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I have reached my breaking point with purchasing on eBay - Too many bad descriptions and bad items.
Today I received yet another piece that was not as described. I'm done. I purchase pewter and always check with the seller to make sure the condition is as they are describing. While, today a bowl which was described as in excellent condition, and when I checked with seller said it was in round at the top with no dings or dents, arrived out of round.
I am tired of either returning things or trying to fix them.
Another set of pewter was described as new though I could see some scuffs on it. So I checked with seller, does item sit flat, is underplate bent or warped, just how bad are the scuffs. I was told all was okay and the scuffs were very, very minor. Received to find they are not minor at all, but very severe like scratches. The underplate IS bent (seller said not) etc.
This kind of stuff use to only happen once in a while. Now it is very often and due to, IMHO, the fact that many sellers, not all, just want to unload garbage and play the odds game.
I recently read here on the sellers board where he is upset because the buyer is returning the sterling silver piece bought because it is rusty! Sterling silver does not rust! This kind of stuff happens because many sellers will not do anything to an item, even clean or polish it, because it cuts into their profit, and many have admitted that on these boards.
And I don't even want to go into the carpy packing I am seeing these days sellers do to save a dime, not to me, I get charged full boat.
pickapaper
·10 months ago@twk
I've just read through 79 posts on this thread and I'm still not sure exactly what it is about. You are ranting about bad sellers. You say you do everything right and yet the sellers are either lazy, stupid or dishonest or whatever else might describe them.
What is your answer to that? Should they be kicked off eBay? What exactly do you think should be done to sellers that don't live up to your expectations?
eBay has over 18 Million sellers. There is no way even good sellers can be perfect all the time and no way eBay can "keep an eye" on every seller and the two Billion items they collectively are selling.
What you do is your choice. Either continue as you have been and if things go wrong, deal with it. Or, just stop buying on eBay so you won't have any of those bad sellers to deal with.
gurlcat
·10 months agoShe said not only is she not going to buy here anymore but also quit selling here, when her store subscription runs out.
pickapaper
·10 months ago@gurlcat wrote: "She said not only is she not going to buy here anymore but also quit selling here, when her store subscription runs out."
I know but we have heard that before, haven't we.
gurlcat
·10 months agoOh you mean like every day? And they almost never actually leave? Yeah. 🤣
twk
OP10 months agoYou never get tired of trying to beat someone down because they call out the obvious. Class says it all.
twk
OP10 months agoYes, I am sure you have heard that before. But not from someone like me. When I say something, I mean it.
So go ahead and chuckle it up. Buyers like me with disposable income are leaving.
pickapaper
·10 months ago@twk wrote:
I am, according to you and others, a terrible STUPID woman because I checked and believed what the seller said. Yes, I looked at the pics, and I could see some tarnish but not the corrosion so I asked about it. TERRIBLE ME!!!!"
I never said you are a terrible STUPID woman.
"Think I'm a bad person, stupid, etc.? Hey, that is your prerogative. I know otherwise."
Frankly, I don't think anything about you at all. I don't know you. Makes no difference to me.
I will say that I know you are going through a hard time in your life. I've been in a similar position as you, twice, so for that I can sympathize with you. As for the rest of it, I hope things go better for you with your buying and selling and I do wish you well going forward.
twk
OP10 months agoHey, I spend over $2,000+ a month on eBay, LET ME CORRECT that, I use to spend over $2,000+ a month on eBay. That, is over $24,000 a year.
Not any more.
You did say that it is my problem that these eBay sellers are sending junk, even after I ask questions and for more pics when necessary. That, in your opinion, it is NOT the seller's fault. Thus you say I am STUPID.
house*of*paws
·10 months agoHi @twk
Why in heaven’s name would you interpret someone calling you ‘stupid’ who has NOT called you stupid? Why do that to yourself?
You have every right to stop buying on eBay if you’ve been having a string of bad experiences. AND you have every right to start buying again on eBay IF you change your mind down the line … regardless of what anyone says.
It just doesn’t matter. Shop wherever you have the best experiences. Stop shopping there when those experiences change. Start shopping there again if ever the mood hits you. It’s all good. You’re an autonomous human being. You do you! 😊
twk
OP10 months agoThat is NOT what I said at all, that is your interpretation. I just talked about MY personal experience and how it is getting worse and worse. I also mentioned some of the earlier eBay threads (back to the late 1990's, people posted about.
I do know that others have agreed with me on the situation. There are items that I am waiting to have delivered and I am just not wasting my money here any more.
In fact, today I received a purchase that was shown to be lightly tarnished, but had no damage. At least that is what they said when I inquired before purchasing. Well, there is a BIG difference between tarnish and silver corrosion. This piece had several good size spots of corrosion, which feels like a rough rusty spots on this particular piece (think of it as like a cancer, it eats into the silver) that were hidden by the tarnish. Back it goes.
Silver corrosion leads to pitting in silver and that can be costly to fix as one would have to have someone dig it out. Sometimes new silver can be put in, sometimes not.
It is time consuming to have to take the time to send back. Oh, wait, I am the problem according to you. Heavens to betsy!!!!
Maybe, just maybe the seller should have cleaned it and looked at it when I asked questions before purchasing and just maybe a lightly cleaned piece would have been even better in the listing.
Oh, WAIT, I am at fault again, according to you, because I didn't hit the back button. Heavens to betsy again!!! I am, according to you and others, a terrible STUPID woman because I checked and believed what the seller said. Yes, I looked at the pics, and I could see some tarnish but not the corrosion so I asked about it. TERRIBLE ME!!!!
Look, eBay has become a cesspool for a lot of sellers, NOT ALL, who are lazy and looking to dump problem stock. The game for these sellers is, like PT Ringling said, a sucker is born every minute. I am not one of them, I am sending it back and they are getting it back cleaner than when sent. It will just be relisted and relisted and relisted until someone who doesn't know better buys and keeps it. The seller's out will be to say something like: Buyer made whole - refunded. But actually, that is not factual. The buyer would not have been made whole if the seller described the item correctly, lightly cleaned it, etc. This particular seller was trying to get me to keep it by offering a meager discount.
Think I'm a bad person, stupid, etc.? Hey, that is your prerogative. I know otherwise.
And as others have posted here, they just don't buy the amount they use to buy on eBay. I am pulling out because I have other responsibilities and sometimes just don't have the time to rewrap something and trot down to the USPO with it.
So, you can team up with what's her name - and go bash me all you like. Have a good go at it. Frankly, I don't care. What I do care is getting a decent item after I take the time and effort to ask questions about condition, etc.
Meanwhile, have a good day - smiley face.
ed8108
·10 months agobuying online hasn't yet become risk free
tobaccocardyahoo
·10 months agoWhen you shop on an internet marketplace, you need to assume that unless there is clear evidence otherwise that the seller of an antique, vintage or used item is going to overgrade the item and omit key defects.
Although some of the sellers are dishonest and doing so deliberately, there are many who have no experience with the item they are selling, no context to put the condition in, and no interest in the item other than converting it into money.
Some would recommend reading the seller's feedback. I find that to be mostly useless.
I recommend making a decision based on the number of related or similar items being offered by the seller, and the overall professional quality of the product descriptions and the detailed condition information. The professionalism of the photos is also a key factor.
If the listing is from a seller who lacks that quality message, downgrade what you would pay for the item by 1 or 2 conditions. If you want items in top notch condition, buy only from sellers who are top notch and show it in everything they list.
If you receive quality from a schlockmeister, you should count your blessings and rub your rabbit's foot, you took that risk with your eyes open.
twk
OP10 months agoI think tobacco, you have hit the nail on the head with your response. Sadly, too many are only interested in turning something over for cash and are not going to be upfront about things.
I am sadly finding coin dealers to be the worst. NOT all, there are some very good ones. Many, though get a nice piece of silver, don't clean it for pics, no description basically tell you to look at pics for details with crummy pics. I back out of those right away.
I would do as you suggested, sometimes make an offer based on the condition etc. and would get a remark about how "it is below melt value now" (in most cases this was not true). I usually would just tell them to melt it then and go elsewhere. Amazing how many would come back and send me a reasonable offer a day or two later. I never bothered as they showed what I would be dealing with.
tobaccocardyahoo
·10 months agoIf I were willing to sell for below meltdown, I would not list on Ebay, I would sell for meltdown or close to it. It is not that hard to do.
I do not believe in making offers on Ebay. I am of the opinion that if the price is too high, I move on. I also do not turn on Make An Offer on my listings, and refuse 90+% of unsolicited offers I receive by Ebay message. Only my repeat buyers get their offers accepted and they are always seeking a modest discount.
I do not do any greater restoration work than erasing a price written on a piece of paper. There is too much disagreement about the quality of anything one does to improve the condition of an item, and when restoration reduces the quality of an item. I opt in favor of conservation rather than restoration. The buyer can decide what processes are acceptable to him. Philistines are welcome to buy from someone else.
The Hippocratic Oath applies to many collectibles -"Above All Do No Harm".
twk
OP10 months agoTabaccocard - You are right about that. I just laugh when someone has a best offer and you give them a decent one and they start all that, it's at less than melt value stuff. Generally it is coin shops and pawnshops. The dealers that seller sterling flatware etc., generally don't do that.
I guess what I have been trying to say is conservation, clean the bugs, grime, dirt, etc. off a piece without doing any harm to it. Restoration is best left to professionals.
kibble-net
·10 months agoPerhaps OP ought to be more diligent about choosing who they buy from.
Yes, there are a lot of sellers on here who don't know what the duck they are doing. Check their feedback. Do your homework.
Or don't, and make these complainy posts.
twk
OP10 months agoLast I heard I am free to make all the "complainy posts" as you call them, I want.
And yes, I do check out sellers and ask questions.
twk
OP10 months agoNow I remember the name. I learned how to take care of silver, gold, gemstones etc., as well as design at the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art back in the 1960's.
gurlcat
·10 months ago......................
twk
OP10 months agoAnd I that I will respectfully close and move on. I am not here to change any one's mind, just to express my own humble opinion. The sad thing is I have been an excellent buyer, and seller. In a time when so many things just go round and round, it's sad.
Have a good day all!
roccotacodad54
·10 months agoI've read your post and quite a few of the replies and your responses to them.
I too get dismayed with some sellers.
I just had to adapt. Example... I once saw a listing for a silver plated victorian fish serving knife & fork. They were dirty. The silver lining was that I could clearly see the British Lion sterling marks. Obviously the seller didn't care or have a clue as to what they were selling. They were priced very low even for silver plate. I snapped them up and didn't mind a bit having to clean them up. Score for me. I have purchased other sterling items listed as plated, usually dirty and tarnished.
I now look for clueless sellers listings and take advantage of their ignorance and carelessness. I've scored quite a few nice items that way.
Roaches...yea, yuck....I once had centipedes crawl out of an order box. I now open all packages in my shed away from the house.
Two sides to every coin...................
toomuchstuffagain35
·10 months agoAnd you were smart enough not to ask the seller about the hallmarks.
gurlcat
·10 months agoNever mind asking question about an item AFTER buying it. 🙄
twk
OP10 months agoGurlcat - You are SO WRONG there. I inquired about this before I bought it as I was confused by the vagness of the listing using words like sterling silver piece, and then later silver like, etc.
In his last message to me trying to get me to change the feedback, he even admitted that, well, it did seem like the item was sterling etc.
Please, I do not want to fight with you. I am too old. Physically the body is old, mentally, well that is a whole different matter.
twk
OP10 months agoYes I did and was told I would receive item pictured.
simba6
·10 months agoAs for cleaning or polishing, more antiques have been ruined of lost serious value to people cleaning them. Even high end dealers won't touch an item. Let the new owner handle that. I have seen what computer duster can do to a Daguerre-o-type. You don't want sellers cleaning items.
gurlcat
·10 months agoI make my own proprietary polish for silver that allows very controllable tarnish removal. What I like about that is, there are some pieces SO tarnished they look like they were in a fire or something, just hideous brown-black -nobody would buy them. But there are a lot of collectors (especially of sterling jewelry, ESPECIALLY Southwestern/Native) who would have no interest in a perfectly gleaming white-silver piece; they prefer a bit of 'grime' in the crevices; gives the pieces more character.
So if this old baby rattle was a a Navajo jewelry piece, I would stop at this 'middle' level of polishing.
twk
OP10 months agoGurlcat - I applaud you on that. There is a difference. I don't dip, or wheel buff, just a nice, gentle hand polishing.
On fabric, a hand washing and spotting to get the stains and smells out - oh wait - heaven - how could I be so stupid? Doing that cuts into my profits just a tad. OF course a lot of sellers don't clean anything because of condition. If they clean it and ruin it they can't sell it. If you buy it and clean it and it falls apart, well, that is not their problem.
And apparently you deal in silver so you know want I mean about melt value and the fees selling it includes, so don't put me down on that. I use a polish from the, oh I can't think of the name right now but it begins with an L, (senior moment-lol) but they are known for design etc. in jewelry etc. and it is in Elmhurst, IL. Took jewelry making courses there back in the 1960's
tobaccocardyahoo
·10 months agoI see some surface scratching on the cleaned piece. It is probably not new or a result of your cleaning, but some potential buyer will see them and the shine and think, this would really be a nice piece if this seller had left it to a professional to clean.
My own bad experiences led me to my current attitude.
gurlcat
·10 months agoExactly. That's why I wouldn't fully remove all the tarnish like in the photos on the right. I just did it to that piece for demonstration purposes. Those old baby rattles are really common and I just threw it in a mixed lot of items.
twk
OP10 months agoSimba - You are right - most of the sellers here don't have the ability to clean a lot of antiques, me included. BUT, at least I wash off the dirt, grime and spider webs and bug droppings. Of course that takes my time and does cost me a little money, but I TAKE PRIDE in what I sell.
twk
OP10 months agoSimba - if you go into an antique store today (yes I know there of fewer and fewer of them, but then there is fewer and fewer of everything these days), the merch is clean. The quality stores require their vendors clean and display (like pics on eBay I guess) their offerings well.
As I wrote earlier, and funny, no one has mentioned it, I actually received an item that was bubble wrapped tightly and there, in the bubble wrap as I was unwrapping it was a live, moving ROACH! Disgusting. No one has even tried to address why and how that happened.
twk
OP10 months agoOne more thing - Simba - there are not many sellers here on eBay dealing with the kind of real antiques and vintage items that washing off the dirt and grime would hurt it.
twk
OP10 months agoSimba - I've seen what cleaning fanatics can do. My Mother inherited some really great Arts and Craft bronzed pieces. Sadly she is long gone now, but she actually thought the verdigris finish needed to come off. Now you have to understand that most women of her generation were cleaning fanatics. Luckily, I caught her before she got to the second piece. I didn't even know she was doing it until she wanted to show me how "nice" one of the pieces she inherited cleaned up. She was so proud.
Luckily, my SIL was a graduate student at the Art Institute of Chicago and was able to get the piece restored for her. I have those pieces now.
I am just talking run of the mill dirt, grim, spiders, bugs, tarnish on items that are not museum pieces etc.
There was the day back on earlier eBay, when folk would sell their old Weller, McCoy, etc. pottery planters etc. and actually send them to the buyer with the dirt and dead plants in them - cause they "didn't want to disturb the patina, etc." Really? I mean how is it disturbing the item to just empty the dirt out of it? I am sure even you have to agree that just emptying the dirt out doesn't hurt the piece. That trend does not to happen these days, not because these sellers have been enlightened; but because shipping dirt in these antique pieces makes the shipping cost much higher.
twk
OP10 months agoSimba - You should have seen the bronze piece. It shined brighter than the Chrysler Building, as they use to say. She was SO PROUD. My SIL and I sat down and told her what she could clean, and how and what not to touch. Miss her.
leaderco_97
·10 months agoI’m really sorry you’re going through this your frustration is completely justified. When a seller clearly misrepresents an item, especially after you take the time to ask specific condition questions, it stops feeling like an honest mistake and starts feeling like deception.
You’re doing everything right as a buyer: checking listings carefully, asking direct questions, and trusting a seller’s word before committing. The fact that items still keep arriving damaged, bent, or worse than described is unacceptable especially when sellers claim “excellent condition†or “like new†just to make a sale. Pewter is soft metal and condition matters to collectors, so hearing “no dents†and then receiving a warped piece is more than disappointing it feels like dishonesty.
You’re also right that some sellers today seem to treat eBay like a dumping ground for problem inventory. Instead of accurately describing flaws, they roll the dice and hope the buyer won’t bother returning. That might work for them short term, but it destroys trust on the platform long term.
And yes calling tarnish “rust†on sterling silver shows some sellers don’t even know what they’re selling, or worse, don’t care. Combine that with sloppy packing to save a few cents, and it’s no wonder good buyers like you are exhausted.
There are still many honest sellers out there who take pride in accurate descriptions and proper packaging but unfortunately it only takes a few careless ones to ruin the experience. I hope you still find sellers you can trust, because buyers like you who care about quality are the reason eBay still has a collectibles community at all.
Thanks for speaking up this needed to be said.
twk
OP10 months agoleaderco_97 - THANK YOU for posting and understanding what I am saying. It is tough being here getting slammed from a few (not all) of the responses.
And, YES, it does need to be brought out and said. Some marginal sellers might clean up their act (the lowest are totally lost nothing will help them until they get booted). People will realize that honesty and courtesy are GREAT things, not remnants of the past.
Less sellers will start threads about how bad their sales have been.
Buyers get burned enough, they leave and take their $$ with them. You know, eBay is not doing anything for the buyers, making special offers to them, etc. What eBay IS doing is leaning more and more on the sellers - sales going down on eBay? Ebay gives sellers a program to allow eBay to AUTOMATICALLY drop their price until it sells. Remember, eBay makes nothing until a buyer buys. That gives them the right to clean up the site.
I am tired of reading posts about how some seller got his listings closed and doesn't have a clue. You can bet your bottom dollar he knows why.
powell-collectibles
·10 months agoBecause the qualifications to sell on eBay are so low – basically, a pulse and a checking account – you get a lot of sellers that aren’t qualified to do much else. Don’t get me wrong, most sellers on eBay are fine – a reasonable percentage are excellent. There are just so many bad ones – I understand why people stop buying on here.
You will so often get the attitude of “I offered a return for full refund – buyer made whole,†which is the motto of mediocre to poor sellers on eBay.
I definitely buy less than I would because of the crapshoot that I experience with purchases here. I’ll still buy, and I have a few sellers that I know are really very good – I’m buying from them without issue. And without worry.
twk
OP10 months agoThank you Powell - you get it.
twk
OP10 months agoWhat I mean by carpy packaging was poor packing. I am shocked at how many things are packed in garbage wrapping stuff. Yuck.
pickapaper
·10 months ago@twk
I'm a little confused. In an earlier post, you said: "As I say, I WAS a good buyer on eBay but it has become nothing more than a low-class junk market by sellers, NOT all sellers, looking to make a quick, good buck on things they can't even bother to clean while expecting top price."
And then you said: "Meanwhile, in my offerings, I will continue to write good descriptions, tell people what I know and see about an item and clean it. NO ONE deserves a filthy item period. I am not in a hurry to sell things that I need to deceive buyers or scrap the bottom to sell."
So, you consider eBay a low-class junk market but you are going to continue to sell here with the rest of us "low-class junk sellers"? I just have never understood why, when somebody dislikes a venue so much, that they would keep putting themself through the stress and unhappiness. There are other places to sell. And buy.
I'm sorry about your husband. I would guess that almost everyone here has had to deal with a family member with dementia or some other major illness or ailment so we can sympathize with you about that.
Whatever you decide, I wish only the best for you.
twk
OP10 months agoPicapaper - As I also said, it is something to do while I am home taking care of him. I certainly am not part of that race to the bottom. I am certain you have already looked at what I sell and read my descriptions so if there was something there it would have been brought to my attention.
I see a lot of folk making excuses for poorly described items etc., oh its because of COVID, they don't know, etc. Well, the truth is that if you don't know what something is, do not pretend you do.
Then we have the upfront scammers, as I dealt with, the ones who deceive by pictures and vague or deceptive descriptions and then get belligerent to you when you call them on it. This allegedy "honest" seller had no problem putting pictures up of sterling items clearly showing the sterling marks on them, along with sterling in title, and then weasel out claiming I purchased silverplate and if I wanted the ones SHOWN in pictures it would cost me double! I mean, how low can a seller go than that.
soh.maryl
·10 months agoWhy do you need to "call" anyone out?
No reason to contact the seller or engage in back-and-forth dialogue. Just open that NAD case and proceed as directed. Conversation with the seller is only a waste of time.
twk
OP10 months agoI didn't call him out. I just asked why he cancelled my order. That was when he told me "Dearie" that if I wanted the item shown in the pictures etc., it would cost me double!
That was end of conversation. No one insults me.
What was interesting was that after I left negative feedback on matter, he contacted me SEVERAL times asking me to change it even sending me a request through eBay. I finally had to block him and would have gone to eBay if he continued harassing me.
toomuchstuffagain35
·10 months agoTbh if you'd just paid and not messaged the seller re the sterling hallmark you'd have received the spoons as listed.
twk
OP10 months agoToomuchstuffagain - Here is the real kicker in this matter. Seems the seller did have a silverplated set similar to the pics he had in the listing.
One has to ask why he did not put up pictures of the one he intended to ship??
He also never said silver plate in the listing which is why I checked. I mean he said sterling in the title and then says something like silver like in the listing and has pics in the listing SHOWING the item with STERLING marks.
I would have gotten the plated set and, yes, it would have been an INAD, because IMHO he was playing coy about what he was saying in the offering.
I can only go by what a listing says and the pictures that are shown. I do always ask question if needed. When I inquired about this item he could have come right out and said it was silverplate but it was ambiguous.
If I was here saying I got something not as described, the other sellers here would have all been jumping on me for not asking questions. I asked questions.
Guess that makes me a terrible person in the eyes of several sellers here - so be it. I have lived long enough to deal with that because I know the truth. I also don't hide behind posting names because I am a decent, honest person and seller as well as buyer.
twk
OP10 months agoWhen you purchase from me you get an item that I have inspected, researched and cleaned (doing no harm). You read a decent description where I try to tell you EVERYTHING I know and see.
Since my buyers cannot actually touch the item until they receive it, I want them to be happy with the purchase and know as much as possible about it. Sometimes even providing information for "bragging rights" so to speak.
If I was doing something wrong in my offerings, this board would have torn me apart.
pickapaper
·10 months ago@twk wrote: "Then we have the upfront scammers, as I dealt with, the ones who deceive by pictures and vague or deceptive descriptions and then get belligerent to you when you call them on it.'
You do understand that you do not have to engage in conversation or even contact these sellers. If you get something that is not acceptable, just file a return claim and return the item. No point in "calling them on it"; you can put your reasons for the return in the claim when you file it.
"When you purchase from me you get an item that I have inspected, researched and cleaned (doing no harm). You read a decent description where I try to tell you EVERYTHING I know and see.
Since my buyers cannot actually touch the item until they receive it, I want them to be happy with the purchase and know as much as possible about it. Sometimes even providing information for "bragging rights" so to speak."
You are not doing anything that millions of other sellers do not do, including me. I can't speak for everyone but I would guess that everyone on this board goes that extra mile to ensure happy customers.
twk
OP10 months agopickapaper - Then I congratulate you on your ethics. I do believe, however, that we are few among all the AI description etc. sellers.
As I posted earlier, I once got a package and upon opening the bubble wrap, a ROACH crawled out from inside the bubble wrap that was securely taped around the item. That item immediately went outside to the trash and I sprayed it with bug spray. Yuck!!!!
I guarantee you, I didn't buy any roaches nor were they in the item description. I did contact eBay about this and they told me to file an INAS claim and closed it in my favor. Took pic of roach crawling out from inside the bubble wrap. That was a few years back.
twk
OP10 months agoEbay requires you, at times, to contact seller before filing a claim so you have to have contact with them.
pickapaper
·10 months ago@twk wrote: "Ebay requires you, at times, to contact seller before filing a claim so you have to have contact with them."
On a "not as described" claim, eBay does not require the buyer to contact the seller.
twk
OP10 months agoEbay wants you to "work it out with the seller" before filing a claim. I just had to go through this with a seller.
soh.maryl
·10 months agoNot necessarily.
twk
OP10 months agoYou are right. I will just stop buying, go elsewhere. FWIW, you can get a lot of the sterling flatware offered on eBay cheaper at some of the replacement places. Stay away from coin dealers, they only look at something re the current day's spot silver price and figure .925 silver is worth the same as 1000 silver and will tell you so. Many show the weight in Avoir ounces rather than troy oz. which makes the piece heavier than it really is.
Meanwhile, in my offerings, I will continue to write good descriptions, tell people what I know and see about an item and clean it. NO ONE deserves a filthy item period. I am not in a hurry to sell things that I need to deceive buyers or scrap the bottom to sell. I am old, I do this because it gives me something to do while taking care of my Husband, who has dementia.
gurlcat
·10 months agoFor anyone who doesn't understand, sterling is 92.5% pure silver, only 7.5% alloy. So for example if she sees some sterling spoons priced $100, but the spot (AKA "melt") price for their weight would be $92.50 ..... well that seller is trying to rip her off! The NERVE of trying to include a $7.50 premium for fully-intact, functional, BEAUTIFUL flatware, let alone covering their seller fees (which she is fully aware of), instead of pricing the spoons like what a pawn shop would give for broken necklaces and single earrings! OH THE HUMANITY!
Anyway I don't know why you started this post in the first place @twk . You're not going to quit buying here. You might take a little protest break, but you'll be back, still expecting perfect items every time but still getting slightly flawed ones occasionally. I'm certain that 6 months from now there will be many new thank-you feedbacks to you from sellers, and you'll probably have left at least 1 or 2 more bitter negs.
I do know of at least one seller you won't be buying from though.
twk
OP10 months agoMy, my my - Goodmorning gurlcat. Have a good strong cup of coffee and don't attack me. I am just a "lowly buyer" on eBay that, as a buyer, almost 30 years has seen it becoming more and more like a low-end flea market.
I also sell, but I don't participate in the "race to the bottom". There are several other on-line sites that, even though sellers on eBay they also sell there. And most, to my surprise, offer better prices, have better descriptions and great pics. The site I am thinking of doesn't allow AI descriptions etc., which this in that has a lot more class. I am also moving over there. I will l have to wait until my store subscription runs out.
Have a good one and enjoy that Java.
Oh, regarding your explaination of silver prices. Which you left out is that no dealer is going to get that full melt price as it changes day to day. Also, the melter has to get their fee. So accusing me of trying to ROB the poor pawnshop guy is utter nonsense, and you know it.
gurlcat
·10 months ago🤣 You think that is what I was saying there? You complained about "coin sellers" listing sterling flatware for pure silver spot prices, as if they should only list at 92.5% of that price because that's how pure sterling is. That's an extremely petty and cheapskate point of view. -You seem to think it's fine if YOU overprice things though!
Oh and as for Troy vs. Avoir ounces .... are you trying to make your cake server seem bigger than it really is by saying it's 9 inches long rather than 0.75 feet long? Are you discriminating against buyers who use the metric system -what if they need to know the length in centimeters? OH YEAH there are easy conversion tools on google! And speaking of that:
Wow just like sterling versus pure silver, we're talking about less than 10% difference, big whoop! By the way, I see you don't even reveal the weight of your sterling items. The hypocrisy is astounding.
twk
OP10 months agoWow, someone has a chip on their shoulder. Must have hit a sore spot. S O R R Y.
twk
OP10 months agoGurlcat - Wow! The reason you don't see a weight on my items is I am selling them as antique pieces, of the past. Things that won't be made again. I am NOT selling them for scrap value. BIG DIFFERENCE!
I don't understand why you seem to have a big problem with me and what I do. I am wondering if I hit a nerve. If so, I am very sorry.
gurlcat
·10 months agoSo if a seller lists a sterling item and they DO include its weight in the listing, then that means they are selling it "for" scrap? And if so, they should price it at (or below?) 92.5% of the silver spot price? Correct me if that's not what you meant, because it sure seemed like it when you were talking about .925 vs. .1000 and troy ounces and what-not.
In other words, you sure sound like a reseller looking for inventory on eBay (which is totally fine -I do it all the time myself), BUT you expect other sellers to supply your inventory even lower than its intrinsic value, never mind their selling costs, their risk of getting scammed, their time creating the listings, packing, answering your questions, packing materials (since you think those should be newly-purchased, NOT recycled) etc. ... and NEVER MIND THEIR PROFITS.
Only YOU deserve those.
And then, in this ongoing rant about how bad sellers suck nowadays, you say they used to include dirt in flower pots back in the early days. 🤣
You "see" patterns that are not actually there. Your examples aren't even consistent. 'This' seller overprices "scrap" sterling, 'that' seller uses recycled packing materials, 'this' seller includes dirt in pottery, 'that' seller includes a cockroach. But from your feedback left for others, it looks like the MAJORITY of your purchases were satisfying. Yet you claim you're at your "breaking point" here.
Geez, you even included a reference to a thread that had nothing to do with you, and misconstrued what it said. That seller is a regular here and a GOOD seller, but you took their buyer's claim of "rust" at face value. Does it not occur to you that that was the buyer's ignorance, not the seller's lack of ethics? -He KNOWS sliver doesn't rust, duh!
Quit asking if you hit a nerve. You have replied to me SIX TIMES for the mere two times I replied to you. Now I am simply summarizing what I see in this thread. I don't know what you expected when you wrote the post, but if you're going to trash the seller base here, don't be surprised if sellers take a close look at what you're saying.
twk
OP10 months agoGurlcat, I am really starting to worry about you now. You need a hobby instead of trying to pick a fight with me.
I am doing nothing to you. I don't buy from you as you said you have blocked me. So why such a bad attitude from you?
All I am doing is relating my experiences and disappointment with some sellers.
twk
OP10 months agoGurlcat - I had to reread your post here so I am not "following you around".
In all due respect, get the chip off your shoulder regarding me. It must be getting quite heavy.
And I am only mentioning things that have said on threads they started. Didn't know that was a crime, but glad you informed me.
In all due respect, ma'am, I just expressed my frustration with the way things have been going for me on eBay. It only takes to repackage something and send it back, but I shouldn't have to do that on a regular basis, which is why I always ask questions and for more information before purchasing.
For some reason you seem to have it in for me and I have to wonder just why?
twk
OP10 months agoI am not looking for inventory. I purchase things I like, collect and use. I may be old, but I still have good taste.
FWIW, your post here just confirmed to me what I figured. You got so defensive - I am sorry if I hit a nerve.
twk
OP10 months agoGurlcat - THANKS for telling me you are blocking me. I don't know why you want to fight with me, I have done nothing to you - unless?? you are one of the sellers I talk about? I wouldn't want to purchase from you either.
Cheer up and Have a Nice Day!
kensgiftshop
·10 months agoThat and some sellers are more worried about how many listings they can get up every day and doesn't matter if they give a good description or any description at all.
twk
OP10 months agoKen - You have a very good point there. Ya gotta love the ones that just say to look at pics.
pickapaper
·10 months agoAll too often I see comments from buyers on this board complaining about basically the same thing you are talking about, sellers' poor descriptions and photos, uncaring or no replies to questions, etc. I think part of the problem is generational and part of it is just "life-happenings". Younger people don't know about a lot of the things we collected, like glassware, pottery, metalware, etc. They wing it and use AI for descriptions, which are terrible in most cases.
Covid pushed a lot of people out of work and as a result, millions of people started selling online, even though many didn't have a clue what they were/are selling. And that could be part of the problem you are having; the seller just doesn't know and isn't going to expend any energy to find out.
You collect pewter which is one of those things that is not a heavy collectible anymore. Since you are a serious collector, you know what you expect in a piece and how important those scratches or perfect roundness is. Younger people probably don't think those scratches are important and think that less-than-round shape is normal. I can't say this is true of everyone, of course; it's just an observation of my own.
I don't have an answer for you other than what others have already said. You will just have to keep doing what you are doing, asking questions, and if the item isn't acceptable when received, return it. A hassle, to be sure, but it's either that or not.
twk
OP10 months agoPickapaper - You have to ask questions just to be certain. As in that pewter, light scuffs and scratches can be buffed out. Deep ones, not. I ask the guy says light scratches and what I get is really badly, DEEPLY scratched and scuffed, not to mention bent and warped. New, as he says in offering, is not a word that I would even put with that condition.
12345jamesstamps
·10 months agoI read a few of your negative responses.
One was with 'scuffs' which I could see in the past photos on item purchased...but described as new'...but the photos show the 'scuffs'...I guess you only read the description and didn't look at photos.
And another one said...'like silver' which I read in the description so maybe you only looked at photos and didn't read the description.
And the 'dearie' thing in a past feedback...there are young people and senior people on eBay...and some lived and live in different time frames...everything said may not be politically correct and expecting people to conform to your expectations in emails won't always be happening in today's world
And a seller cancel your order?...sellers do look at a buyer's feedbacks and do make judgement calls sometimes as to whether or not they want to sell to you.
twk
OP10 months agoMy, my. You don't think it is insulting when someone refers to a woman as "dearie" in a demeaning context? Put down the "little woman" and she will go away.
Why try to make me the problem. I pay my money and expect to get what I am told I will get. Plain and simple.
As I say, I WAS a good buyer on eBay but it has become nothing more than a low-class junk market by sellers, NOT all sellers, looking to make a quick, good buck on things they can't even bother to clean while expecting top price.
Re the cancelled order by the seller. THAT was interesting. The item said sterling IN THE TITLE and even showed pictures of the item showing the CLEAR sterling mark on the pieces I was going to get. I even, as I do, inquired about it being sterling B4 buying as I was confused by that. I was assured it was what was shown in pics (still have message on that). Imagine my surprise when seller canceled it because I put in my payment that I understood I was getting sterling! Then tells me if I want it, I can pay DOUBLE the price! Now, you don't show an item with the sterling marks unless you mean to deceive the buyer, nor do you put sterling in the title unless you mean to deceive. Feel free to deal with him if you want, I won't be.
twk
OP10 months agoThat seller cancelled my order because he represented in pictures, title, etc., the item as sterling silver. No where did he even mention silverplate. Even when I inquired to check on condition etc., which I tend to do, I was told item in pic is what I would rceive. The item in pics showed sterling, and even the sterling mark!!
He cancelled item only after I paid and had in my remarks to seller comments that it was guaranteed to be sterling (this was also shown in my inquiries on item). It was then that he cancelled and said I had purchased silverplate - that if I wanted the item shown I would have to pay double! There is no doubt this was a bait and switch offering.
His demeaning response to me when I inquired about the cancellation, demandingly calling me "Dearie" like I was a stupid woman spoke volumes. He had the nerve, real nerve, to come back and ask me to change the feedback I left for him.
And at my age, I am the one who could be calling him "Dearie" and it wouldn't be meant as an insult - LOL! With him, it wasn't just the demeaning, it was the rest of the message as well.
bonanza125
·10 months agoSellers can describe only so much though. You are buying items online so you really wouldn't know if the condition is satisfying until you actually have it in your hands. This can happen with the type of items you are purchasing. There is always a difference of opinion. The seller could think that the scuff marks are minor but you as the buyer feel there are major flaws. If as a buyer you have to press a seller with a bunch of questions on condition perhaps it's best not to purchase that item online cause yes you will be required to return it if you want a refund and I understand it's a process but it's all part of the business. As a buyer and seller I don't get to many if any returns after questioning. As a seller I just snap a photo and send it to the buyer and it's up to the buyer to decide if that's what they are looking for as far as condition.
twk
OP10 months agoAgree to a point. But is the AI descriptions that are frustrating. Seller should describe the item not just tell me my friends are going to envy me if I buy it. And pictures need to be decent.
I also look to purchase sterling etc., but have stopped doing that on eBay. Too much garbage and too many coin dealers who think the spot price of silver is the value of that 925 spoon, etc. THEY KNOW the reality, but while a lot of things do go for melt, they are net getting the full value they are telling you when they sell it for such. You are much better dealing with reputable sterling flatware sellers than coin dealers anytime.
Recently inquired about a piece and was told by seller that they had no room to move as it was at spot silver value. Turned around and looked elsewhere. This was by an ingenious seller who was listing pieces at avoir weight to make them look heavier! That is what I was checking on. Can't be too careful.
Ebay is becoming nothing more than a big lower class flea market. I just love the guys who try to tell me, in description, a true flaw is a "manufacturing defect".
I will continue selling as I am honest, give good descriptions, clean items when possible - doing no harm, etc. But I am done buying. Sellers, should take this in mind as I buy quite a bit.
This is the reason eBay is now offering that fantastic pricing program to automatically lower the price of your item until it sells.
twk
OP10 months agobonanza says: As a seller I just snap a photo and send it to the buyer and it's up to the buyer to decide if that's what they are looking for as far as condition.
That is what I do as well.
FWIW, I may be old-fashion - well I AM old and PROUD of it - but I have always believed in the saying: Treat your family like company, and company like family.
ryry-jj
·10 months agoThat's the wonderful benefit of ebay's MBG, if you don't think it is as described, return it. But, when buying on line we all have to assume the responsibility to repack and return.
I have no opinion on others opinion of condition, especially with pewter, pottery, ceramics & glass, silver (to clean or not to clean), art, coins or other items where condition is the main value.
roccotacodad54
·10 months agoI mainly buy vintage/antique items on eBay.
If their description isn't adequate or their pictures don't show all pertinent angles etc. I usually stop right there unless the item is hard to find or I really really want it.
If that test is passed I read all feedback and then decide whether to proceed. Sometimes the feedback left tells alot.
If I feel the need to ask questions I'm usually about to look elsewhere anyway. If I do ask and don't feel good about the answer, I pass.
That has worked very well for me and I am rarely dissapointed with my purchases on eBay. I may miss out on some good finds but I don't like dealing with what you described.........................................
Unavailable member
·10 months agoPerhaps you need to vet your sellers better. Returning items for not as described gets you a full refund so I don’t get what the issue is.
Carpy packaging ? You mean the packaging smelled of fish? Ewww.
hotwheelsbum
·10 months agoNot really a case where they need to "vet their sellers better", they just don't need to be buying online, period. This kind of standards, pickiness, scrutiny needs to be done in person with item in their hands before they choose to buy it or not, not wasting a Seller's time and money on ebay by having a differing opinion as to what the condition of the item is at hand. Same items this Buyer is scrutinizing, criticizing, returning, wasting Sellers time and money, Seller could have had 8 other Buyers of that same item who would have been happy with their purchase and the condition the item was in.
Again, some people just don't need to be buying online, sight unseen. Case in point here.
twk
OP10 months agoRather judgmental here. I am a full time caregiver to a wonderful husband who has dementia. I shop from home because it is easier for me than getting someone to watch him, or taking him with me.
You might get a chuckle from this incident I had with him about 10 years ago. I was looking at a silver necklace for sister in a department store and the clerk was telling me about it and the design. She described it as very bold look. At that time Hubby spoke up and asked her how bold she was, was she wearing any underwear! NO he is not a weird, these are the crazy things people with dementia can say. When he was in control of his mental acuity he would never had said anything like this.
I explained the situation to the clerk, while my Hubby scampered off, almost childlike, down the aisle.
grann-4629
·10 months agoYou are a true 'Trooper', standing beside your partner through his issues. I have a good friend going through the first stages of dementia now and it's very, very difficult to deal with.
Your 'incident' is very funny ... unfortunately most people in the vicinity probably didn't get it.
Kudos to you!
twk
OP10 months agogrann - Be especially good to your friend as it is tough to be the caretaker. She needs all the support she can get, plus.
Dealing with my beloved H at this time is the hardest thing I have ever had to deal with; but I wouldn't want to be without him.
twk
OP10 months agoRather judgmental about me.
Saying someone doesn't need to be buying on line is very judgmental. You know nothing about me. I have been buying and selling on ebay since 1998. I have bought and sold lots. It is only lately that things are really, really, really going downhill with many sellers.
I buy from lots of on-line places and even the on-line catalogues of many high retail merchants.
Telling me I shouldn't be buying here on eBay is shooting yourself, as a seller, in the foot. I purchase quite a bit on 2 ID's. Since 1998 I have bought and sold on one of the accounts as I am honest and do my best to provide GOOD, clean vintage items. I have PRIDE in what I offer on eBay. My buyers deserve clean, well described items with good pictures.
Unavailable member
·10 months agoAcceptance is the answer to all of your problems today.
twk
OP10 months agoLet me just add that in this recent case the item was just refunded and in the other case I have to repack and send it back. I rely on their descriptions and responses so this shouldn't be happening. It is becoming more and more common.