Dozey Ebay Bidders?
Discussion
Apologies if posted in wrong part of forum.....
What is it about people using Ebay? I had an item for sale with a number of watchers, item listed for 7 days and (unknown to me until after auction had ended) one person sent a note offering a 20% lower sum, with just over 1 hour left on auction and another (this is amazing) left it until 5 minutes before auction end to send a similar note. I'd listed it as auction because if using Buy-it-now Ebay will only allow a "good until sold" listing so potential bidders have no 'time constraint' and just don't bother bidding. I relisted the item with an option to 'make offers' (I set it to accept at what is 10% off), and sent both guys a note saying it had now been relisted and telling them the offer price I would accept. '5 minutes to go' guy immediately responded saying he would buy one, and 2 days later hasn't bothered - I think he's waiting until it's 5 minutes before the end before he 'tries again'
What else can I do to prompt buyers into actually buying? Ebay doesn't help with keep changing the format, but over the years I've found it to be good for selling unwanted items.
What is it about people using Ebay? I had an item for sale with a number of watchers, item listed for 7 days and (unknown to me until after auction had ended) one person sent a note offering a 20% lower sum, with just over 1 hour left on auction and another (this is amazing) left it until 5 minutes before auction end to send a similar note. I'd listed it as auction because if using Buy-it-now Ebay will only allow a "good until sold" listing so potential bidders have no 'time constraint' and just don't bother bidding. I relisted the item with an option to 'make offers' (I set it to accept at what is 10% off), and sent both guys a note saying it had now been relisted and telling them the offer price I would accept. '5 minutes to go' guy immediately responded saying he would buy one, and 2 days later hasn't bothered - I think he's waiting until it's 5 minutes before the end before he 'tries again'
What else can I do to prompt buyers into actually buying? Ebay doesn't help with keep changing the format, but over the years I've found it to be good for selling unwanted items.
Fastpedeller said:
Apologies if posted in wrong part of forum.....
What is it about people using Ebay? I had an item for sale with a number of watchers, item listed for 7 days and (unknown to me until after auction had ended) one person sent a note offering a 20% lower sum, with just over 1 hour left on auction and another (this is amazing) left it until 5 minutes before auction end to send a similar note. I'd listed it as auction because if using Buy-it-now Ebay will only allow a "good until sold" listing so potential bidders have no 'time constraint' and just don't bother bidding. I relisted the item with an option to 'make offers' (I set it to accept at what is 10% off), and sent both guys a note saying it had now been relisted and telling them the offer price I would accept. '5 minutes to go' guy immediately responded saying he would buy one, and 2 days later hasn't bothered - I think he's waiting until it's 5 minutes before the end before he 'tries again'
What else can I do to prompt buyers into actually buying? Ebay doesn't help with keep changing the format, but over the years I've found it to be good for selling unwanted items.
I've now sold to a different bidder, and he seems to have forgotten to pay - Ebay will automatically make a no payment strike after a certain time. Despite sending an invoice and following up with a polite note 24 hours later, I've had no communication from him. I have 100% good feedback over several years - what has gone wrong with buyers recently? A few weeks ago I sold a rare cycle part for 99p, and similar happened - After waiting a few days I sent a note saying "It's only 99p - if you've decided not to buy it I'll not bother, but can you let me know?" Guy emailed "yes, I still want it mate" but never did buy it and got an automatic non-payment strike. It was clear from his purchases/sales, name and business status that he was also in the cycle trade. What is it about people using Ebay? I had an item for sale with a number of watchers, item listed for 7 days and (unknown to me until after auction had ended) one person sent a note offering a 20% lower sum, with just over 1 hour left on auction and another (this is amazing) left it until 5 minutes before auction end to send a similar note. I'd listed it as auction because if using Buy-it-now Ebay will only allow a "good until sold" listing so potential bidders have no 'time constraint' and just don't bother bidding. I relisted the item with an option to 'make offers' (I set it to accept at what is 10% off), and sent both guys a note saying it had now been relisted and telling them the offer price I would accept. '5 minutes to go' guy immediately responded saying he would buy one, and 2 days later hasn't bothered - I think he's waiting until it's 5 minutes before the end before he 'tries again'
What else can I do to prompt buyers into actually buying? Ebay doesn't help with keep changing the format, but over the years I've found it to be good for selling unwanted items.
I have a hobby Ebay shop. If you send me no details of your vehicle I despatch what you ordered straight away. If you send me full details I check the compatibility and either despatch your order straight away or refund your purchase if you have ordered the wrong part. If you send me part details I ask for further details or suggest that you send me your reg number and I will look up your vehicle. After messaging one buyer five times for further details I cancelled his order. Two weeks later he left feedback saying I was trying to clone his car but he was too smart for me. This was after he sent me messages asking for compensation for the money he had lost because he had not been able to fit the parts to a customers vehicle. I left the negative feedback up because it's insane paranoia and my sarcastic response amused me.
99% of Ebay buyers are genuine (even if some are a little hard of thinking). But the other 1% are a nightmare.
99% of Ebay buyers are genuine (even if some are a little hard of thinking). But the other 1% are a nightmare.
Fastpedeller said:
Apologies if posted in wrong part of forum.....
What is it about people using Ebay? I had an item for sale with a number of watchers, item listed for 7 days and (unknown to me until after auction had ended) one person sent a note offering a 20% lower sum, with just over 1 hour left on auction and another (this is amazing) left it until 5 minutes before auction end to send a similar note. I'd listed it as auction because if using Buy-it-now Ebay will only allow a "good until sold" listing so potential bidders have no 'time constraint' and just don't bother bidding. I relisted the item with an option to 'make offers' (I set it to accept at what is 10% off), and sent both guys a note saying it had now been relisted and telling them the offer price I would accept. '5 minutes to go' guy immediately responded saying he would buy one, and 2 days later hasn't bothered - I think he's waiting until it's 5 minutes before the end before he 'tries again'
What else can I do to prompt buyers into actually buying? Ebay doesn't help with keep changing the format, but over the years I've found it to be good for selling unwanted items.
Why are you giving the option of "Make an Offer" then?What is it about people using Ebay? I had an item for sale with a number of watchers, item listed for 7 days and (unknown to me until after auction had ended) one person sent a note offering a 20% lower sum, with just over 1 hour left on auction and another (this is amazing) left it until 5 minutes before auction end to send a similar note. I'd listed it as auction because if using Buy-it-now Ebay will only allow a "good until sold" listing so potential bidders have no 'time constraint' and just don't bother bidding. I relisted the item with an option to 'make offers' (I set it to accept at what is 10% off), and sent both guys a note saying it had now been relisted and telling them the offer price I would accept. '5 minutes to go' guy immediately responded saying he would buy one, and 2 days later hasn't bothered - I think he's waiting until it's 5 minutes before the end before he 'tries again'
What else can I do to prompt buyers into actually buying? Ebay doesn't help with keep changing the format, but over the years I've found it to be good for selling unwanted items.
sgtBerbatov said:
Why are you giving the option of "Make an Offer" then?
Because it speeds up the selling process - if someone makes an offer (it may even be the starting price) and I accept, then it's sold. I've found that a BIN means buyers just don't bother buying until the last minute (why?) and if (as Ebay now dictates) there is no end-date for BIN, then I can't see a sale at all. dundarach said:
I've never had a problem buying stuff, however I've loads of old psion stuff I'd like to thin out a bit, however simply not worth the hassle for £50.
If you're trying to run a business on eBay as a seller, I would imagine it's a real nightmare now sadly!
What hassle?If you're trying to run a business on eBay as a seller, I would imagine it's a real nightmare now sadly!
Take a couple of photos, put on a description and stick it on a 99p start auction.
I've sold loads of bits and bobs over the last 10 years or so on eBay and have only had a couple of issues.
Last thing I sold was my old Minidisc player I found in a drawer. Was going to bin it but got £35 for it
Like others have said, most of the people out there just want to buy stuff that they want/need and are fine about it. There is some psychology involved in the bidding process, and I’m sure some people don’t like being bitten by this
I always list stuff with a buy it now price, and almost without fail, the bids go above this. Its as if people think “there’s a bargain, but I may get it really cheap when the bidding starts, so I’ll bid later”. I had some Mondeo alloys go for over double what I had them listed for on a “buy it now”.
I’ve almost never had an issue with buying stuff, probably because I don't behave like a knobhead, or I don’t think I do… I’ve only ever had an issue buying something (a Golf tailgate) and that was someone who wanted to still charge me for the postage when I went to pick it up.
Then there is the saga of one prat who sent over a dozen emails about a front chainwheel set off a pedal bike which was on for a BIN of £20 (and that was a bargain). He tried this sob story about how he couldn’t afford it, so I should be charitable and sell it for £10 or even donate it to his bike building project. He never once bid and sent me an email how I was such a nasty person. My reply ended in “off”
I always list stuff with a buy it now price, and almost without fail, the bids go above this. Its as if people think “there’s a bargain, but I may get it really cheap when the bidding starts, so I’ll bid later”. I had some Mondeo alloys go for over double what I had them listed for on a “buy it now”.
I’ve almost never had an issue with buying stuff, probably because I don't behave like a knobhead, or I don’t think I do… I’ve only ever had an issue buying something (a Golf tailgate) and that was someone who wanted to still charge me for the postage when I went to pick it up.
Then there is the saga of one prat who sent over a dozen emails about a front chainwheel set off a pedal bike which was on for a BIN of £20 (and that was a bargain). He tried this sob story about how he couldn’t afford it, so I should be charitable and sell it for £10 or even donate it to his bike building project. He never once bid and sent me an email how I was such a nasty person. My reply ended in “off”
can't remember said:
I have a hobby Ebay shop. If you send me no details of your vehicle I despatch what you ordered straight away. If you send me full details I check the compatibility and either despatch your order straight away or refund your purchase if you have ordered the wrong part. If you send me part details I ask for further details or suggest that you send me your reg number and I will look up your vehicle. After messaging one buyer five times for further details I cancelled his order. Two weeks later he left feedback saying I was trying to clone his car but he was too smart for me. This was after he sent me messages asking for compensation for the money he had lost because he had not been able to fit the parts to a customers vehicle. I left the negative feedback up because it's insane paranoia and my sarcastic response amused me.
99% of Ebay buyers are genuine (even if some are a little hard of thinking). But the other 1% are a nightmare.
Crikey - I feel your pain. It must be a nightmare if running a business, as it's bad enough (from my recent experience) just selling the odd item.99% of Ebay buyers are genuine (even if some are a little hard of thinking). But the other 1% are a nightmare.
bucksmanuk said:
Like others have said, most of the people out there just want to buy stuff that they want/need and are fine about it. There is some psychology involved in the bidding process, and I’m sure some people don’t like being bitten by this
I always list stuff with a buy it now price, and almost without fail, the bids go above this. Its as if people think “there’s a bargain, but I may get it really cheap when the bidding starts, so I’ll bid later”. I had some Mondeo alloys go for over double what I had them listed for on a “buy it now”.
I’ve almost never had an issue with buying stuff, probably because I don't behave like a knobhead, or I don’t think I do… I’ve only ever had an issue buying something (a Golf tailgate) and that was someone who wanted to still charge me for the postage when I went to pick it up.
Then there is the saga of one prat who sent over a dozen emails about a front chainwheel set off a pedal bike which was on for a BIN of £20 (and that was a bargain). He tried this sob story about how he couldn’t afford it, so I should be charitable and sell it for £10 or even donate it to his bike building project. He never once bid and sent me an email how I was such a nasty person. My reply ended in “off”
Was your reply "Of course I'd love to help with your bike building project, can't give the item away for free unfortunately (as I've got ebay fees and postage to cover) but I'd be more than happy to knock £10 off"?I always list stuff with a buy it now price, and almost without fail, the bids go above this. Its as if people think “there’s a bargain, but I may get it really cheap when the bidding starts, so I’ll bid later”. I had some Mondeo alloys go for over double what I had them listed for on a “buy it now”.
I’ve almost never had an issue with buying stuff, probably because I don't behave like a knobhead, or I don’t think I do… I’ve only ever had an issue buying something (a Golf tailgate) and that was someone who wanted to still charge me for the postage when I went to pick it up.
Then there is the saga of one prat who sent over a dozen emails about a front chainwheel set off a pedal bike which was on for a BIN of £20 (and that was a bargain). He tried this sob story about how he couldn’t afford it, so I should be charitable and sell it for £10 or even donate it to his bike building project. He never once bid and sent me an email how I was such a nasty person. My reply ended in “off”
Winding up idiots on ebay can be a good sport. I'm selling a watch on ebay at the mo, have had numerous timewasters message me about it, including a very persistent chap who I ended up agreeing a price with, only for him to then ask me to drive 2 hours away to deliver it to him!
Plenty of plonkers on ebay, usually they out themselves fairly quickly fortunately. Lots of good buyers on there too so the good outweighs the bad for me personally.
I tend to use Facebook market place now and I've done okay out of it, but some things that are more specific/higher value have gone better on eBay.
There have been silly ones though. I think the most memorable was a gaming PC. There was an almost identical one (slightly lower spec) on eBay for £400, but was overpriced, so I started the auction at £200. I got a message of a guy in north Devon asking various questions about it, he was really keen and offered £250 for it, which was okay with me so I agreed via the messages, then he send a message saying he needed it for his son's birthday on the Tuesday, this was on the Saturday. I said fine, just make the offer via eBay, I'd send it via a courier on the Monday to arrive on the Tuesday. He replied to say that he wanted it on the Monday, so his son could open it on the Tuesday morning, so would I drive it up to him and also slipped in that after dropping it off on the Monday, he would then pay me on the Tuesday or Wednesday, when his son got his birthday money. He couldn't seem to understand why I wasn't keen on a 3hr round trip (and he was only prepared to pay the £10 courier delivery I offered), only to be paid when his son received the money.
We sell a lot on eBay via work and it's all buy it now, with a Power Seller account, so we are backed up by eBay a lot more than as a private seller. As we sell a lot per week via eBay, they try harder to keep you happy, like removing unfair feedback (like where someone has ordered at 10pm with the standard shipping service and demands it next day).
There have been silly ones though. I think the most memorable was a gaming PC. There was an almost identical one (slightly lower spec) on eBay for £400, but was overpriced, so I started the auction at £200. I got a message of a guy in north Devon asking various questions about it, he was really keen and offered £250 for it, which was okay with me so I agreed via the messages, then he send a message saying he needed it for his son's birthday on the Tuesday, this was on the Saturday. I said fine, just make the offer via eBay, I'd send it via a courier on the Monday to arrive on the Tuesday. He replied to say that he wanted it on the Monday, so his son could open it on the Tuesday morning, so would I drive it up to him and also slipped in that after dropping it off on the Monday, he would then pay me on the Tuesday or Wednesday, when his son got his birthday money. He couldn't seem to understand why I wasn't keen on a 3hr round trip (and he was only prepared to pay the £10 courier delivery I offered), only to be paid when his son received the money.
We sell a lot on eBay via work and it's all buy it now, with a Power Seller account, so we are backed up by eBay a lot more than as a private seller. As we sell a lot per week via eBay, they try harder to keep you happy, like removing unfair feedback (like where someone has ordered at 10pm with the standard shipping service and demands it next day).
opieoilman said:
I tend to use Facebook market place now and I've done okay out of it, but some things that are more specific/higher value have gone better on eBay.
There have been silly ones though. I think the most memorable was a gaming PC. There was an almost identical one (slightly lower spec) on eBay for £400, but was overpriced, so I started the auction at £200. I got a message of a guy in north Devon asking various questions about it, he was really keen and offered £250 for it, which was okay with me so I agreed via the messages, then he send a message saying he needed it for his son's birthday on the Tuesday, this was on the Saturday. I said fine, just make the offer via eBay, I'd send it via a courier on the Monday to arrive on the Tuesday. He replied to say that he wanted it on the Monday, so his son could open it on the Tuesday morning, so would I drive it up to him and also slipped in that after dropping it off on the Monday, he would then pay me on the Tuesday or Wednesday, when his son got his birthday money. He couldn't seem to understand why I wasn't keen on a 3hr round trip (and he was only prepared to pay the £10 courier delivery I offered), only to be paid when his son received the money.
We sell a lot on eBay via work and it's all buy it now, with a Power Seller account, so we are backed up by eBay a lot more than as a private seller. As we sell a lot per week via eBay, they try harder to keep you happy, like removing unfair feedback (like where someone has ordered at 10pm with the standard shipping service and demands it next day).
Unbelievable. Some people are ridiculous!There have been silly ones though. I think the most memorable was a gaming PC. There was an almost identical one (slightly lower spec) on eBay for £400, but was overpriced, so I started the auction at £200. I got a message of a guy in north Devon asking various questions about it, he was really keen and offered £250 for it, which was okay with me so I agreed via the messages, then he send a message saying he needed it for his son's birthday on the Tuesday, this was on the Saturday. I said fine, just make the offer via eBay, I'd send it via a courier on the Monday to arrive on the Tuesday. He replied to say that he wanted it on the Monday, so his son could open it on the Tuesday morning, so would I drive it up to him and also slipped in that after dropping it off on the Monday, he would then pay me on the Tuesday or Wednesday, when his son got his birthday money. He couldn't seem to understand why I wasn't keen on a 3hr round trip (and he was only prepared to pay the £10 courier delivery I offered), only to be paid when his son received the money.
We sell a lot on eBay via work and it's all buy it now, with a Power Seller account, so we are backed up by eBay a lot more than as a private seller. As we sell a lot per week via eBay, they try harder to keep you happy, like removing unfair feedback (like where someone has ordered at 10pm with the standard shipping service and demands it next day).
I’ve had nothing like that. Sold some bike pedals for £11 recently and the buyer seems to be a plonker. Didn’t receive any payment initially and left it a few days before messaging buyer. He responded asking if I could give him a week to make payment which I said was fine.
A week later I messaged him asking if he was ready to make payment and no response. I explained that if he couldn’t pay I would like to relist it whilst I had a selling offer active which was ending that day. Still no response. Started a non payment dispute and got a response the next day saying “just relist it”
I explained that it might have been more helpful if he had told me that the day before. He then said I would receive payment by midnight. Didn’t come as a huge surprise when I didn’t!
I’m just waiting for dispute to end now so that he gets an unpaid item strike but I think eBay is a bit to lenient with buyers sometimes. I can only imagine the buyer is a kid, it’s an £11 item that he can’t seem to purchase. He explained that he really wanted it too. So frustrating
Also had another experience selling bike suspension forks recently which fetched at least £100 over what I considered a reasonable price.
Payment never materialised and buyer never responded to a single message.
Started a dispute and got a message saying “I have not money so won’t buy”
I responded “so why did you bid?”
I then got a much more coherent response from allegedly the boys uncle stating that he was sorry and his nephew was new to eBay and didn’t really understand how it worked. He asked a few questions about the forks and said he would cover the cost.
I was very suspicious and buyer had 0 feedback although “uncle” linked me to his account which had feedback. However that was a while back and I received the payment with no problems and no repercussions as of yet.
I have generally been very lucky with eBay though. Both of my brothers seem to have nothing but problems with buyers.
Payment never materialised and buyer never responded to a single message.
Started a dispute and got a message saying “I have not money so won’t buy”
I responded “so why did you bid?”
I then got a much more coherent response from allegedly the boys uncle stating that he was sorry and his nephew was new to eBay and didn’t really understand how it worked. He asked a few questions about the forks and said he would cover the cost.
I was very suspicious and buyer had 0 feedback although “uncle” linked me to his account which had feedback. However that was a while back and I received the payment with no problems and no repercussions as of yet.
I have generally been very lucky with eBay though. Both of my brothers seem to have nothing but problems with buyers.
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