Why are so many buyers and sellers entitled here?

[creativeseller87]

I consistently come across sellers and buyers here that feel entitled to lecture me on what they think I should do or price my items at. It usually is other “big shot” sellers that think they have some monopoly on reality. I am starting to get frustrated with this place. I joined LONG ago and did a backseat for a decade. Now recently started selling. I guarantee everything I sell, offer amazing discounts, FREE ITEMS, I also try to make sure I always am very detailed and clear what it is I am selling. Yet still I have buyers and sellers coming to my messages and accusing me of scamming or implying I do so. So I usually just block them from my listings or contact after cordial conversations are gone. I get it happens and jealousy runs rampant sometimes, but why does ebay allow these people to keep doing this? Some of them are HUGE sellers. It is akin to harassment. And frankly I am already sick of it. As a seller, I also feel like eBay gives buyers the first preference by default. As a buyer, I had one seller even dare claim the item I purchased wasn’t the color that was plain for all to see. Actually comes to my account to “follow up” and tries gaslighting on my page, outright lying for everyone to see. Why are they still selling??? They tried to switch on me and then got mad when I didn’t back down. I am about to leave again. I don’t make enough here to care. And I surely am not gonna post my priceless items when it seems most want that bottom barrel price and then insult when it doesn’t happen. I could sell my items at a real auction and make WAY more and not have to put up with all this unnecessary drama and exorbitant fees and nickel dime tactics. So many little disrespectful things that add up. Like for example when I list an item with USPS first class letter and buyer chooses that, then when I go to print the postage, ebay FORCES me to buy the much more expensive ground advantage thus destroying any profit I make if it is like maybe 10 dollars or more. This is STUPID. And I am about to leave. Am I being unreasonable? Or is this really a clown show like I am beginning to think?

[wastingtime101]

I've heard similar things from other coin sellers. Apparently it gets rough in messages for that category?

As for shipping, eBay Standard Envelope limit is $20. When you use auction format listings, if it passes $20 you'll have to choose between shipping untracked with stamps or shipping tracked with package service. So why not just build in the extra $4 for package service when you set your starting bid if you think there's a chance the listing will get bid up above $20?

[monroe67]

"I've heard similar things from other coin sellers. Apparently it gets rough in messages for that category?"

I was going to say something along those lines.  

I don't know why some coin collectors/sellers are such  -- which is the best word?  Idiots?  Jerks?  

My only neutral feedback came from somebody who bought four 1970s US Proof Sets from the estate of my deceased brother. 

Tried to "gaslight" me and other potential buyers with a suggestion that the 1975 Proof Set wasn't authentic because the quarter, half-dollar, and dollar coins did not show the year as 1975.  Did he think my brother or I had opened the plastic case and replaced three "1975" coins with ones that showed the Bicentennial Years 1776-1976 ??  And then resealed the case to its original condition, direct from the US Mint ?  Yeeeaaahh -- no. 

In true fact, there are no US quarters, half-dollar coins or dollar coins with the year 1975.  The US Mint wanted to get a head-start on bicentennial observances and issued those coins with the bicentennial years, beginning in 1975.  

That buyer got no "courtesy" refund from me and has held a place of honor in my Blocked Buyers List for close to five years now.  

[creativeseller87]

I appreciate your insight. But unfortunately on the envelope price, I still am a bit confused, because for me, it always happens at the 10 dollar mark now, not 20. Maybe they changed their policy or something? I don’t know. But even at 20 dollars, their fee, then shipping, then the time to prepare etc, it still is not worth it at all. And that is disappointing to me. If a buyer selected first class envelope and that is the way they want it shipped, why then does eBay need to force us to pay the higher shipping? Tracking right?….well I might just toss the cost to the consumer, but then that cuts my sales and reputation in half. Not fair in my book. Also eBay needs to do more about these high level harassing people in my opinion. I did a SWOT on this place just recently, and it ain’t looking too good. Anyways, thanks for your kind responses!! 

[wastingtime101]

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@creativeseller87 wrote:

I appreciate your insight. But unfortunately on the envelope price, I still am a bit confused, because for me, it always happens at the 10 dollar mark now, not 20. Maybe they changed their policy or something? I don’t know. 

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No, that's not right at all. It's $20. If you're prevented from buying an ESE label there is another factor like: wrong category, buyer in Puerto Rico that entered Puerto Rico in country field instead of United States, weight/dimensions entered wrong exceeding ESE limits, or something like that.

Next time it happens @creativeseller87 start a post on the shipping board linked below and @ tag me - I'll help you figure it out.

https://community.ebay.com/t5/Shipping/bd-p/shipping-returns-db

[chapeau-noir]

I remember getting lectured 20 years ago! 😂 Just ignore it - they're not the boss of you.

[gurlcat]

What Wasting meant by "build in the extra $4" was you should set that as the shipping price, rather than have free shipping on the listing.  Since you can't control how much an auction winning bid will be, it's a good idea to make sure the buyer covers their own shipping so it doesn't make an unfortunate cut into your profit. 

[pickapaper]

@creativeseller87 wrote:  "I could sell my items at a real auction and make WAY more and not have to put up with all this unnecessary drama and exorbitant fees and nickel dime tactics."

If this is really true, why on earth don't you sell your items at a real auction?  That doesn't even make sense to me, to go through the time and effort (and dealing with the nastiness you describe) of selling on eBay if you could make more money by letting someone else sell your items for you at a real auction. 

[tarotfindsandmore · Accepted solution]

You might want to consider getting rid of "best offer" on your listings for the time being.  I've noticed a dramatic decrease in the number scummy messages from both buyers and sellers since I removed this option from my listings. I still send offers regularly, but I no longer allow counteroffers on those either.  I've gotten a total of two of those "helpful" seller emails since I did this.

I don't sell coins, but two of my categories are rife with schmucks who pull the kind of rubbish you're talking about so I understand your frustration.  The two weenies that made it into my messages since the best offer removals were both blocked without acknowledgement.  Interestingly, both were from users with almost no selling experience, so it's not just the big sellers.

All that said, you might need to toughen up a bit here.  If you can sell elsewhere and get better prices, that would be the way to go.  If not, learn to let this stuff go, eBay will not be coming to your rescue.  It's not personal. It's just business.

[vintagecraze50]

As a seller here for close to 18 years I have found that using buy it now greatly reduces these problems. Also and i know some may not agree with me 100 percent, but most buyers making low offers or any other type of manipulation of what they want from you are extremely problematic on here. If I get low ball offers I am inclined to block the buyers and not look back because there are always more buyers who will buy and not request special treatment or discounts. About 99 percent of bad transactions are from buyers who make low ball offers and then some like the one I have right as I speak, made a low ball, then bought the item and now is claiming we sent them an empty box. 

[creativeseller87]

Maybe because ebay used to be more viable for selling things broken up instead of a collection. I am beginning to realize it’s a low ballers dream instead of a viable auction house. Thanks, you are making me realize I should just go to a real auction house and sell my thousands of rare coins in one big collection. Appreciate waking me up to the logic of “why not”. 

[creativeseller87]

Perhaps not, but it still does it at the minimum packaging dimensions and weights. I have spent over two weeks trying to find what causes it, and still have not found the reason. Also for context, I just noticed that scammy seller I bought from, had my neutral feedback somehow removed by Ebay. So no one can see the warning. Yet there are others that claim the same on their feedback profile still there. And his gaslighting feedback is still on MY PAGE. While I understand business is not personal, that is my gripe. This place takes it so personal. All the time. And it seems like ebay protects those scummy sellers because after all, money walks and talks…I appreciate it, I will glady contact you for more help if I cannot find the solution to this envelope price issue. But as for the rest. I am not really impressed lately. Seems like my existence and attempts to sell fairly and efficiently here is being mired in drama and silly regulations and biases. I am disappointed in eBay. It could be so much more. Like the days when it sold a piece of toast with Jesus on it for a small fortune. But I suspect those days are LONG gone. And I don’t know if I even care anymore to keep playing this game. Thanks, take care. 

[creativeseller87]

Very true. Hahaha I remember stuff like this when I first joined when eBay was new. Guess some things never do change. Haha

[creativeseller87]

Hmm. This seems viable. I might just cut the “auctions” out all together and do this buy it now only with no counter offers. Thanks, that seems like a real solution to most of all this issue I have. 

[luckythewinner]

I consistently come across sellers and buyers here that feel entitled to lecture me on what they think I should do or price my items at. It usually is other “big shot” sellers that think they have some monopoly on reality. I am starting to get frustrated with this place.

Long ago, I decided I would not let the opinions of complete strangers affect me. It's wasted emotion.