So you want to sell and make big money on Ebay!

We at least respond to every resume we get except those that are obviously generic and are sent to every help wanted ad regardless what the ad says. When I find a prospective employee and interview him or her I delay making a decision for a few days just to see if the applicant has enough gumption to pick up their cell phone and follow up. Very few do. I like to hire those who follow up and actually show some interest beyond sending out resumes randomly.

Here is an update on the Horn ring.

The buyer did manage to return it in one piece.

I went right in and refunded the full amount 172.27 through pay pal, which refunded their fees of 4.25. Then I went into ebay to open a case to get a credit for the listing fees. A total of 25.84 They unfortunately informed me that the 30 day time period I had to cancel the transaction had ended so they were keeping the money. So I'm out shipping as well of 10.00 so not bad a loss of 35.84.

They now say they want sellers to offer 14 days return policy. A week or so to get their, sometimes a week or more for the buyer to pay and a week for return shipping, not to mention the 14 day time frame for the return means you time out of the time frame to get your fees back. Seems like someone in the ebay accounting department figured out how to not have to refund listing fees.

They have a sharp department. They also figured out that selling you shipping at a discount when they buy it at a greater discount makes them money, Charging you a percent of your shipping makes them extra money. Not too bad from a business standpoint.

With the talk of vocational schools you are all correct. I graduated in 1993 and they had already dismantled the Vo tech department. There were still tools their and an instructor who knew how to use them, but the only programs offered were introduction to Auto body and introduction to mechanics. I took both, just to be around cars. I struck up a good friendship with the instructor. We remain Friends to this day. He stops by my shop just to shoot the bull. He even helped me set up a Valve grinder I bought at an auction a couple of years ago and showed me how to use it when I did the Valve job on my Chrysler.

I know it bothered my Guidance counselor when I wanted to take shop classes as I was a High honors student. (I graduated top of my class)

I never attended college. Went to work at a local marina my senior year and worked their starting on the docks and working my up to the shop before I left to go to work for a Carpenter that was starting a new business. I worked their until I ended up running a crew for him, then went to work for Myself. My first Project was a 4,000 square foot camp. (Year round house)

I built an addition and a kitchen from scratch for the customer on their other camp then started into the old parts business when I realized I couldn't keep expanding, taking on large projects, without employees. As you know they are hard to find.

I liked the idea of working at my own pace and it was nice to get away from the crunch that came with building projects because of weather , materials or other factors that always seemed to hamper things.

I still like the parts business. I guess I just like old cars and this way I can do something with them or at least parts of them every day.

It's really a shame they Shove the College thing on kids so much. They pushed that stigma of trades even back then. Oh you have to go their? Now I wish I had and skipped the trigonometry classes and gone to the Votech program. I'm still trying to figure out why we needed to learn about imaginary numbers and where you will ever use such theories in real life. They should teach real courses like understanding interest rates and terms as well as budgeting. I don't have a problem with that, but from what I see, that would be a much more important real life course with actual application in the real world. Look how many kids going to college have those problems in their first year.

I had to dig this thread back up. I've had two real special transactions lately I wanted to share. Both resulting in negative feedback. I usually run 100 percent and selling over 3000 items a year that's pretty hard to do. You suck it up and take a bit of crap. Fortunately I have found most old car guys have been really great to deal with.

I have always taken care of my customers that have an issue with an item. If I have a replacement I'll send it if you let me know what's wrong in a polite manner or if it never arrives. If I don't have it I'll refund your money and the shipping cost. That's about all you can do.

Well a couple of weeks ago I sold an NOS ventilator lock assembly to a buyer for around 10.00 with 4.00 shipping. Tracking showed it arrived. He said it hadn't. I asked him to ask his postal carrier if he remembered delivering it as it's possible he placed it some place other than normal or maybe even delivered it to a neighbor. I even described the shipping box in detail to him. He would not ask his carrier about the package. I asked him three separate times to ask the carrier and let me know. Even telling him that I would refund his money if he just let me know what the carrier said, whether we found the item or not or even if the carrier didn't remember the package. The customer said what difference does it make? Well the item can only be marked delivered if it was physically scanned so it had to go somewhere.

The customer never asked for a replacement either just their money back. Even after Negative feedback and no cooperation from the buyer I issued a full refund.

The next one I just got hit with 2 days ago. Seems this customer bought a 41-48 ford Wizard brand coil new in the box from the 1960s? It had never been installed so I figured there was no reason to think it had any issues. it sold for 27.00? with probably 10.00 shipping to CA

Wrong assumption I guess. according to the buyer he resold it to a friend who said it's junk. (is it junk because it didn't fix the guys problem (which he assumed was a coil in the first place) or is it junk because it doesn't work?) It can't be because it looks like junk because it's new with no marks on it.

The buyer never contacted me about a problem just slammed me with negative feedback. This is his reason below.

"You Ask why I gave you a Negative report Well to start with The person I sold it to was a good friend and now he's not, He installed it on his 40 thousand dollar plus 1934 Ford Phaeton and it was no good,

He also is the President of the Car club that most likely will never buy from me again. He not only wont talk to me he wont let me have the coil back, So I will cut Him a check and mail it to him for his loss. none of the other members of the club will talk to me also.. you make one mad they are all mad. There is about 60 members plus wives in the club most are in there late 60s and I have sold a lot of parts to them. Get it touch with ebay and tell them I agreed to take the Negative off. "

I'm glad not all car guys are like this. I don't think I would want to be part of that car club either WOW!!!!!

Below is a link to the item.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/381108710819

Why won't the car club guy let him have the coil back.

This whole incident stinks all the way around. Something else is going on here. Regardless I told him retract the negative and I'll give you your money back. I would still like to have that coil tested to see if it's bad or just not what was needed and the guy that bought it in the end doesn't want to admit he misdiagnosed the problem.

All the fun of ebay I guess

I sold a part a couple of weeks ago and the guy never paid. I sent a couple of reminders, nothing. After a week I sent a message asking him to at least tell me if he's not going to pay so I can get my fee back from eBay and relist it, still nothing.

That said, I have bought and sold ~200-250 items and only 3 times has there ever been an issue. Once they guy got the package he said but it was empty (only a $8.00 item that I had nothing in, so I just refunded him and marked it a loss), and this time. The third was a guy who bought an item clearly marked "local pickup only" and then said I needed to ship it to Kansas. I advised him no and eBay refunded me sales fee.

Overall I love eBay. It makes the restoration process much easier, that's for sure. I can't imagine tracking down some of these parts the old fashioned way.

Auburnseeker, It Sounds like you got caught up in the middle of a couple of drama queens in that last incident.

I commend some of you guys who offer money back or returns. I sell used and NOS stuff too but I refuse to offer returns because there are just to many idiot scammers anymore. My auctions specifically state no returns and don't bid unless you plan on buying, so I take plenty of hi pixel photos so they can view the condition. If something is broke or not working or untested then I let them know in advance. Most true hobbyists know the risks of buying a part that is 50+ years old and I never have a problem with them, it's the scammers that I try and weed out.

I would tell you the stories of the scams I've come across in the last 15 years since I've been on Ebay but there's not enough space here.

Another reason why I don't like E-bay. E-bay gives them the "power" of negative feedbacks and they all don't use them honestly (as we all know...).

When I ship a part, although there are exceptions, I always get paid first. When shipping, I always Insure them and if the part were not to show up, I'll check the Tracking first too, then file a claim. They would then get that money back, but I have to say in 26 years of shipping packages now, the Postal Service has never lost one. With Electrical parts, I offer to test them first at their instructions, otherwise they actually are buying them "as is", but I have been known to still give a refund in most cases, but only if they send it back, then I refund the full cost of the part only, not the packing or shipping charges.

Bill

SHEESH! I just sold an item for $311.00 on Ebay. My only transaction for the month. My bill for the month=$32.00!! Come on Ebay.....a full 10%?? Highway robbery. Ebay used to be kinda fun....not any more.

It's still worth it to me. I know it's 10%, paypal is a small % also, so I price accordingly.

Ok I thought I would post this so everybody who thinks ebay sellers make a killing could experience a little of the not so good that comes with selling on Ebay.

I sell about 3,000-4,000 items a year. Everything from nice NOS emblems and Chrome to gas caps, Switches even small service parts and bolts.

The last few weeks have been trying as I seem to be drawing in the challenged to bid or even buy some of my items.

Here is an excerpt from a few of the questions and customers I have had in the last week.

2 nights ago my 1948 Plymouth convertible sold. Here is the buyers response

"I was bidding on the other Ply Conv and somehow your car got crossed with the other one. I will pay for your relisting fees due to my error. It was not intentional just the wrong car. "

This was for this auction

http://www.ebay.com/itm/191239757227?forcerRptr=true&item=191239757227&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME:X:AAQ:MOTORS:1123

The day before that a buyer had contacted me about an accessory aftermarket Horn ring he bought, here is a link to the auction

http://www.ebay.com/itm/191195826048?item=191195826048&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME:X:RTQ:MOTORS:1123&vxp=mtr

To date here are the email's he has sent me and my responses word for word (copied and pasted)

Original response from buyer

"HELLO RANDY Im the Person who Bought the HORN RING N HONESTLY I was alil UpSet Ive Bought 3 Diffrent Steering Wheels n nCANT GET IT TO FIT .... ITs alil OFF ON ALL OF THEM ... SO WOULD LIKE TO RESELL IT JUST TO GEY MY MONEY BACK OR EVEN $150.00 I PAID LIKE $170.00 DIDNT WANT TO LEAVE NEGATIVE FEEDBACK .....SO Im just Letting you know... Thanks for your Time /////"

My response

"What car or steering wheels have you tried it on? It is aftermarket from the era as you can see by the quality. It may not be a perfect fit for some applications. Again, please let me know what ones you tried it on? Thanks for contacting me, Randy"

His response to that

"Ive tryed it on a Few Steering wheels that l bought at the Swapmeet ReGuardless they Dont seem to Line Up = Im Honesty Upset alotta Things lve Bought on EBAY seem to Not Fit or Not what they say they ARE .. l bought Headlight Lenes for my 37 THREE TIMES finally got the Right ones PEOPLE AFTER $100.00 seller insisted they were for 37 but they were for 38 - 39 I Bought Other things n Ended up with stuff l will NEVER USE = N NOW THE HORN RING ... HONESTLY Im not even WORKING at the Moment SO MONEY is Tight .. l hate to Levae BAD Feedback but What should l Do . Spend Another $100.00 Looking for a Steering Wheel ? "

My follow up response

"What steering wheels did you try it on though? If they weren't any of the standard (not deluxe ) wheels listed in the description it probably won't fit. Being the manufacturers have made probably thousands of different style wheels over the years. I'm trying to figure out if there is an issue with the part not fitting the application or if the part is trying to be used on the wrong application. Please let me know, Randy"

His last response

"Look l try it on one the BOX said it would FIT ..... THE DAM PART DOSENT FIX or is a DEFECT = n l Think You knew That So Dont Get Upset when l Leave you Some Ulgy FeedBack ok ..... $180.00 Might not be Nothing to You but to ME it is ESPECIALLY SINCE I even WORKING at the MOMENT n STUCK with a Part that l cant even USE..."

I want to note the box has applications for both models it sells that fit different types and years of wheels so I'm not sure which set of applications he is referring to or if he even knows which model horn ring he has. I still have no idea what car he bought it for. (the question I have asked from the beginning)

The final kicker for the week I received this Question/comment from an ebay member. Again word for word Copy and paste

"upper hose is not the inlet...in through the bottom on all vehicles.."

This is in regards to this auction I had listed at the time

http://www.ebay.com/itm/311002810311?item=311002810311&viewitem=&sspagename=ADME:X:AAQ:MOTORS:1123&vxp=mtr

Remember this is 1 week.

So do you still want to sell on

?

Wayne

I list a lot of cars on eBay, which is by far the most expensive advertising I do (I spend about $1000/month with eBay and to date Harwood Motors has sold (-1) cars there--more on that in a moment). It's actually rare for a car to sell through the eBay process, which I'm kind of grateful for due to the attitude of the typical eBay buyer, as outlined in the stories above. Expectations are always WAY out of whack with reality and they demand everyone to cater to them despite buying used parts and/or used cars, usually sight-unseen. They want all the protections and a safety net for their purchases, all financed by someone else. That sucks.

I've had guys hit "Buy It Now" then E-mail me to say that they didn't want to buy the car at that price, they just wanted to stop the clock so they could haggle with me without someone else coming along and buying it out from under them. Infuriating.

I recently had a guy win an auction, then say, "OK, I'll try to come up and see the car in the next month or so then decide if I want it." Um, what? You WON THE AUCTION, YOU OWN THE CAR. I'm not going to take it off the market, store it for a month or two for free, turn away other buyers, and hope that you like it enough to buy it when you finally show up. And the guy had the nerve to tell me that I was probably a crook him because I wanted a $500 non-refundable deposit to hold the car for him. Imagine Barrett-Jackson's reaction to a guy who won an auction but decided not to pay until he could get the car home? Oh, yeah, I should probably mention that this moron was a lawyer and the terms of my auctions are explicitly spelled out, including the $500 NON-REFUNDABLE deposit and the fact that winning the auction makes you the owner, not first in line for inspections, and this is in addition to eBay's terms of service. Aren't lawyers supposed to be all about the fine print? I think a Toyota Camry driver got a little excited but then realized he was in over his head with a $10,000 Corvette. What a doofus.

Unfortunately, there's no way to force them to pay and now, with eBay's new rules, you can't even leave negative feedback for one of these dopes. They get a private, invisible "non paying bidder" mark on their record and if they get two in a year, they get a penalty. Sure, I get my listing fees back, but I don't get anything else back (it amounts to a rebate of $35 on an $89 bill). Plus the car is now burned in the market--everyone who was watching it and/or bidding on it will not be back because they saw it sell then it was relisted and think, "Well, that car must be a PoS if the guy didn't want it." Yeah, I could sue the non-paying bidders for the difference in what they would have paid and what a buyer ultimately paid, but who has time to chase all the rabbits down all the holes?

Ebay is a necessary evil for many of us in the hobby. I treat every customer the same, but I have to admit that the guys on eBay test my patience to its limits. The protections eBay offers buyers makes being a jerk a consequence-free proposition for them and a serious problem for sellers. Not cool.

I REALLY have a problem with Ebay's shipping estimates. If I understand it correctly, you give Ebay the size/weight of the object you are selling. THEY estimate the shipping cost and take a percent of that estimate. Even if it costs less to ship, Ebay sticks to their percentage fee based on THEIR estimate. How can they do that? They are Ebay.

I REALLY have a problem with Ebay's shipping estimates. If I understand it correctly, you give Ebay the size/weight of the object you are selling. THEY estimate the shipping cost and take a percent of that estimate. Even if it costs less to ship, Ebay sticks to their percentage fee based on THEIR estimate. How can they do that? They are Ebay.

Wow, seeing I am not an E-bayer, I never even knew that.

Auburnseeker, It Sounds like you got caught up in the middle of a couple of drama queens in that last incident.

I commend some of you guys who offer money back or returns. I sell used and NOS stuff too but I refuse to offer returns because there are just to many idiot scammers anymore. My auctions specifically state no returns and don't bid unless you plan on buying, so I take plenty of hi pixel photos so they can view the condition. If something is broke or not working or untested then I let them know in advance. Most true hobbyists know the risks of buying a part that is 50+ years old and I never have a problem with them, it's the scammers that I try and weed out.

I would tell you the stories of the scams I've come across in the last 15 years since I've been on Ebay but there's not enough space here.

I recently had the same problem with ebay. A buyer bought some brand new never used garage door sensors from me (NOS). After they received them claimed that they were not as described. You could see from the pictures that they were still in the original plastic bags. They claimed that they were not the current model and would not fit their application which who knows what they were going to use them for.

ebay took the money out of my account, gave the money to the scammer, the buyer left me negative feedback, and the buyer kept the sensors, and I could not even defend myself and leave feedback on the buyer. How wrong. ebay is a necessary evil, but I have come to just not selling much of anything any more because of the unfairness for the scammers and the high fees. Just my personal experience and opinion.

Wow, seeing I am not an E-bayer, I never even knew that.

AND......they ALWAYS overestimate THEIR shipping estimates!!

I REALLY have a problem with Ebay's shipping estimates. If I understand it correctly, you give Ebay the size/weight of the object you are selling. THEY estimate the shipping cost and take a percent of that estimate. Even if it costs less to ship, Ebay sticks to their percentage fee based on THEIR estimate. How can they do that? They are Ebay.

never heard of that, I just list small stuff for free shipping and build it in the price along with any sales fees/paypal fees, people seem to like to pay extra and get "free shipping"

If it's something I am willing to ship I add a shipping price. I have a pretty good idea of what it costs to send various things, so I just pad it a little over that.

I'm in no hurry/need to sell anything, so if I'm a little high, so be it.

One of the very important things for Ebay sellers to remember (especially those that are only occasional sellers): the terms you put in the auction listing or description DO NOT MATTER. Ebay's overarching policy trumps any terms you spell out including returns and refunds. If your terms are contradictory to Ebay policy, it doesn't matter how many times you state it in your listing, you will NOT win a dispute with an unhappy buyer that wants a refund or wants to return the item. Period.

Just another thing to remember when doing business the Ebay way!

One of the very important things for Ebay sellers to remember (especially those that are only occasional sellers): the terms you put in the auction listing or description DO NOT MATTER. Ebay's overarching policy trumps any terms you spell out including returns and refunds. If your terms are contradictory to Ebay policy, it doesn't matter how many times you state it in your listing, you will NOT win a dispute with an unhappy buyer that wants a refund or wants to return the item. Period.

Just another thing to remember when doing business the Ebay way!

It's like when a valet parking lot has their "not responsible" jargon. Actually, yes they are. It's just a reminder in hopes that even 1 customer will read the language and listen to it.

I let ebay calculate my shipping but I do not buy the postage from them. I buy it at the post office from the clerk who actually provides the service and will not be there if the post office folds. Not from ebay who buys it at a discount and sells it to Ebay sellers for a profit. You got to love how they have every angle figured.

I don't lose money on shipping that way.

I overestimate the weight just a little for a buffer. I'm not going to have it cost me to mail an item especially when ebay gets a cut of the shipping amount you charge, not to mention the profit from the postage they sell you through Pitney Bowers.

I think I would like to see how much money pitney bowers makes a day.

I sell parts for a living. Any self employed person that doesn't have a support staff to run their business on days off will tell you that being self employed you pretty much never have time off to spend with the family. You get a little time here and their and make the best of it. I sell alot of items for more than 10.00. My ebay bill monthly is $700 + and has been $1000 a few times every year. I can tell you alot of jobs that require a 4 year degree that don't pay that well. Plus being self employed you do get to set your own schedule. There are perks and draw backs as with any business. Plus the perks / writeoffs of being self employed on your taxes.

I let ebay calculate my shipping but I do not buy the postage from them. I buy it at the post office from the clerk who actually provides the service and will not be there if the post office folds. Not from ebay who buys it at a discount and sells it to Ebay sellers for a profit. You got to love how they have every angle figured.

I don't lose money on shipping that way.

I overestimate the weight just a little for a buffer. I'm not going to have it cost me to mail an item especially when ebay gets a cut of the shipping amount you charge, not to mention the profit from the postage they sell you through Pitney Bowers.

I think I would like to see how much money pitney bowers makes a day.

It's not really a good thing to overestimate the weight anymore. That is what I used to do....UNTIL Ebay started taking a cut of the shipping, which of course, has to do with whatever you state that it weighs. If you state that it weighs more to make up for any loss, Ebay will simply give a higher shipping fee estimate. They will make more by overestimating the weight.

It's not really a good thing to overestimate the weight anymore. That is what I used to do....UNTIL Ebay started taking a cut of the shipping, which of course, has to do with whatever you state that it weighs. If you state that it weighs more to make up for any loss, Ebay will simply give a higher shipping fee estimate. They will make more by overestimating the weight.

And I was just getting ready to start selling a few items..........

I have been on EBAY since 1998 but haven't sold anything in over a year. I guess it's time to read their fine print!

I let ebay calculate my shipping but I do not buy the postage from them. I buy it at the post office from the clerk who actually provides the service and will not be there if the post office folds. Not from ebay who buys it at a discount and sells it to Ebay sellers for a profit. You got to love how they have every angle figured.

I don't lose money on shipping that way.

I overestimate the weight just a little for a buffer. I'm not going to have it cost me to mail an item especially when ebay gets a cut of the shipping amount you charge, not to mention the profit from the postage they sell you through Pitney Bowers.

I think I would like to see how much money pitney bowers makes a day.

I sell parts for a living. Any self employed person that doesn't have a support staff to run their business on days off will tell you that being self employed you pretty much never have time off to spend with the family. You get a little time here and their and make the best of it. I sell alot of items for more than 10.00. My ebay bill monthly is $700 + and has been $1000 a few times every year. I can tell you alot of jobs that require a 4 year degree that don't pay that well. Plus being self employed you do get to set your own schedule. There are perks and draw backs as with any business. Plus the perks / writeoffs of being self employed on your taxes.

fe had to offer just to make money.

My point exactly. You don't have time off to spend with family. What is life all about, are you not missing out on the the true joys of life just to make money. My time with. My wife, children and grandchildren is worth far more than the green bills in my wallet ! In my life family and fun and friendship come way ahead of my bank book.

Wayne

fe had to offer just to make money.

My point exactly. You don't have time off to spend with family. What is life all about, are you not missing out on the the true joys of life just to make money. My time with. My wife, children and grandchildren is worth far more than the green bills in my wallet ! In my life family and fun and friendship come way ahead of my bank book.

Wayne

Well unfortunately I don't want my family living in a cardboard box eating old shoes, so I have to work. I can be a slave to a 40 hour a week job if there are any of those available that I could lose any day when the company merges or offshores that pays barely enough after taxes to eat and rent the open side of a dumpster, Or I can take control of my own destiny.

Last time I checked nothing is free in this world and evil money is a necessity of life.

For the most part I don't mind what I do so it's not like working for a boss you absolutely despise. I never wake up in the morning and dread doing what I'm doing.

I get up in the morning and log in while I'm eating breakfast. Come to these forums read the news for a few minutes, Pull my shipping. Box that stuff up. Head off to the shop, dig through boxes of old dusty car parts and figure out what they go to. Clean them up. I come home for lunch. Check out auctions, answer questions, back to the shop about 3 miles away until 6, Home for dinner. On here for an hour or so, then off to searching for parts to resell, take the photos, List the items then off to bed.

That's not too bad.

Now come winter you get to shovel and plow here, the shop and the house we are selling to help finance the newer bigger house we are in that I plan to add a shop on the property.

Carry fuel for the shop along with bringing in Firewood, (my next shop will be crazy well insulated) then on the off days, shovel roofs at all three etc. (winter sucks)

I'm still here (at home) more than half the day. I go for walks with the wife in the middle of the day. Of course I work until atleast midnight but it's not a big deal to me. The family is still right here and when the shop is literally a few hundred feet from the house I'll have a bit more time.

I'm not a big vacation person and they unfortunately cost money as well, unless you are really good at winning sweepstakes.

Being self employed is indeed beautiful. Being your own boss, you will be your own harshest critic. Your success and your time are squarely in your own hands so it is possible to arrange your time to accommodate family. (accommodate sounds so condescending - I don't really mean it that way as our family is a joy to me) So as auburnseeker says, the work is necessary to pay the bills but the flexibility of this kind of work cannot be found in regular employment.

Being self employed is indeed beautiful. Being your own boss, you will be your own harshest critic. Your success and your time are squarely in your own hands so it is possible to arrange your time to accommodate family. (accommodate sounds so condescending - I don't really mean it that way as our family is a joy to me) So as auburnseeker says, the work is necessary to pay the bills but the flexibility of this kind of work cannot be found in regular employment.

Agree.

Bill

Bottom line as sellers:

We need to unfortunately tack on another 15% on top of what we originally wanted for a profit AND on top of our starting sell price (just like any small business man in contracting would do in order to absorb any "unexpected losses" or our so called additional "profit margin").

Rule # 1.) Ebay does NOTHING to support or help the seller any longer.

Rule # 2.) As sellers the help line could care less about any issues we bring to their attention, especially when it comes to crooked bidders. They are only pimple poppers in a land far away that laugh at sellers only to be validated by denial emails stating " on behalf of Ebay we have reviewed your current situation but regret to inform you there is really nothing we can do". Really ? Hell like I didn't see that coming red dot...

Rule # 3.) If you can't handle rules # 1 & 2 then you definitely don't want to see rules 3-10.

Don't even get me started on the shipping.... Criminal is putting it mildly... and now they want me to join my paypal to my ebay account for "simplicity" but God forbid I state that I accept cash or a US Postal money order for payment. :mad:

Necessary evil ? Yes

Criminal ? Yes

Will it all come to an end eventually ? Probably sooner than later.

The good news is that these things always do have a way of sorting themselves out. However, what comes after Ebay may unfortunately be even more diabolical and criminal than our current selling option (from the way things are headed).

As for the shipping, I have a solution........ Flat Rate.

If it don't fit then I don't ship.

The online discount absorbs the percentage and I get all the packing material shipped to my door for free thanks to the USPS. Thank you taxpayers.... it's what we are forced to do. But trust me when I say this, the USPS could care less about this and it will never eliminate jobs within the force. Hell, they advertise it anymore.. just pay attention to their own latest commercials to see them peddling this effect.

That reminds me ,,,, I need more bubble wrap for this weekends sales. Better place my "free" order now so I can be sure they bring it to my door by Friday next week.

As for the shipping, I have a solution........ Flat Rate.

If it don't fit then I don't ship.

The online discount absorbs the percentage and I get all the packing material shipped to my door for free thanks to the USPS. Thank you taxpayers....

That's the way I do things lately. I have several hundred car magazines that I've accumulated and my best selling method has been to fill a flat-rate box with 'x' copies of a particular title and list at a low price. I tried selling magazines one-by-one and for the most part it doesn't pay.

enlightening.................... and I thought I was the only one with a headache.............................

Auburn Victoria-a beautiful name!

regarding ebays shipping charges- I put- for local pu only-then I dont have to sit there and do a calculation on every item and take it up the arse with ebay's constraints

my ads always say-will ship however you like and calculate at end of auction-to the 30 people who ask for calculations before the auction is over? I dont respond-not enough time in the day when there will only be one clear winner. Also, I put my zip in the ad, so the buyer can do a rough calculation on their own, if truly interested.................

I no longer sell on ebay either-only a buyer. Life is too short and Donahue screwed up ebay real bad over the last few years. Glad he is resigning. A useless troll that collected millions for running the business in the ground............

now do you want to hear what I really think?

I would really like to see some kind of National Sales site that would basically replace Ebay. One that is self-policed without any restrictive rules and regulations. I am actually a member of many smaller individual sites, that is basically what I am talking about, but it would be nice to have 1 large National site that would cover all types of parts we sell online.

Bill

enlightening.................... and I thought I was the only one with a headache.............................

Auburn Victoria-a beautiful name!

regarding ebays shipping charges- I put- for local pu only-then I dont have to sit there and do a calculation on every item and take it up the arse with ebay's constraints

my ads always say-will ship however you like and calculate at end of auction-to the 30 people who ask for calculations before the auction is over? I dont respond-not enough time in the day when there will only be one clear winner. Also, I put my zip in the ad, so the buyer can do a rough calculation on their own, if truly interested.................

I no longer sell on ebay either-only a buyer. Life is too short and Donahue screwed up ebay real bad over the last few years. Glad he is resigning. A useless troll that collected millions for running the business in the ground............

now do you want to hear what I really think?

If you don't want to ship stuff, just list the items on several local Craigslist sites and avoid eBay fees altogether.

just list the items on several local Craigslist sites and avoid eBay fees altogether.

I was waiting for someone to mention "Craigslist". I have bought some things from Craigslist, but just cannot get myself to advertise on it, basically speaking. It seems like a place where a lot of scammers hang out and sometimes there are disastrous results, like what was recently in the news. So far, with High Class sites like Car Clubs, Hemmings, etc, luckily, I have no stories to tell.

Bill

Craigslist is partially owned by ebay-believe it or not.....

CL brings out the worst scum of the earth, an entirely different animal

list a rare part on CL and you will be offered 5 bucks-no kidding-nowhere close to selling on the bay where the audience will compete for something of value.

I did list about 20 items for fun on CL yesterday-offers that would make you laugh................ hard to not give an obnoxious response in reply to the ridiculous offers............. nuff said.

Last Spring I offered to help a friend list a reasonable sized accumulation of car stuff on Ebay and teach him the ropes. He never followed through and in December I asked him if he wanted to sell the whole lump. It had been a years since I had dabbled. I run a full time company and Ebay is just kind of sport. Only it ain't exactly sport; maybe it is exercise; or a diversion. In my business some buildings with sub-basements or areas below grade have waste transfer pumps or ejection pumps to the municipal sewers. My Ebay experience, since 1999, has been like I'm a powerful transfer pump and the sewer keeps backing up. It reaches a point where it has backed up enough to my limit and I shut down for a year or so.

I work harder at my job or do more with the cars and eventually look for a little diversion. Then I start pumping again.

I hope Ebay survives long enough for me to write a book about the stereotypical Ebay seller and buyers. Maybe even a language primer with horrible spelling and grammar called EBaynics. Of course that will be after I wrtie the play about the guy who stole my identity; the guy sitting in the gray, misty rain holding a pistol to his head.

We did a job a couple of years ago and three teams of two were staying in Jamestown, New York. Driving to dinner one night, my longest employee said he was going to write a book about working for my company. He planned to subtitle it "If we aren't having fun, we aren't going." Ebay- I'll play when its fun.

Bernie

list a rare part on CL and you will be offered 5 bucks-no kidding-

I did list about 20 items for fun on CL yesterday-offers that would make you laugh................

Since I don't use Craigslist, I forgot about that part, lol.

That's all we need is to waste $50 worth of time to try to make $25 on a part!!

Bill

I try to practice 'due diligence' on Craigslist. My ads always request a phone number, then I'll call back. Vague replies like 'is it still available?' or responses with unusual grammar or sentence construction ('what is your last price?') or immediate mention of their 'shipping agent' get deleted. I also don't respond to low-ballers who will gladly buy my item for 20% of my price without seeing it. When I do get a reply that includes a phone number, I call on my cell (somewhat tougher to track) and size up the person I'm speaking with. If I don't like what I hear, I stop the conversation then and there. If all sounds good, I arrange to meet in a local, well-populated shopping center in daylight, and try to bring someone with me. I'd say about 3-5% of the responses I receive pass my criteria.

I was tossed off ePay in 1999 because I was told I didn't give enough info on a computer chip I had for my 1997 Ranger. I had ALL info the manufacturer had on the chip posted. The idiot bought it for his stock 1970 Bronco. He said he couldn't find where it went so he wanted a refund. My auction CLEARLY stated that due to being an electronic part it is up to the buyer to be sure it fit their vehicle, no refunds would be given. After a fight with him and ePay, out of principle, I refused to refund and they tossed me off. I kept the money and he probably put the chip in the glovebox where it would fit. I do have a new account now under a different credit card (nya nya nya ePay!)

Just the other day I found a boot cover for my Starfire. It was $25 with a whopping $98 shipping! The seller said he would refund the difference but I am not that trusting so it is a no sale.

I'm waiting for the day a class action lawsuit is levied against ePay for their nefarious practices. They used to be a great company and a great product, but now it's difficult at best to find anything described accurately (everything for sale fits everything ever made). The attitude and secret ways of ePay are suspect. Try calling them and see how far you get! They truly are a don't give a crap company.

CL is 25% owed by ePay and CL refuses to sell out completely. Good on them! CL is a great venue but you do have to educate yourself on scams and such. Basically use common sense! There are many red flags all mentioned before. I get the usual scams via text. I reply with this email ifc.tp@fbi.gov. You will get nothing more from them or some kind words of wisdom pertaining to your mother's personal intimate choices. I have also felt playful and jerked their chain for a time wasting their most valuable resource, time.

I called them and they walked me right through getting my sales fee back on an item.

It's risk/reward. If you do your due diligence when using it then your risk is minimal, and the reward is great. As mentioned, it's common sense. Don't buy things that appear to be sketchy. Don't sell things that are likely to cause a problem. Sure you can still run into difficulty every now and then, but that can happen in any sales transaction.

Wow! Just read most of the last 5 pages as I was thinking of selling some Die-casts and a few old car parts on ebay.

I haven't sold anything or bought there for 5-6 yrs. After reading this I'm going to have to find another place to sell!

Wow! Just read most of the last 5 pages as I was thinking of selling some Die-casts and a few old car parts on ebay.

I haven't sold anything or bought there for 5-6 yrs. After reading this I'm going to have to find another place to sell!

The thing most of us have admitted here is that although we disagree with many of what ebay does we still have no viable alternative at this point as sellers. When something comes along that can reach the masses the way ebay does then you'll probably see 99% of us jump ship for a better service or avenue of selling. Currently, that avenue is not available... unfortunately at this point in time ebay is the safest and best alternative. Craigslist is a close second but you have to be willing to risk a lot of things with some of the dirtballs on CL.

I had to share this new episode with you all. I received this message on a pay pal payment for a stack of price sheets that a guy bought for 2.99 (the opening bid) with shipping to Germany 16.00 (ebay's estimated amount based on weight and the 1.00 I charge for the mailer which is what I pay for them) There are a small stack of pages and they are shipped wrapped in shrink wrap to a piece of cardboard wrapped up inside a Rigid fold up book mailer.

Here is his mesage

"The quoted shipping costs are extreme and I am sure that these far exceed what will be required. I request that you refund the difference to the actual shipping costs to me. Please understand that I will complain to ebay if the actual costs far exceed the"

The buyer ran out of room so I'm not sure what the rest of the message would have said.

I was never contacted by this bidder in advance about the shipping costs. (if I have a concern about shipping I always contact the seller before bidding. By bidding and seeing the amount posted you are agreeing to that amount, sometimes it's a glitch from a previous listing and sometimes it's an overestimate. I know I don't box stuff up ahead of time so you have to guesstimate size and weight boxed for shipment) I don't know what they are to other countries off the top of my head. I have my costs set to a default amount for the most part based on US addresses so they don't cost me money to ship. Remember ebay gets 15 percent of your shipping costs as well so if you make 15 percent on your shipping you are actually breaking even. Pay pal also gets a larger percentage for money transfers from other countries.

It almost sounds like extortion to me. I told him I'll gladly cancel the transaction as I don't think I will beable to make the entire transaction positive for both of us. I'm sure this is going to be negative feedback regardless of what I do.

I always do free shipping and add it into the cost. That eliminates shipping questions for the most part. It also makes my prices seem high, but that's fine with me. In the past, before I did that, I just guesstimated it and never used eBay shipping, so they made $0 on my shipping.

When I sell something I just pack it and take it to the post office for them to process. I've never understood the whole eBay shipping thing.

As far as this guy, I'd take the negative feedback and put a reply under it. Any reasonable future buyer would see what happened, if not, you probably wouldn't want that customer anyway.