Check out this auction. Doesn’t it look too good to be true?
As a seller on eBay, selling Giant TCR frames for that matter, it irks me that people are really compromising the credibility of eBay as a reliable sales avenue.
Suspicious aspects: No size given for frame (some people forget, but then add size later) Item description’s seatpost and wheelset do not match the pictures Looks like a matte finished 2003 or 2002 frame, not a gloss-coated 2004 model as claimed No way would anyone toss away a TCR composite with that Mavic wheelset and Campy Record 10-speed without having a reserve price of at least US$2000, if not more.
I already mailed the “seller” (I think he stole a good seller’s identity) and asked him to prove he’s for real.
Yes - it is most likley someone has pirated another ebay members account and this is simply another ebay scam auction! Reasons why I say this? This is definitely not a 2004 - why would Giant introduce a 2004 graphics scheme for a team that ceased to exist on 2003? My wife and I both ride that frame and were fortunate enough to get some of the first production models (evidenced by the serial number)! It was the first of the production models of the TCR Composite line released and became available in the US as an early 2003 model just before Interbike - we got ours in September 2002. It is sort of a limited edition because Team ONCE decided to go with different frame graphics after Giant had begun production and for this reason, I am pretty sure that Giant only sold this as a frame and fork and not a complete bike. In fact, the graphic scheme seen in the auction images was produced in such limited numbers that here in the US, I think only a total of 50 framesets (of which I have two and the wife has one) where made available from the 250 or so total that were produced in this graphic set (I am also led to beleive that ONCE got the first 40 of this 250)! As previously mentioned, the sellers component list does not match the components installed in the picture and appears to just be a cut-n-paste from this link at Giant’s website (http://www.giant-bicycles.com/au/030.000.000/030.000.000.asp?bikesection=8786&lYear=2004)! Finally, the sellers auction history does not seem to support this kind of auction as the persons last 10-12 transactions where as a buyer of music (CD’s?)!
I reported this a a suspected fraud auction just before posting this and thus far Ebay has pulled each auction to which myself and other members have reported!
I saw that this a.m. and said to myself: “Sweet, sweet bike, but it smells because the guy has apparently only bought some cheaps cds and the description is way off.” I.e., the same thinking as you guys.
A certain pro Canadian bike racer sold me a 32 hole rim described as a 28 and in almost new shape. It was totally trashed. I sent a letter to his federation and UCI about him.
Another suspicious detail: A contradictory description, at one point mentioning a one-piece handlebar and another giving separate Syntace stem and handlebar combination.
I guess some people are good at hacking passwords or guessing them. Since these frauds now even seem to accept Paypal payments I’m guessing that sellers whose IDs have been assumed use the same eBay user password and Paypal account password, or they’ve both been hacked. Then the thieves change the account information and withdraw funds from Paypal to their own bank accounts.
okay guys…I may be nuts here but…what if this is a music lover who is selling a bike? This guy has all positive feed back and lots of it…maybe just maybe someone on this planet that is also on e-bay is honestly selling a bike…maybe it is a buddy who does not have a comptuers bike? Who knows. This presumed guilt stuff sucks.
okay guys…I may be nuts here but…
I would tend to agree with you except for the fact that even used, this is a high value bicycle and few of us would be willing to seel if for what would appear to be a substantial loss as this gentleman seems about to do! Even now if you can find one of these frames for sale - there were only a total of 250 made and ONCE got 40 of them right off the bat - the frame & fork at wholesale is not much less than what the auction price a couple hours ago. The frame usually retails for about $1,400-$1,600 depending on what part of the country the seller is located! Also, the handlebars on the bike in the auction, although not UCI legal, these still retailed for something like $450 dollars and up are extremely very hard to find since very few were manufactured!
