Don't Ever Sell on Ebay! Ever Ever! Bad Place! Bad!

[Ryan.]

I've had Buyers who nit pick and try to make you give them back $$$.

 

It's basically impossible to sell raw books on ebay now because just about every single buyer will receive the book, disagree with your grading, and demand 50% back. I don't know if they all saw this tactic on a TV show or at a seminar for The Secret or something but I just expect it at this point. I try not to sell raw books there at all if possible.

[WEBHEAD]

I've had a couple instances of buyers complaining of packages taking too long only a couple days after auction's end as well. In those cases I just send them the tracking number, especially if it's domestic, and they will either go silent or just say thanks. One time a buyer contacted me a couple weeks later demanding to know where his package was and what I intended to do about it. I gave him the tracking number that stated the package was delivered about ten days earlier and the buyer said he forgot to check his "other mailbox".

 

I had another jerk who tried to make me end an auction early, when I said no he kind of went away. Then a couple months later sends me an email asking where his book was. I had to point it out first he did not win the auction and he NEVER PAID for what he didn't win. What a tool !

[Underground44]

The problem is that eBay and PayPal act too quickly.....anyone can just call them and insta scam. They don't even Ask questions or ask the other party. They will just take money from your acct or put it on hold and you end up having to do all the work to fix it.

 

 

They just side with whoever makes a call to them. It took me 3 years to get $350 back because the buyer simply called and said he never got the package so they automatically took $350 from my acct without asking me. He ended up getting the package a week later. It was the friking holidays. But it took me 3 years. I simply told eBay off and that they could close my acct.

 

 

They really need to fix things. Plenty of things they can tighten up on and streamline better.

I sold a product on a Monday,and a buyer tried to file a claim on a Wednesday two days later saying he didn`t receive his item! EBay sent me a email that I should try to communicate with buyer because it was too early to file claim with me. When I went to email buyer I checked that he would receive his product on that Friday and he did. So he buys product on Monday night and then receives on that Friday. WOW! Talk about an impatient spoon.

These are the kinda people one must deal with,but hey you will have someone argue that customer is always right!

 

Yeah it's ridiculous at times.

I had a similar thing happen to me when I sent two books worth $320 locally. Within 24 hours of me sending his books(I sent them the same day they were paid for) I received 8 seperate messages with him freaking out and threatening to contact paypal and ebay. This is after him paying 2 weeks after buying my items at BIN! You simply can't win with some people. He was a zero feedback bidder and could hardly speak English either which didn't help.

 

He NEVER contacted me when he received his books and NEVER left me feedback. Just a complete Pain in the A. It's getting rarer to find considerate buyers on Ebay.

If I buy something from Overseas I will wait at least 4 weeks before I send a friendly email to the seller. Sometimes it's taken 6 weeks + to get items here from Canada but it is what it is - it's not the sellers fault.

[ComicConnoisseur]

I just never ship internationally anymore...shipped to italy, buyer freaked out when he didn't receive his package in 2 weeks (shipped from Canada) . Sure enough paypal took $350 from my account so fast....4 weeks later he received his package...held up at his country customs. Nightmare

A good international experience with me is many years ago back when you could give feedback months after a transaction is I sold a special edition of the Lord of the Rings book to a guy in England. Well back then they shipped by boat,and I told the buyer I would gladly sell him the book, but it might be a 60 day wait because of the boat. The buyer said no problem,well over 80 days later I noticed a positive feedback from the guy letting me know he received the book as the boat had finally arrived. (thumbs u

 

[KEY ISSUES Comics]

As a side note: My bad experiences have all been limited to buyers from North America, while my most reliable clientele has been from overseas buyers. Heck, a few items were even lost during the 2-month+ plus surface shipments to places like Australia and the buyers did not blame me.

[Underground44]

As a side note: My bad experiences have all been limited to buyers from North America, while my most reliable clientele has been from overseas buyers. Heck, a few items were even lost during the 2-month+ plus surface shipments to places like Australia and the buyers did not blame me.

 

I've had books lost that have been sent from the U.S. I didn't blame the seller either. He was really apologetic and even offered free shipping on my next order (on top of the refund) If both parties are nice and respectful it goes a long way

[Ryan.]

I've had a couple instances of buyers complaining of packages taking too long only a couple days after auction's end as well. In those cases I just send them the tracking number, especially if it's domestic, and they will either go silent or just say thanks. One time a buyer contacted me a couple weeks later demanding to know where his package was and what I intended to do about it. I gave him the tracking number that stated the package was delivered about ten days earlier and the buyer said he forgot to check his "other mailbox".

 

I had another jerk who tried to make me end an auction early, when I said no he kind of went away. Then a couple months later sends me an email asking where his book was. I had to point it out first he did not win the auction and he NEVER PAID for what he didn't win. What a tool !

 

I had a true auction for one of those Miracleman coins once. A couple days before the auction ended a bidder contacted me and said she wanted to buy the coin for $20. The high bid at that point was like $5. I said, "Okay, feel free to bid $20. Maybe you'll win." So she bid and the auction ended at something like $18. Her high bid was $15 and she didn't win. She contacted me, thoroughly furious, that I "cancelled" her high bid and made it so she wouldn't win. She said she would be leaving negative feedback and file a claim with eBay stating that I rigged the auction so she wouldn't win. Several logistical problems with her thought process:

 

1. She bid less than the high bidder

2. How could I cancel only her high bid?

3. Why would I cancel her high bid? Wouldn't that lower the auction value?

4. She didn't actually bid $20, only $15

5. In this theoretical claim, what would she expect me to do? I can't sell her the coin because another bidder won the auction. I can't give her money because she didn't give any to me

6. How did she expect to leave feedback on a transaction that she was not a part of?

 

In the end, she never filed a claim and went away. That was more amusing than anything.

[ComicConnoisseur]

I've had Buyers who nit pick and try to make you give them back $$$.

 

It's basically impossible to sell raw books on ebay now because just about every single buyer will receive the book, disagree with your grading, and demand 50% back. I don't know if they all saw this tactic on a TV show or at a seminar for The Secret or something but I just expect it at this point. I try not to sell raw books there at all if possible.

Agreed.

That`s why I make sure when I sell something on EBay now I make sure it has value of at least $20 dollars. I was selling dreck books with starting at .99 cent auctions,and I realized when people start making a big stink about $5 dollar books because they disagree with grading that it wasn`t worth the aggravation.

Who wants to waste countless emails and time about whether a $2 valued comic book is not a vg,but a vg- ?

[HotJuicyBurgers]

Not to derail the ebay bashing, because I thoroughly enjoy it, but does anyone know what the rules are for if a seller can remove an item from ebay?

 

The story is this, I contacted a guy before there were any bids on the item, telling him i'd pay x for the item. He wanted some ridiculous price, and very easily caved to over 200 percent of the original price he started at. The only problem was that it still was an absurd price. I told him I would simply bid on the book.

 

Fast forward a couple days kater, and he is contacting me trying to sell the book for a relatively reasonable price. (still overprices, but much closer to a real price)

 

Tells me he is getting more offers, but since i emailed him first he'd let me have it for less (which by the way sounds like the biggest bluff/scam)

 

Told him that I was content bidding on the item. To which he basically threatens to close the auction and sell the this other buyer (Which he hasn't yet because I highly doubt there is another buyer.

 

Anyways, how would he even remove the item? My belief was always that if the item had bids, it wasn't allowed, barring some extreme circumstance.

[mintcollector]

Please Note: Long post; to offer some advice...

 

Personally, I do NOT sell internationally on eBay for all the reasons mentioned. I do sell to a select few individuals (off of eBay) that I know from various collecting and antique forums; or who I know personally. While some of these transactions do involve my video game business; most are antique and high end collectible related.

 

That being said, I did want to provide some 'tips' on how to avoid scammers when SELLING on eBay:

 

1. Do NOT make yourself an easy target! Professionalism goes very far on eBay. If your user name is casual in nature (I_Like_More-Beer) (note: NOT a real user name to my knowledge); expect to be an easy target. Try to pick a name that best describes what you do and try to specialize if possible. If you have a business name try to use it. Do NOT put 'Inc.' in your user name if you are NOT incorporated! Very important!

 

2. Feedback counts. It is NOT the overall quantity, but also the quality. Any number over 1,000 is great and if you have 100% positive feedback; your credibility with BOTH eBay and PayPal dramiticaly increases. BOTH eBay and PayPal will support you; usually.

 

Note: I have won PayPal disputes, just based on this factor alone.

 

Scammers love sellers who have a lower tham average feedback score with low feedback rating.

 

3. 'Hint' at your educational level. You can do this by writing various eBay guides that provide knowledge to the community or you can 'hint' at it in your listings. People like to do business with professional people and scammers will sometimes look for an easier target; especially if you have either 'business' or 'law' in your educational background. You SHOULD make the most out of your 'About Me' page and state who you are, your educational background, and any credentials you may have. This HELPS.

 

Note: Even if you have no formal education; you can state things like ' Been a collector and dealer for XXX number of years.' This tells buyers you know what you are talking about; and know the product.

 

4. Write an eBay guide and clearly state your policies and procedures. Ensure you sound professional and have a good attitude. Make sure all buyers see this guide.

 

5. Answer questions intelligently and use excellent grammar. Scammers will occassionally ask questions before buying an item to see how you respond. I have only ever had less than twenty known eBay complaints (yes, you read that correctly) out over well over 3,500 transactions in the video game market. I can assure you that out of those issues at least five to ten of those buyers who caused me trouble; asked a lot of questions before buying. This already told me they were UNSURE about their purchase. I now block any bidder that appears to be 'unsure.' While this may seem extreme, I truly believe this is why I have such a low occurrance of issues.

 

6. Spend money via PayPal! PayPal does have a program called the 'PayPal Advantage' program. This is RESERVED for those that spend over $5,000 a year through PayPal. Now here is the best part. You get expert and speedier claim assistance. They also take this into account when deciding claims (this may seem unfair, but understand; PayPal and eBay protect customers who give them the MOST money). Let me give you an example, if you are BUYER and a SELLER; you are giving eBay and PayPal MONEY on both ends. They like this and do take this into account.

 

7. Separate yourself from your eBay business. When selling; it is BEST to use a separate account for selling and one for buying. If you sell multiple product lines like I do; create multiple accounts. For instance, my video game customers are NOT generally interested in hardcore antiques and high end collectibles. Therefore, if and only if, I choose to sell these items on eBay, I sell them on my accounts that deal with these kind of items. Pez dispensers and Lego sets do quite well under my video game account; however, as the account is pop culture related. Specializing does pay off in the end.

 

8. NEVER do a partial refund. PayPal will NEVER make you, either. ALWAYS get the item back and do a full refund. If word gets out that you do partial refunds, your PayPal dispute ratio is going to go through the roof! Think about it this way; by allowing partial refunds, you are allowing your BUYERS to decide how much they should pay for an item AFTER the sale has taken place! Is that really fair to yourself? Even if it results in negative feedback; get the item back! You can deal with the negative feedback matter later; even if it means going to court (yes, this can and does happen).

 

9. Run it like a business! This is not a 'social' event. You will meet a lot of interesting people, collectors, associates, and dealers through eBay. That being said, you are there to buy and sell. Remember that fact and you will succeed.

 

I know this list is 'controversial' to some, but I LIVE by these rules and can say I have virtually no problems buying and selling on eBay. They do howver, asrise from time to time...

 

Respectfully,

 

'mint'

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Ryan.]

buyers who caused me trouble; asked a lot of questions before buying.

 

I too have found that buyers who ask a lot of questions before bidding are almost assuredly going to ask a lot of questions after winning. And those questions are usually along the lines of, "Why did you describe this comic as being VF when it's clearly POOR?" or something equally absurd. I did the partial refund thing once. Never again.

[Imodium]

Canada is considered international? Is it?

 

Of it is that makes me sad

[lemonman5]

buyers who caused me trouble; asked a lot of questions before buying.

 

I too have found that buyers who ask a lot of questions before bidding are almost assuredly going to ask a lot of questions after winning. And those questions are usually along the lines of, "Why did you describe this comic as being VF when it's clearly POOR?" or something equally absurd. I did the partial refund thing once. Never again.

 

Yup, this is true with most buyers I've had. Usually when I see a person asking alot of questions, I honestly just stop answering. I know it sounds wrong and I should treat all buyers equally, but the chances are that the person who asks more questions will be the one that will give you massive problems and won't be worth the headache.

[Bosco685]

buyers who caused me trouble; asked a lot of questions before buying.

 

I too have found that buyers who ask a lot of questions before bidding are almost assuredly going to ask a lot of questions after winning. And those questions are usually along the lines of, "Why did you describe this comic as being VF when it's clearly POOR?" or something equally absurd. I did the partial refund thing once. Never again.

 

Yup, this is true with most buyers I've had. Usually when I see a person asking alot of questions, I honestly just stop answering. I know it sounds wrong and I should treat all buyers equally, but the chances are that the person who asks more questions will be the one that will give you massive problems and won't be worth the headache.

 

So what about sellers that state "I am not a professional grader" or won't give clear details about a book's condition or their packaging method? I guess those are the folks that are misunderstood on Ebay?

[mintcollector]

buyers who caused me trouble; asked a lot of questions before buying.

 

I too have found that buyers who ask a lot of questions before bidding are almost assuredly going to ask a lot of questions after winning. And those questions are usually along the lines of, "Why did you describe this comic as being VF when it's clearly POOR?" or something equally absurd. I did the partial refund thing once. Never again.

 

Yup, this is true with most buyers I've had. Usually when I see a person asking alot of questions, I honestly just stop answering. I know it sounds wrong and I should treat all buyers equally, but the chances are that the person who asks more questions will be the one that will give you massive problems and won't be worth the headache.

 

So what about sellers that state "I am not a professional grader" or won't give clear details about a book's condition or their packaging method? I guess those are the folks that are misunderstood on Ebay?

 

To answer your question; I am referring to honest, professional sellers. Any seller that does not answer basic questions concerning packing or shipping is not considered a 'good' seller to begin with. As for sellers who do not answer about a book's general condition; you have to look at this from more than one angle.

 

To use this as an example...

 

Number one, I list sometimes, several hundred video games on ebay at one time. If I describe a game that sells for around $10 as being in near mint condition and someone asks a question a specific question; I will answer that one question. If they ask a second question concerning the location of a small scratch (even after I posted a picture of the item and a well written description) or a label peel (especially on a $10 item); I am going to be honest and tell them that they should be buying these kind of items in person. Not to sound harsh, but I may make $1 profit off that $10 game. In order to keep my prices low, I cannot afford to deal with these kind of buyers; no seller can. Ironically, in most cases like these, by the time the buyer can ask another question; another buyer has already clicked the BUY IT NOW. Remember, I sell at wholesale prices most of the time...

 

Number two...some sellers enter into markets that are NOT their speciality. I know the basics of comic book grading, but I do not list many comic books on ebay (maybe ten a year; at most). That being said, I grade the book very conversatively. Other sellers may choose to say something like what you mentioned. You have to be willing to take a risk. This is where feedback comes into play. Personally, I do not think the answer 'I am not a professional grader' is the sign of a professional seller. That is just my opinion...

 

Kind Regards,

 

'mint'

[Buzzetta]

I am steering away from international trading. Even Canada and the UK are starting to show up on my "will not deal with list" when it comes to transactions of certain sizes.

 

 

[Bosco685]

Personally, I do not think the answer 'I am not a professional grader' is the sign of a professional seller. That is just my opinion...

 

We're thinking the same way. A few basic questions are perfectly okay, and hopefully lead to an easy transaction. I get them when I sell raw books, and I even post a full grading scale and a description of the book. But when someone wants you to start sending pictures of any bends or tears with a ruler next to the book, or pictures from every corner and front/back cover scans, I can see how this can be a challenge.

 

[comix4fun]

buyers who caused me trouble; asked a lot of questions before buying.

 

I too have found that buyers who ask a lot of questions before bidding are almost assuredly going to ask a lot of questions after winning. And those questions are usually along the lines of, "Why did you describe this comic as being VF when it's clearly POOR?" or something equally absurd. I did the partial refund thing once. Never again.

 

Yup, this is true with most buyers I've had. Usually when I see a person asking alot of questions, I honestly just stop answering. I know it sounds wrong and I should treat all buyers equally, but the chances are that the person who asks more questions will be the one that will give you massive problems and won't be worth the headache.

 

So what about sellers that state "I am not a professional grader" or won't give clear details about a book's condition or their packaging method? I guess those are the folks that are misunderstood on Ebay?

 

 

 

I always state " I AM a professional grader if you disagree with my grade you are obviously wrong."

 

It's easier that way.

 

 

[Jiminy_Cricket-migration]

Hello everyone. There is another place besides feebay. Have you checked out BidStart.com? They allow you to open up a store for free. No monthly charges at all (as long as you don't list postcards or stamps). You get unlimited listings with up to 100 free scans/photos per listing. Each store listing is free and good till canceled. There are no FVF on shipping! And only 8% FVF on your sale price. The percentage goes down as the item sale price goes up. Sellers can leave feedback for buyers at this site. I realize BidStart doesn't have the large traffic that feebay does, but if it doesn't cost you anything until you make a sale..... What do you have to lose? If more people start using BidStart, it can only be a positive alternative to feebay. Oh, almost forgot, feebay sellers can export all their listings over to BidStart to save listing time. Check it out if you get the chance...

 

http://www.bidstart.com/sitefees.php

 

A list of comic book sellers, like kochcom and HighQualityComics can be found here.....

 

http://www.bidstart.com/store_directory.php?keywords=&category=3650&advsrc=storedirectory&limit=25

 

 

[Ryan.]

Personally, I do not think the answer 'I am not a professional grader' is the sign of a professional seller. That is just my opinion...

 

We're thinking the same way. A few basic questions are perfectly okay, and hopefully lead to an easy transaction. I get them when I sell raw books, and I even post a full grading scale and a description of the book. But when someone wants you to start sending pictures of any bends or tears with a ruler next to the book, or pictures from every corner and front/back cover scans, I can see how this can be a challenge.

 

 

Basic, logical questions are perfectly fine and I am happy to answer them. But the nature of the questions can often indicate a buyer's intentions. Earlier this year I sold a SA Spidey, true auction, first bid starting at $1, that I posted big scans of, described its flaws and called VG. The whole week one bidder kept emailing me and asking me to put a number grade on it. I said there was a lot of subjectivity in grading so I'd rather not put a number on it and stick to discussing details of the flaws. He insisted and I said 3.5. He won the auction, received it, and demanded half his money back because the book was clearly a 3.0, not a 3.5. This is no joke. After much, much, much back and forth, I folded and refunded half his money, taking a loss on the book. I should have just blocked him during the bidding process.