Oh eBay...

[Cannon762]

My dad was cutting up some furniture to throw into a fire pit and when he cut open this old couch that we'd had since I was little, some GI Joe's ('82-'94) spilled out. Now I collected GI Joe's pretty heavily a few years ago, and one of the ones that had just fallen out of said couch was a pretty valuable one. To give an idea, I sold a complete version of the *exact same figure*(gold-head Steel Brigade) a couple years back for $340. This one wasn't in as good of shape and had no accessories (which is where the real money for vintage toys is) but was still probably worth $100-150.

So I put it up on eBay and it gets to $150 in just a few days, naturally I was really pumped because that's ammo money! I noticed the buyer was from France, but figured it wouldn't be a problem so long as he paid the difference in shipping. Well the auction comes to an end, I send him the invoice and he says:

Hi,
I just see i won this figure i needed but i just see it's incomplte ( i thought it comes with backpack at least. )
I think i have bid too fast.
So could we cancel this deal please, you only have to send me ebay request cancellation, that i will accept immediatly.
again sorry
thanks in advance

- sonimatmax



Here's the listing. It clearly states that it has no accessories. It also clearly states US and Canada bidders only but he didn't bother to read that either.

What really sucks is because he's foreign he gets to claim that he misread, and since (unbeknownst to me) I didn't disallow overseas bidders, it's my fault.

Lesson learned, set up the account to only be visible to buyers in the continental United States...though it should be that way by default imo, but what are ya gonna do. Any of you guys deal with feeBay much?

-Chris

 

[PistolBob]

eBay and the Paypal cartel suck. It's just the way it is. Try selling it on Craigslist.

 

[Tydeeh22]

when you're the buyer however, you cna get some STUPID cheap deals off ebay.

i go to craigslist when i want to see a "pistol upper" sitting on top of a rifle lower.

 

[Double T]

At least you didn't ship it already.

 

[BDBHoover]

I only buy and sell to US bidders period.... Ebays dispute program is bogus as hell and if you sell an item now ebay makes the seller wait to get their money until the buyer has confirmed that it was received... Sold an item and shipped it thinking i already had the money and i didnt get the money until 4 days after i shipped it.

I dont sell on ebay anymore

 

[ultraspec]

I sold something earlier this year on there site( i never sold before). I have been on there since 01' but they made me wait three weeks after the trans to release my money.

Said since i was a new seller they had to make sure I sent the item and it was ok.


I called their 1800 number and complained, and said "what if the person hooks this up hooks it up wrong and screws it up?" It was a BNIB item but they still withheld my money for three weeks. They claimed they would release it even if the buyer messed it up but I see potential for fraud on the buyers part who could try and say I sent them a brick or something

 

[jkaetz]

I sold something earlier this year on there site( i never sold before). I have been on there since 01' but they made me wait three weeks after the trans to release my money.

Said since i was a new seller they had to make sure I sent the item and it was ok.


I called their 1800 number and complained, and said "what if the person hooks this up hooks it up wrong and screws it up?" It was a BNIB item but they still withheld my money for three weeks. They claimed they would release it even if the buyer messed it up but I see potential for fraud on the buyers part who could try and say I sent them a brick or something

Yep, ebay used to be a nice place to make some coin on things you no longer needed. Now there is no protection for sellers because buyers are what make money for ebay/paypal.

 

[BStarkey 46947]

I always read listing 3x just to avoid disappointment and hard feelings. Obviously, I've had good and bad results, as in any business transaction. All in all, 95% satisfied. What was this person's rating?

 

[dom1104]

Man-Doll post. dissapointed.

 

[tom1025]

^ my thoughts exactly.

 

[bobbittle]

I'm going to have to dig out my GI Joes and go through them I think.

 

[blurr95]

Man-Doll post. dissapointed.

They're not dolls. They're action figures.

 

[gregkl]

Hundreds of transactions here, but not so much anymore. It used to be a good source of gently used "stuff" at great prices. Now it is mostly eBay retailers selling new stuff with little protection.

For new, I have better success with Amazon.

When I was a regular on ebay, I watched ratings. If you weren't 98% or better, then I didn't buy. There is no reason to not have a 100% rating. And if by some chance, an idiot gave you a negative rating, then as long as your response was civil, I would buy. That's where the 2% allowance comes from. If you were 98-99 and had a jerk response, I passed.

I don't like craigslist too much...

 

[Cannon762]

They're not dolls. They're action figures.

Yeah, these were the little ones you'd see on pegs from '82-'94. I mean people can call them dolls if they want, but that seems more like the older 12" ones.

 

[Mackey]

Hundreds of transactions here, but not so much anymore. It used to be a good source of gently used "stuff" at great prices. Now it is mostly eBay retailers selling new stuff with little protection.

For new, I have better success with Amazon.

When I was a regular on ebay, I watched ratings. If you weren't 98% or better, then I didn't buy. There is no reason to not have a 100% rating. And if by some chance, an idiot gave you a negative rating, then as long as your response was civil, I would buy. That's where the 2% allowance comes from. If you were 98-99 and had a jerk response, I passed.

I don't like craigslist too much...

I could have written the above. My sentiments exactly. I won't do craigslist either.

I did just get a cheap car part off ebay - inside handle for an old Toyota Avalon - put it in this evening.
But man, it's hard to be Amazon. We get everything off there. Got my last Spyderco from there.

 

[Tydeeh22]

i still surf ebay for "deals" like the tactical solutions rail for a 10/22 that i paid 9 bucks for.

it's there, just needs to be found.

 

[rambone]

Thousands of ebay transactions here.

Selling rare collectibles requires a broad audience that can only be found on ebay. Craigslist is too localaized, and it would be very unlikely that you would get the best price for your item.

I've sold tons of items, but sometimes as a seller you can get burned. eBay is heavily stacked toward the buyer. Without proof of delivery, the buyer wins every dispute. So it would be prudent to buy a tracking number for anything valuable. Low value items, forget it.

I've also sold many items overseas. The trouble is that there is no way to track items internationally and have delivery confirmation. I stopped shipping valuable items overseas for this reason.

Despite a small number of headaches in 10 years, eBay has saved me a TON of money on purchases, and made me money on items that I would not have been able to sell otherwise.

 

[gregkl]

Thousands of ebay transactions here.

Well, la te da! I guess I'm a noob with ONLY hundreds...but I did stay in a Holiday Inn Express last night!

I have purchased 6 vehicles on ebay and sold a $6000 grandfather clock though.

 

[churchmouse]

I have never had a 100% satisfied experience on ebay so we just do not go there anymore.