retrogeek Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 (edited) This message is for the EBay sellers of AtariAge: boycott EBay; show them you’re tired of their inflated prices, new FB system, and allowing companies like Buy.com to post empty auctions to boost their listing statistics. Just under 3 weeks ago EBay updated their Feedback system; this new system prevents Sellers from leaving negative / neutral feedback during a bad, unresolved transaction. Buyers still have the ability to neg sellers, and in recent weeks, this has been happening at an alarming rate. Since the threat of retaliatory feedback from sellers is no longer viable, buyers are abusing the system and basically ruining the EBay community. A visit to the EBay community boards will uncover a plethora of complaint threads, petitions, and rants that indicate how poorly EBay sellers are being treated. EBay power sellers, EBay store owners, and the like have closed down their shops on EBay and cancelled their auction listings in protest over this new system. Daily and monthly performance charts from reputable market analysts have been posted on the EBay message board showing the impact this boycott is having on EBay as a company. To add injury to insult, Buy.com (an EBay competitor) has suddenly appeared on EBay, posting what sellers call empty auctions to boost EBay sale statistics. One Buy.com EBay auction is clearly fraudulent, selling a bottle of carpet cleaner (which retails for about $6.00) for $60+. Multiple dummy auctions by Buy.com have been listed, cancelled, and then relisted in an effort to boost sale statistics. The Bottle of cleaner Another funny, inflated Buy.com auction on EBay One of many articles about this debacle I don't use EBay very often but after this I have no use for them! Down with Fleebay! Edited June 16, 2008 by retrogeek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+LS650 Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 So what's your alternative solution? ChasetheChuckwagon? Eh. Maybe some day that'll be a decent site, but right now it's puny. Other than that, where the heck am I get old Atari stuff? The local thrift shops and flea markets dried up years and years ago. I either use eBay... or I go without. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Psionic Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 I don't use EBay very often... Then why the rant? Any why is this in 'General Chat'? The Auction Central forum is loaded with threads like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shadow460 Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 I don't use EBay very often... Then why the rant? Any why is this in 'General Chat'? The Auction Central forum is loaded with threads like this. *dink*. You hit the nail right on the head. Oh, and the new feedback system might just be a temporary measure to weed out the bad sellers that were ruining the ebay community just a few months ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Beard Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 Forgive me for being dense (economics has never been one of my strong suits) but how do "blank" listings, inflated prices that nobody would ever buy and whatever else Buy.com is being accused of help them "cook the books" as it were? And isn't it more likely that whatever system is being used to upload a gazillion auctions from Buy.com to eBay just has some glitches? I mean, It's not like all their listings are bullshit. Haven't you ever had an item ring up the wrong price at a grocery store? Seems like the same thing to me. If Buy.com has a database as large as I would imagine and it's completely error-free, that'd be pretty damn impressive. Another funny, inflated Buy.com auction on EBay Hmmm... maybe you think that's a cellphone or something, but that seems to be the going rate for that particular brand of cable analyzer, as a quick Google search demonstrates. And that article you linked to featuring the $8 battery already has comments from folks pointing out that it's for a pack of batteries, which makes the price not ridiculous at all (even if the s&h is.) Anyway... lots of complaints about eBay on my end, but I'm not sure I'm following this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyBlaze Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 just use iOffer.com! I do for my wrestling DVD's! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrogeek Posted June 17, 2008 Author Share Posted June 17, 2008 I don't use EBay very often... Then why the rant? Any why is this in 'General Chat'? The Auction Central forum is loaded with threads like this. The stories are appearing in the media so I felt it was ok to place it in General Chat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homerwannabee Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 I don't use EBay very often... Then why the rant? Any why is this in 'General Chat'? The Auction Central forum is loaded with threads like this. The stories are appearing in the media so I felt it was ok to place it in General Chat. If you are claiming a media related story, maybe it should be in Current Events? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrogeek Posted June 17, 2008 Author Share Posted June 17, 2008 I don't use EBay very often... Then why the rant? Any why is this in 'General Chat'? The Auction Central forum is loaded with threads like this. The stories are appearing in the media so I felt it was ok to place it in General Chat. If you are claiming a media related story, maybe it should be in Current Events? Maybe the Moderators can move it to Current Events? The material in my post are excerpts from the EBay community board, and from the media, so whether anyone agrees with the content or not is moot. I just wanted everyone to know that all the ranting about the service has finally reached the media. Good or bad... I usually buy most of my retro gaming equipment from there, but after this I am not sure if EBay is really being fair to the people who buy / sell there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrogeek Posted June 17, 2008 Author Share Posted June 17, 2008 (edited) Forgive me for being dense (economics has never been one of my strong suits) but how do "blank" listings, inflated prices that nobody would ever buy and whatever else Buy.com is being accused of help them "cook the books" as it were? Well, according to the people over there, the listings are being cancelled, re-listed, cancelled, re-listed, etc., thus fudging the numbers for EBay's daily statistics to cover up the recent decline of sellers / listings on EBay. Edit: fixed spelling Edited June 17, 2008 by retrogeek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemoncurry Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 The best Buy.com crazy price I've seen is a $60 hard drive for $1200! I wondered why they were doing this; now I know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Almost Rice Posted June 17, 2008 Share Posted June 17, 2008 The best Buy.com crazy price I've seen is a $60 hard drive for $1200! I wondered why they were doing this; now I know. This is a hard drive Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elerach Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 (edited) So what's your alternative solution? ChasetheChuckwagon? Eh. Maybe some day that'll be a decent site, but right now it's puny. Other than that, where the heck am I get old Atari stuff? The local thrift shops and flea markets dried up years and years ago. I either use eBay... or I go without. www.collectorscardsandgames.com Edited June 18, 2008 by Elerach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemoncurry Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 The best Buy.com crazy price I've seen is a $60 hard drive for $1200! I wondered why they were doing this; now I know. This is a hard drive Oh yeah, it was a while ago I found that, guess I dropped a zero in my mind since even $1200 was so out there! Oh, and I bet they're ending these ridiculous auctions early so that they don't count as Unsuccessful! This sort of blatant manipulation is beyond unacceptable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keilbaca Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 So what's your alternative solution? ChasetheChuckwagon? Eh. Maybe some day that'll be a decent site, but right now it's puny. Other than that, where the heck am I get old Atari stuff? The local thrift shops and flea markets dried up years and years ago. I either use eBay... or I go without. http://www.atari2600.com/ http://www.tradengames.com/ Why does *everyone* seem to forget about our very own marketplace? They will package stuff up better than any ebay reseller will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+LS650 Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 http://www.atari2600.com/http://www.tradengames.com/ They aren't even close to competing price-wise with eBay. I guess I'm just cheap with my money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Beard Posted June 18, 2008 Share Posted June 18, 2008 http://www.atari2600.com/http://www.tradengames.com/ They aren't even close to competing price-wise with eBay. I guess I'm just cheap with my money. Well, part of what you're paying for from those stores is quality assurance, both for the actual items and in the customer service department. Both of those can be total crapshoots on eBay and the latter in particular is worth a few extra bucks to me and many others. As many of us know all too well, a great deal on eBay can turn into an enormous, costly hassle pretty darn quick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrogeek Posted June 19, 2008 Author Share Posted June 19, 2008 http://www.atari2600.com/http://www.tradengames.com/ They aren't even close to competing price-wise with eBay. I guess I'm just cheap with my money. Well, part of what you're paying for from those stores is quality assurance, both for the actual items and in the customer service department. Both of those can be total crapshoots on eBay and the latter in particular is worth a few extra bucks to me and many others. As many of us know all too well, a great deal on eBay can turn into an enormous, costly hassle pretty darn quick. You speak the truth! I've had a few bad experiences on EBay where sellers marked their merchandise n/m when it was actually extremely poor (i.e. destroyed manual, cart label falling off, etc.) Besides, most small stores offer better service and return policies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nathanallan Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 I've been using ebay as a last resort, or for very specific purchases from known to me good sellers. Looking at the chuckwagon and the vintage computer place, and estarland and others already mentioned. My one ebay auction is mainly for a redirection to Mike's site, lol. And the card I am selling is exactly as described. Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bjk7382 Posted June 19, 2008 Share Posted June 19, 2008 (edited) The best Buy.com crazy price I've seen is a $60 hard drive for $1200! I wondered why they were doing this; now I know. This is a hard drive Oh yeah, it was a while ago I found that, guess I dropped a zero in my mind since even $1200 was so out there! Oh, and I bet they're ending these ridiculous auctions early so that they don't count as Unsuccessful! This sort of blatant manipulation is beyond unacceptable. That is the correct price on that auction. It is for a 20 pack of 300 gig scsi hard drives. here is one single drive of the same variety but 400 gig for $629 http://www.provantage.com/seagate-st3400755ss~7SEGS1FF.htm These are not just your regular crappy desktop hard drives. Edited June 19, 2008 by bjk7382 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lemoncurry Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 That is the correct price on that auction. It is for a 20 pack of 300 gig scsi hard drives. here is one single drive of the same variety but 400 gig for $629 http://www.provantage.com/seagate-st3400755ss~7SEGS1FF.htm These are not just your regular crappy desktop hard drives. Oh, huh, I don't really have the time to waste reading their ads that closely. I do know that I've seen them selling things for prices way out of line; I found one hard drive for over $1000 that I quickly found elsewhere for under $100, and I know I looked at that one to see if it was for a quantity and it wasn't. When I was looking for a replacement TomTom Bluetooth GPS receiver for my Treo after mine got stolen, I found them repeatedly listing it for $250 when you can order it right on TomTom's website for $150. Then they always end these auctions early, and we have figured out the nefarious reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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