More eBay rants: Selling

[Supreme2k]

Recently, I've started cleaning out the garage in preparation for our move in a few months. I was going to donate our "junk" but thought that I could do much better on eBay (which has mostly been true).

I haven't sold anything on eBay for a while, especially not such a big lot, so I was a little irritated by some of the "dealings" I've had with bidders/winners.

Before the auction has ended:

• Though I clearly state that I will not ship outside the U.S., I get tons of questions about shipping outside the U.S.
  A couple of times, I have said, "Yes, but...$$$", to which they always reply, "But it says $ for shipping. You're trying to rip me off!"
• I take pics about 10 minutes before listing the item, but I still get, "You stole that picture! You're cheating the bidders by not showing the real item!"
• I use Buy It Now (works about 50/50), and I get quite a few people emailing me to sell to them for not only less than BIN price, but less than the opening bid. Riiiiight.

Winning bidders (shipping):

• Even though I do not initially offer to combine shipping, I do give customers a break (based on total weight). Evern with considerable savings, say $6 as opposed to $25, I still get people who want 4 items shipped for the price of 1, or even free.
• In the same vein, I get people "calculating" the shipping and disputing it, even though they do not know the method of shipping nor the weight of the packaged item. This is on top of the fact that I use flat-rate shipping, so they know in advance exactly how much they will pay.

Winning bidders (payment):

• I've had to turn in 2 Unpaid Item reports (pretty good, out of over 100), and they both whined about me wanting payment "too quick", and this after almost 3 weeks.
• The first bidder ended up winning the auction, but only after the price had been bid up to over double my BIN price. He demanded that he only pay the BIN price, since he was the first bidder and "that is how much YOU thought it was worth." He caved in soon enough.
• After selling a couple of cheapie items and having to wait for checks in the amount of under $7, I started listing as exclusively accepting Paypal, yet I still get people insisting on paying with checks/money orders (only a few so far, though).
• Not irritating, but weird: A few people offered to send cash ("Suuuure. Thanks......payment? What payment? I never got anything. Better send it again." )

Winning bidders (Feedback):
I don't leave feedback until all matters are cleared up and we will both be leaving positive. I would rather leave NO feedback than negative/neutral.
I do this because:
A. I hate the feedback system.
B. I've seen too much retalitory negatives because of the buyers own stupidity (shipping was too much even though it was listed in the auction, for example).

In my case, I had a guy threaten negative feedback because the item wasn't as described by him (meaning, he believed the item was something beyond my description and picture) and he couldn't re-sell it as he had planned.


I'll probably have more as the (next) week goes on

[Faustus]

Yup, ebay is indeed full of morons. Though I'm a buyer and not a seller.

[BJ_M]

Though I clearly state that I will not ship outside the U.S., I get tons of questions about shipping outside the U.S.

a lot of people from canada will ask such a question as it costs not much more to ship to canada and is no big deal to the seller to do so - if the buyer does any required paperwork ...

[Supreme2k]

a lot of people from canada will ask such a question as it costs not much more to ship to canada and is no big deal to the seller to do so - if the buyer does any required paperwork ...

If only ANY of them were from Canada. I get asked mostly from people in the Middle East. I ain't touching that.




Another winning bidder (with several thousand positive feedbacks) would not answer my daily emails. When the time came to report him as unpaid, he blasts me with an all caps mail saying, "I AM A POWER SELLER. YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT I WILL PAY! I HAVE THREE WEEKS!" I point him to the rules (as well as let him know the diff. between a buyer and seller), and the next email is, "Okay. I will pay you tomorrow."

[disturbed1]

I don't bid for anything on Ebay unless I have the funds now.

As soon as I win an auction, it's paid for in a matter of minutes.

But I refuse to sell anything what so ever on Ebay ever again. Their fees are just unreal, they tack this and that on, and a charge here, and a charge there. If I sold a cheap item for only $7.50, after ebay and paypal fees I make ~$5.00, not worth the hassle. I won't mention the canned, copy and paste responces their customer support gives either. For one off items in the over $100 area it may work well, but most of my stuff is in the sub $50 department.

Check out Amazon, it's worked much better for me in the selling department. Both for auctions and a merchant store.

[lordsmurf]

I would never turn down cash payment. I'd rather have USA greenbacks in hand than a piece of potentially forged paper, or a Paypal issue. Be sure they know it's $USD and not something else.

If I were you, no checks unless it's a company check. And I mean a real sizeable company, not some tiny self-employed crap or a business you've never heard of (or cannot find online). NSF fees are a true bitch. Not only do you not get paid, but your bank may ream you for another $10.

No money orders unless they are US Postal (green), Moneytree (blue), Traveler's Moneygram (blue) or Western Union (yellow). You can get these kinds of money orders at the post office, gas stations, grocery store, etc. Anybody not willing to give this kind of money order can go to hell. I've seen far too many fake MO's in years past, especially when they are cashier's checks from UNKNOWN BANK, NA.

You could well and fine be open to cashier's checks from Bank of America, Chase, Washington Mutual, Wells Fargo and some others, but I don't who would be crazy enough to spend $5 on those. If somebody says they get a free one (big accounts usually do), or are an employee of a large bank, take it.

Most of those e-mails you get, just hit DELETE and move on. I quit answering bidder questions years ago 99% of the time because it never made a damned bit of difference. I'd spend 30 minutes at a computer for no reason at all. Somebody else would win it anyway. Just answer the intelligent ones.

[zzyzzx]

Though I clearly state that I will not ship outside the U.S., I get tons of questions about shipping outside the U.S.

a lot of people from canada will ask such a question as it costs not much more to ship to canada and is no big deal to the seller to do so - if the buyer does any required paperwork ...

It's really only not a big deal if it's a small item and you use regular post office air mail (meaning you fill out the small post office form). UPS to Canada totally sucks and I won't do that again.

[Supreme2k]

I would never turn down cash payment. I'd rather have USA greenbacks in hand than a piece of potentially forged paper, or a Paypal issue. Be sure they know it's $USD and not something else.

There's no question that I'd accept. I just find it funny that people would send cash when there are people who would seriously do what I joked about. And wouldn't they look stupid complaining about it?

If I were you, no checks

That's where the sentence ends for me

Most of those e-mails you get, just hit DELETE and move on.

That's the problem with "most" is that I don't know that they're shit until I open them. Much of the time, I get the above mentioned questions, but sometimes I get the Deal Sealers, like "what's stamped on the action figure's leg?" then a BIN 10 minutes after answering.

[ViRaL1]

I love it when they make an offer for well over the asking price (as well as the retail price) and want it in time for their son's birthday. Oh, and can you ship that to Lagos?

[Supreme2k]

I've gotten a couple that have paid over double retail on used items I was selling. I wanted to tell them "Are you INSANE?!", but their insanity is my profit.

...and they're always grateful for the "bargain" that they got.

[reboot]

I like watching the ones where a product is selling for 1¢, with shipping at $49.99 for a $50 item.
Bidders go nuts, thinking they're getting a deal by bidding $5 for it, when they could have used the "buy me now" option, and had it for $50.

[Supreme2k]

I've had to re-list 3 items in one week due to "I didn't notice that you only take Paypal. There's no problem with a personal check, right?"
Wrong.

The upside is that all 3 items sold with BIN for more than I originally "sold" them, and the buyer all paid with the proper method.

[Conquest10]

Yeah, I don't understand these people that can't take the time out to read the auction until after they bid.

[Supreme2k]

Another sore loser:

I'm selling an item with BIN at $9.99 and opening at $4.99. This guy bids on it for the opener, then bids as bids increase, bids again at $10.75, but the auction closes at just under $24

I get a message that same day that he wants to buy either a duplicate, or the only one at $9.99. I say "no, the auction's over." I don't hear from him for 5 days, then I get a message that he "legally" won the auction because (quoted)
A. I was the first bidder
B. I bid for the price that you wanted. over Even.

I tell him that regardless of what he or I want, the item has been shipped to and received by the winner already, and the matter is long since over. The next message that I get is him saying that he has reported me to eBay, since he can't leave me feedback. I respond with "I'm sure the eBay guys can use a good laugh."

It never ceases to amaze me how insane some people can be

[zzyzzx]

The latest in eBay related spam (I never got one of these before):

eBay Unpaid Item Reminder: #4604409636

Dear Member,

heartnsoulauctions has informed us that they have not yet received your payment for the following item: Harley Davidson Aftermarket Silver Face Gauge Kit(#4604409636)

No action is being taken against your account at this time. However, it is important to remember that when you bid on or buy an item you are agreeing to a contract between you and the seller. If the situation isn't resolved within 5 days of this reminder, you may receive an Unpaid Item strike under eBay's Unpaid Item Policy.
.

If you don't respond by May-25-2006 you may receive an Unpaid Item strike.

Remember, repeated Unpaid Item strikes may result in your suspension from eBay.

Most Unpaid Item disputes can be resolved through direct communicatio! n between the buyer and seller, and we encourage you to work with your trading partner to reach a resolution.

! !
Regards,

eBay

[Bodyslide]

Well accorrding to ebay they ended that Auction.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=378&item=4604409636

This listing (#4604409636) has been removed or is no longer available. Please make sure you entered the right item number.

If the listing was removed by eBay, consider it canceled. Note: Listings that have ended more than 90 days ago will no longer appear on eBay.

Try searching for another item now.

[Mr. Dweezel]

I've noticed a few threads about ebay, but they're my last hope!
(unless I start shopping at Wal Mart!)

I've purchased hundreds of items and have only had a few minor problems.
I agree that ebay is becoming full of commercial dealers but at least they
usually take care of their customers.

Online stores are becoming cheats and thieves. I am still missing 3 rare books
that I ordered from online stores. I also got ripped for 11 items from another
online store, and when I called the customer service rep started yelling at me!

I've never sold anything on ebay, and after hearing some of the tales I think I'll
stick to being a buyer, not a seller!

I'm only speaking from my experiences.
Also, I posted in this ebay thread instead of bumping one of the older ones.

[zzyzzx]

Here is a story about an eBay scammer that got owned:

http://www.realtechnews.com/posts/3134

[Supreme2k]

I like watching the ones where a product is selling for 1¢, with shipping at $49.99 for a $50 item.
Bidders go nuts, thinking they're getting a deal by bidding $5 for it, when they could have used the "buy me now" option, and had it for $50.

Seems as though they're trying to fix that.

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200606.shtml#2006-06-27092621

[Conquest10]

I like watching the ones where a product is selling for 1¢, with shipping at $49.99 for a $50 item.
Bidders go nuts, thinking they're getting a deal by bidding $5 for it, when they could have used the "buy me now" option, and had it for $50.

Seems as though they're trying to fix that.

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200606.shtml#2006-06-27092621

That's good to hear.

[Greg12]

I stopped seling on Ebay. I tried to sell my computer but all I got where people asking me to ship it to Nigera and they would pay me when they recieved it. Or they would send me a letter and a confirmation number and the post office would verify that they were mailing me payment. If you search for the scams, you can find them.


BE CAREFUL OF PAYPAL. If you use their free account, you may get ripped off. I sold a cell phone on Ebay and the bidder was a con-artist who used a stolen credit card. Paypal passed the chargeback to ME so I had to pay paypal 200 dollars plus be out my phone. I refuse to use paypal.

Checks: If they are a major US bank, I can drive to the bank an if you cash a check at the bank it's drawn on, there's no NSF fee.

Money Orders: I cash them first.

[Supreme2k]

I stopped seling on Ebay. I tried to sell my computer but all I got where people asking me to ship it to Nigera and they would pay me when they recieved it.

You should have went for it!

I hear those Nigerian princes reward nicely 8)

[waheed]

Some interesting reading:

www.419eater.com