eBay

ener50 · ‎12-10-2017

So I've been arguing with my father about this for some time and I'd like some clarity on deciding the condition when listing books. I would like to present various book "issues" and what eBay's policy -- or your personal suggestion -- would be (I'll call eBay too, but their answers are generally lacking). Can a book be "Brand New, Except for X?"

Certainly their Brand New designation appears quite clear cut: it's either perfection or it's "used." They have a frustratingly lacking and broad condition scale.

1) So, shelf wear... say you bought a new book, never opened it, never even took it off the shelf, but over time it has a faint line from the books having pressed up against it, maybe a scuffmark. No tears or creases and it's never been opened or used. What condition is it in? Brand New? Like New? Very Good? Worse?

2) Say a book had a sticker on it. The book is coated, so the sticker is removable. It leaves glue residue, so you wipe it off with some olive oil (I looked up ways to do this). It usually comes out perfectly, but in one instance, a couple of micro nicks are present and the tiny bit of oil gets under the coating. It has no other defects. Not only has it never been opened or used, but it hasn't even been on a bookshelf, but rather stored safely in a box. What condition is it in? Brand New? Like New? Very Good? Worse?

Assuming the book is perfect in all other ways (scenarios are separate):

3) What if a couple of the pages have the tip of the corners folded, unintentionally, in storage?

4) What if the owner signed their name in very small lettering on the corner of a page? What if it's erasable?

Bottom line: If you have to add a "but" or an "except for" to the condition, can it be considered brand new or like new or neither? What if the photos show as much?

castlemagicmemories · ‎12-10-2017

If it is not pristine new, it is not new.

Any qualifiers, but this, but that, makes it not new.

Actually their answers are not lacking at all. You just have to look at current listings or the listing form when you list the item. It explains right there what they consider each condition definition to be. It is best to go with their definition. This eliminates all this guesswork.

Otherwise you are just setting yourself up for a SNAD. Thinking oh, just this little thing is wrong and choosing New can cost you more in the end.

View Best Answer in original post

castlemagicmemories · ‎12-10-2017

If it is not pristine new, it is not new.

Any qualifiers, but this, but that, makes it not new.

Actually their answers are not lacking at all. You just have to look at current listings or the listing form when you list the item. It explains right there what they consider each condition definition to be. It is best to go with their definition. This eliminates all this guesswork.

Otherwise you are just setting yourself up for a SNAD. Thinking oh, just this little thing is wrong and choosing New can cost you more in the end.

siayan · ‎12-10-2017

Book grading is a little subjective but it is best to err on the side of caution. A New book is from the manufacture. A fine book is like new with no faults. A very good book is almost fine with some small fault or two. Maybe a price inside, former owner name of small crease in the dust wrapper. A good book has several faults but should still be in decent condition. A fair book has problems and a poor book is just that.

Any faults should be noted.

____________________________________________________________________
Prov 20:14 It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.

lost-lizard-trading-company · ‎12-10-2017

One of the (few) advantages of eBay is that you can elaborate in the description with words and with images. Use that advantage to your advantage. As a book buyer and seller, if it is previously owned and in pristine condition, it is Like New. I like to begin my descriptions as "Previously owned in ___ condition." and go from there. Buyers are much more happy with finding a book in better condition than what they perceived as described than the other way around.

Now, in the eBay world, "Like New" faces outward to buyers as "New" in the search. So, call it Like New and eBay will display it as New.

Usually, I only use "Brand New" when I acquire a book directly from the publisher and it is still in publisher's shrink wrap. Then I am fairly certain that there are no cat or dog hairs lurking, that no one has added an owner's name or mark. That's the only way I am confident is it still new; if I go through it page by page to confirm it, it is no longer Brand New. Use Brand New for items that are truly Brand New. If it's Brand New there should be no exceptions.

If it has a remainder mark, I describe it as Like New and describe the mark.

If it is an "old" book, I list it as Very Good, and then comment it out to Very Good to Like New and laud its quality features and also include any defects.

If it has an owner's mark or name or initial's, it is Very Good with ______, otherwise in Like New condition. Be aware, on some listing sites, any marks will degrade the book to Good.

duggmills · ‎12-10-2017

Brand new except for X?

Right then, Brand new except its used. Can you show a picture in your listing of the receipt of your purchase of the book in the last few days? You seem to have a common fear among eBay sellers, that of using the word used.

Brand new is a favorite of used car peddlers who go on to say the brand new engine was installed only a year ago when in fact it's now used and as it turns out was a used engine to begin with or only had a leaking water pump replaced. This is most common among teen sellers of about anything they try to sell.

"Fly the Big Ones"

ener50 · ‎12-10-2017

Oh, I know all this.

I keep getting told by him things like "the buyer won't care" or "I'm just worried about a little negative feedback."

Thanks for elaborating.

ener50 · ‎12-10-2017

Thank you for this.

siayan · ‎12-10-2017

Just a kind of related story. I never use new or fine when grading books. Just don't what the fussy buyer coming back with a complaint. Book buyers can be strange.

Last week I had a question. I will papaphrese.

"you have this book graded as very good plus. What flaws make it not a fine grade?"

My response

"Nothing, it is fine I just don't use fine"

Of course no sale, just an authority on book grading trying to help I guess.

____________________________________________________________________
Prov 20:14 It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.

ener50 · ‎12-10-2017

Wow. That's just... wow.

annadryl · ‎12-10-2017

I recently ordered a book for my sis for Christmas. I ordered a "new" one of course because it will be a gift. The one that showed up was not gift-worthy. No prob, they were nice and just refunded me.

I ordered another new one (from elsewhere) because the book looks perfect for her and there's still time. The second one I received was worse! I just don't think that one is manufactured or printed all that well. I just can't get it "new" as in gift-worthy, even though it IS new.

Long story short... I'm giving the first one as a "second" gift and sold the second, lesser, one as "good" or "fine" or whatever and listed all the flaws. NEW means flawless here and anything less isn't "new". Your customer will always win a dispute.

Do I get any "points" for most "parenthesis"?

siayan · ‎12-10-2017

@ener50 wrote:
Wow. That's just... wow.

I had a B&M book store for 10 years. If someone is specifically looking for a fine book any little flaw will bother them. Most casual collectors will go by the pictures. Someone who just reads will enjoy a Very Good condition book. Coomon books is generally doesn't matter as people just want to read them.

If it is a decent collectible book I start with the price I can sell it for. Then the grade doesn't matter because my price is set so I down grade.

____________________________________________________________________
Prov 20:14 It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.

nowthatsjustducky · ‎12-10-2017

@annadryl wrote:
I recently ordered a book for my sis for Christmas. I ordered a "new" one of course because it will be a gift. The one that showed up was not gift-worthy. No prob, they were nice and just refunded me.

I ordered another new one (from elsewhere) because the book looks perfect for her and there's still time. The second one I received was worse! I just don't think that one is manufactured or printed all that well. I just can't get it "new" as in gift-worthy, even though it IS new.

Long story short... I'm giving the first one as a "second" gift and sold the second, lesser, one as "good" or "fine" or whatever and listed all the flaws. NEW means flawless here and anything less isn't "new". Your customer will always win a dispute.

Do I get any "points" for most "parenthesis"?

I'm only seeing 2 parentheses, one opening parenthesis, and one closing parenthesis.

As for your sellers, would I be correct in guessing that the first one was one of the two big mega sellers for books here, and the other was the other big mega seller? (the dastardly duo that has pretty much killed the market for other book dealers both here and on Amazon)

If it works, sell it. If it works well, sell it for more. If it doesn't work, quadruple the price and sell it as an antique.

-- Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #80

siayan · ‎12-10-2017

@annadryl wrote:
I recently ordered a book for my sis for Christmas. I ordered a "new" one of course because it will be a gift. The one that showed up was not gift-worthy. No prob, they were nice and just refunded me.

I ordered another new one (from elsewhere) because the book looks perfect for her and there's still time. The second one I received was worse! I just don't think that one is manufactured or printed all that well. I just can't get it "new" as in gift-worthy, even though it IS new.

Long story short... I'm giving the first one as a "second" gift and sold the second, lesser, one as "good" or "fine" or whatever and listed all the flaws. NEW means flawless here and anything less isn't "new". Your customer will always win a dispute.

Do I get any "points" for most "parenthesis"?

You hit the nail on the head. Ebay is liberal in the "New" deescription. New should be new, not looks new, or old but never opened, not found at goodwill with tags.

There I said it.

____________________________________________________________________
Prov 20:14 It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.

siayan · ‎12-10-2017

@ener50 wrote:
So I've been arguing with my father about this for some time

So who was right?

____________________________________________________________________
Prov 20:14 It is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer: but when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.