Seller did not reveal they are selling for someone else

[snesn]

The problem here is that I have contracted to buy an item from someone who is not actually the seller. The seller has good feedback and so I trusted the item description (eg used but "in perfect condition").

The 'hidden seller' was allowed to list the item with their own description and this hidden seller has, of course, no feedback and I have no basis to judge the trustworthiness of their description.

I feel that I have been mislead (not intentionally but mislead nevertheless) and the transaction is now too risky and may need to be cancelled. Am I entitled to cancel?

[k1ooo-slr-sales]

The seller has now told me that a machine he represents to me as being in "perfect condition" is, in fact, 15, 20 or more years old. In other words it is bloody elderly but it is not an antique.

He is having some trouble getting his head around the idea that a machine that old cannot possibly be in perfect condition. Maybe he'll understand in the end but, in the meantime, it is just so laughable.

Old items can be in perfect condition.  I sell old film cameras.  I have some here that are around 35 years old and are in perfect condition.  I haven't listed my perfect 35 year old cameras as I consider them to be keepers.  However, should I ever list any of my perfect cameras I would not hesitate to use the expression "in perfect condition" in the description as it would be an accurate assessment of the listed camera.

They simply don't make items like they used to.  Some old items have stood the test of time.

[i-once-was-bump]

Old items can be in perfect condition.  I sell old film cameras.  I have some here that are around 35 years old and are in perfect condition.  I haven't listed my perfect 35 year old cameras as I consider them to be keepers.  However, should I ever list any of my perfect cameras I would not hesitate to use the expression "in perfect condition" in the description as it would be an accurate assessment of the listed camera.

They simply don't make items like they used to.  Some old items have stood the test of time.

I have an old Durst camera 1950s or 60s and it is in perfect condition however I have a 1960s (?) SLR with mould on every lens and they are far from perfect.

[lyndal1838]

My father bought a second hand Pentax SLR back in 1956/7.  I am not sure how old it was then.  A few years later I "borrowed" it as my first camera after a box Brownie but it went back to Dad when I was able to buy my own SLR.  Over the years I have had several very good, very expensive cameras (we owned a camera shop years ago) but when Dad died the only piece of his camera gear I wanted was the old Pentax.

It still takes the best photos and the only reason it is seldom used now is that it is a hassle to get the film developed.

[foxette-in-sox]

Sorry but I have apparently exceeded my limit for sending ebay messages today-so for anyone waiting on copy of sellers message,tomorrow will have to do.

Goodnight everybody,sweet dreams & happy new year :-x

[yolopopo]

snen, you basically told everyone who has read this thread that the seller is a fraud, he has every right to defend himself since YOU made false claims on a PUBLIC forum. You came asking a question and was given responses according to your question. You refused to accept any advice, i don't even know why you bothered asking the question if you think you know every in and out of a ebay transaction. 

You would never get anywhere with a lawsuit reason being above, you would more then likely be slapped with a defamation counter claim and imo a judge would side with the seller. Good luck on trying though.

[officer8479]

Copyright protects the value of something that has been produced/written, e.g. the market value of a poem.  So, if you sue someone for breach of copyright you would be seeking damages for the market value of whatever it is that has been reproduced without permission, i.e the potential income the person has foregone.  

Good luck and Happy New Year everyone.

[thebraff]

*Phew*  I have finally come to the end of this thread.

It was compelling and I resisted the urge to just come to the back page to see what had happened.

I started reading this last year and finished it now.

I was getting so frustrated reading it.  I felt sorry for all the posters trying to give responses that were not being received.

Especially Digital.  I always enjoy his/her posts.  They are always very helpful.

[the-kazbar]

*Phew*  I have finally come to the end of this thread.

It was compelling and I resisted the urge to just come to the back page to see what had happened.

I hope you got to read the many posts that have been removed as they were some of the best bits;)

Is funny how you create an idea in your mind about a poster from their writing style. The whole time I pictured snesn as a woman in her mid 50's, similar to René's wife Edith, from 'Allo 'Allo.

[thebraff]

No I missed a lot of posts going by certain ones in the thread referring to them.  Especially when the OP said posts #66 and #70.  there was no correlation at all.  I looked at posts around those but couldn't determine which ones were being referred to so I assumed a lot had gone.

[austeam]

This thread has focused far too much on who is right and who is wrong instead of what is right and what is wrong.

While I have found this thread interesting I certainly can't claim to have enjoyed it. 😞

The OP began by stating: I have no basis to judge the trustworthiness of their description  because he had discovered the seller was not the owner of the item.  Now I agree with all here that his reason was silly.  However, when I read the description I couldn't help but think there was very little information and what was given was somewhat vague, although this tends to be the case when items are listed from a mobile device.  Is there a word limit on mobile listings? They always seem to be very brief.

Unfortunately the buyer did not ask the questions before bidding and I sincerely hope, if nothing else, that he learns what he needs to ask and not to just assume that if the seller has good feedback that the item is going to be what he expects.  It doesn't matter if the seller was the owner or not.  If you are buying ANY second hand appliance you should ask when was it last used and was it in full working order unless you are buying it for parts.

We still don't know when the item was "refurbished" and the fact that it has only been used once is NOT a guarantee that it will still be working.  I can't tell you how many customers say to us "but I have hardly used it".  If an item has moving parts, elements, boilers, seals, etc then not using it does more harm than using it.

I really don't care who is right and who is wrong, but if the coffee machine was recently serviced and is in good working order then the OP might want to consider going ahead with the transaction.  He will be the winner because he will be the owner of a nice coffee machine and soon be drinking good coffee.  🙂