Running eBay is an awful, awful company thread

great story. so i guess you didn't tell him you were a lawyer before he sicced his "lawyer" onto you.

 

Yes, but I really didn't give a shit at that point. I was honest and fair in my negative comment. She was bitter in hers.

 

I actually was pretty reasonable. I didn't trust the guy when he first won the bid, so I asked if if he was sure and I kept in touch with two of the people who had made bids and e-mailed me during the bidding process. When the winning bidder e-mailed me the night before to "cancel", I was a little pissy, but I was more concerned about getting my money (I was leaving the next morning for the concert and had to act quickly). One of the runner ups immediately said that she was willing to go to the price of her last bid, so I agreed. All in all, I probably would have let it go, because I still made a ton on the ticket (I have no problem scalping and the transaction was legal), but the winning bidder and then his "lawyer" each threatened me. So I got mad. Sent the complaint and let the "lawyer" know that I used to work with one of the professors at his school (a bit of a stretch as we were in different offices and did different things), who might be interested to know that he was practicing law without a license. Check sent -- case closed. Negative feedback in both directions.

 

Yeah, sounds about right. That's why I don't leave feedback anymore, for anyone.

 

I've had nothing but good things happen to me on eBay.

When I buy my big-ticket items (>$500) ... I buy them off a message board I frequent. No eBay means less money lost in the process. And the prices are cheaper this way. Everyone is happy.

 

This is my pet peeve, too, trying to make an exhorbitant profit on the shipping when they posted the item too low. Set a realistic minimum, but don't gouge on the shipping. Especially when they don't list it.

I've had very few bad experiences on eBay in general. The only one that comes to mind was a baseball card dealer who advertised some rare 1950s cards as "uncreased." He shipped them in opaque holders you couldn't see through, and when I opened them, both had nasty top-to-bottom creases. I contacted him, sent them back, and the dick said he wouldn't refund my money because they had been opened. No shit.

Anyway, another buyer saw my negative feedback, told me the same thing had happened to him. We complained to eBay, and the seller has disappeared from view, or maybe has a new handle.

 

I've used eBay quite a bit (733) and I NEVER buy from any seller that doesn't list the shipping cost. You're just asking to get raped on the charges.

 

Next time you have an extra Bruce ticket - and you know you're going to have it a month or more before the show - contact the SportsJournalists.com Bruce fans. I'm sure one of us would take it off your hands to save you the eBay hassle

 

really now, awful? great, pioneering company changes the way the world does business, and the best beef you can come up with is retaliatory negatives? i'm coming up on 10,000 feedback, and short of the occasional 1-in-1,000 bad transaction, ebay's a godsend.

it's built on trust. think about the premise: you agree to send money to a stranger in another state, fully expecting that person to ship you something advertised as sold. would you go into a store you hadn't shopped in before and plunk down $20 for something and let the clerk say "hey, we'll get it out to you in the next few days"? it's what people on ebay do millions of times a day. yes, there are bad encounters, but ebay is sooooo far from awful. even if you got burned early, give the site -- and people in general -- a chance.

and yes, sellers who make their money on exorbitant shipping charges are the lowest form of scum.

 

I've filed negative feedback twice: Once from a guy on his first and only bid, who didn't pay (still has an ebay rating of -1) and another from someone in HK who took a month to ship a watch...
Several neutrals, and a couple of positives, with caveats....
I dont try to make money on the shipping and handling, but if I make my listing fee back I;m happy.
It doesnt always work smoothly. I underestimated the weight of a package I sold to a woman in England (distiller's autographed Jack Daniel's decanter with rocks glasses) and it wound up costing more than I charged her.. still made triple the initial cost of the items, but roasted myself on the shipping.

 

So you've met my ex-wife?