posted on September 1, 2003 10:08:03 AM new
I have also let people off the hook as a seller for various reasons. I figure that if they say they can't pay, they aren't going to. The ones that never bother to contact you are the worst.
This isn't a black and white issue, there is a lot of gray here.
posted on September 1, 2003 10:16:49 AM new
It's easier to mutually consent to not going through with the deal than for a buyer and seller to possibly go through the hassle of refunds or chargebacks later.
posted on September 1, 2003 11:05:42 AM new
Never thought I'd agree with 12, but the fact that the seller gave LindaJean a pass is irrelevant. She wasn't entitled to a pass, by the generally accepted rules we all live under around these parts.
As for me, no, I don't give people a pass. By definition, you are an adult if you're bidding on eBay and one excuse sounds much like another. My rule is simple: you bid, you pay.
As for negative feedback, I think I've got about 100. So what? You still pay.
Our motto: Bright and shiny baubles for persons with low impulse control.
[ edited by fluffythewondercat on Sep 1, 2003 11:07 AM ]
posted on September 1, 2003 11:12:38 AM new
Fluff - LOVE the new motto : )
Do you do many BIN auctions? I had a newbie a couple days ago accidentaly end up buying 3 of the same item. After I recieved payment for 1 and confirmed that the other 2 were a mistake I let her off the hook. This weekend she bought 2 other items. I don't think she would have done thsat had I held her to paying for three of the original widgets. I think that forgiving deadbeats should be on a case by case situation.... and occasionally decided by a coin toos just for fun.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
Men Are Like Grapes. If You Stomp on Them and Keep Them in the Dark Long Enough, They Might Turn Into Something That You Would Take to Dinner
posted on September 1, 2003 11:18:06 AM new
For those who don't agree with what I did I respect your right to feel that way.
But, I should have read her feedback. No one else is happy with what they bought. That is guarantee enough for me.
As far as feedback. I deserve a neg and if she wants to leave me one fine. But, I won't lose $300 just because I made a mistake.
I thought about it long and hard and that was the final decision. I appreciate the support and respect those who feel I should have paid.
Fluffie: You may have over 100 negs. If I bid on one of your penny or $10 items I would go through with it anyway. But, if you have 2,000 positives for those $10 items and you have 100 negs for items that sell for $300 I would definitely not pay you for the $300 item.
posted on September 1, 2003 11:24:50 AM newThis is an unusual situation.
No, I can't agree with you at all.
A dollar amount doesn't change the ethics. I'm sad that you think it does.
I don't know about your seller's negatives and the people who left them. I do, however, know that many of my negs are outright lies: self-serving statements made by guilty people trying to get even for perceived slights.
Our motto: Bright and shiny baubles for persons with low impulse control.
posted on September 1, 2003 11:29:40 AM new
I still say only an idiot would send $300 to someone with horrible feedback that will not accept escrow.
Certain sellers are prone to getting a lot of deadbeating or negative feedbacks because of conceived unfair or unjust TOS terms.
Example : A buyer buyers three seperate small jewelry items at 25 cents each. The seller states in their description that there is no combining of auction wins and the s/h is $4 each. Of course the buyers misses this part as the item description is one sentence long and the TOS description is 20 pargraphs long and gets a bill for $12.75 .
The buyer was wrong from not taking the time to read and understand the lengthy TOS and is stuck for $12 s/h that will cost the seller $1 or $2. The buyer complains and seller is adamant and gives a negative for deadbeating if the buyer backs out. The seller has some good basis for their actions.
The $300 purchase from a selling with bad feedback is a whole different ballgame. The $300 and bad feedback makes it so.
-------------- sig file ----------- He who angers you controls you
posted on September 1, 2003 11:35:25 AM new
lindajean, just by virtue of the fact that you have mutually agreed to not follow through with the purchase, you are in the clear. Why else would Ebay allow a seller to use that choice go get fvf's back and not send out deadbeat letters?
You made a bad bidding choice that you have learned from and I'll bet you will check more closely from here on out. Deadbeats don't generally do that.
posted on September 1, 2003 11:51:35 AM new
Fluff, what if you found out the the cruise line you planned to use was in severe financial trouble and may cease operations at any time? These things happen frequently in the cruise line industry and the ships are pulled into harbor and the patrons are stranded. Do you go through with the planned trip? Maybe it was partially your fault because buried in the financial websites there were warnings about a near collapse of the carrier.
It has to be a different ballgame when the price is so high.
-------------- sig file ----------- He who angers you controls you
posted on September 1, 2003 12:18:45 PM new
It is nice that the seller agreed to mutually not go through with the sale... maybe not such a bad sort after all...
It does make a point though... some that have been pounding the table about for some time.... read the ENTIRE auction before bidding.
posted on September 1, 2003 01:38:22 PM newDo you go through with the planned trip?
Of course, seeing as cruises are paid for up front.
Since you clearly never run any auctions (preferring, it appears, to spend significant time stalking me), I'm sure you can figure out which cruise line it is and that it is not in any kind of trouble.
Our motto: Bright and shiny baubles for persons with low impulse control.
posted on September 1, 2003 02:01:03 PM new
I'm not stalking your auctions ( you did post your travel times on your other selling ID though ).
I'm just fascinated at how different sellers make money on ebay. Some use a form of trickery and excessive s/h to gouge some unwary bidders. That is apparently acceptable as even Bidz.com charges $6.95 per small jewelry item with no combining of items. I'm just 'old schoo'l and hate charging an excessive anount of s/h and not combining on items but I do not start everything at a penny with no reserve.
If the cruise is paid up front and your stranded in Archorage on Day 3 then that's okay and you can afford the flight home.
-------------- sig file ----------- He who angers you controls you
posted on September 1, 2003 03:51:54 PM new
This is for sure a hard one....no you aren't supposed to back out of bids...but the seller's track record on delivering in similar auctions is not disclosed in the item description or the TOS..hard to justify backing out ethically BUT $300 is $300!!
I KNEW when I saw the auction my husband won for 5,000 postcards from a 0 feedback seller named pothead (or something like that) that I was not likely to get my postcards but I dutifully paid and then tried to get my money back when seller did not deliver. Neither PayPal nor eBay helped me recover my $252. I was a fool! Nice guys always finish last or whatever the saying is..a fool and his money...
I would never encourage someone to "dutifully pay" when, in all liklihood, the items won't be delivered or turn out to be garbage (another one of my eBay postcard lot buying sagas)....better not to let that money go in the first place!! This seller was at least reasonable in letting lindajean "off the hook" - if all it costs is a negative and a NPB so be it! You did the right thing lindajean!
posted on September 1, 2003 04:04:51 PM new
LindaJean,
I think you did the right thing for YOU. And ethically you emailed the seller and asked to back-out. I dont know that your the same 'deadbeat' that sellers complain about here.
You said you accidently bid with your seller ID? She may have smelled trouble and that is why she let you off the hook. Part of the reason dead-beating is tolerated at all on ebay is because you cannot force people to buy stuff and not be able to change their minds. You really cant. And ebay can only try to govern it in so much as it becomes abusive. IMHO
Ace,
I too have a hard time jacking-up the shipping charges. I know its a widely accepted practice. I've gotten caught listing low, one bid, and almost having to do it to make a dollar, or just to break even on the item. But since this method is not for me, I've had to rethink what I sell and the methods of selling them. I can make a $1-2 from the shipping, and consider it time packing and etc., but have the hardest time slamming the shipping too much. Needless to say, I am NOT a big moneymaker on ebay....haha!
posted on September 1, 2003 04:38:29 PM new
Don't miss this INCREDIBLE T.V. offer!!!! 3 c.d's FREEEEEEE.A $25.00 dollar Value!!!!!! ......Please include $19.99 s/h....... the Big Boys do it right on National T.V.
Change with the times or the times will shortchange you.
Lead or be left in the Dust....
AND THE BEAT GOES ON,,,,,
[ edited by jackswebb on Sep 1, 2003 04:40 PM ]
posted on September 2, 2003 01:45:23 AM new
Jack, you are so very right.
Point well taken!
But you know what? Its like that dealer I spoke about that was hussleing Joan Rivers jewelery for 30.00 a piece. I will never go back to one of their sales again! There is another antique/estate dealer here who is very fair with her pricing and she has got a huge following! People wait at 6am to get numbers into her sales that sometimes dont start until 9-10 am.
A few people told me they appreciated me not slamming the shipping on them. But I cant say I get return customers from it because I sell so many different things, I dont really have a solid customer base.
(But I'm working on that idea!!
Tessa
[ edited by neroter12 on Sep 2, 2003 02:08 AM ]
posted on September 2, 2003 10:39:56 AM new
I think it would have been a nice and well-appreciated gesture to send the seller enough to cover her ebay fees, at least. She's been pretty nice about it, all in all, hardly seems like it's right otherwise.
That can't be a very nice email to open. "Oh, I won't be paying you because I think you're a crook. And please file a mutually agreed, because, really I'M not a deadbeat, it's just about you."
I wouldn't send the money in this case, either... but I think contacting the seller about it, and then collecting pats on the back for being such an exceptionally sweet deadbeat, is maybe going a bit far. I'd be a little ashamed of myself, and expect to carry the NPB mark. It's just not that big of a problem. After all, you were "warned" by other bidders feedback, maybe other sellers want to know this about you!
posted on September 2, 2003 11:01:45 AM new
Actually, I sent her an email asking her to explain the negatives and telling her I should have checked on her feedback before bidding.
I was the only bidder. That was the starting bid.
Her reply wasn't really all that nice. It was simply: I don't care if you buy these or not. Everyone is trying to take advantage of me and I'm not going to let this happen.
But, after thinking it all over, I agreed with others. I placed the bid, she does have lots of positive feedbacks, and I should go through with it.
Now, I wrote again, requesting insurance. She didn't have it listed as a part of the postage. Also, I asked if these would be shipped priority mail or media. They do not qualify for media but many many people ship postcard lots by media mail. The shipping was so low I suspect that is her intent.
The post office is cracking down on media shipments and they definitely do not qualify.
I asked her to send me a new shipping total with insurance and for priority mail.
If she replies (she hasn't yet), I will honor my bid and keep everyone posted as to whether or not it was a wise move.
If she doesn't reply, I won't send anything. She won't accept escrow so I am taking a big chance even if she says she will insure. But, I am willing to give her the benefit of the doubt if I hear back at all (which I am beginning to doubt).
posted on September 25, 2003 10:32:37 AM new
Follow up to post:
Received postcards today. They were not "hand picked" as described. The postcards shown in the ad were not included. It was all old stock Ashville postcards and 99% scenic junk with lots of duplication and lots of cards with no identification.
Her ad said: THERE ARE SOME REAL PHOTOS AND POSSIBLY 3 OR 4 MINT GREAT CHROME CARDS THAT I INCLUDED FOR THEIR SUBJECT
No real photo's, no chrome which would have been nice compared to what was received.
Ad also said these sell at shows from $1 up, and these can't be given awywhere. She stated it was a great lot for dealers. Wrong again, not a great lot for anyone.
But, the point being, just like the 74 negs, they were not the postcards shown in photos and they were not as described. I should have taken the neg and saved myself $300.
[ edited by lindajean on Sep 25, 2003 10:33 AM ]
posted on September 25, 2003 10:42:08 AM new
Sorry the lot was not as advertised, but with 74 negs on similar lots, it isn't very surprising. I think the seller offered you an out too, you should have taken it and run.
I picked up a lot of postcards recently in a stamp auction, they are kind of interesting. Many of US War Ships, some around WWI and the 20's and 30's - Others cards sent for greetings around turn of the century. I may put them up on ebay, I am a stamp collector, don't know much about postcards but the price was too good to pass up.
posted on September 25, 2003 10:56:37 AM new
Sorry this happened to you. Lots of warning signs on this one and you should have followed your first instincts.
I should have taken the neg and saved myself $300.
Woulda, coulda, shoulda........
So Kiara you know for a fact this seller wouldn't follow through? You do know what fact means don't you?
Sometimes the fact is that we have instincts about certain deals.
posted on September 25, 2003 11:13:17 AM new
Sorry Linda but I have FINALLY come to realize that 99% of the postcard auctions sold on ebay are nothing but junk that dealers are unable to unload anywhere else. Just about the only way to get a decent lot is to luck into an auction listed by a non-dealer and that's so hard to do with all the additional id's out there!! In the last two days two large lots I purchased arrived - the first one was 100% junk!!! They were all chromes of mountains, cactus and williamsburg etc etc etc Yesterday a better lot of 6,000 cards arrived but still had over 5,000+ junk postcards (and by nice I mean interesting chromes - nothing older). Now my problem is what to do with all of these junk cards??? I am thinking of donating them to a local elementary school ( would think they could be used somehow). Does anyone else have ideas??
posted on September 25, 2003 11:55:58 AM new
You can always sell them back in lots of 1,000 but being honest this time. You could probably get most of your money back that way as I have seen people bid on nearly everything. Even scenic has it's collectors.
That's what I am going to do with about 10,000 I have sitting here worth very little. Even $45 per thousand will be better than tossing them. I'm going to start my bidding at $9.95 and see what happens.
posted on September 25, 2003 01:06:56 PM newAd also said these sell at shows from $1 up, and these can't be given awywhere. She stated it was a great lot for dealers. Wrong again, not a great lot for anyone.
I've found that these and similar subjective statements are a clear indication that the seller is trying to move out their leftovers. Learning that cost me $550.
Sorry this happened to you too.
Our motto: Bright and shiny baubles for persons with low impulse control.
posted on September 25, 2003 01:37:12 PM new
I guess we live and learn.
It was the fact she stated these had been hand picked from 100,000 postcards she had for sale and were the best of the best. Other lots she sold she didn't even put up pictures. Just showed closed boxes. I knew better than to even think about any of those. But, I fell for the nice long description and the photo's she showed. Too bad none of it was in the box. I could have at least made some of it back. The others went for $75 to $127 so I guess she thought a little extra dazzle would get the $275 starting bid she slapped on this set. And, it worked. That time anyway.
A year ago I bought several very nice lots from Ebayers but for the past 6 months or so all I have found is junk. Neglus is right about multiple ID's. I know the big sellers and try to steer clear of their leftovers but all anyone has to do is set up a new ID and unload them as "estate finds" which is turning out to be a bunch of bull!
The antique stores here want more for everything than you can get on Ebay and the owners run the price up at the local auction houses so you can't find anything there. Guess I will have to start spreading out and searching other states for better deals. Nevada doesn't have much to offer.
[ edited by lindajean on Sep 25, 2003 02:01 PM ]
posted on September 25, 2003 02:37:22 PM new
I don't buy large "dealer" lots anymore on ebay unless it has a decent inventory list. I purchased a $800 lot a few years ago. One of the reasons I bid is because the person was local, and I was able to meet them in person to pick up the lot. After going through it, I realized I had been had, that it was not nearly as good as described. I did contact the seller, told him I was displeased, and he made good on the lot by giving me more stock. Luckily, he had good feedback and made good on the lot, but I believe those large lots are most likely not going to be what they seem.
[ edited by jackswebb on Sep 1, 2003 04:40 PM ]