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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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ebay unresponsive & irresponsible
Dec 7, 2007 2:54AM PST

I was scammed by a seller. She displayed a software package with the original package, cds and manuals. The seller also claims to have tried shipping to me on three separate occasions. I think she used a wrong address or didn't pay enough for the pacakage.

I did receive the programs I purchased on a Memorex disc with a bogus 'authenticity code.'

I wrote to the seller and they explained why this was done, and said I could return it if I wanted. When I replied to this communication, I got no response - the seller left eBay under that name!

I have filed twice with eBay to investigate this scam. They send an auto reply stating that you allow them 24 to 36 hours. And You Never Hear From Them Again.

They have no regard for their buyers. Beware.

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found a web site for you
Mar 26, 2009 2:00PM PDT

in my travels on the internet i found a place called swoopo.com. they do penny auctions and i've seen people buy laptop for less then $2.00 before shiping.(shiping was a little over $20.00) check it out.

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Bad Experience - Canadian Buyer
Apr 5, 2005 6:46AM PDT

I sold occasionally on eBay, had great luck and was very happy until I recently sold a piece of video equipment to a guy in Canada. I shipped the item and he posted feedback on eBay -the day after I had a signed delivery notice- that it worked great, etc. He waited two weeks, then reported to eBay he never got it. I provided shipping records, pointed out the feedback. I also pointed out he made a couple of purchases in a short period of time, got bad feedback and then "cancelled" his account. Basically if you sell to Canada the Seller Protection is very limited compared to normal. I could not believe with the case I had the resolution dept did nothing. I still have a balance to eBay for the goods and selling fees. No more eBay to Canada for me!

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Won't by anymore on E-Bay
Apr 5, 2005 7:24AM PDT

Some peoples might have bad experience selling their goods to Canadian, but you can't judge a community by one fool mistake...Look the other way around, I have bought a Canon L-1 camcorder from a seller in the state of Washington..I was assured that the camcorder was in very good working condition..paid $600.00 US dollars for it, (plus x-portations charges)(It costed me $900.00 CND dollars, after all the customs taxes) but when the item arrived here, the camcorder was defective. I was mad , for I've already owned an L-1 that became dead (after 8 years) and maybe 900 hours of operation.Canon had no parts to repair same, that's why I decided to buy another L-1. Now I am stuck with two defective Canon L-1 (and duplication of lenses + accs) No I won't buy anything before I can see and check the performance of the item I am looking for.

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manual needed Philips DVDR985
May 11, 2005 9:04AM PDT

I am in Canada an I just bought a Philips

Philips DVDR985 - it was a gov. sale. What did these sell for new? I think on post said around $800 US.
Also: can anyone help me by photocopying a manual - mione came without - I would gladly pay for the copying and postage. THANKS!

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I found the manual for the Philips DVDR985
Jun 1, 2005 10:32AM PDT

HI,

My name is John. I just bought a DVDR985 at a store that was going out of business. It was a display model and didn't have a manual or remote. But you can go to www.remotes.com to get a remote. As far as a manual. I FOUND IT!!!!

Here is the web site.

http://seiaarons.com/Philips%20DVDR985.pdf

I hope this helps.

My email is panc1974@yahoo.com
I hope to hear from you soon

bye
John

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DVD Manual
Dec 16, 2005 1:50AM PST

You should be able to pull up the manual on PHILIPS websit. once you get there you should see a link for manuals, accessories or parts. You should be able to get this information and much more.
check it out

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I have an L1 with extremely low hrs on it ClaudeJ
Jun 3, 2005 10:41AM PDT

If interested contact me @ Belmarnj@yahoo.com

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Buyers and Sellers beware, but...
Aug 8, 2005 1:28PM PDT

Claude I too, purchased a Cannon l1 knowing it was broken in advance. I found a repairman, and inquired the possible cost to repair and bingo it all worked out and my total out of pocket was $300. Now as you know and will see there are others on Ebay sellling them for as little as $200. But you also know that they have common parts that fail, and people are not willing to repair them or unwilling to even consider the cost.

The guy I used is a professional, and knowledgable in his trade.

If interested Id be more than happy to give you his email address.

On the other hand if you dont wish to repair yours I or my associates would buy some of your accessories.

Ron

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Do you think jerks reside in one country only?
Apr 5, 2005 11:15AM PDT

I'm a long time buyer and seller on Ebay. Twice I've had dud bidders; both times they were from the U.S.

What has a person's nationality got to do with his or her honesty or dishonesty?

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No problem with Canadians!
Apr 7, 2005 1:35AM PDT

I sell on eBay regularly and have sold many items to people in Canada...have never had any problem--prompt payments, happy customers.

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ebay
Apr 5, 2005 6:56AM PDT

While looking thru the motorcycle section of ebay (I was looking to buy) the page kept shutting down and would not reload, after a 1/2 hour of frustration I quit. I bought a motorcycle in the past on ebay, but not again, the bike was not as advertised. From now on it's hands on, eyes on, or buzz-off.

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Motorcycle Site
Sep 12, 2005 8:55AM PDT

Hey there NowFre,

I too am a motorcycle nut. I used to sell on FeeBay but now I buy and sell all my bike stuff on www.xsnitro.com. It's a biker site run by bikers and the support is great. Don't let FeeBay scare you off.

John

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eBay
Apr 5, 2005 7:00AM PDT

My experience with eBay has been very negative. I sold an iPAQ once to someone in Croatia....he paid through Paypal and everything was good until Paypal claimed that the owner of the credit card claimed someone stole his identity. I was out my iPAQ ($500) and the money as PayPal took it out of my account.

I also find that most people try to make a quick buck on eBay. There is not always a savings on what you buy. Many times the items are even more expensive. Did anyone check out PSP on the day it came out? You could buy it in the stores for $249, meanwhile on eBay you could get it for a whopping $300 plus.

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I DO NOT LIKE EBAY
Apr 5, 2005 7:03AM PDT

EBAY IS OKAY (BUT NOT AS CUSTOMER ORIENTED AS I THINK THEY SHOULD BE) BUT PAYPALS USER AGREEMENT AND REQUIREMENTS FOR BANK ACCOUNT INFORMATION IS ONEROUS AT BEST. AFTER SPENDING ABOUT $2000 ON EBAY OVER A PERIOD OF 10 MONTHS PAYPAL CANCELED BE3CAUSE I WOULD NOT GIVE THEM BANKING INFORMATION. MY CREDIT CARD WORKS JUST FINE AT AMAZON AND OTHER COMPETITORS. I CAN HAPPILY EXIST WITHOUT EBAY AND FIND DEALS.

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Caveat Emptor
Apr 5, 2005 7:09AM PDT

I have bought on eBay for about 5 years. Unfortunately, they haven't been without problems. To me, eBay is a store, flea market, garage sale and antique mart all in one. I've able to easily locate things more easily than if I had to look for them outside of the internet. I have bought some nice merchandise from reputable sellers at what I considereed to be a good price and have been lucky to purchase some hard-to-find items.

Yes, there have been problems. An eBayer should know their prices. Just because its on eBay doesn't mean its a good deal. As with the regular marketplace, there is price gouging. Research your seller....check out his her rating....pay careful attention to a seller's negative and neutral ratings. If necessary, contact a particular buyer who left a negative rating for a seller to get more particulars if the buyer will share them with you.

Since purchases on eBay usually require shipment, the buyer pays entirely for shipping and handling. Beware! Sellers can charge exorbitant amounts for shipping and handling. You can buy something for $1 that can have shipping and handling charges of $25. Ask yourself....is this now a bargain? If shipping and handling charges are not stated in the listing, e-mail the seller to ask what the ALL INCLUSIVE shipping and handling charges are to your particular zip code. Don't assume anything! Once you bid on item, you've entered into a contract. If you win, you are responsible for the cost of the item plus all shipping and handling charges no matter how outrageous they are. I avoid sellers who are either secretive or evasive about their shipping/handling charges as well as those who gouge on these costs. As an additional precaution, ask the seller, BEFORE YOU BID, if they will insure the item (you pay that fee too). If they ship something to you uninsured and it is lost in the mail or arrives damages, you're out of luck if there's no insurance on it. (I purchased some china pieces, and fortunately had them insured, because they arrived broken in about a hundred pieces. The seller poorly packed them and had too many pieces closely stuffed in one box. I received a full refund of my costs).

Protect your eBay sign-on password. There's all sorts of phishing scams going on. I must receive at least a dozen phony e-mails each week, supposedly from eBay, asking me to click on a hyperlink and update my account info. I'm threatened with eBay suspensions, told that purchases have been made on my account in foreign countries and they need to verify, etc. It's all scams! They used forged eBay headers and logs. Foward such e-mails to spoof@ebay.com.

Although I'm well aware of such scams, my account was hijacked four years ago before eBay had better security. I found out when I got an e-mail from someone inquiring about a computer I supposedly had listed for sale. I checked the eBay listing and yes, I was listed as the seller but I wasn't selling. The "seller" requested that a bank check for the purchase ($1500) be mailed to an address in London. I immediately notified the inquirer that I didn't have such an item for sale and also notified eBay who then pulled the listing and began an investigation. Luckily no one lost anything.

EBay is not a goldmine! It has its problems. You just have to keep one step ahead.

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Shipping and Handleing fees
Apr 5, 2005 1:27PM PDT

I sell on ebay, I do not gouge people, but have had many people complain about shipping and handleing fees. What people don't realize, shipping materials cost money, there is bubble wrap, shipping tape, paper and styrofoam peanuts involved, as well as ink for printing the reciept, none of this is free, and we as sellers should not have to cover the cost, as I do not make any money as it is...after paying for the listing fees and pay pal fees, and I realize postage has gone up, but I also require insurance on all of my items, after one bad experiance, as well as delivery confirmation. I have to protect myself , because of the the dishonest people out there, and I am not one of them, I am reputable, and have a 100% positive feedback. But I do not feel I should have to pay for all shipping materials. Sorry but its just how it is.

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(NT) (NT) AGREE WITH YOU 100%
Apr 5, 2005 1:54PM PDT
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Excessive s&h fees
Apr 7, 2005 1:51AM PDT

A dollar or two over the actual shipping charges is acceptable, but there are many sellers that do charge excessive amounts for s&h. I sell on eBay and normally just charge $1 over actual cost. I was ready to bid on an item the other day but checked on the shipping before I did, and surprise! the charge was about $20 for a few bottles of nail polish. Now, c'mon! I know that it does not cost that much to handle a little package! Also, a lot of the sellers start the bidding at $1 and jack up the shipping to circumvent the final value fee that eBay charges as eBay does not charge any fees on the shipping. These sellers are cheating eBay and overcharging buyers and eBay should find the way to stop this practice. Buyers should not buy from these sellers...I don't.

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Shipping and Handleing fees
Sep 12, 2005 8:52AM PDT

Hi wild_dove48,

What kind of items do you sell? I just started selling my items on a new site and have had a positive experience so far.

John

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Re: Shipping and Handling fees
Jan 12, 2010 12:42AM PST

The price of everything has gone up. With that said, it's just enticing for the buyer to see a big S&H fee. People are reluctant to do any bidding. What good is the deal when half goes to packing, gas, and shipping?

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Ebay amatuer
Aug 2, 2010 1:10AM PDT

I am not familiar with ebay, I have attempted to buy a few things but find the necessary watching of items tedious, especially if I dont win the auction...am not a fan.

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Only one really bad experience
Apr 5, 2005 7:17AM PDT

I've bought over a hundred things on eBay including, for example, a rare George Gemunder violin that has been appraised at many times what I paid for it. I've bought a few things I ended up wishing I hadn't, but only once was I blatantly ripped off--by a seller who's description of an early 20th century parlor guitar included phrases like "sounds wonderful" when, in fact, it was unplayable and needed major repairs. There is an inherent risk in buying something from an unseen stranger, but if you do your homework, read the descriptions carefully, and closely examine the seller's feedback, you can do quite well.

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E-Bay
Apr 5, 2005 7:27AM PDT

I order a movie from one of their customers and I still haven't recieved the video. And it's been over a week. "I think e-bay should start doing criminal background checks so people could stop getting cheated".

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delivery of items
Apr 5, 2005 7:47AM PDT

Depending on how your item was shipped - Media Mail takes up to 10 working days to deliver. You should only buy from sellers who offer to provide tracking information with delivery confirmation. I sell on eBay and automatically do this. I have had customers say they did not receive the item - but USPS shows a delivery confirmation. It is a small price to pay as a seller for piece of mind - and keeping a good rating. I also recommend and offer insurance with everything I sell. I cannot be held responsible for shipments that are damaged in transit. I ship within 1 business day, provide tracking and have a good rating.

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Bad experience $500.00 lesson
Apr 5, 2005 7:30AM PDT

I used ebay quite regularly and didn't have a problem. UNTIL one day, I bought an HP Fax/scan/copier for a "buy it now "price of...500.00. Paypal had my money out of my account and into the sellers and I never received the printer. At that time I was told that money guarantees only applied to the actual auction not a BUY IT NOW. No one not even my bank would help me.
I was out of the $500.00 dollars. A month later I recognized the same scam and reported it. They took them off ebay...but still nothing in my pocket!
Hard lesson to learn when I was buying off ebay to save some money in the first place!

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Thanks
Apr 5, 2005 11:17AM PDT

Didn't realize that "Buy It Now" wasn't covered.

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i to no longer shop ebay.
Mar 22, 2009 5:22PM PDT

i had a bad time with a seller. i had place a bid on a 40gb external hard drive. i won the bid at $14.50 + $9.00 shiping. i then pay with my credit card. i then get a email from the seller later that same day telling me he is refunding my money because paypal told him not to ship to unverified paypay accounts. so i email the seller to tell him that me address on paypay is confimed and that he should ship it to me. the next email i get from the seller tells me that i need to check my facts before i start to blame him for what paypal told him to do. so i then email ebay to let them know what was going on. i then found out that the seller took the item in question and put it back up for sale. the seller ended up selling it for cheaper then what i was going to pay for it.( his lost) after many heated emails from me and the seller i decided to give him a neg. feedback. a bout 2 days after that i get a nasty email from the seller telling me that e has been tring to call me to work something out, but he get no answer. i told the seller that i got no calls that day. he then emails me telling me that he was going to report me to ebay for having a false phone number. i told him that he could keep the item and i'll take my money somewhere eleas. he then emails me to tell me if i do not change me neg. feedback that ebay would kick me off for having a fasle phone number. i never did change the neg. feedback and i hope the seller rots in hell. i have now been told by my older bother of a site where i can get stuff for my laptop at a good price(newegg)

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99% positive experience w/EBAY and 1 crook
Apr 5, 2005 7:44AM PDT

I have made nearly 100 purchases on EBAY in six years and I have found it to be a satisfying experience.

One of my earliest transactions went completely sour when I was the sole bidder on an item until the wee hours of the morning when another bidder cautiously bumped me up several times. I had entered a large maximum bid because the auction ended at 3am and I really wanted it. Something made me suspicious and I checked the feed back of both the seller and the bidder who had run my bid up. Sure enough, they had both been bidding on each other's items and leaving a lot of feed-back for each other. Further investigation showed that they lived in the same city (in fact, at the same address). I had been willing to go through with the purchase anyway, but after a week of no response from the seller followed by the item I had won being put up again for bid, I reported them to EBAY. Sure enough, EBAY determined that they were shilling for each other and suspended them permanently. My one disappointment was that they posted a scathing negative feed-back on me for reporting them. It was converted from negative to neutral when they were suspended by EBAY, but it was several years before EBAY decided it was more appropriate to just eliminate their feed-back altogether. So far, that is my only complaint.

Ever since that experience, I scrutinize the feed-back very carefully, looking for odd patterns.

There are a lot of honest people using EBAY and it is wonderful when two honest people connect with each other and make a transaction. Just remember to be thorough and cautious.

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Feedback - very subjective
Apr 5, 2005 7:57AM PDT

I am a buyer and seller on eBay. Interestingly, I ship all my packages in NEW protective mailers and use Paypals shipping tool to create labels with tracking #s and delivery confirmation, I also ship within 1 business day and offer insurance on everything I sell. I pay within minutes - if not hours of winning items online. I leave positive feedback if I get positive feedback -- that is a lesson I have learned!!! I used to leave feedback immediately for prompt payment. Now I don't. I wait for feedback from buyers. I also "live" in email and respond within a few hours -- not days. I have gotten complaints regarding damage in shipment (USPS damage), complaints regarding not receiving shipments when the USPS shows delivery... and the customer has the tracking info available to them 24 hours a day through eBay. I will tell you overall, I have not had too bad of an experience - except for the people who don't see that there is a middleman in the delivery of goods... If it leaves my hands packed with care and arrives torn up - I am not the bad guy... but it is amazing how many people think the seller should be responsible for the USPS handling. If I get one more complaint - insurance will NOT be optional with my bidders..... That and all buyers must be verified. That way Paypal will cover any fraudulent buyer transactions...