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General discussion

4/05/05 Do you use eBay? If so, how often?

Apr 4, 2005 3:39AM PDT

Do you use eBay? If so, how often?

Yes, daily; I'm an eBay addict
I buy and sell regularly
Tried it few times
Had a bad experience (tell us about it)

Discussion is locked

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Paypal problems
Apr 6, 2005 4:41AM PDT

When I tried to upgrade my account to secure, it all went pearshaped and now I can't use it at all, I've been locked out part way through a transaction. Bit of a bummer.

This locks me out of other organisations that use paypal too.

Ebay is an auction site though and everyone should remember that the laws governing open public auction are not the same as those in shop buying - if you bid, then you take it and if it doesn't work, it's your fault for not checking it. If you buy stolen goods, you might get away with keeping them because they were sold 'in the open', so it ia up to those who have lost goods to monitor and stop the sale before it takes place (all depends on the country/ies involved for this though).

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SMILIAR BUT MORE REWARDING ANd BETTER SERVICE THAN PAYPAL
May 6, 2005 12:18PM PDT

They are an online payment site (similar to PayPal), except much more rewarding. Their website doesn't officially launch until this summer, but you can pre-register now and earn some great rewards. Plus, if you open an account now, you'll get $25 from me!


www.greenzap.com/paypalsucks2

Don't forget to told them i sent you so you get your free $25 as i am good friend with them.

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PayPal an deBay both are scams
Sep 12, 2005 8:45AM PDT

Both eBay and PayPal are owned by the same company but they act like they are separate. Both claim to have buyer/seller protection but in reality, neither does. I made a software purchase (online and not from eBay) and it didn't do anything the author said it would. In fact, I spent a day trying to get it to work. My server met all the requirements the author required it to work. After wasting a day, I removed the software and contacted the author for a refund. Keep in mind that I spent a day going back and forth with their support to get it to work. Anyhow, they did not want to refund my money so I filed a complaint with PayPal and their automated system rejected it right away because the item wasn't physically shipped, it was downloaded. So I ended up having to do a chargeback. Got an email from PayPal about doing this.

Now that's just one of my stories. Let's look at their policy. 1st you have to make sure you ship to the address the buyer is registered with on PayPal, then you have to ship it by a means that trackable then believe it or not, you also have to insure it even though this isn't stated clearly. Now let's say the buyer claims he never received it and contacts PayPal. PayPal wants the shipper and tracking info. If you have that information, then they make you call the shipper and file a claim with them. According to eBay, sellers state the terms in the auction e.g. Shipping Insurance. If the buyer doesn't want to pay for insurance and then claims they reveived the item damaged, PayPal will tell you that you are to blame for not purchasing insurance regardless of eBay Policy. So what exactly is it that they do for protection? When anybody finds the answer to this, can you let me know please. eBay on the otherhand is no better. They pass the buck to PayPal who then makes you go through the same silly circle.

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Paypal problems
Feb 8, 2006 8:18PM PST

Though I did not have a problem with Ebay (and believe me I won't ever use paypal again) My Problem started right before Christmas and involved Paypal and Amazon.com. I had purchased some movies for my daughter's Christmas present. They acually arrived before Christmas which floored me....however at the end of june I got a call from my bank. It appears Paypal sold my information to someone in Uragray (sorry about the spelling-it's in South America) Thank god my bank caught it otherwise my bank account would be overdrawn etc. I was stunned isn't Paypal a trusted site? Apparently not. Is there anyway to protect people from incidents like this? Federal laws...something????
Thank you
pwclark63
Oregon

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paypal
Oct 7, 2006 2:38AM PDT

paypal is not considered a banking institution, so it's not held up to the same federal standards. They can, however, have your bank account frozen somehow...

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paypal
Oct 12, 2006 4:23PM PDT

Not only does paypal have the ability to freeze a bank account they can sell your banking information to someone in a foreign country....like in South America....that is what happened to me.

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Ebay doesn't care about sellers, only buyers
Jun 21, 2005 7:02AM PDT

A woman sent me a check and I waited 18 days. It was for a Tiffany ring. I sent the ring to her on the 20th day after I initially deposited her check. Her check came back to me uncashable 32 days AFTER I deposited the check.

I called her repeatedly. She promised to send a money order. Never came. Then she promised to send the ring back, which she never did.

I emailed Ebay and I received a standard, "we will handle this, but b/c of privacy issues, we can't tell you what we're going to do."

I haven't seen my money or product back and it's been 3 months. I've now stopped selling on ebay. It's too depressing when you get messed with.

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RE: Do I Buy or Sell on eBay?
Apr 5, 2005 6:12AM PDT

I used to buy and sell on eBay a lot. For the last year to eighteen months I have totally stopped. Due to all the rip-off sellers and buyers alike. It is not for me any longer. I do not even go to the website any longer. I'll buy retail or wholdesale from now on.

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Ebay Nightmare
Apr 5, 2005 6:13AM PDT

I tried to buy some software off of Ebay for about 100 less than the retail price. I won the auction, and the seller was nice enough...to rip me off. It was the first time I used PayPal as well...I really hate PayPal. So, the seller emailed me the day after I could no longer use PayPal to retrieve my money. So PayPal told me they would insure my losses...but I had to try and get my money from Ebay first. Ebay would rather I do a charge back on my credit card. PayPal inadvertantly used my credit card instead of my bank account. I did not want to do a charge back on PayPal, but I had no choice...I thought we would work out the details later. Not so, the seller who I thought was a woman was actually a man who began bragging to me in email how easily he took my $600. Now PayPal will not let me use their service. I continue to use Ebay, but rarely for anything of great value.

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eBay = 666
Aug 24, 2007 10:10AM PDT

eBay's corporate philosophy is one of Politically Correct corporate greed. They are willing to allow the sale of stolen property and tolerate huge amounts of fraud, as long as the seller is making them money.

Those of us who are honest and want to engage in a non-PC activity like selling gun parts, get the shaft! Try to say anything in the forums that is slightly un-PC or critical of eBay and get banned!

I hope someone like Google or better yet Amway, develops a competitive alternative that allows the sale of any item not prohibitted by law and true FREE SPEACH! It would be my great pleasure to see eBay and all it's PC employees ROT IN HELL!

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Never had a bad experience
Apr 5, 2005 6:17AM PDT

I've used eBay off and on for various things (cookware, computer stuff, and now classic car parts) and have never had a bad experience. However, I have seen others who probably did. And I often warned them. The biggest error I have seen is not knowing the true value of an item. I have seen, quite often, people bidding far more than they could buy the same item locally at retail stores. Add in shipping and it's a disaster. Great for sellers, and I do not hold them responsible... in most cases... Let the buyer beware! Will I ever have a bad experience? Probably so. It's the odds. I also play it safe in how I pay for anything.

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Play it safe?
Apr 7, 2005 4:10PM PDT

I'd be interested in knowing how you play it safe in paying. I've had a few incidents, and have found out the hard way that a lot of people think they've found a safe way to pay, but in reality, the only ones who are sure to get their money are the rip off artist and ebay. Personal checks? I don't think so, you can only cancel them up to the time they are cashed. Credit cards? Well, you can try to dispute the charges. You might get lucky, and what a hassle. Paypal guarantees? What a joke. Read the fine print. Ebay guarantees? Same as Paypal. I use ebay, but very cautiously now. Basically, with ebay, you're on your own.

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eBay works for me
Apr 5, 2005 6:20AM PDT

Only one item wasn't as describe and arrived broken. The seller apologized and quickly refunded my money. All the rest of been good experiences... good sellers.

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Sure works untill...
Jan 22, 2006 5:34AM PST

They screw you over idiot

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Horror Story about my first experience with EBay
Apr 5, 2005 6:24AM PDT

I wanted to buy a rug cleaner but the husband didnt want me to get a cheap one. We decided to try to find out one on EBay. A used Rug Doctor was available and a good price so we bid and won the bid. We were excited to recieve it. It took some time to get here but I was patient. Once recieving it I unpacked it and started to use it right away. It did not work so I figured I was doing something wrong and decided to wait for the hubby to show me how to use it.
He could not get it to work either. He is a fix it kind of guy so he took it apart and ordered parts over the internet. They sent an email asking where we got it. We told them who and where and awaited for the parts to arrive. Two weeks went by and still no parts so hubby sent another email to the parts warehouse asking when to expect the parts. They wrote back saying we needed to send the machine as it was on a missing list from Rug Doctor. In other words it had been stolen. We he put the machine back together and sent it to Rug Doctor in the US. Then he contacted the fella that sold it to us and his attitude was buyer beware. We contacted EBay to let them know of the problem. They gave us the website to contact to place a grievance. It took several weeks and a lot of work on the keyboard but we finally settled with Ebay and got back about one third the money paid. Then to our surprise, Rug Doctor sent us a reward for returning the machine so promptly. We did not get back all the monies paid but it was close. I of course have not used EBay since.

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bad experiences
May 25, 2005 8:42AM PDT

Hey - I had some experience like that with a product I bought and it broke after 3 weeks - go find the seller and figure it out - or go leave a bad feedback at that point. I wrote my blog for this ordeal on www.sellerid.com for people to know - I know I am putting my ebay purchases on hold for a while although I must admit that there are great deals there... so I will buy again though the hassle just wish I could know better who I buy from right?

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Ebay, let the buyer be warey... very warey
Apr 5, 2005 6:42AM PDT

I have both bought and sold on Ebay with moderate success. The first problem is that no one wants to pay the real value for goods. If it's a new hot item, people will often overbid the value and if it's a specific technical item, they will bid pennies on the dollar. The cost of listing an item is high and with the new commission policy, somewhat pricy.
The second issue is the amount of fraud tht goes on. There are those who advertise "stuff" with no intention of ever delivering it. When this happens there is little Ebay will do to help and even finding their "safe Harbour" is difficult. The insurance the offer is a scam, by the time you go through all the channels, you're outside their time frame. About the only time they get active is if you owe THEM any money.
Finally, if you use it, be very careful and count yourself lucky if it goes ok.

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never received the item
Apr 5, 2005 6:43AM PDT

I bid on and won a coach bag I bid on for my daughters 16th birthday last year. I paid through paypal, but never received the bag. The seller stated she sent it and I must be lying. I had to go through arbitration...paypal got involved...and ultimately she was kicked off ebay....Luckily I paid through Ebay with American Express and was reimbursed the money I lost through their great policies. Now I am much more careful to only use sellers with very high positive feedback numbers.
JeanneM

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Get EVERYTHING Insured
Apr 5, 2005 7:18AM PDT

My advice......check the seller's listing to see if they will offer to ship the item insured(at your expense, of course). If it's not mentioned in the listing, e-mail the seller asking if they will ship it insured BEFORE YOU BID. If they agree to do so, SAVE THAT E-MAIL, and go ahead and bid. With insurance, you have a shot at getting your money back. If the seller promises to insure (either stated in the listing and you accept that option, or stated in an e-mail to you) and the item either doesn't arrive at your home or arrives damaged, you have proof and a case to recover your money.

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Feedback Numbers
Apr 5, 2005 8:19AM PDT

It's always good advice to look at several things. I always check the feedback positive percentage plus how long they've been on Ebay and how many feedbacks they have. Then I read the negative feedback to see if the complaints seem reasonable. If there are only a few feedbacks, or they just joined last week, I don't bid, expecially on high priced items. Those of you who think Ebay auctions are a risk, try the Yahoo auctions -- a real nightmare!!!

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Never shipped item...seller disapeared
Apr 5, 2005 10:30PM PDT

Had used ebay quite a few times before. Bought son-in-law present for X-mas. Was never delivered. When I contacted seller sent email saying it was sent check with post office. Was too large an item to be shipped with the postal service. When asked for tracking number, would not reply. When contacted ebay and paypal was told buyer had canceled membership and could not be found. I did check his feedback before buying and he had a couple of negatives, but most were slow shipping of item. Lots of positives. Was told by ebay and paypal that there was nothing they could do. Will think twice before buying again. Would have to have no negatives and lots of history before I would buy again.

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EBAY HORROR STORY
Apr 5, 2005 6:44AM PDT

bought a pda was delivered doa sent it back couldnt get it back filed bad review guy flipped ebay would do nothing and were totally useless. they wanted to take the bad rating i gave him off! i squashed that went to mediation guy blew it off so i went thru paypal and pay pal wouldnt do squat went to my credit card co 3 months later and they reversed the charge pay pal had a fit and locked my account because i didnt go thru them but when i did they would do nothing. guy still does business w/ebay every day and they do nothing. I wont buy anything unless there is a 100% rating.

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ebay sucks
Apr 5, 2005 6:46AM PDT

the only problem with ebay is ebay. it's nearly impossible to contact them. they screwed up paypal the same way. when paypal was seperate you could call an 800 number to get problems resolved.

the only problem i have is that they are the only game in town for my stuff. not unlike ups.

if there were alternatives i'd switch in a second.

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TRIXIECRACKER.COM - Better than eBay and Amazon?
Sep 10, 2005 6:07AM PDT

Check out this new site - www.trixiecracker.com.

Apparantly they're starting a new marketplace that is better than eBay and Amazon.

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Ebay Sucks
Sep 12, 2005 8:28AM PDT

Hey there, there are alternatives. What is it that you sell?

John

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http://GetBackOnEbay.EZGuideBooks.com <- this site helped me
Jan 8, 2006 8:18PM PST

I've been having lots of problems lateley too and couldn't figure out what was wrong. I searched everywhere and read everything and nothing was helping. Then I found this site, and a post here referred me to http://getbackonebay.ezguidebooks.com and everything there worked like a charm.

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Last Name
Jan 9, 2006 1:02AM PST

Other post on this page refer to this last name further down. Trust this all?

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Better than eBay, try drop.com. Its free and makes sense
Jul 24, 2006 12:46PM PDT

Forget ebay with those auction type formats and fees. It always amazed me that people go to ebay since in real life they almost never attend auctions. But we do attend clearance racks and that is exactly what drop.com is. Its a clearance rack where you can buy and sell stuff - and its FREE! The listing prices on the site drop sometimes every second - hence the name - drop.com. Since its free, what do you have to loose? Happy

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Poor Buyer Qualification on ebay
Jul 26, 2006 11:53AM PDT

eBay is NOT good at qualifying buyers. Almost anyone and thier dog (if they have an email address) can sign up and win an auction and then the seller is left waiting for resolution!

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Forget eBay, use drop.com - it is free!!!
Oct 20, 2006 3:06PM PDT

I used to sell on eBay in its early days, but now they have so many fees. So I started using drop.com. Its an online community where buyers and sellers use virtual clearance racks to sell goods. And its FREE!