Apologies for this not being about lamps, but I'm sure a parallel experience may well apply. I had an old motorcycle jacket, a Barbour International, which was well past its use by date in that it was extremely tatty, with lining ripped, and sewn up tears in the outer waxed cotton. For a laugh, I put it on Ebay with a semi-humourous description and a starting price of 99p starting price. The equivalent might be a Tilley 246B with no glass and a blown bottom. Straight away, I get contacted through Ebay by someone offering 100 pounds for the jacket. "100 pounds of what?" asks I, - "I think you jest!" "It's up for auction - make a bid". "No" they say, "Not going to bid, want you to place a buy it now price and the 100 pound offer stands". I saw this as some kind of ruse, but what I don't know. After 10 days, 27 watchers and 7 bidders (one of them being the "Not going to bid" man), the jacket sold for £22, and I am pleased with that. Then along comes another bidder (after the auction has ended and the item paid for and dispatched), and claims they missed the auction and can they buy the jacket for £110. Anyone know what's afoot with this malarkey? Don't look kosher to me.
I was looking for an old tatty Barbour jacket to ride on my old 1960 Rex Hilfsmotor but was amazed at the prices they were going for on Ebay. In some cases it was cheaper to buy one in good condition than a rough one. Seems like people are into retro and are willing to pay a premium. Eventually, I put a wanted post on Freecycle and got one for nothing. Terry
On one of the TV shows "American Picker" I think, an old Barbour motorcycle jacket was considered to be highly sought after. The picker paid a considertable price to get it, though I cannot remember how much.
I believe they are very sought after. My daughter wears my 35 year old Belstaff motor bike leather with pride, her friends love it
I bet they do. Some of the latest Belstaff jackets are going for a thousand pounds, but the macho waxed cotton look is lost on me - I know they are cold, and you'll get wet in them! Do young people and grey beards have that much disposable income? Stupidity or nostalgia, or a bit of both? I think of life's essential I could buy with that sort of money. The item itself: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/302143002815?ssPageName=STRK:MESOX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1561.l2649 Will have to put my old Drizabone on Ebay with a stupidly high price tag on it . . .
What's a DPM? A sorry outcome for my old jacket. The buyer paid and I took the jacket to the Hermes shop squeezed into a jiffy. Off it went on 30 Nov, and arrived at the National Hub of Hermes at 02:17 1st Dec. Where it disappeared. Since the buyer was concerned after not receiving it by Saturday 3rd (which I thought was perhaps a bit soon to be worried, as 3 - 5 working days are the norm.) I contacted Hermes by phone on Monday morning first thing 5th Dec. They would "escalate" the query to an "investigation", but I would have to wait 48hrs for an email with the results. I still thought the jacket would appear and be delivered by then. To aid Hermes investigation, on Tuesday 6th I stuffed a couple of towels into a jiffy bag, taped it up, and marked it with the markings on the original, photographed it and sent that to Hermes. (Tracking shows still at National Hub 02:17 Thu 1st.) After 56hrs and no email from Hermes, I phoned again. The somewhat indifferent telephonist advised me that her colleague has looked into the issue, and the parcel cannot be found, did I want a lost parcel and claim for refund form sent in the post, or by email? I replied I want to know where my parcel is, as it is still marked as being at the National Hub from 02:17 on the first - someone at Hermes knows where it is, or it has fallen off some conveyor belt, perhaps had its label ripped off through handling, and that I had sent an image of what they should be looking for. But I get the same repeat that her colleague has looked into this and the parcel cannot be found. I fill out the emailed refund form, and learn that 14 days must pass before any refund is given (value of lost item plus cost of carriage). The buyer is kept up to date on all my communication with Hermes, and they are as gutted as I am. I also refund the buyer in full at this point for cost of item and carriage. Ebay have charged me selling fees - 10% of total cost to buyer. I arrange a call back from Ebay to discuss a refund of sellers fees (£2.65), and after confirmation that I had refunded the buyer through the correct channels, they are issuing a refund of the fees in 24hrs. I guess that any courier company will have some items go missing from time to time. Certainly Royal Mail aren't exempt from this from personal knowledge, and as a courier myself in the past, I have on one occasion lost an item (a colour sample torn from a swatch and handed to me loose, which I tucked under the spring of a clip-board, and from where it vanished). But perhaps my mistake in this instance was in placing a "reference" word on the printed label of: - "Barbour". Might that have been spotted by some hawk eyed disreputable at some stage in its passage through the Hermes Hub? Makes you wonder.
Aah - those devilish acronyms! I'm still giving Hermes grief over it. Got the Ebay fees refunded though.
An odd development: Logging on to My Hermes and punching in the tracking code now shows a new entry: "Parcel delayed in transit" as scanned(?) 05:34 Saturday 10th Dec - nine days after the previous scan with an estimated delivery date of Monday 12th: Have they found the 'lost' parcel? Or is this a ruse to delay/stop refunding? Previous "estimated delivery dates" have all come and gone without any delivery. Derek
After letting Hermes know my displeasure at "losing" my jacket, it suddenly re-appeared in the system as "delayed in transit". This-morning it has been marked as "out with local courier" around 06:00, estimated delivery date - 13 Dec. Lo and behold, it has been delivered - just after noon today - 12th Dec. The recipient is pleased, and has already returned my refund to them when Hermes declared the parcel "lost". Bunch of monkeys!
I dunno about that - I've always had good service from them and I'd be inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt, especially given the time of year...
Up to about a year ago you couldn't contact Hermes at all (and I tried to locate a parcel after tracking ceased and 7 days had passed). At least now they have a customer service department and someone to talk to (unlike Royal Mail!). But I still am unhappy about the deadpan attitude from both the telephonists stating it cannot be found, and having to wait 14 days before any refund for loss after filling out a claims form - then suddenly it resurfaces! Over the past six years I have sent just 21 parcels and mostly have had good experiences. And several times parcels have arrived within the 3 - 5 days stated. But being told one thing by two people, then having seen both were wrong . . . ! Hermes are saying the 19th is the last day before Christmas for parcels to arrive in time for the 25th. I don't think my jacket was "lost" because of that. And it was sent on the 30 Nov.
Yes, but Christmas-related on-line shopping will have been ramping up for the last month or two. The good thing is, it's been found and delivered safely. As you say, it probably fell off a conveyor belt or something similar...
