eBAY Charges

Well I've not SOLD anything on ebay but I've been buying there for 11 years and in all that time I've only had one transaction. where the seller reneged. I raised it with ebay and got an immediate refund. I've made around 650 purchases of which maybe half a dozen were a bit disappointing - these are more than offset by some great bargains. OK those great bargains, where an exciting last minute bid succeeded, are really not to be had now but I still get quite a few bits and pieces via ebay . It does seem nowadays that it's largely traders selling.

I guess I really ought to offload some "stuff" but Steve's experience is not encouraging.

Norman

I agree that some sellers do rip people off on the postage and these should dealt with the advances in computer tech and fillers in programs eBay can target the abusers of the system

BUT they do not want to as they need to make more money from the poor

I have to purchase box's bubble wrap packing chips & tape I always add a very small amount to cover this but it is pence NOT pounds also the post office have not helped as they have screwed this up as well with extra cost's

Some sellers, particularly in China with free delivery, have got smarter than this. When the thing hasn't shown up after maybe a month and you let them know about it, they are the very epitome of helpful. They wring their hands and beg you not to leave negative feedback - they will send you a replacement immediately. This is followed by a message confirming shipment of the replacement.

So you sit back, thinking the seller is a decent guy/gal and wait another month. Nothing shows up so you contact the seller again. Nothing - no matter what you do you can't get any response.

So you figure you'll at least get the satisfaction of leaving negative feedback .... but no - eBay has a 60-day limit on leaving feedback and you've gone over that. The whole pantomime from the seller was an act to delay things past the 60-day limit. (I don't know what the limit is for lodging a Paypal claim. If that's 60 days, he has you there too).

This has happened to me once ($5 item) although it is not uncommon according to the eBay forums. If it happens again, I'll wait till the seller sends me confirmation of shipping the replacement then leave negative/neutral feedback explaining the situation and stating that the feedback will be modified if/when the replacement shows up.

Having said that, my experience with eBay as a buyer over 12 years or more and over 300 purchases has been overwhelmingly good, including many purchases from Chinese vendors with free shipping.

Many German eBay sellers, it seems, do not accept PayPal.. When I purchased something from Germany recently, PayPal wasn't even an option. Bank transfer was how I had to do the deal. I looked at several other items for sale from different sellers and they were the same.

Dave
The Emerald Isle

When I sell on Ebay I make everything collect, this way i get pound notes, no paypal scam.

Also people moan about high P&P but it's virtually impossible for me to get to the PO during working hours.

Factor in having to pack the item, then the trip to the PO and our PO is in the centre of town with no handy parking, so now factor in parking fees and the waiting I'm lucky if I can get back to the shop in under the hour.

But if i charge an hours labour at commercial rates I'm a rip of merchant ?

I have stopped going to auctions as most of what is there is high priced rubbish, machinery is never under power, high commission fees, and remember you time and expense of travelling there, waiting around is out of your pocket.

Few years ago myself and my helper went to 3 auctions looking for a new lathe, all we saw was clapped out Colchesters and it finally hit me that 2 men, 3 days was one weeks wages and nothing to show for it.

So try and save the time and do the online auctions. Peaker Patterson [ guys who did Myfords ] had an online clearance sale with most things at their Peterborough base.

One item was a CVA with bits missing for spares or repair so can't get clearer than that but still worth it for bits.

'Won' it for £78 plus fees only to be told "Sorry withdrawn from sale" It was also in the following months sale and again a £96 winning bid didn't get it. Turns out they have a deal with their local scrap people where if it's worth more for scrap it get withdrawn.

Needless to say online auctions are now off my favourite list

.

Was the purchase being made in the same currency as the balance in your PayPal account?

Being in Canada, I have noticed that when making purchases from UK dealers in £ with more than sufficient $CDN funds in my PayPal account, the payment was still being taken out of my regular bank account.

However, if prior to completing the sale, I first login to my PayPal account to transfer sufficient funds from my $CDN balance to a £ balance, then the payment is processed correctly by PayPal.

Interestingly enough, this doesn't happen for regular eBay auction payments where the foreign exchange conversion seems to happen automatically.

In future, my stuff will go on Home Workshop (and similar forums) and if the selling price is 20% less for hassle free sale then that sounds like a bargain. I'm not looking to make money, just recycle stuff easily as my interests change so I can buy different stuff

But eBay want to treat me like a business, so the answer is find the sites for private sellers to trade their stuff.

Steve

Edited By Steve Withnell on 23/11/2013 18:47:11

Clive

In my case it was all UK pounds. Below is part of an email explanation Paypal sent me.

Ian P

This looks a rather shabby way of doing business.

... Check the delivery charge.

MichaelG.

That is a shabby way and overpriced to boot, for that price you can get a 6040 with ballscrews for the same price.

However after buying a laser cutter from one of the 'Portsmouth ' based companies there is a reason.

In my case the machine was in Portsmouth, it took 3 days to get here from purchase. All there is in Portsmouth is a bonded warehouse. You buy the item and once fees are paid to HMCR it's released and sent on it's way.

The high shipping price is because they have paid taxes in the UK which many don't and they don't feel that they should have to pay Ebay fees on import duty and VAT.

Long short is make your mind up whether the machine plus the 'postage' in total is worth it ? In my case it was nearly the same as buying one from China and having problems over import and VAT, knowing what I paid was the end of it, no follow on fees to pay.

.

Thanks for the explanation, John

From a "potential customer" viewpoint [although, to be honest, I was just browsing]; I suppose the problem would really be the "return" arrangements.

MichaelG.

Anyone digested eBay's latest change to the TS and Cs? Something about using Argos as a pay & collect centre and obligations on sellers regarding paying for returns.

Steve