Are You Fed Up With eBay?

[Mendon]

I started recognising the problems with feebay a few years ago and its dreadful customer service was one of the reasons that I was so keen to be a staff member of videogameauctions.com and start to create something that offers people a better service and fair marketplace.

 

The problem is getting people to use something other than ebay and removing the comfort zone (or lazyness), Its rare to go on any kind of videogame forum and not see the name ebay within 3 or 4 posts, The negativity or shallow train of thought that x isn't as big as ebay is forcing the site into a complete monopoly by default.

 

If people are genuinely fed up with ebay then show it by helping support a site that wants to offer something better.

952537[/snapback]

 

Well, after giving it alot of thought and being tired of the BS (especially since my latest purchase arrived yesterday...sigh...) I think I'm going to give it up. Got 3 auctions up now and maybe will run 2 more (the last of the stuff I want to get rid of) when the current ones are done and then I'll close my PayPal & eBay account and move on.

 

Had a lot of good purchases on eBay but the wacko's are really procreating and eBay doesn't give a care so I guess I'll stick to flea markets and thrifts. At least I can see what I'm buying and maybe negotiate with the seller that way.

 

Mendon

[jerrykurtz]

If it weren't for eBay, I wouldn't have the nearly 2000 boxed Commodore games and the couple hundred Atari games, so it isn't all bad.

 

I too sell a lot of my excess off using eBay and dread the fees each time, but what else is there really?

 

I always thought that if someone like Google got into the auction software business instead of doing stupid stuff like trying to take on Microsoft w/ Office systems, that they could VERY EASILY give eBay a run for its money.

[adams_ale]

Ebay isn't as seller friendly as it used to be, but for buying it's still great! Lousy customer service, cheating/scamming users, and high fees aside there really is no alternative.

[itsralph]

One more comment and then maybe I'll let this rant against eBay rest... maybe   

 

Take a look at this auction: Dreamcast Half Life. Many auctions for Half Life have appeared on eBay and everyone knows that the game was never released so all you are buying when you bid on the game is a burnt CD-R. BUT.... the kicker is eBay allows you to select a stock picture and a description of game play when you list the CD-R just as if the game had been released and you were selling a legitimate version of the game!!

 

So when I started my Net Rage against eBay about 10 days ago I sent them an Email (took a long time to find a spot to send a text Email because most of their reports allow only for you to enter an auction number and no comments.. another fine customer service provided by eBay) and I asked why they had stock pictures and game descriptions of Half Life for the DC available for use by sellers since the game had never been released and any auction for the game would be a burnt CD-R copy? The only response I ever got was an automated Thank You for my Email and nothing more. And as you can see in the above auction, the picture and game play description is still available for use even though a report/question was submitted.

 

I wonder if you bought the game and then filed postal fraud charges against the seller for shipping fraudulent items through the mail if you could name eBay as an accessory to the crime?? 

 

Mendon

952515[/snapback]

 

Well this one did get pulled, so something must work. I don't report much anymore but when I do, a pretty good percentage get pulled within a couple days. Keyword spamming, misleading listings, and outright fraud are all I really gave a crap about. I guess it's like any store, you have to walk past a whole lot of junk to find the few things you came in looking for. Go to any home show, boat show, or state fair and the hucksters are there too, selling cheap crap with misleading pitches. eBay is still way better than trekking all over hell looking for stuff.

[Kron]

Ebay isn't as seller friendly as it used to be, but for buying it's still great!  Lousy customer service, cheating/scamming users, and high fees aside there really is no alternative.

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There is an alternative if people help themselves and support a site that is trying to do the right thing.

 

Having a dependancy on big name companies who are able to charge whatever they want is not good for the consumer or the market, People have really got to realise that their participation is what drives a site.

 

If Google or something similar tried to launch a site then due to the large expenses it would be ran in exactly the same way as ebay and you'd still have a poor level of customer service as every item is governed by a single set of rules that don't always fit.

 

If people want a better deal and a truly open market then the only way forward is through dedicated specialist auction sites.

[Mendon]

Final reason I'm done with eBay... (and sorry for another long post)

 

The last auctions I intended to run on eBay ended today. In all of my auctions I **CLEARLY** state I do not ship outside the U.S. and bids will not be accepted from those outside the U.S. I even use the Block Bidder Option that won't accept bids from countries outside my shipping area.

 

Well, guess what.... one of my auctions ends and the winner is from Israel. His profile lists his location as United States; eBay sends me notice of his shipping address as Israel. I send him an invoice/Email asking him to confirm his U.S. shipping address since I don't ship outside the U.S. He writes back and says its Israel and wants me to ship it there.

 

So its off to Live Help to ask how I get him off the auction as winner so that I can either relist the item or make a Second Chance Offer to another bidder. I'm told to file an Unpaid Item Dispute report and select the "Live in a country I don't ship to" reason. I go and follow the instructions. System says I cannot file an Unpaid Item Dispute until Nov. 6th. Back to Live Help I go and explain to them I don't want to wait another 8 days to make a Second Chance offer as maybe the other bidders will no longer be interested after 8 days as they might buy an identical item during that time. Or if I choose to relist, I have to wait 8 days, get my FVF, then run another auction which means I may not get my money for another 3 weeks or more from now, depending on when the 2nd auction ends and the buyer sends payment. Live Help says that my only other option is to file for a Mutual Agreement dispute but tells me if the buyer disputes it or pays me (and I refund it back) that it will take much longer than 8 days to settle the matter. I ask if these are the only two option open to me and Live Help says Yes.

 

Again, in my opinion this is just another example of terrible eBay service. If rules are broken, like the shipping location rule, why shouldn't I be able to immediately cancel the winning bid and make a 2nd Chance Offer to another bidder? I can cancel any bids and block a bidder while the auction is running; why shouldn't I have the same options when the auction is ended? Why should I have to wait 8 days to file a dispute; this isn't a case of "Well I mailed the check" and "Well, I didn't receive the check". Its a case where the bidder didn't follow the rules and even found a way to circumvent the rules and I should be able to do something NOW instead of 8 days from now.

 

I'm finished with eBay.

 

Mendon

[davepesc]

The main problem, as I see it, is that ebay is the giant in the online auction world.

I am a very part-time seller, pretty much just putting up some listings when the dup box fills up.

I don't think anyone on viceogameauctions.com is going to be interested in my lot of 25 common games, but I feel I am likely to sell on ebay.

The "specialty shops" would be fine for big-ticket items that would get response no matter where it was listed.

 

Nothing against vga.com, I've never used the site to know how it is, but in my mind, I don't feel as a buyer that I could ever find that hidden gem over there, because everyone is a collector. Again, great for big-ticket, but not so good for browsing for misspelled rarities. Also, as we've all seen at flea markets, the price tends to rise when the seller thinks the buyer is a collector. At a specialty site, that's all there is.

[jetset]

Final reason I'm done with eBay... (and sorry for another long post)

 

The last auctions I intended to run on eBay ended today. In all of my auctions I **CLEARLY** state I do not ship outside the U.S. and bids will not be accepted from those outside the U.S. I even use the Block Bidder Option that won't accept bids from countries outside my shipping area.

 

Well, guess what.... one of my auctions ends and the winner is from Israel. His profile lists his location as United States; eBay sends me notice of his shipping address as Israel. I send him an invoice/Email asking him to confirm his U.S. shipping address since I don't ship outside the U.S.  He writes back and says its Israel and wants me to ship it there.

 

So its off to Live Help to ask how I get him off the auction as winner so that I can either relist the item or make a Second Chance Offer to another bidder. I'm told to file an Unpaid Item Dispute report and select the "Live in a country I don't ship to" reason. I go and follow the instructions. System says I cannot file an Unpaid Item Dispute until Nov. 6th.  Back to Live Help I go and explain to them I don't want to wait another 8 days to make a Second Chance offer as maybe the other bidders will no longer be interested after 8 days as they might buy an identical item during that time. Or if I choose to relist, I have to wait 8 days, get my FVF, then run another auction which means I may not get my money for another 3 weeks or more from now, depending on when the 2nd auction ends and the buyer sends payment. Live Help says that my only other option is to file for a Mutual Agreement dispute but tells me if the buyer disputes it or pays me (and I refund it back) that it will take much longer than 8 days to settle the matter. I ask if these are the only two option open to me and Live Help says Yes.

 

Again, in my opinion this is just another example of terrible eBay service. If rules are broken, like the shipping location rule, why shouldn't I be able to immediately cancel the winning bid and make a 2nd Chance Offer to another bidder? I can cancel any bids and block a bidder while the auction is running; why shouldn't I have the same options when the auction is ended? Why should I have to wait 8 days to file a dispute; this isn't a case of "Well I mailed the check" and "Well, I didn't receive the check". Its a case where the bidder didn't follow the rules and even found a way to circumvent the rules and I should be able to do something NOW instead of 8 days from now.

 

I'm finished with eBay.

 

Mendon

956874[/snapback]

 

I had a similar problem. I posted here about it too. My auction stated any bidders w/less than 10 feedback need to email me FIRST or I would not honor thier bid. Sure enough, a brand-new user (ZERO feedback) BIN'd my item and paid. Unverified shipping (post office) address, unverified paypal address. I had zero protection in the event it was paid for with a stolen credit card. I did send out the item, since ebay's stance was that in thier rules, when the buyer bid and paid, that entered us into a contract. According to thier TOS, I had 2 choices. Send the item, and take a chance, or refund the payment and get a neg and possibly have my acct temporarily suspended for failing to follow through. Figure that shit out.

I sent the item and so far no chargeback, but it hasn't been 60 days yet so I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.

 

Ebay is getting too big, but there's no alternatitive even remotely close if you're looking to sell something or that hard to find item to buy.

[Kron]

Ebay has taken 7+ years to get to this current state where many agree its too big and now badly managed/maintained, When the site started the traffic was small and it had very few people that wanted to trust it as it was an entirely new online concept.

 

Now in 2005 if people want an alternative they will have to support a site doing so from new (i.e. in a similar situation ebay was in when it first started) and trying to run for the right reasons (like the people at videogameauctions.com are trying).

 

Looking for something that is "remotely close" is being totally unrealistic at this point as people will need to give something other than ebay a chance for a decent period.

 

The only positive I can see lately is that alot of people are genuinely becoming aware of ebay's shortcoming and problems and are beginning to voice their concearns that the marketplace needs more options, Unfortunately ebay is getting continually worse and unless people act upon their feelings and show support to new sites instead of coming out with excuses and conjecture about how immediately they aren't an option due to small early userbases then nothing is ever going to change.

[Mendon]

I guess it's like any store, you have to walk past a whole lot of junk to find the few things you came in looking for. 

 

Good comparison; never thought of it that way.

 

But after giving it some thought, I would compare it another way... ever gone to Wal-Mart and seen those 5ft x 5ft x 4ft cage bins they put out in the middle of the isle? You know, the ones that they then take 500 cases of DVD's and dump them in it and you have to try and look through this huge, unorganized, crumbling-falling-sliding pile of DVD's trying to find the one that you really want? I compare eBay listings more to that

 

Mendon

[Mendon]

I had a similar problem. I posted here about it too. My auction stated any bidders w/less than 10 feedback need to email me FIRST or I would not honor thier bid. Sure enough, a brand-new user (ZERO feedback) BIN'd my item and paid. Unverified shipping (post office) address, unverified paypal address. I had zero protection in the event it was paid for with a stolen credit card.  I did send out the item, since ebay's stance was that in thier rules, when the buyer bid and paid, that entered us into a contract. According to thier TOS, I had 2 choices. Send the item, and take a chance, or refund the payment and get a neg and possibly have my acct temporarily suspended for failing to follow through.  Figure that shit out.

I sent the item and so far no chargeback, but it hasn't been 60 days yet so I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.

 

Ebay is getting too big, but there's no alternatitive even remotely close if you're looking to sell something or that hard to find item to buy. 

957444[/snapback]

 

I've actually felt somewhat bad ranting on eBay like I have in this thread because by a vast majority, the purchases I've made as a buyer and the sales I've made as a seller have gone really, really well.

 

Yet, on the other hand it seems that the problems I have encountered on eBay have really increased over the last 6mos. You know, totally misrepresented items ("MINT Condition" that arrives as a EB pre-own covered in stickers, torn instruction manual, disk looks like it had been dragged behind a car down a gravel road, etc) or shipping problems (paid $7 for priority shipping for a TG16 game and it arrives as a Hue-Card only in a business envelope with one stamp on it).... those kind of problems. It's bad enough dealing with these kinds of problems but then when you try to get eBay to help you out, you meet their Wall of Indifference and Automated Messages which frustrates me as much, if not more, than the original problem.

 

I know what you and others are saying about eBay being the only game in town and everyone is entitled to do as they wish. But for me, I just don't wish to deal with the frustration of buying & selling anymore. Maybe a break will give me new insight or teach me patience and I'll rethink my position. But for now, enough is enough.

 

Mendon

[Mendon]

Ebay has taken 7+ years to get to this current state where many agree its too big and now badly managed/maintained, When the site started the traffic was small and it had very few people that wanted to trust it as it was an entirely new online concept.

 

Now in 2005 if people want an alternative they will have to support a site doing so from new (i.e. in a similar situation ebay was in when it first started) and trying to run for the right reasons (like the people at videogameauctions.com are trying).

 

Looking for something that is "remotely close" is being totally unrealistic at this point as people will need to give something other than ebay a chance for a decent period.

 

The only positive I can see lately is that alot of people are genuinely becoming aware of ebay's shortcoming and problems and are beginning to voice their concearns that the marketplace needs more options, Unfortunately ebay is getting continually worse and unless people act upon their feelings and show support to new sites instead of coming out with excuses and conjecture about how immediately they aren't an option due to small early userbases then nothing is ever going to change.

957547[/snapback]

 

I hear what you are saying, Kron and agree.

 

Only thing I can respond with is that there was a time when Ma Bell was the only telephone company around; you used it or nothing. Eventually, they were considered a monopoly and broken up (and I won't even debate whether that was a good thing or bad thing) and now you have plenty of options. Hopefully one day, there will be alternatives and options to eBay. How it will happen or who will lead the way I have no idea but hopefully it will happen.

 

Mendon

[itsralph]

I guess it's like any store, you have to walk past a whole lot of junk to find the few things you came in looking for. 

 

Good comparison; never thought of it that way.

 

But after giving it some thought, I would compare it another way... ever gone to Wal-Mart and seen those 5ft x 5ft x 4ft cage bins they put out in the middle of the isle? You know, the ones that they then take 500 cases of DVD's and dump them in it and you have to try and look through this huge, unorganized, crumbling-falling-sliding pile of DVD's trying to find the one that you really want? I compare eBay listings more to that

 

Mendon

957802[/snapback]

 

 

True enough, or maybe the "as-is" section at Goodwill.

[Road_runner]

I had a similar problem. I posted here about it too. My auction stated any bidders w/less than 10 feedback need to email me FIRST or I would not honor thier bid. Sure enough, a brand-new user (ZERO feedback) BIN'd my item and paid. Unverified shipping (post office) address, unverified paypal address. I had zero protection in the event it was paid for with a stolen credit card.  I did send out the item, since ebay's stance was that in thier rules, when the buyer bid and paid, that entered us into a contract. According to thier TOS, I had 2 choices. Send the item, and take a chance, or refund the payment and get a neg and possibly have my acct temporarily suspended for failing to follow through.  Figure that shit out.

I sent the item and so far no chargeback, but it hasn't been 60 days yet so I'm still keeping my fingers crossed.

 

Ebay is getting too big, but there's no alternatitive even remotely close if you're looking to sell something or that hard to find item to buy.  

957444[/snapback]

 

I've actually felt somewhat bad ranting on eBay like I have in this thread because by a vast majority, the purchases I've made as a buyer and the sales I've made as a seller have gone really, really well.

 

Yet, on the other hand it seems that the problems I have encountered on eBay have really increased over the last 6mos. You know, totally misrepresented items ("MINT Condition" that arrives as a EB pre-own covered in stickers, torn instruction manual, disk looks like it had been dragged behind a car down a gravel road, etc) or shipping problems (paid $7 for priority shipping for a TG16 game and it arrives as a Hue-Card only in a business envelope with one stamp on it).... those kind of problems. It's bad enough dealing with these kinds of problems but then when you try to get eBay to help you out, you meet their Wall of Indifference and Automated Messages which frustrates me as much, if not more, than the original problem.

 

I know what you and others are saying about eBay being the only game in town and everyone is entitled to do as they wish. But for me, I just don't wish to deal with the frustration of buying & selling anymore. Maybe a break will give me new insight or teach me patience and I'll rethink my position. But for now, enough is enough.

 

Mendon

 

957809[/snapback]

 

 

I agree with Mendon and Jetset...

I use ebay because it's what I have to work with. At the moment, I buy what I need for my collection and sell of my overstock. We pay up the ying yang for their services and yet so many flaws it's not funny.

 

As mentioned, the giant has grown to quickly and all they are after is "pading their own wallet" and f*@&k the rest of us.

 

I am also a little sick and tired of PAYPAL to be quite honest. 2 months ago I lost my wallet. Wasn't a happy camper because my wife made me go to Publix on Sunday afternoon when I wans confortable at home. Anyway I report my cards missing/stolen drivers licence thw whole 9 yds.

 

So I have to re link my new act with Paypal.... I had a rather large sum of money in my paypal acount and now I find myself trapped at their mercy. I could no longer lift my 500.00 per month withdrawal limit.

 

WTF????? It's my money and they are calling the shots???? Three weeks of faxing, e mailing and listening to elevator music waiting to explain the whole story over and over and over again and again to yet another fucking paypal idiot.

The whole thing is that they could not verify me... To this day they are still working on it and nothing... Not a call or e mail from them.

 

I took mcgrail's advise and managed to open an account in my wifes name thus paying a FEE to withdray my own money.

 

Talk about sick and tired of these corporate assholes???? Well that's me. I've read quite a few posts and threads here about scams os selling PS2 for cheap and yet these guys are still around etc... Hmmmmmm makes you wonder.

 

The moral to the story is DONT LOOSE YOUR WALLET if you have a paypal account

 

That's all...

Edited November 3, 2005 by Road_runner

[NightSprinter]

Another thing about eBay that's making me want to use it less and less is how idiots are trying t cash in on products they're trying to re-sell that you can get at Wal-Mart (Jakk's multi-game joysticks and such) by putting "Atari" in the auction name. Seriously.. anyone who's remotely familiar with Atari knows those things weren't made by Atari. Also trying to find a replacement for a dead system you have (R.I.P. XEGS.. I should've waited before connecting any kind of power supply to you..) can be nearly impossible because either a.) people want too damn much for it ($140 for a 130XE.. nothankyou), b.) hardly anyone bothers to TEST their merchandise (why would I buy a bare XEGS console if they can't guarantee it works?), and c.) some items come from regions that wouldn't be compatible with our TV sets.

 

I dunno.. maybe I'm also getting a bit sick of things like Mendon has..

[Jacob Rose]

I'd still sign up but just becareful what you bid on. Just use your head and ask questions if anything seems vague. Worse they can do is not answer the question, and then you know who not to buy from

950886[/snapback]

 

And use the Negative/Neutral Feedback tool at http://www.toolhaus.org/ to read all the negatives of any seller of any item (no matter how small) you are considering bidding on.

 

If I had known about this tool years ago, I would have avoided a really unpleasant experience with one of those persons who "sells in lieu of a job." If you see similar complaints over a significant period of time from different buyers, you know to avoid that seller, because she or he simply doesn't care to improve and correct his or her mistakes. It also helps you understand the person's character to read his or her comments about other people.

 

In my opinion, eBay aides people who provide poor service and/or misrepresent what they're selling by forcing would-be buyers to page through thousands of feedback entries with no filter. It's impossible to get any sense of what people "are saying" about a seller without a tool like the one toolhaus provides. I suspect many buyers, even if a they're unhappy with how things went, would rather not risk retaliatory feedback, and will just leave a positive even when they feel ripped off.

 

Ideally, eBay would also *weight* the feedback of parties in several different dimensions, to raise the contrast on the miscreants who hide behind 3000+ scores. I would be thrilled to have the opportunity to redesign eBay's feedback system...

[MegaManFan]

Routinely I'm fed up with eBay. That's why I generally only buy from AtariAge users who list their items. Well, all except for one.