I HATE EBAY....

[Trixie]

I think technically that's illegal on ebay. In any case, there's nothing that irks me more than paying $9.00 shipping and then getting a ratty little priority mail envelope that is dirty & torn and looks like it barely survived a war just so the seller can make up an extra buck or two. (By over charging and not using a box).

I dont mind reserves but I like when the seller is willing to tell me what the reserve is. Seems like I have a wishy washy attitude when it comes to exactly how much I'd be willing to pay for things. I look at a dress and think $30 max but if the seller tells me the reserve is $40, odds are good I'd be willing to pay that.

 

[Pink Dahlia]

I don't bid on items with a reserve price.

 

[Flying Scotsman]

Hello,

I'm divided on Ebay for many reasons:

I don't like the fact of people having to register their credit cards on there. If one didn't have to have a credit card, I would register as a buyer.

Like others said, the fees do get ridiculous. :eusa_doh:

But at the same time...it has been the very same place where I've been able to get Cape Horner stamps I've been looking for to add to my collection. There are also many other things that I simply wouldn't be able to find readily, and even at what I consider a decent price. (My mother trusts me to use her Ebay account to buy things on there.)

When I go to look for something, I tend to be the 'Buy It Now' type, but for what I purchase, the prices are practically pocket change. I also pay with money orders only as well.

I guess I just take the bad with the good and somehow make the best of it.



Prien

I'm no huge fan of Ebay, it's just a service that I use, but...I don't recall having to give Ebay a credit card to register.

 

[Flying Scotsman]

I'll say one thing, though...assuming a seller wouldn't tell you what the reserve is (which as I said, I've only had one person do), that just argues all the more for the sniping. Whether your bid ends up above the reserve or not wouldn't matter...from your point of view, the final cost would be more than you were willing to pay, regardless of whether it was due to another bidder or a high reserve.

Bid your maximum
Bid once
Bid as late as possible

Ommmmmmmmm.......

 

[Pink Dahlia]

I think technically that's illegal on ebay. In any case, there's nothing that irks me more than paying $9.00 shipping and then getting a ratty little priority mail envelope that is dirty & torn and looks like it barely survived a war just so the seller can make up an extra buck or two. (By over charging and not using a box).

It is absolutely ridiculous how so many sellers can get away with this!

 

[ShooShooBaby]

It is absolutely ridiculous how so many sellers can get away with this!

i agree. i ran into this SO MUCH when i was buying some doohicky for my laptop. they would charge 99 cents for the item... and $35 for the shipping! to make it look like you were getting a great deal on the item! and it was the type of seller who has 100 of something to sell, so basically they're trying to get $35.99 on each item. :rage:

 

[Liz]

I think technically that's illegal on ebay. In any case, there's nothing that irks me more than paying $9.00 shipping and then getting a ratty little priority mail envelope that is dirty & torn and looks like it barely survived a war just so the seller can make up an extra buck or two. (By over charging and not using a box).

This happens to be almost all of the time when I buy vintage clothing on Ebay and I hate it. Also, nine times out of ten, they've folded the item as much as possible so that it can fit into the smallest envelope imaginable, and then it's full of creases by the time I receive it.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

The opposite also occurs. I've had a lapel pin sent to me in a cardboard box big enough to hold a pair of shoes. This has happened at least six times. Insane!


.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Ebay recently raised their listing fees. Stacking the odds a bit more against the seller. This is what causes people to follow the unpopular practice setting a reserve or raising the opening bid.
I am getting increasingly reluctant to even list items anymore.

 

[Fletch]

Sometimes we hate eBay. And sometimes eBay hates us.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

I am getting increasingly reluctant to list items anymore.

Which begs the question: what's the alternative for us? Because the fact is that eBay has cornered the online auction market. Heck, it owns PayPal and AuctionSniper. Talk about control!

.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Which begs the question: what's the alternative for us? Because the fact is that eBay has cornered the online auction market. Heck, it owns PayPal and AuctionSniper. Talk about control!

.

That would explain the ever- increasing fees. It is a monopoly.

 

[Marc Chevalier]

As things stand, it might as well be. And as long as eBay doesn't directly charge fees to bidders, then bidders will keep coming to it. At least for now, sellers are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

.

 

[Zemke Fan]

Essential information for eBay buying/selling:

• What's the Shipping/Handling fee?
• Does the seller accept PayPal?
• What's the seller's return policy?
• Does the seller offer insurance?

Good sellers (and there are TONS)...

• Always set a reasonable s/h fee and tell you in advance.
• Accept PayPal.
• Accept returns in a reasonable timeframe (less s/h).
• Offer insurance.

If you want to be a successful eBay seller, meet all four of those tests and you'll rarely have problems with buyers. If you want to be a satisfied eBay bidder, avoid sellers that don't meet these simple tests.

 

[vonwotan]

Not very big, and primarily in Australia, I have found some interesting items on Oztion. There were several prints I purchased as the only bidder. The seller told me that he was listing some of his items on Oztion for two reasons - first, to support his "local" auction site; and second, because he is looking for alternatives to eBay and the increasing listing fees / costs. There seem to be a few others out there. As a buyer I think eBay is pretty good, but I hesitate to sell many items because of the costs to list items. If you use a starting bid at the minimum you can/are willing to sell an item you may not get any bids, and setting a reserve seems to have the same effect.

I have some art I would like to sell but, galleries / consignement shops are asking 20-30% of the sale price (at a minimum) and several have stated that the items belong to the shop if not sold within a certain period of time. I have listed one item twice now, a beautifully framed (by Eli Wilner in NYC) copper plate print from a reasonably well known artist, in excellent condition. A similar print, with water damage and unframed is currently selling for 300 Euro. And the frame from Wilner was considerably more. The only bidders did not offer enough even to buy one or the other, and one sent me an e-mail trying to convince me that what I had was certainly a cheap imitation and that his offer of $200 was more than fair if I would include shipping.

What I mean to illustrate is that, while buying I am happy to find bargains, but as a seller the same inefficiencies that create opportunities for lucky buyers, are a risk for the inexperienced or unlucky seller. I spent quite a bit extra to try and promote my item the second time and had little additional response. I keep thinking that it might be cheaper to open a store on eBay and list all of my better items with fixed BIN prices.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Not very big, and primarily in Australia, I have found some interesting items on Oztion. There were several prints I purchased as the only bidder. The seller told me that he was listing some of his items on Oztion for two reasons - first, to support his "local" auction site; and second, because he is looking for alternatives to eBay and the increasing listing fees / costs. There seem to be a few others out there. As a buyer I think eBay is pretty good, but I hesitate to sell many items because of the costs to list items. If you use a starting bid at the minimum you can/are willing to sell an item you may not get any bids, and setting a reserve seems to have the same effect.

I have some art I would like to sell but, galleries / consignement shops are asking 20-30% of the sale price (at a minimum) and several have stated that the items belong to the shop if not sold within a certain period of time. I have listed one item twice now, a beautifully framed (by Eli Wilner in NYC) copper to plate print from a reasonably well known artist, in excellent condition. A similar print, with water damage and unframed is currently selling for 300 Euro. And the frame from Wilner was considerably more. The only bidders did not offer enough even to buy one or the other, and one sent me an e-mail trying to convince me that what I had was certainly a cheap imitation and that his offer of $200 was more than fair if I would include shipping.

What I mean to illustrate is that, while buying I am happy to find bargains, but as a seller the same inefficiencies that create opportunities for lucky buyers, are a risk for the inexperienced or unlucky seller. I spent quite a bit extra to try and promote my item the second time and had little additional response. I keep thinking that it might be cheaper to open a store on eBay and list all of my better items with fixed BIN prices.

This is my, (and certainly others) dilemma. With all their fee increases, ebay is more and more becoming a buyer's market, and sellers are trying to survive. It's time for ebay to strike some sort of equitable balance here, or perhaps risk burning itself out.
Why are there not more alternatives to ebay? [huh]

 

[Daisy Buchanan]

Another Reason Why I hate Ebay!

I have a store on ebay. I don't do too much business, just sell the occasional item that I no longer wear. But every month I pay the fees for a store. They aren't all that much.
Anyway, for the past 5 months or so, every month about a week after I receive notice that my ebay fees have been charged to my credit card (I set up recurring credit card payments) I get an alert saying that my fees have not been paid!! Every month that this has happened I send them the email that I received stating that my fees had in fact been paid. It takes about 4 to 5 emails to straighten out the situation, in the meantime, I keep getting alerts.
So, after talking extensively with someone in customer service I changed from recurring credit card billing to recurring paypal payments. That did no good, this month I got the same alert. Even though I sent them the email receipt I had received from PayPal they still insisted that I did not pay my fees, and ended up shutting off my ebay privledges and shut down my store!!! I had been waiting three days for an auction of a dress that I really really wanted, and I couldn't bid on it.
I put in yet another complaint with ebay expressing that I did not understand how they could consistently make the same mistake, month after month. I don't expect anything to get resolved, so I'm going to close down my ebay store. If I decide to sell something, I'll just sell it individually. I am so darn aggravated. The jerk that I spoke with tonight told me I had to pay the 3 months of payments that I owed in order to re-instate my account!! I send him copies of all the emails that I had received, stating that each month all my fees had in fact been paid. He told me he would turn my account back on, but it was just a favor, and if I didn't pay all that was due in full in 5 days, my account would be shut off again. I asked him if the forwarded confirmations of payment made any difference. He said no, I had to send him a copy of my credit card statement, that was the only solid proof they would accept. I am not sending them copies of my credit card statements, and I am now dealing with a supervisor, who will supposedly set things straight.

I am so incredibly fed up with ebay. Why do they give sellers the option of recurring credti card or paypal payments if they aren't going to charge my account. Even more frustrating, is the customer service rep looked at my account and admitted that he saw that all of my billing information was in fact there and correct. So, he had no idea why this keeps happening. I am infuriated with this. I know it doesn't go on my credit report (at least I don't think it does), but I pride myself on paying my debts, and paying them on time. If anyone were to look at my feedback on the bay they would see that each and every one of the people who have left me feedback has commented on my fast payments. Why would I make such speedy payments for the things I buy, and not pay ebay what I owe them. Argh! What a pain in the butt.
Anybody else having problems with ebay billing?

 

[Trixie]

Wow Daisy! That is absolutely ridiculous!!!

I havent had anything nearly that bad although I did get one notice saying I hadn't paid when I had. It was straightened out quickly. Sorry that you have to deal with that.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

Ebay has got too big!

Too big to even handle their billing.
It's time for an alternative,...but what?

 

[reetpleat]

Well, I hate to pay any more than I have to. But Ebay, being the only game in town, does provied a huge market or shoppers, so maybe are entitled to ccharge a lot for it. HJust like rent on a storefront in a fancy art of town.
I like to think I make more on my sales due to their monopoly of the market for buyers.