eBay

accessoriesetcplus · ‎02-21-2019

It is rare that I purchase more than shipping Supplies online. I had the need to purchase 2 items in the last couple of weeks for my personal use. One was an electric skillet which never arrived, never had a tracking # and seller canceled saying it was lost in shipment, so I ordered the same one from the river site for less money and received in 2 days. The next item was a camera , which was supposed to have all accessories and be 16 mp. It was 7 mp and the charger did not have the cord. This camera was ship first class postage using a priority bubble mailer and box wrapped in brown paper. Seller stated he could not find the cord after I received it and could not use it. If he had contacted me prior and told me about the cord I would have been fine with canceling. That way it would have saved me a lot of time.

ozarkjoe · ‎02-22-2019

I buy books, coins, clothing, OTC medicine and tools. I have had an overwhelmingly great experience here with 99+% of sellers, big and small.

castlemagicmemories · ‎02-22-2019

@moondogblues wrote:
I loathe Amazon...but I detest sellers here who dropship from there. Makes me even more mad. The last 3 books I've bought here came from there with the dreaded 'gift' slip. Those sellers have a lot of nerve.

I don't care for Amazon, either, and there was an item I searched there and here for, and bought here although it cost a bit more because it had an earlier delivery date. Item came from Amazon as a "gift". If I wanted to buy from there, I would have.

Supposedly Amazon Fulfillment can send that "gift" message so you do not know what their price was; but it can also be an indication someone is abusing their Prime membership. Amazon Fulfillment is expensive and generally used by huge sellers as it is mostly not affordable for others, or so I have read.

castlemagicmemories · ‎02-22-2019

@no_zero369 wrote:
Hi @castlemagicmemories ,

As you well know there are plenty of sellers who don't have a clue. Many of us volunteer board posters wouldn't "have a job" (lol) if it weren't for these people. So I can understand the feelings of buyers who have had bad experiences. It stinks when things don't go right in a transaction - here or in a store.

It's always nice to be understood. Thank you.

But complaining on a MB has little effect? My question is - how do we encourage and educate the mediocre and eliminate the weak - all in a kind and fair way? Does there need to be a "test" like a driver's license in order to sell here? Mandatory "coaching" for those who are struggling? Seems like eBay has plenty of "sticks" in place, like MBG, 40% FVF bump and metrics that lead to suspensions, etc, What are the carrots eBay offers?

Unfortunately, some have to accept that there is a problem first and that may not happen. The fact that anyone can list is an advantage as far as variety; as far as professionalism, that can be a very different story.

Now the flip side of this discussion is - How do we educate Buyers? I mean there are "skills' one needs to have to have a successful experience here. Just showing up, typing in a few search terms and quickly buying from a few pics or price can be a failed approach. I mean if one wants to get a "steal of a deal" without thinking, then they are vulnerable to the old Too Good To Be True! After all the old saying still applies, especially on line - cavet emptor!

Yes, Caveat Emptor. Let the buyer beware. Unfortunately, just as with sellers, there has to be recognition there is a problem and many just won't accept that.

Here are the steps I normally take BEFORE hitting the buy button on eBay!

1. Do my "shopping" elsewhere - i.e. go to other websites to understand WHAT I want to buy: model number, features, gizmos, wifi capable, available colors, does it come with a free gold watch too, etc.

2. Then when I come to eBay I, READ the listing completely and study the photos. ( I know demerits for me for reading! sigh) Do model numbers in photos match the listing? Is the condition as described? Are there "bits & pieces" missing? What are others selling the same item for? Can I get a better price if I Google the item? What are the shipping & handling times? Costs to ship?

3. STUDY THE FEEDBACK!!!! Too many buyers think any feedback scare over 90% is "good!" I think anything less than normal body temperature (98.6) means the seller is headed for resuming room temperature! Then I read the feedback that has been left for them as a seller - any red donuts? great ones? Any problems crop up in the green donuts? Has the seller responded to any feedback? Was it professional or angry? How a seller deal with adversity is key! What kind of feedback does the seller leave when they are a buyer? Red donuts for the sellers they encounter?

4. ASK THE SELLER a question about the item. This weeds out the idiots real fast! a) about 50% are angry people who block you from buying just for asking a question b) another 25% will be irritated that they have to answer a question and will send snotty, demeaning or stupid replies. c )the remaining 25% are usually good sellers with good customer service skills - so I know if there is a problem they are more likely to resolve things fairly.

I agree with 1-3 but while technically 4 is correct~questions may receive false answers, and items may not be checked to actually answer any questions, thus you can still end up in a problematic transaction.

So I am sure that many will complain that it "takes too much work" to do all of that to buy something on line! One can advocate for them self and try to have a good experience or "wing it" and hope things work out!

So there are two sides to the issue here. What I do agree with is there needs to be a change in the way "education" is delivered or in fact encouraging buyers and sellers to "get educated" as it were.

There are plenty of smart, knowledgeable volunteers circulating around on these boards that one would think that just ONE eBay employee with group skills could put together some "educational materials" and educational approaches, interventions or whatever that could be implemented to improve buyers and sellers using the platform.

Again, individuals involved would have to acknowledge there is a problem, and actually want to expend effort to correct it.

I have seen the posts where the CEO calls legacy users eBay's habituated buyer base and the push back that that base does, prevents roll out of many programs. So if there is a recognition of that as an "issue" then what the heck is eBay doing to "educate" that base?

Sometimes it is not so much education as it is mindset.

OK, getting off of my soapbox now.....

That's ok. Excellent post, BTW!

escuintla · ‎02-24-2019

The problem with anybody blaming sellers, and only sellers is the real fact that Ebay is not your Amazon, Target and so on, where they are professionals at drop shipping, or are not mom and pop stores like ours.

The next thing to debate is if you are vetting your sellers. Maybe you are looking for the cheapest thing where at the end you will pay "a price" for your lack of research on how good the sellers are. Are they delivering on time? Are they big shots with warehouses full of items ready to be shipped, or small sellers that get in trouble when they run out of wrapping paper or padded envelopes? Do they have lots of negatives? Are there many people complaining about their products being not good, or the seller is deceiving buyers with unsubstantiated qualities?

I've bought items and I can see the seller has lots of negatives. But doing a good search, I can visualize that the law of numbers indicate that he is selling things that break down, crack, or don't work, it's the nature of the beast and I agreed on buying from them.

Last year, I got a case for my iPhone. The plastic clip broke right the second I tried to pin it to my belt. Not even a minute, it was broken! Did I go blaming the seller? No! I asked him to return, but he said that I could use the case (true) just to protect the phone and for that, he would give me $5 back. I agreed, why that drama?

I am not shy to say I just grab a box, or create one from scratch, protect the "thing" by wrapping it the best I can, and then I ship it. If I go the wrapping as if it were a present or a gift bought in a luxury store, for which I would charge more, sorry, you can go to Walmart, Target , Macy's or Nordstrom where you can even try that dress in the changing room. Amazon is one of them changing rooms I am not, neither millions of sellers.

Ebay was founded by sellers like the ones you are complaining about. Many dumped themselves at the bend by their own deeds. And they are being dumped as this moment for being careless. Too bad you, and others by bad luck, or your own design, picked them.

I repeat, Ebay is what it is, with good, mediocre, and good sellers.

_________________________________________________________
If you haven't paid for your item, you're a winning bidder, not a buyer!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

equid0x · ‎02-24-2019

Amazon's retail BU has never turned a profit. This is why it's silly for eBay to copy the business model.

jason_incognito · ‎02-24-2019

@no_zero369 wrote:
Hi @castlemagicmemories ,

As you well know there are plenty of sellers who don't have a clue. Many of us volunteer board posters wouldn't "have a job" (lol) if it weren't for these people. So I can understand the feelings of buyers who have had bad experiences. It stinks when things don't go right in a transaction - here or in a store.

But complaining on a MB has little effect? My question is - how do we encourage and educate the mediocre and eliminate the weak - all in a kind and fair way? Does there need to be a "test" like a driver's license in order to sell here? Mandatory "coaching" for those who are struggling? Seems like eBay has plenty of "sticks" in place, like MBG, 40% FVF bump and metrics that lead to suspensions, etc, What are the carrots eBay offers?

Now the flip side of this discussion is - How do we educate Buyers? I mean there are "skills' one needs to have to have a successful experience here. Just showing up, typing in a few search terms and quickly buying from a few pics or price can be a failed approach. I mean if one wants to get a "steal of a deal" without thinking, then they are vulnerable to the old Too Good To Be True! After all the old saying still applies, especially on line - cavet emptor!

Here are the steps I normally take BEFORE hitting the buy button on eBay!

1. Do my "shopping" elsewhere - i.e. go to other websites to understand WHAT I want to buy: model number, features, gizmos, wifi capable, available colors, does it come with a free gold watch too, etc.

2. Then when I come to eBay I, READ the listing completely and study the photos. ( I know demerits for me for reading! sigh) Do model numbers in photos match the listing? Is the condition as described? Are there "bits & pieces" missing? What are others selling the same item for? Can I get a better price if I Google the item? What are the shipping & handling times? Costs to ship?

3. STUDY THE FEEDBACK!!!! Too many buyers think any feedback scare over 90% is "good!" I think anything less than normal body temperature (98.6) means the seller is headed for resuming room temperature! Then I read the feedback that has been left for them as a seller - any red donuts? great ones? Any problems crop up in the green donuts? Has the seller responded to any feedback? Was it professional or angry? How a seller deal with adversity is key! What kind of feedback does the seller leave when they are a buyer? Red donuts for the sellers they encounter?

4. ASK THE SELLER a question about the item. This weeds out the idiots real fast! a) about 50% are angry people who block you from buying just for asking a question b) another 25% will be irritated that they have to answer a question and will send snotty, demeaning or stupid replies. c )the remaining 25% are usually good sellers with good customer service skills - so I know if there is a problem they are more likely to resolve things fairly.

So I am sure that many will complain that it "takes too much work" to do all of that to buy something on line! One can advocate for them self and try to have a good experience or "wing it" and hope things work out!

So there are two sides to the issue here. What I do agree with is there needs to be a change in the way "education" is delivered or in fact encouraging buyers and sellers to "get educated" as it were.

There are plenty of smart, knowledgeable volunteers circulating around on these boards that one would think that just ONE eBay employee with group skills could put together some "educational materials" and educational approaches, interventions or whatever that could be implemented to improve buyers and sellers using the platform.

I have seen the posts where the CEO calls legacy users eBay's habituated buyer base and the push back that that base does, prevents roll out of many programs. So if there is a recognition of that as an "issue" then what the heck is eBay doing to "educate" that base?

OK, getting off of my soapbox now.....

But the problem is... .how many other sites do you have to do research and homework just to buy something?

"Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything" Colin Kaepernick the new face of NIKE

jason_incognito · ‎02-24-2019

@equid0x wrote:
Amazon's retail BU has never turned a profit. This is why it's silly for eBay to copy the business model.

Wonder how much the "free shipping" plays into that?

I can buy a 33 pound bag of dog food for $18.10 and it ships for free!

"Believe in something, even if it means sacrificing everything" Colin Kaepernick the new face of NIKE

linus.hux72fe · ‎02-24-2019

A general reply not directed at any poster:

My hubby and I rarely buy here anymore, and our kids never and I mean never do.

1. We are not interested in Chinese garbage.

2. The search is terrible. If I wanted to have someone decide for me what they think I likely want to see, at my age I could find that easily. I dont want to be micromanaged, see only a portion of what's available, have to click and click and click again and again and then use another computer just to see all the goods available.

3. I'm tired of seeing the same goods relisted over and over, over and over, cycle after cycle, with the price decreasing at the most .50 a cycle when the actual sale price is 50% less than the asking price. Note I shop small catagories with 50 or fewer items generally.

4. I'm tired of the glitches. Oops it's not you, its us. Then how about fixing it?

5. My favorite sellers have left. One seller we spent over 20k with. He had great things, big prices but worth every cent. He left when Ebay refunded a buyer who stole his item and listed it the next day. Ebay looked at no proof including his signature on the item as the artist. Now I see him at his shop and on his website.

6. We did make a purchase recently. An item my daughter in law wanted for her birthday. She's a honey and puts up with a lot from my son who got his father's personality so I deny her nothing. I made a best offer as that's how seller listed it. Seller declined because he only puts best offer on things to get better search placement and to entice customers. His words not mine, that he would never take best offer unless the item sits for months. That left a bad taste in my mouth, and seems to this old broad like a dishonest seller. I went ahead and bought the item though after I thought about it as my daughter in law really wanted it and never asks for anything. We shall see how this goes as the item hasn't arrived yet. But I dont think I'll be buying anything again for a good while.

7. Lastly, I'm not listing much as I haven't been selling much so vicious circle. No desire to list, so no sales, which then lessens chances of sales and around we go. Yes, my fault. But when I'm not selling here, I dont think about shopping here. Elsewhere I'm selling nicely so that's where I'm shopping.

Thank you for your time.

yuzuha · ‎02-24-2019

@escuintla wrote:
The problem with anybody blaming sellers, and only sellers is the real fact that Ebay is not your Amazon, Target and so on, where they are professionals at drop shipping, or are not mom and pop stores like ours.

You don't need to be a professional to describe your items honestly and accurately, take decent photos, pack well and ship on time, things that aren't at all difficult to do. Many, many eBay sellers manage to do all of these things despite working fulltime jobs/caring for children or other family members/being disabled/etc.

The vast majority of buyers don't have unreasonable expectations; they just want to receive the item they paid for in the condition described within the stated timeframe. They have the right to be upset when a seller can't even manage that much, barring such outside forces as USPS delays or unexpected emergencies.

luckythewinner · ‎02-24-2019

Hey Lucky, "I'm a cheerleader" just like you

I'm not a "cheerleader". There's plenty wrong with eBay, and I point it out on a regular basis. For instance, "any buyer can steal any item from any seller at any time" ... I must have posted that here a thousand times by now. I see too much stuff get posted here that goes by unchallenged by the rest of the flock.

but the numbers you posted confirm exactly what I said in my post.

The numbers I posted confirm eBay is maintaining their profitable multi-billion dollar business. That is not "failing", except to people who need to invent a new definition in order to support an argument that doesn't hold water otehrwise.

eBay is not "failing". It is mnot "cratering". It is not in "freefall". It is not "drying up". People are not "leaving in droves". All the buyer have not gone. All the sellers have not left for other venues. It is not "about to" have anything dramatic happen. That is all just wishful thinking and sour grapes from people who haven't figured out how to make it work.

hioctane62 · ‎02-24-2019

Personally, I believe that the ebay name has been so tarnished, due to YEARS of doing nothing but try to maximize profits, at the expense of sellers' profits and buyers' "experience", that there is no recovering in it's current form. The great sellers who have been run off and kicked off for so long (but don't worry, other sellers will take their place), these bad sellers are what ebay has ended up with (the replacements). I mean, my teeth are replaceable, but I somehow think the set that works good would be better than dentures. Ebay is finding out that good sellers are NOT replaceable, and good sellers are discovering that ebay IS.

vejtrjojbvs0 · ‎02-24-2019

@accessoriesetcplus wrote:
I would rather drive and see what I am purchasing than to wait a week and be disappointed.

Sadly, in today's retail world I am finding that to rarely be the case or at the very least it's inconsistent. I find I am just as likely to make the drive and be disappointed for a number of reasons, even times I look up the item online and it tells me they have it in stock, even when I purchase it online and go pick it up in person I've had disappointment...

And if you're thinking the difference isn't there, often it's cheaper to order online, pay for it and then go pick it up than it is to take it off the shelf at a store and pay and the difference can be a significant 20 to 30 percent! Tack on to that some 'free' shipping...

Now lets address those folks who think all it costs is $2 a gallon in gas at 30mpg to drive up the road...

It costs closer to 50 cents per mile to drive a car, once you figure in the cost of the car plus depreciation and maintenance and parts and labor and insurance and all of every penny you have to pay just so you can legally drive so don't forget to add the cost of your driver's license and the registration and possibly tolls and anything and everything else and...

Last but not least my time is worth something too...

Is it quicker to order online, or is it quicker to drive to the store?

Figure it out, the difference in minutes from one method to the other equals dollars, too.

escarchac · ‎02-24-2019

Spot on. Spot on.

no_zero369 · ‎02-24-2019

@vejtrjojbvs0 wrote:
@accessoriesetcplus wrote:
I would rather drive and see what I am purchasing than to wait a week and be disappointed.
Sadly, in today's retail world I am finding that to rarely be the case or at the very least it's inconsistent. I find I am just as likely to make the drive and be disappointed for a number of reasons, even times I look up the item online and it tells me they have it in stock, even when I purchase it online and go pick it up in person I've had disappointment...

And if you're thinking the difference isn't there, often it's cheaper to order online, pay for it and then go pick it up than it is to take it off the shelf at a store and pay and the difference can be a significant 20 to 30 percent! Tack on to that some 'free' shipping...

Now lets address those folks who think all it costs is $2 a gallon in gas at 30mpg to drive up the road...
It costs closer to 50 cents per mile to drive a car, once you figure in the cost of the car plus depreciation and maintenance and parts and labor and insurance and all of every penny you have to pay just so you can legally drive so don't forget to add the cost of your driver's license and the registration and possibly tolls and anything and everything else and...

Last but not least my time is worth something too...
Is it quicker to order online, or is it quicker to drive to the store?
Figure it out, the difference in minutes from one method to the other equals dollars, too.

er, per the IRS it costs 58-cents per mile to operate your personal vehicle for business purposes. Or at least that is all they will allow as a "deduction" or "expense.

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-issues-standard-mileage-rates-for-2019

So for all of you eBay sellers that are driving your packages to the PO to be scanned - Are you keeping a journal of your mileage and deducting that expense from you profits to come up with your true net income? The income that you owe taxes on? Or are you voluntarily paying more taxes than you owe?