[Leica] Selling on eBay... Experiences....... List it here first....flea bay stores and help

[Mark Kronquist]

It seems as though ebay (Power Seller Top Rated Since 1998) has had  rash or buyers not coming through (unpaid items), returning because “I changed my mind”, etc etc 

There have been times where people in some countries where tracking is sketchy 

There are times (under $50), when it is not worth the bother to have an item returned)

Use ebay Ship Cover insurance for $100 plus items

You must have Sig Conf for items $200/250 (ebay and PayPal have different rules)

ebay can step in and resolve extortion (I have had buyers demand discounts or I will get negative feedback) etc

ebay can also shut down discount scammers (the complaints come though ebay messge system)

best worst ebay story (don’t get me wrong the Nikon D3 is still a great camera) back when NikonD3s were worth a good deal, I sold one to a gentleman in a small country. He claimed never to have received it but (oops) had listed it for sale on the local ebay same SN pictured along with how great it was becuase it had USA warranty) ebay involved the local authorities as it was a good sum

My ebay id (it had to be in old days) is the same as my name Mark Kronquist

There is a long list of countries with poor tracking track records. Copy it into your buyer preferences. Not to imply all who live in unobtaniumstan are bad just I am not going to risk another $$$$ loss there








> On May 24, 2020, at 11:56 AM, Frank Filippone via LUG <lug at leica-users.org> wrote:
> 
> I have listed a bunch of stuff on eBay recently.. cameras and not.  And a lot has sold.  But the complaint rate has been over 10%... just plain complaints.
> 
> One guy said the camera had a bad button.  No it didn't, not when I shipped it.  When I finally allowed the guy to return it, he stopped complaining, and I have yet to see it returned.
> 
> Another guy said his lens had fungus in it.  It was off brand and cheap... at first I said return it, then changed my mind and just refunded him all his money, he got to keep the lens free.  ( More $$$ to pay the return postage than give him the lens).  Did the lens really have fungus?  I doubt it, but I did not do a good inspection....  I do not KNOW for sure.
> 
> I am a trusting person.  I expect others are as trustworthy.  ( Read that last sentence as I am stoopidly trusting)
> 
> I sold a camera without the AC charger.  I went out and bought one new, and sent it to him at no additional cost.  Then I got a complaint that the AC adapter I bought and shipped to him never arrived.  I checked (USPS Tracking) and it was delivered to his mail box.  The guy said that was strange and that he had gone out and bought a new one anyway.  He responded but stopped complaining.
> 
> Then a lady bought a lens.  After she bought it, started complaining about the condition, the price, got her hubby involved, and kept complaining, the defects were changing all the time........  It all stopped when I told her to send it back.
> 
> EBay has a policy that the buyer may return anything they want. Period.  For any reason including.... I found a better price.  You can not beat this.  EBay will back the buyer.  So the buyers' unsaid threat is always that if you do not negotiate, you are going to get the item back.  And that you as the seller, do not want the item back.......
> 
> What is the common thread?.... there were COMPLAINTS, but no one asked specifically to return the item.   They just complained. AND when I offered to take the item back and refund them, the complaints stopped.
> 
> I went a looking for eBay scams for stuff shipped... and there it was..... One ( reported and documented) purpose of making a complaint and not asking for a return of the goods is to get a partial refund, and therefore lower the price that they paid, even though it was an auction and THEY set  the selling price.
> 
> You may not go along with this, and may claim that the buyers had the RIGHT to complain, and may have been truthful in their complaint, but when selling to an unknown buyer, you MUST remain suspicious.
> 
> So you are going to sell something on eBay and want to protect yourself against this kind of nonsense, how do you do it?  The answer was also looked up.... You immediately offer to have the item returned.  If the complaint is true, you get the item back for inspection and resale. ( keeping in mind that if eBay gets involved, they will force you to take it back anyway.)  If the complaint is a scam, the buyer complaint goes away with the return offer ( Playing chicken means he blinked first) .  They keep the item that they paid for and received.  One seller claimed that he gets 1-2-3 complaints a month, and the actual return rate was 1 item per YEAR.
> 
> SO the message is.... sell somewhere where you can trust the buyer or just say....
> 
> "I am sorry your purchase did not meet your expectations.  Please feel free to return it to me."
> 
> I'm betting the complaint will go away.......
> 
> -- 
> Frank Filippone BMWRed735i at gmail.com
> 
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