Lessons learned in Ebay purchase, rescuing a featherweight
 

Thankfully I was able to purchase 2 featherweights for a decent price off ebay, the one was in pretty good shape, very useable, just needing a cleaning. The other one I paid around $150 for and was told it was in working order. I don't care about the dirty, can fix that, but when the machine arrived it had a broken needle, which always raises my eyebrows. needles break for reasons we all realize that, but we looked into it some and found the bobbin case was broken (this was a $50 parts/ not including labor my husband and son did) and the throat plate had some springs or something broken, included in the price of the bobbin case base.

Well, now that those parts are in we put a needle in and slowly.... .put the needle down and another bump of the bobbin case, me thinks at this point there is something wrong with the needle bar height. That appears to be the best place to start, we found a manual on the web on the timing of the featherweight. And this is where we will begin the timing. Thankfully I have a talented husband and son. The machine is cleaned and greased, now we just need to time it.

Larry the guy I purchased it from on ebay gave me a $30 credit on the machine, which I should have asked for more. $120 for a dirty and broken machine isn't such a good purchase. Now I have seen machines in much worst shape going for $150 and i wonder how long it be before the prices come down again. I'll watch and wait.

Sue, you are so right about the pricing of machines. Many people want to get a great FW for a low price only to find out that they not only need cleaning, but they are missing parts, etc. I expect to pay a decent price for a good machine that is all there. I have bought some cheaper, but spent a lot of time and money getting them into shape for sewing. Plus, a lot of them have no case or attachments and have never been serviced. I have gotten all 5 of my FW's and both 301's in fairly good shape now - and learned a lot!

You could have gotten all of your money back. Ebay and PayPal are wonderful with that. Whenever an item is purchased and you get it, and it is not as described, you are entitled to get all of your money back. I have gotten stung badly a few times, and PayPal has always gotten my payment back and also the cost I paid for shipping, because the seller was not honest about the condition of the item.

Did you put the needle in with the flat to the left? It threads from right to left.

Could it be that when the throat plate was reinstalled that the bobbin carrier's 'finger' is not in the proper slot on the underside of the throat plate? This would cause the needle to hit something.

I would have filed a complaint with ebay and have sent it back for a refund. I did that with a machine I bought via ebay that was NOT as described. Ebay found in my favor and I didn't have to pay shipping either way and got a complete refund.

you should have sent it back and got a refund. It is just as dishonest to file a claim to get your money back and NOT send the item back as it is to sell a broken a machine in the first place. BUT one must also remember, most who sell those machines do know anything about them. So the seller must really know how to ask the right questions, ask for pix, etc.

There are 2 issues here: the condition of the machine and the STATED condition of the machine. If a machine is missing any parts (except for the needle) it is not a working machine.

Sorry about the problems/ Hope you have her in working order soon.

Yes, needle was in right.
thanks for checking.

The issue was the needle bar height, from a mark on the bar it was 1/8" off, my husband changed the height and it still bumps. My hubby also found the bar under the machine had pliers marks on it, deep ones, think someone was "timing" it??? My husband will hopefully have time to look at it again tonight.
I would have sent it back but really $100 for a machine that needs work, well, it will have to do.

Maybe you can help me out and tell me what you use on your machines to keep them clean and shiny...?

At least the ol' gal gets a new life. Thanks for rescuing her.

Update on this rescue: DH found the rotary shaft was bent, someone used a pliers on it. There is one little place when you turn the wheel where it lags. We ordered a "new" Used one last night.
If this machine could talk.

We use TR-3 Resin Glaze, it is a cleaner/ shiner all in one. Although I think I would get some orange cleaner and use that first. Then clean and shine it up with the TR-3. All available at Auto parts stores. Our son painted it on with an old paint brush. Broke off QTips and stuck them in any oil holes to keep them clean. We used cotton batting for the clean up. As a LAQ I have more scraps than I know what to do with!

I had the same problem with my machine but a trip to my sewing machine guy for a simple adjustment and all is now well. Don't give up, yours may just need that adjustment as well. Good luck.

Hi just reading about your experience with Ebay!!! You should have done a formal complaint to Ebay. People like that should not be selling there. It makes the others look bad too. I would still make the complaint telling Ebay of the 30.00 credit you got from him, which you wouldn't trust him again to even use the 30 dollars. This really makes me upset. He knew what he was selling and he should have listed all things wrong with it. I've sold & bought on Ebay for yrs. and did have 1 complaint which I did go to Ebay with. It was fabrics I bought from this woman that didn't measure up to what she said it was, she wouldn't answer my emails, or any kind of a respond to me. She no longer sells on Ebay, which is what should happen. Can you imagine how many people this guy is receiving hard earned cash from people that don't do anything about these bad sellers. When he goes out & buys these broken sewing machines or something else and only gives back 30.00 dollars CREDIT!!!, sounds like a pretty good living to me. Please go back to Ebay and turn him in, even if it's too late in form them he is selling broken machines & selling them as good, running machines. In my opinion
he does this all the time and gets away with it. Also email him & tell him you are going to Ebay about it and you want the whole amount you paid him returned to you for this junk he sold you. This is why there are sellers like that and no one say's anything to stop it. We all need to stop this from happening on the Internet.
Sorry about me butting in but this makes me very angry when good honest people like yourself gets ripped off and he runs off with your cash and he gives you a $30.00 CREDIT!!!
Jigs1354

ebay machines
 

I can't help feeling your anger. I bought an elna machine off ebay recently. Well it was advertised as working well and in good repair. What a mess. It has several broken parts outside. It sounds like it is on its last leg. The bobbin winder is broken and leans into the wheel and runs all the time. An expensive lesson. The machine was 125.00.
There should be some recourse for the people that sell on ebay and are liars.

I recently bought an elna machine off ebay. It was advertised as a working machine in good condition. Well it runs but has several broken parts out side. It sounds like it is on its last leg. The bobbin winder is broken, it leans into the wheel and runs all the time. The tension is a mess, I have not been able to get it to sew. I guess I will have to take it to the repair man. An expensive lesson for me. I [paid 125.00 for a machine that was advertised as a good working machine. There should be some recourse to these people that are liars and scamers. Learned a lesson. Will not buy on ebay again.

We can't send the machine back. My DH and DS took a class and they cleaned and worked on these 2 machines. Then found the broken bobbin case base, and the other part. Which we purchased and installed. Now the next part is broken. The time they have invested in this machine which should have been sold as a parts machine. We'll keep it, I think I may do another formal complaint as this is ridiculous that it was so damaged.
His name is Larry Lodestarexpress and his rating is high.... it is just sad someone would do this to a machine.

Yes!!! please do another complaint on this crook, (not may Sue do it) he should not be on Ebay at all. I don't care how many high ratings he has, he is not selling what he listed on line. Keep complaining to Ebay with this sale. (demand a complete refund from this seller to Ebay) (you do not have to send the 2 machines back, for all your stress from this and you want a complete refund).
About the machine as you mentioned about someone doing something this bad to a machine, let me tell you he is buying them "AS IS" and in the condition you bought it in and selling them to people like you & others as working great!!! HE IS A CROOK and is getting away with it. These days you must not let these sales go, and say oh well!! we bought it now, it's fixed now. That's just what he expects you will do.
You know if just 1 or 2 people would take action in these cases then we wouldn't have so much of this on line theft that goes on & on. Sue YOU!!! are doing a good thing by putting his name out there on this board that will protect the rest of us. I am going to write a complaint about this seller myself. I don't know if that would work but I'm going to try.

this was my first thought, I bought mine on ebay also and was told it sewed, "finger was at the bottom of bobbin case" LOL, thanks heavens I was aware of this and first thing I checked... look for slot on the upper plate and make sure to swing bobbin case up to match....helps alot of problems...