Small eBay rant

[Benjamindaines]

I hate it when people put "IPOD READY" in the auction and use that as a selling point for a Mac. I also hate it when people are too stupid to check the real specs on the computer, I've seen 900MHz computers marked a 2GHz (we're talking PowerBooks here so you know straight away that that's not the real speed). Basically I hate it when stupid (common sense wise) people use eBay.</rant>

Now to make this a semi-useful post... What do you hate about eBay / eBay users?

 

[mkrishnan]

I hate that eBay is overrun with forgeries and fakes, and that no one is really doing anything about it. Sometimes, the fakes are not nearly so obvious -- especially with clothes.

 

[Benjamindaines]

I hate that eBay is overrun with forgeries and fakes, and that no one is really doing anything about it.

Not to mention stolen items.

EIDT: One more thing, I also hate it when the seller puts up generic information from the manufacture's site rather then info about the actual unit / thing they are selling.

 

[mkrishnan]

EIDT: One more thing, I also hate it when the seller puts up generic information from the manufacture's site rather then info about the actual unit / thing they are selling.

I actually *like* that! It's a dead giveaway to a sketchy auction!

 

[CorvusCamenarum]

I hate it when people don't read instructions on how to pay for something. I specifically state that I will not accept PayPal, yet inadvertently someone always asks me if I will do it. No.

My most recent happiness involved someone who apparently did not understand the words "United States Postal Service money order only" and tried to send me some seedy check-cashing store MO that no one around here would honor. Her excuse was that she didn't want to pay the extra 95¢ the USPS charges, yet she spent $4 sending it priority mail. I had to cite her for non-payment.

 

[mkrishnan]

I hate it when people don't read instructions on how to pay for something. I specifically state that I will not accept PayPal, yet inadvertently someone always asks me if I will do it. No.

That is unfortunate, when you state clear terms and people don't read them. I think a related issue is that eBay doesn't use any sort of system to verify that terms are clearly stated or met.

For instance, there are so many auctions where the shipping mechanism isn't stated, or even the cost associated with the shipping mechanism. Why does eBay allow those auctions to even begin, without this data?

Without Paypal, I guess you leave yourself open in the sense that someone will mail you god-knows-what in an envelope, and eBay has know way of knowing whether or not it's right. But even with Paypal, I hear stories of people getting paid in some alternate, clearly not correct form. Why does the system allow that to happen? Of course that constitutes non-payment, because it fails to meet the terms....

 

[MattG]

I hate it when people don't read instructions on how to pay for something. I specifically state that I will not accept PayPal, yet inadvertently someone always asks me if I will do it. No.

My most recent happiness involved someone who apparently did not understand the words "United States Postal Service money order only" and tried to send me some seedy check-cashing store MO that no one around here would honor. Her excuse was that she didn't want to pay the extra 95¢ the USPS charges, yet she spent $4 sending it priority mail. I had to cite her for non-payment.

Yeah, it really sucks when that happens. I've resolved to putting instructions in big bold letters at the bottom of the auction, at least when I'm selling something valuable, in hopes that the bidder will see it. My biggest problem isn't people trying to pay the wrong way, it's people who don't pay on a timely basis. I expect at the very least an email within 24-48 hours, stating how the winner intends to pay. So annoying when an auction ends and you don't hear anything for DAYS....

 

[macEfan]

I hate it when you are selling an item, and the buyer takes forever to pay for it.. you have to wait, and wait, and wait.. I also hate it when someone with 0 or -1 feedback bid on items you are selling..

 

[mkrishnan]

I also hate it when someone with 0 or -1 feedback bid on items you are selling..

I've never sold on eBay, but I thought that it had a system so that you could automatically exclude these buyers from buying from you?

 

[nbs2]

I hate it when you are selling an item, and the buyer takes forever to pay for it.. you have to wait, and wait, and wait.. I also hate it when someone with 0 or -1 feedback bid on items you are selling..

I don't sell that often, but I am a bit more patient with the new account 0s than with the -1s. I figure I was once a 0, and everybody has to start from somewhere.

 

[0098386]

I hate that eBay is overrun with forgeries and fakes, and that no one is really doing anything about it. Sometimes, the fakes are not nearly so obvious -- especially with clothes.

I got stung along them lines. Bought a GBA game, fake as hell even though the seller charged full price and said it was 100% authentic, I even have a message with him claiming that. So I send the game back. He claims he never got it back. I filed to get my money back through eBay, they said ok! Nothing happened. filed a fraud seller complaint. guy vanishes off the face of the earth. eBay are hunting him down apparently. I mean the game was only £22 but still!

fake sellers=@!£$%kers

 

[mkrishnan]

Awww, I'm sorry.

LOL I have a copy of Minish Cap that I think is fake. I e-mailed the seller, and he very nicely offered to send a new copy without even wanting the old one back (nice! ). The new copy was of Link's Awakening / Four Swords, and not Minish Cap. And also probably fake. Oh, well....

Not that I condone piracy, but I, ahem, found a ROM for an emulator and finished Minish Cap. I acted in good faith!

 

[njmac]

I hate how sellers try and rip you off with shipping. Its ok to charge a little extra for your time to pack it up and ship it out, but come on, some of these people are charging upward of $20.00 over the shipping cost.

 

[anubis]

Don't feel bad. I've probably got the worst rip-off story of all time.

Back in 1998, before the days of PayPal, the only way you paid for an item was by money order. Back in those days you REALLY had to trust the person you were buying from, because if the cash the money order and run, there was literally nothing you could do but post negative feedback on the account.

Well, in '98 I bid on two new Technics 1200-SL turntables for a total price of $949. Send him the money order. Didn't recieve turntables for over a month. I called him and he claimed that one of his employees stole the money order. I never heard back from him again; he changed his phone number and email. Out $949.

 

[macEfan]

I don't sell that often, but I am a bit more patient with the new account 0s than with the -1s. I figure I was once a 0, and everybody has to start from somewhere.

yeah, i didn't mean the 0 feedback people, I mean the people with +1feedback and -1 feedback. That still +1 and -1 is still 0 feedback... Makes me worry when they only bought two things, and one of their feedback is negitve...