Ebay gripes.

Discussion in 'Whatever' started by Temporal Marauder, Jun 3, 2020.

  1. Temporal Marauder

    Temporal Marauder Toy Prince

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    Ebay gripes.
    Sorry if there’s a thread about this. If so please move over there.

    Two things I have encountered lately that really bother me.
    1) people cancelling winning auctions because the buyer didn’t get as much as they would’ve liked.
    There’s a seller that recently put up few vintage Bullmarks lots. All just got relisted with a new BIN option double what the auctions sold for initially.
    Won a bid on a medicom Kikaider for $50 a few months ago. I was the only bidder. The moment the auction ended the seller canceled the order and relisted it at minimum $100. Am I the only one that finds this behavior reprehensible?
    2) Three weeks ago I did a buy it now on a reissue Bullmark. Same seller sold the same item a few weeks earlier using the same pictures etc. I figured maybe the previous winner didn’t pay. More like wishful thinking. After a full seven days I contacted the seller and super politely asked if they sent the toy. Waited a week. No reply. Waited another week and sent another polite inquiry. No reply but literally 5 minutes later I got an alert that a tracking number was generated. Great. Now we’re in week three and the item hasn’t been shipped. No update on the tracking since it was created. Third email ( less polite) sent and still zero communication from this person.
    What is the deal? I sell on eBay. I can get things shipped in a timely manner. Pandemic and apocalypse n all.
    Eventually PayPal will get my money from this creep but man stuff like this really takes the air out of collecting. Between these recent ebay experiences and all my Japanese purchases in total unknown limbo going on three months.. I might have to consider basket weaving or other hobbies. Someone give me a chill pill.

    I must add this tho. A member of this community just sent me a bunch of toys and collectibles free of charge just because he is awesome and had dupes. So thankfully there are still shining examples of human integrity still! Thank you David.
     
  2. ultrakaiju

    ultrakaiju Die-Cast Staff Member

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    Ebay gripes.
    I thought there might have been a dedicated thread, but anyways, we can have this one. Unfortunately, the list of my ebay gripes is far too long to write here, and causes me great pain to even think on. (Plus I wouldn't want to leave another text brick here.) Suffice it to say I wholeheartedly agree with your gripes, and then some. I am sure there might be some decent sellers still on ebay, and probably as a collector you might be able to find some cool things there, but simple fact is - as an 'international buyer' - it might as well be ignored as much as trying to get stuff from the moon. ebay was a useful marketplace, and I actually got a kick out of existing as a flea market in the 90s when the internet was first taking off; but those days are looooooooong gone. It has become [my opinion] a place for destitute scammers, flippers, and speculators. And that is just talking about THIS hobby. Really, it would be difficult for me to have less of a positive impression on the 'marketplace' it has become. The shill practices you've mentioned, the ending of auctions to people who have messaged, pulling items because the price was not met they wanted claiming "an error in the listing" it's all just so BS. And all this excuse about the buyers having all the power, that is a large truckfull of equine droppings. :x There are normal, responsible people using ebay as a service, but I think the vast majority has soured the venue for me completely when it comes to toy collecting.

    TL;DR - I don't know which David it was (though I might guess), but I am fairly certain that across this board and the many iterations we have, that holds. :thumbsup:
     
  3. hellscrape

    hellscrape Comment King

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    Ebay gripes.
    On the flip side, as a seller, we have no recourse against buyers who threaten negative feedback if shipping is not upgraded for free or if they don't get some kind of unexpected discount. Not denying the existence of flippers and crap sellers, but it's just a garbage hole altogether.
     
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  4. Temporal Marauder

    Temporal Marauder Toy Prince

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    Ebay gripes.
    I’ve had some luck playing the patience game on eBay. Finding deals here and there. It takes way too much effort though.
    I’m honestly just crap at using Yahoo Japan. I can never find what I’m looking for and the one time someone helped me find something I was shocked at the final fees total. Not knowing Japanese I also was thinking the piece would be larger than an inch and a half. So I guess lack of imagination has continually led me back there.
    I sell on there with little to no issues. Mostly common toys/records. I did have one person try and take my 100% feedback hostage over shipping charges but eBay removed the negative in my favor. Takes a phone call usually but sometimes they do the right thing.
     
  5. Roger

    Roger Vintage

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    Ebay gripes.
    These days I am only buying from and selling to eBay accounts in the US. Too many shenanigans from people who I think are in China and don't have toys being sold in Japan actually in hand, or automated processes that are doing something similar.

    For example:

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ghostron-B...207104?hash=item5da9e35780:g:~8AAAOSwne9e1Z0r
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/Japanese-S...617653?hash=item4b6e369375:g:UyUAAOSwru1dwvOE

    Or:

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bullmark-V...285746?hash=item4dac8b33f2:g:Mm0AAOSwYoFeyqzT
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bullmark-V...478656?hash=item263cd6f900:g:c4IAAOSwHv1eyldK

    Also, "THE THING AT THAT TIME."
     
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  6. Temporal Marauder

    Temporal Marauder Toy Prince

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    Ebay gripes.
    Thing At Time is totally a saved search haha :lol:
     
  7. Temporal Marauder

    Temporal Marauder Toy Prince

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    Ebay gripes.
    3. My third grip would have to be this one US seller that had tons of stuff I want. Bullmarks, B-clubs and Popy etc. all his auctions are over priced but with “make an offer”. Not once has he accepted an offer from me. That’s certainly his prerogative. His counter offers tho are so ridiculously slim. Basically it might cover shipping. I “watch” a bunch of his auctions and he just relist again and again. Maybe he just doesn’t want to sell them to me :cry:
    Surly anyone here that bothers with eBay knows who I’m talking about. :twisted:
     
  8. Anti Social Andy

    Anti Social Andy Die-Cast

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    Ebay gripes.
    eBay's Global selling programme chaffs my ass.

    Automatically adding on the import duties, VAT and handling charges may make it easier for the seller, but some 'gentle manipulation' of the figures avoids all of those extra charges, cuts the delivery time in half and sticks it to 'the man' . . . all wins in my book!
     
  9. hellscrape

    hellscrape Comment King

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    Ebay gripes.
    I've been ripped off by miscalculating international shipping fees way too often to do it myself, even though I agree with your statements. I've even had someone from Australia shortchange me $40 on shipping here on SB (Illusive, your payments were elusive!). Seeing how I'm not on the cutting edge of cool toys, when I do make a sale, it's usually more or less what it cost me, so I prefer to not take those gambles using Ebay if i don't have to.

    But yes, international shipping is generally the pits.
     
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2020
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  10. JoeMan

    JoeMan Mini Boss

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    Ebay gripes.
    Noticed an increase in a terrible eBay practice lately. sellers are relisting already inflated Listings active on yja and mercaii. They don’t own or have the item on hand, they are just waiting for a buy to purchase the Japan listing. I noticed 3 separate sellers resisting a yja auction for the new mandarake hedorahs. There is no way to flag this listing practice in report options. Does any one know how to report these listing practices?
     
    Last edited: Sep 3, 2020
  11. FLTodd

    FLTodd Toy Prince

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    Ebay gripes.
    I’ve been a “member” of eBay buying and selling there since 2001. I’ve had plenty of issues including those noted above and a few I’d prefer to forget. I can recall in the early days how people would buy stuff and just not pay all the time. Back then it took like two clicks to get the person’s info from eBay. I called many people on the phone and explained what a “binding purchase agreement” was. Hahaha. Most were confused as to who I was and why I was calling. 99% of the time they’d say “It was my kid that won that and I didn’t say they could use my account so we’re not paying... click.”

    The option to require immediate payment is about the best thing there is on eBay these days.
     
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  12. Mr. Humphreys

    Mr. Humphreys Mini Boss

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    Ebay gripes.
    @Temporal Marauder , make sure you click on your wayward order and open a "where's my stuff" claim, to request help from ebay. Please make sure you file a claim within 30 days, and YES, do it even if the seller said they sent it (you waited way beyond what is reasonable imho). That way you are protected from non-delivery issues, and ebay will force the seller to issue you a refund, if you don't get your item. If your seller complains to you and said they sent your item, let them know politely that you are doing it as a protective action. when you receive the item, you can close the claim action.
     
  13. blakewest

    blakewest Post Pimp

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    Ebay gripes.
    I found another example of this, for an item I thankfully picked up from the actual seller!
    Real: https://www.mercari.com/jp/items/m43920109322/
    Fake: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Marmit-Vin...Figure-4-set-Wholesale-Rare-Item/184470589298

    It seems like the real seller in Japan is even aware this is going on. In their Mercari bio they say "PS There are people who are trying to resell the products I sell here at Yahoo Auction or Amazon by using the images and sentences as they are, so I will deal with it as soon as I understand it."

    Is there some way I can report the asshole to eBay? Would it do any good?
     
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  14. old_seaweed

    old_seaweed Toy Prince

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    Ebay gripes.
    @blakewest I'm not sure if it would in the long run. There's an onslaught of those "proxy"/fake sellers infesting the site these days. I have a ton of saved searches that overrun my feed with replica listings of stuff you see on any number of accessible Japan seller sites, including Kobe Toy and Manda. If I alter a search to omit certain sellers, 10 more of them pop up.
     
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  15. blakewest

    blakewest Post Pimp

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    Ebay gripes.
    I wish I could at least notify the real seller about the eBay listing, but I bought the item through Buyee, and I do not see any way to contact the seller.
     
  16. Mr. Humphreys

    Mr. Humphreys Mini Boss

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    Ebay gripes.
    Humph! :shock: Well that explains it! There are some Toygraph Racers on ebay, that multiple sellers are posting the exact photo of the same toy, for insane prices. Before you get too excited, it's like +$600 per racer!
     
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  17. old_seaweed

    old_seaweed Toy Prince

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    Ebay gripes.
    On the flip, when you see a junk listing, you know it's probably current on a valid seller's site somewhere. Free advertising, sort of.
     
  18. Radin

    Radin Toy Prince

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    Ebay gripes.
    I don't think eBay is "infested" with most of these behaviors but there are definitely shitty sellers who pull these scams. I'm pretty careful who I buy specialty items from.

    There are a number of sellers that just take photos from Mandarake or other auction sites and list at ludicrous prices hoping for a sell even though they don't have the item.

    My main gripe is that since eBay allows sellers to list for free there are people that just list items at ridiculous prices hoping to get some idiot to buy. I won't purchase from sellers like this. Most excellent sellers with good items post with semi-reasonable prices but there are scammers that put prices that would make Mandarake blush...
     
  19. blakewest

    blakewest Post Pimp

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    Ebay gripes.
    Unless it's already sold from the original site! LOL
     
  20. Waterbear

    Waterbear Line of Credit

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    Ebay gripes.
    What confuses the hell out of me on ebay this year is that I buy something on ebay and pay through ebay and a few days later the item shows up in the mail from amazon with an amazon box and and amazon labeled packing slip. Happened at least a dozen times this year. The fuck?
     
  21. Urk

    Urk Toy Prince

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    Ebay gripes.
    Amazon infiltration, creepy.
     
  22. jl

    jl Line of Credit

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    Ebay gripes.
    No really a gripe as I haven't sold the item yet, but I have an Garamon offered at $149.99 with offers welcomes.
    And I got this morning a $20.09 offer...
    WTF? How can somebody really think somebody will accept such low ball offer !!
     
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  23. JoeMan

    JoeMan Mini Boss

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    Ebay gripes.
    lol, they never know unless they try, and it doesn't hurt to try is the mindset. Not, let me annoy and insult this person. I've sold thing online in the past and even had messages asking to give it to them for free, with the reward being, their kids will really enjoy it, and that is worth it.
     
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  24. jl

    jl Line of Credit

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    Ebay gripes.
    What more important than the smile of the kid playing with an expensive piece of vinyl? :lol:

    People can really be amazing !
     
  25. 666doll

    666doll Mini Boss

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    Ebay gripes.
    Sold something recently that was NOT in working condition and had cosmetic issues. Stated ALL of this in the description. Was clear about it, open, honest and said to ask questions should you have any.

    Someone bid on the auction and won. Didn't pay, and I remained patient. Finally had to file a non-paying bidder alert so I could at least get fees refunded. You know the game. After five or six days more, they paid. Okay, great.

    Package it up, shipped it off promptly, within 24 hours. Item arrives and no issues.

    Few days later we get a return request because they claim item was damaged or not working... eBay approves request. Contact eBay and explain that it was listed as damaged and not working. Ebay gives zero fucks and says I have to take it back b/c we offer 30 day returns "on our dime, no less."

    So I am out about $200 on this with no recourse...
     

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