I just need to vent.
I’ve sold things on ebay off and on for around 10 years. Just things around the house, it’s no business by any means.
Here lately I have had nothing but problems with buyers. It is the same thing every time…they didn’t receive their package. Even though the tracking info says they did. They file a claim, paypal siezes my money for 2 weeks, then sides with me…giving my money back to me. Then ebay bans them.
Ugh.
/rant
Matt I had too many problems with buyers since ebay changed their polices in favor of buyers.
I stopped selling two years ago
Mike
I remember that. I quit selling about that time. Not due to that, it was that their fees got outrageous.
Now, I’m sick of all the shady people thinking they can get things for free.
It becomes contagious. Guys hear that they can get money back for crying. Some of them do it everyday for free!
I’ve been selling and buying on Ebay for about ten years. Mostly trains. I’ve had a few scrapes with customers but always was able to work something out. I have also filed a handful of claims against sellers who did not produce and was successful every time. On most items I sell, I make sure that there is at least a tracking number. On higher priced items I buy insurance. As has been noted, Evilbay’s fees have gotten out of hand, but the exposure you get is unequalled as far as I know.
I do it to support my hobby and not as a business, so I don’t expect to make any money.
I buy and sell on Ebay here and there and luckily haven’t had too many problems.
Their fees are getting stupid.
Matt at least you do get your money back, it could be worse.
Dan, I do the same. Always a tracking number and if the item has some value, then I insure it.
Todd…true. I have received my money. It’s just an aggravation. The last guy…well, the guy before the guy I’m dealing with now, opened the same case against me twice. I did some research and after a few minutes his email/user name was popping up everywhere as a scammer doing the same thing on message boards as he was doing to me.
The guy I’m dealing with now doesn’t show up when I search his info. But the line he is feeding me, well, it smells funny.
I have two things listed now. This may be it. It’s just not worth it.
Yep tracking number and if its valuable get signature confirmation. Insurance is usually only on pricey stuff. Be sure when you mail it to fill in the particulars on ebay. The fact that the buyer is being notified at time of shipping with the tracking number cuts out most of the problem. Signature confirmation really eliminates most of their claim. The biggest problem I have read is claiming the item is broken , wanting a refund but refusing to also return it.I find being very very clear that even brand new still in box items are being sold as-is with NO returns. I am also meticulous about description and what they are getting.
This time of year, it’s probably wise to get delivery confirmation via signature or something like that. Too many Grinches stealing packages left on front porches.
Later,
K
I am very leary of sellers that do not offer returns. If your items are as advertised, then you would not get returns!! Exception would be basket cases where an item is sold in pieces.
On engines, pictures of the bottom are important to show wear or the lack of any wear on wheels /sliders. For me no pix of the bottom, then no bid.
On the other hand, I have had 2 of my ebay purchases “lost” by the PO and not delivered to me. Even though the tracking number said they were delivered. I print out the delivery report and head to the local PO. I asked where they were. They made copies and said they’d check on it. Next day, in my mail box was the two packages with the handwritten note: “Delivered to wrong address.”
My wife’s new iPhone 6 was ordered from our cell carrier and sent 2 day air, insured and signature required.
We followed it on line. It was delivered to our local PO in the required 2 days, then re-sent back downtown, then re sent back to our local PO 2 days later. No explanation, nothing.
I check the rating of who I am buying from. Reputable sellers will have a good rating and are mentioned online in forums like this. A Bing/google serch will turn up references to the seller.
I haven’t sold anything on eBay, but a member of one of the clubs I belong to does. He has been burned at least once by a whiner. When it comes time to thin my heard, I would prefer to sell on here to folks who have a reputation and I feel are trustworthy. Well. most of Yunz anyway. 
Ebay fees also drove me off, that and outrageous prices, same for shipping fees… Both of the latter due to the fees, no doubt. When I did purchase on Ebay I checked the sellers rating- under 98 no way -, I also checked( read the feedback on neutrals and negatives ratings. Recently I have found the descriptions on a lot of items to be (assumively) purposely vague. For specific items, I also check Amazon, additionally I’ll google the item to see what turns up and where…
I do what David M. does, a bit of research, and if anything looks flakey, I email the seller with a question… you learn a LOT about from the response.
Saved my butt several times.
But I just got my Trackman 2000 virtually new for $90! A little work pays off.
Greg
Not to derail this thread but Greg E when did you change your photo and what type of engine is that? It looks rather unusual.
Now back to your regurally scheduled discussion…
They don’t call it Evil bay for nothing…
I try to avoid sellers that don’t have much feedback, there is a good chance your item will arrive not as described and beat up due to lousy packing.
A story with a happy ending. Years ago a seller with zero feedbacks had the same LGB set listed 3 times. I questioned why, no response, The price was so low I bid on the first set, won and paid for it. Tried to contact the seller numerous times. Got Ebay involved and finally got my money back. A few months later what shows up on my door but the LGB set. Tried to contact seller again with no luck. Weird. I kept what I wanted and sold the rest.
I have had 1 Bozo in 12 years. I was selling and he said it came damaged. He wanted me to file to get the insurance money, let him keep it for free. I reported him and never heard again, banned I hope for life.
On the buying side, I have had a couple of refunds when I got something for the cheap opening bid because “they couldn’t find it”. No big lose there.
Overall it lets me rid of the excess that the CFO claims we have. I have had a very few pleasant surprises. Won a USAT Jersey Central NW-2 and when I put it on the track, it had sound! I feel I have dealt with quite a few honest people. If they’re in it for the long run, they go out of their way to keep you happy.
This has not been a paid endorsement.
I have been collecting trains for most all of my life in multiple scales and have accumulated a lot of stuff over the years.
For the past 5 years we have been funding the SJR&P by selling excess equipment and have just completed selling this years selection of items that will fund the railroad for both 2014 and 2015.
While the 12.9% fees EBAY/PAYPAL charge are significant they also provide a large buying pool and we normally can get what we desire for items sold.
So while it has its problems and you have to be careful. It does provide a useful service.
Stan
Yes, be an educated consumer. The last couple of purchases I made were not from Evilbay but instead from internet hobby suppliers. Lantz’s Train Shop and The Favorite Spot. After comparing their prices with prices on Ebay I found these two had better deals. By going to The Favorite Spot’s internet store i saved an additional 10% over their price on Ebay for the same item.
Todd Haskins said:
Not to derail this thread but Greg E when did you change your photo and what type of engine is that? It looks rather unusual.
Baldwin DL 109
Now back to your regurally scheduled discussion…
They don’t call it Evil bay for nothing…
I try to avoid sellers that don’t have much feedback, there is a good chance your item will arrive not as described and beat up due to lousy packing.
A story with a happy ending. Years ago a seller with zero feedbacks had the same LGB set listed 3 times. I questioned why, no response, The price was so low I bid on the first set, won and paid for it. Tried to contact the seller numerous times. Got Ebay involved and finally got my money back. A few months later what shows up on my door but the LGB set. Tried to contact seller again with no luck. Weird. I kept what I wanted and sold the rest.
John Caughey said:
Todd Haskins said:
Not to derail this thread but Greg E when did you change your photo and what type of engine is that? It looks rather unusual.
…
Baldwin DL 109
Now back to your regurally scheduled discussion…
They don’t call it Evil bay for nothing…
I try to avoid sellers that don’t have much feedback, there is a good chance your item will arrive not as described and beat up due to lousy packing.
A story with a happy ending. Years ago a seller with zero feedbacks had the same LGB set listed 3 times. I questioned why, no response, The price was so low I bid on the first set, won and paid for it. Tried to contact the seller numerous times. Got Ebay involved and finally got my money back. A few months later what shows up on my door but the LGB set. Tried to contact seller again with no luck. Weird. I kept what I wanted and sold the rest.
John you were very lucky you got your item! I’ve never heard of something like that. I had a case where the seller offered free shipping on what I’m sure he expected to sell for alot more than my pidly opening bid, which was the only bid BTW, so the seller refused to ship the item! He hemming and whining all along about how much money he would loose if he shipped it for free, took a while but I did get my refund from Ebay, he got a service suspension, never did get the item.
