eBay – Confessions of A Shopaholic, Lego Junkie & Toy Freak
Written: Feb 10 '03 (Updated Jul 29 '06)
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| Full Review |
With over eight hundred other reviews about the mega online auction house, you might wonder why I'd want to review the site. Simply put, I’ve spent a large chunk of change there over the past few years and barring a few bad experiences, the relationship has been great. Before I started to bid on items [or purchase them outright through the “Buy It Now” option] someone made a comment about being able to find anything there – as well as being able to sell anything. Barring internal organs, celebrity properties and dirty underwear – anything your little heart desires can more than likely be found up for sale. Think I am kidding? Take two minutes and skip over to the site and type in the most bizarre keywords. Better yet – I’ll save you the hassle and let my demented brain do the work for you.
‘pink trolls’ – yes, 4 results
‘cupcakes’ – yes, 48 results
‘absinth’ – yes, 21 results
‘toadstools’ – yes, 24 results
‘carpet glue’ – yes, 2 results
‘light bulbs’ – yes, 2,190 results
'type o negative' yes, 107 results
OK, so these weren’t exactly the most bizarre words I could think of but I can almost guarantee that nine times out of ten you’ll get a few results when you search for items at the site – even on the strange and out of the ordinary things. From XXX rated sex aides to kitchen gadgets, used vintage toys to power saws, movies, DVD’s, cameras …. Well, you get the picture. And yes, there was even a listing for a latex dress. Sadly, I was outbid on that ... oh the horror.
What Is eBay?
ebay is an online auction house that allows people to bid on items that other members of the site put up for sale. A small fee paid by the seller to list the product as well as a percentage of the final sale is what fuels the site. Started on a wing and a prayer, eBay has become one of the most popular sites on the internet. Founded in 1995, it wasn’t really taken seriously until the numbers started to overwhelm the bean counters. When you look at the fees that they are charging the sellers you might wonder how they are able to stay in business – 1 or 2 % doesn’t seem like a lot to charge to list an item or the percentage that is taken from the final sale – but combine that with the millions of transactions and that adds up to a ton of revenue.
The site has branched out and sells automobiles, features “power sellers”, merged with Half.com and pimps PayPal like there’s no tomorrow. It seems like every month there is a new feature added to the site so it never gets old – there are new sellers and buyers joining the site all the time and you never know what little treasures you’ll find when you do a search for something. Imagine the world’s biggest swap meet – only in cyberspace – and that’s eBay.
The Double Edged Sword
As I mentioned earlier, there are some items that you just can’t sell at the site and to be completely honest, until I went looking for the complete list – I had no idea that some of the items listed were in the ‘no no’ file. The biggest one is “tobacco” and according to the site – this is the rule about selling such an item: “Due to the many difficulties inherent in assuring that tobacco sales comply with applicable laws, eBay will not permit the sale of cigarettes, cigars, and smokeless tobacco on its site. So, how come I can type the word “tobacco” in and find listings for cleverly worded cigarette advertisements?
To see the complete list, please visit this URL so you can be a well-informed seller [and buyer] and abide by the rules of the site. Click on any of the topics on this page to read the complete set of rules for the particular item. http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/items-ov.html I am sure that if you check out this section you’ll be shaking your head and asking “who’s minding the store” after you check the site to see if these things are listed [some of which are] and much like Epinions they leave it up to the members to report the offenses that the content filter doesn’t catch.
My History
I didn’t have to go for professional treatment but I did have to detox from the site. When I first signed up for my account I was bidding on 10 – 15 items at a time and checking to see if I was still the top bidder. Carelessly I didn’t pay attention to who was bidding, their bidding history and what the product was actually worth. I got burned on a few items [Lego related of course] when mysterious “new” people started to bid on the items I really wanted. I should have backed off but I continued to bid higher and higher [called freshman fever] until I was paying more for the item than it was worth.
As time went on I learned some cool tricks [bidding at the last minute] and how to spot people who were creating accounts to counter bid and drive up the going price. If I had the slightest inclination that someone was doing that I’d never bid on anything they sold again – no matter how much I wanted it. Bidding at the site shouldn’t involve stealth motives, a notebook full of ‘bad people’ and complicated emails but due to the amount of fraud that exists at the site, it is a necessary evil these days. Read the details of what you are getting and if you have any questions email the seller to have them define exactly what they are selling. If you don’t get what you pay for then you have a little bit of protection from eBay but don’t count on them to come running to your side. Eventually those that practice less than acceptable behaviors are weeded off the site due to the feedback that is left. Get enough bad feedback and you are like the plague. Make sure you can pay for the items you are bidding on because you will get zapped by the system if you retract too many bids or don’t follow through with payment.
Since I first joined the site I’ve learned how to ‘read’ sellers and have built up a few great relationships with toy merchants that occasionally email me with great deals they come across. Rather than list the items individually and have to pay the listing and selling fee they offer me 10 – 20 Lego sets and get it over with. Now, if a seller contacts you about an auction item that is listed at the site and offers to sell it to you off the site – think twice about the offer since you won’t be covered by eBay’s protection program. The best advice I can give someone who is just joining the site it to look before you leap – or in this case bid and always read the fine print and details of the item. I am sure everyone heard about the PS2 scandal where people were bidding on a “PS2 / box / new” when they were first released and ended up receiving an empty Playstation 2 box in the mail. Sure this was bad selling ethics but at the same time the seller never said that he was selling the actual game console, just the box it came in.
So far I’ve purchased books, DVD’s, VHS tapes, CD’s, toys [mostly Lego sets] and from time to time educational items for my boys. I’ve opted for the “media mail” shipping for books, video tapes, CD’s, DVD and printed material. While this takes a little longer to get to you, it’s about one third the price of surface mail. BE sure to check the USPS website for a list of things that can be shipped via the media mail option. Most sellers are more than happy to work with you on shipping and will more than likely look to save you money [and score brownie points with you which means a possible return bidder].
How It All Comes Together
Searching for items at the site is easy, but from time to time you will get some strange results for your queries. A vast amount of my eBay time is spent looking for older or no longer in production Lego sets as well as book bargains and strange items I collect [Halloween decorations, anything that glows in the dark etc]. To start your search simply type what you are looking for into the search box and click the button. Use a comma “ , “ to separate words to get better results. When you find some items of interest you can click on the link to be taken to the auction page that will give you a description of the item, photo [most of the time there is a photo], sells name and feedback rating, time left in the auction, payment methods, where the item is being auctioned [USA, UK, China etc] and any other information the seller wishes to share. If you have any questions about an item, it is in your best interest to email the seller before you bid.
To place a bid you must have an account at the site [free] and be logged into your account. Type in what you wish to bid and click the button, you will be given a chance to double check your bid before it is placed so if you add an extra zero you always have a chance to change it. I highly suggest that you place items that you bid on into your “auctions to watch” list so you will be able to see if you are still top bidder. The emails that are sent out to notify you of a successful bid as well as an outbid notice aren’t the timeliest so you will need to sit “on your egg until it hatches”. These notifications are also sent when the auction ends – regardless if you are the top bidder or not. If you are placing a lot of bids your email box will get bombarded with outbid notices, end of auction notices and other email from the site. I suggest that you have a dedicated email address for your eBay emails so you won’t have to worry about missing emails or having your main address backed up with notifications.
To complete your transaction you must remit payment to the seller after a payment option has been selected. I am extremely 'anti PayPal' after reading some horror stories about them freezing peoples accounts so I choose not to use them. Don’t let my paranoia stop you from using the service because there are plenty of people suing the service or it wouldn’t still be around. I choose to pay for 99% of my purchases using a money order. It’s safe, won’t screw up your checking account and protects you against fraud. If you are purchasing something from overseas you will need to get an international money order. If you are paying with a credit card be sure to research the associated fees for currency conversion and any fees that may be attached by your credit card or bank.
Feedback is just as important as making your payment in a timely fashion. Just like the Web of Trust at this site, the feedback ratings can make or break you as a buyer or seller. And just like this site, there are always people making up fake accounts to try and make themselves look better [or to boost the going price during an auction]. Leaving feedback is simple and painless and you’ll never have to worry about who you left feedback for and who still needs to be covered since this is all provided for you on your feedback page. You can see the comments that have been left for you as well as which auction it is in regards to. Leaving negative feedback for those that sold you defective, incomplete or misrepresented items is just as important as leaving good feedback for those that provided a good service.
Feedback
Probably the single greatest weapon against getting ripped off by a seller is to read all the comments that people have left – the good and the bad. There is a point system in play and you are given cute little colored stars depending on the number of comments that have been left for you. In some cases you might encounter an occasional wacko that leaves false information or claims that he or she was ripped off. If this is the case you can leave a counter comment with all the details necessary to explain the situation to other buyers and sellers. To view or get feedback ratings on people you must be a member of the site and logged in to your account. If you are a buyer please leave prompt and accurate information about the seller when you receive your item and have checked it thoroughly. Sellers usually leave their comments after they have received payment and sent out the item. Building up a good listing of feedback and comments allows others to see how quick you are to pay for your purchase as well as on the sellers end – how quickly you ship, the quality of the product and how easily the transaction was handled.
Negative feedback at eBay can kill someone off in a heartbeat ...
Signing Up For An Account
To get the most out of your browsing experience you might want to sign up for an eBay account. It’s free and takes about a minute to do. They will ask for the basic information like name, email address, physical address, phone number, date of birth and a test question in case you forget your password. You must be at least 18 years old to use the site however I know a few people who are under the age of 18 that sell items at the site. When you submit the sign up form you will be sent an email to verify the email address, you must click on the link in the email to activate your account at the site. After that you can browse the site, view feedback on sellers and buyers and place bids. To simply view items that are up for auction you do not need to create an account but to view feedback you do. No credit card information is needed to sign up for an account [unless you are registering to be a seller].
Shipping Fees
There really isn’t a set rule about shipping fees. Most people will quote the shipping fees to be paid in the body of the auction page however if you are bidding from another country or bidding on something from a foreign country please take into consideration the taxes and fees that might be associated with the item. If you are bidding on multiple items from one seller check to see if they will combine shipments to save some cash – usually they will have this on the auction page buy if you do not see it you can email them [from within the site] and asked them about it. A few very cool people allow me to bid on items and then at the end of the month they send me to total bill for the auctions I’ve won and the shipping fees. Not many people will do this since they want paid as soon as possible – but this is the type of relationship I’ve built up with a few sellers.
If you are bidding on something that is of any real world value make sure you spend a few extra dollars for insurance as well as delivery confirmation. If you are already getting nailed for Priority Mail – an extra .40 cents won’t kill you. This way if something happens to the package it can be traced to see where it ended up. Each seller sets the terms of shipping and if I see someone really gouging for shipping I usually skip him or her all together. Remember to factor in the price of shipping when you are placing bids because sometimes it’s cheaper to just go out and buy it at a store.
Customer Service
Looking for the eBay phone number? Look no further ...
eBay Inc.
2145 Hamilton Avenue
San Jose, California 95125
[800] 322-9266 – Toll free customer assistance
[888] 749-3229 – Toll free customer assistance
[877] 438-3229 – California residents
[408] 558-7400 – Fax
Getting in touch with eBay customer service can be a complete hassle and proves to be more frustrating than getting a straight answer from a DMV employee. My suggestion is to “email” them about a situation, dispute, disagreement or question. Since standard email addresses to specific departments are harder to come by than the first Spiderman comic book, there are automated forms that can help process your information quicker. The changes to the way things are reported and email is sent happened early in 2002 when several email addresses for help, selling and trouble at the site were discontinued. Call me crazy but I really like having email addresses instead of some goofy automated form that may or may not address your concerns.
http://pages.ebay.com/help/basics/select-support.html
Use this form for general questions about accounts, spam, buying and selling, billing and site troubles or dead links. I really don’t like these forms but lacking any other way to contact specific areas of the site – this is pretty much all we have to work with.
http://pages.ebay.com/help/basics/select-RS.html
If you are being harassed by a seller or bidder or they have contacted you outside the site to try and pressure you into selling the item for less [happens some times] then this is the form to use. If you don’t report it to eBay you are giving these cyber bullies the right to muscle people around and that’s just not cool.
The Bottom Line
Sometimes if a deal sounds too good to be true – it might be a scam. Sometimes people have no idea what an item is worth – case in point – a Lego set from the late 80’s was up for auction but the person worded it incorrectly so not many people were bidding on it. The going price was about $8.00 plus shipping for a set that had retailed for close to $60.00 but was worth at least five times that [with the original box and instructions!]. I bid on the item but also emailed the person to let them know what the set was really worth. Sure this could have meant that the person could have pulled the item off the site but I couldn’t live with myself if this person auctioned off a set that was worth a lot more than what she got for it. Turns out they were her sons Lego sets and he’d long since outgrown them. She was grateful for the information as well as the online pricing guides I sent her. After that she asked a very fair price for the sets and ended up making a lot more for them.
If you are going to bid on something know exactly what you are getting for your money. Read the fine print and stick to your guns if you get a bum deal or receive something less than what you expected. I got ripped off when I purchased an older Duran Duran item that was listed as a VHS tape but when it arrive it was an audio cassette. The seller said that it was listed correctly and I knew what I was bidding on. Needless to say, that was the last time I dealt with that person and as much as I hated to do it – I left feedback about it. There are a lot of great deals to be had at the site, but sometimes you really have to think about what you are bidding on as well as the total cost you’ll end up paying. So far I’ve had a ton of great transactions with only a few that were complete disasters. I wish I knew the ropes when I first started at the site, I could have avoided getting ripped off, price gouged and taken advantage of. Be a smart internet consumer, know your limits and learn to read between the lines.
As always, thanks for the visit!
^V^ Freak ^V^
© 2003 Freak369
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What product did you purchase or try to purchase? Toys, gifts, Lego sets etc
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