eBay - no deal any longer - Page 3

milkfish · 02-25-2007, 06:25 AM

Don't forget that when you shop on eBay, they give you a colored star too.

xoxoxoBruce · 02-25-2007, 08:39 AM

Is that a good thing?

milkfish · 02-25-2007, 09:40 AM

Well, not if you're a Jew in pre-war Germany. Otherwise yes.

CaliforniaMama · 02-25-2007, 11:22 AM

I have noticed the shift in ebay, too, but I think the old culture is still there, just a little hidden. It is like there is the surface ebay, the retailers, and then there are us yard sale types.

When I shop, I basically skip the retails and look for the individuals. The searches show who has a store, so it's fairly easy to do. One look at the feedback number and it is easy to skim through the scum.

It all depends on the type of item, though.

I have given up buying any appliance or electronic item. I have rejected every single one. So, I don't have good luck in that department, there is always Amazon or a zillion other discounters on line.

I sell more than I buy, just because my kids keep outgrowing clothes, and because hubby won't let me have another yard sale as long as I live. (I think it had to do with my chastisement after he sold some Avon way too cheap. He clearly didn't read my posted price!)

I'm a homeschooler and buy school supplies at cheaper prices in a bulk package. I ebay the extras. Often the items get snapped up quickly at more than I paid for them, but at a price that is still less than retail to buyer. A win-win situation for us all, so I'm still an ebay supporter.

Craigslist? No way. Not after a guy came to a friend's door wanting to buy a breast pump (prearranged, thinking he was a bona fide buyer) and asked to have her demonstrate . . .

Radar · 02-25-2007, 01:01 PM

I'm about to open an ebay store myself and I think I can clearly explain why the things on ebay are not significantly cheaper.

Most people assume the products will be cheaper because ebay people don't have much as much overhead costs as does a typical brick and mortar store.

The problem is most ebay sellers don't know how to find genuine wholesellers. They don't go through the trouble to get a business license, a dba, and a reseller's permit or to establish a relationship with real wholeseller. In most cases, they don't even know how to find them. They think they can search on google for wholesale and get a list when these people don't have websites and rarely even are listed in phone books.

The sellers on ebay buy from middlemen, and have to mark up the price from there. This is why you see pretty much the same price as retail.

For the record, I'm doing everything above board, and I've got all the right licenses so I'll be able to sell cheaper than others selling homeschool supplies.

chrisinhouston · 02-25-2007, 04:46 PM

I buy and sell a fair amount of stuff, especially photo gear. I try not to overcharge for shipping but as I went through the learning curve I would sometimes shortchange myself on the shipping. Estimating shipping can be hard sometimes if you haven't weighed the item or planned on how you will pack it. I try to do all this before I list the item now and come up with a reliable cost estimate, then I add about 15% to cover my time and materials. I try not to buy too many supplies but occasionally I go out and make a dumpster run at the local strip mall. I drive around back and check the dumpsters for boxes, bubble wrap and peanuts. I get a lot of boxes from Fed Ex, the USPS and Airborne for free. But there is sometimes quite a bit of time in packaging items and getting them out to the shippers

orthodoc · 02-25-2007, 06:11 PM

I used to buy a lot of spinning fiber on ebay, and I sold some of my homeschooling stuff there. My chief peeve with ebay is that their anti-fraud service has gone from decent to nonexistent. Their current 'dispute resolution' mechanism merely tells you to communicate with the other party! As if that's going to solve anything when a seller is shipping pictures of electronics instead of the item, etc.

As for shipping charges and stuff that's more expensive than retail ... caveat emptor. It's a free market.

Aliantha · 02-25-2007, 06:37 PM

I agree with the dispute resolution process. It simply doesn't work if the person you're purchasing from is dishonest. Twice I've paid for items which I haven't recieved, so now I use ebay only as a last resort.

Radar · 02-25-2007, 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by orthodoc

I used to buy a lot of spinning fiber on ebay, and I sold some of my homeschooling stuff there. My chief peeve with ebay is that their anti-fraud service has gone from decent to nonexistent. Their current 'dispute resolution' mechanism merely tells you to communicate with the other party! As if that's going to solve anything when a seller is shipping pictures of electronics instead of the item, etc.

As for shipping charges and stuff that's more expensive than retail ... caveat emptor. It's a free market.

I think this is a moot point in most cases, because when you use PayPal or most credit cards to make purchases, you're given protection from fraud.

Real dispute resolution takes two willing parties.

jinx · 02-25-2007, 09:04 PM

One time when my purchases didn't show up paypal was able to refund me, but the other time the seller had emptied their account and paypal did nothing. That turned me off to buying, and the fees turned me off to selling (only 3 positives away from a

).

xoxoxoBruce · 02-26-2007, 08:01 AM

I guess that's why they hounded me to tie paypal to a bank account rather than a credit card. They can't ignore VISA.

I refused and they canceled my account. I waited 6 months, tried to open a new account and get, Welcome back, glad to see you, we've missed you. WTF??

elSicomoro · 02-26-2007, 08:27 AM

I had my first negative experience with eBay this past month...and I've been a member off and on for almost a decade. I bought an iPod from a UK retailer that had a great rating. They said it would be in mint to brand new condition, but that was not the case. I wanted a full refund--I was not about to pay a 20% restocking fee. I went back and forth with them for 2 weeks, then finally submitted the dispute to PayPal (since I used them to pay for the transaction). After less than a week, the retailer agreed to give me the full refund.

This experience hasn't turned me off from eBay though. Shit happens...I was bound to have a bad transaction sooner or later.

Sundae · 02-26-2007, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

I guess that's why they hounded me to tie paypal to a bank account rather than a credit card.

I have a paypal account tied to my bank account. I used it once - never again. It takes a ridiculous amount of time for the cash to be cleared into the account, and even longer for it to clear into the seller's. I think it was five working days in, ten working days out.

I am tempted to get a high interest credit card* just so I can set up a sellers account on eBay, but I know I'd end up buying other things on it and not clearing the balance at the end of the month. Mustn't go down that road again.

*ie a card specifically offered to people with bad credit history

xoxoxoBruce · 02-26-2007, 09:24 AM

When it's tied to your bank account, paypal can withdraw whatever they want, whenever they want, then you have to prove to the bank they shouldn't have. How long would that take?
Of course your banks might work differently than ours.

I never give anyone access to my bank accounts, but that's because I don't trust anyone, especially unknown clerks at some big company. I'm sure there are many people more trusting than I with no problems..........yet

monster · 02-26-2007, 09:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

I guess that's why they hounded me to tie paypal to a bank account rather than a credit card. They can't ignore VISA.

I refused and they canceled my account. I waited 6 months, tried to open a new account and get, Welcome back, glad to see you, we've missed you. WTF??

Us too.

Only ever bought from ebay, no bad experiences (probaly just a matter of time), some real bargains, some thing not able to find elswhere. Damned if they're getting my bank details, though.

02-25-2007, 06:25 AM	#31
milkfish A serene breakdown Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Northern NJ, USA Posts: 266	Don't forget that when you shop on eBay, they give you a colored star too. __________________ A genius is one who can do anything except make a living. - Joey Lauren Adams

02-25-2007, 08:39 AM	#32
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Is that a good thing? __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

02-25-2007, 09:40 AM	#33
milkfish A serene breakdown Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Northern NJ, USA Posts: 266	Well, not if you're a Jew in pre-war Germany. Otherwise yes. __________________ A genius is one who can do anything except make a living. - Joey Lauren Adams

02-25-2007, 11:22 AM	#34
CaliforniaMama I wonder . . . Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: The Left Coast, a pretty good place to be. Posts: 1,278	I have noticed the shift in ebay, too, but I think the old culture is still there, just a little hidden. It is like there is the surface ebay, the retailers, and then there are us yard sale types. When I shop, I basically skip the retails and look for the individuals. The searches show who has a store, so it's fairly easy to do. One look at the feedback number and it is easy to skim through the scum. It all depends on the type of item, though. I have given up buying any appliance or electronic item. I have rejected every single one. So, I don't have good luck in that department, there is always Amazon or a zillion other discounters on line. I sell more than I buy, just because my kids keep outgrowing clothes, and because hubby won't let me have another yard sale as long as I live. (I think it had to do with my chastisement after he sold some Avon way too cheap. He clearly didn't read my posted price!) I'm a homeschooler and buy school supplies at cheaper prices in a bulk package. I ebay the extras. Often the items get snapped up quickly at more than I paid for them, but at a price that is still less than retail to buyer. A win-win situation for us all, so I'm still an ebay supporter. Craigslist? No way. Not after a guy came to a friend's door wanting to buy a breast pump (prearranged, thinking he was a bona fide buyer) and asked to have her demonstrate . . . __________________ Take time for silence. You never know what you might hear.

02-25-2007, 01:01 PM	#35
Radar Constitutional Scholar Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Ocala, FL Posts: 4,006	I'm about to open an ebay store myself and I think I can clearly explain why the things on ebay are not significantly cheaper. Most people assume the products will be cheaper because ebay people don't have much as much overhead costs as does a typical brick and mortar store. The problem is most ebay sellers don't know how to find genuine wholesellers. They don't go through the trouble to get a business license, a dba, and a reseller's permit or to establish a relationship with real wholeseller. In most cases, they don't even know how to find them. They think they can search on google for wholesale and get a list when these people don't have websites and rarely even are listed in phone books. The sellers on ebay buy from middlemen, and have to mark up the price from there. This is why you see pretty much the same price as retail. For the record, I'm doing everything above board, and I've got all the right licenses so I'll be able to sell cheaper than others selling homeschool supplies. __________________ "I'm completely in favor of the separation of Church and State. My idea is that these two institutions screw us up enough on their own, so both of them together is certain death." - George Carlin

02-25-2007, 04:46 PM	#36
chrisinhouston Professor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Houston TX Posts: 1,857	I buy and sell a fair amount of stuff, especially photo gear. I try not to overcharge for shipping but as I went through the learning curve I would sometimes shortchange myself on the shipping. Estimating shipping can be hard sometimes if you haven't weighed the item or planned on how you will pack it. I try to do all this before I list the item now and come up with a reliable cost estimate, then I add about 15% to cover my time and materials. I try not to buy too many supplies but occasionally I go out and make a dumpster run at the local strip mall. I drive around back and check the dumpsters for boxes, bubble wrap and peanuts. I get a lot of boxes from Fed Ex, the USPS and Airborne for free. But there is sometimes quite a bit of time in packaging items and getting them out to the shippers

02-25-2007, 06:11 PM	#37
orthodoc Not Suspicious, Merely Canadian Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 3,774	I used to buy a lot of spinning fiber on ebay, and I sold some of my homeschooling stuff there. My chief peeve with ebay is that their anti-fraud service has gone from decent to nonexistent. Their current 'dispute resolution' mechanism merely tells you to communicate with the other party! As if that's going to solve anything when a seller is shipping pictures of electronics instead of the item, etc. As for shipping charges and stuff that's more expensive than retail ... caveat emptor. It's a free market. __________________ The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated. - Ghandi

02-25-2007, 06:37 PM	#38
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	I agree with the dispute resolution process. It simply doesn't work if the person you're purchasing from is dishonest. Twice I've paid for items which I haven't recieved, so now I use ebay only as a last resort. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

02-25-2007, 09:04 PM	#40
jinx Come on, cat. Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: general vicinity of Philadelphia area Posts: 7,013	One time when my purchases didn't show up paypal was able to refund me, but the other time the seller had emptied their account and paypal did nothing. That turned me off to buying, and the fees turned me off to selling (only 3 positives away from a ). __________________ Crying won't help you, praying won't do you no good.

02-26-2007, 08:01 AM	#41
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	I guess that's why they hounded me to tie paypal to a bank account rather than a credit card. They can't ignore VISA. I refused and they canceled my account. I waited 6 months, tried to open a new account and get, Welcome back, glad to see you, we've missed you. WTF?? __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

02-26-2007, 08:27 AM	#42
elSicomoro Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 12,486	I had my first negative experience with eBay this past month...and I've been a member off and on for almost a decade. I bought an iPod from a UK retailer that had a great rating. They said it would be in mint to brand new condition, but that was not the case. I wanted a full refund--I was not about to pay a 20% restocking fee. I went back and forth with them for 2 weeks, then finally submitted the dispute to PayPal (since I used them to pay for the transaction). After less than a week, the retailer agreed to give me the full refund. This experience hasn't turned me off from eBay though. Shit happens...I was bound to have a bad transaction sooner or later.

02-26-2007, 09:24 AM	#44
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	When it's tied to your bank account, paypal can withdraw whatever they want, whenever they want, then you have to prove to the bank they shouldn't have. How long would that take? Of course your banks might work differently than ours. I never give anyone access to my bank accounts, but that's because I don't trust anyone, especially unknown clerks at some big company. I'm sure there are many people more trusting than I with no problems..........yet __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

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