eBay

sin-n-dex · ‎05-24-2023

This doesn't apply to nominally priced items (like $20-25), but I've noticed it seems to trend in items that are more uncommon and worth more money.

The situation is such, you list your item for auction, and it's a fairly rare item, so there's some bidding frenzy and the price goes way up. (The stamp I have that I chose not to auction sold for 300 UK pounds a couple of days ago, at auction). When the buyer receives it, there suddenly becomes all sorts of perceived problems with the item that makes it not the value that they paid for it, and they fish for a partial refund.

So basically you've got a buyer who outbids everyone to get it, and then renegotiates a discount when they receive the item under the guise of possible INAD.

I mean it's an auction... bid on it if you intend to pay that much for it, it's not for you to guarantee you get the item at any price and then negotiate the price you REALLY wanted to pay.

Anyway with my two British stamps, I'm going to list at fixed price and miss out on some money because when I list something for a good price that's fair, I never have a single problem with the buyer who gets it. But with an auction winner on an expensive item, it seems to be a recipe for trouble.

I haven't picked the price on the stamps, but the one that sold for 300 UK pounds was advertising itself as MVLH, and I think saying it's "lightly hinged" is very subjective. I'd rather just say "yeah it's hinged" and let the buyer look at both sides to decide on the condition. I realize that describing things a bit worse than what they are will cost money... but let's just say I very rarely get an INAD/SNAD (like I get one every six months). And usually when I do get a SNAD, it's due to an oversight I made when listing.

C.

wastingtime101 · ‎05-24-2023

Sounds like you've encountered a lot of buyers remorse with your auction winners. Fixed price is a solid option and rather than looking at it like leaving money on the table, try to see all the money you saved by avoiding the type of buyer you're describing.

With very rare exceptions, I don't subscribe to partial refunds. Buyer can return it and I can resell it.

I agree with your method of under sell, over deliver. 👍

GLORIOUS!

sin-n-dex · ‎05-24-2023

@wastingtime101 wrote:
Sounds like you've encountered a lot of buyers remorse with your auction winners. Fixed price is a solid option and rather than looking at it like leaving money on the table, try to see all the money you saved by avoiding the type of buyer you're describing.

With very rare exceptions, I don't subscribe to partial refunds. Buyer can return it and I can resell it.

I agree with your method of under sell, over deliver. 👍

If I pay for the return, it's $14 to get it shipped back to Canada (generally speaking, I haven't checked recently...) If I have it shipped back to my US address, shipping is around $5, and then my freight forwarder will charge me $7 to process the return. Not a winning situation on a low priced item. On a higher priced item I've paid the steep charges to get my item back. (I often don't resell, I'm a bit superstitious, the item goes back to the B&M store).

I ran my scenario by the B&M store on the two UK stamps I'm going to list. I'm not an expert with stamps by any stretch (in fact have only gotten into them a few years ago), so it's easy to make a small mistake that a collector will catch and use due to buyer's remorse. (and I think some faults are completely made up)

I sold one stamp that had a tiny bit of humidity on the glue and the buyer said it was hinged. I wasn't going to argue even though I knew it wasn't hinged, and I knew you could see this in the photos (even without my glasses on). The buyer said "you charged me $60 for a stamp that it was supposed to be worth $600, but it's only worth $300 because of the hinge mark, so you cost me $300." I'm in total disbelief that someone can be mad the thing they paid $60 for is only worth $300... I'd be super happy with that deal.

The one stamp sold for 300 pounds... I thought I'd list mine for around $350 USD and see what happens. The shop paid a song for the collection it came in (someone at the B&M shop knows diddly about stamps and doesn't pay much for them, and I find $1000 value, even at eBay prices, in a $20-50 collection). So I'm sure the shop will be happy with whatever I get.

I got my hands on a binder of stamps (all mint) where the appraiser at the shop said the value was $200 in face value... I started taking it apart and noticed way too many collections with a few dollars FV, so I counted... $1059 FV in this collection. Whoever keeps making these mistakes and not paying much needs to keep buying stuff.

The same buyer purchased some UK presentation packs (with a couple pounds value in each one, at face value), for 25 cents each because they thought it was just a bunch of first day covers, and that's what we pay for covers. When I got the box home, I found out half of it was presentation packs, so I was pretty happy. The less they pay. the more profits there are, and the bigger commission I make on the sale.

C.

wastingtime101 · ‎05-24-2023

@sin-n-dex wrote:
The buyer said "you charged me $60 for a stamp that it was supposed to be worth $600, but it's only worth $300 because of the hinge mark, so you cost me $300." I'm in total disbelief that someone can be mad the thing they paid $60 for is only worth $300... I'd be super happy with that deal.

😂

That's a great "awful buyer" story.

GLORIOUS!