VOGONS


Retro Hardware Collecting rants

Topic actions

Reply 80 of 934, by EvieSigma

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie
canthearu wrote on 2020-06-12, 12:56:
Mine is a simple rant. […]
Show full quote

Mine is a simple rant.

Hate ebay sellers that offer best offer and then reply to any best offer request with a $3 discount (on things $50 or more) or something equally stupid.

I mean, WTF. Why even bother with best offer if you are going to make an insulting counter-offer like that. $3 is just transaction cost noise on ebay, with it's dumb international purchasing and postage costs.

If any of you can understand the mentality behind this, please let me know.

My favorite is when you make a reasonable offer (like say, $5 off an $80 item) and either get flat declined or a counteroffer of...the full asking price.

Again...why have the Make Offer button if you want your full asking price...? Do they not know that it's optional?

Reply 81 of 934, by imi

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

that reminds me of people that put in the "make offer" option but have it on auto decline for anything that is more than a few percent off ^^

and then again I had cases where they had it on auto accept even though I offered far less than the original asking price x3

Reply 82 of 934, by Miphee

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

I hate when sellers take forever to reply to a message. People are literally fused with their smartphones but don't have time to answer a simple question? Please.
There are those who immediately block a user just for asking a standard question about the item/shipping. They are considered problematic buyers. How dare they ask questions about the items they are going to pay for?!
I also hate when it takes 4-5 days to ship a simple item I ordered. Why is it so complicated for some people? I used to sell hardware a few years back and it doesn't take more than 2 hours to properly pack something and take it to the PO. And that was before pre-printed shipping labels! Most of them barely have anything to sell so it's not like they are overloaded with packages.
Also: "The computer is in working condition but due to age I sold all "as-is", so, no return and no refund.
Before paying please contact me to know real shipping costs."
When I ask for a picture that shows the computer when it's turned on the guy says he doesn't have a cable to test it with! 😁 How did he test it in the first place and why didn't he make a photo/video then? I won't pay a ton of money on his say-so after he wrote "no return and no refund".
Manipulating with shipping costs is also common: $20 item, $60 shipping? From where? The North Pole?
I hate dimwits who get into a bidding war with 20 days remaining on the item. People are divided on the matter but I like a bargain and these bidding wars prevent it.
And the absolute lowest lifeforms are those who use multiple accounts to bid on their own auctions.

Reply 84 of 934, by imi

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t
Miphee wrote on 2020-06-12, 14:47:

Before paying please contact me to know real shipping costs."

hah, yeah that reminds me of that one time I tried ordering something from ebay US
made an offer that was below customs threshold so I wouldn't have to pay additional customs fees... got accepted, I was like, hey neat.
so I paid via paypal, and then got a message from the seller that there's going to be another $34 shipping costs to be paid, the stated shipping costs were $28 (which I honestly think was still reasonable for international shipping) for a $20 item that was neither really big or heavy.
obviously I didn't want to pay $62 in shipping and asked the seller to cancel the sale then... lo and behold, they wanted me to accept the cancellation BEFORE they had refunded me the money, I was like hell no, it took them several days to actually refund me through paypal which is like a few mouseclicks away.
so I didn't get an item, had to wait days for my money back, and had to pay currency conversion twice on my credit card, once for the original payment and once for the refund... so that whole ordeal even cost me like $5 even

Errius wrote on 2020-06-12, 14:53:

A lot of sellers used to do to the high shipping thing. It was a way of minimising eBay fees. I think eBay put an end to it though.

I see a lot of that on ebay.de, sellers complaining that they can't ask for more shipping than X amount (even though I see plenty of other auctions that state correct higher shipping costs? so what is up there?) and then say they are going to have to ask for more shipping costs after the fact... which I don't get, just add that to the minimum amount then.
especially on high price items, instead of putting it in for a starting amount of €50, and ask for €10 additional shipping, just put it in for €60 instead?

Last edited by imi on 2020-06-12, 15:37. Edited 1 time in total.

Reply 85 of 934, by boxpressed

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

I sell a lot on eBay, and the shipping cost calculator is quite straightforward. Many sellers don't bother to weigh their item before listing, so the weight could be inflated, which is indeed something to be annoyed about. However, what a lot of buyers don't know is that shipping costs balloon FAST for Priority Mail once the box dimensions exceed a certain level. An inch or two overestimation for box size can mean a significant spike in cost. You can try it yourself with the USPS shipping cost calculator on their website. So what seems like a jacked up price may have a lot to do with "dimensional" weight, which is something an average buyer might not realize.

Reply 86 of 934, by Errius

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

Yes, 'volumetric weight' is a thing. Shippers are paying an opportunity cost when they ship large-but-light items so want to be compensated for this.

Is this too much voodoo?

Reply 87 of 934, by devius

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie

And now for something good:

A few years ago I saw an ad in the local classifieds app for an old Olivetti M240 with keyboard (no monitor) for 25€ without being tested, which was very reasonable to me. I looked at his other ads and he had two more old computers for sale, also with a list price of 25€ each, but the Olivetti seemed to be easier to get back in working order if any repairs or new components were needed, so I immediately contacted the seller and we arranged a meeting for that PC alone.

When I got there he had the Olivetti and the two other computers and he said that I could have the extra two for free! So in the end I paid 25€ for 3 old computers:
- Olivetti M240 + keyboard (working)
- Zenith Z148 (working)
- IBM System/36 Model 5364 (I'm too scared to turn it on, but looks good)

Reply 88 of 934, by TimWolf

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

When you splurge on that hard to find nostalgia, and finally do pay through the nose because it just isn't out there anywhere else. Then the seller can't pack. It comes broken, and all they want to do is have you return it, or worse no reply at all. If you open a claim the sites just tell you to mail it back (fair enough) but you just end up keeping it because you didn't buy it to NOT have it, and you never get around to fixing that mangled shell, or busted up bezel.

Reply 89 of 934, by imi

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t
devius wrote on 2020-06-12, 16:21:

And now for something good

I already shared a positive note in a previous post, but so that this thread isn't all that negative I'll throw in another.

bought a few random things from ebay from the same seller to save on shipping (you don't even want to know how much I spent on shipping over the last year)...
they were selling random stuff, CD-ROM drives, a few cards... then I accidentally missed one of the auctions I actually wanted to bid on, so wrote a message and I offered €5 if they'd just throw it in with the rest (would have gotten it for €1 if I bid on it)... and they asked me if I wanted all the other stuff that didn't sell as well, nothing special, just a few old HDDs and stuff but still nice 😀

and a negative one in regard to broken things...
I've bought a bunch of old PCs from ebay already, and I think at least half of them arrived with broken front panels because there was simply no padding in the box, just cardboard wrapped around the PC... most of them were so cheap that I really couldn't be bothered to even contact them about it because I mainly wanted the hardware inside of them and the cases weren't all that special, but it's still sad.

Reply 90 of 934, by cyclone3d

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

Here is another positive... though I really kinda feel bad for the seller.

It is about that huge lot of cards I bought and posted about in the bout these retro hardware today thread.

The seller told me that my order ended up weighing 29lb... which I am not surprised at all.

I told them to let me know if the shipping cost was more than what they charged me so I could pay for it. They came back and said that it was their responsibility and didn't want me to pay anything else.

For what I paid for that huge lot of cards and the motherboards, I am guessing the shipping cost probably ate up a good chunk of what little I did pay for the whole lot.

I've randomly run into other sellers who do the same thing... they list something for a low starting price or a somewhat low BIN price and then also put some low shipping cost that is nowhere near what it would actually cost to ship it.
So weird.

Yamaha modified setupds and drivers
Yamaha XG repository
YMF7x4 Guide
Aopen AW744L II SB-LINK

Reply 91 of 934, by Katmai500

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member
EvieSigma wrote on 2020-06-12, 14:40:
canthearu wrote on 2020-06-12, 12:56:
Mine is a simple rant. […]
Show full quote

Mine is a simple rant.

Hate ebay sellers that offer best offer and then reply to any best offer request with a $3 discount (on things $50 or more) or something equally stupid.

I mean, WTF. Why even bother with best offer if you are going to make an insulting counter-offer like that. $3 is just transaction cost noise on ebay, with it's dumb international purchasing and postage costs.

If any of you can understand the mentality behind this, please let me know.

My favorite is when you make a reasonable offer (like say, $5 off an $80 item) and either get flat declined or a counteroffer of...the full asking price.

Again...why have the Make Offer button if you want your full asking price...? Do they not know that it's optional?

I think ebay defaults the make offer option to on for non-auction buy it now listings. So unless the seller explicitly turns it off, it’ll be there. I think a lot of sellers don’t notice this, get surprised when they get an offer, and respond by declining.

Reply 92 of 934, by aaronkatrini

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

This has become a really nice thread for letting go off some steam 😀 I quite like it!

On the topic of sellers with ebay... I need to explain some thing for some people who might not know about it.
To expand my collection and to get the possibility to pay for the cool stuff I get to play every day I need to sell and ebay and other dedicated forums are a great way of giving away something you no longer need and make a little profit.
I have no complaints about the forums, as the rules are clear and people are polite and comprehensive. But ebay is totally a different thing...
Buyers think they have the right to get a response in 24h or less... like I'm a big corporate that run the business 24/7... I'm not, I'm just a person that also has a personal life, but willing to explain and get a reasonable solution out of every problem.
Also, at least here in Italy, the shipping is a big problem. You never know how much the shipping cost will be because it is different for weight/dimentions/country.
For ex. to ship a small package (say a graphics cards without heatsink) with UPS in Germany is about 11 euro, but if god forbid someone from Latvia buys a motherboard combo that weights over 2 kg, how can I explain it to him that the eBay international shipping program charges 89 euro to ship the item to him... I cannot do it, I have to go to the Postal office, stand in line for 30-40 minutes, fill in by hand the paperwork and update the tracking info. No pre-labeled paper, it is more expensive, takes more time, and it will also take more time for shipping.
Put yourself in my shoes, if I sell something on ebay, what should I charge for shipping when for the German guy it is only 11 euro shipping but for the Danish guy is 30 euro?
I try to be as polite as I can and explain the situation, I ask them if they want a refund or continue with the extra payment. It honestly isn't my fault....it is what it is, I guess...!!!

Reply 93 of 934, by imi

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

shipping is a big reason why I don't really want to sell stuff, I respect every individual who takes precious time out off their day to go through the effort of shipping some low value item for a few euros.
I don't take it so easy on bigger sellers though who probably ship items every day, and just do a really bad job at it.

also to add another positive: @aaronkatrini, your packing job was absolutely fabulous and communication and the service you provided was better than any business could probably be ^^ and shipping costs were as expected from italy.
...and it was funny to accidentally run into another Vogoner on ebay ^^

Reply 94 of 934, by Deunan

User metadata
Rank Oldbie
Rank
Oldbie
Miphee wrote on 2020-06-12, 14:47:

I hate when sellers take forever to reply to a message. People are literally fused with their smartphones but don't have time to answer a simple question? Please. (...)
I also hate when it takes 4-5 days to ship a simple item I ordered.

Frankly, if there is something that does annoy me, it's that kind of attitude. I guess I'm the odd one but I rarely browse the web on my smartphone, and I don't read emails on it (never mind replying) either - in case I loose it or it's stolen.
Some of us have a job and other priorities in life, just becuase I sell something for around 100 EUR doesn't mean the buyer now owns me and my time. I will reply when I can and actually feel like it. It's not like it can't wait a day or two if need be.

As for shipping, I might need a bubble envelope or a box. And packing materials, some wide sticky tape, etc, perhaps some forms to fill out. I don't run a shop from my house, more often than not I don't have all I need. Again, I'm not going to just drop everything and go buy all that after work - I might be tired, or have other plans.

I understand that certain level of customer service is expected of shops and people selling on ebay for living. But I dislike this "here and now" attitude that many have even when dealing with other, possibly busy, people. Chill out. Or be prepared to deal with re-sellers who will give all the attention you want, for an eye-watering price. As everybody else will just figure it's too much hassle to sell their junk for a fair price to other hobbyists.

Reply 95 of 934, by imi

User metadata
Rank l33t
Rank
l33t

as long as people are communicating it I'm completely fine with that, I've seen a lot of sellers state that they'll only go to the post office once a week and replies may take a few days... I usually also only start messaging sellers if something doesn't arrive after several weeks have passed, but then there are cases when they are quick to reply anything regarding payment, but you never hear back from them if there is a problem ^^

Reply 96 of 934, by tannerstevo

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member

Not computer related, but I once bought some motorcycle parts in a BIN auction. It included the purchase price and shipping. The next day after paying, the seller messaged me and said "You know the shipping is not included".
So I told him let me know how much and I will pay.
The seller said "You need to arrange for shipping".
So I told him give me the weight and the size and I will have it picked up.
They never responded. I filed a dispute with ebay and got my money back.
Complete dbag.

Reply 97 of 934, by Horun

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++

I have had fairly good luck with all my Ebay, Craigslist local and other private purchases so far in the last few years. Of course I try to communicate as much as possible with a seller if at all possible. The last dozen purchases were near exact what the seller stated in their advert. or told me thru email/pm/etc and all worked except one which came in badly damaged box. I assume it was from shipping or the "throw it to my door" delivery man. One thing that does IRK me is the enourmous shipping prices listed on Ebay by some sellers, as other here have mentioned.

Hate posting a reply and then have to edit it because it made no sense 😁 First computer was an IBM 3270 workstation with CGA monitor. https://archive.org/details/@horun

Reply 98 of 934, by cyclone3d

User metadata
Rank l33t++
Rank
l33t++
Katmai500 wrote on 2020-06-12, 20:24:
EvieSigma wrote on 2020-06-12, 14:40:
canthearu wrote on 2020-06-12, 12:56:
Mine is a simple rant. […]
Show full quote

Mine is a simple rant.

Hate ebay sellers that offer best offer and then reply to any best offer request with a $3 discount (on things $50 or more) or something equally stupid.

I mean, WTF. Why even bother with best offer if you are going to make an insulting counter-offer like that. $3 is just transaction cost noise on ebay, with it's dumb international purchasing and postage costs.

If any of you can understand the mentality behind this, please let me know.

My favorite is when you make a reasonable offer (like say, $5 off an $80 item) and either get flat declined or a counteroffer of...the full asking price.

Again...why have the Make Offer button if you want your full asking price...? Do they not know that it's optional?

I think ebay defaults the make offer option to on for non-auction buy it now listings. So unless the seller explicitly turns it off, it’ll be there. I think a lot of sellers don’t notice this, get surprised when they get an offer, and respond by declining.

Nope... Make offer is not on by default. Unless the seller enables it on purpose it isn't going to be there.

The option is also there to auto decline if the offer is below a certain threshold.

And also to auto-accept if the offer is above a certain threshold.

Yamaha modified setupds and drivers
Yamaha XG repository
YMF7x4 Guide
Aopen AW744L II SB-LINK

Reply 99 of 934, by Katmai500

User metadata
Rank Member
Rank
Member
cyclone3d wrote on 2020-06-13, 00:31:
Nope... Make offer is not on by default. Unless the seller enables it on purpose it isn't going to be there. […]
Show full quote
Katmai500 wrote on 2020-06-12, 20:24:
EvieSigma wrote on 2020-06-12, 14:40:

My favorite is when you make a reasonable offer (like say, $5 off an $80 item) and either get flat declined or a counteroffer of...the full asking price.

Again...why have the Make Offer button if you want your full asking price...? Do they not know that it's optional?

I think ebay defaults the make offer option to on for non-auction buy it now listings. So unless the seller explicitly turns it off, it’ll be there. I think a lot of sellers don’t notice this, get surprised when they get an offer, and respond by declining.

Nope... Make offer is not on by default. Unless the seller enables it on purpose it isn't going to be there.

The option is also there to auto decline if the offer is below a certain threshold.

And also to auto-accept if the offer is above a certain threshold.

Interesting. I just tried to create a buy it now listing on eBay to test this, and make an offer was enabled by default and eBay even filled in a recommend minimum offer amount.