eBay War Stories?

[Chuck Geiger]

True - Look closely at the scale, under N Scale it said 1/50th scale. Has anyone bought any of those mass quantities of pole lamps, figures or vehicles from the overseas distributer?

[tebee]

I've bought and sold many things on eBay over the years and almost all of them have been really good buys - but then I mostly select things to buy very carefuly and am always watchful of other charges like posting and packing and try never to get into a bidding war. Sometimes though I'll take a chance  and buy something I'm not entirely sure about, for instance with photos so out of focus or distant you cann't realy see what you are buying.

Sometimes the gamble pays off, I once got a really well built La Belle obervation coach with CV truck for $9, but then sometimes not, but it's better odds that the lottery!

My saddest experince, though was getting a really nicely detailed Hobbytown Millwakie road RSD5. The guy who sent it had packed it better than anything else I had seen before or since, he'd cut foam to fit, even little strips between the hood and the handrails , double boxed it wraped it in bublewrap, but somehow in the post they managed to wreck it, I can only guess that some threw or dropped the box and the sheer weight of the Hobbytown loco caused the foam to move inside the box.

I can no longer deal there now though , early last year my domain and email address where hi-jacked followed by my eBay and paypal acounts. eBay refused to even disscuss it with me as I no longer had access to the email assosiated with the account and then banned my new account as it was assosiated with the old one that was now being fraudently used. I've still got a couple a couple of parcels I was due to send out but hadn't taken down the address for before losing access, I just hope the buyers managed to get a paypal refund. 

One day  I'll probably go back but not at the moment. I found ebay totaly unhelpful in this situation.

 

Tom 

 

[Anonymous]

EBAY SUCKS, I HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEMS WITH EBAY, THINGS ARE BROKEN, SELLERS ARE DISHONEST AND DIFFICULT TO DEAL WITH, SHIPPING TAKES WAY TOO LONG.

I personally believe that the best way to buy your hobby stuff is to go to the shop and speak to the guy down there. You'll always get exactly what you want without having to ask questions and wait for a reply for a day or two before you get a response.

[Rangerover]

Hello I'm both a buyer and seller on eBay though I haven't done so for a while. eBay is in the process of "cleaning" up the site from unscrupulous sellers, but some buyers also fit that category. I have been there for 8 years. A number of sellers both excellent and the absolute worst have already left. It's been ongoing since February when eBay announced it's new policy's. A seller can not leave negative or neutral feedback any longer, his only option will be to leave positive or none at all beginning May 1. The buyers who don't pay will be dealt with by eBay in that they will be suspended and any negative or neutral feedback they left for the seller will be removed in all fairness.  However beginning May 1 there will be a worldwide boycott of eBay by both the sellers and the buyers, will be interesting to see how things turn out. The sellers are screaming about the new CEO, Donoho, raising the final value cost which certainly hurt the small seller and also the feedback situation. He, Donoho, is kicking out the mom and pops auction style listings and would like eBay to be similar to Amazon with only store's with large inventories and eventually shipping included and your only payment option may be Pay Pal which is being tested in Australia at the moment. There is no other payment option and the buyers and sellers down under are really upset and leaving in droves to other selling venues such as what's going on here. The Mom and Pops built eBay's uniqueness from the beginning. The new Star System that was instilled last year will determine how your listings appear are also the reason some sellers are leaving or already have left. If you have less than, I believe 4.8%, your listing may never show up when you do a search, this is called Best Match Search, which is now the "default" search, which can be changed by pulling down the search link and changing your default. There is much more, this post is more like a summary and I'm sorry for the long post. But to stay on topic, I have bought with 99.9% satisfaction and 100% as a seller, I ship immediately, leave feedback when payment is received, and one very important thing I do is to answer all questions asked by a potential buyer. Important Post. Jim Bresett, Elkins, West Virginia

[Rangerover]

One other important thing! Pay Pal will be holding funds for 21 days if you do not have a good star rating, if you have recent negative or neutral feedback (neutral feedback is now considered negative when eBay calculates your feedback), certain high cost items, such as electronics, jewelry, anything over $250.00 more or less. The seller still has to ship the item within 7 days of the sale. During this 21 day hold the seller must still eat the cost's associated with shipping and handling, eBay fees, and Pay Pal fees, however they will release your funds once feedback is posted to the seller or the seller can prove the item was delivered to the buyer. The only way a seller can protect himself at least 95% of the time is by using the Pay Pal site to print the shipping labels and postage from there. Even if you have as a seller the DC (delivery confirmation), some buyers claim their package was not received, even if DC says it was, Pay Pal still sides with the buyer and they (buyer) can keep the item and get a refund from Pay Pal. Win Win for the buyer and total lost for the seller. These things happen folks! Jim Bresett, Elkins, West Virginia

[Arjay1969]

He, Donoho, is kicking out the mom and pops auction style listings and would like eBay to be similar to Amazon with only store's with large inventories and eventually shipping included and your only payment option may be Pay Pal which is being tested in Australia at the moment.

Sorry, but that's incorrect...they're ending the LIVE auctions (moderated in real time by an actual auctioneer), but the old-style eBay auctions will still remain. 

See link below: 

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200804151300402.html 

[Rangerover]

He, Donoho, is kicking out the mom and pops auction style listings and would like eBay to be similar to Amazon with only store's with large inventories and eventually shipping included and your only payment option may be Pay Pal which is being tested in Australia at the moment.

Sorry, but that's incorrect...they're ending the LIVE auctions (moderated in real time by an actual auctioneer), but the old-style eBay auctions will still remain. 

See link below: 

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200804151300402.html 

[Rangerover]

He, Donoho, is kicking out the mom and pops auction style listings and would like eBay to be similar to Amazon with only store's with large inventories and eventually shipping included and your only payment option may be Pay Pal which is being tested in Australia at the moment.

Sorry, but that's incorrect...they're ending the LIVE auctions (moderated in real time by an actual auctioneer), but the old-style eBay auctions will still remain. 

See link below: 

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200804151300402.html 

I'm sorry but I'm not here to argue. That is not Donoho's statement he made during his discussions. It's best, if in doubt about my statements I made on this forum, to check out ebays forums and eBay announcements, you get the correct information which I have posted!

The live auctions are one, but there are other auction listings which you can no longer list on eBay, software is another, also some franchised articles.

Donoho stated that he does not want the the "flea Market" auction listings!

[Rangerover]

Donohoe, the President of eBay and his "flea market charge":

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/17/technology/17ebay.html?ref=business

[Rangerover]

This is "his" quote from the same article"

Mr. Donahoe says it is not the company's intent to discriminate against small sellers. But, he said, "where large and small sellers are trying to cut corners and not provide a good buying experience, we are making less room for them in the marketplace."

Amazon had much higher year end sales than eBay, and especially during the holiday period. He wants to copy Amazon with sellers having a store format.

I know of and have been burnt by 2 Power Sellers in the HO Model Railroad category on eBay. Most sellers on eBay are great both small sellers and Power Seller. For me 2 out of over 1500 buys and sells is a good percentage for me.

And I do not believe that "all" listings will be Buy It Now, I'm sure that new items will also have be auction type as to bid on. I think it is more aimed at used flea market items, but in all categories. eBay has allowed even "antique" items from China which are newly made or built. Again verified by eBay forums by real antique dealers, you have to read the descriptions more closely and look at pictures and where stuff is shipped from.

Jim Bresett, Elkins, West Virginia

[leejax01]

I have a different outlook on the seller leaving feedback later.

In more than one case, a buyer when they receive an item can file a Paypal dispute to get the payment back and keep the item. With feedback already being left, the seller is powerless. That is one type of a buyer scam.

My worst deal was a loco that came in bad condition, but it also had bad pics and I should have known better. I have had way more great stories on Ebay and in all fairness, there should be a "Greatest Ebay Deal" topic and see those replies...in all fairness.

I have had bad deals also, but I rather buy from those over 40+ auctions and with excellent pics. I ask questions and see how fast they reply. I ask for better pics and see how they reply. Normally a person who isn't in a rush for payment is a seller who isn't trying to scam.