Anyone else disappointed with buying tubes purchased on ebay?

[iove75]

In the past several months, I have purchased ~$600 worth of vintage tubes on ebay. Not NOS, but supposedly strong testing tubes. Most of the sellers have very good feedback 97% or above. Most identify the tester used and the results obtained.

When I get them, I test them using a recently calibrated TV-7. Surprisingly (or not surprisingly) a few test below min or lower by significant margins vs. what the listing says. Not wanting to believe I was the problem, I spent over an hour confirming the diagnostics on my tester per the military maintenance manual.

On one lot, one tube was well below passing (min 32) where I tested at 22. The seller's testing shows 100% where 60% is passing In that case, the seller acknowledged a defective tester so I know I'm not crazy! In another case, a lot of tubes was tested with the same model tester but was 20% lower than what was advertised. But I wonder what are other ebay buyers experience in this area.

I understand the concept of caveat emptor, limitations of testers and the margin of errors of testers. I've also bought tubes from online retailers and that too is hit and miss. I'd prefer not to name names if the seller stands by his products. I just can't help but wonder about those without access to testers that buy rather expensive tubes like vintage Teles or Mullards. I just wanted to see what others are experiencing when buying vintage tubes off of ebay.

[Robert_Anderson]

I always get screwed when buying audio on eBay, the standards are just not the same as Audiogon or advertisers on enthusiast's sites such as this one. I guess audiophiles have higher standards.

[CDLehner]

Originally Posted by randerson3024

I always get screwed when buying audio on eBay, the standards are just not the same as Audiogon or advertisers on enthusiast's sites such as this one. I guess audiophiles have higher standards.

Amen to that! Maybe we just have more enthusiasm for the hobby, than even your average hi-end gear owner. Maybe for some selling on eBay, it's just a business proposition...and not a hobby at all.

I just had went through a perfect example of this. I recently became interested in trying a C-J SS amp for the first time. I browsed AG, which is something I do very regularly anyway, and became interested in a 2300a listed there. I engaged the seller, we talked shop and system...his, mine...how this amp might fit, etc. We talked about a fair price; at this point I was still kinda kicking the tires.

On a lark, I searched eBay...or (fleec)eBay, as I like to call it...and came across a 2500a I was really interested in. I tried to do the same with this guy; engage him about the item, get answers to a few key questions...talk about price (especially the $113 he wanted to ship the item! Hey listen, I know amps are heavy, and I know guys like to make a few bucks on s&h, to cover a usually lowered price on the item; but my UPS at work showed I could have the amp shipped from his zip to mine for $17.50...lol). Most importantly, since I am new to C-J, I was curious how to tell an 'a'-revision...since the faceplates still say 2300, 2500, what have you. I was told by someone that it is pretty common practice, to take a pic of the 'a'-revision sticker on the back of the unit.

Well...aside from price, and s&h, and general system bs, this was a pretty important detail to get straight. But this guy ignored most of my emails; the few he answered, he was short and terse. He would never bend on the s&h, and he ignored my requests for the 2500a sticker. I waited an appropriate amount of time, but when I followed-up he responded that he didn't want to sell the amp to me, because I was "bugging" him too much...lol

Your first instinct would be to say the guy must have spotty feedback, right? But that's not the case; 192 transactions, 100% rating. Someone else suggested the guy must not have experience selling hi-end gear; but I checked his feedback...he's sold Krell and ML amps for even more than he had this C-J listed at.

Like we've all agreed, it's just a different "class" of seller over there. There's been times when I was moving some mid-fi stuff, where it's a little "low-rent" for AG...lol...and not likely to get a very good offer, or any interest at all. I'm tempted to list at eBay, and let people fight over it, and drive the price up; but it's not worth it. I'd rather deal with good, mostly educated (about audio), and enthusiastic people; not to mention AGs 2% is but a fraction of what (fleec)eBay takes you for!

CD

[jdandy]

CDLehner.......$113.00 is not an outrageous UPS shipping fee. The C-J 2500a weighs 60 lbs. without the shipping box and packing. There is something wrong with your shipping calculator if you think that weight and dimension of the shipping box will ship for $17.50. You can't ship an overnight letter via UPS for that. I have shipped many stereo components with UPS, preamps, amps, receivers, reel to reel tape decks, speakers, and many heavy McIntosh components. Shipping has typically run anywhere between $60.00 for lighter and smaller boxes all the way up to $150.00. This includes signature required and insurance fees added, and those values include my 10% discount for being a frequent shipper. Your expectations for extremely low shipping on an amplifier are unrealistic, in my opinion.

As for eBay versus Audiogon or Canuck Audio Mart in Canada, there are good and marginal sellers on all of them. There are good reasons to use all of the selling sites and others if you are trying to reach the highest number of potential customers. I have had good luck with eBay, Audiogon and Canuck over the years, both buying and selling. You need to be cautious, aware, alert, knowledgeable about the components you are purchasing, and pay attention to your gut feelings. The same is true for the seller, as there are many scammers who are buyers as well. Perhaps with all the emails you sent the seller on the C-J 2500a, and I don't have a clue what you wrote to him, maybe he did not feel good about you as a buyer. He could have simply chose to ignore your emails after a while, which is what I would have done if I wasn't feeling comfortable with a buyer or his questions and offers.

Thinking that eBay is a rip off from the start is erroneous, the same as thinking it is the perfect place to shop. The same holds true for Audiogon and other Internet audio sales. Craigslist is the wildest of them all. If you don't care for eBay then don't shop or sell there. Simple enough, but millions of people successfully use the site daily. That is why they are the largest site of their type on the net. I have no affiliation with eBay, Audiogon, Canuck or Craigslist. Just offering my opinion.

[Masterlu]

As to the OP, I'm a TubeDepot very happy customer. Quality tubes, fair prices, superb service!

I have no affiliation, in fact I plan to contact them to become a New Sponsor here.

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by Masterlu

As to the OP, I'm a TubeDepot very happy customer. Quality tubes, fair prices, superb service!

I have no affiliation, in fact I plan to contact them to become a New Sponsor here.

Ivan.......I agree with your faith in Tube Depot. I have purchased many tubes from them over the years without a negative incident. I also like BnB tubes. They are an eBay store. I have shopped with them for years and been very pleased with the experience.

[Masterlu]

Originally Posted by jdandy

Ivan.......I agree with your faith in Tube Depot. I have purchased many tubes from them over the years without a negative incident. I also like BnB tubes. They are an eBay store. I have shopped with them for years and been very pleased with the experience.

Yup, we need a real good Tube Sponsor here.

[Removed]

Ebay is just a dumping ground for every one's rejects and used up tubes.....among other places!

[iove75]

Originally Posted by Masterlu

As to the OP, I'm a TubeDepot very happy customer. Quality tubes, fair prices, superb service!

I have no affiliation, in fact I plan to contact them to become a New Sponsor here.

I do hope they become a sponsor. I've ordered from them only once, but it is the few orders for tubes that I was completely satisfied with the service. I didn't care for the tubes I ordered but that's for a different thread.

[iove75]

Originally Posted by A/V Solutions

Ebay is just a dumping ground for every one's rejects and used up tubes.....among other places!

I don't necessarily have a problem with used up tubes as the definition of a reject tube can still have a lot of life left. Most testers reject point is 2/3rds of cathode life left. Even below minimum it can still sound great in a preamp for thousands of hours. I just wish that sellers would accurately describe them so buyers can price it into their bids.

I hope it is not too much to ask of sellers.