eBay Auction: He never took the GPS outdoors?

AggieMike88

AggieMike88

Touchdown! Greaser!
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The original "I don't know it all" of aviation.
I have eBay setup to send me alerts when someone posts an auction that match my keywords.

One of them is for the Aera 560.

An alert for a new posting was in my email box this morning. (Link)

Of interest was part the description. I've emphasized the area that caught my attention.
Up for auction is a basically brand new Garmin aera 560 GPS. Included is a Garmin GTM 20 Lifetime Traffic Receiver. The GPS has never been outside my house and is just under 1 year old. The latest software and maps are installed. Everything included is 100% mint in condition and operation - no scratches, no nicks, no blemishes. Please ask any questions you may have related to this unit. Everything that came with the unit new is included in this auction + the GTM 20 Lifetime Traffic Receiver.
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You have a 1-year old product that is intended to be used outside of the home, in an airplane (primarily) and you never took it outside? :eek: :eek:

Sure, he could be selling it for someone else, but my "smell test" meter is becoming active.

Not bidding on this, but I thought I would share for your Monday A.M. amusement.
 
From my limited experience on eBay I've figured out that "As is. Untested" "I don't know anything about it" or "I never / didn't have time to test it" means that the seller knows it doesn't work. Nobody fails to call up a buddy to let them what they have and what it's worth.

My resourceful neighbor called me last week about some cases of very expensive electronic equipment he could buy. I did a quick Google and told him the stuff - wireless audio monitor earpiece kits - was worth $1000 a copy but only to stage musicians.
 
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This doesn't seem to me to be that strange. When I recieved my 696 I immediately tested it inside with the antenna by the window. I played with it for several hours inside over the next few days. Two weeks later I took it over to the aircraft.

In his case for whatever reason he just never flew with it.
 
The GPS has never been outside my house and is just under 1 year old.
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Technically, there is no possible way that is true unless it was manufactured inside his house. :D
 
Why would anyone other than a pilot buy an Aera?

What pilot on Earth would not have ripped that box open, walked outside to get a sat signal, and started playing with their new toy???????
 
The "smell" to me is "fell off the back of a truck, trying to unload a brand new product" without having a clue what it really is, just that if you price it far enough below retail, you'll be rid of it.
 
JeffDG said:
The "smell" to me is "fell off the back of a truck, trying to unload a brand new product" without having a clue what it really is, just that if you price it far enough below retail, you'll be rid of it.
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Ya THINK????!!!!!!!
 
He invites all questions about the item, so I've asked:

Your description says this GPS hasn't been outside your house in the year since you bought it. Are you a pilot? Did you buy it for flying? Why haven't you flown with it? Would like to better understand why it wasn't used by you before I bid. I presume you're the original purchaser? If so, do you have the receipts to prove start of warranty with Garmin?
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I'll let you know what he says, unless he posts the reply publicly for all bid viewers.
 
JeffDG said:
The "smell" to me is "fell off the back of a truck, trying to unload a brand new product" without having a clue what it really is, just that if you price it far enough below retail, you'll be rid of it.
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Or he's a just a teef looking to part the most suckers from their money.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
He invites all questions about the item, so I've asked:

Ebay Question said:
Your description says this GPS hasn't been outside your house in the year since you bought it. Are you a pilot? Did you buy it for flying? Why haven't you flown with it? Would like to better understand why it wasn't used by you before I bid. I presume you're the original purchaser? If so, do you have the receipts to prove start of warranty with Garmin?
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I'll let you know what he says, unless he posts the reply publicly for all bid viewers.
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I'd feel comfortable bidding. Here's his reply:

I bought the unit last December and ended up not flying for several months for various reasons. After I got current again, the planes that I am flying all have very nice Garmin glass cockpits, so I have been using the Aera at home purely for a weather radar display. Kind of expensive for that, given all of the Internet resources that do the same thing. Also, both of my Jeep's have built in GPS's. Basically, I couldn't make a rational argument for holding on to the unit as much as I like it!!! I do have receipts proving the purchase. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks, Keith.
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Combine the first name given in his reply with the info you can find infer from his eBay post, and look him up in the FAA's registry (I won't post his data here as doing so would be a violation of POA rules)... he's a real pilot, in the location his eBay profile says he is, he has a good rating from prior purchases and sales, and you can tell from the verbiage in his reply that he's a real pilot, not somebody faking it.

Go bid! Be happy!
 
TangoWhiskey said:
I'd feel comfortable bidding. Here's his reply:



Combine the first name given in his reply with the info you can find infer from his eBay post, and look him up in the FAA's registry (I won't post his data here as doing so would be a violation of POA rules)... he's a real pilot, in the location his eBay profile says he is, he has a good rating from prior purchases and sales, and you can tell from the verbiage in his reply that he's a real pilot, not somebody faking it.

Go bid! Be happy!
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Ahhh...the cool breeze of facts have dispelled my previous "smell" test.
 
Good to hear. Ebay is so full of scams these days. Nice to hear about someone honest.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
I'd feel comfortable bidding. Here's his reply:



Combine the first name given in his reply with the info you can find infer from his eBay post, and look him up in the FAA's registry (I won't post his data here as doing so would be a violation of POA rules)... he's a real pilot, in the location his eBay profile says he is, he has a good rating from prior purchases and sales, and you can tell from the verbiage in his reply that he's a real pilot, not somebody faking it.

Go bid! Be happy!
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Skip tracer? I'd hate to be Skip!
 
flyingcheesehead said:
:rofl:

Peggy, Mike is speaking Chicagoan. "Teef" = thief. I think. Never can tell. :goofy:
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Dats what Pops said he was, a teef.

``What is your occupation, Mr. Panczko?``

``I`m a teef.``

``You mean you are a thief?``

``Yeah. I steal tings.``
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http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2002-12-03/news/0212030308_1_thief-jewelry-shotgun

My late buddy's mom rented Pops her garage, and when he was kid he took some guns out of Pop's stash. Pops told his mom. He said, "Kid, I ain't never ratted on anybody, but..."
 
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