posted on August 1, 2001 11:59:10 AM
Ok, being bored I searched ebay for .01 auctions and came upon a beauty of a description. It starts with.......
"400mb cd loaded with tons of information and programs!!!"
...and goes on in great length.
Probably one of the longest descriptions that I have ever encountered! No doubt way too much info on this CD....I can tell just from reading the auction description of it!
A great case for the 'strictly the facts' crowd to prove that too much is far worse than not enough.
Just wondering, are you more inclined to bid when 'enticed' by the description?
posted on August 1, 2001 12:43:06 PM
When sellers don't state the measurements of the item.
When seller only uses PM to ship, especially for very light weight items.
When seller doesn't state weight of item or what they're charging for s/h/i and they state they only ship PM. I know what it 'should' cost but won't email anymore to verify.
When pictures are fuzzy.
When auctions that state "Picture says it all" and seller doesn't take the time to describe condition.
posted on August 1, 2001 01:27:14 PM
Long, threatening, intimidating terms of sale. I understand sellers' frustrations, but I'm a responsible bidder and a quick payer, and I'm turned off when I'm chewed out in anticipation of my doing something I would never do.
As with Linda K, no measurements, fuzzy pictures, and no description other than "picture says it all." Some sellers give the impression of being lazy or in a hurry; I can think of no other reasons to omit critical details about an item up for auction. I don't need five paragraphs about any given item, but please tell me the height of a candlestick or the size of a ring. And if you know the item's age, that is also helpful to know.
Negative FB, depending on the amount, doesn't bother me. I always check it and it's usually easy to tell if it's retaliatory or otherwise unjustified. (Checking the FB of the person who left the neg is often a dead giveaway.)
posted on August 1, 2001 01:33:00 PM
I move on when the item has a reserve AND a "Buy it Now" price - and the BIN is far above what I would ever bid. I automatically assume the reserve price must be in the same ballpark.
Come to think of it, I pretty much avoid auctions with reserve prices altogether(depending on the item) - but then, I'm a small time buyer
posted on August 1, 2001 01:40:56 PM
No shipping cost info "Buyer to pay shipping costs".
Item condition not mentioned.
Payment choices not mentioned.
Seller has no feedback.
No photo on an item that really needs one.
Photo that takes forever to load (AOL photos take forever even with fast cable modem)
Recent negative feedbacks (track record)
posted on August 1, 2001 02:06:50 PM
yumacoot: you state When someone is going to hold my check forever, especially when I have high feedback, and have never bounced a check!
But how are sellers to know this? The 2 bounced checks that I've personally had came from buyers with feedback of 352 and 211! One has not yet made good. Just because YOU know you've never bounced a check, I (as a seller) do not know that.
posted on August 1, 2001 02:45:50 PM
Paintpower: you are correct! I made a stupid statement....
But, if I email you to let you know when my check has cleared the bank, and I dont hear from your for days and days, and my item arrives about three weeks later, it gets a little aggravating! How long does a check need to be "held?" aanyway? I guess I am an idiot for not holding them at all....but I have only had one bounce, and the seller notified me before my bank did, and made it good, so I guess I have been lucky. I understand waiting for the check to clear, but not for a month!
Comet Cursors that show cutesy flowers and such when the cursor moves;
Music;
Lack of description that is relevant, e.g., size, measurements, color (often pic color is very deceptive) and/or fabric content;
Poor quality pics especially those that are so fuzzy it is difficult to make out the item and/or those that have not been cropped and I get a view into someone's kitchen or closet;
TOS that goes on and on about how the Seller has been cheated in the past and SOOOOOO many rules!
Pictures that have been displayed sideways, upside down or close-ups that show me great photos of a label but not the garment;
Outlandish s/h/i fees complete with justifications and excuses as to why so high, e.g., Paypal raised its fees, ebay fees have gone up, cost of packaging, etc.
Sellers that state they will post negative feedback -- assuming the worst is not good!
I always back out of auctions where the Seller doesn't offer online payment options/acceptance.
posted on August 1, 2001 03:17:09 PM
It's the mega-CD. Illegal (copyright infringement) and fee avoidance to boot. I found the auction in about 15 seconds. I wonder about AW's new policy that apparently allows these easily-identifiable auctions to be posted here.
posted on August 1, 2001 04:20:42 PM
Most of the above bother me. But I always click off immediately when I see a power seller logo come up...it is not something I want to buy and gets in my way.
I will not buy from people who post in extra large type or hard to read text.
I like to see the shipping costs. And (someone above complained about priority mail being the only option) priority mail is often the cheapest shipping I can find.
I do not like to wade through a whole book of conditons for the sale. And will definetly not buy from someone who threatens in any way.
And it is so hot and humid hear, I feel like I am in a sauna.
posted on August 1, 2001 04:34:42 PM
I start most everything at .01 and have for awhile, not CD's. And not junk
Figure this is an auction, and I let the buyers decide. Its worked so far, with a few ending at .01 or .06 But I treat everyone the same, the same careful packing, ship same day I receive payment. I do only ship Priority Mail. I put exactly for each ad what the PM is. Most of the time it is $3.50, but it can be $3.95. There is absolutely no handling fees and I buy all the bubblewrap and peanuts, and that stuff adds up. Make 2 trips usually to the P.O everyday.
My pics are cropped and edited and do not take much time to load, my descriptions, tell size, weight and everything needed to know.
I have a few BIN in there, and have them at a price that, when I had them for auction, went for twice that, but I decided on the lower price (still making good on that) and it gets the BIN about every other day, one same item.
But everything else in .01. I rarely have CD's but have had new sealed videos and DVDs though
Oh and no music
ed: No power seller logo, and no long TOS, and definitly not threatening.
posted on August 1, 2001 04:35:51 PM
It's finally getting to me... When the spelling on the two line description is SO bad I have to try and decode the listing...I figure, if they don't care enough to bother to use a spell checker, the packing can only be worse.
posted on August 1, 2001 04:44:28 PM
ypayretail: don't overlook good sellers just because they don't take PayPal. I can't take PayPal; would LOVE to take PayPal but they won't let me? Don't penalize me because PayPal won't mail my check to a PO Box after I was a good customer of theirs for over a year. Not MY fault they changed this so I can no longer take PayPal.
Also, would you rather see fixed shipping fees than postage only? I don't include shipping in my auctions because I only charge what the post office charges me and I need the buyer's zip code to figure the costs. I would LOVE to go to a fixed shipping cost, but my buyers wouldn't stand for it!
posted on August 1, 2001 04:46:33 PM
"PayPal won't mail my check to a PO Box "
Don't mean to change the subject but why don't you have it deposited direct to your account? No charge and quicker.
posted on August 1, 2001 05:37:16 PM
I will not bid when:
The TOS makes me feel like a hated Mother-in-Law.Don't need the threats of what will happen if I don't put the stamp on the envelope right.
Music,strange looking wallpaper or an ad forty feet long.
If I'm buying a DVD,or video I'd like to know what the movie is about.If I'm buying music I'd like to know what songs are on it.
Buyer pays shipping means you charge what you want to charge.If you don't know shipping say whether you charge exact shipping and what you charge for handling and the weight of the item so I can get an idea before I bid.
posted on August 1, 2001 05:49:41 PM
I get really frustrated when so many of the sellers do not state hardbound or paperback!
Here's a typical description;
"Lady and The Tramp, good, PayPal, Visa, checks" ((and no photo!))
Wait, you skipped the part about the book! I need to know HB or PB (or softbound, if you insist), soil? writing? wear & tear? be specific! On many books it is vital to know the edition and the illustrator, the year of printing. That's not to much to ask!
(edited....is that better?)
[ edited by immykidsmom on Aug 1, 2001 10:32 PM ]
posted on August 1, 2001 05:56:13 PM
Oh sure. You see that one of a kind item you're dying to own, but you're going to let any of these little complaints stop you from bidding.
I doubt it.
But even if you do, there are others who'd love to have it and who won't let quibbles like "uses Priority Mail only" stop them from going after what they want.
posted on August 1, 2001 05:59:19 PM
The top 10 things that make me NOT bid:
1) People NOT listing the shipping charge in the auction ad.
I really don't have the time to email sellers through Ebay's clunky email system to find out what the shipping amount is going to be for an auction lot. I consider the shipping amount in the maximum amount I'm willing to pay. If it's not listed I move on.
I've tried emailing these people to ask about shipping charges and they often reply to the email a few days later, sometimes after the auction has ended. A lot of people reply with very rude emails and smart remarks. A lot of people list 'actual shipping charges in thier ads and then quote about double the actual postage. I don't mind paying shipping and handling as long as it's clearly stated up front in the auction ad and I can adjust my bid accordingly.
If people don't want to list a fixed shipping amount, they should at least list the weight of the auction lot and have a link to the USPS postage calculator. Then I could at least look it up myself.
I clicked out of a more than a dozen auctions that I would have bid on today because of this. And we're talking books here folks. Media mail goes by the pound - It's not that hard to put the amount in the auction ad.
2) ALL CAPS in the item description.
3) Sellers that make you use a "shopping cart" to pay for your item.
4) Sellers that do not accept online payments won't get my bids. Doesn't matter which service - Paypal, Billpoint, c2it, Paydirect - I use them all to receive payments and can send that way too. I like to pay quick and I expect to get my item sent quick.
5) Sellers who use UPS or Fedex only. My mail is sent to a P.O. Box. There is often no one home when UPS comes by. It's a real hassle for me to receive a UPS package. At least offer a post office option.
6) Ads with music and/or comet cursers get an immediate click on the x in the top right corner.
7) Any auction that says "sold as-is" will never get my bid. Most of these items are sold that way because they are junk.
posted on August 1, 2001 05:59:57 PM
Just an encouraging comment - we do not hold an item for a check to clear, and have NEVER had a check bounce. We have had only 8 deadbeats in 4 years of selling and 730 FB.
We don't buy on eBay, but we agree with all of you on things that are a turn-off in a description. Therefore we keep our listings free of annoyances, and full of what folks need to see. Works for us!
posted on August 1, 2001 06:16:53 PM
"ypayretail: don't overlook good sellers just because they don't take PayPal. I can't take PayPal; would LOVE to take PayPal but they won't let me? Don't penalize me because PayPal won't mail my check to a PO Box after I was a good customer of theirs for over a year. Not MY fault they changed this so I can no longer take PayPal.
Also, would you rather see fixed shipping fees than postage only? I don't include shipping in my auctions because I only charge what the post office charges me and I need the buyer's zip code to figure the costs. I would LOVE to go to a fixed shipping cost, but my buyers wouldn't stand for it!"
Unfortunately, with time constraints - PayPal is the only auctions we will bid on. Try having the money put automatically in your account.
As for shipping. Actual we will not bid b/cuz too many sellers then make it whatever they feel. We have charged $5.50 for priority with insurance and never had a complaint. We also offer $3.50 for 1st class with insurance. You may want to roll the fee into one and list it as you are probably missing bids solely b/cuz of that.
When the spelling on the two line description is SO bad I have to try and decode the listing...I figure, if they don't care enough to bother to use a spell checker, the packing can only be worse.