Ebay annoyances

[hayfield]

4 hours ago, Weeny Works said:

Buyer sends 2 blunt messages instantly after winning one of my items. 

• One demands I pack each wagon separately & carefully: No you'll get each one wrapped carefully within a larger bubblewrapped box. 
• The second demanding I ship them within a day: I can ship within the given ebay timeframe. 

Buyer then never leaves feedback. Talk about taking & not giving! 

 

That's awful, but I have had whitemetal kit built locos (2) dropped into a Jiffy bag without any bubble wrap and received a bag with lots of broken bits. Lots of other times where packing was insufficient, rarely do items come packed as per Royal Mail advice. 

 

I have come across more bad sellers than buyers

[2E Sub Shed]

3 hours ago, hayfield said:

 rarely do items come packed as per Royal Mail advice. 

I have the experience of receiving eBay feedback stating that I, "over-packed" an item.

 

Item was a book, packed in bubble wrap and card and then wrapped and sealed against water damage against  postie leaving on a doorstep in pouring rain.

[hayfield]

11 hours ago, 2E Sub Shed said:

I have the experience of receiving eBay feedback stating that I, "over-packed" an item.

 

Item was a book, packed in bubble wrap and card and then wrapped and sealed against water damage against  postie leaving on a doorstep in pouring rain.

 

 

Last week not a complaint by suggested I could offer a pass the parcel packing service !!

[Andy_C]

I just came across this thread this morning. My eBay moan is about listing. Why do folk not provide accurate descriptions of items? My example is I have saved searches for Revolution Trains, N gauge locos DCC ready, and DCC fitted. All sorts of stuff pops up that isn't anywhere near accurate, that wouldn't do if the seller had took the time to deal with the relevant fields.

 

Grr, and bah humbug :-)

[hayfield]

1 hour ago, Andy_C said:

I just came across this thread this morning. My eBay moan is about listing. Why do folk not provide accurate descriptions of items? My example is I have saved searches for Revolution Trains, N gauge locos DCC ready, and DCC fitted. All sorts of stuff pops up that isn't anywhere near accurate, that wouldn't do if the seller had took the time to deal with the relevant fields.

 

Grr, and bah humbug :-)

 

But it is these type of listings that produce the largest amount of listings

 

I recently brought an etched fret for a GER E22 loco body, the listing stated an amount of whitemetal castings. In fact not a piece of whitemetal in sight and if there was I would have been very disappointed.

 

I buy with my eyes initially, then I look at the description. If I am uncertain about it I leave it alone unless its very cheap and think I can resell it to recoup what I lay out. 

 

 

[John M Upton]

4 hours ago, Andy_C said:

I just came across this thread this morning. My eBay moan is about listing. Why do folk not provide accurate descriptions of items? My example is I have saved searches for Revolution Trains, N gauge locos DCC ready, and DCC fitted. All sorts of stuff pops up that isn't anywhere near accurate, that wouldn't do if the seller had took the time to deal with the relevant fields.

 

Grr, and bah humbug :-)

 

It doesn't help that ebay keep redesigning the listing pages, various sub categories, often hidden unless you click a down arrow to reveal them are filled in automatically based on what ebay thinks you are selling rather than what you actually are.  Result is that an item is innocently listed correctly but then starts popping up in only distantly related or not related searches at all.

 

Witness the amount of utter carp part work landfill that constantly fills model rail listings mainly because it is made by a company called Atlas who are nothing whatsoever to do with the model rail manufacturer companies of the same name in Europe and the US.

 

Then there is the scrapping of the sub categories for different scales a while back, now everything is lumped together, again a PITA if your chosen search word manufacturer produces the same model in different scales (Dapol Class 73 for example).

Edited August 19, 2023 by John M Upton

[hayfield]

5 hours ago, Andy_C said:

I just came across this thread this morning. My eBay moan is about listing. Why do folk not provide accurate descriptions of items? My example is I have saved searches for Revolution Trains, N gauge locos DCC ready, and DCC fitted. All sorts of stuff pops up that isn't anywhere near accurate, that wouldn't do if the seller had took the time to deal with the relevant fields.

 

Grr, and bah humbug :-)

 

You will never get all listings listed accurately, and as I have said my best buys have been those which have been badly listed

 

However eBay has refined its search engine to look for items containing all of the words plus those with any of the words, rather than just items containing all of the words. The filters now have been altered to search far too broadly .

 

[Canal Digger]

If you put Inverted Commas around your search word(s) it then searches for 'exact words', takes out some the rubbish.

[Bucoops]

Bring back the days when you could use wildcards - e.g. etch* would return etch and etched. Much easier to find things.

[PeterStiles]

Annoying.. when your bid, and all others are cancelled by the seller

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305079824520?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=KXuiZpeSQwm&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=v6cpl3kbqqi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

"Look at the bidding history" eBay says "to see the reason why your bid was cancelled"

 

Looking at the bidding history all I see is "BID CANCELLED BY SELLER ";

 

One suspects the seller was underwhelmed by the bids, which means they should have set a Reserve or a higher Start point...

 

 

 

 

[Bucoops]

"No reserve" - more like too tight to pay for one.

[Michael Hodgson]

11 minutes ago, Bucoops said:

"No reserve" - more like too tight to pay for one.

Why pay for a reserve?

If there's a minimum you're prepared to accept for something, use that as your starting price.  You will either get at least your minimum or you will fsil to get a  bid at all.  If you do set a reserve and nobody's willing to pay what you think is a fair price for it, it won't sell anyway

[hayfield]

2 hours ago, PeterStiles said:

Annoying.. when your bid, and all others are cancelled by the seller

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/305079824520?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=KXuiZpeSQwm&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=v6cpl3kbqqi&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

 

"Look at the bidding history" eBay says "to see the reason why your bid was cancelled"

 

Looking at the bidding history all I see is "BID CANCELLED BY SELLER ";

 

One suspects the seller was underwhelmed by the bids, which means they should have set a Reserve or a higher Start point...

 

 

 

 

 

 

They may well have cancelled a bid which would have been acceptable if others put in higher bids

 

One problem with eBay is the limited amount of additional info that can be added once a bid has been made (accept starting bit should not be altered)

[cessna152towser]

6 minutes ago, hayfield said:

One problem with eBay is the limited amount of additional info that can be added once a bid has been made (accept starting bit should not be altered)

I've been caught that way.  I edited my photo of the box end label from portrait to landscape so the the text on the label would display correctly.   Within an hour of my listing going live with a start price of 99p I discovered that eBay had defaulted from my original draft listing to now showing the box end label as my main photo because that was the last photo which I had edited.  I tried to edit the listing, but the order of the photos kept defaulting back to the box end label as main photo because in the meantime someone had put in a starting bid of 99p.   The dilemma in such circumstance, as a seller, whether the listing should be allowed to run its course, or whether it would be cheaper to end the listing and pay eBay fees based on the highest bid, and then relist correctly, when a better main photo might attract more views and a better price.

[Mark]

Why is it the people who get the best deals on auctions are the least likely to leave any kind of feedback?
 

I have auctioned a number of things recently in mint unused condition which sold well below the price they are currently available for new and they were posted as quickly as possible within my stated dispatch time, excess postage refunded and nothing!

 

Mark.

[Sjcm]

I gave up trying to fathom out feedback years ago. You get periods where everyone leaves feedback, and then nothing for a month. Some people message me when they get the item and confirm they're happy but don't leave feedback. Think I get about 2 thirds of buyers leaving feedback overall if you add in the stragglers who leave it a month or more

[MikeB]

I don't undertand the recent obsession with feedback for online shopping, be it Ebay, Amazon or Trustpilot.  Feedback can help indicate problem sellers or excellent products, but it seems to me that everybody seems to expect a positive five-star review for everything.  While a review may be appropriate for some complex or unusual items, what am I meant to do for something simple?  Say I buy a Peco lineside kit, or two points, as new.  The items are as described but their quality depends on Peco, not the seller.  Their suitability for me depends on whether I have correctly identified what I need.  The parcel is properly packaged and sent within a day or two.  I consider that is normal, how things should be, so deserves an average rating of OK, 3 out of 5.  What could justify 5 stars, but that seems expected?   If the parcel is sent by Tracked 48 but Royal Mail takes five days to deliver it to me, does the seller deserve a poor review? 

[Sjcm]

19 minutes ago, MikeB said:

I don't undertand the recent obsession with feedback for online shopping, be it Ebay, Amazon or Trustpilot.  Feedback can help indicate problem sellers or excellent products, but it seems to me that everybody seems to expect a positive five-star review for everything.  While a review may be appropriate for some complex or unusual items, what am I meant to do for something simple?  Say I buy a Peco lineside kit, or two points, as new.  The items are as described but their quality depends on Peco, not the seller.  Their suitability for me depends on whether I have correctly identified what I need.  The parcel is properly packaged and sent within a day or two.  I consider that is normal, how things should be, so deserves an average rating of OK, 3 out of 5.  What could justify 5 stars, but that seems expected?   If the parcel is sent by Tracked 48 but Royal Mail takes five days to deliver it to me, does the seller deserve a poor review? 

As a buyer, with my selling head on, I always leave feedback as a courtesy. It takes me 5 minutes  seeing i'm on there anyway. In 13 years think I've left one negative for a scammer so yeah it's more a ritual than anything but if they've been helpful or I've received very good service then it's good to acknowledge it in the comments I think. As a seller I don't really care if they don't leave feedback. Some people have an objection to doing it, some thank you via messages, some are hardly on there, others forget.  I just want to avoid any buyer who is not happy, doesn't contact you and then leaves bad or neutral feedback 4 weeks down the line which you see quite a lot on  feedbacks

[hayfield]

3 hours ago, Mark said:

Why is it the people who get the best deals on auctions are the least likely to leave any kind of feedback?
 

I have auctioned a number of things recently in mint unused condition which sold well below the price they are currently available for new and they were posted as quickly as possible within my stated dispatch time, excess postage refunded and nothing!

 

Mark.

 

2 hours ago, Sjcm said:

I gave up trying to fathom out feedback years ago. You get periods where everyone leaves feedback, and then nothing for a month. Some people message me when they get the item and confirm they're happy but don't leave feedback. Think I get about 2 thirds of buyers leaving feedback overall if you add in the stragglers who leave it a month or more

 

 

I never look at or read a sellers feedback prior to buying an item, I know if the claims are false eBay will sort matters out.

 

As a buyer (mostly of bargains) I always both send a note and give feedback ASAP

As a seller I only give feedback upon receipt of feedback first, simply it is confirmation of both delivery and customer satisfaction. Simply if the buyer cannot be bothered to leave feedback, why should I ? 

 

As it happens 14 out of my last 20 sales left feedback and 27 out of my last 40 sales. 5 out of the 13 sales without feedback were from the same buyer

 

But as no one complained I am happy 

[Andy_C]

19 hours ago, hayfield said:

Simply if the buyer cannot be bothered to leave feedback, why should I ? 

This.

[hayfield]

19 minutes ago, Andy_C said:

This.

 

 

?

[PeterStiles]

1 hour ago, hayfield said:

?

Because you are *better* than the other party...

[hayfield]

1 hour ago, PeterStiles said:

Because you are *better* than the other party...

 

Better, NO but the same yes

 

As a buyer I mostly send a note of appreciation and always leave feedback. I was taught to be courteous, so I send my thanks, and inform its arrived safely. Quite often I receive nice replies from the sellers.

 

Its not very difficult or time consuming, unless you are buying in volume

[big jim]

EBay now offer AI generated descriptions for items 

 

One of the descriptions below is from my listing for a planet industrials Kerr Stuart I’ve got up at the moment, the other is what it offered me as a AI generated description, it’s almost impossible to tell which is which! 

 

Introducing the Planet Industrials Kerr Stuart Victory Locomotive, a stunning addition to any collection. This locomotive boasts unparalleled quality and attention to detail, making it a must-have for train enthusiasts and collectors alike. Its impressive design and craftsmanship ensure that it will make a statement wherever it is displayed.

With its sturdy build and exceptional performance, this locomotive is perfect for both display and use. Its unique features and specifications, as well as its undeniable aesthetic value, make it an excellent choice for anyone looking to elevate their collection. The locomotive has been test run and run in and that is it, bought for a project that never happened.

Against……

 

you are bidding on a Planet Industrials Kerr Stuart Victory steam loco 

DCC fitted (next 18 decoder)

Finished in IW&D grey livery and numbered 12 

Only been test run on my rolling road before and after chipping, it probably needs a few cvs adjusting depending on your own preferences as I haven’t changed anything from default other than the address (12) 

Boxed in the correct box with all paperwork and inserts etc

Only selling as I managed to pick up a sound chipped victory and can’t justify having two of them!

A lovely loco, runs beautifully, slow speed running is fantastic

 

Edited September 10, 2023 by big jim

[Andy_C]

2 hours ago, hayfield said:

Better, NO but the same yes

 

As a buyer I mostly send a note of appreciation and always leave feedback. I was taught to be courteous, so I send my thanks, and inform its arrived safely. Quite often I receive nice replies from the sellers.

 

Its not very difficult or time consuming, unless you are buying in volume

You are comparing your standards against others. Fair enough. As a buyer I do the same - leave feedback.
 

As a seller I wait for feedback. If I don’t get any feedback, then I don’t leave any. Hence I was agreeing with the point raised, quoting accordingly. 
 

cheers,

 

Andy.