Buying a Pig in an Ebay Poke

Frugal people often figure it's ok to buy USED stuff. It's a half or a third of NEW.

Never mind that it's also half-used or a third-used, and it may not even last that long. It's USED. Why is it being sold now? It's on the verge of falling apart?

You hope that it's being sold for a good reason: "I am upgrading to something more expensive" or "I need to raise money fast" or "I'm a little old lady and I bought this and have no idea how to work out, so I'm re-selling."

If you're going to a store, you have to hope the owner is so skilled, he knows the item is in great shape OR, knows how to "REFURBISH" it. Isn't that an odd word? "REFURBISHED." How the HELL do you "REFURBISH" a keyboard, for example? Spray it with air to remove dust?

Here's an outfit that "REFURBISHES" all the time. How the HELL did they get over 40 Apple keyboards? Zealous foreigners, huh? Note that they insist all the keyboards are in "GREAT A" (Not GRADE A) shape.

Right. A new one on EBAY is a little less than double: $45. But trust THESE guys for a $28 bargain.

Then there are the time wasters. Here's an ad that has a bit of fine print: it will NOT be mailed. You must go see the jerk in person. He's in San Fran. somewhere. He did not mention this in the ad header, so you had to look and WASTE YOUR TIME on this fag asshole moron.

Oh, the ASSHOLES of EBAY, who write a header that doesn't mention any flaw. They do it deliberately. They figure you'll read the ad and shrug and say "Oh, minor problem" and buy anyway. So what, that the ink cartridge is NEW but also five years out-dated, the 45 rpm has "several deep gouges," or the keyboard just happens to have a TREMENDOUS flaw.

WHY didn't the jerk in the first ad say in the header "FOR PARTS, NOT WORKING?"

As for the other ad...JEEEEEZ.

Oh, right, right, just what I want to do, take the batteries out EVERY TIME I SHUT DOWN! The idiot doesn't think this is a deal-killer? Why put junk like this up for sale at all? THROW IT AWAY, MORON!!!

Another time-wasting pest? The nervous Nellie who posts a RESERVE auction. These jerks NEVER say in the header, "reserve." You have to see the ad and then spot the noxious little line:

RESERVE. Right, guess your greed. Sorry, I do NOT have the time to PLAY GAMES.

No wonder so many people just go into the goddam store, BUY the thing, and avoid wasting their time. Is an hour of your time worth $5? $10? If it takes you a few hours to weed through the ads and get the bargain, it ain't a bargain, is it?