posted on January 24, 2001 10:49:37 AM
I have given this matter a great deal of thought and have definitely come to the conclusion that it is time for eBay and me to take a break from each other for a while.
I have really come to the end of the road with this "venue" of online sales.
Many things have added up to the sum and total of this decision, among them:
-eBay's increasing accessability problems. (Or should I say non-accessability recurrences.)
-eBay's disregard for the small time seller and ever increasing features that lure buyers away from the average seller's listings.
-eBay's "Big Brother is Watching You" attitude. I feel like someone is standing over me with a big stick these days everytime I list something. Too many don'ts and too few do's. And way too many "dues!" The rewards just aren't there for me any more.
-Payment problems, including deadbeats, US buyers who insist on sending postal money orders that we can't cash, (I hope this doesn't sound petty, but after returning three of these the last week I have really become fed-up, especially since I state in bold letters in my winning bid message that I can't accept US postal money orders as we can't cash them here. We can accept International US postal MO's, but no one bothers to send these.)
-Increased hassles from irate buyers who have no patience with slow postal service, over which I have no control. I am at the end of my rope being hassled about "where's my package" when I offer the option of airmail and the buyer chooses surface - which I clearly tell them can take up to three weeks or more for delivery.
-Increased feedback worries. I pride myself on being a conscientious seller and try to provide the best possible service to each and every customer. I still get negged for such petty things as not responding immediately to email requests, returning a non-cashable postal money order, or for filing a Non Payment request.
-Too much junk! It used to be fun shopping on eBay. Now you have to search through pages and pages of duplicate listings by some sellers who are bulk-listing zillions of similar items one at a time rather than using dutch auctions.
-Postal problems & exorbitant shipping costs, etc. (which I realize have nothing to do with eBay.)
These little irritations have really taken their toll, so I am calling it quits for now. I intend to take a holiday, go back to doing some shows and I'm seriously looking into another, less frustrating business and/or hobby than online auctioning. It used to be fun, but the hawrse done died for me as far as eBay is concerned. Thanks for listening, I just needed to get this off my chest.
posted on January 24, 2001 11:21:35 AM
wedgewood: I empathize heartily with you, and frankly, I currently view most of the entire Internet as simply r=e=p=u=g=n=a=n=t.
Incidentally, I believe that it behooves each and every individual engaged in any manner, to any degree, in selling online ... to HONESTLY and RUTHLESSLY vow to not allow their lives to d-e-v-o-l-v-e in such manner that their homes become Digital Sweatshops, and they indeed are simply hardworking, poorly paid digitalpeons laboring away 24/7.
This is the responsibility of the Individual --- to NOT play into the new cyberslavery-work-at-home, all too often *con* - inotherwords, be careful and observe closely how your life is impacted by the lure of self-employment via online selling.
AND take action, when need be.
YOU and I do NOT need to be digitalpeons so that stockholders earn an extra penny on their shares.
posted on January 24, 2001 11:59:31 AM
Dear Wedgewood, about those WINDS OF CHANGE!
I hear you even above the HOWLING DIN!!
1. The buyers want us to start auctions lower.
2. The buyers don't want a reserve.
3. The buyers don't want to wait for checks to clear if they have 10 positive feedback's.
4. The buyers don't want you to charge even
a minimum handling fee. After all the boxes are free from the PO.
5. The buyers have a K-Mart mentality.
6. Buyers don't want to pay within 10 days, they have their own time frame.
7. As my sales and profits decline ebaY increases fees, functionality becomes unavailable on a regular basis and donwtime...well I don't remember the last time I actually had a 7 day auction.
So Mr/Ms customer if you are able to buy something from the Elegant Depression era from me for less than I paid for it, because I didn't put a reserve on it) how will I be able to afford to go out and find another wonderful something to offer?
You don't have to get in your car and travel miles to an Antique Mall or an auction and pay outrages prices for gas. You don't have to pay admission to a show. You don't have to walk acres of isles and not find what you were looking for at the price that you wanted. You don't have to go out in bad weather to chase down yard sales with very little the buying public would want. If what you buy gets broken the insurance will pay...on the other hand if I break what I buy too bad no repayment.
I've started my auctions really low and sold really low! I've gone without a reserve and sold rare items for less than 1/5 of what I sold them for with a reserve. I am religious in asking even demanding that payment
must be in hand within 10 days of the EOA("So what"..they take their time how about 15 days on average.) If you don't have the money or the time to mail it don't bid....cash flow is the name of the game this is after all an auction not a lay away plan!!
I get snide comments about "enjoy your life mistrusting people," this guy had 10 positives, I was shipping to a PO Box in PA and the check was drawn on a Florida Bank
with a PO address in Florida. I really need the grief. All my auctions state personal checks 7-10 days....if you can't read you shouldn't bid.
Another fine example the woman who took 25 days to pay after promising twice to mail immediately, she informs me if I took PAYPAL this wouldn't happen. Of course the auction stated we do not accept credit cards or Paypal!! (What a nerve I have, HuH?)
I charge between .50 and 1.00 handling depending on the amount of packing material I use to insure the item will make it safely to it's destination. Once I charged all of $2.50 because of the way the customer insisted an item be packed. We had to make up two boxes of a special size. Yeah folks, the boxes are free, but the bubble wrap, peanuts, shredded foam and clear tape sed to secure the wrapping are not. Neither is the gas to go get the supplies or go to the PO.
Now as to the K-Mart mentality.....one example out of 30 or 40 instances. Beautiful hand painted Limoges hair receiver...with gold trim, perfect condition and the most gorgeous painting you've ever seen. The
photos and description were right on. The high bid on my reserve auction got to $56. Reserve was $135. very reasonable. I get an email ....I bid $56 you going to sell it to me or not. ANSWER: NOT!!(You know I just can't order up another one of these for .50 from an offshore sweat shop!!)
Why do I keep doing this, well it isn't with excitement or inspiration, simply, I need the money and don't have the physical strength to do shows....as soon as the
inventory drops sufficiently I am outta here. There is no JOY in Mudville anymore.
Sorry, so much venting I'm all done in.
Zilvy..."I started out with nothing and I'm
going to wind up with even less!"
posted on January 24, 2001 12:05:11 PM
I agree also it is tiring and seems like an endless job. Fun at first - SURE - but after a few years its a rut. We started back doing shows that have furniture and good country stuff. Its nice to see things first hand. After all is that not where all our knowledge in the antique field started. As a collector I find no excitement on the auction sites. No fun in sniping. But Oh I do love the shows where you can sit and talk with your customers and learn from each other and see things up close. The internet is nice, but there is more in life then a computer screen.
posted on January 24, 2001 03:17:13 PM
An interesting post. I am feeling the same way about Ebay but have been reluctant to say so, as Ebay has been good to me in the past. It's good to know that others out there are feeling some of the same things.
Ebay used to be fun but with all the changes most of the fun has gone out of it for me. I have decided to sell on Old and Sold for the next few months. New site (for me, anyway) new seller ID, new warm fuzzies...kinda feels good after all is said and done. Business isn't as brisk there but its such a lovely site and has a great feeling of community - much like Ebay in the "olden" days. I enjoy it so much more, and Radh - I don't feel like such a cyber slave there as I now do on Ebay. You hit the nail on the head with that one, for sure.
posted on January 24, 2001 03:45:42 PM
I read a news article at Yahoo NEWS last night, maybe(?) originating from CNet, and they reported that a whole number of the liddle free auction sites are crashing, as they do not have the wherewithall to withstand all the hits from eBay'rs who are disgusted with fee increases.
The reporter also mentioned that it seemed that only SELLERS were at these other sites, sites having trouble dealing with the massive increase in traffic.
"Upset auction sellers are threatening to take their business elsewhere after the recent one-two punch of Yahoo Auctions charging fees and eBay raising their fees."
posted on January 24, 2001 04:54:29 PM
In Regards to Zilvy,s Post
I agree 100% with what you are saying! It boils down to More Supply than Demand = Wholsale!Let them whine till they drive the bulk of the collectible seller,s off! Then they can spend their gas and time searching for their items at full retail! It is not going to be a viable selling venue for ever!
I attend auction on a regular basis and see many items bring more money than the closing prices on Ebay!
posted on January 25, 2001 07:36:01 AM
Yeah, it's time for a vacation. Hopefully mine will start Feb. 1st! Back to the brick and mortar and the fleas. Sheesh, I don't have to do shows, a good flea will bring more than some of the beauties I've got if I put them on the Bay. Prices have dropped in half since last year on the good stuff. On the little stuff it just isn't feasible to sell it with the postage so high and then adding in all the other expenses.
Ebay has been good to me but it will also be good to deal with "real life" people again. Not to say I won't be here, but I won't be a computer clone anymore.
