Is There A Post About New Pipe Sellers On Sites Like Ebay?

[craig61a]

 

[pipestud]

I bought a pipe from pipestud once and he said it came with a a happy ending, he never cane through, that makes him a dirt bag in my world.

Well, it's not that I didn't try, Harris. I just had more work cut out for me to get to a happy ending than I bargained for. )-:

 

[ram74]

A 10,000 Ebay rating with 100% positive reviews says it all. You don't get that kind of rating by dishonesty.

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You get that blatantly fraudulent rating exactly by dishonesty. The only time I was ever ripped off on eBay buying an estate pipe was when I purchased from shinypipes. The pictures listed for the pipe I bought were not accurate. The negative review I left magically disappeared from eBay. I don’t know how they do it, but they get negative reviews removed. I have seen complaints regarding shinypipes year after year across multiple forums, Reddit and YouTube since I got ripped off by them which was in 2014, yet on eBay there is not a single negative review.

 

[ram74]

This is a perfect example of how shinypipes operates.

 

[ram74]

I know that the poor rating that I gave them from four years ago is not in that count, and others haver posted that they too rated them poorly. The pipe I received was a Colding acorn that had a burn on the outside, possibly from where it had been burned from a cigarette in an ashtray is my guess, and it had a hole that was repaired in the stem. The pictures had been severely doctored. I wouldn't have purchased the pipe if I had known.

My experiences with interactions is as posted above, not pleasant. I imagine that if I saw a friend of mine that I was pretty sure of their character being criticized, I would probably jump to their defense also, but when it happened so many times, and then the threat of releasing customer data... I don't think that this is a manufactured conspiracy against them.

I just don't trust those ratings, if mine can be removed, then so can others. 10,000 is an impressive number, but they also have tons of pipes listed. Even with my business I have had some repairs that have failed the customer's expectations (it happens), but I work my damndest to make good on them, and I have never talked down to a customer. They weren't many, maybe below 1%. But, instead of trying to make good this vender has chosen to jump to defensive mode, according to my own experience and others apparently. But, instead of trying to make a customer happy, they just take a different route. Then, apparently work to have bad reviews removed.
Yes, one could probably bank on an 90ish% certainty that they will have a smooth transaction with Shiny Pipes. But, if you fall into that low 1-3% (giving some % to just having a blah experience or just tossing the loss to the roll of the dice) chance of a bad one (tilting the odds to them), you can most certainly count on them not making good on it. In that set of odds, I wouldn't suggest them to forum member.

I know that I can be a jokester on here, but I don't have a reason to unnecessarily target a vender for no reason at all. And, Sable has had more than his fair share of rodeos in pipe transactions.

My negative review was removed also. I don’t know how, but they get negative reviews removed.

 

[bnichols23]

Deadmanspipes = worst store name ever.

But a good seller. I've bought a number of really good pipes from them.

 

[sablebrush52]

Never asked you not to, but many that we do support didn't get where they were completely honestly.

After 42 years in the film and TV biz I'm familiar with the concept.

 

[Richmond B. Funkenhouser]

@cosmicfolklore , What kind of threats were made? I've read all the threads trying to figure it out.. Hey, I'm human, you've got me intrested.

 

[captainsousie]

Shinypipes, where do we start. Abusive language to me after leaving a positive review detailing a minor issue. Threatening members here for honest reviews. Doctoring photos of pipes. Buffing off unwanted nomenclature. So many of us must be wrong.

Shinypipes has multiple Ebay accounts as well which is against Ebay policy. At least 2 separate accounts are used to buy pipes while another is used only for selling. I know this as 3 pipes that I sold were bought by one account (same address I received my shinypipes turd from) and relisted on Shinypipes less than a week later. A bit more than a year after that, the same address, the same pipe listed soon after. Does Ebay care?... no.

Naw, so many of us have had problems with them that they must be saints right? Who the hell are we.

Meh, buy from a crook if you want. Most of us do it every day. Me, I'll do my best to support those who haven't created accounts here just to be immediately banned for abuse and threats.

 

[Chasing Embers]

After 42 years in the film and TV biz I'm familiar with the concept.

I can absolutely believe that.

 

[Briar Baron]

I have been buying pipes off ebay for more than 10 years. I studied a lot of listings in my search for nice pipes and in that process I saw a pipe sell from one vendor and then appear on Shiny pipes with the flaws photo-shopped out. (I saved both lstings to do the comparisons). The photo-shopped pipe sold for about double the original price since the unsuspecting buyer was duped.

Since seeing that a few years ago I totally ignore anything those scumbags have listed, I did not realise until seeing this thread how widespread their thievery was.

 

[anotherbob]

I used to own a Ford Pinto that didn't blow up, but... that doesn't mean that some of them didn't.

nope but the fact that they didn't actually do that without sabotage does say so. It's a well documented debacle.

 

[anotherbob]

thanks guys glad to know not to buy from shiny pipes. I've worked with people like that before. You know someone has a complaint and they take it as a personal attack and the rub is that they usually act like that because they know somewhere in their tiny little brains it is their fault. And if I bought a pipe and the original picture was photoshopped I'd consider that person not to be questionable but a thief. And it wouldn't matter how happy I am with the final product. I wasn't given the chance to weigh my own criteria. On that note I am really happy with my Smoking Pipes estates (my only two). I had one weird issue and they fixed and where polite the whole time (even though I could tell they thought I was being crazy, I would have too in their shoes). But seriously if I bought something and wasn't happy with it and got threats from the seller a boycott would be better then they deserve and not just as a seller but as a freakin human being.

 

[ssjones]

This guy sounds likes incredibly pompous, which makes me question his credibility (and this video should be removed simply for the silly hat) Do people really sit thru these kind of videos? This is exactly why I'm not a "youtube review" fan.

Somehow, they tricked 10,000 people into giving positive ratings? That is a pretty big conspiracy. I'm not sure how that could possibly be manipulated for that number of sales. I'll go further and say it is impossible in Ebay's system. Ask Steve F if he was able to take down any of the assinine comments folks have made regarding his auctions. He just collects them and uses them for humour (he is 100% credible in my book, and as far as I know, doesn't post youtube videos). I suppose if someone was really unfair, and I'm sure that happens, it could be pulled. But with 10,000 ratings? No.

I'll stand by my multiple personal experiences, everyone is free to buy or not buy, there are too many pipe vendors out there to be unhappy.

This is a perfect example of how shinypipes operates.

 

[sablebrush52]

But a good seller. I've bought a number of really good pipes from them.

Very nice guy as well. I've had some great correspondence with him.

 

[jpmcwjr]

Way too many words.

 

[Rigidman]

Way too many words.

12+ minutes to complain is a bit much. He claims not to be vindictive, if so why is the video over 5-7 minutes. Given that, I do understand when someone goes out of their way to screw with you, you want to push back.

I've gotten pipes from eBay where people have tried to hide issues. I believe as a seller on eBay it is your responsibility to know your product. If you're an honest person, or else someone can take advantage of you, thereby taking advantage of your buyers.

The attempt at bribery could've turned into black mail if he would've accepted the free pipe deal. Some people will do anything to hide their dishonesty. So they can continue with their deceptions.

Before you ship an item it should be inspected for possible damage and proper function. If an issue is found you contact the buyer. I actually got a free pipe because the seller did a final inspection and the bone shank extension came loose. Instead of glueing it and shipping it to me, they informed me, refunded my money and shipped it anyway.

I consider myself an honest person. Its the way I was raised. It makes my life much simpler. I look for it in other people. Only thing worse than a liar is an idiot. Sometimes their position changes depending on the lie or the level of stupidity.

Its very difficult to find honesty these days. Its still out there. Its just becoming a rarity. Like intelligence. There's intelligence with common sense and without. Then there's just plain stupid.

 

[anotherbob]

Its very difficult to find honesty these days. Its still out there. Its just becoming a rarity. Like intelligence. There's intelligence with common sense and without. Then there's just plain stupid.

nah. Though it's a lot easier to be dishonest when people can't look you in the eye or even see your face. You know the internet and how it fosters anonymity. It doesn't make people any shittier but it certainly makes it lots easier for the ones that already are.

 

[Rigidman]

I watched the whole video that's mentioned in the above video, I didn't see any breach of privacy. All the information on it is available to millions on eBay. Its not like he published a private email, their address, or unlisted number.

I understand, from my own misfortunes, that I need to do my own research and evaluate what I'm buying. If I have questions I ask them. Sometimes though you don't think a question needs to be asked until it does. Like is the stem glued into the shank? Or are there any cracks anywhere? I also ask for pictures of the bowl and mortise. Some take offense and say if there was any damage I'd mention it. But I reply that I don't know them and I've gotten pipes that were cracked that had been described as in great used condition. The seller just went out of their way to hide the damage in the pictures, or try take pictures so far away that any detail is unknown until it arrives.

Its been an education, but like they say, now I know.

 

[anotherbob]

Yes you can game any system online even if honest people can't do so legitimately. And just cause you don't know how doesn't mean someone else doesn't. I do know people buy good e-bay reviews and they're sold in lots of large numbers. And to get a verified sale isn't hard to fake as long as a small amount of money is exchanged. And guess what that's a common tactic in fact it's a common enough tactic that a shockingly high rating can raise it's own red flag. But to me the bottom line is that the people on this list as a group have never steered me wrong as far as sellers go, that hasn't happened once. I've had great experiences with the sellers they said are great, you know above and beyond type of service. And also again if you doctor a picture of a estate pipe you're a con job who has no problem stealing and don't deserve any defense and can be assumed to not be above any low down trick that will allow you to con a few more bucks out anyone.