At 12:00 AM 12/25/2000 -0800, you wrote:
>Hello Dick,
>
> Well...I thought I was making a simple inquiry into the use of a
> seemingly legitimate service for
>Tiger owners. Boy, I seemed to have opened a can of worms here. It
>would seem that my curiosity
>concerning the purpose of this service may have been satisfied by the
>responses (or lack thereof) I
>have received from persons involved with it either selling it, buying it,
>or participating on it's
>committee. Sorry for any hassles brought about by my curiosity.
>
>As far as being able to trace I.d. info out of Ebay.. or anywhere else on
>the net, It's in the genes.
>
>S. Sagan
>530.268.3861
Steve,
Thank you for your email regarding T.R.A.C. Sorry to take so long getting
back to you. Your message raises some very legitimate points which I feel
should be answered not only for you, but also for the Tiger community in
general. You'll notice I am therefore including the Tiger "list" on this
reply.
You have not opened a can of worms. On the contrary, as one of the few
people so far to question the purpose of the T.R.A.C. program, your
curiosity is like a faint ray of hope. Frankly, it would be gratifying if
others applied your analogy and curiosity. Even though you may not realize
it, you have identified one of the program objectives, to wit: Challenge
the legitimacy and authenticity of eBay auctions offering 'Sunbeam Tiger -
Rootes "Rivets" Original' at exorbitant prices.
As you may know, those expense rivets frequently auctioned on eBay were
never originally installed anywhere on a Sunbeam Tiger. And the suggestion
that some copper service replacements in a Rootes bag could be the final
necessary part of a proper Tiger restoration is ludicrous. Originally the
auction description implied that these rivets were the same as the unique
OEM fasteners used by Rootes to attach the chassis (VIN) plate to Sunbeam
Tigers. But after a challenge to the accuracy of that claim, the
description was modified to the present wording, "....correct rivets that
you are looking for" ".....to complete that special correct
restoration." Further appeals to the seller to properly identify the
rivets have been unsuccessful, so unwary buyers continue to bid AS MUCH AS
$20 PER RIVET for these inappropriate fasteners. And it is all done in
complete secrecy, because these are always private auctions "so as to keep
things 'private'." What could be the purpose of a private auction, unless
it is to conceal something that the buyer and/or seller do not want
known? These auctions have also fostered a misconception about the
replaceability of unique factory rivets so that now some Sunbeam owners
think they are acquiring authentic and valuable products, when they are not.
The Tiger Rivet Authentication Committee was formed for the purpose stated
above, and to offer a legitimate advisory and counseling service to Tiger
owners actually desiring correct, authoritative information about Rootes
fasteners. (There is more information available on this subject that you
may ever want to know.) An "imitator" auction (also private) offering the
T.R.A.C. service usually appears on eBay immediately following the one for
the bogus rivets, and although the whole thing appears to be a spoof, in
fact, it is not. The information advertised in the T.R.A.C. auction
description is readily available to ANYONE seeking information about Rootes
rivets, and at little or no cost. For those who might otherwise pay a
princely sum for a package of generic fasteners, this could indeed be a
worthwhile and valuable service. Those like myself who staunchly hold this
view help support awareness of the T.R.A.C. program by submitting timely
bids during the eBay auctions.
Regrettably, few bidders have taken advantage of T.R.A.C. Commendably,
some, like yourself, have finally questioned its purpose, but still may not
understand it completely. Perhaps this background and explanation will
help to clarify your understanding. And if it prevents one unsuspecting
Tiger owner from spending a king's ransom for a package of worthless
rivets, it will have served it purpose.
Dick Barker
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