# A story about a crappy Ebay slot car seller....



## TX Street Racer (May 8, 2004)

Hey guys, I'll admitt that I'm an avid fan of buying and selling on Ebay. Every once in a while though you run into some moron seller though.......where something goes wrong....or there's a strong sense of "lack of care and professionalism". This story is one of those...... I apologize for the long read....I just wanted to make you guys aware that if you see one of this clowns auctions to understand how you might be treated.

I started out by picking up this small auction for my father......it was cheap, and he wanted it, so I bought it via BIN:

Ebay ID: kb9thp (Rensselaer, Indiana)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=5925234569&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT

$16.50 shipped......not too bad I guess......with $6.50 being charged I figured it was a jacked up Priority mail rate.....no biggie, dad wanted it. I paid within a couple hours for the auction via PayPal. When nothing arrived for a week I figured, oh well, guy is probably busy..........then I went to Colorado for nearly a week.....returned....no box yet. By this time I'm a bit upset....it was a cheap small auction...and I paid that same day for it....yet this guy can't be considerate enough to send the crap.

I decided to e-mail him asking about the box........to which he replied that I was in California....and that he sent it Priority mail. Umm, I don't live in CA. lol I e-mailed him, sent him my address again and asked him to check his records. He then said that the box was mailed out via parcel post and hopefully would arrive soon....and that he could e-mail me a scan of the insurance tag.....which he did the next day. Sure enough, he e-mails me with a scan of the insurance tag and it had my address on it. He then says that if the box didn't arrive that I could just file a claim......I told him that I'd prefer a refund if it didn't show up.....that's where things started downhill. I got the box later this particular day (Monday or Tuesday I think) I then sent him the following e-mail when the box arrived:

***, I just wanted to let you know that the package just arrived. It was
mailed out on the 12th...via Parcel Post economy....and it cost $5.44 to
ship in this manner. Just so you know.. Priority mail would have cost about
the same....and would have arrived within 2-3 days. Shipping via parcel
post....or economy class is really risky....not only for the chance of a lost package......but also for the risk in having one damaged......and in the end I'm sure your future buyers on E-bay would much rather have thier
packages arrive in a timely manner........especially when someone pays more
than enough for the items to be shipped Priority mail.

Just some food for thought for you from one E-bay seller to another.
Brian


I then got this response:

I charge a flat fee so the shipping amount can be listed in the auction there by eleminating a hundred inevitable questions. This flat fee is to cover packing materails, box and tape as well as shipping. In the future if you expect to have your services upgraded expect to pay more. I believe thats were all these problems arose as you didnt want to pay extra but wanted extra services. In the future you may want to expect to pay more for priority shipping rather than just expecting it and Im sure both you and your sellers experences on e-bay will be much more enjoyable. 

*** P.S. no reply needed.


First off, his idea of these high dollar packing supplies is shredded paper,and a used beat up oversized box.Also, answering questions is just part of running an Ebay auction....I actually welcome people to e-mail me with questions...that way I know my buyers feel comfortable. This guy whines about a flat rate shipping of $6.50......I figured heck, I could ship the same crappy lot of slots for an even $5 via Priority.........obviously this guy can't...lol

I then sent him one last e-mail:

Jim, I must have struck a nerve with you....oh well. The point is...flat rate or not.....you charged me $6.50 ...which was more than enough to ship those slot cars via Priority mail....and you still would have pocketed at LEAST $1. As for your comment about the extra fees covering packing materials......you used ONE piece of bubble wrap to wrap the cars in.....the rest was shredded paper.....and a used beat up box. Another thing YOU might consider is that USPS will provide you with all of the boxes and tape you need or want..... heck, they even ship them right to your door for FREE.....so you never have to leave the house.

I also have a "no refunds" clause when selling.......but I also make for damn sure that my items arrive in a timely manner and don't leave my auction
winnners guessing. I only mentioned a refund because if the box didn't arrive then I wouldn't have received my merchandise.......and like it or not, if that box wouldn't have arrived you can bet if you didn't give me a refund for the cars I would have gone straight to PayPal and filed a claim.

I can assure you that I will never buy anything else from you again...and I'll make sure that my slot car friends don't either.

Ciou


and I woke up to find this response this morning:

No I am just sick and tired of people pissing and moaning about bull****. No
matter what people like you complain and expect more than they paid for and
bargained for! You are allways trying to figure out how to beat someone out
of a buck and get pissed when you cannot. Tell you what send me a payment
request for $1.06 from paypal and please dont bid on anymore of my auctions.
Thats my point! ***


I still can't believe this guy's attitude....... and how he got to pover 500 feedbacks with it. I work my rear off when selling because I take it serious...and value every dollar I make. Guys like this burn me up with thier lack of care and concern for thier buisiness actions.

I know this has been a long read......but I wanted to let you guys know about how this guy carries on with his buisiness.....so you guys don't get stuck in a deal like I did. Brian


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

Thanks Brian.

Think I have one of my own ebay issues developing. Won it on 9/26, still haven't rec'd it. Sellers says wait until this week, if not here by Saturday, he'll refund $. Hopefully.  rr


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## TX Street Racer (May 8, 2004)

roadrner said:


> Thanks Brian.
> 
> Think I have one of my own ebay issues developing. Won it on 9/26, still haven't rec'd it. Sellers says wait until this week, if not here by Saturday, he'll refund $. Hopefully.  rr



RR,if you item doesn't arrive on Saturday then I'd go straight to PayPal and file for a refund man.....if you paid via PayPal. PayPal has a 30 day window to file for a refund......sellers know this...and intentinally try to string people along till that 30 day option isn't available...then they know that they are in the clear.

Here's another fine example of another moron seller.......I won, and paid the same night for this auction:

Ebay ID: chevlvr34 (Wichita, Kansas) email: [email protected]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5914733262

I am STILL waiting for this auction  Problem is, I was in and out of state so much that keeping track of the 30 day PayPal window was almost impossible for me then. I had an e-mail from this seller after two weeks from the auction's end date that he had been out of state because of a death in the family....and would be shipping the cars that week. I was cordial, and told him I understood....and looked forward to seeing the cars. STILL no cars arrived....so I got his phone number from Ebay....and called.....and called...finally I got a machine and left a breif message as to who I was and what the call was about......STILL no reply. Then, I finally caught him at home and talked with him last Friday........he said that his PC crashed.....and he would check and see if he had the cars....either way he would call me back  It's now nearly a week since I talked with him.....no return call yet.

I can't file for a refund with PayPal because I'm way past the 30 days.....but I can assure you, on the 89th day, I will be leaving him a big fat negative!

What sucks bad is I really wanted the blue Nova and the MM Sunoco 69 Camaro for my collection


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## doctorslotcar (Jul 25, 2004)

*Ahhhh The Wacky World Of Ebay*

Its Funny How The People Winning Our $.99 Auctions Are The Biggest Complainers About A $5.75 Shipping Rate.guess They Are Ignorant Of The Fact That Items Have Weight And The Post Office Actually Charges Money To Ship Things. The Best Success Ive Had With Folks Are The High Dollar Auctions. Guess They Can Afford It For One And Another They Seem To Be More Mentally Balanced. There Should Not Only Be An Application Process For Ebay But Also A Psychological Profile For Every Applicant. That Way They Could Weed Out The Fruitcakes Before They Get In The Oven. Also Guys Beware Of The Excessivly High Bids From Folks With No Feedback, These Are Just Kidiots Messin Around With Good Folks. I Just Sold A Tv/vcr Combo For $138.50. Thing Is I Got It For $20.00 At A Yardsale. A Nice Lady Really Wanted It And Asked Alot Of Questions. I Seen This Bid Coming From A No-feedbacker, So I Emailed Them And No Response For Two Days, I Cancelled Their Bids And The Nice Lady Got Her Tv For $99.00 Including Shipping.communication Seems Like The Best Way To Do This Thing. Get To Know Your Seller Or Purchaser And Things Will Run Much Smoother. We Should All Write Our Favorite Ebay Stories And Sell The Book. I Know Id Read It. Thanx For The Info. Hes Blocked From My List.


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## TX Street Racer (May 8, 2004)

doctorslotcar said:


> Its Funny How The People Winning Our $.99 Auctions Are The Biggest Complainers About A $5.75 Shipping Rate.guess They Are Ignorant Of The Fact That Items Have Weight And The Post Office Actually Charges Money To Ship Things. The Best Success Ive Had With Folks Are The High Dollar Auctions. Guess They Can Afford It For One And Another They Seem To Be More Mentally Balanced. There Should Not Only Be An Application Process For Ebay But Also A Psychological Profile For Every Applicant. That Way They Could Weed Out The Fruitcakes Before They Get In The Oven. Also Guys Beware Of The Excessivly High Bids From Folks With No Feedback, These Are Just Kidiots Messin Around With Good Folks. I Just Sold A Tv/vcr Combo For $138.50. Thing Is I Got It For $20.00 At A Yardsale. A Nice Lady Really Wanted It And Asked Alot Of Questions. I Seen This Bid Coming From A No-feedbacker, So I Emailed Them And No Response For Two Days, I Cancelled Their Bids And The Nice Lady Got Her Tv For $99.00 Including Shipping.communication Seems Like The Best Way To Do This Thing. Get To Know Your Seller Or Purchaser And Things Will Run Much Smoother. We Should All Write Our Favorite Ebay Stories And Sell The Book. I Know Id Read It. Thanx For The Info. Hes Blocked From My List.


Bruce, I totally understand my friend. I've had my share of lame bidders while selling also.....but since I made my rules a bit more stearn I haven't had NEAR the problems I was having.

Here's a copy of my auction rules:

(top rules reminder...this comes directly before my description or pictures of the item)

PLEASE Read my auction rules BEFORE bidding......by bidding you are agreeing to the auction rules and terms.ALL International shipped packages will be shipped via Airmail.I only charge exactly what the Airmail shipping costs are (which is determined at the end of the auction)I will accept PayPal from International bidders with a minimum of 50 positive feedback......otherwise ALL other International bidders will pay via International Money order.


Then would come my description......

Then my main rules:

_______________________Auction Rules_____________________________ If you have any questions then please feel free to e-mail me. ALL items are sold as is.....so view the pictures carefully.I reserve the right to end this auction at any time.No excessive negative feedback bidders.I strongly prefer payment via PayPal, but will also accept money orders. ALL PayPal customers MUST have a confirmed shipping address.If you're outside of the USA then you must e-mail me prior to bidding...and shipping will be higher.For International bidders I will accept PayPal for bidders with more than 50+ feedback otherwise International Money orders.Payment is due within 4 days for PayPal customers...and 10 days for money order customers.PLEASE check out my other auctions...as I am selling off the majority of my toy collection.Good Luck...Happy Bidding! 


Some might call those rules a bit excessive........but I'd rather be harsh in my rules in the auction than deal with a bunch of non-serious flaky bidders later.


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## luke the duke (Apr 26, 2004)

you have to watch out on ebay of the 40 things i bought got one htat said needs screw post work.screw holding got the car and the screw post were broken of to 1/8 inch of the body then the guy gave me crap .i will never buy anything from him again.


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## TX Street Racer (May 8, 2004)

luke the duke said:


> you have to watch out on ebay of the 40 things i bought got one htat said needs screw post work.screw holding got the car and the screw post were broken of to 1/8 inch of the body then the guy gave me crap .i will never buy anything from him again.



Well, to be honest, if the auction you bid on said it needed screw post work but no other description about the damage then I would have e-mailed the seller for a further description. Sometimes a simple e-mail can save alot of hassle.......

I've been on Ebay for several years......and have nearly 175 positives with no negatives........these two instances I've posted here are the two worst cases I've ever had.......everything else is smooth. If something ever arrives not as described then I e-mail the seller.... and the problem is resolved.


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

If sellers would simply state "Shipping and Handling" then everyone should be happy and the bottom line cost of buying something is simply the product cost plus the S&H. No surprises. There are actually real tax issues that are associated with the real shipping costs, but as soon as "and Handling" is added then anything above the actual shipping cost is part of the handling fee and is essentially just added cost to the buyer that the buyer should take into account when the purchase is made. So as a buyer you do have a legitimate gripe if only "shipping cost" is stated and what you pay exceeds the actual shipping cost. EBay itself should do a better job at making this point clearer on its auction site.

But the bottom line is that going to war with someone over a buck and change is probably not worth the aggrevation and stress that it's causing you. Just keep the little discrepency in mind the next time you see an auction by the same seller. Vote with your wallet, it's a silent and effective way to set things straight.


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## Pomfish (Oct 25, 2003)

AfxToo said:


> If sellers would simply state "Shipping and Handling" then everyone should be happy and the bottom line cost of buying something is simply the product cost plus the S&H. No surprises. There are actually real tax issues that are associated with the real shipping costs, but as soon as "and Handling" is added then anything above the actual shipping cost is part of the handling fee and is essentially just added cost to the buyer that the buyer should take into account when the purchase is made. So as a buyer you do have a legitimate gripe if only "shipping cost" is stated and what you pay exceeds the actual shipping cost. EBay itself should do a better job at making this point clearer on its auction site.
> 
> But the bottom line is that going to war with someone over a buck and change is probably not worth the aggrevation and stress that it's causing you. Just keep the little discrepency in mind the next time you see an auction by the same seller. Vote with your wallet, it's a silent and effective way to set things straight.



Well said.

I might add that it amazes me that when we all buy something from Sears online, Staples online, or whatever and they charge us a flat S&H&I fee that We All know is higher than the shipping really is, we accept it.

But, heaven forbid, the Ebay package has a tell-tale USPS sticker on it that is $1.14 more than we paid and we go thru the roof.
I buy stuff off Ebay all the time and I just look at the total that I pay and decide if it is worth my money or not.
The actual shipping means nothing if the Final Price is right.

Alot of dealers only use UPS so the customer doesn't freak out on actual shipping charge because they never see it. 
I have sold many items on Ebay and have Lost money shipping heavy boxes of slotcar track to Ca. from Pa.

Is it right for me to re-invoice the customer when I lose money?
Of course not, it all comes out in the wash.
Bottom line is, if you Agree to that well stated shipping cost Prior to purchase, then you have No Gripe afterwords.

Just my Opinion, Your Mileage May Vary.
Thanks,
Keith


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## TX Street Racer (May 8, 2004)

The whole problem is that this seller was very inconsiderate.....his method of shipping was the absolute slowest, AND he waited more than a week to ship.....after I paid the same day for the auction via PayPal. I mean, even if he did ship via Priority mail he still would have pocketed at least $1 on top of everything. I sell on E-bay quite frequently now.......and I certainly know how things go with shipping. I never take a box to get it weighed unless it's going out of country........I've simply gotten good with guesstimates.....in fact, most of the time I'm dead on the money........ but I certainly don't try to back charge the buyer if I'm over my estimate......

I damn sure won't be buying from this seller again....and I just wanted to encourage others not to as well..........but hey, if you think you might have better dealings with him then by all means go for it..... I can also tell you that the crap I got from him in the mail was in horrible condition.....in fact, I would have thrown it away if it had been for me (all but two bodies), so he has other issues as well. I guess other people just aren't willing to take a stand against Ebay sellers ,,,,,,,


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## Pomfish (Oct 25, 2003)

TX,

No, don't get me wrong, you definetly have a legitimate issue with the slow ship and attitude of seller.


I am just always intrigued by the Ebay threads that dwell on shipping charges.
Judge all sellers upon their own merits.

Thanks,
Keith


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## TX Street Racer (May 8, 2004)

Pomfish said:


> TX,
> 
> No, don't get me wrong, you definetly have a legitimate issue with the slow ship and attitude of seller.
> 
> ...



I had no problem paying for the cost of his quoted shipping.....I knew he was making money on the shipping beforehand (it was two chassis and like 5-6 bodies....light junk). What I have a problem is when a sellers starts crying, " But I had to pay for all of theseboxes and shipping materials"....and the crap shows up in a well beat box and shredded paper fresh from a shredder  I mean really, let's get real.

I ship 95% of my auctions in fresh USPS mail boxes.....because it's friggin' free........ I even made the seller aware of this to save him the hassle of buying his boxes and tape....

I definately shop for the best deals on Ebay...and I always factor in what the shipping is...... if it's something I want then I pay for it.....if I feel the quoted shipping charges are too high then I wait for the item to show up later on for a cheaper price...simple as that.


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

TX Street Racer said:


> RR,if you item doesn't arrive on Saturday then I'd go straight to PayPal and file for a refund man.....if you paid via PayPal. PayPal has a 30 day window to file for a refund......sellers know this...and intentinally try to string people along till that 30 day option isn't available...then they know that they are in the clear.



Well, it never showed up but my refund did.  rr


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