posted on January 23, 2005 04:20:53 PM new
ebayvet: I have an even better answer for him. "No way, no how, no chance do I ship to Singapore. Ever."
Right up there with Indonesia and Romania in the fraud department as far as I'm concerned.
--------------------------------------
Replay Media - The best source for board games, card games and miniatures on the web! http://www.replaymedia.com
posted on January 23, 2005 07:47:31 PM new
I don’t have the time now to keep up with my e-mail, I certainly am not going to play the haggle game. Seems many buyers think the item they are interested in, is the only item you are selling, and write endless stupid e-mails – either that or there are a ton of very lonely people on eBay who have no one to talk to and want to interact via e-mail, endlessly with sellers.
I have “pat” responses, questions, and responses already, which I keep stored in my draft file of Outlook Express. I’ll just create another “blanket response” for those who think all sellers want to play the “haggle” game.
I get some of those types of e-mails now from time to time, but not enough to have had to create a standard “blanket” response, but I’ll be doing that.
I agree, if you want to haggle, go to the flea market.
~"It does not matter what I think, it does not matter what you think. The only thing which matters is: What is the TRUTH!"~
posted on January 23, 2005 08:26:54 PM new
Jwpc...Wanna drive 'em crazy? Get a few canned replys and take a lesson from Ebay. When they want to offer you 50% of what you are asking, respond with " We only have this item in red, green and blue. Thank you for inquiring and have a nice Ebay day". Or when they try to chisel you down on shipping, tell them "Thank you for your suggestion, we will refer it to the engineering department right away.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on January 23, 2005 10:01:12 PM new
I received a "low ball" offer tonight.
I had a book listed, in the auction format,
with a reserve of $100.00. Thirty minutes
before the auction ended, the "high bidder," whose bid was about $15.50, e-mailed me
and said, ".....I was reading eBay guidlines
and noticed that sellers have the right to accept an offer and end a listing early if they choose.......would you accept $20.00
for the book?....." Sheesh. This book goes for $150.00 and up on the book seller's site, ABE. I didn't see the "Ask a Seller Question" until after the action ended,
"Reserve Not Met." So, it seems the haggling is starting already, and NOT just
for fixed price items.
posted on January 23, 2005 10:30:54 PM new
If you will look at the first posts to this thread, you'll see that was one of my major concerns. What is intended for FP only will sweep the regular auctions. It they can't bother to read the descriptions and TOS, why should anyone think they will read the Ebay rules?
Anyone want to venture a guess as to what percentage of these "best offer" situations leads to an off site transaction? I can't for the life of me see how Ebay thinks they can make money off of this scheme.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
posted on January 24, 2005 10:10:14 AM new
This has got to be one of the worst anti-seller features eBay has developed to date! I can't begin to imagine how much extra hassle this will cause.
Sparkz... as for how eBay's going to make money off of this... well, it's simple. This is a thinly disguised ploy to increase revenue by having sellers utilze higher listing fees. Notice that no where does it say that eBay will apply a partial refund to your listing fees if you sell your item for less! For example... if you list an item at 15 dollars and then accept a best offer for $8.00, you'll still pay eBay a $0.60 listing fee instead of the $0.35 listing fee you would have paid if you'd started the item at $8.00 to begin with!! As other people have mentioned... since bidders are now going to EXPECT you to haggle on your prices, you may need to raise your starting bids to give yourself some negotiating room. As a result... more $$$$ for eBay from listing fees. I can't think of any way to describe it expect for as an evil ploy to enrich eBay executives.
I certainly won't be using the feature, but am also not looking forward to the extra work eBay is going to create for me as a result of this.
posted on January 24, 2005 02:47:16 PM newsparkz I LOVE your suggestion of canned responses, such as one gets from eBay, which absolutely have no relationship to what the buyer is asking. Love it, love it.
We sell some "fantasy" items, like lets say a "King Arthur" Sword. We will get buyers writing asking, if this is actually "King Arthur's Sword!" Or on magic items, they'll write and ask if a wizard will actually appear!!! I am going to start using eBay type replys on these nuts - great idea - Thanks!
~"It does not matter what I think, it does not matter what you think. The only thing which matters is: What is the TRUTH!"~
posted on January 24, 2005 09:11:07 PM new
Eauction,
I suspect your assessment is exactly what Ebay had in mind when they dreamed this up. My point however, is that when the negotiating begins, and the buyer and seller become aware of each other's email address, it can easily move off Ebay for conclusion which will result in an ended auction, a completed transaction and no FVF to Ebay. I suspect any seller and buyer who would participate in this hairbrained scheme, would be sleezy enough to jump at the chance to do an off site deal. I am just wondering how Ebay plans to prevent this type of scenario to minimize their loss of FVF? Do they have a plan that they have not announced yet? Seems to me there is the potential for them to fleece us through the back door while the big bucks walk out the front door.
A $75.00 solid state device will always blow first to protect a 25 cent fuse ~ Murphy's Law
