spe3376a seller had a starting price of $18.00 for a particular model kit I was interested in, and also Make an Offer option. I made, what I thought, was a reasonable offer of $15. They rejected that, and made a counter offer of $30!
I have seen this technique used at train shows. An item is priced at $50. Potential buyer says "How about $40?" Seller says "How about $60?" Buyer (if it's me) chuckles at this wit, puts the item down and walks away.
BTW, I had an ebay situation where I ordered some painted people from a seller who said they shipped from the US. Three weeks later, when the items had not arrived, it was obvious they were a Chinese remailer. (Buyer beware -- had I read the feedback, I would have known this.) Tracking showed my item never being recieved by USPS, so I left negative feedback and *then* contested the transaction. The buyer gave me a refund then asked if I would remove my feedback. I said no -- they had lied about the origin of the items, and that was the nature of my negative feedback. I paid more for a quicker shipping time, and got hosed. (The package did eventually arrive, and sure enough, it had been forwarded, unopened, from China.)
Lesson learned: Before bidding or buying, read negative feedback. Any sensible person can tell when someone's just being a whiner or when the complaints are legit.
Aaron
NVSRRI find that a good number of high prices are from those to lazy to do proper research to start. They see something that is the same and price accordingly. Instead of making sure it is the same. Like an athearn bb being sold at kato or atlas or genesis new prices. Or like a lot ot tyco pieces
I see items priced at higher than 2 x the MSRP prices and it appears to be the seller knows those items are no longer produced and hard to find, so they jack up the price.
Example: Athearn Fruehauf trailer 2 packs. They originally sold (depending on production year) about $18 to $24 per 2-pack. Most are now priced at $60. These are the Fruehauf and Exteror post trailers. But with some patience you can still find them near original price or less.
There was a guy on another forum who PM'd me that he had a bunch of 2-packs for sale and would I be interested. I think he wanted $35 each. I turned him down telling him I've never paid more than MSRP for a 2-pack, usually less. I think he was surprised I didn't jump because supposedly he could get that on Ebay. I said, go ahead.
One of the sets I wanted was a pair of 40' Illinois Central Fruehauf with the orange pig logo. Rather than pay this guy $35 + shipping, I patiently waited and some months later found a pair on Ebay for $20 with free shipping. So I likely ended up paying less than half of what this guy wanted. I've found quite a few by looking for them at train shows and patiently watching Ebay, or occasionally finding a shop that still has some old stock.
DoughlessThe issue for me was that there was a similar item offered by another seller and a competitive price during the time I was waiting for the first item to be shipped. Since I had already bought the item from seller #1, I did not bid on the item from seller #2 and missed that chance. Not only was the entire deal a waste of my time, ebay missed out on me possibly bidding up item #2.
I've ended up buying something and then another seller came along with the same item for similar or lower price. Probably pretty common for eBay buyers.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
AutonerdLesson learned: Before bidding or buying, read negative feedback. Any sensible person can tell when someone's just being a whiner or when the complaints are legit. Aaron
But I think that's not the issue here. The transaction was bad, ebay refunded the money, case closed.
However, ebay would not allow feedback because in their eyes, the money was refunded so there's no problem.
By not allowing the customer to post something negative, future customers can read the feedback but will not see negative comments.
What is the point of ebay providing feedback if they will not allow feedback if the money is refunded? This may have happened with this particular seller dozens of times, and you would not know it because the negative feedback was not allowed
York1 John
IMHO,. it's not the seller who is stupid. He might get an outrageous price, or so what if he doesn't?
No, the stupid one is the buyer who pays the crazy high price.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Autonerd Before bidding or buying, read negative feedback
.
Yes, but since I could not leave the well-deserved negative feedback, no one will ever know about the problems I had with this seller.
I had an issue over a year ago where I left a seller some well-deserved negative feedback because the listing was obviously written to make me believe I was getting a different item than what I actually received. Ebay removed the negative feedback when the seller protested.
I am not going to stop using eBay, I need it to get some of the hard-to-find items I desire.
This new system might be better for transactions with a mega-seller that is selling thousands of items a week. There seems to be a lot more of this on ebay now.
But I am looking for small sellers liquidating out of production HO scale train items. I depend on these sellers for accurate descriptions, completing the transactions, shipping quickly, and good communication.
This is where the individual feedback system becomes more important.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
While I "feel your pain", I suggest that Ebay may be dealing with the seller without our knowledge. In any case, a solution will not come from this audience, but it might come from Ebay. I suggest you tell them your story!
ENJOY !
Mobilman44
Living in southeast Texas, formerly modeling the "postwar" Santa Fe and Illinois Central
York1But I think that's not the issue here. The transaction was bad, ebay refunded the money, case closed. However, ebay would not allow feedback because in their eyes, the money was refunded so there's no problem.
Yes, I see the point. I guess the trick is to leave negative feedback *before* the refund. I believe there is an eBay rule that prevents declining a refund as revenge for bad feedback.
Incidentally, there's also a rule that prevents offering a refund or other solution in exchange for changing negative feedback. My problem seller tried that with me, and I reported it.
SeeYou190This is where the individual feedback system becomes more important.
Agree with that too, Kevin. I suppose that's the nature of the beast when bargain hunting... sooner or later the hunter might be the one who gets shot. :) I have to say I have been very fortunate in my eBaying. Most of what I've recieved has been as described.
I have had frustrations with fake batteries from volume overseas sellers, but I think these unscrupulous types open multiple accounts and can close ones with bad feedback as needed. Ah well. Cheaters gonna cheat.
All right, folks, between this thread and every "check out this stupid eBay auction" thread that's gone before, I would think everything possible to say on this topic has been said. This is a Forum for discussing model trains, not an eBay feedback site. Let's move along now.
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
Sorry SteveO, I brought this thread back to life.
I should have known better.
riogrande5761 Doughless The issue for me was that there was a similar item offered by another seller and a competitive price during the time I was waiting for the first item to be shipped. Since I had already bought the item from seller #1, I did not bid on the item from seller #2 and missed that chance. Not only was the entire deal a waste of my time, ebay missed out on me possibly bidding up item #2. I've ended up buying something and then another seller came along with the same item for similar or lower price. Probably pretty common for eBay buyers.
Doughless The issue for me was that there was a similar item offered by another seller and a competitive price during the time I was waiting for the first item to be shipped. Since I had already bought the item from seller #1, I did not bid on the item from seller #2 and missed that chance. Not only was the entire deal a waste of my time, ebay missed out on me possibly bidding up item #2.
So have I, quite often, but that's not relevant to the situation I just described.
- Douglas
maybe I should try to seel the 200+ plastic wheel sets I have laying around for what I paid (or more) to replace them with metal wheels & axles
dbduck maybe I should try to seel the 200+ plastic wheel sets I have laying around for what I paid (or more) to replace them with metal wheels & axles
Rich
Alton Junction
I use Kadee sprung metal trucks on most of my freight cars, and I replace the Kadee wheel sets with Intermoutain wheel sets.
The left over brand new Kadee wheel sets sell well on Ebay, as do Bachmann decoders I remove from locos, generic plastic knuckle couplers, excess rigid frame plastic trucks, etc.
Sheldon
Steven Otte All right, folks, between this thread and every "check out this stupid eBay auction" thread that's gone before, I would think everything possible to say on this topic has been said. This is a Forum for discussing model trains, not an eBay feedback site. Let's move along now.
rrebell Now from your group, maybe you would start a thread about why you monitor this forum in cetain ways, give us some isea of why some things throw up red flags (besides the totally non train related stuff).
Now from your group, maybe you would start a thread about why you monitor this forum in cetain ways, give us some isea of why some things throw up red flags (besides the totally non train related stuff).
If this thread were against the rules, it would have been locked or deleted. It's not. It's merely repetitive, whiny, and only very slightly related to model trains, which is why I merely urged people to move along and find something more on-topic to discuss.