Want to tell you all about an experence we just went through one buying a machine off e bay.
As you know DH now has his mothers minn. B which is in bad shape. Well, he found another on e bay and bought it for parts. It was advertised as a parts machine. Well you should see how the person wrapped this poor machine. When we got it the box was coming apart and the box had been dropped on one end. (this part not sellers fault). But, when opened we found it was packed with store plastic bags and thin building insulation. The machine was dropped at the handwheel end and the shaft that goes through the machine was bent so hand wheel will not turn. Seller never said machine would not turn. Anyway we contacted the seller and he said send pictures which we did. He came back and said it was packed good and that we made the box look damaged and we loosened the hand wheel screw to make the shaft look bent. Told us it was buyers remorse. Well that was all he needed to say and DH went to e bay with a complant. They must have gone through all the messages and pictures because about 20 min. later we had a refund in the pay pal account. Here is a picture of the packageing. Buyer beware.

I love to wrap up sewing machines for shipping - I use all sorts of packing and lots of Saran wrap. The wrap keeps the packing from shifting.

Miriam, I wish we had bought the machine from you. Even when the machine was dropped it would have made it ok. By what Nancy says it takes an act of congress to find a machine you wrapped. This one was really wrapped bad.

GW doesn't know how to wrap a machine either. I got one they were suppose to mail but I picked it up - I'm so glad I picked it up - they just had the machine in the case in a big box of peanuts. The machines do not ship well in the case - don't have them ship the case - not too hard to find one locally or a table or just ship it by itself - the cost on it is enough - just go buy one somewhere... Yeah if I wrap one it is unrecognizable. My DGDs love to help me wrap one - we get creative... an egg cup from an egg carton fits nice over the tension... other stuff does too. I think I searched on line when my sister was going to take one home on the plane and check it - that machine made it just fine. I always chew my nails when I have one shipped - you never know what the dock hands will do with a package no matter how you pack it up...

Crossstitcher,

I also have a Minnesota Model B and I know just how neat those machines are.
You have a PM coming.


As for GW, when we win an auction we email them before we pay telling them about the machines that have come to us damaged. We ask them to take extra care and package them well. So far that's worked. Knock on wood.


Joe

Same thing happened to me only it took several months to get a refund. It wasn't a sewing machine tho. I removed all emails after I got the refund because I didnt want to remember the nasty experience. All I remember is that it was shipped by (can I say the carrier) And they said the package was ripped open when they got it.

Is it a against rules to state a bad vendor, or can you warn people.

we do not permit consumer complaints.
the stories are one-sided and we have no resources to check facts or mediate.

I think it would be a hard thing to prove who is at fault when you ship something.

Ebay has a excellent and in favor of the buyer refund policy. A full refund including shipping will be refunded to buyer if they go through the proper ebay channels for damaged merchandise.

Jon