fleabay screwing its users again.

[justanolddigger]

ORIGINAL: privvydigger

I ship USPS and have never had a problem...However you can usually drop my packages off a ten story building and they would be fine. The incident of which your showing would be covered cleary at any post office. I would have opened it there at the post office. eBay is eBay still the best place til something else comes along. eBay changes everyday everyday something moves or switches.

I agree with you 100%. Ebay is still the absolute best venue out there. Is it as good or fun as it once was?? NO! Has it gone downhill?? YES! Are they greedy?? YES! Is there much I can do about it?? Most of their rules have come about because of crooked sellers(forcing paypal, hidden identities, insurance options, just to name a few). It does hurt a lot of honest people, but that happens in life everyday.
I can go to antique shops in my area for years and will never see a few good bottles, and yet I manage to pick one up on ebay at least once a week. My collection has grown tenfold in the last five years simply by buying and selling on ebay. I have met some great people on there, a few are on this sight. One great guy that comes to the top of my head is Mike Malanowski, a super dealer from New York, but there are many others also. I have met some crooks, but have learned for the most part how to avoid them, or how much to gamble with sellers I don't know.
I do not like how they rammed paypal down our throats, but overall paypal works very well for me. I hate having to make a special trip to the post office and then the extra time it takes for the seller to receive payment. I also have had successful claims from bad dealers, I put a lot of trust in their system.
I have also noticed a lot of new members both buying and selling lately. The number of bottles available is up a lot from about 4 months ago, and I have seen a resurgence in prices over the last few months on the middle range bottles. I have learned you cannot buy and sell low dollar stuff, there is no way you can make up for selling fees and paypal fees as a seller, and as a buyer, you cannot overcome the postage costs that are added to a low dollar bottle, I usually buy and sell those at shows.
Lastly, I learned a very hard lesson on insurance with UPS, they will not cover a damaged glass item, no way, no how. The USPS may be slow and difficult, but you can almost always get your money back...
Bill

 

[morbious_fod]

ORIGINAL: Miles

Because it's become so one-sided in the way of the buyer now. For instance now that you don't have the option to add insurance people that don't buy it can easily be chargebacked by buyers that have received their item, will be getting discounted shipping if the sellers do insure the product, and on top of that, can only be left positive feedback if they do something unscrupulous.

Yet again, how is any of that the fault of the buyer? They didn't make the stupid rules that are causing the problems, ebay and paypal have done that. And unscrupulous actions have come from both sides of the issue on ebay over the years, but you have to admit there are still honest people on ebay. I myself have eaten damaged items from a few sellers mainly because the cost on my time trying to deal with the red tape to get re-embersed was not worth what I was losing on the damaged item. Even then I didn't leave negitive feedback unless I could prove that the seller was at fault for the damage, in other words I don't think I have ever left negative feedback, I have left neutral feedback in cases like that. I realize that I am in the minority; however, I don't think that all buyers are out there just waiting to screw someone, even though it happens, just like I don't think all sellers are out to screw someone, and I know sellers personally who do just that.

Ebay makes the rules not buyers, let's not tear out each other's throats when they are the real enemy.

 

[milkglassbottles]

OK Mr. Lee, let me bring you up to speed. I haven't been a member of this site for very long, hence I have been pretty PC about everything...up until now that is.

First and foremost I am of the opinion that greed is good as it makes people competitive and hopefully perform to a higher standard. Everyone is entitled to a fair and equitable profit, even eBay. They have the right to charge whatever they want to and we have the right to list or not to list. Now, define 'fair and equitable'? I can't or just plain don't know how to without opening the door which would lead the way to placing caps on revenue and income...very un-American.

Back to the bone pickers and I can't believe you don't know what I am talking about. What I referenced and take vehement exception to, are the likes of the tuna fish coupon clipping, flea market bargain hunter mentality types that crawl out from under the rocks. What irks me EVEN MORE are the sellers that list an item with the description like this one; RARE ANTIQUE c1850 GLASS PICKLE / MILK BOTTLE. I have no idea what it is but I am sure it's rare! Oh yeah, let's not forget the eBayer that is playing an integral role in ruining bottles one by one, milk glass and clear alike. He tells the story of how he placed one on the roof of his garage for 20 years and it turned a lovely shade of purple. Subsequently he has figured out how to speed up the process. I mailed him once to register an objection to the ruination of history so now he states that he does it only to "common bottles". I'm on a roll here!

In closing, the economy isn't helping the sellers on eBay and again the only ones to profit on eBay, besides eBay are the buyers that still have the staying power to continue buying while many others just can't. That's my opinion and I am sticking to it!

By the way, I have a relatively scarce embossed milk glass barrel on ebay. In keeping with my post why don't you shoot me an offer of 15 or 20 bucks for it? Might as well, EVERYONE ELSE DID!

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=260476845042&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

 

[GuntherHess]

...I will be liquidating my out of category and duplicate bottles. These will probably include aqua pontiled medicines...

Sorry I'm waiting on the pontil marked medicines[]

 

[justanolddigger]

milkglassbottles, Do you really think the conduct you are talking about is limited to ebay?? Is it an "ebayer" who is ruining bottles or just another greedy collector in general. The "person" you are describing is in all walks of life, antique shops, bottle shows, Bottle ads in the magazines, flea markets, and so on. Do you trash all those venues also??

 

[milkglassbottles]

Sorry, I used them for skeet practice instead, it was cheaper than clay pigeons. The last one I sold that was profitable was the H. Lakes. I will revise my intro. Thanx, Gary

 

[milkglassbottles]

No, at the risk of sounding mean spirited I think the world is full of people like that, rhymes with Matt...coincidence? It's a sad commentary but true.

I am an equal opportunity offender, call it like I see it. Gary

 

[milkglassbottles]

By the way, I am ending the auction for the Whiskey bottle Monday night. I know everyone has been really busy (why else wouldn't you have bid?) but there's still time to do something nice and show your appreciation for the site. Place a bid, I already have one of these and I would prefer not to have to bid on my own bottle. Gary

 

[morbious_fod]

ORIGINAL: milkglassbottles

OK Mr. Lee, let me bring you up to speed. I haven't been a member of this site for very long, hence I have been pretty PC about everything...up until now that is.

First and foremost I am of the opinion that greed is good as it makes people competitive and hopefully perform to a higher standard. Everyone is entitled to a fair and equitable profit, even eBay. They have the right to charge whatever they want to and we have the right to list or not to list. Now, define 'fair and equitable'? I can't or just plain don't know how to without opening the door which would lead the way to placing caps on revenue and income...very un-American.

Back to the bone pickers and I can't believe you don't know what I am talking about. What I referenced and take vehement exception to, are the likes of the tuna fish coupon clipping, flea market bargain hunter mentality types that crawl out from under the rocks. What irks me EVEN MORE are the sellers that list an item with the description like this one; RARE ANTIQUE c1850 GLASS PICKLE / MILK BOTTLE. I have no idea what it is but I am sure it's rare! Oh yeah, let's not forget the eBayer that is playing an integral role in ruining bottles one by one, milk glass and clear alike. He tells the story of how he placed one on the roof of his garage for 20 years and it turned a lovely shade of purple. Subsequently he has figured out how to speed up the process. I mailed him once to register an objection to the ruination of history so now he states that he does it only to "common bottles". I'm on a roll here!

In closing, the economy isn't helping the sellers on eBay and again the only ones to profit on eBay, besides eBay are the buyers that still have the staying power to continue buying while many others just can't. That's my opinion and I am sticking to it!

By the way, I have a relatively scarce embossed milk glass barrel on ebay. In keeping with my post why don't you shoot me an offer of 15 or 20 bucks for it? Might as well, EVERYONE ELSE DID!

I'm sorry but it sounds like you are of the type of seller who thinks that he must get a certain price for his item, and if anyone tries to bargain with him then he takes offense. Wanna know the funny thing, since I don't collect milk glass or am anywhere near interested in the barrel you have up for sale, I wouldn't offer you five bucks for that barrel. Just not my thing, one would be thinking that you would be glad that anyone was interested in what you had for sale, they just offered you 15 and 20 bucks for that piece, it's not like ebay, or anyone else for that matter, is holding a gun to your head saying that you have to take that price.

People want a deal, and yes they will try to get an item for as cheap as possible, that's human nature. I'm sure that if you found that same piece in the wild or even on ebay for 15 or 20 bucks you would simply walk away because it's less than what it's worth right? Of course not that would be idiotic. All I can say is I'm sorry you aren't getting the price that you are wanting out of your item; however, that is the way that life works. I've been collecting various items for years and I can speak from experience that in most cases you will never get what an item is worth, because worth is relative to who wants the item.

As for the other two types of sellers, the "everything I own is rare" sellers, are good for a laugh but that's about it, and the "I love nuking bottles, and claiming they are natural" sellers, are sickeningly common in the real world and I'm not shocked that they are on ebay as well. You forgot about the reproduction specialists who make fake carded vintage star wars figures, or the morons who paint vinyl records gold, or the people who repaint damaged acls, or my personal favorite action figure scalpers. Yet again these are all unscrupulous sellers, your original post seemed to be calling buyers, who seemed to be the main target of your post and appeared to be referring to them as bone picking parasites. That's what I took exception to, being the buyer that I am. I am assuming now that you meant to be attacking these morons; however, when you don't make yourself clear you end up ticking off those who are honest. I don't buy to sell, and you can check my feedback to varify my verasity, morbiousfod is the name, so your thinking that everyone buying on ebay is doing so for profit is flawed.

As for those who are low balling to make a profit, that's the nature of capitolism, and as a seller you have to know that. Like I said before you don't have to sell your item, just keep hitting that no button on those low ball offers, keep your reserves where you want, and the free market will work it's magic. If they don't sell then don't blame buyers for your not selling an item, you have the power to sell it or not. There's antique malls full of items that their respective sellers think are worth one thing and the customers ususally leave sitting because they don't share the same high opinion of the item or idea of value.

 

[justanolddigger]

Lee, you said it all very well!
Bill