June 3, 2025
Linking the two thoughts might seem incongruous. It is not. How often do sellers at your favorite online auction site, eBay, display the following on their pages.
Should this be a deterrent from bidding? What if you don’t
like what you received or, worse, if it is not as described in the posting?
There is a solution. Ask questions. Ask away. Get as many
precise answers from sellers as possible. I have asked about the extent of and
where any brassing exists on gold overlay pens. I specifically mentioned areas of concern such as clips,
bands, edges of the metal overlays, etc. To make the question very clear I explained to the seller what brassing is, as some
sellers are either clueless and act as much. Should your pen arrive with
brassing, you can return your pen.
Fading and crystallization of celluloid and discoloration of
hard rubber are other issues commonly encountered. Seller photographs are not always great and even
misleading – maybe not intended to be. But, have seen more than enough images that beg the question. Ask if the color of the pen is
consistent in the barrel and cap. If the seller replies yes and it is not, you
have the right to return the pen.
How? Ebay allows returns for items not as described. The
description extends to responses in correspondence with the seller. Photographs that describe the issue are required for the return. Ebay workers probably
never review most requests for returns but, having a good written description of the
pen and issue, mention of communication, responses, and providing photographic evidence,
essentially, forces sellers to accept the return. Otherwise, eBay will
reimburse you and deduct your reimbursement from the sellers account.
Restored falls in a similar category. Here’s an image from
their site.
What does restored mean? Part of the dictionary
definition reads....
1: to put or bring
back into existence or use
2: to bring back to or put back into a former or original state
Ask how was the pen restored. What work was done? Does replacing the sac or flushing the section satisfy the definition of restored? What about wiping down the pen with Simichrome or taking silver polish to the trim? To me, restore means to bring back to new condition and, surprisingly, eBay supports this definition. When requesting the return copy and paste the definition from the dictionary.
The key here again is to ask questions. Most sellers want
sales to go smoothly with no buyer issues and will accept returns, no questions
asked. However, some need encouragement.
I’m told similar issues exist for buyers of Japanese pens at
Yahoo Japan. I've purchased more than a few pens from there and seller shenanigans are much more egregious. The real bummer is that as a foriegner buying through a proxy service the pen cannot be returned. Caveat emptor, I guess.
Probably the best explanation for selling a re-somethinged pen is refurbished with description of what was done. Even better might be no explanation at all. Take your chances and let the buyer be surprised.
Sellers – be careful. Buyers – be even more careful.
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