BRAKIE wrote:Indeed..How can the Government legislate them?
The only way the government could get involved would be if they broke banking laws (paypal is a quasi-bank), or if someone figured out how to go after them under anti-trust regulations. By offering to allow payments through sellers' merchant accounts, they avoid having a monopoly on payment methods.
Occasionally, I've bought something and been instructed to not use ebay's check out system, but a third party invoicing system. I found them to be pointless and unduly complicated (I still payed with paypal anyhow), but I wonder if one of these would allow an 'end-run' around the new policies.
PMeyer wrote:They bought PayPal and now they are forcing everyone to use it. Watch their rates sky rocket in the near future. And what government can legislate them?
I'm surprised at the length of this thread and some of the opinions.
I'm not for/against Ebay/Paypal, but to me it is a service that I can chose to use or not to use.
Government regulating Ebay?
How's that saying go? "We're from the government and we're here to help"
No thanks.
No one is forcing you to participate in an auction. It is YOUR choice to do so, so you have no justifiable complaints about fees if you do. If the customers stop using Ebay, Ebay will make a fee/policy correction, its what the market will bear, and they are testing the market. We will see what happens.
MHO
GS
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/
amtrakjackson wrote:These actions are not those taken by a company on the 'way up'- they reflect maximizing income for the smallest of costs, with the subtraction of losses incurred. eBay is falling on hard times. Beware of messages and PR spin bearing these words and phrases: experience, optimize, enhance, dynamic, "exceed your expectations", and my favorite, "what's more". Take some steps back and see it for what it really is. Ugh. <>
These actions are not those taken by a company on the 'way up'- they reflect maximizing income for the smallest of costs, with the subtraction of losses incurred. eBay is falling on hard times.
Beware of messages and PR spin bearing these words and phrases: experience, optimize, enhance, dynamic, "exceed your expectations", and my favorite, "what's more". Take some steps back and see it for what it really is.
Ugh.
<>
I'll agree with that. I have done some sporadic selling on eBay cleaning out computer parts and sports cards to fund my MRR. Within the past year or so there has been a disturbing trend of eBay dipping in where ever they can because some of their shareholders or board or executives or whomever are getting greedy. This new rules change cuts the last way sellers had to get around their double dipping, while at the same time removing some buyers preferred payment methods.
What is also frustrating, from a sellers perspective, is that it is nigh impossible to sell an item for anywhere near what you paid for it, although that may have more to do with what I had listed. In any case, I stopped selling after I calculated that I was barely breaking even despite selling a lot of stuff.
In M:tG (my other hobby) I was selling some of my excess cards. Guy said, "I'm not willing to give you $8 for that $10 card 'cause I can get it for $5 on eBay." Told him "Good for you, just don't expect me to make an attempt to help you out next time you're looking for a card I have that you need for your deck."
It is that type of attitude (unknowingly) fostered by eBay that really disgusts me more than the unscrupulous buyers and sellers. eBay was good for a while but has now devolved to the point of online flea market and isn't really worth the time invested anymore.
Matt
NS AS-416 wrote:I'll agree with that. I have done some sporadic selling on eBay cleaning out computer parts and sports cards to fund my MRR. Within the past year or so there has been a disturbing trend of eBay dipping in where ever they can because some of their shareholders or board or executives or whomever are getting greedy. This new rules change cuts the last way sellers had to get around their double dipping, while at the same time removing some buyers preferred payment methods.What is also frustrating, from a sellers perspective, is that it is nigh impossible to sell an item for anywhere near what you paid for it, although that may have more to do with what I had listed. In any case, I stopped selling after I calculated that I was barely breaking even despite selling a lot of stuff.In M:tG (my other hobby) I was selling some of my excess cards. Guy said, "I'm not willing to give you $8 for that $10 card 'cause I can get it for $5 on eBay." Told him "Good for you, just don't expect me to make an attempt to help you out next time you're looking for a card I have that you need for your deck." It is that type of attitude (unknowingly) fostered by eBay that really disgusts me more than the unscrupulous buyers and sellers. eBay was good for a while but has now devolved to the point of online flea market and isn't really worth the time invested anymore.Matt
I'm sorry, but complaining as a seller about not getting your desired price for an item....What makes you think you deserve to get what you paid for an item? I wish I had a guarantee I could sell my house for what I paid for it last year. But wishes are just wishes, and nothing more....
One of the results of not having as many buyers in a given market is that the prices will tend to drop - the old supply exceeding demand kind of thing. Which is one (there are others that have nothing to do with buyers) of the reasons eBay is changing rules to favor buyers.
And given the financial insecurity many Americans are feeling at present, the demand for hobby goods is very likely to drop even further. The $8 today for your card may seem like a good deal in 6 months when the market rate is truly $5.
I have used eBay to sell my excess model railroad goods because I got a much better price and my expenses were smaller than I would selling through local classified ads or garage sales. Whenever I'm selling something, I look at all the various market options, and select which one suits my purposes and needs best. For the occasional seller, eBay is just another form of selling market - no different than tables at swap meets, flea markets, garage sales, Craig's List, classified ads, etc.
As a friend of mine used to say, "Never be in awe of banks. They are just a McDonald's for money." Actually, banks are even worse off, with no real way to differentiate themselves from one another except on price and the customer "experience". However, most banking customers don't realize that, and banks take advantage of them.
Ebay is similar. It is the McDonald's of venues for the small seller. There are plenty of alternatives, and you are free to start one anytime you choose. At its best, eBay has sufficient mass of buyers and sellers to establish true market prices that can be tracked over time. When sufficient mass of buyers and sellers no longer exists, price volatility ensues and the value of eBay over other venues is reduced.
As eBay emphasizes fixed price (Buy it Now) over auctions, and generally makes life more irritating and expensive for the small seller, you can expect it to be a far less efficient market. Buy it Now prices will increase because sellers will have no idea of the going market price, and will price the item to what they think it should be. Buyers will retreat even more as the ability to score the occasional bargain (in the buyer's eyes) goes away. Time for an item to sell will grow, too. An indication of that expectation is eBay extending the listing period for Buy it Now to 4 weeks instead of 1.
just my thoughts, yours may differ
Fred W
BigRusty wrote:BIG BROTHER is watching you. The IRS is trying to flush out the underground economy that does not pay taxes. They estimate it to be in the BILLIONS. They recently reduced the amount of cash deposits that must be reported by banks from $10,000 to $3,000. Eliminating cash and money order transactions means that ALL E-Bay transactions are now traceable to your Social Security Number. Maybe requiring that the seller furnish a 1099-MISC to buyers is next.
While the IRS wants to tax all income, they aren't the only ones interested in getting funds. Many states also have sale taxes and they would certainly love to get ebay sellers and buyers to collect and pay sales taxes. Don't be surprised if one day soon you won't be able to buy anything on ebay without being forced to either pay sales tax or its near cousin use taxes.
Irv
Railphotog wrote: I'm trying to figure out how small sellers ( as opposed to dealers) could offer free shipping. Say I have an item that normally sells for $25.00. I start the auction at $10.00, and it doesn't attract many bidders, selling for $15.00. So I would be offering free shipping of say $7-10 on this item? Selling it for $15.00? This does not compute!Maybe I'm missing something here, maybe they intend for the power sellers to offer free shipping on most of their stuff with "Buy it Now" pricing, which would be high enough to include their shipping costs?
I'm trying to figure out how small sellers ( as opposed to dealers) could offer free shipping. Say I have an item that normally sells for $25.00. I start the auction at $10.00, and it doesn't attract many bidders, selling for $15.00. So I would be offering free shipping of say $7-10 on this item? Selling it for $15.00? This does not compute!
Maybe I'm missing something here, maybe they intend for the power sellers to offer free shipping on most of their stuff with "Buy it Now" pricing, which would be high enough to include their shipping costs?
I think it's more of an attempt to get sellers to sto seeling items at batrgain basement prices but making up for the loss of profit by overcharging for shipping. What I am talking about is the seller that sells a bras locomotive for $10 and then charges $100 for shipping and handling.
As for the power sellers, I don't worry about them losing money beacsue they wouldn't be around long nor will they stay on ebay if they can't recoup the costs of their investments (merchandise) plus the cost of shipping and make a profit as well.
Last Chance wrote: When in England, we bought Pounds at exchange. 1.20 to the dollar. Now it's twice that. When in Canada we bought CDN at .74 plus or minus a few cents. I completed a recent Ebay buy from Canada just about 1 for one dollar even exchange more or less. It was transparent to me buying in CDN online.Ebay by requiring people to, only do paypal or creditcard is going to find themselves out of income to a certain extent. There is just too many people who WILL use a check or money order and NEVER use the electronic money. I understand that Ebay is trying to tighten the good ship revenue from all these little leaks and grey-water sloshing about the bilge to appease the stock holder who thinks that the Ebay can do better.One of my family members has a sign "Beatings continue until Morale Improves" in his workshop and I think Ebay will suffer from these rules. Sure they can burn off alot of the sellers and buyers who refuse to abide by the new rules. But can enough leave ebay to make them reconsider the folly of thier change?
When in England, we bought Pounds at exchange. 1.20 to the dollar. Now it's twice that. When in Canada we bought CDN at .74 plus or minus a few cents. I completed a recent Ebay buy from Canada just about 1 for one dollar even exchange more or less. It was transparent to me buying in CDN online.
Ebay by requiring people to, only do paypal or creditcard is going to find themselves out of income to a certain extent. There is just too many people who WILL use a check or money order and NEVER use the electronic money. I understand that Ebay is trying to tighten the good ship revenue from all these little leaks and grey-water sloshing about the bilge to appease the stock holder who thinks that the Ebay can do better.
One of my family members has a sign "Beatings continue until Morale Improves" in his workshop and I think Ebay will suffer from these rules. Sure they can burn off alot of the sellers and buyers who refuse to abide by the new rules. But can enough leave ebay to make them reconsider the folly of thier change?
I sell on ebay and 99% of the auctions items I sell are paid for with PayPal. I suspect most sellers have seen that as well. So if that is the case, why bother asking for checks or money orders? I suspect that this is why ebay is moving that way. Besides, since PayPal is owned in ebay, they will now have more control over the buying and selling process and since they also get to coolect not only the fee charged to the seller when the auction ends successfully but also on the fee charged for amount received by the vendor from the buyer. In effect they get paid twice for the same transaction. And this doesn't even include the fee for listing the item to begin with.
cregil wrote: Kurt_Laughlin wrote: What I find interesting is that some of the people most resistant to using Paypal because of a perceived lack of security are more than happy to send a personal check to a total stranger, a check that has the account holder's name, the ABA routing number, and their account number printed on it. Which, incidentally, is all that's needed for someone to access the account electronically or even have new blank checks printed up . . .KL Right, or set up online banking.Someone pointed out that the day will come when Paypal data gets stolen, but that same risk exists with every employer who has your name, address, SSN, and probably your banking information (for direct deposit). I would like to know the costs of selling on eBay.I am relatively new to shopping there, but notice that of the all of the items I have won, bid on, or watched have been from vendors who have thousands of sales. If I were selling only an occasional item, taking credit cards would be out of the question, and my minimum price would include the costs of paying eBay and Paypal just as my postage cost would include postage as well as packaging.So, what is the least costly payment method for the seller? What is the quickest form of payment from a seller’s perspective? Crews
Kurt_Laughlin wrote: What I find interesting is that some of the people most resistant to using Paypal because of a perceived lack of security are more than happy to send a personal check to a total stranger, a check that has the account holder's name, the ABA routing number, and their account number printed on it. Which, incidentally, is all that's needed for someone to access the account electronically or even have new blank checks printed up . . .KL
What I find interesting is that some of the people most resistant to using Paypal because of a perceived lack of security are more than happy to send a personal check to a total stranger, a check that has the account holder's name, the ABA routing number, and their account number printed on it. Which, incidentally, is all that's needed for someone to access the account electronically or even have new blank checks printed up . . .
KL
Right, or set up online banking.
Someone pointed out that the day will come when Paypal data gets stolen, but that same risk exists with every employer who has your name, address, SSN, and probably your banking information (for direct deposit).
I would like to know the costs of selling on eBay.
I am relatively new to shopping there, but notice that of the all of the items I have won, bid on, or watched have been from vendors who have thousands of sales. If I were selling only an occasional item, taking credit cards would be out of the question, and my minimum price would include the costs of paying eBay and Paypal just as my postage cost would include postage as well as packaging.
So, what is the least costly payment method for the seller? What is the quickest form of payment from a seller’s perspective?
Crews
There is a lsiting fee for one. This is based on the price you initially put us as the minimum bid requested. Then should the auction end successfully you pay a portion of the selling price to Ebay. If the buyer pays by PayPal, there is another fee that is paid based on the amount received. These can total anywhere from $1.00 and up depending the sale with the cost to the seller easily reaching 3 of 4 digit numbers (without the decimals) each and every month. Combine this with the fact that it often takes several go arounds before your item sells and you can see that ebay is usually the only one that makes a dime on many auctions.
So why do ebay sellers stay? Many don't. And even more do it only when they have merchandise that they can't get rid of any other way. Finally, many ebay sellers buy their merchandise from stores that are going out of business or from individuals who just want to get rid of these items and would rather get a few pennies for them than pay for it to be hauled away to the city dump.
AntonioFP45 wrote: Guys,Forgive my confusion. I looked over some listings like this one belowhttp://cgi.ebay.com/AMERICAS-RAILROADS-THE-SECOND-GENERATION-by-DON-BALL_W0QQitemZ200250247261QQihZ010QQcategoryZ4132QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItemstill show that checks are acceptable. CAN THE SELLERS STILL ACCEPT CHECKS regardless of the new rules????????????????
Guys,
Forgive my confusion. I looked over some listings like this one below
http://cgi.ebay.com/AMERICAS-RAILROADS-THE-SECOND-GENERATION-by-DON-BALL_W0QQitemZ200250247261QQihZ010QQcategoryZ4132QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
still show that checks are acceptable. CAN THE SELLERS STILL ACCEPT CHECKS regardless of the new rules????????????????
Those new rules don't go into effect until October, so those sellers who take checks can still take them.
DTandIfan wrote:Had my paypal account hacked, cost me 1000's and without any reembursment. Money orders only from then on.
Was that before or after the alien abduction? Was Bigfoot involved?
If you didn't answer a phishing email and you had documentation that this really happened, it would be news in the real media, not a first anonymous post on a train forum.
Puh-lease.
Well, I understand that some of you guys were not too crazy about Ebay to begin with.
What I've appreciated about Ebay is finding those hard to get "out of production" model railroad items, such as the HO Bachmann Metroliners (that I've metalized) or older P2K locomotives in paint schemes no longer available. Overall, except for one transaction in which I paid too much, my Ebay experience since 2003 has been pretty good. I've managed to maintain a 100% feedback rating.
So, until the October "new rules enactment" I'll continue to keep an eye out for a few more items I'd like, including a P2K SD-9 in Burlington's black "Way of the Zephyr" scheme. Unless the rules about checks and money orders change, I'll be bidding Ebay a "See Ya!"
"I like my Pullman Standards & Budds in Stainless Steel flavors, thank you!"
fwright wrote: NS AS-416 wrote:I'll agree with that. I have done some sporadic selling on eBay cleaning out computer parts and sports cards to fund my MRR. Within the past year or so there has been a disturbing trend of eBay dipping in where ever they can because some of their shareholders or board or executives or whomever are getting greedy. This new rules change cuts the last way sellers had to get around their double dipping, while at the same time removing some buyers preferred payment methods.What is also frustrating, from a sellers perspective, is that it is nigh impossible to sell an item for anywhere near what you paid for it, although that may have more to do with what I had listed. In any case, I stopped selling after I calculated that I was barely breaking even despite selling a lot of stuff.In M:tG (my other hobby) I was selling some of my excess cards. Guy said, "I'm not willing to give you $8 for that $10 card 'cause I can get it for $5 on eBay." Told him "Good for you, just don't expect me to make an attempt to help you out next time you're looking for a card I have that you need for your deck." It is that type of attitude (unknowingly) fostered by eBay that really disgusts me more than the unscrupulous buyers and sellers. eBay was good for a while but has now devolved to the point of online flea market and isn't really worth the time invested anymore.Matt I'm sorry, but complaining as a seller about not getting your desired price for an item....What makes you think you deserve to get what you paid for an item? I wish I had a guarantee I could sell my house for what I paid for it last year. But wishes are just wishes, and nothing more....One of the results of not having as many buyers in a given market is that the prices will tend to drop - the old supply exceeding demand kind of thing. Which is one (there are others that have nothing to do with buyers) of the reasons eBay is changing rules to favor buyers.And given the financial insecurity many Americans are feeling at present, the demand for hobby goods is very likely to drop even further. The $8 today for your card may seem like a good deal in 6 months when the market rate is truly $5.I have used eBay to sell my excess model railroad goods because I got a much better price and my expenses were smaller than I would selling through local classified ads or garage sales. Whenever I'm selling something, I look at all the various market options, and select which one suits my purposes and needs best. For the occasional seller, eBay is just another form of selling market - no different than tables at swap meets, flea markets, garage sales, Craig's List, classified ads, etc.As a friend of mine used to say, "Never be in awe of banks. They are just a McDonald's for money." Actually, banks are even worse off, with no real way to differentiate themselves from one another except on price and the customer "experience". However, most banking customers don't realize that, and banks take advantage of them.Ebay is similar. It is the McDonald's of venues for the small seller. There are plenty of alternatives, and you are free to start one anytime you choose. At its best, eBay has sufficient mass of buyers and sellers to establish true market prices that can be tracked over time. When sufficient mass of buyers and sellers no longer exists, price volatility ensues and the value of eBay over other venues is reduced.As eBay emphasizes fixed price (Buy it Now) over auctions, and generally makes life more irritating and expensive for the small seller, you can expect it to be a far less efficient market. Buy it Now prices will increase because sellers will have no idea of the going market price, and will price the item to what they think it should be. Buyers will retreat even more as the ability to score the occasional bargain (in the buyer's eyes) goes away. Time for an item to sell will grow, too. An indication of that expectation is eBay extending the listing period for Buy it Now to 4 weeks instead of 1.just my thoughts, yours may differFred W
I can see the supply and demand as everyone starts dumping their Tyco and (old) B'mann trainset stuff expecting to get rich and getting just pennies on the dollar from a dealer that needed new mdse for the flea market or swap meet. Just not for items from higher end manufacturers.
As for the M:tG guy, he actually came back later and paid ... *gasp* ...$10.00 ... for the card out of my consignment binder because he kept getting outbid on eBay. In my personal experience I don't ever see the market for the cards dropping that drasticly since, unlike mr, M:tG is GROWING as a community instead of sitting in a holding pattern.
My .
corsair7 wrote: This is based on the price you initially put us as the minimum bid requested. Then should the auction end successfully you pay a portion of the selling price to Ebay. If the buyer pays by PayPal, there is another fee that is paid based on the amount received. These can total anywhere from $1.00 and up depending the sale with the cost to the seller easily reaching 3 of 4 digit numbers (without the decimals) each and every month. Combine this with the fact that it often takes several go arounds before your item sells and you can see that ebay is usually the only one that makes a dime on many auctions. [emphasis added]
This is based on the price you initially put us as the minimum bid requested. Then should the auction end successfully you pay a portion of the selling price to Ebay. If the buyer pays by PayPal, there is another fee that is paid based on the amount received. These can total anywhere from $1.00 and up depending the sale with the cost to the seller easily reaching 3 of 4 digit numbers (without the decimals) each and every month. Combine this with the fact that it often takes several go arounds before your item sells and you can see that ebay is usually the only one that makes a dime on many auctions. [emphasis added]
Now wait a minute . . . The maximum Paypal fee - based on $3000 or less monthly sales - is 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. The maximum insertion fee is $4, and that would be for items listed at $500 or more. The maximum possible sale fee - for items selling at $1000 or more - is 1.5% of the amount over $1000 + $36.31. So, to get a "3 digit" monthly total fee, say $500, on 10 auctions, someone would have to be selling around $2,475 worth of merchandise a month (500 = .029x + .03*10 + 4.00*10 +36.31*10 + .015(x-1000)). This works out to a combined fee of 20%. To get a "4 digit" fee - let's say $2,500 on 50 transactions, someone would have to be selling around $11,000 (2500 = .029x +.03*50 + 4.00*50 + 36.31 * 50 + .015(x-1000)), giving a combined fee of 23%.
However, these numbers are actually skewed high because you have to be listing items at $500 to start and getting at least $1000 per item to get these high fees - in which case the first seller would be making a minimum of $1000 x 10 ($10,000/mo) auctions or $1000 x 50 ($50,000/mo) auctions which would give them a 2.2% rather than 2.9% Paypal fee. These examples would actually result in total fees of $434 on $10,000 and $3,865 on $50,000 which work out to 4.3% and 7.7%.
I frankly find it hard to envision the circumstances wherein Ebay is "the only one making a dime" on auctions where the seller is paying $100 to $9,999 in fees "each and every month", unless the seller is pushing hundreds of $0.99 auctions for junk that doesn't sell.
At any rate, as the examples above show, to pay that much in fees every month would require either a very large number of auctions or a very large monthly return on auctions. In either case that smells like a business, and I have little sympathy for businesses that picked a sales model that doesn't work.
alco_fan wrote: DTandIfan wrote:Had my paypal account hacked, cost me 1000's and without any reembursment. Money orders only from then on.Was that before or after the alien abduction? Was Bigfoot involved?If you didn't answer a phishing email and you had documentation that this really happened, it would be news in the real media, not a first anonymous post on a train forum.Puh-lease.
DT&Ifan,
Welcome aboard, guy.
Hope you'll be around for a long time to come. Don't feel bad, it's just that we've had trolls stir the barrel on a number of occasions.
Can you tell us about yourself and your model RR interests on a new thread?
All this complaining about EBAY, but what the complainers fail to realize is...EBAY is a company, with stockholders, who want to make money. That's the same for every other company in the world.....if you don't like what a particular company is doing...then don't patronize it, sitting there moaning that the governemnt should regulate it is just plain dumb!
I have several friends who make a pretty good living selling on EBAY, I've made a fair amount of $$$ selling and I've gotten excellent deals on stuff I bought. I never answer those emails from Nigeria saying my PayPal is being used too much, I always read the ENTIRE description before bidding and I never ever bid with someone who has lower than 98% postive feedback, I check my accounts fequently for activity, and I never answer any emails trying to sell me stuff ouitside of EBAY....with these simple and common sense practices, it's just as safe to use EBAY as it is to send your CC numbers online to one of the hobby houses.
The fees charged by EBAY are not outrageous, and if you're smart you watch the ''free insertion'' notices that pop up frequently. I have the suspicion that the bulk of complainers don't use or have only used EBAY a few times, the remarks about the amount you get charged being triple digits demostrates this very well,. This is a free country and you are free to complain all you want, but whining that the government should regulate a business because YOU feel the prices are too high?? COME ON!!!! What are the complainers going to do when WALMART says.." Unless you use OUR CC from OUR bank ...we will charge you X%''? Will you want government regulation then too?
I believe EBAY has another service ProPay, but you control the payments.
I think its a direct bank transferiing I don't use credit cards, not after my previous fiasco, which was really my fault, but thats done, its cash based as much as possible.
Still, if EBAy insists, I may have to go that way but it will be far more difficult for me to deal with ebay, and that means I start hitting swap meets more.
I've had good luck with ebay with only one bad apple using... MONEY ORDERS.
I decided to post on this thread because it looks like a rant about ebay.
I've been disturbed by the new ebay rules and many of the changes the company has been making. I sometimes use my wife's ebay account to buy and sell model trains on ebay, and have have had some of the same kinds of problems expressed in this thread.
After Meg Whitman retired as CEO of Ebay, the company is falling apart. My wife owns shares of Ebay stock and her investemnt has a negative total return of -33% in the past 12 months.
Ebay is losing money for its stockholders.
Next, they've screwed around with rules as has been described in other posts on this threa.
Lately, Ebay has been using its "gestapo" to cancel some of my wife's listings arbitrarilly based upon Ebay's ever changing guidlines and rules. She feels she has lost sales becasue of Ebay's strong arm tactics.
I wonder if Ebay is violating anti-trust laws.
So much for ebay.
What alternatives do we have for buying and selling used model railroad stuff over the internet? I see Amazon sells used railroad books for individuals.
I invite model railroaders to suggest alternatives to ebay.
Would it do good if we all started complaining to ebay?
Any constructive thoughts would be appreciated.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
I belong to other model railroad forums that also have BUY / SELL / TRADE / WANT section. Seeing as how this is one of the busier model railroad forums on the net, I think it would be a good venue for us to use (?) All we need to do is convince the mods to create a sub-section for us to use as such.
Mark.
¡ uʍop ǝpısdn sı ǝɹnʇɐuƃıs ʎɯ 'dlǝɥ
Mark R. wrote:I belong to other model railroad forums that also have BUY / SELL / TRADE / WANT section. Seeing as how this is one of the busier model railroad forums on the net, I think it would be a good venue for us to use (?) All we need to do is convince the mods to create a sub-section for us to use as such.Mark.
I would somewhat like Mark's idea, but I'm sure Trains doesn't want to expose themselves to the potential liability if someone gets burned, so at a minimum, I figure they will post a BIG disclaimer about not warranteeing anything sold here. I agree that I'm not fond of eBay's changes lately (especially the push for PayPal, for whom I have no lost love whatsoever, but that's another topic of its own...), but on the plus side, at least on eBay there is supposedly some recourse for the buyer if the seller doesn't live up to their description or is exceptionally slow in sending out the goods.
If there would be a place which had some clout to enforce/kick out/take action against the few unscrupulous sellers/buyers quickly and fairly, I'd love to find another place to compete against eBay as an auction site. Otherwise, if eBay continues to deteriorate, I'll be limited to train shows (and hope an item runs, if it's say an engine) or onlin not-so-LHS's for the occasional item that's out of production that I would like.
Of course, there's also the whole 'pre-order and/or pay in advance' trend with manufacturers, another potential for me...
Jim in Cape Girardeau (stepping down from the soapbox now...)
I for one will support a simple want/swap or shipping by money order only kind of thing for unwanted train items.
If Ebay fails the Model Railroaders because of these changes, I think there is a oppertunity to set up a good clean sub site dedicated to helping model railroaders dispose of unwanted trains.
Otherwise the unwanted trains might go into the trash. It's that simple.
The idea of Kalmbach being involved with internet auctions may have some merit. Perhaps, Kalmbach should have a joint venture with Amazon or some other large internet company. Currently Amazon has about 4,000 HO items VS. Ebay currently having about 23,000 HO items.
We already have an Amazon account, and if I find the HO item I want there I'm not doing ebay. Amazon is fixed price, but the prices look reasonable for some items I saw. I may try selling Railroad books on Amazon to try the mout for selling.
Today, Ebay's "gestapo" cancelled yet another of my wife's listings without any valid reason other than to extort more fees.
I don't know, I have made it a practice to never buy from anyone I can't check on or know personally, and I have never lost any money or anything else. Of course, my attitude means I don't do Ebay, and somehow I have managed to live quite well for many years without Ebay.
It is a matter of choice, if you want to get bargains, sometimes you have to pay the price. I just choose not to.
Bob
Heartland Division CBQ wrote: The idea of Kalmbach being involved with internet auctions may have some merit.
The idea of Kalmbach being involved with internet auctions may have some merit.
Maybe not to Kalmbach, since that would put them in direct competition with many of the retailers and etailers that advdrtise in the magazine and on this site.
Heartland Division CBQ wrote:Perhaps, Kalmbach should have a joint venture with Amazon or some other large internet company. Currently Amazon has about 4,000 HO items VS. Ebay currently having about 23,000 HO items.
Perhaps, Kalmbach should have a joint venture with Amazon or some other large internet company. Currently Amazon has about 4,000 HO items VS. Ebay currently having about 23,000 HO items.
Thats apples to oranges. I took a look at the first few pages of Amazon's "HO" listings. Some of them are for Lionel fastrack, which is O. I guess maybe if your doing broad gauge. Some Thomas the Tank Engine. Soem books, eBay has a separate category. And nearly all the rest were just listings by etailers I already know about and can shop at directly at the same price. Lots of listings by Horizon Hobbies (Athearn distributor) at what looked like list price. Very little or none of the pre-owned and out of production items most of use eBay for.
You don't want to use eBay, fine. But amazon is no better and in some ways worse than just dealing with the etailers directly.
Oh and how are you guys gonna used your beloved money orders with amazon? Homey don't play that.
Heartland Division CBQ wrote: I may try selling Railroad books on Amazon to try the mout for selling.
I may try selling Railroad books on Amazon to try the mout for selling.
Good luck. Take a good look at their fees and recognize that they dictate the amount you can charge for shipping, sometimes less than it will cost you.
Heartland Division CBQ wrote: Today, Ebay's "gestapo" cancelled yet another of my wife's listings without any valid reason other than to extort more fees.
Whatever, dude. Reminds me of the guy who was on here complaining a few years ago that eBay froze his account "for no reason". Somebody on here investigated and discovered that the guy had retracted something like 32 committed bids. Yeah, no reason.
You're from the bay area, and you like ebay. Is that a clue?
Ebay is nit picking shipping costs and canceling listings. They send messages saying the tried calling on us on the phone which is a false statement. Ebay is not honest in that regard.
When we sell valuable items, we use more expensive packing materials and premium shipping services. Our flat fee for S&H exceeds their arbitrary boundaries and they cancel the listings.
Their fees (selling and paypal) are excessive and often amount to about 15% of the buyers total cost. All of that for just a few bytes in their computers
My wife's investment in the company stock has detriorated. The total return on Eaby stock in past twelve months is negative -33%.
Ebay's changes evidently are not good for either its customers or its invetors.
They need some competition.
Yes, Amazon has much less HO. You can find non-HO trains in Ebay's HO category, also.
Currently, Amazon sellers have a good selection of Rapido passenger cars.
Ebay needs at least one strong competetor. It would be good see Amazon expand its service for the used trains market.
Heartland Division CBQ wrote: You're from the bay area, and you like ebay. Is that a clue?
It might come as a surprise to those in Kentucky, but not everyone in the bay area works for eBay. I've bought and sold on eBay a couple of hundered times. No other conenction. It's not perfect, but it works. It's the biggest market out there for pre-owned and out of production HO stuff, so I use it.
You don't have to.
Heartland Division CBQ wrote: When we sell valuable items, we use more expensive packing materials and premium shipping services. Our flat fee for S&H exceeds their arbitrary boundaries and they cancel the listings.
Right. You're not charging excessive S&H to increase your profit by avoid paying eBay fees -- you're just misunderstood.
In any case, got nothing to do with train stuff.
Heartland Division CBQ wrote: Their fees (selling and paypal) are excessive and often amount to about 15% of the buyers total cost. All of that for just a few bytes in their computers
I don't see how that can be except on things that cost a dollar or two. But I'm not the expert some are at gaming eBay fees.
Heartland Division CBQ wrote: My wife's investment in the company stock has detriorated. The total return on Eaby stock in past twelve months is negative -33%.
Yeah, my Intel stock is down about the same amount. I'm just sure its due to eBay not taking money orders.
I do get it. eBay doesn't let you play the game you want to with S&H and you're ticked off. Doesn't mean eBay doesn't work fine for others. Now that I understand your axe to grind I won't waste any more of your time. Rave on, brother.