Many sellers are getting sloppy in listings and in packaging
I am both a buyer and seller on eBay. Lately, as a buyer I have been running into situations where the item is either not as described or sent poorly packaged.
Just to give two cases. I won some glasses that, as I always do, checked with the seller on condition as the pictures were not clear. I asked about chips, scrataches, etc. and was told nope, none of those. Well, guess what. The glasses arrived, abiet double boxed 3 of them were just side by side with no protection at all, the other two had a very small piece of paper around them, not enough to protect anything. One glass has a big chip out of the bottom but I found no glass in the box so I believe it was there before. Two others have scratches on the glass.
In another instance I bid on a "pewter" turkey stuffing spoon. There too, as is my habit, I checked with seller to make certain it was pewter and not an alloy metal and was assured it was. Well, received yesterday and it was not pewter as it was described and I expected.
This is getting old. One of the reasons I always ask about condition of items, etc is due to the goofy AI listings that many sellers are using. I always ask, and only purchase from those I get responses from so that I have a record of what they say just in case of situations like this.
Sellers, if your sales are down, THIS is one of the reasons. Sellers who either don't know what they are selling or just don't care. This AI description stuff is something eBay should get rid of because if someone can't give a decent description they should not be selling.
Forgive me for the "rant" but now I have to contact sellers to return items and I don't like doing that as it frustrates me that the items were not correct to begin with.
lux.ra_14
·2 years agoPewter is an alloy.
reallynicestamps
·2 years ago"Old " pewter was an alloy containing lead.
Newer pewter is an alloy usually tin, copper, and antimony, sometimes silver or bismuth.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pewter
Lots of rabbit holes to fall down.
Including that "pewter" is not just one metal alloy but several, depending in part on where the alloy was made.
krazzykats
·2 years agoRegarding pictures in feedback. I was reviewing a competitor's feedback and items and saw a picture on a negative with a middle finger showing...😒
frankenhobbit
·2 years agoActually, I've found that items I have purchased in the last year or so have arrived MUCH better packaged than they used to be. This includes an item that I was the sole 99 cent bidder, as well as other cheap items.
I may just be lucky, but I haven't had a badly packaged item in a long while. Now I've probably gone and jinxed myself!
twk
OP2 years agoCareful Frankenhobbit - you are going to jinx yourself. Knock on wood. LOL!
twk
OP2 years agoI guess I need to do more clarifying here. First, I had to light a fire under her to get her to ship them after I paid as for over a week she claimed she had problems. And I did contact her b4 leaving feedback but she never responded. It was only after I left the feedback that she did. I sent her pictures etc. She accepted the return but has not sent a label.
So before you all start blaming me, I did a lot before that. Sadly I know how this is going to end. It does not make me happy, I would rather just have had her respond in a timely manner and offer to fix the problem.
reallynicestamps
·2 years agoShe accepted the return but has not sent a label.
You contacted the seller-- but did you open a Claim?
When you open a Claim it is very easy for the seller to send you a Return Shipping Label (RSL). Without a Claim it is more difficult (not impossible but more difficult) and you have eBay helping both you and the seller.
New sellers often do not understand the Managed Payments system, nor do they understand what the Hold on your payment to them means.
12345jamesstamps
·2 years agoI love auctions.
Sometimes you get a grand bargain of a sale...sometimes you don't.
Auctions are auctions...not like a store bought item.
I always expect sometimes to get a lemon in an auction.
I have never returned anything...I have email the seller sometimes about the conditions as such after receiving the item...getting a refund or two without having to do a return...and not getting blocked. A few sellers blow me off doing nothing but I don't get blocked to make a purchase again.
If you really got a terrific deal...it makes up for the lemons.
Auctions are such sellers just want to rid of the stuff sometimes.
And I can't believe you gave the seller a 'negative feedback'...a NEW SELLER of sorts destroying their feedback rating. You are a seller and buyer as well.
Karma can return...although you can block this seller..one of her friends can make a purchase(s) with you and return the negative feedback(s).
What would I do?...I would revise the negative feedback to be nice. But that's just me.
tobaccocardyahoo
·2 years agoUnfortunately, there is nothing new in your experience, it has been commonplace as long as there has been an Ebay.
You may have been lucky in the past, or you may have expended more of your brain power to anticipate the potential problems with purchases.
You conclude correctly that many sellers lack the basic skills required to sell. It is hard to have those skills when your education and life experience are no longer as interactive as they were when many of us were young.
I suspect there are online sellers who have never made a purchase in a store.
soh.maryl
·2 years agoThere is absolutely no need to contact the sellers. Why not just open item not as described cases? All you need to do is to find the item in your Purchase History, click that you want to return it, and click on the reason as "not as described". Your seller will be required by eBay to reimburse you in advance if he wants the item back. Or, if no response, eBay will refund you and let you just keep it.
Please review the MBG.
chevymontecarlo88
·2 years agoI agree if you are buying something that is not that big of a deal (low-value item) or you have the time to wait for the eBay MBG to resolve. A brief message to the seller takes only a few seconds, and it provides an opportunity for you to gain insight into the seller prior to making a commitment to the sale. Some users would prefer to spend a few minutes communicating instead of waiting for days for a refund. When buying fragile, high-value, or non-replaceable items, I highly recommend contacting them. You are still covered by eBay's MBG if needed, and I prefer not to use the eBay MBG, especially if a message might help eliminate any issues. YMMV
12345jamesstamps
·2 years agoI kinda agree somewhat to a point.
However, glasses were sold as used...with maybe some wear.
But imagine this 'seller' waking up to a 'negative feedback' who is starting out at selling from another seller.
I feel so bad about this seller getting a negative feedback from this other seller.
A negative feedback can really affect a seller for days.
chevymontecarlo88
·2 years agoOf course, it depends on how important the item is to you or the value. I don't disagree with those who choose to roll the dice and wait. My time is important and hate returning any item after purchase.
edit.. Not sure if you were replying to not contacting sellers or leaving pictures in feedback. After i read it i think you might be talking about leaving pictures of shipments in feedback.
tobaccocardyahoo
·2 years agoBut perhaps that is a real service to a new seller. A clear warning that either he changes his ways or stops selling. He hurts all Ebay sellers when he screws up.
I was notified of one of my screwups by a customer this morning and was mortified at my mistake. It is unlikely that any external consequences will exceed my self disgust.
twk
OP2 years agoTobacco - you sound like me. I'm old (late 70's) and very picky about getting things right. That is what 8 years in a Parochial school does to one besides getting a fantastic education.
tobaccocardyahoo
·2 years ago@twk
We share an birth decade.
There were schools other an parochial schools who believed they knew what one needed to know to be an educated person and did their best to transfer that knowledge. I went to some.
We had an education with less concern with engagement and relevance and more concern with getting the knowledge.
And we also learned to give a **bleep**.
We interacted with other people of our own age and older because if we did not we'd have been vegetables.
twk
OP2 years agoChevy - I did contact her right away......crickets. About 5 days latter I tried again, crickets. You see I had to light a fire under her to get her to send the items out. Apparently she was having just one problem after another.
I tried before I left the feedback, but sometimes that seems to be the only way to get someone's attention.
I am not happy with this. I would rather have had the set of glasses. After awhile one just gets fatigued and opens the case with eBay. She has accepted the return but has not sent a label.
Also, I am always open to feedback revision if the problem is resolved.
chevymontecarlo88
·2 years agoMany sellers have no idea what they are selling or how to pack their items, which is discouraging. This isn't a new phenomenon at all. It's wise to contact the seller to inquire about their shipping methods if you're buying something delicate. Especially if the item can't be replaced easily.
twk
OP2 years agothis, sadly is true. But if one doesn't know what one is doing then they should not sell it.
With the packing, it IS expense and with eBay now giving the buyer the lowest price, it does put pressure on sellers. Many cut corners to make enough on shipping to cover their costs and the fees that eBay requires them to pay on the shipping etc.
Perhaps eBay needs to take their fee off the shipping expense. Since they control it they can see if a seller is trying to take advantage of FVF's.
chevymontecarlo88
·2 years agoThere are many sellers that should not be on this site but that is not going to change anytime soon. IMHO
The good thing is that the eBay MBG does protect buyers for the most part but having to go through the motions can be a PITA.
More buyers should upload pictures (Feedback)of how their items were shipped for future buyers.
simba6
·2 years agoIn venues like this, not all sellers know what they are selling. Not all sellers know what is required to pack breakable items. Checking what they have sold in the past can give a clue if they know what they are doing.
The AI babble is of no use to anyone. Just stick to well written listings with good photos.
twk
OP2 years agoIn my offerings I try my best to give good descriptions etc. Hubby says I am almost fanatic about describing any scratches or other things. I also clean my items because no buyer should pay for an item, shipping, etc. and get something that is filthy, as has happened to me.
stevescho
·2 years agoAgree with OP. Expect 5% NAD minimum on eBay no matter what, less is lucky, much more is not; good photos/descriptions doesn't help when the seller intentionally avoids depicting defects/flaws and sure won't tell you about them in the listing.