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Visconti Divina Desert Spring - Auction Won At Martemodena


pchand2

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I just won an auction of Visconti Divina Desert Spring oversize fountain pen for 230Euros at MarteModena. This was an impulse buy, when i ran in to the auction while browsing and joined it when there was like 20mins left. This is the first time i have won an auction. I looked around and the pen price starts at 500 euro and go all the way upto 900 euro. So what is the deal, why is it this cheap? I already payed for it, but more i think about the price, more i want to ask some one :-)

 

-Pradeesh

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I wish you a smooth delivery and a good pen. My experiences with the company have all been satisfactory. There was an issue with one pen---wrong nib---and they promptly fixed it by having the incorrect nib picked up and a replacement sent, all at their expense.

 

Martemodena gives great deals, although this is not fully appreciated by perpetual whiners and the permanently negatively-inclined. That is a fantastic pen, and you have got it a fantastic price. I know that because I won one of the very same pen a couple of months ago, in Martemodena auction, although at about $300 euros .. still a fantastic deal.

They will probably ship it expedited, using something like DHL, which means you get it really fast. DHL costs more than regular post, but even with that you will still get a great deal. I'm sure you saw the shipping prices before bidding, and you have read the funny comments on a couple of threads here. But perhaps you might pay attention to those who will insist that have been ripped off, because Martemodena charged more than $10 for postage. :D

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If the pen was used or imperfect, that should have been stated in the item description. Most likely, you just got a fabulous deal. This can happen with auctions. Sometimes, you are the only bidder who happens to be there and eager for the item. I have several pens I was able to win auctions for at 25% of their MSRP.

 

I have a Divina Desert Springs with a stub nib. It's a beautiful pen. As it happens, I bought mine from Martemodena also, but not at auction. I paid significantly more than you did, yet significantly less than retail.

 

Do be aware that Visconti Palladium nibs often need significant adjustment before they write well. This shouldn't be true, but many have found it so. Even if you have to pay for nib tuning, you still got a fabulous deal, and, once those nibs are tuned, they are wonderful writers.

 

Be happy, and use your new Visconti in good health.

 

David

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Thanks David and Amos. I am very happy with the deal :-). Shipping was little bit high, but since i am from Israel, i am used to high shipping cost for anything i buy :-). The deal was soo good, i could not believe it initially. I have read in many forums and found that martemodena is a good company to deal this, so no worries :-) I will post an update once i get the pen.

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I have two Divinas - an "original" model, the Divine Proportion (most expensive pen I've ever bought) and a first generation Black, which I think was the first variant to come out after the DP. I love them both; they are wonderful writers.

 

I would like to own more, and I've drooled over the red and the blue, but I've never been quite able to bring myself to paying so much again when there are other demands on my money.

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Thanks David and Amos. I am very happy with the deal :-). Shipping was little bit high, but since i am from Israel, i am used to high shipping cost for anything i buy :-). The deal was soo good, i could not believe it initially. I have read in many forums and found that martemodena is a good company to deal this, so no worries :-) I will post an update once i get the pen.

 

Well done you! It sounds like you got a good deal. :)

 

Their shipping is often described as hugely inflated, and has been discussed at length in many threads on here. However, if you check it out when you receive the pen, and see who the shipping company is, you will be able to find out what the actual cost to ship was before you leave eBay feedback and rating stars. ;)

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I just won an auction of Visconti Divina Desert Spring oversize fountain pen for 230Euros at MarteModena. This was an impulse buy, when i ran in to the auction while browsing and joined it when there was like 20mins left. This is the first time i have won an auction. I looked around and the pen price starts at 500 euro and go all the way upto 900 euro. So what is the deal, why is it this cheap? I already payed for it, but more i think about the price, more i want to ask some one :-)

 

-Pradeesh

Pradeesh:

 

Did you win your auction off of Martemodena (now ItalyCollectors) on Ebay, or off the Martemodena website directly?

 

Thank-you

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Their shipping is often described as hugely inflated, and has been discussed at length in many threads on here. However, if you check it out when you receive the pen, and see who the shipping company is, you will be able to find out what the actual cost to ship was before you leave eBay feedback and rating stars. ;)

 

I was wondering how long it would take one of you guys to get here. :lticaptd: Look, here is what the guy wrote: "Shipping was little bit high, but since i am from Israel, i am used to high shipping cost for anything i buy :-)". That suggests that he is aware of the price, and he is OK with paying it. He probably considers, as is very very likely the case, that he got a great deal even with that "high shipping cost"; he doesn't even mention the latter in his original "post".

 

So why not give it a rest. Not everyone goes around looking for "reasons" to whine or to malign a decent seller, so the "encouragement" is probably neither necessary nor helpful.

Edited by FriendAmos
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You did well. Their website auctions are becoming popular so it's more difficult to get really good deals than it used to be. You should also check their regular sales.

 

They dumped a bunch of Montblancs on the market last year and I picked up a Classic Steele II for $283 (shipping included) in their straight sale section. I had to pay like $25 in import taxes but I was cool with that.

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I was wondering how long it would take one of you guys to get here. :lticaptd: Look, here is what the guy wrote: "Shipping was little bit high, but since i am from Israel, i am used to high shipping cost for anything i buy :-)". That means that he is aware of the price, and he is OK with paying it. So why nt give it a rest?

LOL! Yeah, so many people had their panties in a wad over their shipping prices. If you don't like it...don't buy from them. To me, the total price is the total price. I don't care if the money is for the actual pen, shipping or having the pen polished with a live bull's ball sack. The bottom line is the bottom line.

Edited by Cordovian
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I was wondering how long it would take one of you guys to get here. :lticaptd: Look, here is what the guy wrote: "Shipping was little bit high, but since i am from Israel, i am used to high shipping cost for anything i buy :-)". That suggests that he is aware of the price, and he is OK with paying it. He probably considers, as is very very likely the case, that he got a great deal even with that "high shipping cost"; he doesn't even mention the latter in his original "post".

 

So why not give it a rest. Not everyone goes around looking for "reasons" to whine or to malign a decent seller, so the "encouragement" is probably neither necessary nor helpful.

 

The deal was fantastic for me. 230 Euro + 40 euro shipping instead of the best deal i could find for this pen which was 526 Euro + 25 Euro shipping. Also i am fine with the 15 working day shipping policy they have. The deal was too good :-). Also i pay 18% VAT at customs for any item above 70 USD, so i saved a bit of money there too... :-). I will update once i receive the pen regarding its working etc.. :-)

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I won at the website directly, not on ebay.

 

In that case it will be a different process. I thought because you said it was an auction, you won it on eBay. :)

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I was wondering how long it would take one of you guys to get here. :lticaptd: Look, here is what the guy wrote: "Shipping was little bit high, but since i am from Israel, i am used to high shipping cost for anything i buy :-)". That suggests that he is aware of the price, and he is OK with paying it. He probably considers, as is very very likely the case, that he got a great deal even with that "high shipping cost"; he doesn't even mention the latter in his original "post".

 

So why not give it a rest. Not everyone goes around looking for "reasons" to whine or to malign a decent seller, so the "encouragement" is probably neither necessary nor helpful.

 

I don't look for reasons to whine or malign a decent seller, nor do I look for reasons to promote them either.

 

I merely replied to the OP who felt the need to mention the high shipping cost, and I'm perfectly entitled to do that. :mellow: Just like you were perfectly entitled to express once more how good this seller's deals always are.

 

People might start to wonder if you're actually Martemodena soon. :D

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Right place, right time! I like that Desert Spring material and their Divina shape -- easy to grip and control.

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I merely replied to the OP who felt the need to mention the high shipping cost, and I'm perfectly entitled to do that. :mellow: Just like you were perfectly entitled to express once more how good this seller's deals always are.

 

Nothing wrong with mentioning the high shipping cost, something that the OP had already done. This bit is the unnecessary and unhelpful whining and malevolence towards the seller:

 

"However, if you check it out when you receive the pen, and see who the shipping company is, you will be able to find out what the actual cost to ship was before you leave eBay feedback and rating stars.".

 

The guy is happy with his great deal, but there you still are---going off on a tangent and urging people to join you on Mission Futile. One hopes that the last response from the OP provides a clue: it doesn't look like he is going to go around chasing shipping costs and worrying himself with eBay feedback, and why you even thought he would be interested in that sort of activity is far from clear.

Edited by FriendAmos
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Well done on your purchase.

You have landed a super deal, well done.

I have had a similar experience with a Martemodena auction, where I got a Dolcevita for a ridiculous amount of money.

I have purchased from them direct too and their communication and service was exemplary.

 

All I ever looked at was the total price.

 

Ian

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  • 2 weeks later...

@pchand2 Have you received the pen yet?

 

I ordered a VISCONTI fountain pen Divina Desert Spring - Oversize from MarteModena on the 2nd of August, and I have still not received the pen. I have also attempted to contact MarteModena, and have received no reply. Are they scamming me?

 

Tom

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Did you order directly or won an auction?

 

No, i have not received the pen yet. They have not even shipped it out. But they have been responsive to my queries. They told me that, Visconti is on vacation during August and their management have changed. CEO quit or something like that and hence visconti is not meeting shipping commitments. They have not given me any shipping estimate though.

 

I have checked their history and they have known to honor the deal. They are still running auctions for same pen though.

 

How did you pay? If it is via paypal, i think you can open a dispute if martemodena do not honor the deal or refund the money.

 

I really hope that we both will receive the pen. For now i am just waiting.

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