My sad but true eBay adventure this week

[LePaul]

I've sold and bought stuff from eBay many times, without incident.  Sure, every now and then you get the guy who thinks shipping for a 40 pound item should be $5....or you have to remind people that PAYING for an auction is *a really good thing*
 
Anyways, I've been clearing out my toy box....I've acquired a bunch of laptops in various states of dis repair.  Some all fixed up and running nice, others, just still in the pieces I got them in.  I sold off the first 2 on eBay with no problems.  People paid within 2 hours of the auction ending via PayPal....cool!

Then, there's this last laptop...

The guy wins with 4 seconds left to go via a Sniping Program, that automatically bids at the last possible minute/second.  Turns out, this guy has a history of Non-Payments.  Great.  So I send the customary email saying he's got 3 days to payup for get negative feedback.  Why 3 days?  With his history, I'm not waiting around to see if I get paid or not.  If he's got money, pay up.  Otherwise, step aside for someone who does.

I give the jerk another extra day, and he claims he "should have the money in a week".  Nope.  Bye bye, one negative feedback and the item is relisted.  

2 hours later, I get an email stating someone used the Buy It Now to win the auction.  Cool!  Wrong.  Its Mr Deadbeat.  Not only did he negative feedback me for the first auction, but he's already turned around and left negative feedback on number 2.  This guy is bent to be a jerk.  

Sooo....a nice email to SafeHarbor, AND I've added him to my Ban List of people who may not bid on my auctions (he's #1).  And, the laptop is AGAIN for sale on eBay.  3 Listig fees later, and 2 negative feedbacks from a looser who loves to bid, but can't pay.

Any other sellers get to enjoy jerks like these?

BTW:  Here's the link to the auction if you want a fixer-upper P2 300 laptop!   http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2011502654&r=0&t=0&showTutorial=0&ed=1016947828&indexURL=0&rd=1

[AKDejaVu]

So... there's nothing you can do to have this person banned from E-Bay?  Kinda seems lame that someone like that is allowed to continue participating.

AKDejaVu

[Ripsnort]

LePaul, your JUST the guy I want to talk to!

My wife has been selling "Stamps" (Rubber stamp enthusiast) on Ebay, she said she gave them our Bank account number for that pre-pay thingy, not sure, anyway, I told her NEVER to give our bank account number to anything over the net, exception being a Voluntary Investment Plan via work, behind a firewall, or the bank itself...do you agree or disagree with my "rule" that I set?

Ripsnor (Who knows nothing about Ebay or pricelie, or any of those auctions)

[LePaul]

After so many negative feedbacks and complaints, yes, a fraudulent bidder can be chucked

Rip:  eBay has my card on file for the listing fees only.  Beyond that, I use PayPal exclusively for all of my online transactions.  I've had nothing but good luck with PayPal...it lets people pay me with Credit Cards, and I have a PayPal Mastercard that uses the money in my PayPal account for purchases and ATM withdrawals.

As I mentioned, MOST of my transacations on eBay have been greats.  Its that 1 or 2 % than really ruin it for folks.

[Ripsnort]

Thnks for the feedback LePaul, sorry to hear about your EBAY LOOOOOOOOSER!

[Gunthr]

PayPal or BillPoint are trustworthy organizations. You have to give them certain info in order to do business with them, but they do have a good reputation.

Ebay will automatically terminate sellers or buyers who recieve a certain percentage of feedback indicating "failure to perform."

Ebay is absolutely cooperative and helpful in providing information for Fraud investigations as well, and they are very dedicated to maintaining the integrity of their auction business. I recently needed to document several hundred thousand dollars in sales by an individual selling under multiple names. I faxed Ebay subpoenas for records on a Monday. On Tuesday morning when I came into work I found a 25 lb pound box of records delivered via FEDEX overnight leaning against my office door. They do seem committed to keeping the operation clean.

[Creamo]

Just curious, but if you work for UPS, why would you have a flat rate of $30 for shipping a laptop, and ship out of Mailbox Ect.? That's alot of $ dont you think?

I have a 75% discount at FedEx and don’t even work for them. I ship from there all the time. Of course you have to go to the local shipping office, but it’s dirt-cheap.

My experience with Ebay is buyers bid almost as much as what they could buy stuff new in computer related items, and sellers make money off the shipping more than anything.

 It’s a sellers market.

[LePaul]

I ship thru MailBoxes Etc since I have a mailbox there.  With 2 jobs,I have no time to pack it up, ship it, etc.  Mailboxes costs a bit more, but for $30 they put the laptop in a double-layered box, lots of packing and its insured in case it STILL manages to get banged around

I've had guys charge me $25 for shipping and all I get is a unit banging around with mini-bubble wrap on it.  Needless to say, that didnt make it thru in one piece.

Further, last year, I bought a HP Netserver....its like a 4ft tall computer.  The shipper used a large box, but it was a bubble-wrap container box...that thin.  The NetServer arrived bent, warped and shaped like a wrecking ball.  I still have the digital pictures somewhere.  Needless to say, we refused that shipment and got our money back.

Point being....shipping isnt cheap, and I do it with all the frills.  If its too much for someones taste, as I say in the auction, don't bid.  Its my intent you get the item in the same great shape its currently in now.  If you want to cut corners, you are going to get a damaged and smashed unit instead

At least, that's been my experience.

Heck my last purchase arrived packed in REAL-popcorn!  Dog loved it