Bidders asking stupid questions ?

[equid0x]

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@coolections wrote:

@turquoisetulips 

There is no such thing as a professional scammer. That's a board fallacy someone came up with years ago. There are some that attempt scams and get away with it a few times but they don't get too far. Ebay keeps track weather you believe it or not. Ebay knows every single return/partial refund request anyone makes. Your conspiracy doesn't hold water.

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They just buy on a guest account, or with a stolen CC, or someone else's PayPal, or through a re-shipper.

If you sell high-fraud items you will definitely see certain buyers with a very, very long string of negative feedback complaints that often are in the 300s to 500s in feedbacks. 

Remember my thread with brown-paper-bag lady right before I stopped selling here? How many people do you think she's switcharoo'd products on, complained, and then sent the return back in a grocery bag for a full refund including all shipping charges courtesy: eBay?

[escarchac]

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@inhawaii wrote:

I never block potential buyers for simply asking a question, stupid or otherwise.

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No I won't either, but I will block a buyer in a heartbeat if they send an offer that is even below what is considered a lowball offer, which to me is 50% of asking price.  Lower then that and I'm not wasting my time with you now or in the future.  Do I lose customers and possible future sales, yes.  Do I have to deal with the same buyer sending in stupid low offers, no.  

[equid0x]

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@escarchac wrote:

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@inhawaii wrote:

I never block potential buyers for simply asking a question, stupid or otherwise.

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No I won't either, but I will block a buyer in a heartbeat if they send an offer that is even below what is considered a lowball offer, which to me is 50% of asking price.  Lower then that and I'm not wasting my time with you now or in the future.  Do I lose customers and possible future sales, yes.  Do I have to deal with the same buyer sending in stupid low offers, no.  

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I personally don't find that type of offer etiquette to be appropriate, either. I've found a strong correlation to lowballers and other "discount hunters" and problems post-sale. 

[gracieallen01]

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@equid0x wrote:

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Hmmm... the hail mary on this one might be to soak it overnight in vinegar... then rinse it well and let it dry for a few days. Vinegar smell should dissipate along with hopefully the perfume. 

If it was really valuable, you might try odoban or "urine gone." "Urine gone" removed the smell of cat pee from a wood and metal enclosure under the air handler in the utility room.... odoban got rid of 10 years of 3 dogs doing their business on the slab in a locked garage (wasn't mine - just in a house I bought). 

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It has been a 'few' years since I went through the ordeal of trying to deodorize that piece, and I don't remember what I didn't try.  I'm still not sure if it was the chemical/material content and makeup of the perfume or the porosity of the stone (or both), but nothing 'cleaned' it.  I do remember calling a halt to experimenting for fear of damaging the stone - which was beautiful.  It got donated to a charity auction, found a good home anyway, and I took it off taxes.

[equid0x]

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@gracieallen01 wrote:

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@equid0x wrote:

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Hmmm... the hail mary on this one might be to soak it overnight in vinegar... then rinse it well and let it dry for a few days. Vinegar smell should dissipate along with hopefully the perfume. 

If it was really valuable, you might try odoban or "urine gone." "Urine gone" removed the smell of cat pee from a wood and metal enclosure under the air handler in the utility room.... odoban got rid of 10 years of 3 dogs doing their business on the slab in a locked garage (wasn't mine - just in a house I bought). 

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It has been a 'few' years since I went through the ordeal of trying to deodorize that piece, and I don't remember what I didn't try.  I'm still not sure if it was the chemical/material content and makeup of the perfume or the porosity of the stone (or both), but nothing 'cleaned' it.  I do remember calling a halt to experimenting for fear of damaging the stone - which was beautiful.  It got donated to a charity auction, found a good home anyway, and I took it off taxes.

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Glad you were able to make the best of it. 

[johnrj1226]

@inhawaii 

The potential buyer is  the best judge of whether a reply is the best possible  answer - not the seller.

[turquoisetulips]

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@equid0x wrote:

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@coolections wrote:

@turquoisetulips 

I doubt there a very many buyers in the world that go to that extreme just to get a discount. Blaming buyers for wanting to be sure they get what they are paying for is not a very good business practice as a seller.

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Oh yes there are. This site is like Mecca for exactly that type of buyer and eBay backs them all the way. 

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Of course ,, btw - I didn't make the claim in the  paragraph at the top,, just in case there's any confusion.  .  I know better than that .  Tulips 

[turquoisetulips]

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@scotchtapeboutique2017 wrote:

A lot depends on what you sell ... a few years ago I was moving and had to unload a bunch of my vintage video game collection... what a nightmare and completely different than the customer base I had been dealing with up until then...really really obnoxious buyers!

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Usually yes - scammers are attracted the most to high dollar items for obvious reasons . However there are people out there who seem to be addicted to scamming like  there are people addicted to shoplifting . It's become a fun thing  for some[ like a risky  game] .   It's   not always because they simply can't afford to pay for  the item they're trying to steal. Tulips

[turquoisetulips]

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@southern*sweet*tea wrote:

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@coolections wrote:

@turquoisetulips 

There is no such thing as a professional scammer. That's a board fallacy someone came up with years ago. There are some that attempt scams and get away with it a few times but they don't get too far. Ebay keeps track weather you believe it or not. Ebay knows every single return/partial refund request anyone makes. Your conspiracy doesn't hold water. << coolcollections 

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Sure there are. Not just here, but everywhere online and offline, and there have been professional scammers around as long as there have been people around.  Google "professional scammer". Some people are so good at it they make a very good living from it.

Not a board fallacy.   It's a FACT.

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Cheater , con artist , fraudster  etc etc . There's quite a few  words that basically all mean the same thing . And yes  you're right they've been in business since time began. Tulips 

[turquoisetulips]

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@coolections wrote:

@turquoisetulips 

I doubt there a very many buyers in the world that go to that extreme just to get a discount. Blaming buyers for wanting to be sure they get what they are paying for is not a very good business practice as a seller. coolcollections -- 

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There's no blame involved with this issue ,, none at all .. This is about being an alert seller that is able  to better  detect  a potential fraudster  that has their eyes on your merchandise. Perhaps you just need a bit more experience  with  selling . I hope the contributions you've read here from everyone   has  helped you to become more savvy . Tulips 

[equid0x]

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@turquoisetulips wrote:

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@equid0x wrote:

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@coolections wrote:

@turquoisetulips 

I doubt there a very many buyers in the world that go to that extreme just to get a discount. Blaming buyers for wanting to be sure they get what they are paying for is not a very good business practice as a seller.

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Oh yes there are. This site is like Mecca for exactly that type of buyer and eBay backs them all the way. 

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Of course ,, btw - I didn't make the claim in the  paragraph at the top,, just in case there's any confusion.  .  I know better than that .  Tulips 

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All I did was hit the quote button on a reply. I looked back at the original and it looks like @coolections called you out in their response before his post which the way Lithium quotes makes it looks like you said something you didn't.

I brought the persistent quoting issues up to I think, alan@ebay , on one of the other threads about board issues some time ago and it doesn't appear anything has been fixed. 

IMHO there needs to be away to select what you want to quote and then quote it like you can do on other systems. Maybe Lithium can do this and I don't know about it?

[equid0x]

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@turquoisetulips wrote:

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@scotchtapeboutique2017 wrote:

A lot depends on what you sell ... a few years ago I was moving and had to unload a bunch of my vintage video game collection... what a nightmare and completely different than the customer base I had been dealing with up until then...really really obnoxious buyers!

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Usually yes - scammers are attracted the most to high dollar items for obvious reasons . However there are people out there who seem to be addicted to scamming like  there are people addicted to shoplifting . It's become a fun thing  for some[ like a risky  game] .   It's   not always because they simply can't afford to pay for  the item they're trying to steal. Tulips

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I think some get a dopamine hit off of it or something. 

I can't imagine, personally, being so dissatisfied with my life that I'd feel the need to go to an online venue and rip-off some dude just trying to pay some bills to get my lols for the week, but this seems to be where a lot of people are in life in the year 2019. *sigh*

[equid0x]

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@turquoisetulips wrote:

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@southern*sweet*tea wrote:

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@coolections wrote:

@turquoisetulips 

There is no such thing as a professional scammer. That's a board fallacy someone came up with years ago. There are some that attempt scams and get away with it a few times but they don't get too far. Ebay keeps track weather you believe it or not. Ebay knows every single return/partial refund request anyone makes. Your conspiracy doesn't hold water. << coolcollections 

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Sure there are. Not just here, but everywhere online and offline, and there have been professional scammers around as long as there have been people around.  Google "professional scammer". Some people are so good at it they make a very good living from it.

Not a board fallacy.   It's a FACT.

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Cheater , con artist , fraudster  etc etc . There's quite a few  words that basically all mean the same thing . And yes  you're right they've been in business since time began. Tulips 

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Hahah... you forgot "swindler." 🙂 Yep, they're here and everywhere else, I agree. 

[johnrj1226]

Here is the only place you will not find - cheats, thieves, scam artist, folks that just want to run a game on you, slick Willies, shysters etc. etc.

UTOPIAHint:  Can't find this place on MapQuest  just yet.  Until one finds  it, "Don't Let Anyone or Any Thing Get your Upside Down." **

** Low Rawls, 1983, "Up Side Down" from his album "The Night Comes".  Google it great song.

PS:  This song was my alarm clock wake-up music from '83 until I retired in 2007.