Daddy Dee Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 This isn't a complete rant, but did want to post some observations and see if it's just me, or others are experiencing similar transactions on Ebay. 1. Lazy sellers. I have experienced more and more Ebay sellers, not pros, but occasional sellers of Klipsch parts and other such goods... They like PayPal for quick payment but are tediously casual about getting the item shipped. It is more and more common to get a response from a seller, days late, after waiting days before inquiring to confirm shipping, that for one reason or another it just hasn't been convenient to get to UPS or FedEx. If a seller has entered into a contract with a buyer, and has received instantaneous payment through PayPal, it is time to get up and ship the item. 2. Non-savvy buyers. It is a common complaint by those practiced in the art of sniping to see buyers bidding up a price on some piece of gear. Another thing some of these same types do is pay MORE for a piece of current production electronics than they would pay if they purchased the same thing NEW from a competetive online seller. On occasion, when I am looking for something, I'm amazed to see buyers bid 75% to 90% of the cost of an item new to get it used. It's great for sellers, but I find when it will only cost $20 or so to buy something new w/warranty from an established online retailer, it's worth it to not have to worry about whether the Ebay seller will actually deliver the goods. 3. Online retailers selling on Ebay. Some of these people are o.k. (like genuine outlet sellers), but there are lots of these types who will flood categories with items, like junkmail, and it takes way too long to browse auctions. Often, their prices (after shipping) are no better than an established online (and competetive) retailer. This is not to complain too much, Ebay has helped me more than irritated me. Probably more Klipsch forum members have benefited from Ebay than any other single source for "reasonably" priced gear. Ebay has simply changed the supply and demand issues with lots of things. It does seem, however, that as Ebay has "matured" it's not quite the buyer friendly place it used to be. Now Ebay is raising auction fees. I can't complain too much, since I agree with capitalism. If you are running a publically traded company, you have a responsibility to your "owners" to bring in all the revenue you can. I wonder how much the traffic will bear. Has Ebay become the Wal-Mart of online selling? On the positive side, I've been able to buy, sample, and resell a number of tube amps at breakeven or near transactions. That's been good for WAF. I've wondered if Ebay sales of near new Klipsch gear has cost Klipsch LLC some new unit sales. If so, just negligible or measurable. Any other Ebay irritations are welcome. What's your take on this? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomac Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 I agree with each of your points. The fact is, it will always be difficult to control lazy buyers and/or sellers. A major problem is that people are too often unwilling to leave negative feedback for fear of undeserved retaliation. I'm guilty of this myself and it creates a real problem. I've left only one negative when I should have left four or five. (thats based on over 300 transactions) Maintaining a 100% positive rating is too darn important. I wish there was something that eBay could do to protect buyers/sellers from unwarranted retaliation. The rising fees can only be checked with competition and Im afraid it would take a lot of horse power to get in that game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted January 17, 2005 Author Share Posted January 17, 2005 Boomac, Excellent point on feedback. I've also failed to leave negative feedback on unsatisfactory transactions because I didn't want the other to retaliate and ding my 100%. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted January 17, 2005 Author Share Posted January 17, 2005 Thought of another problem with lazy sellers. This is a classic that seems to happen half the time. Buyer requests seller to send tracking number to confirm shipping. Seller says o.k., then does not send the tracking number or respond to any further emails. I'm thinking, after a week or more, o.k. time to contact paypal for fraud? Item most always arrives, but worth the trouble? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 agreed i am really sick of e-bay and my days of using it are coming to a slow and bitter end, i have found that if you are willing to give the effort you can go to estate sales for example, pawn shops, garage sales, or even just ask around and people yes a lot of times you come up empty handed but those times when you can score an old thorens 160 for 5 bucks at a garage sale pay themselves off instantly. or a few months ago there wa s aguy who sold his k-horns for 500 bucks... i think this summer i am going to dive a lot of my efforts int this realm and see if i come out on top, if i fail miserably then i will go back to e-bay, but i think you have try first... anways i have been asking around about old vinyls and people are just willing to give them to me, which could hopefully work out quite well all i need is TT and new cartdridge and i will be set Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 Lazy sellers--I don't think it is fair to hold casual sellers to the same standards as a business. A business should be checking auction results and e-mail daily. A casual seller just may not be in the position to do this. If he works 8-5 M-F, it may take a while to get the item shipped. I think we have gotten too used to on-line retail systems that offer instant gratification. Non-savy buyers--Get used to it. This is the same thing that happens all the time at traditional auctions. If you really want the item, outbid them. If not, enjoy the foolishness. Another one will come along before long. Count your blessings in being one of the savy ones. I have profited from non-savy buyers both when selling and when buying (they didn't recognize a good buy when they saw it). Online retailers--The increase in the number of sellers listing items at retail or close to it was a bit annoying to me at first. But because I usually look for specific types of items instead of scanning entire categories, it doesn't really affect me. And it seems to me than most of the sellers who try this strategy either change to eBay stores or go away sooner or later when the merchandise does not move and the listing feeds starting eating into their profit. Feedback--I leave honest feedback on every transaction. I have received retaliatory feedback including some that was slanderous. I don't care if I have 100% positive feedback. I have a good track record. If anybody is really concerned about the small negative portion, they can read the comments, and it will be obvious what is going on. I have never had a seller complain about my having less than 100% positive. If a buyer is thrown off by it and decides not to deal with me, fine. He is probably more trouble to deal with than he is worth. I have bid on items from sellers with some negative feedback. You have to read the negative feedback and response. FWIW I like eBay. It has let me sell my junk for far more than I could have got for it locally. I have bought things I could not have obtained locally. I have bought new, expensive things for $.10 on the dollar of retail. I have never lost any money on a transaction, although I did have to file a complaint with eBay to get one seller to deliver the new product listed instead on one that had already been installed, and had to file a PayPal Buyer Protection claim on some merchandise that the seller claimed was lost in the mail. I have had two flaky buyers. I just sold one item to the next highest bidder. I relisted the other and sold it for more than the original buyer had bid. Always use a credit card if you can so you can ask your credit card company to do a charge back if necessary. That said, I have sent cash, money orders, postal money orders, and personal checks depending on the circumstance. And I have received payment via the same methods, BidBay and Western Union transfer. Sometimes it is just the best way to do business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Shmoe Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 Ah Yes... I too can't believe it when watching something, say a DVD go for 15.00 or more when you can get it new with free shipping from DeepDiscountDVD for 10.00. Really drives me nuts... in fact I have sent a link to the buyer before, after he/she had paid a ridiculous amount for a DVD. Also what about the ridiculous shipping & handling amounts? That's the other thing that really irks me. I just saw a CD listed for 9.99 and shipping was 9.01! I emailed the seller and asked him if he was out of his mind LOL. I guess these are just things one has to deal with. eBay is a great place, as long as you are careful & attentive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SilverSport Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 Boy, if you think ebay fraud will be any help get ready for nicely written emails that mean nothing, do nothing and direct you to "be more careful" when dealing with bad ebayers...HA! Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Shmoe Posted January 17, 2005 Share Posted January 17, 2005 As I was saying..... I LOVE eBay! http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=4066927893&ssPageName=STRK:MEAFB:IT Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T2K Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 Several weeks after mailing payment in the form of USPS MO I had not heard from the seller. I sent an e-mail. The seller asked me to prove to him that I had paid him. I tracked down his home phone number and called. His wife said he probably had forgotten he had received my payment. The guy finally shipped the item and I received the item. I thought about e-mailing him and telling him that I had not received the item, then asking him to prove to me that I had. It's a crap shoot. Keith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toddvj Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 That's a hard CD to find. Are you the seller? Or are you just saying that you can't believe someone would spend that much? I'd like to own it, I used to, but I have Garage, Inc. so I wouldn't spend $51.50 on it (that's crazy )! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Shmoe Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 Yea I just sold that tonight. I myself couldn't believe it went for that much. I have one more copy, but I'll save that one. I have been just going through all my stuff & getting rid of odds & ends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daddy Dee Posted January 18, 2005 Author Share Posted January 18, 2005 JS, supply and demand is a beautiful thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Spinner Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 ebay ...... well i Have bought things i would never find for sale locally ... Cornwalls for one, a mint Phase 400 second i have bought good stuff for 10 cents on the dollar i been screwed good 4 or 5 times...once, almost for a $ 1000 bill in the end, i find 1 outta 10 transactions to be trouble, weather it be late shipping, shipping damage, mis-represented, or .. just some flakey nut ball who nobody has left negative feedback about ...... in the end, i too am scaling back anything to do with the 'Bay 'cause in the end, it's just too much time and hassle .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Spinner Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 and don't think ebay will do anything, ..... but remind you to "know your seller" .. "use good judgement" .. and other mindless pablum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duke Spinner Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 oh, yea ...i did get screwed for $ 1600 ... Ebay .. absolutely no help .. i'm still out the money ..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JEPS56 Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 I too recently got screwed by an E-Bay seller. After winning the bid for a broken Academy with a perfect cabinet, I promptly payed him with Pay-Pal and E-Mailed him asking him to please pack the precious Academy with extra padding in a large box to protect it from damage. The stupid Jackass took an old U-Haul wardrobe box and cut it up to tightly fit the speaker then wrapped it in a couple of thin baby blankets! He shipped it by US Mail. When I received it most of the corners were damaged. I was so mad I sent him bad feedback, and You guessed it he retaliated with negative feedback . E-Bay is of no help at all on this type of thing. I have decided that the Feedback Forum serves no purpose to let other buyers know what to expect from some sellers, because when you tell the truth you can only expect retaliation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ARPRINCE Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 Leaving a feedback sometimes can put you in a disadvantage. There was a time I left a NEUTRAL feedback because a seller did not pack my stuff properly. He basically shipped the item in the box it came with. No protection of whatsoever. To my dismay, he left me a negative feedback ruining my 100% rating. I was really mad and at the same time depressed about it. I got over it after a long while. Anyway, from that time on, I decided that if ever I would give a rating, it's either GOOD or BAD period! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomac Posted January 18, 2005 Share Posted January 18, 2005 ---------------- On 1/17/2005 4:30:05 PM Malcolm wrote: Feedback--I leave honest feedback on every transaction. I have received retaliatory feedback including some that was slanderous. I don't care if I have 100% positive feedback. I have a good track record. If anybody is really concerned about the small negative portion, they can read the comments, and it will be obvious what is going on. I have never had a seller complain about my having less than 100% positive. If a buyer is thrown off by it and decides not to deal with me, fine. He is probably more trouble to deal with than he is worth. I have bid on items from sellers with some negative feedback. You have to read the negative feedback and response. ---------------------------------------------------------------- For the most part, I agree with Malcolm. Sometimes, maybe even most of the time, you can read into negative feedback and see if it's justified or not. The red marks just make you dig a little deeper and think a little more about how much you really want or need the item. Real abuse deserves negative feedback and I wouldn't hesitate to give it under such circumstances. I wish eBay would supply more room for comment and it would be great if they watched a little closer and perhaps got evolved once in a while. Might be nice to expand the feedback ratings to "stars" ala Amazon and/or Barnes and Noble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timmikid Posted January 19, 2005 Share Posted January 19, 2005 I don't really want to be reminded of my horrific experience, but here goes. I got offered a 2nd chance offering on mc-30's through a fraudulent e-mail. I discovered that 1 hour after I sent my check. There was a warning at 2 channel. I can't remember the title of the thread, but my discovery, panic and useless tries to cancel were 'live' on this site. Read it and weep. Saved for a long time and now the money's down the drai into a criminal's hand. I haven't gone back to e-bay since. Also still waiting for 2 records, long overdue. So, from now on I hope to get lucky through this website. If any of you see a good set of mc 30's or an affordable set of corns, you know who you can make a happy man. I will ask this a few more times, so everybody knows. From the time I spent here, I know that at least I can trust you guys! (To end this note with a little bit of optimism) Also a bit late, but very well meant: Happy New Year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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