eBay

[JohnK and Sheri]

If the seller should send me an item that is not what they described in their listing, or they take an inordinate amount of time to get it into the mail, then they deserve to have negative feedback against them.

We can certainly agree on this.

it is unreasonable to expect someone to package the product (which costs $$ in tape,
boxes, time) and travel to the Post Office (mine is 15 miles away) for
nothing......List your shipping charge up front!! It saves you time in getting countless emails, and saves the buyer time not having to send them.

YES! I ship almost everything in the flat rate priority boxes. The boxes are free, but the bubblepack and tape are not. The shipping costs me $8.10, I charge $8.25, I am collecting .15 extra, (I am not getting rich on the shipping thats for sure). The USPS picks them up in the shop so no driving to ship. When I use purchased boxes for larger orders I charge an additional dollar or so to cover the cost of the box.
Shipping is posted on my Ebay site so folks know BEFORE bidding.

Excuse me while I SIZE=4]rant[/SIZE]......... But....... How about those Reserve Price
Auctions???? They suck!! ..

I will join in on this rant!!!
The only reason I can see for anyone to use a reserve is if they think they can get a bidder emotionally invested in their auction, and bid more than they intend. Reserve auctions are an insult to buyers. If there is a reserve auction I am interested in I will email the seller and ask them what the reserve is, if they won't tell me I won't bid, why waste my time? Most WILL tell you. It is especially dumb to sell used cars with a reserve. I wouldn't bid on a car, or any other used big ticket item unless I can send someone out to look. I am not going to invest the inspection money on a rediculously overpriced vehicle.

I typically start my auctions at the minimum I am willing to sell, with a buy-it-now price at about the maximum I feel it is worth.
Sheri

[Hobie]

I have found people that will list a book really cheap, but "hide" the $12 shipping in fine print. I cross them off my list promptly.

My personal favorite was a seller from whom I bought a die-cast model airplane. He sent a book on catfishing. After many emails, he said his garage was broken into and the model airplanes stolen, so he sent a "substitute." :confused: Eventually got reimbursed, but criminey!

[carbide]

Hey Hobie,

Why'd you return that book on catfishing? I thought it was well worth the price I paid for it last week.

[Ross]

I don't charge handling except in rare cases, if I have to build a wooden crate for instance (I ship alot of cast iron tools). I figure that day to day packing should be in my cost of doing business, i.e. raise the price if you need to to cover it. I charge actual shipping cost from Fedex Ground website. I have 100% feedback at something over 400 buying and selling. I'm not religious about feedback anymore so it should probably be over 1000. I have had one dispute go to PayPal arbitration as a seller and I won that one. I had one case of an old tool dealer shipping a tool that was broken in transit and refusing to make it good. He had a change of heart after the negative feedback and rebuttal after he left me negative feedback in retaliation. Both were withdrawn after he received a number of emails from the old tool community about the retribution. The very few other cases of disappointment have largely been refunded no questions asked. Likewise if someone has a legitimate gripe about something I ship, I either ship a replacement if available or send the money back. I only got burned once doing that and the guy lived in a multi-million dollar neighborhood in Carmel, CA.

[Grant]

I've bought and sold for several years. 98% of the time I've had good luck and positive responses.

The one bad apple that I gave negative feedback to simply signed up as a new member with a perfectly clean slate. She wouldn't pay or respond to e-mails. When I gave negative feedback (and I wasn't the first) she has not used her former member name.

I also check on bidders (see the advanced search). Some sellers sign up under a different member name then bid on their own merchandise to run up the price. You can find out who their bidding on (but never buying) if you follow up on their names.

The system works when everyone is honest, but therein lies the real problem.

Grant
Jackson, MO

[Limey]

I used to like Ebay a few years ago when it was mostly hobbists and people getting rid of old stuff. What amazes me is the people who bid stupid amounts for items they can get cheaper elsewhere. A while back I was looking for a sewing machine for my wife, people were bidding 140+ plus 25 shippings for the item which was available via Amazon for 135 with free shipping.