Scammers and grifters selling on ebay

[jpolacchi]

I've certainly noticed a new influx of "seller" on Ebay. Auctions are rampant with overpriced items,often charging 2-4 times(or more) for an item regardless of its rarity or not.Most are common items and seller shave been doubling or tripling the price.S&H fees are also very high.I do know that USPS has "restructured" they shipping to an extent to "make more money".In turn,I have purchase items  and the shipping is often high to "make up" for any sales revenue.For example,I'll find an item for say, $30.00 but the shipping is $50.00 and I know that the shipping is $20-$25,so I know some sellers are pocketing the extra money.The price gouging is another  thing.I'll find an item one week(maybe 2-3),all priced around the same $50,$100, and maybe they sell at $75 or $130.The next time I see the same items up for auction their starting prices have almost doubled.I suppose there is little that can be done about that.It just makes bidding and buying harder when a seller doubles the price of an item that is still in production,but doubles it price.There are sellers out there screwing over buyers with high auction prices and gouging on shipping and handling and Ebay looks the other way and is doing nothing about it.

[soh.maryl]

As I am sure you are well aware, that little back arrow comes in mighty handy when shopping on eBay.

Just like with any other sales venue, all buyers need to be fully armed with information before browsing.  You seem like a knowledgeable shopper.

eBay "does nothing about it" because what could they do -- have someone look at every single listing to determine if the price is too high? And then what?  

And I am sure you also know that the shipping cost does not need to bear any relationship to the item price. A few years ago, sold a vintage Singer sewing machine for a relatively low price and shipping was, as I recall, almost as much as the item price.  Those suckers are heavy! My friend sold a diamond tennis bracelet for over $800 as I recall and the shipping, even with signature confirmation required, was less than $100.  See the difference? Yes, there are probably some sellers inflating the shipping, but there again, doesn't that back arrow come in handy?  

[lagarto_electronico]

The sellers have to compensate for all of the buyers that are abusing the returns system to steal items from them. 

That is now factored into the "handling" charge for many sellers.

You are paying the cost of eBay's lack of real protection for them.

[7606dennis]

Items being sold at auction cannot be overpriced since the selling price is determined by the bidders.

If you are unwilling to pay the total selling price with shipping cost than you should pass on the item and look for something more in your price range.

The term price gouging only applies to items required for safety and/or survival in times of declared emergency.  If a person owns an item they have the right to ask whatever they wish for the item unless the first sentence to this paragraph applies.  

[littlehoney4u]

If Shipping is high I just move on to the next . Try laughing and moving on  works wonders . Who I'm I To tell a seller what price they want ? Some sellers pay others to work for them  so your not just paying for an item

[2013grotz]

As I'm sure you are aware, people can ask whatever they want.  It's not really "gouging" in that sense.  It doesn't mean they will sell it.  I know the right asking price can be hard to find.  But a lot of sellers do have $$$ in their eyes and think what they have is worth a lot more than it is.  You really can't expect anyone to step in and mandate what people ask for things, especially since buyers very much have a choice on whether to buy something or not.  That said, different buyers are going to have different comfort levels on what they're willing to pay, how they value the items they choose to buy, and whatever.

As was said, you seem like a smart shopper, but at the same time you really can't take away choice from the buyer or the seller in anything.

[2013grotz]

>And I am sure you also know that the shipping cost does not need to bear any relationship to the item price. A few years ago, sold a vintage Singer sewing machine for a relatively low price and shipping was, as I recall, almost as much as the item price. 

Indeed.  I had a buyer send me a rather nasty message about a piece of software I had up (unsold as a ton of my stuff I've listed has been) and how expensive my shipping was for it.  But it also happened to include 15 lbs of paper manuals, which they could have seen if they only looked at the pictures and the listing itself.

Sometimes buyers want everything for cheap and don't realize what it takes to get them the item.

[mr_lincoln]

@jpolacchi   When I acquire inventory for resale I have my max price determined way before and auction(s) ends (not on eBay but other venues).  If the price goes above my max I don't purchase the item(s). 

If I consider something on eBay and see the Seller is over charging for Shipping (because I already know what it should cost) then I look for another Seller.

There has to be more to your story other than just a random rant about prices ... did you have a bad experience?

[reallynicestamps]

I notice you are targetting an influx of new sellers who are making up their costs by inflating shipping.

Silly wabbits.

They must have found an old old old YouTube video or the like, that is telling them that eBay does not charge a fee on shipping costs.

Ha!

EBay noticed way back that they were losing money on that little scheme, where sellers were listing for 99 c but asking $99 for shipping, and for nearly a decade we pay the same Final Value (selling) Fee on both sales and shipping.

The up to date seller uses Free Shipping.

Do you like Free Shipping?

Did you know that it means the seller has included her cost of shipping in her asking price?

Which is cheapest?

 A $10 item with $5 shipping?

 A $5 item with $10 shipping?

 a $15 item with Free Shipping?

Don't look at how the seller has parted out the cost of the item. Some buyers like the low asking price and accept the shipping cost. Some are horrified that shipping is higher than the purchase price. And most adore Free Shipping.

Look at the bottom line.

Is it a good deal all around?  Buy?

Is it overpriced? Back button.

The only part of shipping that is really important is the delivery date. If you buy, mark that on your calendar and relax until it arrives.

[mudshark61369]

@jpolacchi,

   "I've certainly noticed a new influx of "seller" on Ebay".

I think you can say that is a result of the Pandemic, which had many people cleaning out the closets as a way to pass time while being shut in.  Because they are new to selling on the site, they may not have taken the time to wade through all of the information about selling.

  "The price gouging is another thing.I'll find an item one week(maybe 2-3),all priced around the same $50,$100, and maybe they sell at $75 or $130.The next time I see the same items up for auction their starting prices have almost doubled".

First as others have said, Price Gouging isn't really happening on ebay.  That term is applied to necessities, masks sanitizers, TP etc. during the pandemic. Water, gasoline, food in a disaster area.  All other items can be listed at what ever price a seller wants. It is up to the buyers to decide whether or not to pay that price.

  It is not unusual for a couple of items to sell for a decent price, then to have sellers who watched those listings, list their item for the same or a higher price. If they are a new seller listing an item as an auction, they often set the starting price too high, so the auction gets few or no bids.  Often they do not compare the sold listings description to their item, for condition or completeness.  

  "It just makes bidding and buying harder when a seller doubles the price of an item that is still in production"...

Haven't you noticed lately that store shelves have a lot of bare spots, do to production and distribution delays caused by the pandemic? I've noticed several items that there are normally readily available, be in short supply even when a store does receive them.  An ebay seller knowing they have a popular item that is harder to get will of course raise their asking price.

  "I'll find an item for say, $30.00 but the shipping is $50.00 and I know that the shipping is $20-$25,so I know some sellers are pocketing the extra money ... S&H fees are also very high.I do know that USPS has "restructured" they shipping to an extent to "make more money".

@reallynicestamps,  already covered item price + S&H.  Looking at the total price instead of the item then S&H prices separately to see if the total price is acceptable or well over trending prices.

You have sellers, mostly new ones who guestimate shipping costs, sometimes too low, others too high.  Seller's have been handicapped by increases in shipping costs, and not just by the USPS.  Not long ago one could ship an item weighing less than 15.99 oz, shipping weight, USPS first class. Now the cutoff for non commercial accounts is 12.99 oz., before it goes to the 1-2lb package rate. Then there is dimensional weight pricing, which the USPS was the last to start using.  The shipping cost is calculated by the package size, not actual weight. An Item I could ship for $15 a few years back now costs around $27 to ship now.  Sellers pay ebay fees on what they receive for fixed price or calculated shipping. As for Free Shipping, there is no such thing. Often the imbedded shipping cost is 30% more than the actual cost. You would not know that unless you work out the item cost and actual shipping.  Not knowing what the seller originally paid for the item, makes working out their profit margin impossible though.

  "There are sellers out there screwing over buyers with high auction prices and gouging on shipping and handling and Ebay looks the other way and is doing nothing about it".

Welcome to a free market economy. eBay is in business to make a profit and since they get a piece of the pie on every item sold, why would they do anything?

[corvettestainless]

@jpolacchi   There are sellers out there screwing over buyers with high auction prices and gouging on shipping and handling and Ebay looks the other way and is doing nothing about it.

Why would you state something as false as this? Sellers aren't screwing anybody. Last I knew, Auctions are optional, buying things are optional, and if sellers are listing things for way more than somewhere else, nobody will buy so nobody got screwed...right?? And if somebody buys, then THAT is what that item is worth. 

[varebelrose]

Managed Payments has incentivized sellers to  start doing the $1 item, $99 shipping for a $100 item again.

Now that FVF of ~12+% is charged on the total including sales tax (instead of the paltry amount Paypal charged), there is a real profit motive to weight the sale towards the S&H  because most states do not charge sales tax on shipping costs. Just saying.

[rjorge51]

I am an avid stamp collector and what I am seeing on eBay is a glut of scammers selling worthless stamps for $25,500, and $18,000, if you aren't smart you will fall from these scams.  I have reported to eBay on this and those items are still being shown.  eBay is getting to the point have not done enough to investigate these scams.  Surely they should have experts on this item that will say, this is a scam.  eBay will become "Wish" with selling fake coins that the Government cracked down on.  Clean it up eBay!

[kathiec]

This thread is from more than a year ago.

[maxine*j]

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@jpolacchi wrote:

... Auctions are rampant with overpriced items... There are sellers out there screwing over buyers with high auction prices and gouging on shipping and handling and Ebay looks the other way and is doing nothing about it.

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Buyers are not being "screwed over" because they need not buy if they don't like the prices or the shipping charges.

"Price gouging" is inapplicable here, because that relates only to the sale of the necessities of life during a declared emergency, to things such as food or medicines.

eBay cannot, under federal law, tell buyers what to charge for their goods, as that would be considered unlawful restraint of trade.

I'm sorry you cannot afford to buy whatever it is you want to buy, but that's how it is in a free market, supply-and-demand economy.

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