eBay is Serious Business

[Eric the Grey]

I've had exactly one experience with eBay, and have never gone back.

I was looking for phones and wanted a specific one. I found a dealer (an eBay store) that had the one I wanted, unlocked so I could use it with my service and was ready to purchase it.

The seller's requirement for my purchasing was a certain level of positive feedback before bidding, or emailing them directly. So I emailed them through the eBay system (because I had NEVER purchased anything there before) and waited. The auction went away and I never heard from them.

I found the phone elsewhere and haven't been back to eBay since. I don't like playing games when I want to purchase something.



Eric the Grey

[poofy_puff]

I guess simply eating the cost of delivery confirmation (which might only be 35 cents, if memory serves) was not an option.

I've done that before. It is worth it to avoid the hassle.

Last time (about a month ago) I sold something, I thought that the shipping cost was going to be $9.00 (for Priority Mail Flat-rate Box) but it actually turned out to be $6.20, so I refunded the buyer the difference, just so it wouldn't look like I was a shipping-cost-scammer. She got a really good deal either way (Item ##110222639845).

Eric: That is unfortunate, but not eBay's fault. What you described is like going to a flea market and having a bad experience with one vendor and avoiding the entire flea market because of that one vendor, or swearing off all FM's because of the one vendor at that one FM. However, it is your life and that is what makes this a "free" country: you can spend your money however you like (Please don't blast me with "But you have to pay your taxes" etc. You know what I mean).

[Andara Bledin]

I can't believe there are people out there who don't get confirmation on their shipments. Although, even when you do get DC on a USPS order, that's not truly delivery confirmation. Most people don't know this, but all DC on a USPS package means is that the Post Office has received the package. What happens to it after that is completely up in the air.

I actually have our shipping clerk on our local USPS for delivery of a package from Canada. According to the tracking info, it came in for our zip code, then went to the zip code for our PO box, then it went to a completely unrelated zip code, so we're on the PO to figure out what the hell they did with our package.

And that, right there, is why every seller on eBay should use some form of tracking and should always forward that information to the buyer the day after shipment. (I say the day after as most tracking info is updated at the end of the day) I'm still bugging the company I work for to put in tracking numbers with PayPal for anything paid that way.

I've had exactly one experience with eBay, and have never gone back.

That is unfortunate, but not eBay's fault. What you described is like going to a flea market and having a bad experience with one vendor and avoiding the entire flea market.

Yeah, what he (she?) said. But eBay's not for everyone. It can take a lot of effort to get the deal you want. This goes a thousand times for anything in the electronics section, such as cell phones or MP3 players or game systems.

As an aside, many experienced eBayers (buyers and sellers alike) tend to recommend against asking for or buying from anyone who requires a minimum number of Feedback. After all, everybody starts at 0, and it's not conducive to making more money to restrict bidders purely based on Feedback numbers. Also, a lot of people who restrict low-Feedback accounts are also doing it so they don't have to deal with new eBayers who may not understand the system. It can be seen as a sign that the seller won't be willing to do anything beyond the absolute minimum as regards the sale.

^-.-^

[CancelMyService]

The only thing I restricted when I sold things on eBay was no one with 0 or negative feedback ratings. I know everyone's gotta start somewhere but I don't want to be anyone's first time


By the way, I got this in my eBay message box from some random person who apparently incurred the same wrath as me:

I had the same experience with this seller she should be kicked off of Ebay. She lies doesn't send the items and says she did in which I NEVER recieved either. She did give a full refund but not until after I reported her to Paypal. Refused to answer any emails or phone calls either until the reprt was made. I had the same experience with this NASTY seller just thought I'd let you know!! It's a shame people like this have to make it bad for Ebay!!!

So yeah, this lady's a nutbag. Still haven't heard from Michael Anthony yet, but I'm hoping I do soon. I want to ask him if he can get David Lee Roth's autograph for me.

[Eric the Grey]

Eric: That is unfortunate, but not eBay's fault. What you described is like going to a flea market and having a bad experience with one vendor and avoiding the entire flea market because of that one vendor, or swearing off all FM's because of the one vendor at that one FM. However, it is your life and that is what makes this a "free" country: you can spend your money however you like (Please don't blast me with "But you have to pay your taxes" etc. You know what I mean).

You guys are probably right. However, I've heard stories about how people play games with reputation (you give me good rep, I'll give you good rep, etc) going on in the past and the whole experience left a bad taste in my mouth with regards to eBay.

I'll probably go back and look, if there's ever anything else I'm looking for that I cannot find elsewhere. So far, I've had no real need to. I do still have my account, I think...


Eric the Grey

[poofy_puff]

eBay is very useful if you buy and/or sell at flea markets because you can look up your object and find out what it is selling for, whether it is rare, etc.

[Andara Bledin]

One thing a lot of people don't realize: They can go to the USPS to file a complaint of mail fraud for any item that has been paid for but not received.

Anything sold on eBay is classed as "mail order" and the USPS handles all mail order complaints. They take a long time to get around to dealing with claims (mine took about a month) but you can sometimes get results from having an official entity sending them legal notifications. I got my $24 back with a note that said "I don't know what this is from, but I probably owe you, so here."

^-.-^

[repsac]

I got a letter today from the company I bought my Hornby stock from. They wanted to know how my set is working out and if I needed anything else. Even sent me this killer cataloge of their newest offerings. I may go back to them after this, though only them. There's a couple of nice DCC Class 66's I want.

[Mark Healey]

Would you rather a buyer got their nice shiny "paid" sticker, then turned around and left you Negative Feedback because the post office crushed their package? It happens all the time.

Yes, It is the sellers responsibility to package intelligently. I bought a lot of 3 Model M keyboards. The jackass seller just stacked them and wrapped some foam and paper around the bunch and shipped them. They banged against each other during shipping and were damaged. When I contacted the seller about this he sent me a rant about how much he spends on shipping materials. In this case he used about 2.00 worth and marked up shipping 15.00. Of course I didn't give him the negative he deserved because from the tone of the email I could tell he was the type to retaliate.

[protege]

Even sent me this killer cataloge of their newest offerings. I may go back to them after this, though only them. There's a couple of nice DCC Class 66's I want.

Gotta love sellers like that. Some years back, I bought a 1958 T-bird model kit on Ebay. When it came, I was surprised to find not only the '58...but another car as well! The seller had tossed in a half-built dragster! It was pretty crude, but still. More fodder for the parts box!

[myswtghst]

Yes, It is the sellers responsibility to package intelligently.

This opinion, though, doesn't take into account the fact that sometimes it is the fault of the carrier (i.e. USPS/UPS/FedEx/DHL) when something is damaged. And honestly, not all buyers are intelligent, well-intentioned people like those of us around here - some of them can't tell the difference, and some of them just figure it's easier to attack the seller, rather than filing a claim with the carrier.

I liked the system in place, more or less, because I always waited until I received the package, emailed the shipper, and let them know that I was happy before I left feedback. It sucks when the jerks ruin it for those of us who used the system well and responsibly.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

This opinion, though, doesn't take into account the fact that sometimes it is the fault of the carrier (i.e. USPS/UPS/FedEx/DHL) when something is damaged.

The solution to me, then, is to package the item as though you expecting the shipping company to bash it around. In this case each individual keyboard should have been wrapper up in foam rubber or bubble wrap, and then all three keyboards wrapped again in more foam rubber, bubble wrap or packing peanuts.

Ultimately on ebay it is the seller's responsibility to get the item to the buyer in the condition described. You can't just say "Sorry, the post office damaged the package so I'm not responsible." The seller is the one who will have to refund or offer a substitute item if their buyer receives a damaged widget and they didn't purchase insurance for the item.

[Dreamstalker]

Yeah, overcharging by $15 and using one sheet of foam for three keyboards is obscene.

Ultimately on ebay it is the seller's responsibility to get the item to the buyer in the condition described.

Say you did everything you could to pack it to withstand a a bomb blast, and the PO/carrier/overseas customs stuffs up (package gets misrouted, just plain lost, stolen from the dropoff point, etc). I've seen photos of boxes that should have withstood a two-story drop that didn't survive having a heavier box fall on it off of a conveyor belt. Unless the seller hand-delivers the widget or owns/works for the carrier, they really do have no control over the parcel once it leaves their hands (yes, that's what insurance is for, but requiring insurance on every item would be a red flag for some). Most buyers have no idea how to handle an insurance claim, result tends to be the claim is invalidated. Should the seller then have to pay for the buyer's inability to follow directions?

Say again, the package can withstand a bomb blast and arrives in excellent condition but the buyer damages it either accidentally (hamhandedness) or intentionally (buyer's remorse or wants to scam a refund). Or the buyer claims nonexistent damage to do the above. Item was delivered in the condition described, but the buyer claims damage. Burden should then be on the buyer to prove damage, but that is rarely the case.

At the game store I used to package so the boxes would survive a 20-foot fall (items had flimsy cardboard boxes and I wanted to make sure it arrived unscathed), until I was told it cost too much (wait, if the buyer's paying for the packaging...oh I see, you want more profit). Another problem with overpackaging is that it can royally screw your shipping estimate after the fact (bump items into the next weight category, if not into dimensional weight). Some sellers calculate dimensions and weight based on the smallest outer box that will fit the widget.

[poofy_puff]

Another problem with overpackaging is that it can royally screw your shipping estimate after the fact (bump items into the next weight category, if not into dimensional weight). Some sellers calculate dimensions and weight based on the smallest outer box that will fit the widget.

This is true, and whenever I sell something I pack and weigh it before listing the auction, unless it is something like a book, which is not particularly fragile and does not require much more than a padded envelope.

[Nekojin]

At the game store I used to package so the boxes would survive a 20-foot fall (items had flimsy cardboard boxes and I wanted to make sure it arrived unscathed), until I was told it cost too much (wait, if the buyer's paying for the packaging...oh I see, you want more profit).

I had this happen at the QuikDrop store I worked at briefly (QuikDrop is an eBay store - a place for people who don't understand or don't have the time for dealing with eBay directly). When I first started working there, I was told to package to make sure it would get to the customer intact, and even given liberal guidelines for how much space should be left around an item. After a few weeks, I was told to cut down on packing, because it was costing too much, and given stricter guidelines that were not nearly as good at protecting the contents. I argued the point briefly, but wasn't really there long enough for the ramifications of the cheaper packaging to really kick in (especially on fragile items like plates).

That was an interesting job... I got to see some really cool vintage items, like a classic 1970's Star Wars AT-AT in good condition.