CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 6:55 pm Post subject: Eff you ebay!

Has anyone listed anything today on eBay? Now you need to fill out all sorts of new crap based on shipping charges. It now takes more than twice the time to list stuff, I have to scroll around, fill in crap, blah blah. I guess they are doing this to prevent overcharging by sellers?

What they don't take into consideration is that I can't calculate freight based on me being in Canada, it's about $50 per shipment to clear customs. Can't do that within their freight calculator. I also don't use Freightquote. What, did eBay buy them now? Effing monopoly hounds!

This is complete crap. I am busy enough, I don't need eBay demanding more of my time to fill out shipping charges that won't be accurate anyways.

Morons!

Clarence · Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 7:22 pm Post subject:

Can't you just select "Shipping: FREE for LOCAL PICKUP ONLY", then add a line in your ads that say "bidder must contact me for shipping quote before bidding".

macgyver655 · Joined: 22 Aug 2007 Posts: 8508

Put some stuff on last night and didn't see that. I have more tomorrow to put on. I hope thats not the case or I'll have to do like Clarence said. Ebay does suck but it is a good place to sell stuff.

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 7:30 pm Post subject:

Well what I'm doing now is listing everything as 'freight'

2 clicks more than I used to, and it's listed. I'll blame eBay if any buyer emails, asking why a 10 lb PC board has to go freight.. Smile

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 7:31 pm Post subject:

More important, why aren't you using listing software with templating, Curt? I don't even sell professionally on ebay, and using a piece of desktop software for Mac OS X called GarageSale, I've cut my listing time from 15-20 minutes per item, to less than 5. My wife is even getting ready to start selling all the kids' stuff we have laying around. It's SO much easier to navigate and change things, and best of all, once you get everything set up with all your info once (disclaimers, logo, text, etc.), you can just duplicate it, change only the stuff that's specifically related to the item, and re-list. FAR easier and faster than listing with the web site (which admittedly is difficult at best, and a downright pain in the ass at worst).

I know there are a couple of apps for Windows that do the same thing. If you use Windows, one is even free from ebay! TurboLister?

SC

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 7:35 pm Post subject:

I am, I have been using Auctiva for years. I was hitting the 'relist' function on eBay via their emails to me to save a buck if something sells the second time around.

paw · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 1176 Location: Arvada, CO

ecrabb · Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 10:09 pm Post subject:

Oh yeah, Craigslist rocks for sure. We've sold a fair amount of stuff on craigslist - especially toys and larger items. Nice high-value name brand clothes like from Children's Place or Gap Kids seems to be very undervalued on craigslist, though.

Craigslist is a like a garage sale a lot of the time - people expect to buy for super-cheap - and I HATE giving stuff away cheap. If some cheap skate won't pay $10 and wants to negotiate to $8 or $5 for $100 worth of baby clothes, I'd rather just donate the clothes to the local shelter (which we also do). Screw 'em.

Nice clothes do seem to sell well on fleaby in lots according to the wife's research, so she's going to try that route.

Curt, so are these new options not included in Auctiva, yet? Or, do you mean that you click the "relist this item" link, and you STILL have to answer a bunch of questions about shipping. Could it be because they added new options/reqs SINCE you first listed the items?

SC

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Mon Aug 25, 2008 10:22 pm Post subject:

I think that's exactly what happened, eBay added this very recently. I've been doing 'relistings' for years, it just hit today. So Auctiva hasn't yet updated any of their software, I now have it down to 2 extra clicks. When I did the first one this AM, I messed with it for 10 minutes and then contacted eBay live support. They let me know what I was doing wrong (no freight shipping allowed via their auctions from Canada, go figure!), but it still pisses me off.

I ship from Wa. state for all of my sales within the US, but incur $5-10 in customs charges for each shipment, including $1.00 gas that I add on for each shipment that I take to the US. That's still way cheaper than using a courier or Canada Post to ship from Vancouver to the US, never mind the ripoff customs charges that the couriers add on. There's no way for me to accurately list that with the new eBay method, so I'll just grossly misrepresent the shipping charges, so that anyone serious about bidding will email me so I can give them a price, the way that most serious eBayers do anyways.

Cousin.It · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 41 Location: Hurst, TX

I've been trying to figure out if the new ebay changes that are coming are good news or bad news:

http://www2.ebay.com/aw/core/200808.shtml#2008-08-20070116

This one doesn't make sense to me:

"Faster, more reliable checkout on eBay
Starting this fall, we're moving to an electronic checkout process that's faster and more reliable for sellers and buyers. As part of this move, checks and money orders will no longer be accepted on eBay, although buyers can still use these payment methods for item pick-up, at the seller's discretion. In addition, the electronic payment methods will be fully integrated into eBay checkout. For example, if a seller has an internet merchant account, a buyer will be able to directly enter a credit card and never have to leave the site."

Its like they're trying to force the use of the other ebay product PayPal so they make more fees...

Mark

**Curt Palme** · Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:23 am Post subject:

It's the whole monopoly thing. I think right now if someone had really deep pockets and came up with an eBay clone site with lower fees and without the restrictions of things like this payment and shipping thing, I'd be on board in a heartbeat.

It's time to take down the only game in the world...

Clarence · Posted: Tue Aug 26, 2008 12:29 am Post subject:

Cousin.It · Joined: 09 Feb 2007 Posts: 41 Location: Hurst, TX

There's a significant limiting factor out there for potential competitors. Pretty much every possible bidding scheme is patented by someone. You would have to come up with something new or pay royalties. I'm guessing that by now eBay owns all the intellectual property rights to their straight auctions, live auctions, dutch, buy it now, etc. and would not even let a competitor use their schemes for any royalty amount. By now, all the eBay schemes feel like the online standard but you won't see anybody else use them.

I can recall when onsale.com was the auction site to beat some 10 years ago. They used the scheme where the auction ended five minutes after the last bid so no sniping like we know it today. This favored the seller from what I could tell. I assume eBay doesn't use it because they don't own the rights to the patent/scheme.

Mark

paw · Joined: 08 Mar 2006 Posts: 1176 Location: Arvada, CO

rtart · Joined: 16 Jun 2008 Posts: 132

I'm with you all. Ebay seems to be very happy with their role as a monopoly, and appears to be flexing their muscles. They no longer allow a seller to post negative feedback about buyers. So, why have feedback at all?

I have had to file non-payment complaints in the past, and they take FOREVER. I have also had to file "not-as-described" or "item-not-received" complaints as well. I have learned that PayPal's "protection" policy is just crap. PayPal protection takes weeks to process, and has caveats that really can hurt you. For example, if the buyer files a claim, the seller often refuses to ship the item or correct the issue UNLESS the buyer cancels the claim. Once the buyer cancels the claim, their rights to ANY resolution are forever gone. So, the result is, the seller won't make it right because they fear the buyer may refuse to cancel the claim after they do their part. The buyer won't cancel the claim because they forfeit all rights going forward, and (justifiably) don't trust the seller after a problem has already occurred. Bad ju-ju all around. The system seems designed to make sure fair and happy resolutions don't happen.

When buying, I NEVER pay with anything other than American Express. If I have an issue, I file a dispute with AMEX. Amex credits my account, PayPal gets notified, and the issue gets decided fairly, in my experience. When selling, I use a dedicated checking account for ebay only, and empty it as soon as the auction ends and payment is received. I also take photos of the item before and after packaging, and make sure I get a receipt when I ship it. I check the boxes for shipping, exception, and delivery updates via email, and use my telephone number as a contact number so I get the call if there's an issue, and I can re-route the package, to myself, if needed. Insurance is also required. And, I use FedEx instead of USPS or UPS, since they are not part of the "Ebay mafia" (like PayPal, USPS and UPS), and pay the bill with Amex also.

Paranoid? Well, the fact that you are paranoid does not mean they aren't out to get you Razz

Also, another real issue. Try selling a PAIR of speakers on eBay! The freight calculator only allows the seller to calculate the price to ship ONE speaker. Most speakers come in pairs, and ship in two boxes. The freight quote shown in the auction is for ONE box, so the buyers are almost always P.O.'d when the actual freight cost is double what they expect. A seller who figures out the bug in the system has to go to lots of extra trouble to notify the buyer, who probably won't read the note anyway. What usually happens is the seller winds up eating the difference in freight costs. I have sent ebay numerous emails about this, which they ignore.

stuffandpuff · Joined: 30 Jul 2008 Posts: 69

stuffandpuff · Joined: 30 Jul 2008 Posts: 69