posted on October 13, 2000 12:54:56 PM
Seems to me like setting some ground rules is a good thing. That way, people know you mean business. And that's what this is, a business transaction.
I'm sick of "my kid bid without my knowledge" and "I found another cheaper so I won't be needing yours." Then go tell ebay of whatever site you are using and see how much they care.
You set up yourself for this to happen and presto-chango it does. Unless you practice some form of defense. It is just that simple.
posted on October 13, 2000 01:06:20 PM
I understand why some people would be put-off by his TOS, but I thought it was pretty funny myself. I wouldn't avoid bidding in his auctions.
He's letting the buyer know what to expect from him.... seems pretty fair.
I think he may have a dry sense of humor. I had to laugh, because the way he words his TOS, you can tell he's dealt with a lot of dummies.
And he's being up front about his charges (though I don't agree with the surcharges or overpriced shipping). At least no one can say he didn't warn 'em!
posted on October 13, 2000 01:06:21 PM
One of the most unappealing auctions I have ever seen. I would not bid on this man's auctions even if Hell went cryogenic.
posted on October 13, 2000 03:56:32 PM
Maybe I haven't made my point clear so I'll try again. I'm not trying to criticize the seller's ad so much as to point out how sellers are getting bent out of shape dealing with eBay customers. I know I am, which is why the ad struck me as interesting. In a way I admire the seller's chutzpah. So far, I haven't even added a "don't bid if you don't intend to pay" note, though I've had over 50 deadbeats in the past two weeks.
Maybe nobody else has had difficult customers. I don't know. This week, I got a note from a customer asking me "hey, where are the manuals? I can't use this software without the manuals." My ad plainly stated "new cdrom, license and registration card." No mention of manuals. The customer overbid on the item by a significant amount. (He outbid the second bidder by $150.) He can find a manual or how-to book on eBay for about $10. No matter how this turns out, someone will be unhappy.
(Notice that in the auction linked above, the seller states, "Everything included in the auction is Stated in the Auction, if it is not mentioned it is not included." A disclaimer I could have used this week.)
I note many responses, even approval, of the auction. I wonder if those responses are coming from other sellers, or regular bidders. I still think the ad is adversarial though I can understand where the seller is coming from. The seller is offering a super deal on a great software game, and I pity him for having to deal with moronic customers who can't read plain English or complain about shipping fees that are plainly stated in the ad.
eBay is totally geared toward the buyer's convenience. I recently got a complaint regarding an item I sold over two months ago. The customer complained, "item defective, seller refused refund." In fact, the customer never even contacted me bout the problem. If he had, I would have either replaced the item or refunded his money. Why does eBay let buyers get away with this kind of crap?
posted on October 13, 2000 04:11:05 PM
Here is an email I just got from a bidder:
"I feel like a total idiot but my daughter already has this doll. Would I be a bad ebayer if I cancelled?"
Answer: Read my TOS. And be the judge if you are a good or bad ebayer. What a crock.
posted on October 13, 2000 06:03:24 PM
Again, I did not find this guys ad to be off putting. I am a buyer and a seller.
While I don't agree with the guys terms (of course, were I getting a good deal on the item I might go ahead and pay the 'handling' charge) they are stated clearly and, to my eye, are in no way negitive.
I can understand why Twinsoft might think that people were not aware that SOME sellers are getting 'bent out of shape' with ebay buyers. It isn't like we get THAT point of view around here. Uh-huh.
posted on October 13, 2000 07:19:44 PM
Well I dont think this guys TOS put many buyers off I noticed tonight this auction has 9 bids and over 2 days to go yet.
I Have had my share of these types of buyer over my last year selling mainly on yahoo.
I dont use these long TOS statements in my auctions no more at all I have a me or an about me page on all sites where I sell and on my website and if a bidder checks there they will read about me and will also find some TOS for my sales.
I find buyers who complain after the sale about the item but mostly about the shipping Annoying. I state in my auction clearly what the item is and have a picture in my add I state what I will charge for shipping if the buyer takes time to write I will dicker over shipping or ship 3rd class instead of priority I some times even cut shipping to the point where I end up shareing the shipping cost to please a buyer, A buyer that cant be bothered to write and ask I just go based on the terms I set in the auction when I listed.
when you go to the store to find out something about a Item or to buy it if you cant be bothered to ask a salesmen you may never find or get what you want, and you may end up buying many unwanted or unintended items before you do get what you want.
you may even end up paying trucking charges on some of them thing only to find what you really wanted could be carried home in your shirt pocket.
posted on October 13, 2000 08:57:24 PM
I'm 70% bidder.
I tell you it is a drag-o-rooni trying to get shipping sorted out prior to the auction if a seller plays coy. Nothing makes me "happier" than paying $3.20 for non-priority items.
I'm getting to the point where I am quizzing sellers over priority or not.
Then there are the $7 and $8 handling charges for for poorly packaged items that I pray made it in time. I love getting scrunched up stuff with three fist sized wads of newspaper and the item bonking around inside.
I would rather bid on a seller's item who took the time to think about what he was doing with shipping.
The sacrafice is the "other" seller...you know doesn't really know the value, not researching or listing well enough to see the competition getting 4 times the money for the same item. So I can take the large quantities of email to get it right...part finagle, part cajole, part imply...never threaten etc.
anyhow that's me
Capriole
only here
edited to add...spelling and syntax took a holiday here...blarg.
[ edited by Capriole on Oct 13, 2000 11:31 PM ]
posted on October 13, 2000 10:25:58 PM
The problem as I see it is that on one hand you have eBay promoting its lovey-dovey trading "community" and on the other hand you have people selling for a living. These sellers are every bit as jaded, hardened and callous as a corporation. People expect to be shat upon by corporations. We are unsurprised by ".99" pricing, rebate gimmicks, profit-taking in the shipping and handling, lies of omission, getting screwed in the fine print and anything else that a merchant can get away with. People do not expect this sort of treatment when they visit "your person-to-person trading community" or whatever eBay is calling itself these days. This is a collision of grim reality and eBay's kinder and gentler roots.
I often hate dealing with professional sellers, because I know that I'm just a perambulating sack of money to them, my lumpen humanity an unfortunate byproduct of the money, much as mottling and stench are the byproduct of a good cheese. For the kinds of things I visit eBay looking for, I'd much rather deal with a person who does something besides auctions for a living, someone who is just looking for good home for their old books, ceramic frogs or whatever. It's much better to deal one-to-one with someone who isn't looking to peel me for every nickel they can get because selling is life or death to them.
As for the auction that started this thread, yep, that's exactly the kind of seller I prefer to avoid. The seller might as well have said "Conform to my way of doing things, because doing things the right way is hard. If you disagree with me, you suck. -Pete"
[ edited by harkabeeparolyn on Oct 13, 2000 10:30 PM ]
