Who has to be more cautious, buyers or sellers?

[bigdeals.etc]

This might turn out to be biased since I'm posting in the selling section.

In general, who do you think has the right to be more cautious in ebay, the buyer or the seller? Please also consider the severity and actual frequency of the buyer or seller scams that are on eBay.

[ted_200]

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@bigdeals.etcwrote:

This might turn out to be biased since I'm posting in the selling section.

In general, who do you think has the right to be more cautious in ebay, the buyer or the seller? Please also consider the severity and actual frequency of the buyer or seller scams that are on eBay.

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Well, I do both (buy and sell).  Without question, seller has to be more cautious.  Buyers can (and some do) proceed without any caution, and can always remedy their error.

[yuzuha]

I don't think you can give an "in general" answer because it's entirely dependent on the category in which you're buying/selling.  With the type of things I sell, for instance, I've never even had so much as a single return, and I'm not at all concerned about scams.  In contrast, someone selling designer handbags or the latest iPhone has a lot more reason to worry.

It's also important to keep in mind that we don't hear about the thousands of transactions that go just fine every day-- we only hear about some of the ones that went bad, so as a result it makes it sound like scams happen all the time when in fact they're a tiny drop in the bucket compared to all of the sales that have no problems at all.

[bigdeals.etc]

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@yuzuhawrote:

I don't think you can give an "in general" answer because it's entirely dependent on the category in which you're buying/selling.  With the type of things I sell, for instance, I've never even had so much as a single return, and I'm not at all concerned about scams.  In contrast, someone selling designer handbags or the latest iPhone has a lot more reason to worry.

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But there's also the fact that someone buying designer handbags or the latest iPhone also has a lot more reason to worry. It's heightened on both ends when you change the category. So I just wonder if the buyer or seller has more reason to worry.

[slippinjimmy]

Buyers need to be cautious of wasting their time, it's rare (does happen) where buyers take a financial loss.

Sellers need to be cautious because they can lose money but given that for other than casual or very newbie sellers those losses would be so small that they are not likely to cause much pain.

In my field there are definitely more "bad" sellers than there "bad" buyers and outright scams are very rare.

[ted_200]

In my field there are definitely more "bad" sellers than there "bad" buyers and outright scams are very rare.

I suspect the same is true in my primary category, although outright seller scams are more common than "very rare".  eBay has actually had some success at cleaning up what had been "fairly common" seller scams 10 years ago.  Buyer scams in the category are still uncommon, but on the rise nonetheless.

Buyers need to be cautious of wasting their time, it's rare (does happen) where buyers take a financial loss.

I'm not inclined to count "wasting time", you can look and buy nothing and that's wasting time.  It happens. 

But there's also the fact that someone buying designer handbags or the latest iPhone also has a lot more reason to worry. It's heightened on both ends when you change the category. So I just wonder if the buyer or seller has more reason to worry.

The only way buyers can take a financial loss is either by not understanding how eBay works (not all that hard to do, considering how complex eBay makes everything), or by not realizing they bought a fake phone or handbag for over 6 months.  I think sellers face a higher risk exposure regardless of category, and I think it's even more disproportionate in the categories you mentioned.  Everyone has the same protections (or lack thereof) in all categories, but fraudulent buyers (who have better protection than sellers) target those particular categories more frequently. 

...for other than casual or very newbie sellers those losses would be so small that they are not likely to cause much pain.

My ASP is about $10, I can (and do) put up with a few scam losses.  In fact, the scam losses are largely WHY my ASP is about $10.  If I were selling $2,500-$5,000 coins, even one loss would be painful to the point I'd quit - or go back to selling $10 items.  But I know the score here, and I won't go there.   

[rolenboy01]

I would say sellers because even an honest buyer can cost you money if they are too picky and get coached to lie by outside sources.

[tunicaslot]

Depending on the category a seller - but I've read some horror stories and hear from our own "sellers" who are also buyers - how hard it is to find good sellers on this site.

Even with vetting a seller - they've been disappointed lately with a lot of what they have received. It doesn't necessarily have o be a scam - just a transaction where the item wasn't discribed properly, packaged properly, item location false ect..

Yes the buyer can open up an MBG - but it is still a hassle to return - money back or not. And we've seen some very "innovative" sellers that have gotten feedback removed they definitely deserved.

[chrysylys]

I think there's tremendous risk on both sides.  My top dollar purchase here now is about $75.00 with a few minor execeptions.  Some of that is from Asia, but not 'most'.

Highest dollar purchase here in recent years was somewhere around $500, but that was a yard machine part that I had researched.  Found the seller's website, notice their price here was quite a bit lower than their own site.  I even called them to get more information.  I did the BIN, gritted my teeth and waited.  It showed up in a few days and I'm still using it.  That was about 5 years ago before some of the recent changes.  I'm not sure I'd do that again here.

I would not sell anything here over $50.00 however.

[femmefan1946]

Buyers need to be cautious of wasting their time, it's rare (does happen) where buyers take a financial loss.

While this is true when both buyer and seller are in the same country, it can get much more difficult when they are not.

If, as a buyer, I want to return a NAD purchase to a German seller, there is no simple way for him to send me a Canada Post shipping label. If I wanted to return a Buyer's Remorse item, it would cost me $40 or more for a tracked label.

It has become a little simpler for Canada/US transactions, since we Canadians can now buy a USPS label through Shippo. and I am told that if it isn't used Shippo will refund me after only 30 days.

And then there is the Global Shipping Program.

Overlooking the GSPs fanatical over reaction to CERTES restrictions -- which has led to widespread reports of valuable guitars being destroyed because they are often made (legally) with rare woods-- if a buyer is unhappy with a purchase shipped through GSP, he can be refunded in full, including import fees, and allowed to keep the unwanted item.

• This does not affect the seller. The buyeris just told o dispose of the unwanted item. For GSP/PBI the refund is just a business expense.

[michael_atw]

Considering I've had to open three SNAD cases in one week along with an impending INR, I'd say... buying sucks.  This place is a total junkyard.   I bet my dissatisfaction rate is up to now 30-40% and I buy in a half-dozen categories semi-regularly.  

In the last few months... I bought a pair of jeans that were supposed to be 32x30 and the tag said 32x32.  I got an SNES now that I can't get to work yet and that might get returned.  Dozens of musical instrument related stuff (that's my main category).  One guy just disappeared (might have legit died as another person negged him already).   When I buy shipping supplies, I get shorted on packing peanuts by multiple sellers so far; boxes come to me crooked and 2nd rate **bleep**.  The list goes on an on...

[lewisburggold]

It seems to be more safe for the buyer from our end.   Pretty much if something goes wrong its up to the seller to fix it and most of the time its the seller who takes losses.  If us sellers had the same protection as the buyer does i would probably fall out of my chair in amazment.  Best regards

[threshold.sales.group]

There are multiple official systems in place to protect the buyer and virtually none to protect the seller. A buyer has at least three bites at the apple (ebay, paypal & credit card) all where the built in benefit of the doubt is almost always given to the buyer in any dispute.   If the seller has anything remotely similar, it's a well kept secret. 

[swenson8781]

I agree with ted_200, seller for sure.  I both buy & sell, and while I don't typically buy risky items on here (electronics, designer handbags, etc) I would be more inclined to do so knowing that I will have 100% coverage if there is a problem. 

All I have to do as a buyer is file a claim, and return the item, and I'll get my money back.  As a seller, I risk getting a different item back, then being out both the money and the original item.  Just more risks involved with selling overall. 

But that's true for selling anything.  If I sell a car or a house, I risk being sued if I don't disclose a major problem/flaw.  

[luckythewinner]

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@bigdeals.etcwrote:

In general, who do you think has the right to be more cautious in ebay, the buyer or the seller? 

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I think anyone - whether buyer or seller - has the right to be as cautious as they want.