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.
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
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.
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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
So have I, quite often, but that's not relevant to the situation I just described.
- Douglas
Sorry SteveO, I brought this thread back to life.
.
I should have known better.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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
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.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
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
I agree with Kevin on this. I'm sure ebay feels since no transaction ultimately took place, no harm no foul, but....
I had the same situation. I won an item and paid promptly. The seller did not ship the item, did not communicate, and I had to get ebay involved to get a refund. 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 would think they would want sellers to honor their listing. They provide enough opportunites for sellers to list items various ways to get the price they want, so all sales should be honored, IMO.
Remember a place in Florida called hobbycircle I thinknit was called. Long gone now. It was a posting like this that allerted many to problems of buying from them. So now with the feedback system useless, these posts can be helpful.
I 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, because instead of reading the box and writing it up that way and researching it with that info, they make up some wierd name, research on that and find nothing so it becomes rare. Reminds me of the guy who was selling a tyco pulpwood car as rare and one of a kind limited edition at line 50$. There where 5 others on that same pagenof listing for under 10.
If you want to see fantasy pricing. Look at post war lionel. There are some real get rich quick schemes there. Of course most looking there are collectors and have a good idea of real value.
i do have an odd story. I bought a brass GE 80t electric. Built for the pacific electric system. It was hand painted black and grey pourly at that. 125. Shipped out of florida. It never arrived. Yet tracking said otherwise. Told the seller keep an eye out for it if it is returned. Never came back. A couple months later another one came up for the same thing. Painted the same
, same price. Only this one was listed as being in NEW York I put it in The watch file. It sat for like two years. I finally got it when i had that project ready to start. I remembered the one in florida and how this one looks oddly familiar. After some research, found that it was indeed the same one. Same pictures too. To this day, i dont understand how it got to new york if it was tracked and the tracking showed the right address. I looked in NY for a similar address that couldnhave been mistaken. Found nothing remotely close
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
Ebay probably figures if, at the end of the day, so to speak, the issue was resolved - money refunded or whatever, then the system works.
If you don't like the way he does business, avoid him in the future just like you would any other business or store.
York1I think the complaint is that he is unable to post a negative rating on the seller.
Yes, that is exactly my complaint. I used to rely on the feedback system to avoid nonsense like this. If the feedback system cannot be used to talk about this sort of nonsense, why have it?
This is not my first complaint about the feedback system.
This seller has been around a long time and has lots of stuff currently for sale. He completed dozens of transactions across the time I had my issue. It makes no sense. A little communication would have helped a lot.
mobilman44your story is not terribly unusual, but you can't complain about Ebay. You got your money refunded, and Ebay did their job.
I think the complaint is that he is unable to post a negative rating on the seller.
Kevin, your story is not terribly unusual, but you can't complain about Ebay. You got your money refunded, and Ebay did their job.
Years ago (2005 or so) I bought a $30 steamer. It never arrived, seller disappeared, and Ebay did not guarantee deals at that time. It is different today.
spe3376 I had an instance on eBay a couple of weeks ago where a 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! Why would I pay double what I thought the item was worth? It ended up selling for $19...
I had an instance on eBay a couple of weeks ago where a 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! Why would I pay double what I thought the item was worth? It ended up selling for $19...
This type of "bid now" or "make offer" is becoming more popular. The idea is that the staring bid listing is below market value and a bidding war will ensue. It happens with home sales too, where a low list price encourages people to fight for it, making a higher bid in order to make sure they get the item.
I don't know why the seller thinks that will work. I tend to stay away from those listings or simply have my maximum price already decided. The manner in which the item is listed doesn't really change my maximum price.
I suppose some like the thrill of the hunt and winning is more important than value, but that's just a guess.
Maybe the seller didn't really want to sell it but his wife told him to get rid of some of his "junk". Then he could in good conscience say "dear, I tried to sell some stuff but nobody wanted to buy it".
SImply their idea of the value and yours was different. Turns out yours was closer to what other bidders thought, but they still made $4 more by letting the auction run out and getting $19 than they did taking your $15. This isn't something crazy out there, like $1000 crudely repainted Tyco models, that sounds all perfectly reasonable.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
You have to admit it keeps the eBay Trolls occupied.
If you ever fall over in public, pick yourself up and say “sorry it’s been a while since I inhabited a body.” And just walk away.
Well, this is aggravating, and I guess this is the place to tell the story. I do not want to start a new thread.
I won an auction from [seller name removed by moderator] on eBay for the NMRA Heritage Car decorated for the ALTURAS AND LONE PINES built by Whit Towers. I have wanted this one for a while.
After waiting a month, nothing. Tried to contact seller, nothing. Filed case with eBay, no communication. Then after a couple fo weeks my money was refunded with no explanation or communication at all.
The price I won the auction for was fair for this car, and the shipping was high, but I paid it. I wish the seller would have completed the auction.
I went to leave negative feedback, and I found out YOU CANNOT LEAVE ANY FEEDBACK IF THE SELLER REFUNDS YOUR MONEY!
He held my money for 8 weeks with no communication or attempt to resolve my concerns, and I cannot even let me experience with this seller be known.
I have lost all faith in the eBay feedback system now.
Bayfield Transfer Railway If I think an item is overpriced, I don't bid on it. Just that simple. I'm sure not going to get my dinkie in a twist about it.
If I think an item is overpriced, I don't bid on it. Just that simple.
I'm sure not going to get my dinkie in a twist about it.
Yes. It's all just fodder for the coffee klatch to jaw about such as this and many other topics.
Could be Ebay look at it as even bad publicity is still publicity so these topics are probably doing them a favor!