posted on June 11, 2003 05:40:22 PM new
It appears that some who write regularity for this board are shilling for ebay. The optimism and bias is so apparant that some post have over done it. Logic seems almost gone. Some on this board would make you think they have a 100% sell thru rate and 50%profit on every item and there is no other way to pay except paypal. It looks like an advertisement. Have you noticed how certain ones are constanly on this board, when do they have time to list their items to sell? Any complaint about ebay is immediatly shot down. Why do they care about negitive opinions? They are dieing to know what I sell and my ID I sell on ebay. Why? I have a friend that wrote on this board and made the mistake of giving his ID he sells with. Eventually he was declared Non user for some little violation. He gave ebay up concluding it to be rigged. They are watching and writing. Be Careful!!!
posted on June 11, 2003 05:45:40 PM new
I've read quite a few complaints about eBay and Paypal on this board as well as good things. I'd say the ratio is pretty split. There are good things and bad things. Sure, I'm know the eBay police are on this board as well. But, if you're doing the auctions the way they are supposed to be done by following eBay's rules, I don't see what anyone has to worry about. You are not suddenly declared a NARU. You are given prior warnings unless it's a really blatant violation of the rules. They don't just pull one auction and boot you out the door (at least in 99.9% of the cases).
Cheryl
My religion is simple, my religion is kindness.
--Dalai Llama
posted on June 11, 2003 08:33:54 PM new
dbest, for years people here have been complaining about ebay. I have posted my share of complaints also. As for optimism, I have lots and ebay isn't all bad. I won't bore you with stories of my costs of doing business in the real world but at times it makes ebay look like a piece of cake.
I notice your profile says you are retired. Perhaps you're jaded as you expected to sell your collection and live in comfort from the profits and now you realize that you will have to spend some money to make some money. You did say once before what you sell and you were told that your items were a tough sell on ebay. I agree as I sold a few this past winter. Just because the market is tough for your items it doesn't mean that it's that way for everyone.
Have you thought about starting a website or maybe a Vendio store? No freebies there either.
posted on June 11, 2003 10:29:07 PM new
dbest: This time I will say that I think you are way off base. I have been on this thread for as long as it has been on & I can't remember anyone really praising ebay. Yes, I think it the best auction on the internet, but I don't like everything about it
posted on June 12, 2003 07:50:01 AM new
dbest said-Some on this board would make you think they have a 100% sell thru rate and 50%profit on every item and there is no other way to pay except paypal. It looks like an advertisement. Have you noticed how certain ones are constanly on this board, when do they have time to list their items to sell? //////////////////////////////////
dbest,
you raised some good points,may be these people just keep relisting the items they cant sell,thats why they have time to lurk on this board.
posted on June 12, 2003 07:59:36 AM new
Perhaps it only seems as though people are shilling for eBay because they have forgotten the basic posting rules. As a refresher, here they are:
1. Ebay is evil. Pure evil. If you do not subscribe to this, you are probably part of the conspiracy.
2. Ebay "cheerleaders" are not too busy to list. They are using the time to conduct ritual sacrifices in order to appease eBay. (See rule 1.)
3. Any reference to Meg Whitman must contain at least two of the following references: Her clothing selection, her weight, her hair style, a fantasy about what she is doing with the billions of dollars she has from eBay.
4. Posters to this forum must be treated as professional business people. Until eBay makes a business decision. At that point they become poor widows and orphans being personally attacked by a ruthless corporation. (See rule 1.)
5. Did I mention how fat Meg looks?
6. See rule 1.
[ edited by Damariscotta on Jun 12, 2003 08:01 AM ]
posted on June 12, 2003 08:15:36 AM newDamariscotta Too true.
The "cheerleader for eBay" accusation only works if the people you're accusing only sing happy songs. There are very few posters here who do that on a consistent basis. In fact, I'd bet that everyone in this thread could come up with at least one change to eBay and/or Paypal. What's more, I'd bet that many of us can guess what other posters would say before they even said it, based on complaints they've raised in the past. (Like my constant railing about Paypal's refusal to adopt a confirmation process for PO boxes.)
If you're bragging about your sell-through rate, you're not bragging on eBay, you're patting yourself on the back. THe sellers with something to brag about have figured out how to make the most out of the eBay system, but that doesn't mean they think the system is perfect. We do not see things as they are. We see them as we are.
------------The Talmud
posted on June 12, 2003 08:32:03 AM new
I want all that Garbage on the pay pal notice deleted. ONE more line of garbage and the ZIP code is going to be on Page 2.
And in place of all that Garbage they could put My address in there so it would all be on ONE page. snip, snip, tape it on and Send!
posted on June 12, 2003 08:49:33 AM new
I am "always on this board". I am a fast typist and it takes less than a minute to put my two cents worth in when I want to.
Besides, I might miss something I need to know if I don't check in regularly
I usually have between 100 and 200 ads going under 3 ids. No, they are not relists. I save them to only pop out every 3 to 6 months! My ads are easy to write and I will have over 400 out for the 50% off listing event. Saves me $60 to $70 and it is much appreciated! (Oh No! I forgot. I'm not allowed to say anything positive about Ebay even though they do make it possible for me to have enough extra money to do what I want like buy laptops!) I should hate them!!!! I had to give them (Ebay and Paypal) over $350 last month and I only made a little over $1,200. Bad Ebay Bad Ebay Bad Ebay! What pigs! We should all quit listing. (for those who may not understand...I am just making fun here...not serious)
Wonder how those guys selling burgers at McDonalds feel? They are sooooooo lucky! They made $1,000 last month, worked 40 hours and didn't have to give Mcdonalds one penny! I really should think about applying. NOT!
Edited to add: I only had to work maybe 40 hours all month for mine as I do have another job as well.
Do I wish I could still get $10 for a TV guide or $5 for an old box of yarn I pick up at a garage sale for a quarter? You bet! My record albums used to sell for $5 each with a 90% sell through rate. Now I list them 10 for $9.95 and only have a 40% sell through. But, this is my personal collection from over 40 years of listening and I still have hundreds. Unfortunately, I quit listing for two years when sales started dropping. Big Big mistake! Now I take less.
It can't go back to what it was so I have adapted. I still love it and have lots of fun with it. Some bidders are a pain but most are so nice and the stories I hear about why they bought such and such, or why it means so much to them, makes me feel good. When that goes, Ebay will go. It's not just a hobby, but it is something I do because I enjoy it. And, at my age (only 55 but not getting any younger) I have to get rid of all this stuff I have collected somehow!
posted on June 12, 2003 09:14:29 AM new
What is it with you people. If you dn't like the show, then change the channel.
Let me tell you people something. WAKE UP.
Ebay is not bad or evil it is just service set up to help people to make money and in return show a profit. Whaat is wrong with that. Show me a BM, a flea market booth, a spot a an art show that has the potential of drawing millions of people and charges what amounts to a pittance for the priveledge.
There is no such thing a free ride. ARE YOU AWAKE YET.
Ebay has been darn good to me, but I have bust my rear end for it to happen. Am I an Ebay cheerleader, shoot yes. Every time I sit and take stock of my life, of the fact that I have no time clock, no bosses, no commute, no office politics, no corrupt unions, no back stabbing co-workers I raise my eyes and say thank you.
This is the American Dream my friends.
posted on June 12, 2003 11:38:08 AM new
There used to be cheerleaders on this board...what was her name, Zina, Zuma, Xena or something like that. (Wonder what happened to her.)
Hooray eBay, eBay is wonderful, eBay can do no wrong, I want eBay to bear my children. Day in and day out, it was non-stop. It was exhausting.
There's nothing even remotely like that here now, so as usual, dbest, you are batting all zeroes.
Have you noticed how certain ones are constanly on this board, when do they have time to list their items to sell?
I think I hear your mom calling. She wants to know when you're finally going to leave home.
--
California voters: Be a part of the first-ever successful gubernatorial recall! Defy media pundits! $21 million of our money is going down the tubes daily because of our incompetent corrupt governor. Visit http://www.recallgraydavis.com to download your recall petition.
posted on June 12, 2003 01:04:54 PM new
Lets see...
I am a part-time eBayer with a RL job.
I run about 100 auctions a month under a couple ID's. I have a better than 95% sell rate the 1st time thru on my items. Some months, depending on what I am putting up, I have a near 100% sell rate. But 95% is a good overall average year-in and year-out for 6 almost 7 years. Overall I make more than 100% average on my items. These days I get most of my stuff from yardsales and estate sales. I have sooooo much junk at my house to sell still, that I will not invest a nickle unless I figure I have a good shot at 100% after expenses. I usually exceed my expectations.
Prior to eBay, my selling was done thru classified ads, putting stuff out on consignment, spending days at flea markets, thru various collectors magazines, at various collector shows (paper, record shows, comic shows, toy shows, jukebox/pinball/coin-op shows, you-name-it), networking and maintaining lists of items wanted by collectors, on and on and on - you get the picture.
I sell my crap...er, collectables 100% on eBay now and for the last 5 years. I no longer pay big money for classified ads and HOPE the item will sell (the newspaper does NOT reimburse the "listing fee" if it don't sell and I relist it and sell), I no longer have to take EXPENSIVE ads in collector magazines (I spent $1000's on Goldmine alone in the 80's) and wait 2 - 3 months for publication and HOPE my stuff sells. I no longer have to haul a truck load of stuff to the flea market a couple times during the summer on what might be my only day off from my Real Job and sit int he sun all day and HOPE to sell enough to make my table money (the flea market guy gets his table rent up front and doesn't care if I sell a damn thing). I could go on.
Lets see, the last group shop I had my stuff in charged me $110/mo for a small space and once again didn't care if i sold anything and didn't give me my money back if I didn't. I seem to recall paying a comission on some sales in some shops but can't remember the exact terms. Only that I had to drive 35 miles each way to tend to my stuff.
Hmmmmmm.... back in the early 80's I was a partner in a small Book Store. We paid a whopping rent that went up every year like clockwork. Utilities. Services. AND a large fee for our merchants account to take credit cards. AND all the risk for a bad card.
You can call me a cheerleader, but damn it I am happy as hell with eBay. And PayPal. I am making more money than ever, keeping a higher percentage of it, and my time is my own.
Rah! Rah! Rah! Good job eBay! Keep it up! I thank you! My banker thanks you!
posted on June 12, 2003 04:54:00 PM new
It appears that some who write regularity for this board are shilling for ebay. The optimism and bias is so apparant that some post have over done it. Logic seems almost gone.
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dbest. I disagree 100%. I think this board is a wide open range of opinions, with no bias at all one way or another. I certainly don't agree with what some people have to say, and at times I do agree. I think that Ebay probably monitors this board, but has no planted shills and does not take any action based on comments here. The only thing remotely close was paypaldamon, who was an admitted Paypal booster. He was an admitted Paypal employeee. But he was a help more than a shill. In closing, dbest, you are dworst. I have found that your postings generally are a waste of time. Talk about logic gone. Your posts are the definition of no logic.
posted on June 12, 2003 07:00:53 PM new
Most Sellers with a high sell through,buy in very large amounts. They start their auctions at a penny and up the shipping alittle to cover listing fees and some of the Paypal fees. They run several thousand auctions in the course of a month. With each item at least getting one bid on it,the fees take care of themselves. Hopefully many items get a fairly decent bid. If you are in a catagory where this method works,you can and do make a living.
