Ebay annoyances

[njee20]

I just set auto decline on offers so I don’t even see the stupid ones unless I actively check.

 

Have never seen eBay adding offers retroactively to a BIN, seems far more likely you just didn’t unselect it, why would they do it for you? They may have changed it to default to on.

[John M Upton]

No, unfortunately they did indeed start adding Best Offer to listings without any permission a few months back if there was no significant interest in a Buy it Now item after a few days.

 

They stopped after a couple of weeks though as there was a lot of complaints from aggrieved sellers.

[ejstubbs]

Some sellers are astonishingly slipshod in their listings.  I randomly alighted on the listing for item number 332819017754 the other day and in an idle moment decided to peruse it further.  Turned out that there are three different coaches in the photos - including close-ups of three different boxes! - although the listing says two.  I actually e-mailed the seller to point this out and got the reply "There are two coaches only".  No indication of which two are actually for sale!  Unsurprisingly, the auction expired with no bids.  In this case one couldn't even use the 'excuse' that whatever you get, it's cheap: a £40 starting price (including the swinging £10 postage - I thought eBay had clamped down on nonsense like that) is pushing your luck a bit for a couple of Bachmann LMS Period 1 coaches - more so if you can't actually be bothered to describe them properly.

[rab]

Some sellers are astonishingly slipshod in their listings.  I randomly alighted on the listing for item number 332819017754 the other day and in an idle moment decided to peruse it further.  Turned out that there are three different coaches in the photos - including close-ups of three different boxes! - although the listing says two.  I actually e-mailed the seller to point this out and got the reply "There are two coaches only".  No indication of which two are actually for sale!  Unsurprisingly, the auction expired with no bids.  In this case one couldn't even use the 'excuse' that whatever you get, it's cheap: a £40 starting price (including the swinging £10 postage - I thought eBay had clamped down on nonsense like that) is pushing your luck a bit for a couple of Bachmann LMS Period 1 coaches - more so if you can't actually be bothered to describe them properly.

I found a listing recently for 2 turnouts, both described as insulfrog, but the picture definitely showed one insulfrog and one electrofrog. I contacted the seller pointing this out, but they replied insisting they were both insulfrog. I just hope whoever bought them knows what they're getting.

[cravensdmufan]

I've sold a good few model railway items on eBay, thinning down my collection.

 

Always cleaned, serviced and tested all items and never sent anything out which I wouldn't have been delighted to receive as a buyer. Always well packed and sent out the next day.

 

Never expected any "thanks" because obviously it's purely a commercial transaction - but it sure does annoy me when the buyer doesn't leave feedback. I've noticed lack of feedback more and more in the last couple of years.  I guess some folk just can't be bothered.

[47137]

No, unfortunately they did indeed start adding Best Offer to listings without any permission a few months back if there was no significant interest in a Buy it Now item after a few days.

 

They stopped after a couple of weeks though as there was a lot of complaints from aggrieved sellers.

I sell my surplus stuff on eBay from time to time. I invariably go for auction-style listings without a 'buy it now' price - this lets the market set the price on the day. The 'best offer' button seems to attract people at the ends of the spectrum. There are serious buyers who see something they want and make a sensible offer (which I accept) and there are people who reject the threshold you have set for the 'best offer' and send in messages with a derisory offer. So far, I've have five very reasonable offers and two time wasters, in about two dozen listings.

 

I think, eBay have got it wrong by requiring the threshold for the best offer to be below the auction starting price - surely, it should be expected to be higher. This lets both parties get a fair price and complete the sale briskly.

 

- Richard.

Edited October 9, 2018 by 47137

[47137]

I've sold a good few model railway items on eBay, thinning down my collection.

 

Always cleaned, serviced and tested all items and never sent anything out which I wouldn't have been delighted to receive as a buyer. Always well packed and sent out the next day.

 

Never expected any "thanks" because obviously it's purely a commercial transaction - but it sure does annoy me when the buyer doesn't leave feedback. I've noticed lack of feedback more and more in the last couple of years.  I guess some folk just can't be bothered.

 

I have sent buyers a brief message to ask "did the item arrive safely" and always had a nice reply with a thank you. This is good. Unfortunately there is another kind of buyer who uses the "positive feedback" facility to write something nasty all out of the blue, so I suppose no feedback can be a blessing.

 

- Richard.

[ejstubbs]

Two current listings, each one with mismatched description and photographs:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bachmann-38-080-12-Ton-Southern-2-2-Planked-Vent-Van-LMS-Grey-Wagon-00-gauge/323480437507

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bachmann-37-803-12-Ton-Planked-Ventilated-Van-LMS-Grey-wagon-in-VGC-00-gauge/323480072013

 

In fact one listing has photos of the item described in the other listing, and vice versa.  (It's not helped by the box label photo in each listing being correct, but the box contents being wrong.  Basically, the guy doesn't really know exactly what he's selling.)

 

I contacted the seller yesterday pointing out his mistake, and saying that if he can fix it so I know what I'd actually get if I won either auction then I would happily enter a realistic bid.  No response so far.

 

Why are so many sellers so useless at listing their stuff accurately, and helping buyers if anything is unclear or wrong?  (See also my post #78 and rab's post #79).  Bet they blame eBay when they no bids or low bids, too.

Edited October 10, 2018 by ejstubbs

[Nedrahn]

I sell my surplus stuff on eBay from time to time. I invariably go for auction-style listings without a 'buy it now' price - this lets the market set the price on the day. The 'best offer' button seems to attract people at the ends of the spectrum. There are serious buyers who see something they want and make a sensible offer (which I accept) and there are people who reject the threshold you have set for the 'best offer' and send in messages with a derisory offer. So far, I've have five very reasonable offers and two time wasters, in about two dozen listings.

 

I think, eBay have got it wrong by requiring the threshold for the best offer to be below the auction starting price - surely, it should be expected to be higher. This lets both parties get a fair price and complete the sale briskly.

 

- Richard.

Surely it depends on the starting price? If a potential buyer wants the item, but feels the seller has started it way too high, it's not unreasonable to offer the best price he or she is prepared to pay, even if that is below the starting price. There are plenty of chancers selling on eBay, trying their luck to see if some fool bites (in which case the sale will probably appear in the eBay Madness thread). As for the market, I feel this is severely distorted by both auction madness and fraudulent shill bidding. The former is a fact of life in any auction - some items you win, some items you watch go beyond their reasonable value as two bidders butt heads. Shill bidding is a crime, but it appears that neither eBay nor the authorities take it seriously. That won't change until eBay is made directly accountable for fraudulent activity by sellers. At the very least Private Listings should be banned. Before any sellers start pounding the keys in outrage, yes there are plenty of good and honest sellers, and yes there are plenty of dodgy and crooked buyers. It's always the few who spoil it for the many. 

[Spitfire2865]

I have sent buyers a brief message to ask "did the item arrive safely" and always had a nice reply with a thank you. This is good. Unfortunately there is another kind of buyer who uses the "positive feedback" facility to write something nasty all out of the blue, so I suppose no feedback can be a blessing.

 

- Richard.

Lucky...

I contact every buyer when Im packing the item up as to when I will ship it out.

Then when it has been sent I tell them its on its way and to let me know when it gets there.

Rarely I get any contact from them, or feedback.

And honestly if they cant be bothered to let me know theyre happy with the purchase, I cant be bothered to leave them feedback.  Not going to risk giving good feedback just to get hammered with an unjust complaint.  

 

And no, 'giving feedback first' doest result in them reciprocating the same.  

 

 

 

But on the buying side, theres an auction Im interested in, with a start price of $30 and a best offer option.

I put in an offer for $30, not declined, not haggled, just ignored.  I would have been willing to haggle.  And they are answering messages because they did the first time when I asked a question about it!

Edited October 10, 2018 by Spitfire2865

[E3109]

A long while ago, I was looking at bidding on a Triang EM2. It looked in reasonable nick and the price wasn't too bad.

And then I spotted that the loco had a class 31 power bogie rather than the correct one, when I messaged the seller to point it out he replied, rather curtly, "If you don't want it, then don't bid on it".

 

He obviously knew it was the wrong bogie, unfortunately the two types are interchangeable and I've seen plenty EM2s with 31 bogies at swap meets.. But funnily enough, never seen any 31s with an EM2 bogie.

 

Do you think they know?

[Colin_McLeod]

Spitfire your offer was no better than just putting in a bid at the starting price. If I had been the seller I would have probably ignored it too.

 

Try a higher offer and see what happens, or just put in a bid.

Edited October 10, 2018 by Colin_McLeod

[Spitfire2865]

Spitfire your offer was no better than just putting in a bid at the starting price. If I had been the seller I would have probably ignored it too.

 

Try a higher offer and see what happens, or just put in a bid.

But to ignore it rather than decline, or demand more? That part seemed a bit strange to me.  

But sure, Ill give it a shot.

[Spitfire2865]

Spitfire your offer was no better than just putting in a bid at the starting price. If I had been the seller I would have probably ignored it too.

Try a higher offer and see what happens, or just put in a bid.

Well I offered $37, more than I suspect itll go for in the end considering the lack of activity. Again, not declined, just ignored. Ending tomorrow.

Im now most likely going to win it for less than my offer. Their loss.

[Colin_McLeod]

I thought seller had 48 hours to consider an offer. Anyway best of luck with your purchase.

[Spitfire2865]

I thought seller had 48 hours to consider an offer. Anyway best of luck with your purchase.

I thought so too, but both my offers expired after 12 hours.  

[Colin_McLeod]

Another e bay change I suppose.

[Spitfire2865]

Another e bay change I suppose.

Well they do still say offers last 48 hours.  Perhaps because the auction was ending in less than that time?

[lofty1966]

Lucky...

I contact every buyer when Im packing the item up as to when I will ship it out.

Then when it has been sent I tell them its on its way and to let me know when it gets there.

Rarely I get any contact from them, or feedback.

And honestly if they cant be bothered to let me know theyre happy with the purchase, I cant be bothered to leave them feedback.  Not going to risk giving good feedback just to get hammered with an unjust complaint.  

 

And no, 'giving feedback first' doest result in them reciprocating the same.  

 

I often can’t leave feedback as I get stuff mailed to my mothers UK address and for some reason she no longer mails them onto me in any great hurry if at all!

So I have no idea what’s turned up and in what condition until it’s too late.

Most annoying

[47137]

Surely it depends on the starting price? If a potential buyer wants the item, but feels the seller has started it way too high, it's not unreasonable to offer the best price he or she is prepared to pay, even if that is below the starting price. There are plenty of chancers selling on eBay, trying their luck to see if some fool bites (in which case the sale will probably appear in the eBay Madness thread). As for the market, I feel this is severely distorted by both auction madness and fraudulent shill bidding. The former is a fact of life in any auction - some items you win, some items you watch go beyond their reasonable value as two bidders butt heads. Shill bidding is a crime, but it appears that neither eBay nor the authorities take it seriously. That won't change until eBay is made directly accountable for fraudulent activity by sellers. At the very least Private Listings should be banned. Before any sellers start pounding the keys in outrage, yes there are plenty of good and honest sellers, and yes there are plenty of dodgy and crooked buyers. It's always the few who spoil it for the many. 

The only private listing I ever bought was a packet of large copper nails. For a tree ...

 

Anyway, I do think the starting price should be just that: the start. About two thirds of my lots sell with maybe two sometimes three bids, and for the unsold ones it is fair to suppose the man who wants the item didn't see it. The market can be very small for some items. Virtually the entire market is men, and if they actually want something they pay what is asked. Women are different but this could derail this thread. There isn't a great urgency to sell, and if a lot gets no bids I can try the listing again, combine the item with something else or dispose of it elsewhere.

 

- Richard.

[47137]

Lucky...

I contact every buyer when Im packing the item up as to when I will ship it out.

Then when it has been sent I tell them its on its way and to let me know when it gets there.

Rarely I get any contact from them, or feedback.

And honestly if they cant be bothered to let me know theyre happy with the purchase, I cant be bothered to leave them feedback.  Not going to risk giving good feedback just to get hammered with an unjust complaint.  

 

And no, 'giving feedback first' doest result in them reciprocating the same.  

 

 

 

But on the buying side, theres an auction Im interested in, with a start price of $30 and a best offer option.

I put in an offer for $30, not declined, not haggled, just ignored.  I would have been willing to haggle.  And they are answering messages because they did the first time when I asked a question about it!

To be honest, I don't think you could choose a worse amount for your offer. The seller will see it as you wanting to be the sole bidder and end the auction early for you. Suggesting a higher amount or a lower amount will at least deliver a message.

 

- Richard.

[47137]

Well I offered $37, more than I suspect itll go for in the end considering the lack of activity. Again, not declined, just ignored. Ending tomorrow.

Im now most likely going to win it for less than my offer. Their loss.

I'm not sure what you have done to get into this situation, but buyers cannot make offers in an auction after the first bid is placed. If you made an offer and then placed a bid, your offer is nullified and the seller cannot respond to it. Good luck with your purchase!

 

- Richard.

[Spitfire2865]

I'm not sure what you have done to get into this situation, but buyers cannot make offers in an auction after the first bid is placed. If you made an offer and then placed a bid, your offer is nullified and the seller cannot respond to it. Good luck with your purchase!

 

- Richard.

Oh, there were no bids.  And I doubt it wouldve attracted any bids as it wasnt a particularly well known or high demand item.  I had offered $30 as a hopeful start to negotiation, with the full intent to end higher.  

 

Turns out the seller was unavailable due to work, thus why there was no response to my offers.  He ended up messaging me back yesterday asking what was happening.  He seemed relatively new to ebaying, so unsure how the best offer option worked.  By his messages, I would think he wouldve been fine with $30.  But Im a man of my word, so I reoffered $37 and he accepted.  Wouldve gladly paid a bit more.  

But still, as to why the offer was only valid for 12 hours, not 48 as usual is still a mystery to me.

 

Even then, $37 is a steal for the item, that new from the maker wouldve cost me $64.  Though how available the items are new, Im not sure as the maker hasnt gotten back to my inquiry on a different item.  

[Nedrahn]

 

 

Virtually the entire market is men, and if they actually want something they pay what is asked. Women are different but this could derail this thread.

I was running a sales stand at a show last weekend, and I can assure you that men haggle too! I had a ten percent discretion, but even then I had to use creative mathematics to secure some sales. I think my original point is still valid. If offers are invited and the starting price is high, it is not unreasonable to make a sensible lower offer. The seller doesn't have to accept it. What's wrong is if eBay adds Make an Offer without  the seller wanting it.

[47137]

I was running a sales stand at a show last weekend, and I can assure you that men haggle too! I had a ten percent discretion, but even then I had to use creative mathematics to secure some sales. I think my original point is still valid. If offers are invited and the starting price is high, it is not unreasonable to make a sensible lower offer. The seller doesn't have to accept it. What's wrong is if eBay adds Make an Offer without  the seller wanting it.

I agree with you, but I do think the two environments are very different.

 

Specifically, when buyers resort to the "send message to seller" feature to send a pitiful offer, duly followed by a polite refusal, followed in turn by yet another counter-offer, the list of "unanswered questions" grows ... the simple "go forth" message needs body language and eye contact unavailable online.

 

- Richard.

Edited October 13, 2018 by 47137