FYI, I have deleted the last few posts about someone offering their equipment for sale on eBay.

REMINDER: This site has a no buy/sell policy, simply because (a) sales attract a lot of trouble, and (b) there are already well-traveled sites that provide this service like CoffeeGeek and Craiglist. Discussion of sales is not strictly disallowed, but is closely monitored since some sellers will attempt to promote their wares via online forums.

drgary wrote:This thread certainly started off with one of our expert members giving us vital information for knowing that a Cremina grouphead is worn out so the machine is dangerous to use and just about DOA. So we don't keep wandering off topic, I wonder if this discussion of what's better to post or not regarding online auctions and gear for sale -- or even warnings like this -- should be split off to another thread?

Good idea! Rather than warn members of a particular questionable sale on eBay or Craigslist, I recommend an advice thread similar to Beware of fraudulent online espresso equipment vendors. I wrote that post after receiving several e-mails about a questionable e-commerce site on the web. Instead of posting about it specifically, I wrote a general guideline so the "words of wisdom" would be captured in one place for reference. The post includes this reminder:

FAQ wrote:Consistent with the Public complaints about customer service section of the Guidelines for productive online discussion, a major goal of HB is keeping the discussion focused on espresso, the barista, and coffee, not service and e-commerce issues. This thread is not for reporting specific websites. Its purpose is offering research strategies by which members can judge for themselves.

I don't have any experience with salvaging espresso equipment from online sales, but if someone from this thread wants to try, it would be nice to have the distilled advice of this thread in one well-written post.

HB wrote:I don't have any experience with salvaging espresso equipment from online sales, but if someone from this thread wants to try, it would be nice to have the distilled advice of this thread in one well-written post.

I'm willing to take that on but would step aside if Doug wants to do it.

I'll second your motion Doc. I would imagine the one-armed paperhanger is snowed under in the Land of the Pharos.

Doug gave the go-ahead for me to write the other thread, so I'll do that as soon as I can.

Okay. Here it is!

Tips for Safer Online Buying of Used Espresso Gear

Here's another photo from an online sale that looks like a badly worn lever yoke hole. The lever pin itself looks odd. I don't see a retaining clip and wonder if it's rusted. Also the top of the case is mysteriously compressed. I thought I'd post it for comment. And the group seems torqued downward. Possibly the owner was choking the machine and using the lever with too much force.