Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[chickencam]

I have been selling on the run up to Christmas for the past 12 years or so. It started with selling on outgrown toys from our children and other unwanted items to raise money to pay for the new batch. A great way to help with the cost of Christmas and recycle things at the same time. We buy a lot of second hand things so the cost of keeping our youngsters happy has been reasonable over the years. This year, however, I have had quite a few cancelled orders and complaints about items which were perfect when they left here, we don't sell damaged or worn items, if I wouldn't want to buy it, I don't sell it, simple as that. Has anyone else found this to be an issue?

People seem to think that they can treat eBay like M&S, I try to be fair, but if someone makes a best offer then they have to realise that they are committing to buy the item if the offer is accepted. I think eBay need to start supporting their sellers better or there could be mutiny.

I have so far cancelled orders when requested and made full or partial refunds to people with complaints, but I have reached the end of my tether now. I have just sent a snotty message to a buyer who made a best offer last night who when reminded about payment came back and said that they had now bought the item from another seller. It was two hours before I responded to the offer, but I was busy having my tea and didn't see it immediately. If I had been at work it would have been longer, the terms of an offer are 48 hours. This person has only got 17 feedbacks so I feel the need to educate them in the ways of eBay!

Sorry for the rant but it is driving me bonkers.

[soapdragon]

I agree completely. E bay are not always fair in their dealings and do seem to favour the buyer. Having said that, after a few years of happy and successful buying (as well as selling) I have had some really bad experiences recently.

 

It seems that some people are simply not adhereing to the very simple idea that e bay runs on trust and principals ie; if you wouldn't be happy to receive it then don't sell it and once you have hit the button on a bid or buy it now you have committed yourself.

 

Mid November I bought a pair of Next trousers for ES described as perfect. They didn't arrive and I heard nothing from the seller in spite of several polite messages. I had to open a case to get them and when I got the package they were missing a button, stained and marked....clearly hadn't been near a washing machine for some time! I then had to open another case to return them as the seller refused to communicate and subsequently won the case as the seller wouldn't communicate with e bay either. So, yes, it was sorted out in the end but it too nearly 3 weeks - the hassle when things go wrong is a pain.

 

I do wonder if e bay has had its day now I am certainly very wary of using it either to buy or sell but have had some great transactions with Gumtree. The photos you can post are bigger, a map can be included in the ad so buyers can see where the item is and pick up gives the opportunity to give the item the once over - the only thing to beware of is taking a cheque which could bounce.

[mullethunter]

If you're on Facebook (I'm not but OH is), the local buy, sell and swap groups seem to be much better than eBay for selling stuff. And we've just bought a lovely little 'monks seat' for £50. Bargain!

[chickencam]

We sold our old Volvo through Facebook, because we couldn't bear to s"Ooops, word censored!" it. Glad to say that two years on it is still taxed MOT and still on the road

[Cinnamon]

I have used eBay for more years than I can remember now, & have certainly noticed a decline in standards & an increase in what I would call cheeky bu****s

As a seller, I put this down to us not being able to leave anything other than posotive feedback for our buyers.

 

As a buyer I have had to make so many cases about items that have either not arrived, have arrived late or have arrived in very poor condition, that eBay actually sent me a warning email saying that I had opened too many cases!

I just expect an item to be as described, is all.......

 

I now send everything by courier, so it is tracked, as I am quite certain that a few things I have sent have arrived but are marked as non arrivals. I did catch one seller out, who marked something I sent as a non arrival, got a refund, then proceeded to list it themselves for sale a few weeks later (yes, I do check back)

 

Also, as a buyer, I now take numerous very, very detailed photos of whatever I send, so if someone says that it is ripped or whatever, I can prove that it was not when I sent it.

In the same vein, if I send an item back to a seller that is faulty or damaged, I take a photo of the damage, because I have twice had a seller say that when it arrived back there was nothing wrong with it.

 

People can be sneaky & crafty. Makes it tough on those of us who liked eBay for the nice little marketplace it was.

[percy049]

I don't bother with selling on eBay anymore. The items I sell go for so little and then after eBay take their fees its hardly worth bothering with all the effort. I take most things to a charity shop now or if they're of some value, Gumtree