# E Bay



## macrnr (Apr 3, 2013)

I often wonder why so many people bash E Bay? In my opinion it is a very useful service that provides a worldwide audience for products to buy or sell. I can see why some people are frustrated when they try to sell because E Bay requires you to jump through quite a few hoops. I suspect that is by design to keep the riff raff from peddling stolen items perhaps? Anyway, that is my two cents...........


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## Dr.Fiero (Apr 3, 2013)

If it wasn't for eBay, I probably could never have built half the cars, machinery etc that I have.  Ease of access from a buyer perspective. Ability to random buy stuff in the middle of the night...  Ok, maybe the last part is bad.

Selling has got easier over the years. It was hard in the earlier years I admit. I sold my first item in late 99.


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## leftandfred (Apr 3, 2013)

I don't think that I could survive without E-bay, I buy the bikes that I customise, most of the materials that I use and to be honest I've bought most of my tooling and fixtures from E-bay. My latest was a Cincinnati dividing head last week for just £85. I Then  sell all the standard motorcycle parts that are left over (this hides the cost of my tool addiction from the wife). I concede that I do spend far too much time on it, though I have had some true 99pence bargains which is always enjoyable!

leftandfred


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## davidh (Apr 3, 2013)

I this is aimed at me, ok, no problem.  I have had an ebay /paypal account for probably 10 years. I used to sell and buy a few things and have a 100% rating and commercial paypal set up......... so yesterday, I spent better than a half hour trying to set up a "buy it now" item and of course thru paypal .

I was advised that I needed to update my paypal to something or other if I wanted instant payment which was what I wanted so off to my paypal account.  they said my account already was updated and required nothing. . . should be good to go.   WRONG.  ebay said go to paypal and update again.  or change how I want to sell it. . . . .. anyway, back and forth, then the help page and I finally just gave up.  

I do buy things from them and have not yet had any problem with sellers.  but for me to sell on their is just too much screwing around.  some of the stuff I need to get rid of, I might as well just scrap.  so much easier. . . . . 

OK  rant off;; ; ; ; ; ;


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## ChuckB (Apr 3, 2013)

I think a lot of it has to do with people being unfamiliar or making a bad deal and blaming ebay. I weigh each transaction and if the majority of the factors (seller, feedback, price, shipping cost, rarity of the item,  etc) looks good, then I go for it. The selling/paypal fees do bother me, but as mentioned, ebay is unique..

 Most all my projects would have never happened if this means of purchasing vintage and speciality tools, motorcycle parts, and other hard to find items didn't exist. Competive pricing is also a factor. Finding the stuff I need locally (where I live anyway) at any cost is like pulling teeth. ebay perfect? no far from it, but until there is something better I will depend on it for selling and buying. I have used ebay since '97.

I like Craigslist too.. I have sold and bought on both with no problems. Like anything else, buyer (and seller) beware.


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## SE18 (Apr 8, 2013)

so far biggest disappointment is with last minute buyers who outbid me. Someone once pointed me to a free site that auto bids at the last minute and you just put the highest price you're willing to go. I lost track of that site and was hoping someone would know it.

BTW, I plan to buy more tooling by selling my old film camera gear on eBay. Believe it or not, there are a lot of "retro" photogs who keep the price of this old stuff high.

cheers

Dave


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## macrnr (Apr 8, 2013)

SE18 said:


> so far biggest disappointment is with last minute buyers who outbid me. Someone once pointed me to a free site that auto bids at the last minute and you just put the highest price you're willing to go. I lost track of that site and was hoping someone would know it.
> 
> BTW, I plan to buy more tooling by selling my old film camera gear on eBay. Believe it or not, there are a lot of "retro" photogs who keep the price of this old stuff high.
> 
> ...


That is the beauty of Ebay, you are selling to the world. You would have a much harder time trying to sell camera gear locally. I sold a Canon 8mm movie camera for $750.00, I only paid $100.00 for it.


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## SE18 (Apr 8, 2013)

it just occurred to me that I'm a retro as well, having/using a South Bend 9A lathe, when almost all manufacturers have gone CNC. Guys like us keep the price of vintage machines up, up , up

& btw, it is exciting to see something that's more than you paid for it, I wonder if you're supposed to report it as income


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## CluelessNewB (Apr 8, 2013)

My only current beef with Ebay is the big chunk of money Ebay takes as a cut from the seller.  Over the years they have made listing easier with free picture hosting and a better listing tool.  I have been selling stuff on Ebay since 1999, things have changed over the years but for the most part it has been improvements.  

As a buyer I treat it like any other auction.  If I see an item that I want I set a price in my mind that is the maximum the item is worth to me.  Lets say I see a tool that is worth $50 to me.  The shipping is $10, I bid $40.  If a last minute bid comes in higher than $40 it's no big deal, it was more than I was willing to pay.  Maybe I'm just missing some competitive gene but I see some items sell at both live auctions and Ebay for high prices because bidders get in a bidding frenzy, for some people it is all about winning.  For me it's about buying an item I "need" at a price that seems reasonable to me.  (As a seller I love bidding frenzy!)

Ebay has certainly provided a market that joins buyers and sellers that would otherwise never meet.  I have bought items that I probably would never have found locally.  I have sold some items that have a very limited market to buyers I would never have found.  

I learned some things in the early days (before Paypal).  Never ever take a personal check from anybody (now I only take Paypal).  Be brutally honest in your descriptions.  "The item is used, rusty scratched, worn ugly and broken"  Treat buyers like you would like to be treated yourself.  Priority Mail flat rate boxes are great for heavy small items like tools.  Pack everything very, very well, use recycled packaging.  Don't overcharge for shipping.  You get a discount if you print and pay for your Priority Mail labels directly online from the USPS web site.  Ship everything with tracking.  Don't waste money on insurance for low cost items. Try to find low cost shipping options for buyers check FedEx Ground, Priority Mail Flat rate and UPS. 

As a buyer:  Read sellers feedback.  Items shipped from China may take a month or more to arrive.  Ask questions of sellers, don't assume.  If the item says "ships from USA" but the seller is in China, the item may be in China, get shipped to the USA then shipped to you!  Avoid sellers with excessive shipping charges.  If an item seems too cheap it is probably junk.  Check shipping prices before you bid.  Don't get caught in a bidding frenzy unless you are buying from me ).


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## macrnr (Apr 8, 2013)

SE18 said:


> it just occurred to me that I'm a retro as well, having/using a South Bend 9A lathe, when almost all manufacturers have gone CNC. Guys like us keep the price of vintage machines up, up , up
> 
> & btw, it is exciting to see something that's more than you paid for it, I wonder if you're supposed to report it as income


I did actually. I've seen what the IRS is all about.........


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## DJ Bill (Apr 8, 2013)

The complaints I have about ebay are more about the things they let people sell and the things you cannot sell there. Also they keep getting bigger and richer but are not catering to the small guys out there..  Used to be I could put a parts car on Ebay and sell it quickly for a fair price, nowadays it is hard to sell anything that isn't a $several thousand dollar car. They want us to list it locally but for that I will just do Craigslist. They are also way too politically correct on other stuff, no locksmith stuff, no amber lights, no emergency vehicle equipment, even though the stuff is perfectly legal to own...Used to be you could sell light bars there, then they made you take off the lenses, now you can only sell collectible ones, even amber lensed light bars can't be sold. Hooking up with Paypal also rubs me the wrong way....They are getting too big brotherish. I haven't sold anything there in years, still buy stuff all the time.


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## David Kirtley (Apr 8, 2013)

I had a similar problem when my CC expired. It wouldn't let me update it because that CC was already in use. What I had to do was go in and delete the old card then create new one and then it worked. Customer support was worthless in this case and I had to just "figure it out".





davidh said:


> I this is aimed at me, ok, no problem.  I have had an ebay /paypal account for probably 10 years. I used to sell and buy a few things and have a 100% rating and commercial paypal set up......... so yesterday, I spent better than a half hour trying to set up a "buy it now" item and of course thru paypal .
> 
> I was advised that I needed to update my paypal to something or other if I wanted instant payment which was what I wanted so off to my paypal account.  they said my account already was updated and required nothing. . . should be good to go.   WRONG.  ebay said go to paypal and update again.  or change how I want to sell it. . . . .. anyway, back and forth, then the help page and I finally just gave up.
> 
> ...


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## stupoty (Apr 8, 2013)

SE18 said:


> so far biggest disappointment is with last minute buyers who outbid me. Someone once pointed me to a free site that auto bids at the last minute and you just put the highest price you're willing to go. I lost track of that site and was hoping someone would know it.
> 
> BTW, I plan to buy more tooling by selling my old film camera gear on eBay. Believe it or not, there are a lot of "retro" photogs who keep the price of this old stuff high.
> 
> ...




Movie or stills?

an important thing to remember is a 6000 pound lens is still basically a 6 thousand pound lens, worth checking out if theirs adaptors for manual ones too that allow them to go onto auto lens slrs.

Also if their anything like a medium format with removable backs you can get digital backs for them (someone on this board was making a body for one)

hope you generate enough to make all your tool dreams come true ;-)

Stuart


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## ChuckB (Apr 8, 2013)

SE18 said:


> so far biggest disappointment is with last minute buyers who outbid me. Someone once pointed me to a free site that auto bids at the last minute and you just put the highest price you're willing to go. I lost track of that site and was hoping someone would know it.
> 
> BTW, I plan to buy more tooling by selling my old film camera gear on eBay. Believe it or not, there are a lot of "retro" photogs who keep the price of this old stuff high.
> 
> ...



Not free, but cheap and you can buy your bids using paypal. I think about 10.00 for 20 bids and they don't get used up unless you win the auction.  Name of the service is Phantom Bidder.  I have been with them a number of years with no complaints. It will slip in a bid within 3 seconds before the close. I am sure I have broken a lot of hearts. :lmao:


Just like ebay, it only bids the minimum amount to win.  Only times I have lost is when I didn't authorize enough to win.

http://www.phantombidder.com/PhantomBidder/Default.asp


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## jocat54 (Apr 8, 2013)

SE18 said:


> so far biggest disappointment is with last minute buyers who outbid me. Someone once pointed me to a free site that auto bids at the last minute and you just put the highest price you're willing to go. I lost track of that site and was hoping someone would know it.
> 
> BTW, I plan to buy more tooling by selling my old film camera gear on eBay. Believe it or not, there are a lot of "retro" photogs who keep the price of this old stuff high.
> 
> ...




There are several sniping sites...just google sniping and you will get lots of hits.


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## strantor (Apr 9, 2013)

The only beef I have with ebay is the way that they always push this "pay later" thing on me. I've proven in the past that I have a problem with credit. This is no different than a credit card, that's approved in .12 seconds. I fell for it once. bought a 15$ pair of shoes and ended up paying >90$ for it, after late payment fees & etc. fees.

I know, I know, it's my fault. Go ahead and tell a drunk it's his fault that his life is ruined; he already knows that. offer him a beer and he'll most likely take it still. This country and this society (1st world society, including all 1st world countries) are debtaholics, and I'm no different. Apart from the one time that Ebay's "pay later"  scheme got me, I've been debt-free for 2 years. I won't allow myself to open another card again, and this "pay later" thing is no different than a card. People need to realize that.

Otherwise, Ebay rocks. Except for making the seller jump through hoops, as already mentioned. I have several >$1000 things I'd like to auction off but can't until I sell a couple hundred used charm bracelets or something.


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## SE18 (Apr 9, 2013)

I found a sniping article and will look for more before plunging

http://www.techradar.com/us/news/internet/the-best-free-and-paid-ebay-sniper-software-667696

most say "free" in google and at end in fine print says 15 day trial. 

The matter of seconds seems critical. 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

One other thing driving up costs of lathes and parts etc is people picking up bargains at auctions, ebay, cl etc and then reselling the items. There's a fellow in new jersey who makes $$ doing it


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## macrnr (Apr 9, 2013)

SE18 said:


> One other thing driving up costs of lathes and parts etc is people picking up bargains at auctions, ebay, cl etc and then reselling the items. There's a fellow in new jersey who makes $$ doing it



Isn't that also known as capitalism? If he has the moxy to pull something like that off, more power to him. That is what is neat about E bay, it allows anyone with drive & some inventory to become a small businessman or woman.

- - - Updated - - -


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## tripletap3 (Apr 9, 2013)

I used to use a program called "Cricket Jr." for sniping. It worked well and made some people furious with me as I could bid up 7 times in the last 2 seconds. No matter program you use the highest bidder will still win and Ebay has since put measures in place to make sniping less useful. People now seem to bid early and I don't see as many people waiting to bid at the last second anymore.

By Ebay making it easier and safer for the buyer they have also made it tough on sellers. It is now seller beware! I was in a big dispute with a buyer when sold a $500+ vehicle speed programmer to someone for $215. When I sold it I took a singe photo of the front and copied the label on the rear word for word. He waited a week after he received it and claimed it was not the version I had listed and wanted a full refund. No one I contacted knew anything about a version difference and I argued it but I had no proof as did he that it wasn't. After jumping through all kinds of hoops Ebay took his side and made me refund purchase price plus shipping and they made him return the item. You can see where this is going as he just needed it the one time to program his vehicle then sent it back. He also slammed me on feedback hard but I couldn't return the favor since I had left him feedback right after the first purchase. The bright side was that I sold it the second time for $300.

Also a funny side note. I receive complaints over shipping charges and shipping time.  I always charge actual shipping and sometimes I loose some because of EBay's shipping policy. Buyers say the shipping cost too much. It's not me it's the post office! 
:banghead:


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## Sanctifier (Apr 11, 2013)

Ebay has allowed me to buy nearly all (95%) of the heavy equipment, tools and parts that I own. Some items are SO expensive here that "used"  is all I can afford.
I also hooked up to a Courier service locally that handles port clearance, customs duty , delivers to my door... and also gives me a US shipping address for some skeptical US sellers who refuse to trust international buyers.
 I have a 100% rating after many years of use and the Ebay/PayPal system usually works for me.

Thanks to them I have also been able to make great deals and receive discounts on shipping after direct contact with sellers… while still going through Ebay and PayPal for protection.

The guarantee of a PayPal buyer protection program has come in handy when one or two unscrupulous sellers deliberately delay or even refuse to ship items after payment was received. 

I don't try to sell on Ebay... too many hassles... high fees etc. and shipping internationally is too expensive.

My $0.02¢


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## burnrider (Apr 11, 2013)

Buying on ebay is great. A lot of sellers have gone to Craig's List avoiding fees, credit card and bank ties etc. Seems like more stores or business on Ebay than private parties anymore.


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## ScubaSteve (Apr 11, 2013)

Craigslist is a VERY powerful tool. I spend a lot of time on Ebay and can't complain too much....but there are some scammers out there. I'm just glad they're not witholding payment anymore from sellers. They said it was a way to ensure that sellers were holding up their end of the bargain. If the buyer gave good feedback then Ebay (Paypal) would transfer payment. What they were really doing was sitting on the money so they could earn interest. It could take several days before you  would get paid....it just kind of irked me since Ebay and Paypal are one in the same and you really don't have too much choice as far as payment methods. 

If the item is large or very expensive I will just use craigslist to avoid seller's fees....as well as those folks wanting me to ship via freight.


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## Dataporter (Apr 11, 2013)

I use www.esnipe.com .  There is a very small fee for winning bids. Then you just enter the maximum you are willing to pay on esnipe and forget about it. It bids up to your maximum 6 seconds before the end of the auction. Effectively removes the emotional involvement and minimizes bidding wars IMO. If you get cold feet during the auction, you can retract your bid from esnipe. You can also raise or lower your bid up until a few minutes before the auction is over.


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## SE18 (Apr 15, 2013)

thanks all!!! this post has convinced me to sell all my cannon FD lenses and cameras on CL and not eBay. Just use eBay to buy (unless it doesn't move at all on CL)

maybe we should start a post on CL?

thanks

Dave


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## ChuckB (Apr 15, 2013)

SE18 said:


> thanks all!!! this post has convinced me to sell all my cannon FD lenses and cameras on CL and not eBay. Just use eBay to buy (unless it doesn't move at all on CL)
> 
> maybe we should start a post on CL?
> 
> ...



If you can sell on craigslist all the better, but your buying market is limited. Nothing wrong with selling on ebay.. never had a problem that couldn't be resolved in over 16 years.


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