eBay

2011limey1 · ‎04-12-2014

I always post that I've never (luckily) had a problem - but there was one so long ago. Ordered a great unusual hoodie from China and after many, many weeks (I'm used to buying from there) it didn't arrive. Msgd seller and he sent another one - THEN the other one arrived finally - msgd the seller and he said to keep both of them because of the cost of returning - nice (donated one). I am always super polite in my msgs and I think that goes a long way instead of some posters going on severe rants.

A couple of days ago something weird happened (from a Cdn. seller). I'm not a brand-name woman, just one item I love are Michael Kors watches - I have three. One from Amazon, one from a U.S. seller and another from a Cdn. seller. I've never in 3 yrs. paid duty, even from the U.S. seller - lucky. Anyway, saw a Cdn. seller had MK (I wonder) silicone band ones that are obviously much cheaper than the others. I liked the look of it but msgd that it didn't have MK on the front like all MKs do. Seller was from Montreal, no language barrier at all, but boy, the messages going back and forth. She said to go ahead and bid on it and she would send me one which does have the logo on. Before I bid, I went into her store and no, she didn't have any with logo on. I told her this and she still kept saying, no, she had one with logo and I should bid and leave a note saying I want logo. Sounded too fishy for me and of course didn't bid. The "homework" I do came in handy there. By the way, I have to go into the MK store here and find out what batteries they put in - they're all still running and first one was purchased YEARS ago. Long story, but shows you have to do your homework, even with Cdn. sellers.

marnotom! · ‎04-12-2014

Good post, Limey1.

I think a lot of problems that buyers get into are due to the fact that they're treating eBay as some sort of one-stop instant gratification purchase site, when the reality is that as things currently are, this is more like the catalogue shopping that was pretty much standard operating procedure just over a century ago. Buyers need to make sure that there's a good--no, an excellent--chance that what they want is what they're going to get. eBay's purchase protection schemes are nice in theory, but they're far from perfect in practice.

i*m-stilll-here · ‎04-12-2014

limey's post was interesting, but marmo: My EBay is nothing like your eBay is.

Catalogue shopping? One-stop gratification site? Perhaps for those buying mass produced Walmart type "bleep."

For those of us buying antiques, collectives and OOAK items that couldn't be further from the truth.

limey's post is interesting and I think for those of us who buy OOAK items there are unique problems.

Currently I'm dealing with a UK seller who replaced Jade with green wood and is defending his listing.

I'm in the position of having to return it to the UK with tracking at my expense.

This seller if very slippery and doing his best to nail me at every turn.

My emails to sellers used to be more polite than they are these days and even though I try be "nice" some days it's very challenging.

A lot of sellers mistake that type of thing for weakness and then try to walk all over you.

I could write a book!

amethyst1415 · ‎04-12-2014

You could write a book yet you have zero feedback.

bb_cool_stuff · ‎04-12-2014

You could write a book yet you have zero feedback.

What were you trying to accomplish with that post ?

I'm sure Femme has some Dale Carnegie books for sale & I would suggest investing in at least one title.

FYI, many of the Regulars have Posting, Buying & Selling IDs.

marnotom! · ‎04-13-2014

@i*m-stilll-here wrote:

limey's post was interesting, but marmo: My EBay is nothing like your eBay is.

Catalogue shopping? One-stop gratification site? Perhaps for those buying mass produced Walmart type "bleep."

For those of us buying antiques, collectives and OOAK items that couldn't be further from the truth.

I never said that it was true for all buyers.

@i*m-stilll-here wrote:

My emails to sellers used to be more polite than they are these days and even though I try be "nice" some days it's very challenging.

A lot of sellers mistake that type of thing for weakness and then try to walk all over you.

My eBay is nothing like your eBay. 🙂

arlene_v · ‎04-13-2014

Hmmm. Very interesting.

I did a bit of sleuthing and see what you mean. If the seller has one marked MK it should be listed as such. I agree with your conclusion that something is fishy, hence the need for perfume, possibly.

2011limey1 · ‎04-13-2014

Your sleuthing is correct - WOW, I can get a sample of MK perfume for over $40.00! when I can get one free anywhere!

Not sure why, but I'm surprised a Canadian seller is doing this......and just doesn't give up when I question her - thought we were a honest, polite bunch LOL! Cheers arlene-v

i*m-stilll-here · ‎04-13-2014

@marnotom! wrote:
My eBay is nothing like your eBay.

marmo: I could be wrong, but I have the impression that you and I are very different in what and how much we buy here, and thus experience eBay very differently.

I have the impression that you buy very little.

Most posters have separate buying and selling ids.

For the most part we can't really see what others buy, and so in that way you and I are not that different from other regular posters to this board.

I buy more than other regular posters do.

I have numerous buying ids and I go in spurts, but currently I'm buying several items/day and have been doing so for over a decade.

Sometimes more; Sometimes less.; But never gone.

How many buying ids do you have?

When you do buy, do you tend to buy new items or collectibles?

How many items do you purchase in a week, a month, or during one year's time?

marnotom! · ‎04-13-2014

Do you show this much interest in the private lives of most other eBay users?

i*m-stilll-here · ‎04-13-2014

@marnotom! wrote:
Do you show this much interest in the private lives of most other eBay users?

marmo: I was going to send a PS but then thought you'd understand why I was asking what I did.

My questions to you have nothing to do with your private life.

They have to do with your very public posts. I'm surprised you doh't say much at all about your purchases here.

You post advice to buyers more than any other poster does, and so the questions I asked of you make complete sense.

I have the impression that our buying experiences are very different and that's behind the reason that we have very different views on eBay buying most of the time.

So, then: How many buying ids do you have and how much and what types of items do you buy in a week?

marnotom! · ‎04-13-2014

@i*m-stilll-here wrote:
marmo: I was going to send a PS but then thought you'd understand why I was asking what I did.

My questions to you have nothing to do with your private life.
They have to do with your very public posts. I'm surprised you doh't say much at all about your purchases here.

Conversely, your posts on this board seem largely about your negative experiences with your various eBay purchases and are comparatively light on advice and heavier on generalizations. ("A lot of sellers mistake [politeness] for weakness and then try to walk all over you." Really? How can you speak for other buyers' experiences that way?) And these posts are made under at least two posting IDs, one of which is registered in the United States for some reason.

@i*m-stilll-here wrote:
You post advice to buyers more than any other poster does, and so the questions I asked of you make complete sense.

I have the impression that our buying experiences are very different and that's behind the reason that we have very different views on eBay buying most of the time.

So, then: How many buying ids do you have and how much and what types of items do you buy in a week?

Just because your questions make some modicum of sense doesn't impel me to respond to them. Besides, a post you made a while back suggested to me that you figured out my usual ID (it's not a stretch) so it seems to me that you've answered your own question some time ago.

Our buying experiences do seem to be different, but I would suggest to you that the number of people posting to this board who are buying higher-ticket collectibles on a weekly basis are pretty far and few between. While I may not purchase on a weekly or even monthly basis, I would say that my buying pattern is at least somewhat more typical of a Canadian eBay user who buys items from outside Canada.

Of course this board is going to attract a lot of "power buyers" of larger, more expensive to ship goods. I'm not suggesting that their buying pattern or experiences are somehow invalid; only that I would suggest that they may not necessarily be representative of those of the typical Canadian eBay buyer who buys lower-ticket items that are fairly inexpensive to ship as oversize letters.

i*m-stilll-here · ‎04-13-2014

Marmo:

I started out buying only low ticket items like everyone else and I limited myself to those for years.

Now I've graduated and am comfortable buying high end pieces as well as low ticket items (which I still buy) but it took me a decade to get to this level.

My buying experiences are very typical of the average collector on eBay but nothing like yours.

I do help out when I can, but I'm well aware that I post with a no-name id.

I respond when no one else seems to be biting and the poster needs something right away.

Otherwise, I tend to restrict my responses to observations simply because I do use a no-name id and newbies might feel better getting advice from those who have the appearance of being heavy hitters.

I get that.

Yes, I am aware of your other id. You've bought 2 items on this id and 2 on the other id. (Four items / year.)

You've bought 4 items during the past year and I often buy that much in a day.

OF COURSE we will have different view points.

marnotom! · ‎04-13-2014

That's odd. I'm pretty sure that in another thread you quoted a higher feedback rating for the ID that you found.

At any rate, I'm not sure what we're quibbling about, to be honest. We both acknowledge that we use eBay for different reasons and our profiles as buyers are quite different.

I don't see why or how that invalidates anything we have to bring to this board as long as we don't assume that our buying experiences are those of others using the site and we try not to make generalizations based on our experiences that may not apply to others.

i*m-stilll-here · ‎04-13-2014

The discrepancy is, as you know, the difference between your total FB for that id (around 35) and the FB you've received during the past year..... (2).

AGAIN: As you well know.

I have never assumed that my experience applies to everyone.

For example: I am ALWAYS careful to point out that I have no experience with new Walmart type "bleep."

I'm not quibbling.

I'm responding to your statement above : "" I think a lot of problems that buyers get into are due to the fact that they're treating eBay as some sort of one-stop instant gratification purchase site, when the reality is that as things currently are, this is more like the catalogue shopping.........."""

Talking about eBay buyers that way is condescending and passive-aggressive.

That's what I was reacting to.

I am an eBay buyer and I am not out for instant gratification.

Nor is the eBay I know anything like catalogue shopping.

That is why I posted that your eBay and mine are nothing alike.

marnotom! · ‎04-13-2014

@i*m-stilll-here wrote:

AGAIN: As you well know.

I have never assumed that my experience applies to everyone.
For example: I am ALWAYS careful to point out that I have no experience with new Walmart type "bleep."

I don't believe that this is an "again" or there's an "always". Written earlier today was:

A lot of sellers mistake that type of thing [politeness] for weakness and then try to walk all over you. (My emphasis.)

If that wasn't intended as being applicable to those other than yourself, then more a more careful choice of words needs to be made.

@i*m-stilll-here wrote:

I'm responding to your statement above : "" I think a lot of problems that buyers get into are due to the fact that they're treating eBay as some sort of one-stop instant gratification purchase site, when the reality is that as things currently are, this is more like the catalogue shopping.........."""

Talking about eBay buyers that way is condescending and passive-aggressive.
That's what I was reacting to.

I am an eBay buyer and I am not out for instant gratification.
Nor is the eBay I know anything like catalogue shopping.

It's not condescending nor passive-aggressive, nor does it refer to all buyers by any stretch. The subject of that paragraph is "a lot of problems" but it's certainly not "all problems" nor is it even "the majority of problems" that eBay buyers get into. Therefore, they're not problems associated with all buyers.

I've made comments about some US eBay sellers not doing their homework prior to adopting the GSP and you haven't rushed to their defence. In fact, you've made some pretty pointed comments about US sellers yourself. I don't think you're actually trying to defend Canadian eBay buyers. For whatever reason, a comment that you claim doesn't apply to you has hit home for you. Either you didn't read the comment closely enough or else you actually do feel that you identify with the Walmart crowd despite the fact that your problems with making purchases on eBay are in a completely different ballpark.