then turned around and sold it for big profit. Legal or not - what he's doing is completely unethical. He's driving the price of used instruments way up and taking advantage of people who do not know an instument's worth.

But then I found a way to get even...

Just for fun. I've been emailing his bidders the original auction urls. Again - totally legal, but not ethical - sure it keeps me amused during my horn-buying hiatus. This way people can see what he paid for a horn and what he's asking. Caveat Emptor in reverse, I say. I have no intention of ever buying from smoko - so he cannot touch me as far as negative feedback. Lets see how he likes someone who uses the same system against him.

Real trumpeters make their living playing horns, not reselling them for profit. This guy is scum.

James B. Quick · Posted: Mon May 30, 2005 9:50 pm Post subject:

Solar Bell · Posted: Tue May 31, 2005 3:43 am Post subject:

See next post by me
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