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General => General Technical Chat => Topic started by: TerraHertz on September 12, 2020, 02:45:53 pm

Title: Ebay ghosts
Post by: TerraHertz on September 12, 2020, 02:45:53 pm
There's a particular model vintage HP logic analyzer that's next on my buy list. This is partly for historical collection reasons, but also because it has an obscure capability I _really_ want.  So in preparation I'm buying the relevant original manuals.

I came across a nice deal on one of the 'service manuals' (though this was sadly just after HP stopped including schematics.) The seller has a good rating, and I made an offer just a bit below the listed price.

THEN noticed this seller has been inactive for over a year, the listing was last updated in 2011, and it's the only item in his ebay store.

Great. They are probably dead or for whatever reason quit ebay. If I did a buy-it-now then nothing would happen, and I'd have to wait weeks to get my money back via paypal after the item is not shipped.

Has anyone else ever run into an ebay Marie Celeste?
Doesn't ebay have a system for clearing out dead stores?

Sorry for the tease in not naming the listing. My offer time limit hasn't run out yet. Later.
Title: Re: Ebay ghosts
Post by: Stray Electron on September 12, 2020, 04:50:15 pm
What model LA are you interested in?
Title: Re: Ebay ghosts
Post by: ebastler on September 12, 2020, 07:06:02 pm
Seems to me that TerraHertz does not want to tell us, to avoid inviting additional competition to any upcoming auctions...
Title: Re: Ebay ghosts
Post by: Bud on September 12, 2020, 07:15:46 pm
You cant have a listing forever, there are (re)listing fees. Why dont try contacting the seller via ebay.
Title: Re: Ebay ghosts
Post by: gnavigator1007 on September 12, 2020, 08:19:10 pm
Not exactly the same thing, but there is one seller that I receive notifications for their newly listed items for sale. I get new notifications nearly every day for them, but many times when i look there is a warning that the seller is away until something like March 20 2020. This is on the mobile app so likely some stupid app weirdness. Been curious for awhile tho as they're obviously still selling. Haven't bothered to contact them yet as they've not been selling anything interesting enough at a price I can justify since I've noticed
Title: Re: Ebay ghosts
Post by: TerraHertz on September 13, 2020, 01:41:57 am
Yep, no response to the offer. (Of $20 for an item listed at $25.)
Item number 370244192744.
HP 16500A/16501A Logic Analysis System Mainframe/Expansion Frame Service Manual
(incl. HP16533/HP 16534 Service Manual and HP 16532 Service Manual)  <-- these too would have been nice!

Because the 16500C, which I want mainly because its 3.5" floppy drive handles both LIF and DOS formats, appears to have no such thing as a 'service manual.'  Also want because the machine looks weird, lots of compatible cards available, it uses PS2 mouse & keyboard, and there are often quite cheap ones.  (See my tagline.)

I _did_ send the seller a message. No response to that either.

ebastler, that's right But there are plenty of similar items. I just didn't want to complicate things while there was still a chance of the seller responding.
Title: Re: Ebay ghosts
Post by: rdl on September 13, 2020, 03:18:36 am
An item that is listed as "Buy it now" will auto renew every month with no charge until it sells. There are no re-listing fees.