Slimeiest thing that's happened to you on ebay

Jackad7

So I was going to buy an aayla secura for a OK price so I messaged the seller to change the buy it now to delayed payment so I could combine shipping. Realizing I was willing to pay his buy it now he changed it to an auction at the same price of the buy it now and basically said good luck. I'm tempted to not bid so the jackwagon doesn't get what he wants.

madforLEGO

Then do not buy from them. Simple as that. You could always contact eBay CS about it, but not sure what they could do.

koshka

Are we allowed to include non-lego items? Buying a 'New' breast pump that clearly wasn't.

MattsWhat

^a used breast pump is the slimiest thing you have bought on eBay.  That is all manner of gross, they could have at least washed it.

SuperTramp

90% of the time its buyers that are the problem, not the sellers.

I cant wait to sell the last of my items and be done with it.

SuperTramp

I guarantee every regularly seller has had the whole '' my son/daughter is disabled and they would appreciate it if you would accept 30% off the asking price, we'll leave you good feedback'' 

Or this one, ''my son/daughter has only managed to save X amount and would really love this set but can only afford it if you knock £50 off your asking price, please please im begging you?''.

I imagine these people have a file saved with all these templates saved. 

That's slimy to me.

AllBrick

madforLEGO said:

Then do not buy from them. Simple as that. You could always contact eBay CS about it, but not sure what they could do.

Diddly squat I reckon, unless the seller sent an email promising that they would honour the request.
The seller probably had a high number of enquiries and watchers, auctioning would be the best option.

brumey

getting chinese knock off "samurai x mech" and "jay fire mech"!

gawd damnit

Fauch

that's kai's fire mech

brumey

yea.   KAI's

Shpadoinkle

Non-Lego, but I think very interesting and funny.

A friend of mine collects images from the US Civil War.  He is very good at recognizing faces and has been able to consistently get great deals for the last decade, amassing a huge collection of IDed soldiers.

This past week a seller listed two images, one of a famous general, another of a regular soldier from a famous unit my friend collects.  Both listed BIN for $200.  He contacted the seller, saying that he just wanted the soldier and not the general, and would the seller consider breaking them up and listing them separately.  The seller responds, says that would be fine, and asks what my friend would offer for the soldier.  The seller goes on to say that he's just a "picker" and really needs the money fast.  They agree on $100 and the seller says he will relist in a couple of hours.

Time goes by, the general is listed for $200 (WAY too much) and then finally the soldier is listed for...$175!  My friend contacts the seller to ask what happened and the only response he gets is:

"Take it or leave it."

He passes (of course) and then a week later I check the listing, and the seller has raised it to $199!

Yesterday the seller sends my friend another message:

"Better act fast!!!"


This guy isn't winning any awards for charm...

SprinkleOtter

SuperTramp said:

I guarantee every regularly seller has had the whole '' my son/daughter is disabled and they would appreciate it if you would accept 30% off the asking price, we'll leave you good feedback'' 

Or this one, ''my son/daughter has only managed to save X amount and would really love this set but can only afford it if you knock £50 off your asking price, please please im begging you?''.

I imagine these people have a file saved with all these templates saved. 

That's slimy to me.

I don't even usually get a message. Just offers of far less than 50% of the asking price.

ReesesPieces

I got a used grand emporium from eBay.  The pieces came in ziplock bags and looked clean enough.  As I began to build, I came across several strands of hair that I am hoping is just armpit hair and not ....

dougts

I never ever ever use the "make an offer" option.  You are just inviting every lowball ridiculous offer to come out of the wordwork.  And buyer's never want to pay asking price - after all, you say you are willing to consider offers, right?  Of course ebay always has "offer" set to ON by default, so you have to remember to uncheck it when you list.

Even without using that feature, I still get a ton of offers via message.  I don't even reply to them any more.

Another favorite - all the people asking "how much is shipping to zip XXXXX".  Hey idiot - right below the price/buy buttons there is a whole shipping section that will give you an exact quote.  

CCC

I often use the offer setting. I just set the asking price higher, and auto reject all offers below what I actually want. You'll be surprised how many people pay more than you actually wanted (and what you would have used for a BIN price).

madforLEGO

dougts said:

I never ever ever use the "make an offer" option.  You are just inviting every lowball ridiculous offer to come out of the wordwork.  And buyer's never want to pay asking price - after all, you say you are willing to consider offers, right?  Of course ebay always has "offer" set to ON by default, so you have to remember to uncheck it when you list.

Even without using that feature, I still get a ton of offers via message.  I don't even reply to them any more.

Another favorite - all the people asking "how much is shipping to zip XXXXX".  Hey idiot - right below the price/buy buttons there is a whole shipping section that will give you an exact quote.  

Yeah, actually asking for a deal via eBay messaging system is a violation of their policies, as that is what the best offer option is for. What is more annoying is the insanely silly offers I have gotten.
I'm tired of the shipping question as well, even for Global shipping I believe it shows in the shipping and payment tab. Though I would not consider that 'slimy'..

Also getting sick of people overseas opening another account to buy something only to not pay. Like they could not figure out what shipping would be until they got the global shipping program invoice then decided they did not want it because shipping quote is too high (because, after all, a mark against another new account means nothing to them). Now THAT I consider at least underhanded as I'm guessing that is why I'm seeing new, and not 'established', overseas accounts purchasing items.

Fauch

I don't know how reliable ebay is with shipping quotes, but I prefer to ask on bricklink anyway, because the one time I don't ask since it's already written on their terms page, of course it ends up being 5€ higher than what was written...

LuLego

Couldn't agree more with what's been said already. I've been selling a few bits (reluctantly) to raise funds for 2016 sets. So far I've had ridiculous offers and also got the whole "my kid's pocket money..."

i hate ebay.

SumoLego

ReesesPieces said:

I got a used grand emporium from eBay.  The pieces came in ziplock bags and looked clean enough.  As I began to build, I came across several strands of hair that I am hoping is just armpit hair and not ....

Cat dust?

SumoLego

eBay serves a purpose that all of us can appreciate, but also find just as frustrating.  I don't see much utility in getting angry or exasperated because someone makes a low-ball offer.  Just don't accept the offer if you believe the market will provide for a higher value.

I can say that they have the minimal tolerable protections for buyers and sellers, and have a fairly useful arbitration system to resolve disputes.  

brumey

too much knock offs, spam and scam on ebay.

i just stick to bricklink. i set a price. can add handling fees (if i want to). people just buy if they are satisfied with my price. the whole experience feels a lot more personal.
on ebay i always have the feeling of getting stolen blind! everyone just wants your money. the rest is bolocks ...
bricklink feels like "fans for fans" . ebay feels like resellers for dumb fans!

JudgeChuck

Perhaps I have been lucky, but I've never had a problem on eBay when buying LEGO. I am careful on what I bid on and who I am buying from, so perhaps I am managing to weed out problems.
On a couple of occasions, I have received a "complete" set that was missing a piece but, in both cases the seller dealt with the problem to my satisfaction, even if that didn't mean they were able to send the missing pieces.
I have had similar experiences on BrickLink as well, but given one over the other, I would pick BrickLink over eBay in most cases.

prevere

Regarding LEGO - Smoke smell when it's not mentioned. Sometimes a "lot" buy is better than indicated, sometimes it's worse...it all evens out in the end. But you can't let one transaction send you over the edge...that's what I've learned the most from using it.

mmozzano

Worst thing I've had was #9465 Zombies set. The set was partly sealed and partly build. The issue was even the parts in the sealed bag had a very strong smoke smell.  

Was very tempted to return the set but it was a good deal so I just aired the set for a few days in fresh air (outside!!) and it's ok now.

I never checked it was from a smoke free home hence didn't feel in a position to complain.  I would never buy now without checking any item was from a smoke and pet free home. 

mdtvandy

I posted an incomplete #7676 and made it abundantly clear that it was missing the gun turrets in the listing. After the buyer received the item, she started a complaint-return saying it was missing pieces. Makes me afraid to sell anything again. 

madforLEGO

prevere said:

Regarding LEGO - Smoke smell when it's not mentioned. Sometimes a "lot" buy is better than indicated, sometimes it's worse...it all evens out in the end. But you can't let one transaction send you over the edge...that's what I've learned the most from using it.

I received a lots of parts from overseas way back when from eBay and someone put dryer sheets in the package to cover up the smoke smell, which instead left a rancid smelling lot of LEGO that smelled heavily of dryer sheets (more chemical than forest frsh) and a bit of smoke. After a thorough soaking in dishwater it seemed to finally clear the parts of that smell.

I now have a tendency to 'sniff' the freshly opened boxed used LEGO lot when I get it to see if I detect a whiff of smoke. Though I really hate doing that. I do the same with BL parcels lately as well. But at least I'm not sniffing ponies... yet.

Pitfall69

^...and there it is ;)

madforLEGO

Pitfall69 said:

^...and there it is ;)

The minute I typed I 'shiff' boxes when I open them I figured it was a matter of time before someone made the reference so I just decided to 'head 'em off at the pass'.

cheshirecat

We're all just one bad decision away from sniffing ponies.

chaos215bar2

mdtvandy said:

I posted an incomplete #7676 and made it abundantly clear that it was missing the gun turrets in the listing. After the buyer received the item, she started a complaint-return saying it was missing pieces. Makes me afraid to sell anything again. 

And how did eBay handle it? I'm no fan of eBay's policies, fees, or support, but this should be a pretty clear-cut case. If they did actually side with this buyer, that would be a pretty good reason to never sell there.


Regarding low offers, I make low offers all the time. If I know something (LEGO or not) will almost certainly come up for a price much lower than a best-offer listing, there's no reason not to make that offer. I don't expect it to be accepted, but sometimes the seller knows they're asking for a lot and really wants to sell.

sklamb

Worst thing that happened on eBay to me had nothing to do with Lego, but might still apply to people selling minifigures or small printed pieces. I bought a few small, lightweight buttons at what seemed a good price, then discovered that not only was the shipping charge exorbitant given the size and weight of the item, but the seller didn't discount when you bought multiple items together. At that time this treatment of the shipping charge was not at all the custom among button sellers (most of whom were collectors and very pleasant to deal with). I whined and protested but paid in full, then left neutral (not negative) feedback, which was promptly countered with the only negative feedback I've ever received on eBay (I began using the site in 2001, well before the rules about feedback changed). That certainly taught me to check the shipping charges before committing to any purchase! The lesson has saved me a lot of trouble on Amazon.com and BrickLink as well as eBay, but all these years later I still get a bad taste in my mouth remembering that seller.

joel4motion

I listed a few pairs of rather expensive womens boots when my sister decided she was going to give up the city life and move away from the London grind. Within an hour got a message from a very interested buyer asking for pictures of the boots being worn as she was "worried about the calf size" Didn't seem right so checked their feedback and buying history and they had some very questionable, adult-themed purchases! 

5 years on, my then fiancé listed a pair of boots and immediately got a very similar message. It took me an hour to dig the old email out but it was the same ebay username. Called him out on it this time, got a very awkward apology.

Bought some keychains from a guy who has a lot listed. Decided to sell some of my doubles and got the standard "my disabled son has been saving for months to buy this and only has x amount" from the same seller who, two weeks before had taken £200 from me. I just pointed out that the story would have been more plausible if he'd not used the same account, I heard nothing back.

ziggymon

Sorry im fairly new to this forum, but very recently got an ongoing issue with an ebay Lego item I sold, thats ending up being the typical switch scam from the buyer who wants to return his busted up set to me. Even sent pictures and brags about getting his money back either way and at the same time was selling the same item for twice over its value. Ebay being very typical useless to react to this and only when i have stated im receiving advice from the police over fraud. 

Its stupid that for a seller to have photos of the item in its condition from every stage including its packaging, to have recorded and insured delivery method that will track all the way to the buyer and get the it signed, to have everything indicated to the point where you are going above and beyond to give great customer service and ebay keep trying to come up with ways of moving the goalposts further away and promote fraud activity. 

SumoLego

It's risk assessment for eBay.  A medial amount on a refund is cheaper than bad publicity.  Even if it is baseless.

Fundamentally, they don't know what the truth is.  It's easier to refund.

(Which I am assuming they are doing?)

goshe7

I am presently awaiting slime.  Lost out when bidding on an item.  About 18 hours after the auction ended, I was offered a second-chance purchase.  

Slime #1 - Doesn't that seem fast for a definite cancellation?  Seems like some shill bidding may have occurred.

Slime #2 - After the offer was made, I found the item relisted on eBay by the same seller in an auction.  Despite the possible shill bidding, my bid was a fair price based and I chose to accept the second-chance offer.  Payment was sent.  The second auction ran until completion.  A few days later and my item still has not shipped.

So I'm expecting to get notification in a few days that the seller wants to cancel the order.  

Not nearly as disgusting as other stories here, thankfully.

oldtodd33

^ I have been emailed within minutes of getting outbid claiming the winner couldn't pay for the item and given a second chance offer at the winning bid amount. 

cleverusername

I am very reluctant to sell on eBay. Sellers have few rights. Unlike back in 2000, when I sent the following to eBay's Safe Harbor and they suspended two buyers.

My auction for item #524434944 ended today.  This has been a
strange auction in many ways.  At one point my item was selling for
$1400--ten times what it normally goes for.  One bidder retracted two of
his bids and said he suspected a shiller was trying to drive others
away.  Later, he informed me that he was a "watcher" for ebay and that
he was just bidding to see if the other bidder was legit.  This was all
very confusing for me and I wasn't sure who to trust.  When my auction
ended today, I e-mailed the high bidder so that we could start to make
arrangements.  He responded by saying the following:
"I'm not buying that for that price, you had your buddy bump up the
price on it!  I'll pay you $150 for it"
I have no "buddy" on ebay.  I don't have any close friends who are ebay
bidders.  I do not have anybody shilling for me.  There are several
concerns that I have.
1)  The high bidder is refusing to pay the amount that he bid.
2)  He is accusing me of fraud.
3)  He is making a non-ebay offer for my item.
4)  Someone is claiming to be an ebay official but they are offering
advice contrary to ebay policy.  This persons withdrawn bids have made
me look fraudulant and have ruined my auction.

I know, wah wah wah. But this was so confusing and such a hassle.

Pitfall69

This is why I only do "Buy It Now" on Ebay.

flord

When you just use "Buy It Now", are you happy with the prices you get? I imagine you have to be careful to price it where it will still sell, but you are still able to get what you think it's worth.

Pitfall69

I price my items accordingly. If they don't sell, I lower the price until they DO sell. Obviously,  your goal is to get as much money as you can for your item, but sometimes you get what you get. There are times where I don't really need to sell an item and I will just throw it on Ebay for a high price; if it sells...great!!! 

madforLEGO

If someone is silly enough to make threats, extort, or admit to their deception on eBays messaging system (which, at least in the US, is usually the only way someone can communicate with you) then you have them 'red-handed'. eBay should simply look at the message logs and can tell this and find in your favor. Heck if you can provide the offending message with the headers to eBay they likely will find in your favor. I have worked with eBay CS a few times and they have been pretty good when I have worked with them. Maybe it is be cause I'm in the US, I dunno. I just wonder sometimes how much people really work with eBay to find out their rights (as seller or buyer).

As for shilling, you can report such suspicions to eBay. I'm not sure if people realize it, but you can.

flord said:

When you just use "Buy It Now", are you happy with the prices you get? I imagine you have to be careful to price it where it will still sell, but you are still able to get what you think it's worth.

I would hazard people are, or they would not be using it. Look if you want a specific number, then list it as a buy it now, especially if you are worried about it not going for enough... Lately most auctions I see are people waiting til the last minute to snipe it anyway.. Would rather just list as a buy it now.

sklamb

Heck, sniping's been going on for at least 14 years! Not a recent development, nor an unethical one (at least in my opinion--but then, I was a sniper myself often enough).

Buy it now is fine if you know what the item's really worth and don't care to take advantage of people who get "auction fever." If you want to make the most money, perhaps an auction with a suitable reserve is the way to go, although that depends on eBay's fee system, of course. I'd never try to sell on eBay without studying the fees very carefully first. (If I were selling Lego I'd probably use Bricklink or the Brickset Marketplace instead, because I'd rather be selling to other FOLs.)

goshe7

Auction + reserve = no bid from me.   I only snipe, and I don't want to waste my time coordinating a snipe only to not meet some ridiculous reserve. 

samiam391

Pitfall69 said:

This is why I only do "Buy It Now" on Ebay.

I typically do Buy It Now or best offer for all items over $100. The Buy It Now is placed higher than the average price. 

While I usually have to wait longer for the "right" buyer, the final sale price is usually through the best offer feature and the sale price is more than the average selling price. Considering, that I'm typically in no rush to sell I have no bother waiting longer to sell higher. 

If the item is worth less than $100 and has a relatively small market, I'll put it up for a 7 day, $.99 auction. Whenever I do this though, I list in large batches of 20+ items to maximize views/interest in my other items.

Shpadoinkle

^This is my favorite strategy, though the "best offers" looking for an 80% discount can be a bit tedious.

111ins

Can't you just set the automatic offer rejection price limits so you do not get anything below say 80% ? It has been a while since I have sold on ebay but that is what I used to do.

samiam391

111ins said:

Can't you just set the automatic offer rejection price limits so you do not get anything below say 80% ? It has been a while since I have sold on ebay but that is what I used to do.

Yes, you can. Which is what I do to sort out the offers that are complete time wasters. 

I do love seeing the 80% of value offers with the message "it's just plastic" (sad part is, they are true). I've gotten several of those :)

Pitfall69

I get a lot of "You give discount?" I usually respond with "I am sorry, my item is competitively priced. Thanks for looking :)" Then I get "You give discount?" 

SumoLego

^ The Daily Show said Lego was more valuable than gold.  It can't just be plastic?!?

Say it ain't so!

Pitfall69

This has been mentioned before, but I also get a lot of "My son/daughter really wants this set and it isn't for me" type of messages. I'm sorry buddy, but I am not selling a kidney; they will survive.

SumoLego

I really want a custom PitfallCon figure, because I collect pointless crap of little value.

And I have children that wouldn't benefit at all from your item, but I want a huge discount.