Love And Hate - Ebay

[Manalto]

I may be wrong, but I believe eBay sellers can't give retaliatory negative feedback. Yours is a very good point regarding negative feedback that is out of the seller's control.

[Chrissy]

I may be wrong, but I believe eBay sellers can't give retaliatory negative feedback. Yours is a very good point regarding negative feedback that is out of the seller's control.

 

You are not wrong. Sellers can only leave positive feedback for buyers. In fact, they can't leave negative comments within positive feedback either.

[Precise]

An offer to accept return does not undo the original lie.

 

When the "mint" item is faulty and the seller offers to accept a return, I still can't bring myself to give positive feedback. Offering to accept a return does not undo the original lie. Most sellers act as if it should.

 

When a robber is apprehended and then offers to return the loot, he's still a robber. Otherwise we would suffer far more robberies.

 

Alan

Edited December 19, 2015 by Precise

[Manalto]

Offering to accept a return does not undo the original lie. Most sellers act as if it should.

 

Claiming ignorance about a category: "We're not experts," "I don't know anything about _____________s" or the indolent "Untested" are the universal disclaimers for sellers too "busy" to describe their wares and the most common lie. You don't know what you're selling and can't be bothered to find out anything about it? OK, I'll look elsewhere (unless I feel like gambling).

 

There are all kinds of scams in the world that operate on the premise that buyers won't make the effort to seek a return/refund (especially if the purchase is relatively inexpensive - there's probably an algorithm), so (for some sellers who operate this way) "returns accepted" is the most disingenuous of offers. It's similar to the automatic credit card renewal for annual subscriptions (magazine, health club, etc.) that is offered as a "convenience" and require the card holder to actively sever the connection. These (to my mind) sleazy companies bank on the fact that not everyone will. I'm pretty cynical, but still believe these people are in the minority on auction sites.

 

From my experience, I would modify that to "most unscrupulous sellers." I've been lucky, I guess, because most sellers I've encountered see their eBay sales as a business and act accordingly; they try to please the seller. I do, however, avoid sellers whose postings contain what I see as "red flags" apart from negative feedback.

Edited December 19, 2015 by Manalto

[ThomasB]

I am both a buyer and a seller on ebay...As a buyer, ebay has opened up a broad market through which I have built my personal collection--a market that exists nowhere else. As a seller, I have access to that same broad market.

 

As a buyer, here are my suggestions FWIW:

1. ASK QUESTIONS--If the description does not have the specifics you need, ask questions. If the seller doesn't respond or the response is less than acceptable, don't bid. I have found most sellers of fountain pens truly don't know enough about pens to post a decent description, but, if I ask specific questions and explain why I am asking, they will respond with the info I need
2. CHECK FEEDBACK--Pay attention to the content and recency. Is there a magic number? Don't know. But, even if a seller has negative feedback, look at it and decide for yourself if it affects you. I have found over time that most sellers with one or two negatives can have their feedback score skewed based on limited sales.
3. CHECK THE SELLER'S RETURN POLICY--A lot of sellers have a 14 day return policy. In fact, if a seller wants to be a Trusted Seller (there are $ incentives for the seller), they are required to have a return policy. But don't worry if the seller does not have a policy stated as I have found most sellers will gladly accept a return if they made an error in the listing. Lastly, and most importantly, ebay has a Money Back Guarantee and it WORKS. In situations where the seller has made a mistake and they refuse to take it back, you can escalate the case to ebay and they will usually find in your favor. I have never lost a case that I had to escalate.

[dogpoet]

An offer to accept return does not undo the original lie.

 

When the "mint" item is faulty and the seller offers to accept a return, I still can't bring myself to give positive feedback. Offering to accept a return does not undo the original lie. Most sellers act as if it should.

In fact, you get a few sellers who act as if actually expecting to receive what you've paid them is an astonishing and ill mannered imposition, and that your daring to complain about them or even worse wanting to return whatever they've sold under false pretences for a refund is completely out of order.

Not a lot of them like that. mercifully.

Edited December 19, 2015 by dogpoet

[Precise]

Most cases that I've complained, the seller has offered to take the product back.

 

Recently I bought a box of 100 assorted fountain pen nibs for $25. But there wasn't a single fountain pen nib in the entire box (all dip nibs). The seller offered to take it back. But I didn't want to bother for $25.

 

In another case, a seller said that a vintage pen was in perfect condition, "ready to write". I sent him a photo of the nib with a huge gap and he apologized and offered to take it back (half way around the world). In this case, I've decided to keep it and try to fix it. It would cost $30 to send it back.

 

I agree with suggestions above by tbickiii. I often ask simple objective questions like nib width, fill method, and dimensions. I never ask questions which require judgment like, "Is it in good condition". Sometimes I have to help the seller (where to look for nib width letter, or how to determine fill method).

 

Alan

Edited December 20, 2015 by Precise

[Precise]

Here's a photo of the nib of a "new" pen which arrived today from a seller in Canada. Not only is it broken, but it's rusty. The seller has 100% feedback and advertised these as new pens made just for them.

 

Edited December 23, 2015 by Precise

[AAAndrew]

Anytime the pictures aren't crystal clear I ask for clearer picture of the important part or assume there's a huge risk and bid appropriately.

 

 

Fortunately most of what I buy are dip pens. It's usually pretty easy to tell if nibs are used or rusty. And the sellers do describe them as fountain pens all the time. It makes it hard to find them some times, especially the less common brands.

 

I see it as a two-way street. I don't trust words, I trust pictures. If I can't trust the fuzzy, dark pictures I can't trust the listing. If betters turns aren't possible I move on nine times out of ten.

[Chrissy]

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.

 

Despite whatever they say in their listings, all sellers have to accept returns within 14 days. That's ebay or distance selling rules. So if you have a problem and the seller says you can't return the item, you just open a case with ebay and ebay will sort it out for you.

[Shaggy]

 

Despite whatever they say in their listings, all sellers have to accept returns within 14 days. That's ebay or distance selling rules. So if you have a problem and the seller says you can't return the item, you just open a case with ebay and ebay will sort it out for you.

I believe the eBay policy is that the seller has to take returns only if the item is not as described in the listing.

 

If the seller says "returns accepted" that means the item can be returned for any reason, even if the buyer just changes her mind.

[Uncial]

I've just had experience of the Global Shipping Programme and I have to say it is truly woeful. I'd never used it before, but something that would have taken about four working days to get to me via Royal Mail has taken two weeks just to get to the stage where they are ready to ship it! I'm not sure if this is normal for such a scheme, but if it is I would definitely avoid it in the future.

 

I have one other question and I'm not sure that it can be answered. There is a German seller on ebay who usually sells Pelikans at a good price. Every time I look at the detail of the pen it says there is an extra 20% to be added for VAT if the pen is bought in Europe. I can't understand this and something about it smacks of being a bit of a con. No other German sellers I have ever bought from have requested this extra percentage on top of the selling price. It's clear that others don't appreciate it either; I usually see (through my watch list) many items being relisted a second time after having been sold, presumably because they don't appreciate the extra charge or didn't read it at the bottom of the page. I have a pen in my watch list from them that is now on its fourth relisting. What is actually going on there?

[Cryptos]

You should ask them if they are forwarding the VAT charge to the appropriate taxing body. It will be interesting to hear what their reply will be.

[Manalto]

"Natürlich"

Edited December 23, 2015 by Manalto

[Goudy]

I have one other question and I'm not sure that it can be answered. There is a German seller on ebay who usually sells Pelikans at a good price. Every time I look at the detail of the pen it says there is an extra 20% to be added for VAT if the pen is bought in Europe. I can't understand this and something about it smacks of being a bit of a con. No other German sellers I have ever bought from have requested this extra percentage on top of the selling price. It's clear that others don't appreciate it either; I usually see (through my watch list) many items being relisted a second time after having been sold, presumably because they don't appreciate the extra charge or didn't read it at the bottom of the page. I have a pen in my watch list from them that is now on its fourth relisting. What is actually going on there?

 

It sounds like the seller is a business registered for VAT, in which case they are required to charge that extra 20% for European customers - and then hand over that 20% to the taxman.

[Chrissy]

I believe the eBay policy is that the seller has to take returns only if the item is not as described in the listing.

 

If the seller says "returns accepted" that means the item can be returned for any reason, even if the buyer just changes her mind.

 

This is the ebay return policy:

 

Even if a seller's return policy says they don't accept returns, you can still open a return request. Here are your options:

• If your item is damaged, or doesn't match the listing description, you're covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee.
• If you’ve changed your mind or made a mistake, you can still request a return, but please be aware that the seller isn't obliged to accept your return.

[Uncial]

 

It sounds like the seller is a business registered for VAT, in which case they are required to charge that extra 20% for European customers - and then hand over that 20% to the taxman.

But I buy lots of things all over Europe and VAT is always included or paid directly by the seller. I am never charged for it on top of the list price after a sale!

[migo984]

But I buy lots of things all over Europe and VAT is always included or paid directly by the seller. I am never charged for it on top of the list price after a sale!

Same. German sellers have always included VAT in the selling price, in my experience. They deduct it for non-EU buyers.

[Goudy]

Same. German sellers have always included VAT in the selling price, in my experience. They deduct it for non-EU buyers.

That's certainly the best way to do it to avoid annoying EU customers. But if this particular seller has noticed that most of his customers come from outside the EU, it may work in his favour to give the pre-VAT price more prominence.

 

Some US business sellers do the same kind of thing where local state sales taxes apply.

[Shaggy]

<p>

 

 

This is the ebay return policy:

 

 

 

Even if a seller's return policy says they don't accept returns, you can still open a return request. Here are your options:

• If your item is damaged, or doesn't match the listing description, you're covered by the eBay Money Back Guarantee.
• If youve changed your mind or made a mistake, you can still request a return, but please be aware that the seller isn't obliged to accept your return.

I do believe that's what I said. If the item is not as described the seller must take your return. If you change your mind, the seller does not need to take your return.

 

When a seller says in the listing that returns are not allowed, what they are really saying is they will not accept the return if you change your mind or you make a mistake. So a buyer can open the case, and the seller will reject it, and eBay will not do anything.

 

Your original post said *despite what they say in their listing all sellers are required to take a return within 14 days" . I am only pointing out that there is a condition on that : sellers are only required to take a return if an item is damaged or not as described.

Edited December 23, 2015 by Shaggy