I just bought a Pilot Vanishing Point limited edition 2007 Orange from ebay. It arrived yesterday and the nib unit is the plain gold 18k one and not the 18k Rhodium plated one that should come with these limited editions. The photo on the auction had the pen tilted such that you got a side view of the nib and couldn't see the colour. There was also no mention in the listing that the nib had been swapped.

Now these nib units can be had elsewhere (but for a price) so I'm not too concerned but it's still either ignorance on the part of the seller (a pen shop) or they deliberately tried to fob me off with a replacement nib unit. In any case, I am definitely keeping this pen and I have emailed them to send a replacement nib but I'm sure they won't - they'll probably offer a complete refund. Of course, if they send me a Rh nib, problem solved but I think this unlikely.

Here's my quandary - if they offer a complete refund but I refuse to accept this (I want to keep this pen!!), do I leave bad feedback and annoy them or leave good feedback and forget about it?

Hmm.. I would have thought a 'pen shop' ought to know very well what the correct nib for this pen is. Even if they bought it in to resell, they should have checked it first. I would play it by ear though, and wait to see what the tenor of their response is. Given that you want to keep the pen, my inclination would be to decline to leave feedback at all, if you're not entirely happy.

Personally though, I would go for the full refund. There'll be another VP SE along in a minute.

Ditto on what Col said.

If you are offered a fill refund, then leave good feedback. And forget about it.

Did you check if you actually got the 2007 Ltd Ed Orange, or whether it could be a Japanese market orange capless? The Ltd Ed should say 2007 limited edition somewhere if I recall correctly (too lazy to go get my one out).

There was a special edition capless in Japan that was a slightly different orange, but still a desirable pen.

The LE comes in a orange leather box and is numbered on the ring.

Thanks for the replies everyone. I'll definitely keep it as the hassle of packing it and sending it back is worth more to me than the nib issue.



It's the LE it has the number xxxx/2007 engraved on the back and came with the orange buckled "purse".

I have the SE orange sold in Japan, and it came with rhodium plated nib, too.