Question about a dishonest dealer?

[SCHUPO]

Gentlemen,

I am having a problem with a German dealer named Torsten Kabel who goes by the name of "wr.-berlin-dzierzynski" on ebay.de as a seller of East German militaria. He posted a link to this item on another forum and I purchased what was described as a "KVP HVA DGP Uniformjacke Wachtmeister 1951" as ebay.de Artiklenummer: 6109907878 from him on July 31, 2004. It was actually an early Grenzpolizei Jacke. He received immediate payment and stated he mailed the Uniformjacke at the first of August...but no such Uniformjacke has arrived. After repeated correspondence, he will now not respond to my emails and will not refund my money.

Has anyone had a similar bad experience with this dealer? Is he dishonest? I have received several emails from fellow collectors who have advised me that they too have had problems with this dealer in the past but have not made it public. Perhaps my experience will help keep other DDR collectors from suffering the loss of well over 200 euro that I have experienced with this DDR Militaria dealer.

[dannybou]

I can't comment on this dealer as I never had any dealings with him. There are a few things you can do though when it comes to eBay:

1. Notify eBay, although I believe they have to be notified within 30 days
2. If you paid via Paypal, then you should be able to get some of your money back via their purchase guarantee.
3. If you paid by Paypal or a credit card, then contact your credit card company and do a "charge back" to your account. There is a few papers to fill but it's fairly easy.
4. Do leave a negative feedback on this person.

[Mikhealc]

In Defense of Torsten

I have purchased from Torsten often. Some of the very best pieces in my collection have come from Torsten. I have always received the item but not always quickly. Torsten is honest. Once I didn't receive an item because he used the German 1 in the zip code (German ones normally have a "hat") and our post office read it as a 7. Anyway, I am not making light of your frustration Schupo but Torsten is an honest dealer. mhc

[SCHUPO]

Gents,

Thank you for your replies to my question. Herr Kabel has finally indicated that he will refund my money after he collects the insurance. Of course my thoughts are that a reputable dealer would refund the money up front and then collect the insurance on their end. Having been a militaria collector for well over 40 years, this has been my experience with folks who are honest militaria dealers. Anyway, I will wait at the mailbox with baited breath for a refund from Germany. If I actually do recover my money, I will advise the forum. I will keep my fellow collectors updated.

Thanks, and be careful out there! George

[Mikhealc]

Items arrived

Yesterday I received my package from Torsten. It took about 100 days since I bought the items but they did come. Again, I have always found Torsten to be exceptionally honest and I have bought many fine items from him. I just wanted to post something positive on his behalf because my experience has been positive. Mike Custer

[dannybou]

Hi Mike, 100 days for delivery? You are a patient man my friend.

[Mike G.]

For people who know Torsten, that is about average. Due to the uniqueness and quality of the articles that can be obtained from him, we suffer and indure the delay willingly. Usually, by the time the article arrives, you've forgotten it, and it catches you off guard.


You can't help but smile at the quirky ways a collector of DDR memorabilia must go about acquiring his wares.

[Mikhealc]

100 days

No one likes to wait 100 days for something however it is coming from across the Atlantic from a city in the former East Germany with a postal system that is expensive and ships items in the cheapest boxes I have ever seen. I guess my and Michael's point is that the articles do eventually arrive. As a collector I have learned patience from a lot of sources and collectors. Patience usually pays off.

[torstenbel]

I deal a lot in German Militaria items and A lot of my customers will only know me as TORSTEN, but I am becoming concerned about this Torsten Kabel potentially giving me a bad name...I am not him and I do not know him. I hate it when other dealers (and especially ones called Torsten.. give us German Militaria dealers a bad name and reputation). Cheers, Torsten.

Yesterday I received my package from Torsten. It took about 100 days since I bought the items but they did come. Again, I have always found Torsten to be exceptionally honest and I have bought many fine items from him. I just wanted to post something positive on his behalf because my experience has been positive. Mike Custer

[Thälmannpionier]

Yesterday I received my package from Torsten. It took about 100 days since I bought the items but they did come. Again, I have always found Torsten to be exceptionally honest and I have bought many fine items from him. I just wanted to post something positive on his behalf because my experience has been positive. Mike Custer

100 days is way too long..Can't believe that'll take that long to deliver to USA.
The Seller has probably to collect the items first until he can send it off.
To send Things to US is very expensive in Germany if you choose insured shipping(46USD) but its quick(AirMail) for about 19USD you can send it uninsured as a little package,that'll take a bit longer but not 100 days at all.

[SCHUPO]

Torsten Belger,

This is my thread and I appreciate your response to state that you are not Torsten Kabel. It is unfortunate when dishonest people besmirch someone else's reputation. It appears that Torsten Kabel has responded on this forum under a different moniker and it does appear that this person is not you. I can only speak from my own documented experience, but I can say that Torsten Kabel owes me money that he publicly stated he would refund to me and he has not paid me. He also speaks English but pretends not to on this forum. Anyone here is certainly free to deal with Herr Kabel or listen to his opinion on DDR regalia but they do so at their own risk. I will not.

Thank you for explaining that you are not Torsten Kabel.

George Wheeler (Schupo)

[torstenbel]

Thank you. Yours was not the only thread concerned with problems with Herr Kabel and all over the place he was only referred to as Torsten...and I really was getting a bit annoyed...anyhow, lets get on with things... Cheers, Torsten (ebay id german.militaria).

Torsten Belger,

This is my thread and I appreciate your response to state that you are not Torsten Kabel. It is unfortunate when dishonest people besmirch someone else's reputation. It appears that Torsten Kabel has responded on this forum under a different moniker and it does appear that this person is not you. I can only speak from my own documented experience, but I can say that Torsten Kabel owes me money that he publicly stated he would refund to me and he has not paid me. He also speaks English but pretends not to on this forum. Anyone here is certainly free to deal with Herr Kabel or listen to his opinion on DDR regalia but they do so at their own risk. I will not.

Thank you for explaining that you are not Torsten Kabel.

George Wheeler (Schupo)

[olivyaya]

You have probably noticed this item and some more from same dealer...
http://cgi.ebay.de/SfS-MfS-KVP-DGP-G...QQcmdZViewItem


The way the items are photographed make me think we are talking about same dealer... what do you think ? Have you checked the strange feedback ??

[torstenbel]

You have probably noticed this item and some more from same dealer...

The way the items are photographed make me think we are talking about same dealer... what do you think ? Have you checked the strange feedback ??

do you think that is Torsten Kabel? I actually had a couple of PM's with him on the forum more than a year ago and he did seem a nice enough person, but I had no contact with him since...with regard to the feedback this seller has received...wow...defintely one lot of auctions that I would not touch no matter how tempting they may be.... Cheers, Torsten Belger (...and not Torsten Kabel) and my ebay id is German.Militaria and not whatever this seller is using....

[olivyaya]

I have dealt with torsten kabel a few times and have had no problem with him... was just wondering because of the pictures !