I'm in ebay hell. i am. really. when does it stop?

[PsychoAndy]

ok, round #2. this time my non paying bidder is some AOL schmuck with no feedback, the usual fake e-mail and phone number. i'm out $23 in listing fees again. that makes $46 this month. yes guys, i know they refund fees but they only refund $3 in insertion fees and not $23 in listing fees. i'm in hell. somehow i'm being punished for a former life.

 

[Hossenfeffer]

For future auctions, consider a disclaimer that asks any bidders with low (or no) feedback to contact you -before- they bid. If they don't, cancel their bid.

For this auction, offer it up to the next bidder (assuming their bid is comparable). At least this way you'll minimize your losses. Not many "2nd highest" will buy, but it's a possibility.

And $23 in listing fees is awful steep. You can probably get by with fewer frills and/or a lower initial bid.

 

[MrBond]

Yes, I say users with negative feedback will be cancled, and users with low feedback (0-2) must get permission to bid. I saw someone doing an auction like that, and he kept updating it with users who had permission to bid on it.

Edit: Stop having it listed as a feature auction! People are gonna see it regardless. And besides, that's the risk you took when you ordered that truckload of systems

 

[Danman]

That's what you get for using Egay Andrew/David (Whoever the hell you are ).

 

[PsychoAndy]

yeah, but when you cancel bids you get flaming e-mails from the blithering idiots that think its "unfair" and then they report you to safeharbor.

BTW, theyre discontinuing e-mail support. all "support" will now be web based.

 

[Hossenfeffer]

<< yeah, but when you cancel bids you get flaming e-mails from the blithering idiots that think its "unfair" and then they report you to safeharbor. >>

It's completely fair, provided you show a clear disclaimer. You've had two bad experiences in a row, for god's sake. Let them report you to safeharbor all they like. So long as you set your ground rules down (and they're reasonable), you're fine.

A higher initial bid will tend to weed out some of the (0) feedbackers.

Putting in a disclaimer will cut down on the number of folks who bid or, if they still bid, you'll start seeing folks contact you. I've done it for several auctions. I ask for contact info that I may or may not verify before I allow the bid on some items.

 

[PsychoAndy]

yeah, but as we've established, fair or unfair, think they read the listing/faq anyways? $1500 was not a low initital bid

 

[Hossenfeffer]

<< , think they read the listing/faq anyways? >>

Whether or not they've read it. By bidding, they're agreeing to the terms within (provided they don't go against any Ebay rules). If your item descriptions are clean, the info will be in plain view.

 

[PsychoAndy]

see, heres my problem(s) with ebay, they've already been posted:

Sellers can only get names and phone numbers. No addresses. No logged IP's. Nothing.
Said phone number and adress is subject to VOLUNTARY ID verification.
Anybody with a registered e-mail can bid, especially AOHELL users who can change SN's as fast as I can change shoes.
They have an entire division devoted to make sure sellers dont rip off buyers, but not the opposite.
They have verified credit card info on file but dont want to give it to you.
You have your attorney send them certified letters asking them to release FULL contact info they obtained. They tell you to get a court order.
If you want to sell anything extremely valuable or in quantity they make you go thru ID verification.
If you want to buy anything extremely valuable or in quantity they tell you to go right ahead.
You cant screen bidders PROACTIVELY. By the time you get a chance to ban bidders its too late.
Customer service? Whats that?
Refundable listing fees. I'll only be able to get back a whopping: $0.00. Why? Because I "sold" the item.

Oh, another reason why they have a division to combat seller fraud is because its bad press. When you crack open the paper and read the "My grandma on fixed income got ripped off on ebay." And since we dont see stories of 1000 people got ripped off at $20 each today, you think they're gonna do anything about it? Of course, both problems could be combated by mandatory ID verifications.

 

[Ns1]

how on earth did you end up with 23 bucks in listing fees?!?

 

[PsychoAndy]

oh my god, i've turned into jerboy

 

[DAPUNISHER]

<< oh my god, i've turned into jerboy >>

ROGLMAOTICB

 

[wnied]

Whenever I ebay anything, I ask that the bidders have AT LEAST 10 positive feedbacks and NO Negative feedback.
If they have negative feedback and bid on my item, I look at the negatives they have and determine whether or not to cancel their bid.
I havent lost a dime yet in ebay or yahoo to auction punks with little to no feedback.

~wnied~

 

[Yo Ma Ma]

The flaw with asking for certain bidders (low or negative feedback, out of the country etc.) to contact you before bidding is if you have a "Buy It Now" that wont' work, or if they snipe in the last few seconds same thing, auction over & not a thing you can do but suffer through the process.

 

[Krugger]

True, but i sold some concert tixs recently, and someone with no feedback won and was great to do business with. at the same time, i would hate to bid on something but get cut out for not having 10 feedbacks b/c, well, i don't use ebay much at all. i made an extra $50 by trusting someone, and they trusted that i would come through. that's part of ebay i spose. but i'm sure if i got bitten i'd do the same as you guys suggest.
-----Krugger

 

[b0mbrman]

That's one of the things you should take into consideration when you're deciding whether or not to do a feature auction...