eBay - no deal any longer
 

For many things, from my recent experience, the eBay phenomenon worm has turned.
This coming from someone who has purchased and sold (which I sill will do) on tha' Bay, diligently, for some time.
What I think has happened is that there is a group/culture of people who assume that because they are buying something off of eBay it is less expensive than retail.
Recently I was looking for a small travel container for Zippo fluid. Without exception, every single vendor on eBay, I'm talkin' twenty-plus, were over retail. Some were right at retail, the rip-offs from the orient, then you get to pay more than the holder in shipping. :3_eyes:
Yesterday I went on looking for some Richard Dawkins books, again, the prices were either the same as, or more than what Amazon sells the books for.
Keep in mind, Amazon does not charge for shipping.
Then I did a Ask search for Dawkins books and found something curious... an eBay site called half.com that sells books for less than their listings, hmmmm?
These are not the only two instances, BTW, the same has happened with a recent pocket watch, knife, sword, wallet and a few other searches.
With the rare exception of a few sword vendors, estate pipe vendors, some hats and specialty clothing like Guayaberas, I'm pretty-much done with eFake.
The core cancer are the pro vendors matching/exceeding retail rates, driving all the pricing up, harming everyone.
Edit:
The other "issue" I have is with shipping prices. People are making money on shipping. It does not, and probably will never, cost fifteen dollars to ship a lighter, domestically.
Of this there is no doubt, eBay is looking the other way or encouraging it.
The real problem with that is that morons buy the stuff and pay these exorbitant shipping rates, encouraging the behavior for them and others. If no one did so, it would stop.

The deals are still there. Especially if you are looking for a hard to find random item.

I recently got a brand new factory CD/cassette deck for my car through a big seller on Ebay for $98 when the dealer wanted over $350 to order through them.

Sure, you have to look for them, that is sad.
I can remember when they were all deals, not everyone selling at reatail plus shipping. That is my point.

I agree... at least for the stuff I shop for, it's getting harder and harder to find a fair deal. (Call me cheap--it wouldn't be the first time--but for me "fair" means if it's used, or if it's a discontinued model that's been replaced by an updated model at retail, I'm going to pay noticably less than the current model is getting in stores. Yes, I know there are things that will be higher priced/collector's items for whatever reason, but when it comes to electronic gizmos those are the exceptions rather than the rule.)

They really ought to do something about the shipping prices. While I know there's a "buyer beware, if you're willing to pay $50, why does it matter whether you pay $45 + $5 shipping or $25 + $25 shipping" argument, it just looks sleazy, and I don't think that's good for ebay's long-term interests. (Not to mention the fact that, by reducing the amount of the "winning bid" it drives down the fee that ebay collects from the seller. Though with more transactions going through Paypal, they may not care so much since they're skimming it that way.)

Who is it hurting if people are selling things on eBay for higher than retail cost? I mean enough people are buying the stuff to justify someone posting, and paying for the auctions. That means the price isn't too high.

This is the same for people making money on shipping. It's not unethical, the shipping costs are specified right up front. You either buy or you don't and someone else does.

Seriously, if you can get it cheaper at retail, do it. And then sell it for more on eBay if you like.

This is the way markets work, right?

Nice to meet cha' herr shyster.

Seriously?

Your complaint is basically that, in a particular market, things aren't as cheap as you would like or as cheap as they used to be. I'm not sure what you think is wrong with that.

If people weren't buying through eBay, then the sellers would disappear, and eBay itself would soon follow. Problem solved.

Not used to be, I am not talking about items that are no longer available retail.
Try reading all of the original post first... it'll keep ya' from looking foolish later.
eBay is not strictly a collectible market.

I won't claim to be hurt by it, other than that what used to be a good source for some things is now less so. Ubid.com also used to be a great place to dumpster-dive for last year's technology.
You won't convince me that a $30 "shipping and handling charge" for domestic ground shipping on a 3 lb. package is ethical. Legal? Sure. Good business? Maybe.

But I still maintain these things will hurt ebay in the long run. Experienced bidders who know what they're doing will stop buying, and newbies won't come back after they discover they've been burnt. "My price is higher than you can buy it somewhere else, but I don't care because I know somebody will be stupid enough to pay it" isn't a business model I'd leap to bankroll.

The name calling isn't really necessary. I read the OP, even though it's fairly difficult when everything is in one giant paragraph.

What I said applies whether the things are still widely available or not. I'd genuinely like to know what is wrong with selling things at a price greater than the retail price you can find elsewhere.

The PS3 sells for more at retail in some countries than it does in others. Is this wrong?

Free Markets

There are still good places to find deals. If you live in/near a major city craigslist is a good bet, and specialized auction sites are often available for whatever you might be looking for. And if reconditioned, recertified, or refurbished is acceptable then you can get great deals at a lot of online retailers.

I could see $30 s & h if it's an item that requires extremely careful packing, or if it's a high-dollar item and the price includes insurance. If there isn't a logical reason for a large s&h charge I don't see why anyone would buy it, but careless people are going to get burnt no matter what. I see as much sleaze in grocery store discount cards.

It might hurt eBay eventually, but really it's one of the few places for Aunt Suzie out in West Bumfuck, USA to sell her knitting, and buy her specialty yarn. For that it's valuable to a great number of people.

My personal ethics and business ethics don't line up. I don't think preying on the weak is ethical (non-savvy consumers, the little guy, whoever is the weak to your strong). But business ethics pretty much endorse this kind of predatory behavior.

In business, if someone is stupid enough to sign the contract without reading it, then it's tough cookies.

Saying you did not read the post is an insult? If you took it that way, it was not how I meant it. Sorry.
Since grocery stores do something bad makes it ok? This is an argument? :rolleyes: I hope you never took debate in school.
We all know what a free market is... but thanks for thinking of us.:rolleyes:
PS sells for more in foreign markets.
Riiiight, and they have their own versions of eBay and, again, I was speaking of available items. Again, that whole "reading thing" comes in handy. I'll try to keep it simple for you in the future, since it was hard this time.
It seems you have no issue fleecing people... have at it, everyone's "ethics" & "morals" are different.

Since you appear to be retarded and without capacity for abstract thought, I think we're done here.

(It's a joke, if you don't get it you probably didn't play Ultima Online way back when.)

No one has mentioned the "snipers" who artificially drive up prices.

Some of these are the seller acting through a dummy account at another IP and don't tell me it ain't! Sure, some are people who are just trying to win the auction but there IS the "Buy It Now" button if you GOTTA have it right away!

On the rare occasions that I shop on eBay, I set a max bid that *I* think is fair for the item. If I lose, so what? I'll find it again elsewhere or else I'll pay the BIN price.

I agree that the S&H is a ripoff in many cases (not all) but that's the same for regular merchants as well. See afternoon TV for example after example. Does it really cost $10 to ship that Time/Life cassette or CD? No. Look at the postage stamp to see how much you paid extra for the "handling" which consists of sticking it in a box/envelope tossing in some crumpled newspaper and sealing it.

What, me? Cynical? NAH!

Brian

I once demanded cancellation of a purchase I made on Ebay because the seller informed me that the S&H had been increased by $5 in order to aid a member of his "Church" who needed money and was carrying the stuff to the post office. The seller informed me that I had to accept those terms because the price was stated in the auction. I told him being forced to subsidize a "Church" was not part of the Ebay agreement, and he backed down finally after making some ungratious remarks about MY "professionalism" :mad:

Oh, and "snipers" keep the prices LOWER. If there is nobody showing their hand until the final 10 seconds of an auction, there is no opportunity for another buyer to outbid you.

I use to post my 18 X 24 paintings on ebay to make money when I didn't have a job. I had this great big plan, because I saw that other artists were doing it too, and thought I had figured out a way to do it myself. (I charged $30.00 shipping, btw, which usually barely covered the packaging and the shipping costs, not to mention the cost of my time trying to "make" better fitting boxes for the paintings. I wasn't raking *anything* in on shipping, but usually eating shipping and packaging costs.) Unlike many of the other categories, fine art is such an oversaturated category and the starting bids are usually high enough, that to list a painting without a $20.00 special feature upgrade would ensure the painting would never be seen by anyone but me. Consider both of those factors plus materials (canvas, paint, medium, brushes) and add in the fact that the average bargain shopper is going to pay as little as he/she can for whatever I am selling, and it makes for very little in profit. So little, in fact, that I ended up owing ebay several hundred in the end, since many of the paintings never sold. And trust me, it isn't even about whether the art is good or not...its whether someone out there that wants to spend $80.00 on my labor has a couch that happens to match. My point? Buying on Ebay is a good idea for some items but not for others just as selling on Ebay is a better idea for some items than others. Those more expensive items will change, in time, as the Ebay market becomes saturated with them from all the schmoes who decide to buy it retail and sell it on Ebay ("That guy can do it, so I should do it, too!"). Fine art has progressively become less expensive, while other items with higher demand have become more expensive.

Aren't free market economies a bitch rkz?

I don't really understand the problem? If it's cheaper on half.com , then shop there. The few times I've looked at half, the items have been of inferior quality. Of course Ebay does not have the bargains it used to -everyone knows about it now! Everyone wants that bargain, and on an auction site when lots of people want it.....

And yes, some people are really stupid. And yes it's irritating when really stupid people with too much money screw up your bargains. But that's life. Ebay isn't dead, it's just a little more QVC/HSN than it used to be. So are Flea markets. They evolved (so to speak). (Maybe backwards). Something else will evolve for the real bargain hunters.

As for the sellers with low prices and ridiculous s&h charges? I like them. They keep the eejits busy while I snap up my real bargain :D

Read much?

I used to be an ebay addict - it was like going to garage sales without all the obnoxious old women. :)
It seems to be more of a storefront thing now, which is OK, but I can't help but reminisce about the good ol days. oh god I'm getting old....

I use ebay now for finding things that I wouldn't be able to find elsewhere - antiques, oddities & the like. Sometimes I get really bored and browse around to find the weirdest sh*t that is listed.
Some of my favorites were a stick that had been chewed on by a beaver, and a sasquatch face made from a deer's butt.

And it is still good for that now, and that alone.

Enough to know that what's happening on ebay is just another example of a free market economy in action.

OT.

I've no idea what OT means.

Off-topic. RKZ just wants us to accept his complaint as rational and sane, and commiserate with him about how the world is always changing for the worse. He's a grumpy old man, not that he doesn't have reason to be.

Maybe I am still a little drunk...

Maybe I could be banned for a week or so? I need a break...I love the cellar just too goddamned much...

I think now would be the time to shut up.

Who you telling to shut up?

You, you little prick.

Alright.

Yes well you could be drunk grant. Right now I'm wondering if you're not a bit insane also.

rkz, how is my answer to your thread off topic? It's very much on topic. Do you disagree that ebay is not just another company allowing people to be charged whatever they're willing to pay?

Just because you don't like something doesn't mean it's not true.

I can only comment on eBay UK, but I have read the original post. Promise.

eBay is still great for secondhand clothes and shoes. The lovely leopardskin kitten heels I am wearing RIGHT NOW cost me all of £1.25. Shipping was £3.50.

The top and skirt I am wearing are also from eBay - bought too long ago to check the exact price, but a fraction of the cost of buying it in store.

I bought my cat carriers from eBay and saved about £10 on the retail price, without having to walk to the store or carry them home. I saved about £7 on the online price too, and was able to pay using postal orders rather than a credit card (which I don't have).

The shop I work in trades on eBay. We ship a fair amount of items internationally and our postage costs are based solely on the cost to us. Our Buy It Now prices are pitched just below the retail price in order to sell, there is no point in heavily discounting items we can sell in our shop when we have to pay fees anyway. Our end of line stock is sold by auction, and customers can get amazing bargains this way - baby bedding that retailed at up to £40 can sell for £0.99 depending on whether anyone else is bidding. I groan in pain when I see beautiful designer bedding with only one bid, but that's the joy & pain of eBay.

I still love it.

(Quick advert - we're selling off our MAM bottles at the moment)

Way way way OT...

But SG- I'm loving my P&T Jogger!!

P&T - best thing to come out of NZ since Neil Finn :)

ebay will keep chugging along because there is so many people that don't know exactly what they are paying, or even consider S&H.

There are vast multitude of people that shop at walmart, secure in the knowledge that everything they buy is as cheap as they can get it anywhere. Consumer Reports says walmart is middle of the road on things like electronics and appliances, but those devotees are sure they are shopping smart.

The big buzz was ebay is so cheap. Now vast hoards of people will shop ebay, secure they are shopping smart, even though they never compare what they are paying to other sources. There's too many people that just use credits card to buy everything and never know the total, their spouse writes a check for, or even see the bill.

There will always be enough stupid people to keep ebay chugging along, without the people that really are getting bargains. :rolleyes:

Don't forget that when you shop on eBay, they give you a colored star too.http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/i...Star_25x25.gif

Is that a good thing? :confused:

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

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 . . .

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 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

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 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.

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.

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 http://pics.ebaystatic.com/aw/pics/stars-8.gif).

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. :headshake
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??

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.

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

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. :confused:

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

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.

When people started selling their accounts on eBay -- that was probably a major indicator of things to come. I wonder how much does a +100 account go for these days?:o

Seriously?

Well, I guess it takes all kinds.

I have been very fortunate in my dealings both ways, but I kind of tend to do things by feel. Sometimes I get a bad vibe from a store or from listings and avoid them. Sometimes I'll keep an eye on a store and watch their listings for a while before buying.

But that's the great thing - I can pick and choose and have more options than going to the mall.

I've got a situation now that has me at loss, though. I had a buyer. I printed the label through Paypal, so have tracking and all that. Took the package into the post office and dropped it off. Two weeks later, tracking doesn't show any activity and the buyer is wondering where the stuff is.

I know I've taken care of my end, but the buyer doesn't have any reason to believe me, so in some sense I feel I should refund the money, but it is coming out of my pocket to do so and I'm not really making money on ebay, so it is REALLY coming out of my pocket, not out of my profit. Sigh. Guess that's the risk I take being a seller, but it bugs me that the post office didn't process the package! That's not ebay's fault!!

I can only assume it works differently - I have to make an authorised transfer of funds into the PayPal account (rather than PayPal taking the money). Then despite the fact that the money is sitting in the PayPal account and I have requested a payment to be made, it isn't released for over two weeks... Perhaps it's just the type of account I have - it takes 5 working days to clear a cheque into my bank account for example.