Craftsman 12" Bandsaw

[Dal300]

I was just on eBay looking for a driven pulley for my old craftsman band saw when I ran into this:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/290627655071...84.m1423.l2649

I read it, re-read it, had the wife read it and re-read it and then I thought, "What the Heck, it's only $6.95... go for it!"

I bought 2, and got order confirmation. I expect them to be some sort of toy or maybe a mistake, but if they do happen to be real Craftsman 12" band saws, (Probably the Hitachi look-a-like), I'll be a happy camper. One will fit in my RV bay just fine and the other will get sold.

We shall see!

[Dal300]

Well, all of them are gone. I hope this works out!

[LCHIEN]

I dunno, the $5.95 shipping should be a clue that all is not well. A saw like that should weigh about 150 pounds and cost a lot more than $6 to ship. Hope it works out well for you, though.

[smrss]

Based on the seller's other items you can expect to receive a t-shirt with a photo of a bandsaw on it.

[Dal300]

Yeah, that was exactly why I went ahead and bought it. The description says it has a 1 HP motor and a 14" table. I also read the return policy which indicates I can return or exchange for another one that I'm satisfied with or get my money back.
If it's a toy, and decent at all, I'll keep it and give to my 8 yr old grandson for Christmas, (he really likes wood working and tools). If it's a T-shirt, or something else that doesn't include what is listed, I'll pitch a real hissy fit, (actually my wife will), until I get what is listed.

I figured spending $14 on a couple of them was cheap, and if they really are any good, would be great for my needs.

Again...

We shall see!

I dunno, the $5.95 shipping should be a clue that all is not well. A saw like that should weigh about 150 pounds and cost a lot more than $6 to ship. Hope it works out well for you, though.

[johnk]

Keep us updated!

[Dal300]

I just got an email stating that they had cancelled the order (s) because they no longer had the items listed. Hmmmm.... I bought the first two. The wife is pitching a real ***** with them.

Funny thing, they must have had them when they posted the auction, right? After all, no one would post an auction for something they didn't actually have possession of now would they? I wonder what happened to the band saws? (Said with Tongue in Cheek)

[sailor55330]

I wonder if they posted the "bandsaws" as a way to get more hits on their ebay store so that you would see all the other items they sell and then convienently "ran out" when you tried to order the bandsaws.

Just another example of ecommerce not always being as clear as it seems.

Purely a guess though.

[duncsuss]

... no one would post an auction for something they didn't actually have possession of now would they?

Something similar once happened to me with an Amazon seller.

The seller was beauty.com, a subsidiary of drugstore.com, and the product they listed was a Cole-jaw chuck for a woodlathe -- at a great price (something silly like $15 for an item that would normally be $90 or more).

I ordered it out of curiosity, and was quite excited when the box arrived, but it seemed a bit light for a lathe chuck. Not surprising really, since it contained a bar of fancy soap.

They reimbursed the cost and told me not to return the bar of soap.

My theory is that nobody checks the listings that are created automatically out of a stock control database that only knows UPC/SKU numbers, and a different database that only knows the product description for each UPC/SKU number. One (or both) could have the wrong item code number for an item or two, eventually a listing like this will show up.

[Dal300]

Interestingly enough, they cancelled the sale and issued a refund without informing eBay. That is grounds for a dispute, although I really don't want to do that.
I've done a lot of checking and usually eBay leans toward the seller, but, since a couple of friends of mine bought the same item, and I bought before them and they have received no cancellation... I hope I have a good case.

I really need a new band saw and yeah, I got it cheap, but the seller entered in to a contract which is binding if it's the buyer that's doing it.

When I sell on eBay, I don't use BIN, I don't use a reserve, I just list it at the minimum I can take. It's not my problem that the seller was too stupid to list the item correctly. I've been caught out that way on my listings and sent the item(s) anyway. It's better to take a loss than to have an unhappy buyer.

[woodturner]

I've done a lot of checking and usually eBay leans toward the seller

Sellers constantly complain that eBay always sides with the buyer.

I really need a new band saw and yeah, I got it cheap, but the seller entered in to a contract which is binding if it's the buyer that's doing it.

A purchase contract requires four things:
1. a "meeting of the minds"
2. an exchange of consideration
3. a time frame for completion
4. delivery of the goods

On eBay, the seller offers to sell, and the buyer accepts or rejects that offer. However, the contract is not "a contract" until the buyer pays for the goods and the payment settles and the seller ships the goods. Prior to that point, there is no contract to enforce. As a results, eBay's claims to the contrary, there is no "binding contract" until the buyer pays and the seller ships. That's why eBay can't really do anything about non-paying bidders.

There are also provisions in contract law for correction of errors and prohibiting "unjust enrichment". In this case, if they were forced to sell you a $500 item for $20, you would be unjustly enriched. Even if you could prove existence of a contract, the contract would be void and unenforceable.

[Dal300]

So, you are saying that anytime there is no "Delivery of the goods" there is no contract? Hmmmmm.

[mrhans]

So, you are saying that anytime there is no "Delivery of the goods" there is no contract? Hmmmmm.

Just goto Ebay's rules for reference: Many of the items on eBay are sold in an auction-style format where you can make bids. Bidding is a lot of fun, but remember that each bid you make is a binding contract to buy the item if you win. quoted from this page: http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/...-overview.html
I would say just start a case. The seller had no business making a listing they didnt actually want to sell.

[r_wright1]

You guys can't be serious here - you actually expect to get a brand new bandsaw delivered to your door for $7.00 and are having issues that it isn't happening? Common sense comes into play here. This is no different than when a major advertiser runs and incorrect price in an ad and does not have to honor it. There have been previous listings in this forum regarding great deals on floor tools some web sites that were incorrect and the vendor did not have to follow through on the deal.

If you took this to court, you would lose this case in a court of law. Ebay will back the seller on this one, mistakes happen.

[woodturner]

I would say just start a case. The seller had no business making a listing they didnt actually want to sell.

My point was that the rules on ebay and legal contracts are different.

Submitting a case on eBay is a better way to go - the seller arguably violated eBay's rules, but it would be difficult to make a case for breach of contract, in my opinion.

Given the seller complaints about eBay "always" siding with the buyer, it seems likely that an eBay case would be resolved in favor of the buyer.

BTW, be aware their "72 hours" to resolve the case is often longer. I recently had to escalate a case, and their response (within 72 hours) was that it would take them 30 days to resolve the matter.

I speculate they are trying to delay resolution until the credit card chargeback dispute period (60 days) tolls, but that is speculation on my part.