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Love And Hate - Ebay


Precise

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I'm an engineer with a nice shop in my garage. These days my shop time is often spent fixing damaged pens and watches that were described as "mint" or "like new" by ebay sellers. Considering how sellers seem to treasure their ratings I tend to think that they are blind and/or stupid rather than deliberate liars. Why would sellers risk their ratings by deliberately describing damaged items as mint?

 

It has become a love / hate affair with me. On the one hand I enjoy winning good deals on ebay. It is shopping as sport. And even when that mint pen arrives full of faults I often charge into repairing it, rather than send it back to the seller. Guys like me like fixing things!

 

But all of this fun has its downsides too. I've acquired more watches and pens than I can possibly use. Thankfully, they don't take up much space. And.... I only like fixing things when the process is going relatively smoothly. But when I'm deep into repairing that $600 Omas that I won for $200 and something goes very, very wrong with the repair I don't like that one bit.

 

So there it is. Love it or hate it, depending on the moment. I also often wonder how pen lovers who don't have a shop cope with this nonsense.

 

Best regards,

 

Alan

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I appreciate your experienced views.

 

As an Ebayer for above 15 years I need to suggest that you keep on trying!

 

You obviously have the talent to correct any misgivings.

"The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it."  - Selwyn Duke    

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I think being able to fix a faulty item has its merits and can be very rewarding, there are many people who can not.

 

I have my concerns about sellers who mislead buyers by giving descriptions that are clearly wrong and continue to do so because they are allowed to get away with it.

 

I admire your tolerance for such sellers, I for one can not. Ebay these days can be very hit or miss.

 

Continue to enjoy your craft and all the best

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What is also quite common is a phrase such as "super condition for age", used as a blanket description to cover all ills.

 

One stated mint condition and there was no nib, nor even a mention of its absence.

 

Then there are all the "if it's more than five years old it must be a rare antique' types.

 

 

Frankly speaking the list of disingenuous descriptions is endless, as is the list of sellers that use them in a manner that can only be apportioned as deliberately cynical.

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What is also quite common is a phrase such as "super condition for age", used as a blanket description to cover all ills.

 

One stated mint condition and there was no nib, nor even a mention of its absence.

 

Then there are all the "if it's more than five years old it must be a rare antique' types.

 

 

Frankly speaking the list of disingenuous descriptions is endless, as is the list of sellers that use them in a manner that can only be apportioned as deliberately cynical.

Yes indeed. But how can these sellers have 99.8% or even 100% ratings?

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My recent trek through the "Flea" has been less than stellar when it comes to "hit-or-miss"....!!!

I've found mostly MISSES!!!:(

Even when an item is described as "fair-to-good" condition -- there is often so much damage that it just isn't worth venturing forth...

And some of these vendors are STILL asking top $$ for their "junque".....!! :rolleyes:

Lately I've been having success using "another" site (HINT: It starts with "E"....and has 4 letters.....ends in "Y".... ;) )

 

Always try to get the dibs....on fountain pens with EF nibs!!

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Yes indeed. But how can these sellers have 99.8% or even 100% ratings?

 

Absolutely! Speculation can lead in all sorts of directions. It is certainly most curious.

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I have used eBay for a good few years. There are 3, maybe 4, sellers who I trust and who I (usually) give 5 star ratings to. The rest I'll give fair feedback, but rarely 5 stars. I ignore any entreaties to revise my ratings.

Apart from the ones I trust, all others, however good their ratings, I view with a ginormous pinch of scepticism. They are there for just one reason - to sell. And many will use all the tricks in the book to achieve just that.

Verba volant, scripta manent

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Yes indeed. But how can these sellers have 99.8% or even 100% ratings?

 

The ever-increasing timidity of people to state the truth.

 

I have a lingering impression of the meaning of "mint" from collecting coins in my youth. "Mint," IIRC, meant "untouched by human hands" with "Uncirculated" a coin in pristine, yet unwrapped, condition. Roughly translating that to other merchandise, including pens, mint, to me, means "unused and in its original packaging." I feel quite lonely with this definition. On eBay, it seems to be the response to "What kind of tea did you have this morning?"

James

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As a buyer and a seller, I try to find out as much information as I can about items before buying as I hate to be the one to destroy a sellers 5 star ratings now they are so crucially important to their selling on ebay.

 

I give all sellers 5 stars if they deserve them. :)

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Yes indeed. But how can these sellers have 99.8% or even 100% ratings?

Shutting down their account and setting up a new one when they start acquiring negative feedback is one obvious way around that. I've even heard stories about sellers threatening buyers to retract negative feedback, a potentially worrisome situation whenthey have your address and you don't have theirs.

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Shutting down their account and setting up a new one when they start acquiring negative feedback is one obvious way around that. I've even heard stories about sellers threatening buyers to retract negative feedback, a potentially worrisome situation whenthey have your address and you don't have theirs.

 

ebay used to close seller accounts when they received 3 negative feedbacks within a certain time period, but I don't think that happens now. I've seen sellers with feedback below 97%.

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ebay used to close seller accounts when they received 3 negative feedbacks within a certain time period, but I don't think that happens now. I've seen sellers with feedback below 97%.

 

In the real world, 97% is good - such as my score on a math test. But I've read articles from expert buyers that say that any rating lower than 99.5% is a red flag. It reminds me of S&P bond ratings. AAA, AA, and a single grade A is rather poor.

 

I should add that I've received new pens from pen dealers with bent nibs. When I complained to one, she said it had been bent in transit. That is flat impossible.

 

All for now. I've got to check latest listings on ebay.

 

Alan

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I can install a new sac and realign tines, but that is about as far as my "workshop" will go. I have decided not to buy any more vintage pens from the bay - so far all of them have had their problems (except for some I bought from a really nice guy in Portugal), I really hope that I will keep this promise to myself :P

People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them - Dave Berry

 

Min danske webshop med notesbøger, fyldepenne og blæk

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I wouldn't have as many pens I enjoy if I had not been able to purchase them from Ebay. I have been probably "lucky" to have not had a bad experience but i consider the cost savings to be worth the "chance" I take to acquire a pen at sometimes 75% less than it's original cost. If I could ignore my necessity of having to consider the cost factor I would purchase from ONLY retailer's that offer their own services for any needed repair or adjustment; unfortunately I cannot afford to do so.

 

I have always purchased cars "new" from dealers because of the implied warranty & service so I surely understand the reason to do so. It seems to be the responsibility of the buyer to decide what is best for their needs & assume responsibility for choosing place of purchase. I don't see the reasoning for blaming Ebay when disappointment occurs from a purchase there if you chose to shop there. Used things are seldom as trouble free as new ones. I remember one poster who has more than once stated " he doesn't purchase from Ebay." Perhaps that is another benefit for avoiding disappointment.

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If my vintage pen selection were restricted to what I've found at yard sales, flea markets, etc., I might have one Esterbrook, a Sheaffer School Pen, and perhaps a Wearever. Add in a few vintage pens that I've bought at premium prices already restored by reputable non eBay dealers, and my vintage collection might not reach ten pens.

 

That might actually be a good thing. eBay has brought a lot of things within my reach which I love having, but it might have been more sensible not to amass quite such a large collection. I have kept a running total of what I've spent, so it hasn't exactly sneaked up on me, but all those $10 to $50 purchases do add up. Still, I can't complain about having opportunities.

 

I don't go looking for huge discounts on $600 pens; I've never reached $200 even for a brand new one from a mainstream dealer. I've bought things like vintage Conklin Crescent Fillers, old BCHR pens with flexy nibs, strangely attractive third tier celluloids, Esterbrooks (of course) and quite a bit else. The thrill of the hunt, finding all these things in the wild, would bore me silly. The people who do enjoy that sort of thing may sell it to me, probably on eBay. B)

"So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable creature, since it enables one to find or make a reason for everything one has a mind to do."

 

- Benjamin Franklin

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The ever-increasing timidity of people to state the truth.

 

 

I have been blocked by sellers, received multiple mails with varying tones anf have been given negative feedback just for stating the truth and giving a non-positive feedback. Many users may be revising their feedback once these happen. I take ratings with a big bucket of salt. When really interested I read through the comments. If the negative feedback is largely about postage and shipping delays, then an OK with this seller, but when comments start taking about wrong item or broken item etc then am off from there.

A lifelong FP user...

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In addition to seller ratings, it also helps to consider whether they will accept returns. If so, then I will take a bigger risk on a purchase that might turn out to have a problem I can't fix.

 

Sellers who don't post pictures of a pen's nib drive me nuts.

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