Be sure what you are buying atleast matches what you have!

[auburnseeker]

Ok a new ebay rant.  I sold a NOS Subaru rear bumper on ebay of course.

Sold for the opening 100.00 bid last day of the auction.  

I used a website to identify it that sold new Subaru parts.  It's obsolete so it was an old site. 

Of course the buyer gets it and now says it doesn't fit.  He says it's lacking the recess for the license plate as well.  (I didn't visually verify it with an image search, I used the what seemed like legitimate site's application that didn't include an image)  

Figuring that with the 12 photos posted a potential buyer could atleast visually verify it looked like their bumper, especially when I used words in my listing like "I believe this fits" and question marks in the title.

So a word to anyone buying something out their.  Please look at the photos to make sure it atleast resembles the part you need. 

Here is a link to the auction in question. 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/381730225976?euid=078b67629a2b4194989553112f50b74d&bu=43160564281&cp=1&sojTags=bu=bu

 

Edited August 25, 2016 by auburnseeker (see edit history)

[Matt Harwood]

Very hard to protect stupid people from themselves.

 

You also make the mistake of assuming that people are reading what you're writing in your auctions. They're not. They're looking at the headline, then the picture, then hitting the button. They don't know your terms and conditions, they don't read to know that this may have other applications, they don't even check the part numbers. Headline-picture-button.

 

I get E-mails asking questions that are clearly answered in the text of my ads. I get guys saying, "Nice car, but do you have any pictures of the interior or engine?" when there are almost 100 photos of the car (they didn't scroll down).

 

Stupid. You can't plan for it, you can't engineer around it, you can't disclaimer away from it. It will get you every time.

Edited August 25, 2016 by Matt Harwood (see edit history)

[keiser31]

You are totally off the hook for the buyer's dismay. You stated to "verify" and he didn't. HIS fault.

[39BuickEight]

I had the same thing happen on a set of Acura locking lug nuts on eBay.  I said I knew they fit my 2002 Acura MDX, and I'm sure they fit other Acuras and Hondas, but I had no idea which ones.  I included the part #, and a guy bought them for a 2007 Acura TL.  They didn't fit and he contacted me in a fit.  I advised his to re-read the listing, nowhere did I say they fit his car.  He left neutral feedback, and I added my explanation.  He bought a part for his vehicle that was not described as fitting his vehicle.  My rating is still 100%, so I guess in the end it doesn't matter.  I told him he got such a deal on them he could simply re-sell them as I did.

Edited August 25, 2016 by 39BuickEight (see edit history)

[keiser31]

I don't think anyone can even leave negative feedback on Ebay these days without a giant hassle.

[Matt Harwood]

1 hour ago, keiser31 said:

I don't think anyone can even leave negative feedback on Ebay these days without a giant hassle.

 

Nope. Guys who buy cars and back out at the last minute can't even receive negative feedback. If you report it, there's a secret black mark that nobody can see, and if they do it twice in a year, they get an angry letter from Ebay. But no more negative feedback--I can only leave positive or neutral (Was very good at pushing the button and not buying the car. Excellent lack of communication. Would fail to sell a car and lose money to him again! AAA+++++).

 

Wouldn't want to scare all the customers away, now would we?

[auburnseeker]

Because I know the way ebay works I already offered a full refund of both shipping and purchase price as well as to pay for all the return shipping charges if he would just return it.  Really you don't have any choice as ebay will make you take it back or just give him his money and let him keep the part.  Might as well try to salvage what I can as well as my feedback which is at 100 percent with one neutral in the last 12 months and a total of 18298. 

[mercer09]

you are right Auburn-the buyer is ALWAYS right with ebay, so might as well swallow the pill and move on. why I dont sell there anymore and only buy..................

[TerryB]

My wife is the Internet sales customer support person for her company that sells mechanical replacement parts on eBay, Amazon and their own website.  You would not believe the stories she has to tell about what people buy without reading full the discription first! 

 

She has more patience that I ever would when working with them

[Modeleh]

I live on Vancouver Island on the west coast of British Columbia and I just sold my 64 Falcon on eBay.  In the ad description very near where the current bid price is shown lists the location of the item being sold.  Many of the inquiries about the auction were regarding the location of the car for sale, so I would politely answer these questions even though their answer was right there in the description.  Even after the close of the auction and transfer of the down payment, the winner was still amazed that the car is on an island and will need to be driven onto a ferry.  

The same thing happened when I sold my Airstream trailer to a woman in Texas via eBay.  In that case, the trailer was paid in full (over ten thousand dollars) and nearly three years later the trailer is still sitting in a storage yard about three miles from my house.

 

I cannot comprehend how people are able to search for an item they are dreaming about on eBay, go through the steps of bidding and payment, yet they seem to have a huge problem figuring out how to use google maps.  Honestly, the ignorance of some people these days really amazes me.

[keiser31]

56 minutes ago, Modeleh said:

I live on Vancouver Island on the west coast of British Columbia and I just sold my 64 Falcon on eBay.  In the ad description very near where the current bid price is shown lists the location of the item being sold.  Many of the inquiries about the auction were regarding the location of the car for sale, so I would politely answer these questions even though their answer was right there in the description.  Even after the close of the auction and transfer of the down payment, the winner was still amazed that the car is on an island and will need to be driven onto a ferry.  

The same thing happened when I sold my Airstream trailer to a woman in Texas via eBay.  In that case, the trailer was paid in full (over ten thousand dollars) and nearly three years later the trailer is still sitting in a storage yard about three miles from my house.

 

I cannot comprehend how people are able to search for an item they are dreaming about on eBay, go through the steps of bidding and payment, yet they seem to have a huge problem figuring out how to use google maps.  Honestly, the ignorance of some people these days really amazes me.

I know a guy who WON a bid on an engine and transmission for a very low price. He went back on the deal, (upsetting the seller VERY much) because the cost of shipping was "extra". Of course, the details about "pick up only" were on the auction, but this guy for some reason thought he was going to get them shipped across the country included in the cheap price! I am still astounded by that. They don't say, "Read the small print" for nothing. 

[32tatra]

What I have read in these posts is, not new.  Let me tell you my story.  32 years ago, I brought a lot of NOS Mopar parts.  So I put a number of ads in Hemmings.  One of the items was a NOS 1954 Desoto rear bumper.  A guy from down south sent me a check for the bumper and the shipping by bus.  About 5 days after I got the check and had deposited the check in the bank,  the guy called me.  He wanted to know why he had not yet gotten the bumper.  I explained that I was waiting for the check to clear.(In those days it could take up eight days for a check to clear.)  He was so upset, that he hung up on me.  I should have taken that has a sign.  The next day , I felt bad and sent him the bumper.  Four days later he called me to tell me he had gotten the bumper and now did not want it and was sending it back.  So he sent it back by bus C.O.D.  So not only was I out the $40 for the bumper, but it cost me $40 in bus shipping.  I still have that bumper.  Its in my basement somewhere.  A lesson learned.         

Edited August 26, 2016 by 32tatra
wrong word (see edit history)

[Joe in Canada]

I had a bad experience and left negative feed back. E Bay deleted it two weeks later. I asked them why and could not answer. I think it reflects bad for EBay also so they will delete where they can without notifying you to make the system look good.