Should I buy from this seller?
As I am an inexperienced buyer (only made a few purchases on eBay before) I think it’d be good to ask first. I found this book box set for a good deal and it’s way cheaper than being the volumes individually from this seller. As I dug deeper into the seller I found that they made their shop in 2020, which my friend said it’s a little too early. Another thing is that they’ve only sold 4 items but have 60 reviews, which is a little weird? These reviews are all good feedback and come from different users but some are literally word for word. Maybe it’s spam reviews but I’ve never heard of that. They also have 100% positive reviews. I contacted the seller about seeing close up photos of the books, and they responded right away and put it in the photos of the books. I don’t know what that has to do with anything but at least they seem nice??
I asked my friends to see if I should buy the books and a lot of them say this is a scam. For some reason, the price keeps getting lower and lower as well, so I just can’t pass up a good deal.
femmefan1946
·3 years agoThe offshore phone people are in the Philippines not India.
fab_finds4u
·3 years agoVirtually everything is covered by eBay's MBG but some sellers have found a work around to have the item not covered by listing an item in the Specialty Services category. As long as the book is in the books category you're covered.
fjbet13
·3 years agoI think you will be OK. You are covered by the money back guarantee if the item is not received or if it doesn’t match the description. Sales listings for the seller are only for recently sold items, while feedback shows forever, which might be why you see a difference in the numbers. Feedback also includes feedback received as a buyer. To me three years is a sufficient amount of time for a seller not to be called new. The fact that the seller responded to you with photos is a real positive sign. They might be lowering the price because they are anxious to sell. I would buy.
alovelyepiphany
OP3 years agoOkay, thank you so much for the advice. I am surely planning to buy the book set now.
albertabrightalberta
·3 years ago@alovelyepiphany
Nothing you mentioned in your post is a cause for concern to me.
alovelyepiphany
OP3 years agoThank you so much! I think I might buy the book set now.
evry1nositswindy
·3 years agoSome sellers actively buy things to sell while others just sell what they have. My brother has been selling on eBay for 23 years with 69 items sold. I have been selling on eBay for 10 years with 5.9k items sold. Both are good accounts. Looking at their feedback would tell me what I need to know. Shop with confidence.
alovelyepiphany
OP3 years agoOkay, thank you so much!
soh.maryl
·3 years agoHow long does your friend believe a seller should be on eBay before he rates as a trustworthy seller?
ibuyoldstuf
·3 years agoA Very Valid question,
For me, the dollar amount would figure foremost into the equation for a low/no FB - new members.. In my mind, a 10.00 purchase is worth any perceived risk however, a 1100.00 piece of pottery (buying or selling) requires a significantly larger eBay foundation (applied recently) or footprint..
pburn
·3 years agoPlease keep in mid that the OP's purchase will be covered by eBay's Money Back Guarantee, where dollar amounts and/or member feedback counts are not included in the criteria for coverage.
There are very few seller scams, and even those are infrequent. The OP's description of communication with the seller, along with books being a low-scam target, add to the confidence with which this purchase can be made.
ibuyoldstuf
·3 years agoAgreed, But have you been through that process lately? I would only pursue as a last resort and nothing is guaranteed, especially if your new and unfamiliar with the nuances of the process.
It's true and your correct, we all know it's almost guaranteed a buyer win but who wants the headache.. Like I mentioned earlier, for me, the dollar amount determines my acceptable risk level if I am unsure and FB always is a part of the equation if I don't have a warm fuzzy.. But thats me.. So far so good.. knock on wood!
soh.maryl
·3 years agoAre you saying that you would only use the MBG as a last resort? Why the caveat? The MBG offers good protection for buyers and is pretty simple to use. What "nuances" are there?
ibuyoldstuf
·3 years agoThat's exactly what I'm saying. I try to avoid engaging algorithms and being patronized on the line with the good folks in Punjab whenever I can.. I exhaust every effort with buyer/seller when possible.. When was the last time you went through the process with someone trying to time you out of recourse.. Madam, not every one here eats breaths & sleeps ebay policies and procedures and i'm certain there is a smaller cheaper faster eBay way of handling every little bump that crosses the community board for those that do.. I rely on me first! common sense, due diligence and if the deal feels odd to ya.. Don't do it.. Looking at my record.. So far so good..
ibuyoldstuf
·3 years agoExcuse me,
I'm sorry that came off wrong as I re-read it..
I read your post and am appreciative of what you do as I've stated before.. It just seems like everyone more and more is looking to abandon personal responsibility and blame anything and anyone for not taking some sort of personal preventive measure,,,
I Read your post and for the most part even if I don't agree, I understand..
Thanks for all you do,
Again I apologize for being the guy I can't stand,
Good Mornig
alovelyepiphany
OP3 years agoOkay, thank you so much! I’m planning to buy the box set now without the thought of getting scammed.
alovelyepiphany
OP3 years agoI think my friend believe maybe more than 3 years or more should be how long a seller should be on eBay. Honestly I’m not too sure as I didn’t ask them about why they think that.
femmefan1946
·3 years agoBoxed sets are often cheaper than individual volumes, because they are later editions.
OTOH,they also may be deluxe editions with, for example, a noted artist doing illustrations, or nicer binding.
They are usually from popular writers, and the publisher has made his money and is now milking the cow for as long as possible.
You could check current asking prices for the boxed set on Addall. which is an accumulator site for a couple of dozen bookselling sites, including a couple from Germany and many from the UK. Note that the books listed are titles that did NOT sell, read the description for edition, and pay attention if there are several listings from the same company with identical descriptions. Some big booksellers will have several copies in stock and you may not get the book you thought you would . EBay is more reliable than that.
But if you are just a reader and not a collector, those are not important factors.
Members get feedback for both sales and purchases.
I have left 6588 FB for others, received 3983 as a seller, 234 as a buyer. And because multiple feedbacks from a single transaction are only counted once, my current score is 3842.
Feedback is not used by eBay as a measure of a member's account.
EBay supplies a number of standardized feedbacks and many buyers use those. No biggie.
I contacted the seller about seeing close up photos of the books, and they responded right away and put it in the photos of the books.
A good sign that the seller actually owns the books.
If the seller only occasionally sells, they may not be up to date with eBay's constant changes. That can lead to problems but if the seller is mostly a buyer, they may also be more aware of buyer's concerns.
On the whole books are a low fraud category.
alovelyepiphany
OP3 years agoThank you very much! I feel very ensured now and plan to buy the books.
nanniestreasurechest
·3 years agoYou are covered under the Money Back Guarantee. As for the feedback, some people use canned feedback messages so just because several of them say the same thing doesn't mean they aren't legit. I wouldn't hesitate to buy from this seller based on what you posted as long as they were in the U.S. They may be just trying to get rid of the books and that's the reason for them continuing to lower the price. I do that on items all the time. Being a seller for 3 years is not too early. I just started selling last year and would hate that someone wouldn't buy from me based on when I started selling.
alovelyepiphany
OP3 years agoThank you so much! As the seller says they’re from the US and since I am covered by eBay money back guarantee I think I will buy the books.
ibuyoldstuf
·3 years agoIf it does't feel right, it's wrong!
Your description of the Sellers FB vs Listings vs Dates vs your Gut were brought up here because of a worry you have..
IMO, Sellers & Buyers with little to Loose (longevity, feedback et.), Loose little!
Go with your initial feeling would be my advice..
btw, researching the seller or buyer is great to hear.. It will save you tons of headaches if you have to pursue an issue.. Good Job!
All The Best,
Guy
alovelyepiphany
OP3 years agoOkay thank you so much for the advice! I think I will go for the box set as that has been my initial feeling.
1786davycrockett
·3 years agoRead the eBay Money Back Guarantee: if you do not receive your order in a timely manner, you can open an "item not received" claim against the seller. If you receive items which do not match what you have ordered, you can open a "not as described" claim.
On eBay, most of the odds are in the buyer's favor.
And a store that dates from 2020 is nearly three years old -- so not "a little too early."
Is the seller located in the United States? If so, go ahead with the purchase.
But, first of all -- read the eBay Money Back Guarantee.
alovelyepiphany
OP3 years agoOkay, thank you so much! I have read the eBay money back guarantee and I think it will surely cover me. And yes the seller is located in the United States.