This is why ebay protects buyers.

[cowseatmaize]

My problems are with the monopoly that controls the venue and the money system.

You radical you! 60's rule!![][]

 

[bne74honda]

I've been rather fortunate with eBay as I've never got in a 'rattle' that wasn't ironed out well. However, having been on both ends of this rope I recognize the inequality between sellers and buyers. Sellers should absolutely be able to leave negative feedback where deserved - how else can we warn others?

I've been lucky enough to have a seller agree to allow my bid withdrawl even after I had won the auction. I've had packages arrive looking like they were stomped on - but only once did I receive something damaged.

Ebay's like anywhere else - there's good and bad. My method's certainly not foolproof but I rely on a couple of basic rules:

- I always check out a sellers Neg feedback. I found one recently that had only about 10 out of over 900 but they were all last month!

- I refuse to deal with (and get a good laugh from) these bozo's who make their $$ on the shipping. Oh here's a nice little item starting at 0.99 - cool! and it's so tiny.....what's this? $23.75 for shipping?!?

Most folks out there are good - unfortunately the bad ones tend to be pretty good at being bad!

Brian

 

[GuntherHess]

I am a product of the 60s... not sure how radical I am.

 

[blobbottlebob]

Hey Morb,
I had a very similar experience BUT I caught it before I paid. The shipping on one bottle was $9.99 - which I thought was way too high - but I adjusted my bid to reflect the overcharge. When he sent the invoice it was $17.95. I contacted the seller and he said (basically) 'That was then. This is now. It was more to ship it than I thought.' I told him that you can't change the shipping after the auction closes. He replied that he already did. I contacted ebay. The next day, I got a revised invoice for the original amount.

 

[NYCFlasks]

I have been on the bay for 12 years now, with the same name the entire time. I have had nearly all good transactions, yes, there have been the couple of bozos in there.........the one who sent me a doll, instead of my bottle..........the one who had all their packages confiscated by UPS (they were shipping old explosives containers) and my package was in there too (took a couple months, but it worked out in the end).
Then there have been the good ones, such as the recent seller in Colorado who REFUNDED me the excess postage, without me asking! The one who when I won the auction asked if I wanted all the other bottles like the one I won, for the same price (oh yea, killer locals.........)
Oh, and the best, the seller who spent 2.00 on postage to send me a .99 cent winning bid item (auction was postage paid). Do not know how they made money on that one, but it arrived in record time.........

 

[thetater]

- I refuse to deal with (and get a good laugh from) these bozo's who make their $$ on the shipping. Oh here's a nice little item starting at 0.99 - cool! and it's so tiny.....what's this? $23.75 for shipping?!?

^^^^^^ This, i'll come across something and see that it's really cheap and glance over to the shipping and it's astronomical. I ship stuff every week so I know very well that it shouldn't be that high../