Why is asking questions or requesting photos from ebay sellers like pulling teeth? 0

[justafan]

im talking mainly about those sellers who list stock photos or just a front cover photo. Does it just offend them?  anyone else experience this? why do I get so much static when politely asking for back cover photos for raw comics or asking if specific defects are present?

while i would prefer photos that are clear, not cropped, and don't have portions of the comic not in the photo  I'll take what I can get. I'm not asking for 20 photos. I'm talking at least 1 but no more than 3 max but 1 clear high res is better than 5-10 close ups that are blury.

im especially speaking about those sellers that state the following in their description: 

"look at the photos closely" 

"bid/buy only after carefully examining the photos to judge for yourself"

"condition of the book is represented by what you see"

"ask questions"

"if you want more pictures of the book feel free to ask"

"the book is the exact one pictured"

ok so I politely PM 22 different sellers with only a stock photo or just the front cover and ask for either a back cover photo or a more clear front and back cover photo.

half never respond even after a polite follow up.

1 in 4 provide the photos -great sellers that either earn my business or ones I will save as favorites.

the rest make me feel sorry for even asking often with rude or annoyed responses.  is it really that hard to do of it means a possible sale? 

I get that listing photos on ebay sucks and many sellers try to dump their ungradable books on ebay (especially auction format) but then why bother with the description that tells me to ask for more photos or feel free to ask questions? 

I'm not talking $10 books.  I'm talking $50-$500+ for all ages including modern.  I get that moderns and new releases are considered by default to be NM but many have varying batch defects that will bring a grade down below that. I'm willing to pay more for a book that shows clear front and back photos allowing me to see exactly what I can expect to receive.

so if sellers have such disdain for providing photos would they rather deal with returns from unhappy buyers dissappointed with their purchases?  am I better off just buying 10 copies to find the 1 or 2 that's acceptable and return the rest?  I don't want to be an annoying buyer but how else do I find raw books yhat meet my minimum grade that only seem to be available on ebay ? (I know I can always buy graded but even graded books dont guarantee good staple alignment or no miswrap. I also don't want to have to pay the grading fee premium markup and have to crack out a bunch of books.) besides slabs take up way too much space for my graded books.

end of rant...sigh

 

 

Edited May 4, 2018 by justafan

[Bomber-Bob]

I don't understand why anyone would shop or buy comics on E-Bay. There are so many reputable auction houses out there with auctions going on all the time.  Too many scammers, overpriced books, sellers that don't know how to package, sellers that don't know how to grade, etc.  Cut out E-Bay from your life and you will be better off !

[ExNihilo]

1 minute ago, Bomber-Bob said:

I don't understand why anyone would shop or buy comics on E-Bay. There are so many reputable auction houses out there with auctions going on all the time.  Too many scammers, overpriced books, sellers that don't know how to package, sellers that don't know how to grade, etc.  Cut out E-Bay from your life and you will be better off !

except when they post a 20% deal...then all in on eBay. 

[JazzMan]

Because most sellers on eBay are lazy and don't want to be bothered by trivial things like selling.

[justafan]

40 minutes ago, Bomber-Bob said:

I don't understand why anyone would shop or buy comics on E-Bay. There are so many reputable auction houses out there with auctions going on all the time.  Too many scammers, overpriced books, sellers that don't know how to package, sellers that don't know how to grade, etc.  Cut out E-Bay from your life and you will be better off !

oh 100%, brother, and thats where I do most of my big purchases (and conventions) but a lot of stuff just doesn't make it to the reputable auction houses or con dealer stock, especially raw.  trust me, if I could I would never use ebay again.  comiclink and heritage ALWAYS provide me with high res scans on request. comicconnect often has both front and back scans.  but unfortunately ebay is where I'm able to find someone actually selling the various items I'm looking for.

 

there are some great sellers on ebay too but so many more are hostile 

Edited May 4, 2018 by justafan

[speedcake]

There are good sellers on ebay. I don't think dumping the whole platform is necessary. Just don't buy from the jerks or obviously dubious sellers, I guess. I sell on ebay. I try to do my best. 

But ya, if the seller didn't provide adequate information to begin with (good scans or pictures and good description) and won't accommodate a potential buyer's request SHOULD lose your business.

[Bomber-Bob]

57 minutes ago, speedcake said:

There are good sellers on ebay. I don't think dumping the whole platform is necessary. Just don't buy from the jerks or obviously dubious sellers, I guess. I sell on ebay. I try to do my best. 

 

The problem is finding these good sellers. For me, it's just not worth the aggravation.

[nepatkm]

You know why, books are....

[comicquant]

The best are the listings with 10 pics of a slab and not a single one of those are a face on pic of the front cover or back cover.  All of these angled shots so you can't get a decent look at the book.  Then after three or four messages back and forth you get something similar to the one below.

 

Edited May 4, 2018 by comicquant

[lizards2]

9 minutes ago, comicquant said:

The best are the listings with 10 pics of a slab and not a single one of those are a face on pic of the front cover or back cover.  All of these angled shots so you can't get a decent look at the book.  Then after three or for messages back and forth you get something similar to the one below.

 

I asked Cortana about that picture, and she said, "what picture?"

[ygogolak]

14 hours ago, Bomber-Bob said:

I don't understand why anyone would shop or buy comics on E-Bay. There are so many reputable auction houses out there with auctions going on all the time.  Too many scammers, overpriced books, sellers that don't know how to package, sellers that don't know how to grade, etc.  Cut out E-Bay from your life and you will be better off !

Just as you said, they are auction houses. Most do not have Moderns, let alone Modern variants. Also, items typically cannot be purchased when I want. I am at their mercy for payment and shipping schedules with no recourse except not to buy from them again. I do not have the option to barter with an auction house. For example, I'm not sure why Metropolis has a "make offer" button. Every time I've tried that they say something to the effect of "sorry, that's a hard price" or "that's consignment, can negotiate".

[Parabellum]

I would say that I’ve only had a finite amount of bad experiences with ebay.  Only one time the issue wasn’t resolved in my favor (I abandoned the issue).  It wasn’t worth my time and looking back it was my fault anyway, “newbie” mistake.

I find that most sellers get angry when you tell them their description is wrong.  Even when you provide links and proof they made a mistake it’s almost impossible for them to admit it or change their ad.  

Regardless, I find eBay a good resource to fill in collection gaps.  I do agree with Bob in the fact that there are better places to go but when you “need a copy” eBay works well, IMHO.

[ygogolak]

14 hours ago, justafan said:

I'm not talking $10 books.  I'm talking $50-$500+ for all ages including modern.  I get that moderns and new releases are considered by default to be NM but many have varying batch defects that will bring a grade down below that. I'm willing to pay more for a book that shows clear front and back photos allowing me to see exactly what I can expect to receive.

If someone doesn't have scans / pictures for a $50+ book, I would not trust them. If they can't be bothered to do that, I can't be bothered to buy from them.

Edited May 4, 2018 by ygogolak

[Parabellum]

12 minutes ago, ygogolak said:

Just as you said, they are auction houses. Most do not have Moderns, let alone Modern variants. Also, items typically cannot be purchased when I want. I am at their mercy for payment and shipping schedules with no recourse except not to buy from them again. I do not have the option to barter with an auction house. For example, I'm not sure why Metropolis has a "make offer" button. Every time I've tried that they say something to the effect of "sorry, that's a hard price" or "that's consignment, can negotiate".

Interesting, I’ve only purchased a few items from metropolis but they have always taken 5-10% off on their “make an offer”.  Thanks for the info, I will keep that in mind.

[ygogolak]

8 minutes ago, Parabellum said:

Interesting, I’ve only purchased a few items from metropolis but they have always taken 5-10% off on their “make an offer”.  Thanks for the info, I will keep that in mind.

And they are mainly who I have a gripe with on shipping. It says right on their site 2-3 weeks. Yet, if something is wrong with payment they will email you in a day.

[Parabellum]

1 minute ago, ygogolak said:

And they are mainly who I have a gripe with on shipping. It says right on their site 2-3 weeks. Yet, if something is wrong with payment they will email you in a day.

You’re 100% correct on their shipping schedule.  First time I bought from them a week went by and I heard nothing.  When I emailed and inquired about my purchase I got a pretty snarky response, basically “cool your jets bro, we will get it to you when we get it to you.”

[ygogolak]

9 minutes ago, Parabellum said:

You’re 100% correct on their shipping schedule.  First time I bought from them a week went by and I heard nothing.  When I emailed and inquired about my purchase I got a pretty snarky response, basically “cool your jets bro, we will get it to you when we get it to you.”

Here's what you get when you order. Now, on their site it says it can take up to 5 days to pull the item and they ONLY ship on Fridays.

Most orders take 2-3 weeks to pull, pack and ship. We prefer to ship with and recommend FedEx.  If the items in your order must be shipped immediately, please contact us directly to make arrangements.

[darkstar]

14 hours ago, Bomber-Bob said:

I don't understand why anyone would shop or buy comics on E-Bay.

because it is the best place to acquire 90% of them?

[01TheDude]

7 hours ago, darkstar said:

22 hours ago, Bomber-Bob said:

I don't understand why anyone would shop or buy comics on E-Bay.

because it is the best place to acquire 90% of them?

Yep --- not all of us are searching for pristine copies of the books we seek. I personally look for bargains that are in decent shape-- mostly silver age and some bronze that fills holes in some of my favorite titles. If I were buying something that cost 50 bucks or more-- I would be very much interested in seeing those photos of the actual book though. So we agree on some things but maybe have different focus/goals that make buying on ebay less of a risky adventure for us.

[Poka]

10 hours ago, ygogolak said:

Just as you said, they are auction houses. Most do not have Moderns, let alone Modern variants. Also, items typically cannot be purchased when I want. I am at their mercy for payment and shipping schedules with no recourse except not to buy from them again. I do not have the option to barter with an auction house. For example, I'm not sure why Metropolis has a "make offer" button. Every time I've tried that they say something to the effect of "sorry, that's a hard price" or "that's consignment, can negotiate".

I my experience Metropolis does accept offers but only if you buy for a certain amount. anyless less they will say sorry. My other thing with Metropolis is that although I do describe major flaws such flaws does not impact their grading as they tend to use qualified grades