Grand Vision Pens

[Seney724]

I'd be grateful for anyone's thoughts, experiences or recommendations about this UK pen dealer.

Thanks!

[northlodge]

I have never made a purchase as I find the prices to be eye-wateringly expensive. I have spotted a fair few items where he has clearly tried to quickly flipped an item for a 200% mark up. More common however is that the prices are so extreme his pens sit listed forever (eg this CS27 listed at £400! - 123679862647) I suppose the volume of pens listed compared to the number sold says it all.

 

However as far as I can tell the items are always accurately described and 100% correct - which is not the case with some of the other 'regular' ebay sellers who clearly rely on the ignorance of the buyer.

 

"You pays your money and takes your choice"

[Seney724]

Thanks for your response. I was beginning to think the "silence" was a reflection of FPN members' collective negativity about the seller. And, I suppose, that still could be the case. However, no one has sent me a PM warning me to beware..........

 

Actually, I did not realize they were eBay sellers. Or, at least, eBay sellers under the same name. They have a freestanding (i.e. not an "eBay store") website which looks quite nice. I assumed they were a "bricks & mortar" UK based seller but, now that I look more at their website, I'm not so sure they have an actual bricks & mortar store.

 

I have just now made a quick comparison. The pens they have listed on eBay are listed for the same price on their website. But there is much more inventory on their website. The pen I was looking at was not a CS. It, too, is "eye-wateringly" expensive but in what appears to be legitimate "near mint" condition. The type of condition where one might expect to pay a premium. But, as we all know, just because it says "near mint" does not mean what you will get is "near mint!" This the reason for my inquiry here.

 

Any others, please chime in or send me a PM.

[SomersetSwan]

I have seen him on instagram as well. A lack of comment in my case is only that i have had no dealings with him / her.

[effandpee]

Ive bought a couple of pens with absolutely no issues. Cant really say whether I was overcharged but items always as described, arrived on time and well-packaged.

[effandpee]

*accidental double-post - sorry* Ive bought a couple of pens with absolutely no issues. Cant really say whether I was overcharged but items always as described, arrived on time and well-packaged.

Edited September 29, 2019 by effandpee

[KevinS]

I attempted to purchase a pen online from this trader. It was stressful and unpleasant.

We spoke on the telephone a couple of times and he seemed genuine and sincere. He was apologetic and he assured me I would get my refund. Which I did get after having to threaten formal action to recoup my funds.

 

Simply and factually and much briefer than the lengthy debacle that took place:

 

I bought a pen online for £275. The price was rather high for the model, but the listing said it was is very good condition with no faults of note. The online photographs indicated that this was the case.

 

I received a pen which was a very similar model, but which had a considerably lower value. Only those who have a good knowledge of this pen would be able to tell the difference between the models. It had been completely over polished so that there were no longer any name/model markings on the barrel. The pen also had a ‘modern’ nib. It had some brassing on the clip, and, worst of all the section ring had three well developed areas of rust which were hard to spot because of the polishing. These would deteriorate very rapidly were the pen ever to be inked. It was perhaps worth £190 at best. (He later offered me £25.00 off the £275.00 should I wish to keep it.)

 

I telephoned the trader and he apologised telling me an incorrect listing had been put up on his site. I accepted that. He seemed genuinely apologetic and sincere and  he promised a full refund including my postage costs when he received the pen back.

 

I posted the pen back to him and saw that it was signed for on the following day. The post office device automatically logs the GPS position where the pen has been signed for and it provides a map showing where that was. It was at his front door.

 

After a few days of hearing nothing I contacted him and he told me that he had not received the pen and that it was still at the sorting office. On two occasions I pointed out the GPS, the map and the signature and twice he asserted that he had not received the pen and then he added that he was going away in a couple of days and if it didn’t come before the refund would have to wait until he came back in a few weeks time.

 

After I threatened to recoup my monies through the bank the pen mysteriously appeared. He told me his wife had collected it from the Sorting Office. That is not possible as the Sorting Office will only give packages out on the presentation of an ‘undelivered card’, which did not exist because it had been delivered and signed for. ( By now I had discussed the issue and they were investigating the delivery, but they pointed out that the signature and the GPS log were pretty much fool proof.)

 

At this point I received my refund. The trader then accused me of having attitude. Despite the fact that I had been fastidiously polite and stuck to the facts throughout. Yes, I did not let the matter drift.

 

Had I been less knowledgeable about pens and not noticed one very small anomaly indicating this pen was an older and cheaper model, I would have inspected it less rigorously and might have accepted it. To the casual eye it would have appeared more or less as described.

 

From the telephone calls I really do believe this trader is honest and sincere, but with such a sequence of events as this I will never buy from him again. 

 

I have kept our emails and telephone logs as a record should any of this review be refuted.

 

Maybe he was having a bad week his reviews on an online review site are positive.

 

It's a sad thing to feel the need to post this here.

 

 

[KevinS]

20 minutes ago, KevinS said:

Error - double post.

Both the rogue and the well intentioned fool will lead you to harm It's just the same.

[northlodge]

I have had some dealings with this "ebay buyer" and he has been fine to deal with. 

 

However, the pen he has purchased from me for £x is immediately listed on ebay as £3x. Nothing is done to the item before relisting. I thus ask myself why would someone pay so much more because it is from this seller, when they could have purchased the same pen for a lot less a week earlier?

 

That you were willing to pay top dollar means you might be able to answer that question

 

This is one of a number of ebay sellers who sell decent pens that are made to look great through photography skills. I would suggest you do your research, which should include what others are offering and charging.

 

He has a Grand vision of the level of profits his sales will generate, that is obvious from the sheer consistently elevated level of his asking prices - See Firebreakline for another who uses the business model "a fool and his money are easily parted". 

  

[Aether]

AIUI the Firebreak model is to list at very high prices on the hope of getting a bite and to create an impression of value, and after a specified time list as a low-start auction.  I guess the idea is that people who saw the high price are more likely to bid higher in an auction than if they hadn't.  Not sure if that works or not.

[lionelc]

probably wont work for seasoned pen buyers, those in the know would be looking out for pens from noted repairers that have a fair price on them

[TheRedBeard]

In the past I've looked at listings of this seller on a few occasions but never bought anything from him as I have found his prices quite unrealistic for the pens I looked at...

While there is nothing wrong in asking too high prices (everyone is free to do what he wants), 

it seems he mostly tries to target inexperienced pen buyers...