Demand better when buying on ebay.

[Keatah]

Demand better from the sellers when buying on ebay. As one does I typically have fun browsing around and stuff.

 

I came across this simple item. A three-ring binder for 5.25" disk sleeves. Seller wanted $100 buy-it-now, or bidding starting at $65. In the description he admits that it comes from a smokey environment. Kudos there. But $100 for something that still looks crappy? If I bought that I'd need to still spend a half-hour cleaning it and fumigating it. Consider the additional cost of electricity to charge the car to go to the store and to get cleaner products. It tacks on another $20. Add in the cost of personal time? Another $200..!

 

The seller also suggested that the buyer do that additional cleaning. Yeh.. no.. Sometimes crap should just be thrown away. Or totally and completely restored at even greater expense. 3x expense.

 

BTW these were something like $10 when new. Just because "old" and "Apple" doesn't warrant $100.

[kennybrooks]

So, who put the gun to your head to force you to buy it?

[Keatah]

I didn't buy it. It's an example I pulled out of my ass to show how things are overpriced for their condition.

Edited Monday at 10:09 PM by Keatah

[chas10e]

 

[Tanooki]

Problem is...

- Ebay has no controls on what is posted, short of something that won't get them in legal trouble.

- Stupid people will pay anything, when they're addicted to something in particular (in this case, it would be Apple/related products)

 

So there is no demanding better since ebay doesn't have an intelligence or finance test before allowing people to use the site, so they're really in the end, no better than throwing money on a table in Vegas in a way.

[taxman]

Yep, if you really want that item, just put in a search for when it comes up again. You can get it clean already and for a fraction of his starting price.

[1200XL M.U.L.E.]

Buyer beware! The seller is a shark and good for him if he finds someone willing to pay that much money for such an item.

[Keatah]

Sure. I wasn't really interested in buying it. But, rather, pricing items in my collection (like all the other assholes) to see what they actually sell for. I have 10 or 12 of'em. Most are like-new. None of mine are for sale. But they pop up from time to time.

 

I totally forgot what I originally paid for them back in the day. But it wasn't more than $10 or $20 tops. So. Because Apple, because "in good shape", because I carried it through time to this point, because old, because Steve Jobs.. I would sell mine, like every other jerk, for the princely sum of..? fuck I don't know..

 

What else is insulting to a prospective buyer is the seller photographing an item while it's in the pickup truck bed AT the site of actual pickup. Like the flea market in the background. It's ok if it's like lawn & garden stuff or that crap they clutter the lawns with.. But not delicate electronics meant for indoor usage.

Edited Tuesday at 02:01 AM by Keatah

[Tanooki]

I agree with that last piece of sentiment.

 

I find nothing more grating on primarily facebook where you find it, find pictures that have some passenger, back seat, truck, or a crotch+item shot which is followed up by the very post telling people it's sale for the low price of (probably 2-5x the price they paid or more.)  Absolutely no class.

[Keatah]

..or how about those books that have a thrift store $0.99 sticker on them. And they're listed for $14.95. Fell into that trap a couple of times. But no more.