Ebay Sales Psychology?

[rosbullterier]

Well the main thrust of Ebay's marketing technique is to create exitement for us witless punters and drive up the bids. You don't make a purchase but 'win' an item!

How often has the animated housewife bid right up to new price and 'won' the secondhand item without the guarantee which comes with a new one - it only takes a quick Google check to see how much they are on the internet (with cheaper postage) . . .

Anyway my drivel here involves Seagull Sales Psychology.
I hate the ads which read L@@K!. Then there's those with unreal/untrue boasts which unfortunately some must believe.
And there was one chap who advertised everything Seagull as 'Villiers'.. He took umbrage when I continued to point out the error of his belief.

But the bloke I cannot fathom, always, I mean always, posts the picture of his item with a pointedly blurred picture.
He is uncle.sticky ( 2160) 99.6% Positive feedback.
Why does he do this? I've emailed him and asked whether he smears the lens with vaseline - no reply . . .

[Hugz]

He does have an interesting inboard seagull though.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BRITISH-SEAGULL-I ... 2a05e04842

Anyone have one?

[rosbullterier]

Interesting item, virtually in focus!

It's more of:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SEAGULL-OUTBOARD- ... 2a06291c15

that I'm referring to . . .

[charlesp]

eBay cracks me up, it really does. I have no problem with those who simply don't know, they've found it in dad's shed etc. Then there are those who claim it's a 5 or 6 or 7 horse motor (always with 'I think') and there are those who claim it's 'fully seviced' (wonder what they mean by that) and it's had a new impeller (oh yeah?) but it 'could do with an oil change and fresh fuel.

There's a guy up in the far North who obviously hasn't a clue, he's been trying to sell a power head as 'block and cam' and there's a tank on there at the moment with 'its valve'. Again, you wouldn't mind but he's selling bits of Seagull all the time. Every week or two you'll find all the components of his latest purchase available as single items.

A current cracker is one from sales-pitch-rich-2010 which proclaims his item is 'very rare' , 5HP. He has now posted a photo of the serial; it's a longshaft Century Plus. Wow. But then again he's in Cheshire, home of the idiotic Mosses' Gulls.

[outboard]

HA ha, what a way to put the fear of death in folk with this topic. I just bought a used carb (complete) for £10 on ebay from a guy selling all sorts of parts, however if I get the stuff I'm needing from this carb I'll have got a good deal, but yes I totally go with you guys. Recently I guy from East Kilbride advertised a seagull but after close inspection what you were bidding for was only parts of the engine. I still haven't worked it out yet how we could know what exactly we were buying, needless to say it remained unsold. Maybe he'll strip it down and sell the parts at silly prices. As for p&P it's not only ebay that rips you off? I must admit I got two good buys on ebay, two engines, an FPC for £40 which starts first pull and a seized FP £20 which is now unseized, but that was luck. Check out the prices of throttle cables and the likes, we're being asked to pay £4+ more than what you can buy these items from Villiers or John.
I'll stick to John or Villiers.

Gerard

[charlesp]

I haven't actually stopped using eBay, in fact I've done very well recently.

Replaced remote control for Bang & Olufsen stereo - £180.00 from the shop, but got one on the Bay for £10.50; and yes, it does work!

Spark plugs - look around, you'll find D16 and NGK A6, even a few Lodge C1 (or actually the C3 is a better plug), and I have had a few antiquey looking ones foreMarstons etc on display.

I had a 1937 Elto Ace for £35 a couple of years ago, my SNP (only one I know of) was £12.50, and a couple of other bits. I've bought reasonably from Uncle Sticky, but I agree about his photographs.

I've been buying period tools to 'go with' pre-war motors, too, and although nobody knows exactly what went in the early toolkits I have several girder spanners (King Dick - best not to Google Images for that brand(!)) and oil guns and even Sunbeam spanners, all very cheap, all bringing a smile.

Bad experiences are relatively few, and usually my own mistake, ferquently brought about by my Yorkshire sense of financial caution. I bid way way too little on a 1913 Evinrude that I badly wanted, and way too little on a Marston a few years ago.

Worst experience was the t6ale of an OP I bought a couple of years back where I bi and won and paid and then ....nothing. I sent email after email and finally contacted the Police local to the vendor, who promised to look into things. I was cursing the vendor and feeling quite angry.

Couple of days later a mail from the guy's daughter, who explained that her father had dies - he was desperately trying to get his swtuff in order so as to leave as little mess for his kids to clear up as he could. Boy did I feel a fool. The block was cracked as it happens, probably Karma.

But you are quite right about prices, best to give John a ring first. He is very reasonable and you can be sure he's a fair dealer. If you must buy from the Bay, then go in through this site's eBay page, that helps to finance this forum.

[rosbullterier]

You mean this, by - sales-pitch-rich-2010 ( 250) 98.8% Positive feedback



That has to be the coolest pic I've seen on the Bay. He's been to photographic night class. Even got one bid. Mind at 0.99p . . .

- outboard I've told you not to make any purchases/ rash moves without prior instruction. Now buck up!

[outboard]

Oops have I upset my mentor???
RBT, I'll let you know what my purchase was like, i.e. the photo was a bit blurred. Now you've got me doubting things.
I agree, there are a lot of dodgy people out their, especially selling seagull stuff, but like Charles, I've had two good buys on engines, however I'm sure we all get your point .........especially myself!!!

Gerard (aka outboard)

Ps by the way this is my next purchase, and yes it is ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Navigator-III-400 ... %26ps%3D63

[rosbullterier]

Brand new ehhh?

Well in this case. But make sure you follow all the instructions . . .

[outboard]

Brand new indeed, I need something to put my Seagulls on, so this will do nicely. Thanks for the nod, lol.

Gerard

[Waggles]

Sorry, bit late to this thread. Back to that inboard mentioned above, I am intrigued ( No not enough to buy it !!! ) The main site says two designs were produced, one based on the model 90 / 110 the other on the 170. The site pics clearly show details only of the one based on the 90. On the bay model things look different, theres a big silver bulbous thing where the fuel tank was on the 90 also I can't see a carby? The silver 'thing' seems to be connected to the block by something that looks suspiciously like the inlet manifold of a 170. Anyone have any ideas where the carb is? Looks like it has a fuel pump too so I am guessing this is the 170 based model, is the carb inside the silver thing? Is the silver thing an ernormous carb? are my old eyes just getting too old?

I mean the carb MUST be there as it 'started first pull'

[RickUK]

Hello Waggles - I haven't studied the picture closely, but would say it is correct - the ally 'box' is a two-piece cover which clamps around the carb on one or both types of inboard. I have - or did have one in my spares collection somewhere.

Rick.

[rosbullterier]

I've only seen pics of the inboard in 170 format, which this is.
It looks like a straightforward 170 with no inboard exhaust, a plate to carry the throttle assembly and the carb is inside a 'Combined air intake silencer and flame arrestor'. A remote tank is used of course.

[outboard]

On the topic of ebay, I was looking at the price of EP140 oil, which I need urgently, however at these prices oars seem more tempting. As RBT can confirm, I'm a bit slow when it comes to logic, you see I live in a village surrounded by countryside and never thought of checking out for an agricultural engineer in my area, hey presto there's 3 within 5 minutes drive and all can supply me with EP 140 at prices £5 a litre to £18 for 5 litres., what would I do if I had a brain .......don't answer that RBT. Not bad when it's about £15 a litre on ebay.

[rosbullterier]

The correct oil for my Series 1 Landrover steering box was EP 140.