Need Ebay help fast!!!
TV ClubHouse: Archive: Need Ebay help fast!!!
Julieboo | Friday, September 06, 2002 - 10:40 am     Sia You do NOT have to sign up on Paypal to sign up on Ebay. Yes, I love Paypal and it gets you the stuff faster and it is so easy to use. BUT... you can sign up on Ebay and bid on stuff and pay using money orders and/or personal checks. Most sellers take MOs. And you can read their terms forst and/or ask them a question before you bid. To sign up on Ebay, you don't have to give any credit card numbers--only normal stuff like your address and email addy... |
Sia | Friday, September 06, 2002 - 11:51 am     THANKS, Julieboo! That makes me feel better. I gave up on e-bay over a year ago as being technologically out of my reach, and hadn't looked at the site in the meantime. Now that I've gone browsing a bit, though, I see things I'd love to have! It would be more convenient to have the PayPal account, but I'll check into the alternative payment options. I've noticed that some sellers don't even take PayPal; guess it's whatever people get used to and prefer. E-bay shoppers, unite! This thread is the place for help and instructions. Thanks to everyone for posting. |
Lurknomore | Friday, September 06, 2002 - 05:31 pm     Hi I'm gonna chime in here. This is my first time over in this forum. What fun who knew there was so much going out outside of BB lol. But as an experienced Ebay'er I'll share what I consider the single most important ebay tip. NEVER ever EVER bid before the last 5 minutes of an auction. All early bidding does is serve to drive up the bidding war and keep others glued to their computer. Also when folks see a lot of bids on an item days before it ends they think it's a hot item to pay attention to. When possible I try to bid within the last 2 minutes. Only flaw with that is possible computer failure so if i really want an item I make sure to reboot so I'll be set to avoid most problems. |
Sia | Friday, September 06, 2002 - 08:26 pm     Thanks for the tip, Lurknomore. Seems like everyone's tried e-bay 'cept for me! |
Halfunit | Friday, September 06, 2002 - 08:55 pm     Here is another E-bay/online purchasing tip: I have a credit card that only has a $300 limit. This is what I use for ALL of my online purchases. (I figure if I'm going to spend more than that, I want to touch it and feel it, lol.) This way, if I should be taken advantage of, they won't get much! While I have never had any problems, I also like to take the better safe than sorry route. Just a suggestion. PS - congrats to Sia and Bob on the Barbie purchases!!! |
Lurknomore | Saturday, September 07, 2002 - 08:00 am     Sia...my problem has been staying AWAY from Ebay versus not ever trying it Beware the addictive powers lol. It's awesome for stuff you see on TV aka QVC and HSN. Can get most of that stuff at approx 1/3 the on-air price, sometimes less. Got a hand painted Amish made and painted storage/seat bench that was like $120 on air for about $30. And I love a line of sweaters called Storybook Knits. They are usually $70-80 up to $100. At Ebay they range from high 20's to usually low $40's. I love Ebay I'm actually toying with selling to finance my buying. Has anyone ever tried this end of it? |
Lurknomore | Saturday, September 07, 2002 - 08:05 am     Almost forgot I actually came over to add another Ebay tip that has served me well over the years. If I lose an auction or if it has ended I write the seller to see if they have more. Sometimes if an auction went too high and I'm not desperate for it, and no one bid, I write and ask if they could do a little better. Often I suggest what I think a fair price would be. More often than not I've made deals this way. Sellers love it cause then they don't have to pay Ebay the comission, and I get something cheaper/what I missed/etc. I have bought more this way than through actual auctions. Just another tip FYI's. |
Rolandcat | Saturday, September 07, 2002 - 09:53 pm     Lurknomore, I agree. Put the item you are interested in on your watch list and go to it with 5 minutes to go. Wait until the last minute (30 secs if you have DSL) and put in a final bid. If I really want it, I will make the final bid at LEAST $20 more than the last bid. Most bidders will only go an extra $1-$3 so they do not have time to make another bid in the last minute. That is how I own more than 300 beanie babies. I got so bad when I first started bidding that I had to stop going on. Ebay is bad for a shopaholic. |
Rolandcat | Saturday, September 07, 2002 - 09:56 pm     And again Lurk is right.... Once a seller knows you are interested in their product, they will put you on their update list, if they are big time sellers. I have a nice fairy lights collection due to that. I started with my grandmother's collection and have added to them. |
Bob2112 | Sunday, September 08, 2002 - 08:59 pm     Update on "Bob and Sia's Excellent eBay Adventure!" (imagine guitar riff) Payment has been made for both items and the total (including my reshipping to Sia) is $18.99! I wish all eBay auctions went as smoothly as these two did. I have already received (Saturday) the earrings from the first auction and the second pair should be shipped on Monday, which may be Tuesday in Australia. <Still don't see any Jujugoat dolls in my eBay search!> |
Sia | Sunday, September 08, 2002 - 09:33 pm     Bob, you are utterly amazing! Thank you so much. Please advise as to what I might send your family to thank you--besides the money, of course!
(I watched PART of an episode of SpongeBobSquarePants yesterday at my mother's house.) |
Sisalou | Monday, September 09, 2002 - 08:36 pm     Hi ya'll, I desperately needed an ebay intervention a couple of weeks ago. I got a little manic and bid on $300.00 worth of stuff. Then when a moment of clarity came in I started praying that I would be outbid! Fortunately, I was outbid on about $160.00 of stuff. I haven't been back since. I did get several xmas gifts though. Lurk - I used to sell on ebay. It was pretty easy and profitable too. It is alittle time consuming. I sold rocks of all things. Raw gems and minerals and fossils. Depending on what you sell just make sure you package your items really well to keep from breaking. I sold some pretty fragile stuff and never had anything break. Have fun if you do decide to sell. |
Sia | Saturday, September 14, 2002 - 12:31 pm     Bob, I mailed your money today. Thank you so much for all your help! Hope you're having a nice vacation!  |
Halfunit | Sunday, October 06, 2002 - 09:48 am     Got this from a friend, and didn't know where else to put it...
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Sisalou | Sunday, October 06, 2002 - 02:43 pm     OMG! Halfunit that is too funny!!!! Thanks for posting it.
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Juju2bigdog | Sunday, October 06, 2002 - 08:19 pm     I got that too some time back, Halfunit. Isn't it great? And a wonderful lesson for all of us too. Hahahahahahaha. |
Sia | Sunday, October 06, 2002 - 08:36 pm     I took a picture like that years ago of my newly-remodeled bathroom--which I had done all by myself when I was young, vibrant, healthy, energetic and owned my own home (single days!!)--wearing nothing but a t-shirt and panties. My reflection showed in the mirror over the bathroom sink, but I failed to notice that until someone looked at my photo album! I was pretty embarrassed! Oh, those were the days! |
Dagny | Sunday, October 06, 2002 - 11:00 pm     From E-bay Currently US $9.99 (approx. C $15.77 ) Buy It Now for US $16.99 (approx. C $26.83 ) This option disappears once a bid is placed. What does this mean??? |
Weinermr | Sunday, October 06, 2002 - 11:51 pm     Dagny, The "buy it now" option means that you can buy the item for $16.99 and bypass the auction process. Simply click on the "buy it now" button, and there will not be an auction. The item is yours for $16.99. However, once someone bids on the item, in any amount, the option to "buy it now" goes away, and the item will be sold by auction as per the usual eBay procedure. |
Lumbele | Monday, October 07, 2002 - 07:56 am     I can't believe I have been lurking around here since BB1, but never ventured outside of that forum, when there is so much to be learned around here.LOL So, since we are getting answers here about ebay (a site I have heard about, but never visited) can any Canadians who frequent there offer tips for a net greenhorn? How does the cross border thing work? Having shopped online at US sites, I have always been disgusted by the final sum I had to fork over considering the CC company's exchange rate (the highest possible, of course), then the GST and *'handling'* charges by Canada Customs (shouldn't that be included in our taxes?). Whatever happened to Brian's Free Trade? Any *simple, plain English* explainations of Paypal? Maybe I should be posting this in the 'Dumb Questions' thread?!?LOL |
Djgirl5235 | Monday, October 07, 2002 - 11:54 am     Lumbele - I go to Ebay.ca rather than .com, and all the prices are in CDN$... You can have the option to see only auctions available in Canada, and the bottom line price (Inc. shipping) is the bottom line (no conversion needed)... Just a thought. |
Lumbele | Monday, October 07, 2002 - 01:50 pm     Djgirl, you mean there is an ebay.ca? Well, I'll be darned!!!LOL The things you learn around here! Thanks for the info! |
Admin | Monday, October 07, 2002 - 02:13 pm     I've been a big ebay user since nearly the beginning of ebay. I buy and sell, a lot of car parts, wristwatches and other stuff. When I need something, I look there. I think you've pretty much covered everything, but I would like to add: Make sure you know what you are buying and when in doubt, either ask the seller for more photos or stay away. I've been burned a few times by bad photos or bad descriptions or lying sellers. Most people seem good, but there are some bad apples and Ebay will not do much to help if you get burned. |
Cjr | Monday, October 07, 2002 - 09:18 pm     Thanks for all the tips. I collect dreamsicle figurines and have bought several from Ebay. I usually use the buy it now if its one I really want because I get outbid at the last minute. I never understood why I could be the only bidder for 2 days and WHAM! Last minute its gone. I am usually at work and can't always go on Ebay when the auction is up. That is my main problem with it. Also is Pay Pal safe? I usually send MO but have been thinking about signing up for Pay Pal. I have never given my credit card # online before. |
Karuuna | Monday, October 07, 2002 - 09:25 pm     Ebay just bought Pay Pal, didn't they? |
Jo_5329 | Tuesday, October 08, 2002 - 04:52 am     Yeah, Karuuna, I just read that somewhere .. in the last few days in fact. I found this much about it from the Yahoo! News Page: PayPal: Going, Going, Gone Fri Oct 4,10:00 AM ET Joris Evers, IDG News Service EBay has completed the acquisition of online payment company PayPal, the San Jose, California, Internet auction company said Thursday. The stock-swap transaction, valued at $1.5 billion when announced in July, was approved by holders of about 65 percent of PayPal's common stock, representing more than 99 percent of the shares voting, eBay said in a statement. Peter Thiel, PayPal's chief executive officer, resigned. His role will be taken over by eBay's senior vice president of global online payments, Matt Bannick, eBay said. Buying and Selling PayPal, of Mountain View, California, enables businesses and consumers to send and receive credit card and bank account payments via the Internet and e-mail. EBay's Billpoint payment system will be completely replaced by PayPal in the first half of next year. PayPal will continue to operate as an independent brand and provide its Web Accept online payment processing service to online merchants. However, PayPal's online gaming business will be phased out, eBay said. The $1.5 billion deal valuation is based on eBay's average closing stock price over the period two days before and after the deal was announced and a fixed exchange ratio of 0.39 eBay shares for each PayPal share, eBay said. The deal also includes about $17 million in acquisition-related costs, eBay said. PayPal went public in February. end of story Jo |
Crazydog | Wednesday, October 09, 2002 - 12:02 pm     Question: I have never had problems with a seller before. An auction ended last Sunday and I was the only bidder. The seller said he accepts PayPal, so I went to PayPal and logged in the money. I then e-mailed the seller to tell him that I had paid via PayPal and gave him my address. Have not heard from the seller since. I suspect that he is disappointed with the low bid price (similar items went for much more). According to PayPal, he has not yet "picked up" the money. I thought EBay rules say you are supposed to contact each other within three days. Seems kind of irresponsible to not check your e-mail or follow-up. What is my recourse if this guy ends up bailing? Does PayPal charge my credit card immediately or when the guy picks up the money? Is there any way to undo the transaction if it is not picked up after say a week? |
Max | Wednesday, October 09, 2002 - 01:03 pm     Was there a reserve price on the auction? If so, and if your bid didn't meet the reserve, then the seller doesn't have to sell to you. Often in those situations, the seller won't respond. However, since you paid with PayPal, s/he sure needs to contact you! PayPal does charge your credit card immediately. If you did charge it to a credit card rather than pull directly from your bank, you can always call the credit card company and dispute the transaction. Maybe the seller went on vacation or something. Hard to tell. You can also report the seller to EBay and, of course, leave negative feedback. Good luck! |
Kstme | Wednesday, October 09, 2002 - 01:30 pm     Crazydog...Did you check this person's feedback before you bid? I got BURNT ONCE and I hope it never happens again! I didn't lose much but my pride. Ditto to what Admin said...they won't do much to help you out! |
Crazydog | Wednesday, October 09, 2002 - 02:35 pm     Thanks Max and Kstme. There was no reserve price, so I know that I won the item. I just checked PayPal and it said the sale was completed, but the guy has still not e-mailed me. I did check the feedback, he didn't have a whole lot of transactions but none were negative. So since he "picked up" the PayPal transaction, it means he accepted the sale. I suppose if he doesn't send it to me I am going to dispute the transaction. But I'll still hold out hope that everything will go fine. Good thing it was for only around $30. |
Halfunit | Wednesday, October 09, 2002 - 07:52 pm     Crazy - Since the auction ended Sunday, and today is Wednesday, I'd give the seller a few more days. You never know if something happened to their computer, illness, etc. Did you try to e-mail them again? At least by them picking up their money, you know some type of action is going on... I'd give it a week before you worry too much. Let us know if you get your item! |
Jo_5329 | Thursday, October 10, 2002 - 08:33 am     Oops --- found and eBay story I'm not sure I like very much!
eBay's Tough Talk on Fraud doesn't stand scrutiny "Oct. 9 — EBay officials say they are aggressively fighting fraud in the massive online marketplace, but an investigation by MSNBC.com shows that the company doesn’t routinely inform customers when they have been ripped off or regularly notify law enforcement about apparently illegal activity on its site — even when presented with solid evidence of wrongdoing. The review of two-dozen cases also raises questions about how eBay measures fraud and lends credence to accusations that the company has adopted an especially laissez-faire attitude toward sins by profit-driving “power sellers,” whose fees are crucial to its bottom line." Go to the link above to get the complete story.
My mom sells a lot of stuff on eBay, and I use to buy from there --- but got tired of the huge Shipping and Handling fees and pain in the backside sellers. I wonder if eBay has gotten too big for it's britches ! Jo |
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