Is this suspicious?

[CupidStrikes]

I found a really pretty G1 on Ebay, but the seller's photos are poor quality; the picture is kinda grainy, and the lighting is very yellow (the pony itself is yellow which makes it very hard to see if there are any issues). The seller does have close-ups of the eye and symbol on the pony's right side, but no photos of the left side. I sent a polite message asking if they had any photos of the left side and whether the pony had any ingrained dirt or rust (as the photos are bad enough that it's difficult to tell. This is my first time buying a G1 so I'm cautious of sellers trying to hide faults because I'm unsure I can fix them...). All I got in response was "No it's in excellent condition thanks". No new photos.

The seller has 100% feedback and isn't on the bad traders list. Some of their other listed items are taken in much better light with a better camera (this lot was uploaded with Ebay Mobile and in my experience those always seem to have crappy photos) so I'm a little wary that their pony lots have such poor photos and that they'd use such poor pictures for an "excellent" item, especially as the seller says they don't take returns.

Am I significantly covered by ebay if I win the pony and it shows up with mould or tail rust? Thanks for any advice! I'm probably over-thinking this 

[ponylady]

It's always good to be overly cautious in my opinion, especially if it is a poor quality picture and a loose description.

Can you send me a PM to the auction in question and I will take a look at it for you? I can give you a better idea on what your up against if a problem arises.

[CupidStrikes]

Thanks so much! I'll PM you now

[ponylady]

Hmmm...I have to agree that the pictures have very poor lighting, most likely due to her camera phone.

If I were you, I would message her back and thank her for her quick reply. I would then ask if it were at all possible to please take pictures of her other side (left). I would also maybe add something like, you truly appreciate her time in the matter, as you are a very serious bidder or something along those lines. I find making sure that I thank the seller profusely for their time that it sometimes help in getting the information that I am seeking. I suppose so I don't seem like I am wasting their time.   That's just me though 

[CupidStrikes]

Thank you I sent this response:

"Hi,

Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. Would it be at all possible to please take a photo of the pony's other side (left)? I really appreciate your time in this matter as I am serious bidder.

Thank you very much again."

I don't want to come across as too eager as that might make the seller suspicious so I hope she takes it the right way! 

[ponylady]

That sounded perfect!!!! Hopefully she will send you more pictures, as it looks to be a beautiful pony.

[CupidStrikes]

Thanks ^^ I've not heard back yet but I might bid regardless of whether the seller replies to me or not, as I'm covered by Ebay if the seller is trying to hide something.

[tulagirl]

I have been through this with sellers and most of the time I never got my photo. LOL I guess people just don't know how to add a photo to an ongoing auction or feel their words should be enough.  Just because the seller says they do not take returns does not mean they will not be required by ebay to give a return/refund in the event the pony comes described incorrectly.  So, you can return an item to a seller even if they say that, you just have to open a case.

[CupidStrikes]

Ah okay, thanks for the reassurance, Tulagirl!

[ponylady]

Hopefully Cupid you will not have to go through that great of lengths. If they do not respond to you in a timely manner or respond without extra pictures, I would probably not bid on it.

It's not worth the risk in my humble opinion.

[tulagirl]

Hopefully Cupid you will not have to go through that great of lengths. If they do not respond to you in a timely manner or respond without extra pictures, I would probably not bid on it.

It's not worth the risk in my humble opinion.

Yes I agree.

[Shenanigans]

I bid on an "excellent condition" pony and her body was so stained I would consider her bait! The picture was very grainy and had poor lighting, but I took the seller at their word and I can tell you the pony was NOT in excellent condition

[CupidStrikes]

Oh gosh :x The seller does have over 100 all positive feedbacks, a lot of which are for used toys and all, so I'm kind of hoping it's just a bad photo and that the pony is in good condition. I really fell in love with this pony, so I'm really hoping the seller will get back to me, but I'll try and find out how rare the pony is in the mean time in case I can find another...

Post Merge: November 19, 2013, 06:23:11 PM

Update: The seller replied this morning with "Yes will take a photo when I'm home from work and revise item thanks" I've replied thanking her again and will wait to see if the new photos get uploaded.

Update: The seller uploaded three more photos of the pony this morning. They are in much better lighting, so I think I'll go ahead and bid once the auction gets closer to ending. Hopefully I'll win and be able to report that it arrived as described 

Edit: Well....Ebay decided not to register my maximum bid so I didn't win her ;_; She went for £1.20 and my max bid should have been £5. Ugh. Ebay never works when you want it to ;_; Oh well.