Anybody ever buy Panama's from this seller???

[fedoralover]

This seller has a lot of Panama's on ebay, some are very expensive. "ecuacorp" Just wondering how reputable they are. And yes I know Panamabob is the most reliable and trustworthy, no argument there. I am just wondering if anyone has experience with ecuacorp since they have a lot of hats listed, some very high end.

Panamabob, please give your honest opinion if you check out this thread. If they are legit, great if not it's good to know in advance before someone gets stung. Their feedback is 98.6%, not sterling but not horrible.

I put this in it's own thread purposely to draw more replies as it could get lost in the Panama hat thread.

fedoralover

 

[fedoralover]

Anybody???

fedoralover

 

[Jerry 9]

Never heard of them. I get my Panamas from a small shop in a small town in England. All fair trade hats hand woven in Equador.

 

[Panamabob]

The lowest price I can see is $65.99 including the shipping. I'd be happy to send a $42.99 ($30.00 plus shipping and hat box) hat to you to compare to that if you order theirs. We work direct, too, so all is fair.

 

[fedoralover]

Thanks for responding Bob. On the other end of the scale, their most expensive one at 1800 weaves psi is $5000. If I do the math right your highest listing is 43 weaves, if you count that vertical times horizontal that would make it 1849 total weaves psi, but your price is $1630. This is why I posted this, you consistantly offer the absolute best deal one can get for Panama's and are a known entity one can trust.

fedoralover

 

[jayinhk]

I'm waiting for a trilby I bought from ecuacorp: a little over three weeks now. I had the brim upsized very slightly. Can't wait to get it! I now wish I'd gone with Panama Bob as the wait is killing me and shipping from the US to Hong Kong would only have taken a week or so.

 

[jayinhk]

Just got my hat today. While I like it and think it looks great (it's my first panama!), there are a few issues.

It took 26-27 days to get here from Ecuador. Unfortunately, it is not what I purchased. I bought a trilby with a brim that was described as 3.5 - 5 cm long. This is a Cuencano (brisa weave I believe). The seller also sold it as an extra fino. According to this thread about the seller's own standards:

http://www.styleforum.net/t/245646/ecuacorp-ecuador-straw-hats

the hat should be 120-300 WPSI. I counted 8 horizontally and 10 vertically, for a total WPSI of 80.

The weave does look pretty good and even to me, but I will let you experts weigh in.

I think I'm going to return this hat. It's not what I purchased. I decided to give ecuacorp a try since the $25 shipping from the US put me off, but I wish I'd gone with Bob in the first place.

 

[jayinhk]

My brother and housekeeper loved it. My usual hat is a Buntal fedora I posted in the panama hats thread. I really wanted a nice panama to compare it to. This is definitely a nice hat, but I want what I paid for. I was actually hoping to pick up a Cuencano from Bob next.

 

[Panamabob]

My brother and housekeeper loved it. My usual hat is a Buntal fedora I posted in the panama hats thread. I really wanted a nice panama to compare it to. This is definitely a nice hat, but I want what I paid for. I was actually hoping to pick up a Cuencano from Bob next.

I've put on first class international shipping on the auctions. You get what you pay for, or better from us. We, too, have lots of problems from suppliers in Ecuador.

 

[danofarlington]

You know what--shipping, returning and all that are a pain. Why not just keep it as a nice hat, save yourself the trouble and time, and resolve to do better on the next purchase? I find myself needing all kinds of hats for different purposes over time. Some are beaters and for the rain, others are for sweating into, others are for some kind of shirt matchup and others for another. You can never have too many hats. Just keep the hat, and shop for something else when you are motivated. Anyway, now there should be some Panama hat sales coming up, at end of season, and you can snag some good value.

 

[Ormazd]

Please leave some honest feedback on eBay to help others in the future.

 

[barrowjh]

I want to agree w/danofarlington, don't exercise yourself just to save a net of only a few bucks (which has to be your call, how much net recovery do you get from shipping it back relative to the replacement deal, etc). The weave seems reasonably straight, edge backwoven, not such a terrible hat, just not what you paid for. Keeping it will help keep you focused on doing something different next time, a reminder.

However, I think ebay policy will require the seller to refund your purchase price and shipping to you, so you will only be 'out' for the cost to ship it back, and it may make more sense to do that. I think the seller hoped that you didn't know hats well enough to recognize that you weren't getting what you paid for and intentionally took advantage of you. I believe another ebay quirk is that if the deal is reversed, then you provide no feedback, so the seller's feedback score is not representative of customers that returned the products for full refund. So the seller's score represents only the opinions of buyers that didn't know any better! Ha, what a laugh.

 

[The Wiser Hatter]

I would suggest have Bob sent Art and unblocked hat. That Art can work up for you. As you have been exposed here to what a nice Panama looks like you will not be satisfied with nothing less. A pre creased Panama is fine for someone who doesn't know better but you have read the Panama threads and have seen what a nice Panama looks like. An you know what weave count is and how to measure for it.

 

[jayinhk]

Thank you for the posts gentlemen! I contacted the seller and linked him to this thread. He purchased one of my items (I'm an eBay seller) which I believe is a threat to leave me negative feedback if I don't revoke mine. I'm not new to eBay. This has happened to me once before, about a year ago, and I've already reported this fraudulent purchase to eBay. The seller in the other case ended up leaving me positive feedback since he wanted to keep his eBay status clear.

I told the seller I would accept a $45 refund and keep the hat, or a $90 refund if I send it back (which will cost me $10, and as an eBay seller, I send packages out several times a week, so an extra airmail package is no biggie). I could put that $80 toward a sombrero Cuencano from Bob!

Bob, for the $90 shipped I paid for this one, what kind of WPSI would I get in a Cuencano (brisa and llano)?

 

[Panamabob]

Thank you for the posts gentlemen! I contacted the seller and linked him to this thread. He purchased one of my items (I'm an eBay seller) which I believe is a threat to leave me negative feedback if I don't revoke mine. I'm not new to eBay. This has happened to me once before, about a year ago, and I've already reported this fraudulent purchase to eBay. The seller in the other case ended up leaving me positive feedback since he wanted to keep his eBay status clear.

I told the seller I would accept a $45 refund and keep the hat, or a $90 refund if I send it back (which will cost me $10, and as an eBay seller, I send packages out several times a week, so an extra airmail package is no biggie). I could put that $80 toward a sombrero Cuencano from Bob!

Bob, for the $90 shipped I paid for this one, what kind of WPSI would I get in a Cuencano (brisa and llano)?

WPSI doesn't equate well with brisa...different weave technique. Also, Cuenca grades their llanos differently, but I'd say you could get decent grades 1 each shipped. What size are you?

 

[jayinhk]

WPSI doesn't equate well with brisa...different weave technique. Also, Cuenca grades their llanos differently, but I'd say you could get decent grades 1 each shipped. What size are you?

Thanks Bob, that sounds good. After more thought, I actually still want a smaller-brimmed hat (around 4-5 cm). I'm a 7 1/2 / 59 cm. I actually prefer the dent of the Cubanos. I have been directly in touch with Homero Ortega in Cuenca (in Spanish even) and they will ship to me here in Hong Kong, but the $60 they want for EMS is too steep. I asked them about Correspondencia Certificada (certified mail for the non-Spanish speakers) and I'm waiting to hear back. They offered me a good fino in their Japan style for $100 + shipping.

I also found out Ecua-Andino actually have a retail store here in Hong Kong (!)--going to check out their selection later this week.

 

[jayinhk]

Bob, did you mean I could get a grade 1 in brisa AND one in llano for $90 shipped?

 

[Panamabob]

Bob, did you mean I could get a grade 1 in brisa AND one in llano for $90 shipped?

Brisa is probably grade 4-6, Llano end of season stock..depends on hat size.

They'll blow Homero and Ecua out of the water.

send me an email with your size. robert@panamas.biz

 

[jayinhk]

Brisa is probably grade 4-6, Llano end of season stock..depends on hat size.

They'll blow Homero and Ecua out of the water.

send me an email with your size. robert@panamas.biz

That's a very confident statement: I like that! I actually did shoot you an e-mail a few hours ago.

 

[jayinhk]

Well, ecuacorp isn't happy with me. They insist I got what I paid for for my $90, even if it's not what was pictured or described in the eBay listing. He said no to the 50% refund unless I take back my feedback. I told him to give me his return shipping address so I can get the hat right out to him.