eBay

glassy-rabbit · ‎01-22-2019

Someone with low feedback on eBay sent me a message and asked me to raise my Buy It Now price by a penny. The person didn't write that he/she wanted to buy my item.

For the heck of it, I raised the price by a penny and messaged the person back (I didn't receive a reply). I was hoping that the person was going to buy my item. I then noticed that someone with a different user name with low feedback listed the same item as mine for a few dollars less, but I'm not sure if it's the same person. After a few hours, I lowered my price by a couple of dollars to attract more buyers.

Why would someone want me to raise my price by one penny? For competition? Or is there a benefit to paying a whole number like $40.00 vs. $39.99? Anyway, in all my years on eBay, I've never had this happen before. Anyone else had this happen?

no_zero369 · ‎02-06-2019

@*madison wrote:
I did it, and got blocked. I even explained why I wanted the seller to raise the item by 1 penny because of the coupon. The seller replied with one word in all caps. "BLOCKED"

and I would have blocked you for even having the audacity of contacting a high and mighty seller like me!

Me thinks sellers like that get what they deserve - nothing, no sale. Just too many sellers afraid of being scammed and see a scam under every bush and up every tree. It is truly unfortunate as with a little education, those sellers could learn how to operate safely and thus no need to be paranoid. Hopefully sellers like that aren't long lived on eBay as it only gives the platform a bad name.

no_zero369 · ‎02-06-2019

@jason_incognito wrote:
Bought a group of items once.

I emailed the seller and told them that they could just send the teapot and keep the rest since i had all the other pieces and i would just donate them to charity.

Suggested they could resell them.

I was refunded my payment and told they would not complete my sale.

They undercharged for shipping, and sending just the one piece i wanted would have cost them more than they charged.

Hmm, this is a sticky one. IF as a seller I offered good customer service and complied with the buyer's wishes....then wouldn't I be left open to a SNAD case? Buyer: I bought 4 items and only received one! So many sellers are paranoid these days.

Seems like the way to go on that was to just buy the set and donate what one didn't want. If one felt for the seller under charging for shipping they could always send a PP payment for the difference as a gift after the item was received.

the_fancy_fox · ‎02-06-2019

@myjunqueyourtreasure wrote:
Sometimes I have to wonder why some sellers wonder why their sales are down lol

Geez, I wonder. When ebay has created this adversarial atmosphere between sellers and buyers. Anything outside the “normal” is now suspicious.

everytime I see a question from a buyer in my mailbox I cringe as I open it. But I will say I don’t block reasonable people asking a reasonable questions that have left what I consider normal feedbacks.

The Race is over
The Rats won.

castlemagicmemories · ‎02-06-2019

@no_zero369 wrote:
@*madison wrote:
I did it, and got blocked. I even explained why I wanted the seller to raise the item by 1 penny because of the coupon. The seller replied with one word in all caps. "BLOCKED"
and I would have blocked you for even having the audacity of contacting a high and mighty seller like me!

And some do!

Me thinks sellers like that get what they deserve - nothing, no sale. Just too many sellers afraid of being scammed and see a scam under every bush and up every tree. It is truly unfortunate as with a little education, those sellers could learn how to operate safely and thus no need to be paranoid. Hopefully sellers like that aren't long lived on eBay as it only gives the platform a bad name.

AMEN! You're my hero!

I was just going to clarify my earlier post about qualifying for a promotional offer.

The most recent promotion required a $50.00 purchase. So if an item was $49.99, it makes sense to ask to increase the price a penny. The Offer was for 10% Ebay Bucks on the app, 8% otherwise.

castlemagicmemories · ‎02-06-2019

I don't think Ebay created this atmosphere.

no_zero369 · ‎02-06-2019

@the_fancy_fox wrote:
@myjunqueyourtreasure wrote:
Sometimes I have to wonder why some sellers wonder why their sales are down lol
Geez, I wonder. When ebay has created this adversarial atmosphere between sellers and buyers. Anything outside the “normal” is now suspicious.

everytime I see a question from a buyer in my mailbox I cringe as I open it. But I will say I don’t block reasonable people asking a reasonable questions that have left what I consider normal feedbacks.

Hmmm, I am interested in why one has this reaction?

When I started selling some expensive things on eBay, I started reading these message boards and right away saw all of the ways one could be scammed or other things. I mean I was terrified and scared down to my boots. I came VERY close to just chucking the whole thing! But that fear/concern was mainly from a lack of knowledge.

I read further and asked a few questions. From that I learned some techniques to use when things seem to go off the rails. That and setting up a contingency fund, funded by skimming a bit of profits off of each sale sure helped. Once I had that knowledge and plans for what to do, I was no longer concerned with selling here.

Oh sure there are many who post gloom & doom and many stories of sales gone awry. But I have found nothing but good buyers and also can deal with anything that comes my way.

So what can we share such that one doesn't have to cringe when they get an email from a buyer?

castlemagicmemories · ‎02-06-2019

While most sales do go successfully, there is mind set that may have set in as you have seen.

It's often said that Ebay created this adversarial atmosphere but I don't think they were the ones who did.

castlemagicmemories · ‎02-06-2019

@castlemagicmemories wrote:
I don't think Ebay created this atmosphere.

Although the statement, Ebay created this adversarial atmosphere has been repeated many times.~I don't think Ebay created this atmosphere.

eleanor*rigby · ‎02-06-2019

@nobody*s_perfect wrote:
eBay occasionally issues coupons that have a minimum purchase requirement. I myself have asked a seller to raise a price from $29.99 to $30.00 so I could use a $10 coupon that required a minimum $30 purchase.

I think your post in the first reply to the OP (message #2) is a perfect example of what the OP's buyer had in mind. I did the exact thing you described on the last $10/$30 offer I received to take advantage of that promotion.

castlemagicmemories · ‎02-06-2019

@nobody*s_perfect wrote:
eBay occasionally issues coupons that have a minimum purchase requirement. I myself have asked a seller to raise a price from $29.99 to $30.00 so I could use a $10 coupon that required a minimum $30 purchase.

I've done that as well. Seller understood and happily complied. WIN/WIN/WIN