Ebay..Where Do You Stand?

Ebay..Where Do YOU Stand?

  • I am a seller, and dang proud of it!

    Votes: 66 11.7%
  • I sell, but hide my shame from fellow AKr's

    Votes: 16 2.8%
  • Occasional seller

    Votes: 126 22.3%
  • I don't sell, but I buy way too much

    Votes: 92 16.3%
  • Occasional buyer

    Votes: 216 38.2%
  • I want to B*tch Slap epay! Ruined the hobby!

    Votes: 49 8.7%

  • Total voters
    565
I keep telling my wife I'm going to learn to sell some stuff on it to reduce the collection; now I can tell her with the changes, it is not worth it.
 
I've had over 1,000 transactions on Ebay as a buyer and only a few have gone bad and that was for very poorly packed audio equipment. I had a BIC 980 that actually arrived in pieces due to that stupid popcorn packing and the seller not knowing to take off the platter and counterweight. It's a shame because it looked like it would have been a nice one. I've also received the so called Mint product that actually looked like someone took a crap on it. I just sold my first product on it and was actually sweating it out because they were concert tickets and they guy paid with paypal e-check which takes awhile to clear and the concert was over by the time it cleared. The buyer had a feedback of "1" but he was in Raleigh and if it had actually bounced he would have definitely been paid a visit by yours truly. I was thinking of selling my Nitty Gritty Record Master RCM on it but that selling stuff was too nerve wracking so I don't think I'll ever be doing that again. :no:
 
I dislike it. Of the few things I have bought on there (the most recent several years ago), too high a percentage have arrived either not as described or damaged from poor packing. Also, there is too much of the "I don't have a way of testing it" mentality, when they know good and well the thing just doesn't work. I also hate how the high bids on some exceptional items have made people think that their everyday item should be nearly as valuable due to some vague association. For example, some seller sees a beautifully-restored, early Zenith Trans-Oceanic go for big money. The next week, he gets a '70s made-in-Taiwan Zenith portable radio and promptly puts it on his swap-meet table for $70. Well, it's a Zenith, right? Or the guy that sees the '68 Dodge hemi-powered Coronet go for many tens of thousands, and quickly tries to sell his slant-six model for $20,000. See what I mean?
 
.......But people are crummy.

The concept of Ebay is a good one...needless to say. However, the one variable that over-shadows that is how crummy people can be. For instance, a Seller shipping Electronics (no less) and packages it in such a way that insures damage. Ebay allows Sellers to charge a certain amount for shipping, and supposedly, the figure quoted is one gotten directly from an established Shipper. The Sellers will then attempt to package items themselves to make a little extra on the deal and ship thru the Postal Service...what a shame!!!
If I win an item (this true especially if it is Electronics), I don't want the merchandise damaged in transit.

It's experiences like this that make buyers give Ebay a thumbs down. :thumbsdn:
 
I have purchased way more than I have sold mostly swapping camera lenses,all the stereo gear I have purchased I still have. And yes you do have to watch out for as*hole`s, and thieves they`re out there and they SU**!!! They should be banned from ever selling on e-pay after 3 or more complaints!!
 
Both Occasional seller & Buyer though buy more than I sell such as speakers dvd & blu rays are my main thing I get or cameras. Been using ebay more as amazon uk seems to have gone up a lot more if not using prime.
Just this weekend I sold our old pool table on ebay.
 
The funny part about this thread is someone in 2008 commented on it already being a necro-thread.... once more IT'S BAAAAAAAACK for 2016!
 
I treat eBay as a second-hand source, no matter if sellers try to position themselves as new retail merchants.
 
I buy and sell on eBay. I don't sell audio stuff though. Mostly vintage clothing, books, art, and whatever else I can flip for a good margin. I don't sell a ton, but it payed for Christmas this year, and it's helping to expand my record collection!
Books are a good seller, but some of the books I thought would sell quick, have been sitting for months.
I also have noticed that sales come in waves. I might have 3 days in a row with at least one sale per day. Then a week will pass and another 3 day run will start. It is not the same days of the week either...
I have never had a negative feedback. I take lots of photos, and make sure to describe each item honestly. If there is a defect, no matter how small, I make sure to take photos of it and make note in the description.

There are alot of honest sellers out there. Make sure to read their feedback before purchasing.
 
Although I have only bought about 60 times in 15 years, my best two used LP's have come from the Bay at reasonable prices. Bought a Dual 1219 about 12 years ago that arrived in 78 pieces. I was so bad I counted the pieces. Needless to say Paypal took care of me, and just used a dustpan to put the pieces back in the box and he had to pay the return shipping as well. On the other hand a Technics SL-25L arrived in perfect condition. But my absolute worst e-bay purchase was a Swiss Army Knife that arrived with dried blood on it. :eek:
 
I voted for "Seller and proud" but I buy way more than I sell at this point, which was not an option. I have no problem buying or selling on EBay. In fact, I prefer it as I am into vintage and used gear and really can't afford the prices on most new gear at this point. I like being able to find deals and assembling a system. I also have bought a lot of music, particularly vinyl on there as well. I sell whenever I feel the need to sell, which hasn't been much at this point as I am quite content with my gear right now. I sell a lot of non stereo or music-related stuff, which constitutes the majority of my EBay selling.
 
1200 transactions... 100% positive. What I sell funds what I buy. I doubt that I have more that $500 of my own money in my audio hoard...
I've ran into parts thieves, part swappers then returners, returners of different items, people who say that what I sent them was completely different ( and worth much less) than what the sale was for, folks who have no clue what to do with the equipment and break it, and those who sell absolute lies. The ratio of ebay sales to CL and other sites is about 30 to 1. I wish another serious site who emulate and compete with ebay...
 
I have sold some items on ebay, without any problem. I buy a lot of stuff through ebay and only had one damaged item, bench power supply. I notified the seller and he refunded me the price of a pair of 6V6 tubes, that were broken. The unit works fine with a dented chassis. :thumbsup:
 
I sold a SAE 2400 amp that really was in mint condition for just shy of $400. The buyer filed a not as described claim and stated it looked like it was drug behind a truck. Ebay never released his funds to me and I had to pay for shipping both ways. What I got back indeed looked like it was pulled behind a truck, was missing most of the internals and definitely was not the pristine amp I sold him.

An almost identical scam happened to me less than a year later, again, with ebay completely taking the side of the thief. That's when I stopped selling anything on ebay.
 
I sold a SAE 2400 amp that really was in mint condition for just shy of $400. The buyer filed a not as described claim and stated it looked like it was drug behind a truck. Ebay never released his funds to me and I had to pay for shipping both ways. What I got back indeed looked like it was pulled behind a truck, was missing most of the internals and definitely was not the pristine amp I sold him.

An almost identical scam happened to me less than a year later, again, with ebay completely taking the side of the thief. That's when I stopped selling anything on ebay.

I totally understand... I have a stamp that I had made (bought off of Ebay) that I use to stamp the internals (Trannys, can caps, etc) with UV ink. I take pictures of the unit under a black light. When a sale is complete, and they have paid, I send them this:


"To protect myself against parts thieves, switch-a-roos and other evildoers I have a documented library of photos of this unit. The photos are of the inside consisting of a customized stamp of invisible ink that can only be seen under a UV light. I also have an inventory of the part numbers, serial numbers, and other identifying numbers that are specific to this unit. I have taken many pictures during the packaging process to further document the painstaking packing process that I endeavor into, this unit will NOT be damaged during shipping.

If any of this info leads you to not want this unit, I will refund you immediately 100% of your purchase price, please notify me within 24 hours. "

Regards,
 
eBay didn't ruin the hobby, people just buying and selling with no knowledge or interest in the hobby did. Craigslist is littered with finds that people make at Thrift Stores and Goodwills. They look up the value on their phones and know they can make a quick buck. It happened to me only yesterday, I called up about a set of speakers, the guy proceeded to tell me the tweeters alone were worth his asking price. The fact that the four woofers all needed refoaming, which would cost $30 if you had them done by a speaker repair place. They will probably end up parted out and the cabinets trashed.

eBay is a very useful buying and selling tool. As a buyer, there is more chance of me finding something I want on there that here on Barter Town. As a seller, I can reach more customers than on here, plus, people seem more willing to pay the market value.

Nuff said.

Lee.
 
eBay didn't ruin the hobby, people just buying and selling with no knowledge or interest in the hobby did. Craigslist is littered with finds that people make at Thrift Stores and Goodwills. They look up the value on their phones and know they can make a quick buck. It happened to me only yesterday, I called up about a set of speakers, the guy proceeded to tell me the tweeters alone were worth his asking price. The fact that the four woofers all needed refoaming, which would cost $30 if you had them done by a speaker repair place. They will probably end up parted out and the cabinets trashed.

eBay is a very useful buying and selling tool. As a buyer, there is more chance of me finding something I want on there that here on Barter Town. As a seller, I can reach more customers than on here, plus, people seem more willing to pay the market value.

Nuff said.

Lee.

I love the term " Market Value" ... Thanks to Ebay, market value is no longer geographically contingent. I think ebay is a huge proponent of just what market value is. In the big picture, ebay is very much responsible for hobby's recent (last 10 years) influx. But my small picture wants a real competitor to help alleviate the fee situation.
 
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