Ebay sellers getting cranky. 5 5

[valiantman]

Won an auction, paid immediately.  To my surprise, I won a second auction from the same seller within 10 minutes. I sent a immediate message requesting combined shipping on the two auctions won within ten minutes of each other. Combined shipping was stated in both auctions, with a specific amount to be paid for the second item.  No response. I sent a second message the next morning, since the email sent within minutes of winning both auctions was ignored. They responded that they already shipped the first item, and it was my fault for paying immediately. I should have waited for them to invoice me for both auctions combined.

Yep, my fault. I paid immediately. Imagine the nerve of an eBay buyer to pay immediately. I guess I should have apologized.

[valiantman]

On 11/2/2023 at 8:13 PM, valiantman said:

Won an auction, paid immediately.  To my surprise, I won a second auction from the same seller within 10 minutes. I sent a immediate message requesting combined shipping on the two auctions won within ten minutes of each other. Combined shipping was stated in both auctions, with a specific amount to be paid for the second item.  No response. I sent a second message the next morning, since the email sent within minutes of winning both auctions was ignored. They responded that they already shipped the first item, and it was my fault for paying immediately. I should have waited for them to invoice me for both auctions combined.

Yep, my fault. I paid immediately. Imagine the nerve of an eBay buyer to pay immediately. I guess I should have apologized.

I'll even call them out:  https://www.ebay.com/str/smrcollectibles

[Tec-Tac-Toe]

At least five years ago I made a purchase, around $35, and if I correctly recall it was a "buy now." I inquired of the seller if I could have the item insured for shipping. The seller told me they did not offer insurance but if anything occurred they would refund my purchase price. With the seller's word to reimburse me in case of loss, I purchased the item. The item was lost during shipment and, according to the seller, it was not returned to them.

Despite the sellers' word, he attempted to keep my money, telling me to make a claim with the USPS for my loss. The seller is a liar and a wretched individual.I filed a claim with eBay and my money was returned.

I left negative feedback for the seller which he had removed. He left negative feedback for me disguised as positive feedback which I had removed. Unfortunately, I do not recall the seller's id since all information of the transaction was deleted from eBay and I can't locate (Edit) an emails of the transaction because I likely deleted them long ago.

That is, fortunately, the only bad transaction I have had on eBay since I joined in 1999. Although in those years I have made less than 200 purchases, every other seller I have purchased from has been magnificent.

Edited November 3, 2023 by Tec-Tac-Toe

[1Cool]

Buyers seem to be getting more entitled and they know it's a buyers market.  Sellers will get salty after the 100th low ball offer but I'm sure buyers were a bit salty over the last few years when prices were jumping.  Being salty when the market is not in your favor is just par for the course. 

[B2D327]

On 11/2/2023 at 9:13 PM, valiantman said:

Won an auction, paid immediately.  To my surprise, I won a second auction from the same seller within 10 minutes. I sent a immediate message requesting combined shipping on the two auctions won within ten minutes of each other. Combined shipping was stated in both auctions, with a specific amount to be paid for the second item.  No response. I sent a second message the next morning, since the email sent within minutes of winning both auctions was ignored. They responded that they already shipped the first item, and it was my fault for paying immediately. I should have waited for them to invoice me for both auctions combined.

Yep, my fault. I paid immediately. Imagine the nerve of an eBay buyer to pay immediately. I guess I should have apologized.

If the boos arrive in the same package, it would actually justify you doing some person_who_is_obnoxiously_self-impressed-level trolling just to aggravate the seller. 😉

Edited November 3, 2023 by B2D327

[Dr. Balls]

On 11/3/2023 at 7:14 AM, 1Cool said:

Buyers seem to be getting more entitled and they know it's a buyers market.  Sellers will get salty after the 100th low ball offer but I'm sure buyers were a bit salty over the last few years when prices were jumping.  Being salty when the market is not in your favor is just par for the course. 

I'd say they're getting salty after one or two "low balls". I discovered last night that a seller I made an offer to a week ago blocked me (Listing a $199 common BA book with a $100 OSPG value - I offered $100 with previous sales around $100). The butthurt runs deep these days.

[1Cool]

On 11/3/2023 at 11:33 AM, Dr. Balls said:

I'd say they're getting salty after one or two "low balls". I discovered last night that a seller I made an offer to a week ago blocked me (Listing a $199 common BA book with a $100 OSPG value - I offered $100 with previous sales around $100). The butthurt runs deep these days.

Unless that was their only book then I'm sure they have received plenty of low ball offers.  A lot of people switched over to selling books basically as a full time job during the hype days so a 50% haircut on a big book means they have to go back to flipping burgers.  We had plenty of great years to be selling books but I don't see the gravy days coming back anytime soon.

Edited November 3, 2023 by 1Cool

[Dr. Balls]

On 11/3/2023 at 9:43 AM, 1Cool said:

Unless that was their only book then I'm sure they have received plenty of low ball offers.  A lot of people switched over to selling books basically as a full time job during the hype days so a 50% haircut on a big book means they have to go back to flipping burgers.  We had plenty of great years to be selling books but I don't see the gravy days coming back anytime soon.

I can see that. My only additional comment would be that sellers who have taken those losses and are so easily emotionally aggravated by offers that they ban customers are likely in for some rough times. That's a bad reaction when either setting up your minimum offer or just ignoring the offer altogether is the wiser choice.

If he was in $140 and I offered $100 because that's the current value - banning me from looking at his $40 books he might only have $15 into is pretty short-sighted. But, hey - it's a free country, I'll just move onto the next seller.

[Steven Valdez]

I've lost count of how many sales I've missed out on because a buyer was unable to request combined postage. It even happened again this evening. I've had the same problem as a buyer myself on numerous occasions. Ebay certainly makes commerce tough sometimes.

Edited November 22, 2023 by Steven Valdez

[BA773]

Progress never stop...

[BA773]

Same for me

[BA773]

On 11/1/2023 at 3:25 PM, MAR1979 said:

I have several sellers I purchase from over and over, due to professionalism and return policies. As for MCS I exclusively use their website - why pay 15-25% more on eBay for same item?

Same for me

Edited December 2, 2023 by BA773

[BA773]

On 11/2/2023 at 11:42 PM, VintageComics said:

I had an buyer beat me down incessantly on a decent sized book and ask if he can do time payments. 

I said I'd do time with a 20% non-refundable deposit. 

He said he could only send 10% - I repeated that it was non-refundable. He agreed. 

He sent me the 10% and less than a day later asked for a refund because his wife wouldn't let him buy the book.

I explained that the deposit was non-refundable (screw you, you wasted my entire day negotiating with me only to back out?) and because I sympathized I told him he could put the deposit toward a future purchase. He went on to talk smack about me and threatened to tell everyone how horrible I am.

Never heard from them since which is fine by me. 

That is EXACTLY how it went down. 

You reward horrid behavior and they only come back to annoy you again.

Every horrible human story has two sides, and I've got plenty just like that. 

I dont have a wife but you can sure that if i will have one she will have nothing to say on this subject.. 

Edited December 2, 2023 by BA773

[stormflora]

On 10/31/2023 at 2:40 PM, lostboys said:

 

This morning I bought a book from a seller. 10 minutes later I found another book in his store. A total impulse buy. I message him asking him to combine shipping and refund the difference...IF POSSIBLE.

I didnt demand. I asked politely. I wouldnt even have cared if he refused.

Then I get the refund along with a rude message, went something like: "We ship by invoice and dont combine invoices. Dont just assume you know how we do business here."

 

Dont worry boss, you just lost me as a future customer.

 

 

Just now, with a different seller, I made a $50 offer on a $59 book listed as "or best offer"

The seller declines (fine) and then messages me with a lecture about how hes trying to feed his family and Ebay takes 15% and he has to pay shipping insurance yadda yadda yadda. He then tells me to come back for the book when I get my finances in order.

 

 What in tarnation? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1) Get the items, leave 1/5 stars negative feedback. "I certainly do know how business works around here."

2) Report user to eBay for being an AH, quoting it as seller directly insulting you, and explicitly tell the seller you're doing so as well, then ignore him on purpose. eBay does take action for these kinds of reports; they don't take them lightly.

Edited December 2, 2023 by stormflora

[stormflora]

On 11/3/2023 at 11:53 AM, Dr. Balls said:

I can see that. My only additional comment would be that sellers who have taken those losses and are so easily emotionally aggravated by offers that they ban customers are likely in for some rough times. That's a bad reaction when either setting up your minimum offer or just ignoring the offer altogether is the wiser choice.

If he was in $140 and I offered $100 because that's the current value - banning me from looking at his $40 books he might only have $15 into is pretty short-sighted. But, hey - it's a free country, I'll just move onto the next seller.

 

On 11/22/2023 at 9:56 AM, Steven Valdez said:

I've lost count of how many sales I've missed out on because a buyer was unable to request combined postage. It even happened again this evening. I've had the same problem as a buyer myself on numerous occasions. Ebay certainly makes commerce tough sometimes.

I haven't used eBay in quite some time, only returning back to it recently for my current comic collecting, and I've certainly experienced these issues over and over.

Because the profit margins of comic sellers are so slim due to the perpetual increase of eBay commissions, they struggle to make a sale with lower priced comics under $50 or $100. But those buyers make up at least half of all their sales, so they have to cope.

eBay itself is flawed in so many different ways, and they don't try to simplify anything for anyone, because they're trying to squeeze profits out of everyone. Their shipping program is both anti-seller and anti-buyer as they charge a ridiculous amount of shipping from the buyer that never reaches the seller's pockets, which obscures and confuses sellers when they want to provide combined shipping (via a proper invoice, which also costs sellers extra to issue) but want to game the system by doing a shipping refund instead.

From what I've learned, there are ways to protect yourself as a buyer: 1) If you can pay for the cart for a specific seller and the shipping costs are automatically calculated, that is the best situation to be in. 2) If you can request an invoice without an error code, that is also a good situation to be in. 3) If you don't need to pay immediately, you can hold onto the order and wait for the seller to issue an invoice.

The whole "I will issue you an overpaid shipping refund" is a huge mess you do not want to ever get involved with. Just don't bother.

[BA773]

On 12/2/2023 at 5:00 PM, stormflora said:

 

I haven't used eBay in quite some time, only returning back to it recently for my current comic collecting, and I've certainly experienced these issues over and over.

Because the profit margins of comic sellers are so slim due to the perpetual increase of eBay commissions, they struggle to make a sale with lower priced comics under $50 or $100. But those buyers make up at least half of all their sales, so they have to cope.

eBay itself is flawed in so many different ways, and they don't try to simplify anything for anyone, because they're trying to squeeze profits out of everyone. Their shipping program is both anti-seller and anti-buyer as they charge a ridiculous amount of shipping from the buyer that never reaches the seller's pockets, which obscures and confuses sellers when they want to provide combined shipping (via a proper invoice, which also costs sellers extra to issue) but want to game the system by doing a shipping refund instead.

From what I've learned, there are ways to protect yourself as a buyer: 1) If you can pay for the cart for a specific seller and the shipping costs are automatically calculated, that is the best situation to be in. 2) If you can request an invoice without an error code, that is also a good situation to be in. 3) If you don't need to pay immediately, you can hold onto the order and wait for the seller to issue an invoice.

The whole "I will issue you an overpaid shipping refund" is a huge mess you do not want to ever get involved with. Just don't bother.

Personally i bought a great quantity of books on ebay, probably more than 15 purchase this last year and ashtoningly i never have problems. I think the fact that i live on the other side of the ocean is a kind of protection for me, because imagine that you send me some poor stuff who doesnt correspond to the description and i file a complait, you are now in a really bad situation because there is 2 choice for you:

- you refund me and i keep the books because you dont want to pay the delivery return fees

- you refund me and i send you back the books but your lost a scary ammount to get your books back

Edited December 2, 2023 by BA773

[stormflora]

On 12/2/2023 at 11:21 AM, BA773 said:

Personally i bought a great quantity of books on ebay, probably more than 15 purchase this last year and ashtoningly i never have problems. I think the fact that i live on the other side of the ocean is a kind of protection for me, because imagine that you send me some poor stuff who doesnt correspond to the description and i file a complait, you are now in a really bad situation because there is 2 choice for you:

- you refund me and i keep the books because you dont want to pay the delivery return fees

- you refund me and i send you back the books but your lost a scary ammount to get your books back

It's probably because most sellers refuse to ship overseas without tracking. You're responsible for paying the shipping costs anyway, so they take no loss from that.

[D2]

So, I would like to confess,

I am, apparently, a cranky eBay seller. 

I have a green label book up for sale. It’s legit. I got it signed myself, and didn’t get it CGC verified at the time because I didn’t know enough about the program… blah blah blah. 

Fast forward 7 years, and I have the book listed.

Now I understand green label books are not ideal, but an eBay user (I won’t even call him a buyer) sends me a message, out of the blue (see attached picture) so I replied, so what’s your question? And his reply was basically telling me the book was worthless.

So you know what, I was rude.

But I think eBay users in general, are not a nice lot.

Edit: as a reference, I did meet my reserve bid, so, ironically, this eBay user was wrong, obviously  

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by D2

[BA773]

On 12/2/2023 at 5:25 PM, stormflora said:

It's probably because most sellers refuse to ship overseas without tracking. You're responsible for paying the shipping costs anyway, so they take no loss from that.

Im responsible of nothing from the moment the books are not as described... the seller takes everything in the mouth in this case

Edited December 2, 2023 by BA773

[fastballspecial]

Unbelievable. Even worse are sellers that charge $1 per book if you try to buy more then one for shipping. 
I would have thought by now combine shipping would be the norm as I do it on every ebay order. 

That being said ebay does not make combine shipping easy to do.