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OT:Ebay blows


esphil

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Quote Originally Posted by NinjaModder

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They didn't used to charge fees on shipping. But then people caught on and started having auctions starting low with a few hundred bucks for "shipping" to avoid high fees.

 

Thats nothing new, that would go on when ebay first started in the 90s.
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Quote Originally Posted by NinjaModder

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They didn't used to charge fees on shipping. But then people caught on and started having auctions starting low with a few hundred bucks for "shipping" to avoid high fees.

 

Thats nothing new, that would go on when ebay first started in the 90s.
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If I'm in no rush to sell a mainstream item, I go with CL, but I do get tired of the lowballers and scammers. I think if you live in a big enough area, CL may provide an adequate audience, but eBay gets me far more eyes than anywhere else, and I realize I need to pay for that benefit.


I'd love to see someone who is well-funded start an eBay competitor, I think one could do it differently and better and make a dent in the auction space, but it's not gonna be a startup in someone's garage. If someone with a bug chunk of cash and some creative marketing ideas decides to go after ebay, I think they could find some success.

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If I'm in no rush to sell a mainstream item, I go with CL, but I do get tired of the lowballers and scammers. I think if you live in a big enough area, CL may provide an adequate audience, but eBay gets me far more eyes than anywhere else, and I realize I need to pay for that benefit.


I'd love to see someone who is well-funded start an eBay competitor, I think one could do it differently and better and make a dent in the auction space, but it's not gonna be a startup in someone's garage. If someone with a bug chunk of cash and some creative marketing ideas decides to go after ebay, I think they could find some success.

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I've used eBay to advertise before.


Put the buy it now price at something you'd comfortable with, with fees in mind... There's an eBay fee calculator on their site. If you want $400-$500 for your guitar, set the BIN at $540+shipping. That way if it sells you'll have your $500 after fees... If somebody offers you $400, send them a message saying that you'll do $400, but only if you complete the sale off of eBay. If they agree, end your auction, if they're sketched out or not interested, keep your auction up.


They still get a buyers protection through PayPal as long as they mark that they're paying for goods. I've sold and bought guitars on ebay this way. You miss out on feedback but I don't really care about that.

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Quote Originally Posted by tele0507

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better than a pawn shop

 

Or is it?


Some pawn shops give you a serious discount if one of the guitar string breaks, and some charge original or higher prices for used instruments. I've seen low-end Peavey and Dean go for around four hundred, while in the same shop they had a blackface Fender Bassman for seven hundred.

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Quote Originally Posted by StevenJM

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I've used eBay to advertise before.


Put the buy it now price at something you'd comfortable with, with fees in mind... There's an eBay fee calculator on their site. If you want $400-$500 for your guitar, set the BIN at $540+shipping. That way if it sells you'll have your $500 after fees... If somebody offers you $400, send them a message saying that you'll do $400, but only if you complete the sale off of eBay. If they agree, end your auction, if they're sketched out or not interested, keep your auction up.


They still get a buyers protection through PayPal as long as they mark that they're paying for goods. I've sold and bought guitars on ebay this way. You miss out on feedback but I don't really care about that.

 

Using eBay for "free advertising" is why they now charge a final value fee even if you end it early. People bitch about eBay fees but it's the dishonest types who are scamming eBay and using them in direct violation of the terms and conditions that make the rest of us pay FVFs even when there is a legitimate reason for ending an auction (for example when you make a local sale or forum sale without involving eBay at all)


Thanks for that evil.gif

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I don't care much for ebay, and seldom use it. I never sell there, forums seem to work pretty good lately.


But if I could create a new ebay, I would make it a true auction, where every item has to be a real auction and if someone bids in the last minute, the auction is automatically lengthened another 5 minutes or something. Like a real auction. Fees would be reasonable, maybe 5%. Lots of things could make ebay better, finding people to do it is another matter...

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Quote Originally Posted by Meowy

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Using eBay for "free advertising" is why they now charge a final value fee even if you end it early. People bitch about eBay fees but it's the dishonest types who are scamming eBay and using them in direct violation of the terms and conditions that make the rest of us pay FVFs even when there is a legitimate reason for ending an auction (for example when you make a local sale or forum sale without involving eBay at all)


Thanks for that evil.gif

 

Yep, that is very sleazy.
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I dont think its sleazy. They don't charge a final value fee if you end it early. At least I've never been charged one. Whatever saves me $40. It's not like I'm constantly flipping guitars on eBay. I've done 2 or 3 times selling. Their fees are pretty ridiculous and they can keep raising them if they want because there's NO competition for them.

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Yes, their fees are extraordinary but I'm glad such a service exists. I've literally saved/made thousands of dollars being able to access gear through it.


Before globalization, I was flipping strats and making $400 on them on a bad day. One year I made $12,000 flipping gear and had a ball doing it. Wouldn't have been possible without ebay.

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Quote Originally Posted by StevenJM

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I dont think its sleazy. They don't charge a final value fee if you end it early. At least I've never been charged one. Whatever saves me $40. It's not like I'm constantly flipping guitars on eBay. I've done 2 or 3 times selling. Their fees are pretty ridiculous and they can keep raising them if they want because there's NO competition for them.

 

Here you go. You have a bid on the item a FVF gets charged


http://announcements.ebay.com/2012/1...-all-listings/


Why? To protect themselves of the sleazy practice of taking the transaction offline. Can't say I blame them. again honest people getting {censored}ed by the sleazeballs.


 

Quote Originally Posted by StevenJM

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Plus I sell home made pedals year round that they take 12% of, so saving $20-40 here and there doesn't keep me up at night.

 

Yeah it's called cost of doing business. That's how the economy works. Go put them on CL or on the classifieds here if you want legitimately free advertising.


Even worse that you are operating a business and scum bagging eBay and those of us who abide by the terms, and proud of it.

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Quote Originally Posted by Meowy

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Even worse that you are operating a business and scum bagging eBay and those of us who abide by the terms, and proud of it.

 

I don't run auctions. The ONLY way they charge a fee is if you have a bid and you end it. I only run BINs.


And you keep feeling 'proud' paying your fees... And I'll keep saving money where I can. For the $2-300 a year I spend on fees, I don't really care about saving $40

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Quote Originally Posted by StevenJM

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I don't run auctions. The ONLY way they charge a fee is if you have a bid and you end it. I only run BINs.


And you keep feeling 'proud' paying your fees... And I'll keep saving money where I can. For the $2-300 a year I spend on fees, I don't really care about saving $40

 

Yes and you said if someone is interested you take the deal offline and end the listing. That is just as sleazy and against the terms. eBay is virtually free for you and the restof us pay for your practices. But soon enough we will all be paying FVF or higher listing fees on BINs.. Because of {censored}ing scamming freeloaders who live above the rules. Reap what you sow
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Quote Originally Posted by Meowy

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Yes and you said if someone is interested you take the deal offline and end the listing. That is just as sleazy and against the terms. eBay is virtually free for you and the restof us pay for your practices. But soon enough we will all be paying FVF or higher listing fees on BINs.. Because of {censored}ing scamming freeloaders who live above the rules. Reap what you sow

 

You seem to read what you want. Again, I've done this 2 or 3 times, only on guitars. Most of the time I can sell it for enough where the fees arent an issue. I spend about $2-300 a year on fees. ($150 just in the last month)... So I'm not exactly sure how in your mind I use eBay for free. Even the times I've ended it early, they still get a listing fee.


But if it makes you feel better about yourself, keep up with the selective reading, and then come back here and argue your points where you try to belittle me, as if I'm affected by your opinion of me. If my use of eBay angers you so much, PM me and we can continue our conversation privately.

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Here's an illustration of what sucks about Ebay for buyers(IMO)...


I just searched "Fender Telecaster" in the Electric Guitar listings...out of 2490 results, only 202 are listed as auctions!


Just 5 years ago, that would've been reversed...whatever Ebay has done to reduce the actual auction listings , it truly sucks now. I hate BIN ebay listings...personally, if I want to buy it now and can't find it on craigslist, I'm going to my mom & pop retailer or, if necessary, a major online retailer.

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I haven't used Ebay very much for years. I've found the best thing to do is put items on alternative sites like Harmony Central, Craigslist, etc. However, they can take months to sell, and if I get a little antsy, I'll consider Ebay, but only for things in the $200-500 range, as things get pretty pricey quick once you get above that.

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That is because Ebay is now swamped with dealers and large stores and everyone gauges their listings off of them. As bjcarl stated a few years back you had mainly auctions where you got the best deals compared to all the BIN' auctions they have now. It would take a Bill Gates or Google type company to pump some fear into Ebay as they are simply too huge and no one in a garage is going to knock them on their ass. To be honest it really does not bother me the least as I have had more than my fair share of great scores off of and was never a seller. Kind of mind boggling how some are so vehemently sticking up for them as if they own stock shares lmfao.

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