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To patch or not to patch a vintage MA-1 - EBAY THEFT

Lignemaginot

New Member
Re: To patch or not to patch a vintage MA-1

Now I'm pissed.

I wrote the guy an email early this morning apologizing and telling him to send it back and I'd refund his payment in full, including the postage both ways. This evening, without any response to my email, he filed an "item not as described" dispute with paypal, who "temporarily" deducted the full amount from my account.

What a complete and utter dickhead. I've a good mind to tell him to f-off and keep the jacket for being such a twat.

What an illiterate jerk.
 

Weasel_Loader

Active Member
Re: To patch or not to patch a vintage MA-1

I can totally understand the frustration, although I've been lucky enough to never have a bad selling or buying experience yet (knock, knock). It's a real pity there are tools out there that behave in such a fashion.

That being said, I'd like to say you are handling this FIRST CLASS in my book! ;)
 

Lignemaginot

New Member
Re: To patch or not to patch a vintage MA-1

Here's what I wrote to the guy - I mean, jesus, how could I have been any more fair? This was sent Feb 3 at 6:11am.

"Arden!

I'm really sorry about that - of course I'll refund your purchase price, with shipping both ways.

I usually collect WWII A-2 jackets, and this was the first Nylon jacket I had ever bought. When I bought it (I guess you saw it on ebay, too, when I bought it the first time), I didn't realize that the rank insignia were so well attached... when I received it, I didn't want to wear it with the rank, but I also didn't want to remove them, so that's why it went back on ebay. The guy I bought it from said it was all-original, and I didn't think to check any closer.

My address:
Clive Watkins
c/o St. Andrew's School
63 Federal Road
Barrington, RI 02806

Thanks,
Clive"

And here's his complaint to paypal (filed at 8:40 this evening), which while similar to his original message to me, has some additional comments about me paying for the postage and the replacements being obvious. Perhaps he'd like me to send a photo of me groveling in the mud and a note begging him to keep the thing and his refund. Anyone wanting to add his name to your "blocked bidder" list, it's afemma.

"Hi i just received the jacket yesterday and it is not original the collar, the waist band and the cuffs have all been replaced you can clearly see the needle marks and the decal on the sleeve was done over and not lined up right, which makes it not original as you stated I am dissatisfied because it is all redone the jacket and it is not worth what i paid because it is not original it is worth between 175.00 to 200.00 dollars at most i am a large collector of MA1 green on green if you like a fair price between 175.00 to 200.00 get back to me if not i would like to return the jacket because it is all made up for a full refund plus shipping back to you . also before i bid on the jacket i emailed you and asked if it was all original and you said nothing was replaced which it obviously was

GET BACK TO ME PLEASE ASAP

thank you,Arden"
 

USMC_GAU-21

Member
Re: To patch or not to patch a vintage MA-1

David how do you it was him? I thought eBay took down the buyers ID now? Unless you looked into the feedback already?

r/DRH

I have blocked him on my auctions as well...............
 

Lignemaginot

New Member
Re: To patch or not to patch a vintage MA-1

In certain countries you can do a search by bidder for what they are bidding on (and have bid on). The US, at least, is one of those countries. I recall that Luxembourg was not, for some reason.
 

deeb7

Gone, but not forgotten.
Re: To patch or not to patch a vintage MA-1

Atticus said:
Yet another reason to always use a snipe program.

AF

This was a completed sale ... I don't think it would make a difference.
 

Atticus

Well-Known Member
Re: To patch or not to patch a vintage MA-1

deeb7 said:
This was a completed sale ... I don't think it would make a difference.
No, no. I was just saying that I don't want people seeing what I'm bidding on. A snipe program prevents that.

A former member of VLJ made me aware of this practice years ago. He told me that he routinely searched a dozen or so jacket collectors by their e-bay names to see what they had recently found. This way he didn't have to waste as much of his time looking.

AF
 

deeb7

Gone, but not forgotten.
Re: To patch or not to patch a vintage MA-1

Atticus said:
No, no. I was just saying that I don't want people seeing what I'm bidding on. A snipe program prevents that.

Ah, I just wait until the sale is about to end ..... manually. :)
 

Lignemaginot

New Member
Re: To patch or not to patch a vintage MA-1

THE SON OF A BITCH HAS SENT ME BACK A BOX WITH TWO OLD TOWELS IN IT.

HOLY SHIT.

He has sent me a box with delivery confirmation and insured, and it has two old towels in it.

What the f*ck am I supposed tot do now?!?!?!

I'm goddamn hyperventilating. I can't belive this. The guy only lives about 100 miles from me!
 

watchmanjimg

Well-Known Member
Re: To patch or not to patch a vintage MA-1

Not sure how your local authorities would view this from a criminal standpoint, but he lives close enough that in this case a small-claims suit may be worthwhile. 100 miles isn't so far away that principle should cease to be a motivator . . .
 

Lignemaginot

New Member
Re: To patch or not to patch a vintage MA-1

Just got off the phone with paypal.

They're methodology is to find in his favor, and grant him my money, which they've been holding.

They then ask me to go get an incident report from the police, which I am to fax to paypal. Ostensibly, they will then give me the money, too....

Incredible!
 

Atticus

Well-Known Member
Re: To patch or not to patch a vintage MA-1

watchmanjimg said:
Not sure how your local authorities would view this from a criminal standpoint, but he lives close enough that in this case a small-claims suit may be worthwhile. 100 miles isn't so far away that principle should cease to be a motivator . . .
I know one North Carolina prosecutor who would view this as a felony and would be sending a bill to the next grand jury charging a single count of N.C.G.S Sec. 14-100.

AF
 

Lignemaginot

New Member
Re: To patch or not to patch a vintage MA-1

I just got back from the Police station (right across the street from my office); as I mentioned, paypal told me to fax them an, "Incident Report" and they would then refund my money.

It seems that there's absolutely nothing that the authorities can do - it is my word against his. I suppose that paypal will do the right thing and make me whole... that would be the right business decision absed on my experience with them and ebay. But presuming that that is a "given", the fact remains that this turd now has the jacket and hasn't paid for it. As someone said earlier, easy to bid high when you're going to get your money and the item anyway.

Part of me wants to call his house and speak to his wife - ask her if she's missing any towels (one of which, as the police officer noticed, is white with an embroidered logo on it). The police didn't recommend that I do that, though.

Damn, I hate being robbed.
 

Lignemaginot

New Member
Re: To patch or not to patch a vintage MA-1

I'd appreciate it if any of you who belong to other flight jacket forums would post a link to the ebay auction, where the photos of the jacket are still visible.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... K:MESOX:IT

The police said that I needed to be careful about slander. Well, all I know is that I received a box with two dirty towels in it, and I highly doubt that anyone in the post office between West Nyack, NY, and Rhode Island, went to that much trouble.

Still, I won't mention names. Let's just say that the collecting world is quite small, and that jacket (in that size and condition) isn't all that common, especially with the rank and other identifying marks.

The thief who stole the thing will try to unload it at some point, and I'd like to make sure that as many people as possible out there have at least heard about its theft.

Thanks,
Clive
 

Lignemaginot

New Member
I do. I have his phone number. I even did a background check on him: 52, married, with kids. Lives in a $650k house in a nice neighborhood.

But what do you do? Call him? Talk to his wife? His kids? Let them know that daddy is a criminal? Do I drive to his house and threaten him? What does that do for me? As it is, I'm going to lose sleep over this. If I do anything else, all he has to do is say he put it in the box and I'm lying and then I'm the one who's in trouble for harrassing him.

It's absolutely disgusting.
 
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