posted on August 12, 2001 10:40:24 PM
I have to admit i have on occasion e-mailed sellers just to comment on something flagrantly wrong in their listing.
I don't do it to be mean, just to point out how misguided or misinformed they may be, so that they may (and some do) update the listing with the new info.
If a seller lists something as "MINT" and I can clearly see flaws in the pic, I will tell them what "mint" actually means. If they are selling something for many times the going rate, I almost am annoyed at their delusional presumption and will tell them to check closed auctions.
Yes, it is not really my business, and YES sellers can charge whatever they want, but I HATE STUPIDITY and LAZINESS, which is the reason many of these mistakes were made.
WHY did I ever start doing this? Probably after having been burned by one too many sellers who were too lazy to bother being ACCURATE, I started taking it upon myself to serve my fellow Ebay buyers and point this stuff out.
And yes, I have received thank you's....and a few F you's too.
posted on August 12, 2001 10:50:28 PM
I would never think of doing this. If you don't like a price hit the back button, that is the right of a seller to list the price they want. I might not agree with it, but it is none of my business.
Remember if you can see a flaw everyone else can. I don't know how I would react if I received an email like that but I would consider it either spam or auction interference. It seems like you needed an excuse to do this so now you get everyone on ebay into it by saying I have been taking it upon my self to serve my fellow ebay buyer. Are you saying we are blind and dumb. Don't take it personally, do what you have to do if it makes you happy. Just my opinion
posted on August 12, 2001 10:58:47 PM
When I see a seller starting dozens of auctions at $10.00, I'll email and tell them how they can save money by dropping the price by a penny. I don't think they mind.
posted on August 12, 2001 11:00:46 PM
Actually, I am not a troll, and am simply admiting doing something that IS NOT against Ebay's rules.
I "ask the seller a question". I just ASK them if they know that...blah, blah, blah.
I guess none of you have been burned due to seller laziness. Also, if it is so EVIL, why have some sellers THANKED ME for alerting them to market value????? They do a simple search of completed auction, then have a MUCH MORE REALISTIC idea of where to start bidding. Or perhaps you enjoy seeing people spend time and money fruitlessly relisting and relisting and relisting?
posted on August 13, 2001 05:01:02 AM
Well, SOME people don't mind emailing a seller. I woke up to 3 this morning because I had accidentally mislabeled an item. Some were very kind, some were a bit terse, but I pulled the auction and emailed each of them to thank them & tell them the auction had been pulled.
posted on August 13, 2001 05:26:16 AM
>If a seller lists something as "MINT" and I can clearly see flaws in the pic, I will tell them what "mint" actually means<
posted on August 13, 2001 06:18:49 AM
One seller for the last two auctions has been trying to sell two concert tickets - front row - to a particular concert for $500 a piece! It isn't someone actually all that popular (like Madonna or the Rolling Stones!), and I happen to be going to the same show and have front row seats also (altho I paid less than $80 for each thru
ticketmaster). I just HAD to email the seller
and ask him WHY he was selling them for that much when they weren't even worth it - and he replied he felt they WERE "worth" it. No bids on them. Looks like he'll be dropping his price soon since the show is only about 3.5 weeks away, or he'll have 2 extra tickets he won't know what to do with!
posted on August 13, 2001 06:23:27 AM
I seem to get mistakes in my auctions quite often especially when i'm dealing in something i know nothing about.
I appreciate emails with constructive critism. I put some records on last night and forgot to grade the discs..had an inquirey from japan asking the condition of the discs..i went up and revised the auction and thanked him or her for telling me.
I have put stuff in wrong catergories..once i put a rabbit figurine on stating it was in ex. shape and the flower he was holding was snapped off,clearly visible in the picture.
SO I APPRECIATE HELP.
posted on August 13, 2001 06:43:32 AM
You're not the person who emails me with "how much does this cost to mail" and nothing else, are you? No auction number, no zip code and not even a name. Jerk would be one of the nicer names I would call you. (thank goodness my computer can't relay verbal words yet)
posted on August 13, 2001 06:59:23 AM
I just had an email telling me I had incorrectly ID'd something, and I did appreciate it. Of course, what it actually is is not as valuable as what I thought it was
They actually sent me a page where I could test the item (I thought it was bakelite). I thought it was very nice of them to do it.
posted on August 13, 2001 08:38:27 AM
I only e-mail when I really think the seller could really use a head's up. Like in a way wrong catagory, or seriously mangled important detail. Otherwise, I figure to each their own. I do alter my auctions to include answers to questions I've been asked where I think it could help sell the item if everybody knew the answer.
I also e-mailed a seller who sold an identical book to one of my deadbeats. I figured the guy would deadbeat on him too, and he might want to file for his fees instead of possibly waiting.
Or, for all I know, the deadbeat paid for that book since it went marginally cheaper. (I did get him NARU'd though)
posted on August 13, 2001 03:35:49 PM
Sometimes emails from out of the blue can be a real heads up for me, and for them I am appreciative.
What I don't appreciate are the buyers who email me that they saw the same item at Target for $9 that I am selling for $14, and how dare I charge so much. I do reply that they found a bargain, since my cost is more than that, and they should snap it up.
I got an email back saying that Target was out of stock, but if I matched the Target price, I could have their business. I declined, citing ebays off-auction rules.
posted on August 13, 2001 04:03:11 PM
Only once, but I wasnt trying to be a jerk,
One lady was selling Lamarthe purses
For way to low price,
Not many people in the us are familiar with Didier Lamarthe, so I told her everything about the company and about their products,
I got a very nice thank you email
For all the info I got her.
(she didnt know she was "underselling "
But the Target one is a good one,
If she knew that Target had them for $9.00
Why did she claim they were out?
You can only see the prices if the items are in stock.
(I just decorated whole office with Taget stuff , so I know they dont leave descriptions and prices for empty shelves )
posted on August 13, 2001 04:32:39 PM
I received an e-mail several weeks back that simply stated, "get real!!!!!!"after his/her bid did not meet reserve. The item continued to receive other bids and sold for $250, well past the reserve. We've been selling in the same vintage category on eBay since May 1998 (same manufacturer on all items). In this case, we did know the item. Their purchase history showed they had never bid in this category before. My response was just to list their ID in my blocked bidder list (which I had never done before). They're bidding in that category now and when they learn more about it, it'll be too late to bid!
posted on August 14, 2001 03:03:16 AM
This is my first post, and I'm new at the whole eBay selling thing. I've bought on eBay for a few years, but never sold. I will be selling mostly collectibles bought at consignment auctions, estate sales, etc. I normally know no history or background on the items I sell. I do a lot of research on collectibles, but it's a daunting task to identify some items, and there are so many reproductions these days.
I will certainly appreciate when someone emails me from one of my auctions and informs me that I have made a mistake. I'll take any help I can get with my learning curve! Just as with everything in life, there will be people who will inform me nicely, and there will be those who aren't so nice about it. I'll take the good with the bad...I can use all the knowledge I can get.
