eBay

[wyethin]

I recently discovered eBay. In the span of less than a week I've already lost countless hours and a good portion of my savings. I'm in some sort of collector's fugue and have lost the ability to account for my actions or moods. My life outside of video games is probably over.

Uh, I will say this much though, eBay is infinitely better for collecting than Amazon Marketplace. That shit is weak in comparison. Full-color photos for heaven's sake! I was missing out.

Any sage words or cautionary tales?

[JimmyDean]

Um... check completed listings for prices, and don't buy those ridiculously high-priced BINs. Good luck with your collection, bro. :)

[TheClash603]

Generally ebay is great if you need something right away. However, there is always a premium that will be paid.

Buying a game from a yard sale is infinitely more satisfying. Or buying from a forum member on a game site brings a sense of community.

Do I use ebay a lot? Yes, I definitely do. If you asked me about my favorite purchases, none would be ebay.

[Arkhan]

I am often too impatient to wait til a deal appears, because usually the game I want is something I want to play asap.

:D

sage words: Set yourself a limit man.

Dont buy 4000$ worth of games in one sitting. Those buy it nows + pay pal payments make it easy to add up a huge bill without noticing it.

lol.

[Ro-J]

There's also more than one auction site for games, dawdle and gamegavel might be worth your checking out. I've also gotten some great deals on shopgoodwill but that was years ago.

[skaar]

Yeah, here's some advice.

Don't blow your savings on items you think will bring you short term happiness. In the long run, they don't fix the deeper issue. Evaluate every purchase carefully.

"Will I play this?"
"Do I want this THAT much?"
"What else could I do with the money?"

Games are a wonderful diversion but not an escape. I suggest you look elsewhere for your happiness. You sound like you need to do some serious self evaluation.

Either that or end up broke and depressed with a CIB Mega Man set on your shelf.

[Nintega Grafx-16]

Or buying from a forum member on a game site brings a sense of community..

So how would I know if a certain forum member would not run off with my money and or send me something that is broken? That is my biggest concern. Something like that happened to me 2 years ago when I sent my PC Engine Duo to a PCEngineFX forum moderator of all people just to get it reigon modded and have the sound capacitors replaced. He did return it to me modded but unfortunately the system still had sound problems assuming he never finished the job he promised. Then eventually my PC Engine Duo stopped working.

[megasdkirby]

So how would I know if a certain forum member would not run off with my money and or send me something that is broken? That is my biggest concern.

True, but at least for me, I've never had this happen on DP, but it has happened on Ebay.

I've had quite a few transactions on Ebay in which the seller does not ship items, keeps claiming that they did (and with Delivery Confirmation, even though it is never given when requested), and try their best to prolong the "case" so that the 45 day limitation passes. I am usually very patient, so when it's around a day or so before possibility of filing a claim ends, I open it immediately. This makes most sellers who try to "trick" me livid and even then they cannot provide a Delivery Confirmation number.

Fortunately, this has not happened to me for quite a few years (maybe two or so), so I am very happy. On DP, I've always had friendly transactions and everyone who I've ever dealt with has been awesome. Never had an issue with any of them and I prefer purchasing items here than on Ebay, as I never know what exactly to expect, even when described in the auction.

[skaar]

So how would I know if a certain forum member would not run off with my money and or send me something that is broken? That is my biggest concern. Something like that happened to me 2 years ago when I sent my PC Engine Duo to a PCEngineFX forum moderator of all people just to get it reigon modded and have the sound capacitors replaced. He did return it to me modded but unfortunately the system still had sound problems assuming he never finished the job he promised. Then eventually my PC Engine Duo stopped working.

Eat a dick.

[Baloo]

So how would I know if a certain forum member would not run off with my money and or send me something that is broken? That is my biggest concern. Something like that happened to me 2 years ago when I sent my PC Engine Duo to a PCEngineFX forum moderator of all people just to get it reigon modded and have the sound capacitors replaced. He did return it to me modded but unfortunately the system still had sound problems assuming he never finished the job he promised. Then eventually my PC Engine Duo stopped working.

This adds nothing of importance to this thread, except for you to try to shit on some random forum.

Quit it.

[Nintega Grafx-16]

This adds nothing of importance to this thread, except for you to try to shit on some random forum.

Quit it.

Are you illiterate or something? At least megasdkirby understood what my post was all about. :shameful:

[wyethin]

Yeah, here's some advice.

Don't blow your savings on items you think will bring you short term happiness. In the long run, they don't fix the deeper issue. Evaluate every purchase carefully.

"Will I play this?"
"Do I want this THAT much?"
"What else could I do with the money?"

Games are a wonderful diversion but not an escape. I suggest you look elsewhere for your happiness. You sound like you need to do some serious self evaluation.

Either that or end up broke and depressed with a CIB Mega Man set on your shelf.

You would appear to have a shallow understanding of irony.

[skaar]

You would appear to have a shallow understanding of irony.

"My life outside of video games is probably over."

Apparently I took you too literally. Go ebay your savings away. I hope you die happy.

[wyethin]

Word.

[Bugbear]

Just be careful with Ebay; there are plenty of horror stories. People get scammed easily, and the bad sellers know all the ways around the rules.

For the love of ----, don't sell anything! You'll end up paying out your ass in fees.

[Arkhan]

True, but at least for me, I've never had this happen on DP, but it has happened on Ebay.

I've had quite a few transactions on Ebay in which the seller does not ship items, keeps claiming that they did (and with Delivery Confirmation, even though it is never given when requested), and try their best to prolong the "case" so that the 45 day limitation passes. I am usually very patient, so when it's around a day or so before possibility of filing a claim ends, I open it immediately. This makes most sellers who try to "trick" me livid and even then they cannot provide a Delivery Confirmation number.

Fortunately, this has not happened to me for quite a few years (maybe two or so), so I am very happy. On DP, I've always had friendly transactions and everyone who I've ever dealt with has been awesome. Never had an issue with any of them and I prefer purchasing items here than on Ebay, as I never know what exactly to expect, even when described in the auction.


If I sense something is up, I file the claim immediately. It gets things done when the sellers feedback and sale money is at stake!

[Haoie]

Check it out: You're helping the economy!

[Arkhan]

how? reselling used games just makes the economy stay like it is. it just move the $ around!

[wyethin]

Buy used games, stick it to the man.

[shopkins]

You would appear to have a shallow understanding of irony.

That's not really irony. Maybe in the Alanis Morissette sense, but real irony depends on clearly identifiable opposites and contrast. There's no clue in your post that you were being ironic, just that maybe you were exaggerating a bit or being dramatic about it. ebay addiction is a real problem that a lot of people have and it's not unreasonable for Skaar to assume you were telling the truth.

The rest of this isn't for you, I guess, but generally I can relate to people that actually have a problem with eBay. It's easy to let things get out of control and I've done it a couple of times myself. Collecting is great, but like Skaar said you should only collect things you actually want and can afford. Obsessive collecting as a way of trying to stuff a hole in your life with something else is no more effective than stuffing that hole with drinking, drugging, sex, or materialistic pursuits. And eBay makes it easy to turn to this and at the same time takes much of the fun, camaraderie and physical activity out of it, so it can make it sort of a mechanical and joyless pursuit. I know I'm most likely to spend too much on eBay when I'm depressed or going through a tough time.

When my grandfather was sick and very slowly and excruciatingly dying, for example, I spent hundreds of dollars on cheap anime that I was finding on VHS. I don't even like anime that much and have barely watched any of the more than 300 tapes I amassed in this period, but I got into that "gotta catch em all" mode because it was something that distracted me from the horrible mess that my life was. I even ended up overdrawing my bank account because I wasn't being careful with my purchases.

Also, I can't help but notice there are a lot of assholes joining the forum lately and shitting on random threads with both general dickishness and drama that must be carried over from other boards because I don't understand it. Did someone go to the forums where all the assholes are (apparently PCEngine and NeoGeo forums) and tell them about this place? I make a point of never mentioning it on any other forum I go to, I don't want those people to come here.

[Zthun]

Just so you know, you've probably been lucky so far, but eventually, you will find your typical eBay retard. That site does tend to attract the more trashier side of humanity and thus, you get uneducated people with middle school education who don't understand some of the most basic concepts of buying and selling.

If you are selling, you will get these buyers who just can't get it through their third grade mind that shipping costs more than $0.01 and when you sell them something that weights 2 -3 pounds for $5.00, they get infuriated when you charge them $8.00-$9.00 for priority mail shipping. It doesn't matter what the item is worth, some buyers just don't understand shipping charges. For example, NFL 2k1 for the Dreamcast is worth about $0.50, but I'm not going to sell it to you for less than $3.00 cause the shipping for that item is going to be somewhere around $2.50 (packing material, ink, mailer/box + USPS cost). I'd rather just donate it to the goodwill and get a tax write off than sell it for less than the price of shipping.

If you are buying, you will get these sellers who attempt to sell you garbage and claim that it works. I have had the worst luck with console systems. Tested and working mean nothing to me in a description when it comes to consoles. I once bought a Sega Saturn that was claimed tested and working. When I got it, it had no protection in the box at all, and sure enough, USPS played football with it and when it got to me, poof, didn't work. That's just one example of many I've had with sellers who don't use common sense.

[wyethin]

@shopkins

That's an affecting tale. I guess I didn't consider the possibility of eBay addiction as an actual phenomenon. In reality, I spent a couple hundred over the course of a few days and more consecutive time at my PC than I've spent since the release of Warcraft 2. However, I walked away with a good chunk of my collection and probably no lasting harm from my lost weekend. So while for someone generally frugal and lucid this was an act of manic indulgence, it was probably mild and insignificant when measured by the eBay insanity index.

[Shellshock!]

Ebay rocks. I continue to build a CIB GameBoy collection for free. Latest additions:

Bought sealed Darkwing Duck for $30, sold it for $100, used the profits to buy CIB Bionic Commando at $45 and CIB Parodius at $25, put $30 back into my Paypal account. Thanks Ebay!

[Bugbear]

Yes, but you have to realize, you're not getting all that money. Ebay just keeps upping it's final value fees, and then Paypal charges a horrendous fee for something that should be free.
I remember when the Ebay Final Value Fee was .8%. Now it's over 3%.

[wyethin]

I can't say I have a lot of interest in this CIB business. I paid extra for a copy of Gargoyle's Quest with the manual. Once I got it, it just didn't seem worth paying almost twice as much for. Basically, "You're a Gargoyle; press A."

[BetaWolf47]

You would appear to have a shallow understanding of irony.That's not really irony.
But that is. :p

[wyethin]

But that is. :p

Let me get out my semantics sword +1 and we can hash it out.

[garagesaleking!!]

Actually it averages more like 6% to 10% depending on the item. the thing you have to realize is, ebay is worth every penny they charge. Despite the raises they can keep doing it because its worth it.

Now, dont act like amazon has no fees. I sold some textbooks and they charged me a 14% commission fee. That was outrageous, higher than ebay. Whats with that?

[Cornelius]

Actually it averages more like 6% to 10% depending on the item. the thing you have to realize is, ebay is worth every penny they charge. Despite the raises they can keep doing it because its worth it.

Now, dont act like amazon has no fees. I sold some textbooks and they charged me a 14% commission fee. That was outrageous, higher than ebay. Whats with that?

I track percentage on every sale I do, and they don't match your experience at all, so maybe you can tell me how your fees are so low.

on eBay my lowest fees are about %15 for a typical $20 sale (I include paypal's take, but my shipping cost is taken out of numerator). And that's an auction, not a BIN (I'm pretty sure... I don't currently track that in my spreadsheet).

Were those really expensive textbooks? Or maybe Amazon has lower fees on books? My lowest % on Amazon was %18 for an item the buyer paid $69 total on.

BTW, I agree that it is worth it. Amazon has been really good to me as a seller lately. The prices tend to be higher and listing is a lot faster and easier for me (mainly I don't have to mess with pictures, templates, etc.). Stuff that will do better on eBay has been piling up since I started using amazon, just because it seems like such a pain now.

[Shellshock!]

I can't say I have a lot of interest in this CIB business. I paid extra for a copy of Gargoyle's Quest with the manual. Once I got it, it just didn't seem worth paying almost twice as much for. Basically, "You're a Gargoyle; press A."


That's all taste, really. I don't care what the manual has to say, I can go to GameFaqs. I don't care what the box has to say either, I can download a scan of it. But personally I like having complete sets of games I really love just because I appreciate the art in the manual and box, as well as having it on the shelf. I feel like there's no reason to buy a lose cartridge because it's better to play the ROM on a flash cart.

Funny that you mentioned Gargoyle's Quest. I just got a second CIB copy of it for like $30, which I'll be reselling on EBay for $60+ as soon as I get it. Love that game.

[wyethin]

That's all taste, really. I don't care what the manual has to say, I can go to GameFaqs. I don't care what the box has to say either, I can download a scan of it. But personally I like having complete sets of games I really love just because I appreciate the art in the manual and box, as well as having it on the shelf. I feel like there's no reason to buy a lose cartridge because it's better to play the ROM on a flash cart.

Funny that you mentioned Gargoyle's Quest. I just got a second CIB copy of it for like $30, which I'll be reselling on EBay for $60+ as soon as I get it. Love that game.

You are a capitalist villain, God bless you.

[pseudonym]

Since when does Gargoyle's Quest sell for $60+? Jeez. I'm surprised that ryborg, darkslime, or some of the other ebay sellers/resellers haven't posted in here yet. I sell VHS tapes and DVDs on Ebay. It's been paying for my collection. I've barely had to pay anything out of pocket for the last couple of years.

[ryborg]

I'm surprised that ryborg, darkslime, or some of the other ebay sellers/resellers haven't posted in here yet.

Damn dude, let a brother have a social life. This thread's pretty dumb (who is JUST NOW discovering ebay??), but here are some words.


Just be careful with Ebay; there are plenty of horror stories. People get scammed easily, and the bad sellers know all the ways around the rules.

For the love of ----, don't sell anything! You'll end up paying out your ass in fees.

This is the stupidest thing I've ever read on these forums concerning ebay. Buyers have 100% coverage with Paypal. The absolute MOST a buyer will ever lose is the shipping cost to mail the item back to the seller if something is wrong. If an item isn't received, you click your mouse a few times and a you get a full refund.

Yes, you have to pay fees to sell items. Why is this a ridiculous concept? You're paying ebay a small percentage to gain access to millions of potential customers.


Paypal charges a horrendous fee for something that should be free.
I remember when the Ebay Final Value Fee was .8%. Now it's over 3%.

Please explain why you think Paypal payments should be free and why you think inflation doesn't affect ebay fees. Go.

[Bugbear]

I don't see what's so wrong with GQ; that describes a lot of games. "You're Mario; jump."

[Zthun]

Please explain why you think Paypal payments should be free and why you think inflation doesn't affect ebay fees. Go.

Paypal payments probably should be free to the seller. The buyer should really be the one to pay the fees. Why is it that the seller has to pay the fees, yet they get NO protection against chargebacks and false claims? They buyer pays nothing to paypal and they get all the protection. Now unless I've misread something, can somebody please EXPLAIN that to me. Paypal is almost as bad as car insurance.

[brykasch]

Yes I agree the buyer should be responsible for paypal fees. But you have to understand Ebay now is ONLY about the buyers, the sellers have become an afterthought.

I have gone to Amazon to sell books, music, and dvd's. The profit there and ease is much better than on Ebay, I can list it and forget it, when it sells it sells.

You can have a bad experience no matter where you buy an item, all you can do is do all the investigating you can before you purchase. Ebay does have paypal protection but it doesn't cover everything so beware of that.

[Nico87]

I sometimes overspend on eBay, but my I guess my salary is kind of justifying it. I always set aside a certain amount for savings, no matter how many games I buy in a month. As long as you keep money for savings, you should be fine. Nothing wrong with buying a game or two instead of a fine dinner one day, just don't let it happend too often.

I overspend when I get into a new system. This is because I usually spot out about 10-15 games to start with for that system. For example, I just got into the DS scene, and I quickly bought around 20 CIB games for it. DS games aren't really that expensive these days neither, I don't think I spent over $20 for any DS game. Use more caution if you get into a more retro system, or especially importing.

I usually buy a $100+ game a month, but the others are relatively cheap. If I've done good with my savings and paid all the bills, I might buy a couple of $100+ games, if I really want them that is, but then I cut down on the cheaper stuff.

Do like me, write a list in notepad or whatever of the games you are planning to buy on payday. Never overstep or buy outside of that list, and mark down the prices for each game next to it. It works, believe me! If you get that urge that you NEED to buy something on eBay that's not on the list, it might be okay if the games are cheap, but set a max sum for games outside of the initial list. I often do that, if the games on my initial list are rather cheap.

[ryborg]

Why is it that the seller has to pay the fees, yet they get NO protection against chargebacks and false claims? They buyer pays nothing to paypal and they get all the protection. Now unless I've misread something, can somebody please EXPLAIN that to me.

The buyer is the customer; the customer gets the "deal." I know that's overly simplistic, but that's the reasoning. If I as a buyer had a pay a $2.50 fee to send a $50 payment every time, I would make sure I used Paypal as little as possible. The reason Paypal got huge many years ago is its simplicity and low/no cost to the buyer. If the buyer had to pay the fee, Paypal would be no larger than Western Union money transfers today.


But you have to understand Ebay now is ONLY about the buyers, the sellers have become an afterthought.

This is definitely true, but unfortunately for sellers, this is the way to go. Sellers like myself have proven over the years to put up with anything to gain access to the MASSIVE user base of potential buyers. I wonder what the point is where sellers seriously start saying "Fuck it, I'm out." I'm certain it's already happening.


I have gone to Amazon to sell books, music, and dvd's. The profit there and ease is much better than on Ebay, I can list it and forget it, when it sells it sells.

Amazon is generally great, but the profit is all over the place I've noticed. Some items sell for far higher, some sell for far less. I love the fact you can post something, put it back in storage, forget about it, and it sells months later. I don't like how you can't use your own photos, you can't always list something as New-Factory Sealed (your account has to be at a certain "level"), you can't create your own listings unless you pay $40/m for Amazon Prime or whatever it's called, and that buyers can't formally make offers to sellers.

[Shellshock!]

Since when does Gargoyle's Quest sell for $60+? Jeez.

It's quite hard to find a CIB copy of it. Almost CIB-Belmont's-Revenge hard.

[Zthun]

The buyer is the customer; the customer gets the "deal." I know that's overly simplistic, but that's the reasoning. If I as a buyer had a pay a $2.50 fee to send a $50 payment every time, I would make sure I used Paypal as little as possible. The reason Paypal got huge many years ago is its simplicity and low/no cost to the buyer. If the buyer had to pay the fee, Paypal would be no larger than Western Union money transfers today.


I agree with the part that Paypal would be no larger than Western Union money transfers, but how is the seller NOT a customer. The buyer is a customer to me. I pay paypal fees so they can offer buyers protection? Why I don't get any chargeback protection?



This is definitely true, but unfortunately for sellers, this is the way to go. Sellers like myself have proven over the years to put up with anything to gain access to the MASSIVE user base of potential buyers. I wonder what the point is where sellers seriously start saying "Fuck it, I'm out." I'm certain it's already happening.


Yup.



Amazon is generally great, but the profit is all over the place I've noticed. Some items sell for far higher, some sell for far less. I love the fact you can post something, put it back in storage, forget about it, and it sells months later. I don't like how you can't use your own photos, you can't always list something as New-Factory Sealed (your account has to be at a certain "level"), you can't create your own listings unless you pay $40/m for Amazon Prime or whatever it's called, and that buyers can't formally make offers to sellers.

The only problem with Amazon is the hard fees. You have a 15% final value fee + 1.35 closing cost + .99 transaction fee. The fees are worse than ebay/paypal.

[ryborg]

I pay paypal fees so they can offer buyers protection? Why I don't get any chargeback protection?

We pay fees to use ebay's/Paypal's service, NOT for protection. All businesses need to be able to suck up the costs of potential minor losses. We *do* get some coverage against actual credit card chargebacks, anyway. I've been involved in situations where someone used a stolen credit card to buy an item from me, the credit card holder does a chargeback, and Paypal eats the money, not me. Also, they protect well against Item Not Received disputes if tracking shows the item arrived.


The only problem with Amazon is the hard fees. You have a 15% final value fee + 1.35 closing cost + .99 transaction fee. The fees are worse than ebay/paypal.

Yeah, but it's good for items you can just leave up for long periods of time and not worry about or pay monthly fees on. I have a few factory sealed vintage PC games that are impossibly rare, yet could not be in less demand. I can post them, put them back in storage and hope for the best someday. It's only worth selling on Amazon for very specific items.

[Eyedunno]

Please explain why you think Paypal payments should be free and why you think inflation doesn't affect ebay fees. Go.
Let me just barge in and say that inflation should not affect percentage fees.

If the dollar drops in value (for the sake of easy math) such that items that were formerly $1 now cost $2, eBay will then get twice as much (in nominal terms) with the same percent fee.

Say the dollar in 2050 is worth half what it is now, and eBay has also doubled its fee. A 2010 fee of $10 will then be $40 on an item of the same real value in 2050, and more importantly, that will be $20 in 2010 dollars. $20 is more than $10, and that ain't inflation (because both numbers are 2010 dollars).

[theclaw]

This is the stupidest thing I've ever read on these forums concerning ebay. Buyers have 100% coverage with Paypal. The absolute MOST a buyer will ever lose is the shipping cost to mail the item back to the seller if something is wrong. If an item isn't received, you click your mouse a few times and a you get a full refund.

Well, that's true for physical items. The protection is flakier with intangible stuff. I was only misled once that way. Didn't lose anything besides money, so I decided to forget it and move on after my case was declined by Paypal.

[Foofie]

Sellers like myself have proven over the years to put up with anything to gain access to the MASSIVE user base of potential buyers. I wonder what the point is where sellers seriously start saying "Fuck it, I'm out." I'm certain it's already happening.

Ebay used to be a means of connecting individual buyers and sellers. Back in the olden days, it was "Hey, Guy! I just got your money order. I'm shipping your stuff out tomorrow! Enjoy your Shining Force!" Now, it's just a big storefront, and buyers have a different perception - Half of 'em think they're dealing with Walmart. I've had people griping that they bought incompatible accessories and wanting me to send the right one. I've had people complaining that their Priority Mail'd item didn't arrive cross-country overnight. I even "ruined a poor little boy's Christmas" because I wouldn't refund a lady her money and let her keep a "broken" game.

For the amount of fees I'm paying, and the quality of buyers I'm getting, it's not worth it for me. If I were selling high-dollar items, or items targeted at a different demographic, maybe I'd have a different outlook. I'd rather sell things for 25% less on Craigslist and have cash in hand.

[ryborg]

Well, that's true for physical items. The protection is flakier with intangible stuff. I was only misled once that way. Didn't lose anything besides money, so I decided to forget it and move on after my case was declined by Paypal.

I never have and I never will sell intangible items, so I guess this is something I'll never experience. What exactly is their policy on intangible item chargebacks?


Ebay used to be a means of connecting individual buyers and sellers. Back in the olden days, it was "Hey, Guy! I just got your money order. I'm shipping your stuff out tomorrow! Enjoy your Shining Force!"

Eh, I don't know about that. Maybe to a certain extent, but I certainly wasn't that folksy 12 years ago and I know some sellers are that personable now.


Now, it's just a big storefront, and buyers have a different perception - Half of 'em think they're dealing with Walmart. I've had people griping that they bought incompatible accessories and wanting me to send the right one. I've had people complaining that their Priority Mail'd item didn't arrive cross-country overnight. I even "ruined a poor little boy's Christmas" because I wouldn't refund a lady her money and let her keep a "broken" game. Buyers are absolutely worse now when compared to years ago, however. Just when you think it can't get any worse, it does. My "funny/stupid" folder in my ebay gmail account has ~1000 emails currently.


For the amount of fees I'm paying, and the quality of buyers I'm getting, it's not worth it for me. If I were selling high-dollar items, or items targeted at a different demographic, maybe I'd have a different outlook. I'd rather sell things for 25% less on Craigslist and have cash in hand.Yeah, I don't really sell video game stuff or electronics anymore, partially for this reason. Profits were slimming and the buyers were only getting dumber (and I found more profitable items to sell to a slightly smarter demographic). I still think Craigslist is the dregs of our society and I avoid it like the plague. I've had so many transactions turn to shit on there and so few work out well. I'd rather deal with high ebay fees than lunatics IRL.

[wyethin]

This thread's pretty dumb (who is JUST NOW discovering ebay??)

Your mom -- or someone new to collecting.


I don't see what's so wrong with GQ; that describes a lot of games. "You're Mario; jump."

Nothing is wrong with Gargoyle's Quest, quite the opposite in fact. It's one of my favorite games for the console. My gripe was with the insubstantiality of the manual.

[garagesaleking!!]

i will agree that ebay is very much like a storefront these days, even much more than it was 2 or 3 years ago. people send out these ridiculous instructions like include a packing slip, write the item number 3 times on different places, and do this, and file the tracking number on this website. some crazy buyers, but 98% of the time the buyers are still good to work with. i just hate how few people leave feedback these days.

as far as craigslist, its the opposite. 2% of transaction are good, 98% fall through. and every time i try to buy anything i usually never get an email back. they need to require phone numbers. and the amount of spam mail i get from selling on craigslist is very upsetting.

[jonebone]

It's quite hard to find a CIB copy of it. Almost CIB-Belmont's-Revenge hard.

lol. Gargoyle's quest is just another mid-level CIB, R5 or R6 maybe and shouldn't be anymore than $25-$30. Auctions would be lucky to break $20, but of course BINers will slap it up at 200-300% of it's value. Guess you missed that sealed one that just ended for $41 last week, you coulda VGA'd it and gotten $300+ by your perception of "worth".



Please explain why you think Paypal payments should be free and why you think inflation doesn't affect ebay fees. Go.

Because eBay owns Paypal. They bought em for $1.5B in 2002 (link for reference: http://news.cnet.com/2100-1017-941964.html ). Long story short, eBay tried to create their own company to compete with them (BillPoint), failed horribly and just bought up their competition.

They they banned money orders about 1.5 years ago if I remember correctly. Translation: They monopolized the payment system so they get to double dip on fees for every transaction. There are perfectly viable alternatives (Google Checkout), but eBay refuses to use them because they wouldn't get their extra payment fees on top of their own fees.

Hell, paypal offers no more protection than a normal Credit Card. You can do a chargeback through a Credit Card for a non-receipt or damaged goods. So what exactly are we paying for again?

Here's the analogy. Let's say that Wal-mart decides to put parking meters in all of their parking spots. Just like you have to use paypal when you buy on eBay, you have to park in a parking spot to go inside Wal-mart (pretending you don't live in walking distance or carpool to do your shopping.) So Wal-mart would get to profit off you twice just as eBay does. Of course this would never fly because of public outrage and protests, but yet no one pushes the issue on the "internet".

It's just a matter of time before a company like Google takes eBay to court for monopolizing the industry, and I can't wait for that day to occur.

[ryborg]

i just hate how few people leave feedback these days.

That's because feedback has become irrelevant. I no longer give feedback unless a buyer or seller went out of their way for me for whatever reason. As a seller, leaving feedback is pointless, because a buyer's feedback is no longer an indicator of if they're a good customer or not since they can no longer receive critical feedback. What's the difference between (40) and (4999) if you don't sell anything? As a buyer, a seller's feedback is the last thing I worry about, since I'm going to be covered if something goes awry.


Because eBay owns Paypal. They bought em for $1.5B in 2002 (link for reference: http://news.cnet.com/2100-1017-941964.html ). Long story short, eBay tried to create their own company to compete with them (BillPoint), failed horribly and just bought up their competition.

That still doesn't explain why it should be FREE. Just because a company owns a product or service doesn't mean they have to give it away. As much as it sucks for sellers, it's still the smart business move because they know sellers will put up with it, while buyers will not.


Hell, paypal offers no more protection than a normal Credit Card. You can do a chargeback through a Credit Card for a non-receipt or damaged goods. So what exactly are we paying for again?

A credit card will drop you if you file too many disputes. Some will drop you after one. Paypal won't. It also only takes two mouse clicks to file a dispute on Paypal. Dealing with a real credit card chargeback has gotten easier in recent years, but it's still a huge pain in the ass. It has been proven that you will *always* win a Not-As-Described dispute. Good luck with that using a CC. Regardless, we're not paying solely to be protected; we're paying because it's mandatory. Don't like it? Don't use the service.


Here's the analogy. Let's say that Wal-mart decides to put parking meters in all of their parking spots. Just like you have to use paypal when you buy on eBay, you have to park in a parking spot to go inside Wal-mart (pretending you don't live in walking distance or carpool to do your shopping.) So Wal-mart would get to profit off you twice just as eBay does. Of course this would never fly because of public outrage and protests, but yet no one pushes the issue on the "internet".Good analogy, but I think most people WOULD put up with it if it meant lower prices and an easier shopping experience overall. (SHHHH don't be giving Wal-Mart any ideas....)


It's just a matter of time before a company like Google takes eBay to court for monopolizing the industry, and I can't wait for that day to occur.I've been waiting for this to happen for years and years now. I don't think it's going to happen. Google doesn't make very many poor business moves and you'd think if creating their own auction/sales front, they would have done so by now. I'm not sure there's another company that has the assets and the will to truly compete with ebay.

[garagesaleking!!]

exactly because something like ebay takes years and years to build trust and recognition. and to establish a base of buyers, its not hard to get sellers. Ebay will also have the largest buyer base and since so many international buyers use ebay us now, they are never going to change in this next 10 years.

[BetaWolf47]

You can have a bad experience no matter where you buy an item, all you can do is do all the investigating you can before you purchase. Ebay does have paypal protection but it doesn't cover everything so beware of that.
This is one reason I prefer brick and mortar, and local dealing. The risks of physically buying an item from a person are far fewer. I've looked at something in a Play N Trade, and in Gamestop, brought it to the register, but then turned down the sale because of their condition. Even though buying locally is a lot more limited, it's better to have something tangible.

[jonebone]

Good analogy, but I think most people WOULD put up with it if it meant lower prices and an easier shopping experience overall. (SHHHH don't be giving Wal-Mart any ideas....)

Of course we'd put up with it if it meant lower prices, but eBay prices just continually raises them higher and higher. Businesses always pass increased costs to the consumer, so everytime these FVFs and shipping fees go up, the price of video games slowly trickles upward. Just like when many services / foods shot up in price a couple years back when gas damn near doubled over the span of a month.



I've been waiting for this to happen for years and years now. I don't think it's going to happen. Google doesn't make very many poor business moves and you'd think if creating their own auction/sales front, they would have done so by now. I'm not sure there's another company that has the assets and the will to truly compete with ebay.

I didn't suggest for Google to compete with eBay from an auction site perspective, I'm simply encouraging them to try and prosecute eBay for monopolizing the checkout system. There is absolutely no valid reason why Google Checkout should not be permitted. Quite frankly, there's no real valid reason for banning money orders either, though I do admit it does streamline the process much better.

Google does know how to pick and choose their battles though. I figured they'd either be in the video game or operating system industry by now, quite surprised they aren't. I also expected Apple to compete with an iConsole or something, surprised they haven't either.

[rpepper9]

Despite the raises they can keep doing it because its worth it.

Now, dont act like amazon has no fees. I sold some textbooks and they charged me a 14% commission fee. That was outrageous, higher than ebay. Whats with that?

Couldn't have said it better! How many of us buy things at Flea Markets or Garage Sales and resell on eBay? I cannot even understand why people have garage sales due to the fact that you could buy almost any gaming item at a garage sale and get triple the price on eBay.

How many people have passed on items at a Flea or Garage Sale because the seller was charging "eBay" prices? To quote Garagesaleking!! Despite all the fees it is still worth it!

[Zapf]

I cannot even understand why people have garage sales due to the fact that you could buy almost any gaming item at a garage sale and get triple the price on eBay.


Is this a serious post or what.

[garagesaleking!!]

Its called a figure of speech, used to exaggerate a point as to prove its legitimacy.

What he says is true in many cases. Not just with gaming stuff. Some people are understandable, they sell large ackward things, or just give you a deal on somthing to get rid of it. But some people sell things for $5 or $10 that are worth well over $100 or $200. It still puzzles me, but Im not going to complain. Gaming stuff usually is priced either high or fairly though because so many people have seen prices at retro game stores and craigslist, etc. But there are still deals to be had.

[Bugbear]

Maybe Ebay is okay if you're a power-seller, but when I need a few extra dollars and sell something that'll fetch more then $20 because anything else is a waste of my time, AND I'm a "little guy", it can hit you hard.

Say I sell a game for $50. The final vaule fee for video game listings is 15% (yeah, it's more depending on what you sell.) Then I have to pay the paypal fee, 3.9% if I sold it overseas, which I probably did (2.9% otherwise.)
So I end up with $40.25. Yeah, that's nice, I needed $50 and got $40. I know there has to be A fee, because it is a service. I don't deny that, I just don't think it should be so much. If I don't have loads of money in my Paypal account, $10 can be significant. I'm not saying I'm poor and don't have 10 bucks, but ---damn.
A $10 service charge. Can you imagine a bank charging that much per transaction? Or ANYONE charging $10 for everything they do for you? Sure, Ebay isn't a bank. But they sure have a lot of customers, and they sure do charge a lot of money.

[ryborg]

There is absolutely no valid reason why Google Checkout should not be permitted.

Ebay is a private company and they can choose how people pay when users use their site. There is absolutely zero legal basis for a lawsuit, which is why Google hasn't done anything. Should Diners Club sue Red Lobster since Red Lobster doesn't accept DC cards as payment? There is no monopoly, since ebay allows users to use other payment systems (ProPay, Moneybookers, Paymate, actual merchant cards, etc). Even if Paypal was the only service allowed, that is not how monopolies work, and to think otherwise is laughable. Ebay is not the only place to buy items on the internet.


Is this a serious post or what.

Sadly, it seems to have been.

[ryborg]

A $10 service charge. Can you imagine a bank charging that much per transaction? Or ANYONE charging $10 for everything they do for you? Sure, Ebay isn't a bank. But they sure have a lot of customers, and they sure do charge a lot of money.

No one is forcing you to use ebay. Since it's so terrible and expensive, I urge you to find another venue to sell your $50 item for $50 quickly and have no fees involved.

[jonebone]

Ebay is a private company and they can choose how people pay when users use their site. There is absolutely zero legal basis for a lawsuit, which is why Google hasn't done anything. Should Diners Club sue Red Lobster since Red Lobster doesn't accept DC cards as payment? There is no monopoly, since ebay allows users to use other payment systems (ProPay, Moneybookers, Paymate, actual merchant cards, etc).


I didn't know other services were allowed, I guess that makes matter a bit better, but I'm sure that's some ridiculously small percentage of their sales (fraction of a percent maybe?)


No one is forcing you to use ebay. Since it's so terrible and expensive, I urge you to find another venue to sell your $50 item for $50 quickly and have no fees involved.

Forums with a gifted payment seem to do the job just fine. You usually get a higher premium for MINT stuff anyway.

[darkslime]

feedback is definitely important ryborg. for example, i am only allowed to have 2 1 or 2 DSRs but have 3 in item as described and shipping time, so i lose top rated seller over one asshole. if more people leave feedback i'll have a higher percentage allowed.

also as everyone else has said, the fees are worth it. i am glad to hand over 15% of my profits to eBay / Amazon because the userbase of those sites are huge and there is nowhere else i would be able to get the stupid high prices i charge which sell fine on ebay and amazon.

edit: sorry if post makes no sense. i'm very tired, will edit in the morning if i remember.

[ryborg]

if more people leave feedback i'll have a higher percentage allowed.

Percentage doesn't matter. All that matter is the total number. If you have X amount of 1 or 2 DSRs to demote you from whatever plateau, it doesn't matter if 1000 other people gave you 5s.

[brykasch]

Yep I miss the old days of ebay, was more of a community back then, they made it where Paypal pretty much is the only accepted form of payment. Funny how that started after they bought Paypal.

Garage sales can be pretty profitable, problem is I am not a people person, and after doing garage sales with my mom when I was younger, I have no tolerance for the idiots that pass as buyers.

I liked yahoo auctions but they went the way of the dodo as well afaik haven't used em in eons.

[UnpluggedClone]

Just be careful with Ebay; there are plenty of horror stories. People get scammed easily, and the bad sellers know all the ways around the rules.

For the love of ----, don't sell anything! You'll end up paying out your ass in fees.

Yea buy on ebay if you can win a cheap auction and sell on amazon. You can get screwed very easily by a buyer on ebay, because of the way paypal is setup.

Basically you sell said item, buyer receives item and says it's not what he ordered but you know you sent out the right game/system etc... Buyer files paypal claim, paypal tells buyer to send item back with tracking. Buyer sends item with tracking. You receive said item in the mail open the box and find a used Hypodermic needle an empty soda can and a copy of kabuki warriors... but that's not what you sent out and you know it so you call the local police agency in your county and the buyers. The police tell you it's a civil matter and you have to file a claim in civil court... Buyer Just got your item and paypal gives them the money back. So now you are fucked six ways from Sunday and there's nothing you can do... Ebay is safer then a random b/s/t forum but not by a whole lot.

[ryborg]

words

PLEASE. Yes, that is technically possible, but how often do you think that really happens? I've been selling since 1998, about 50k total sales and that's NEVER happened to me. I personally know other sellers who sell about the same as me and it's never happened to them too. Just because you've heard a few worst-case-scenario horror stories doesn't mean they're likely to happen. If you're that terrified of being scammed, maybe you shouldn't use the internet for sales.

[Zapf]

Its called a figure of speech, used to exaggerate a point as to prove its legitimacy.

I wasn't questioning the amount more you can theoretically make on ebay, I was questioning how you honestly couldn't see the value in not having to deal with things like ebay policies, payment services, shipping, computers in general (which even these days, is still a hassle to some people).

There is more than monetary value to consider here. Thats why places like gamestop still get a shitload of people sellin them games even when they give crap prices - its really convenient.

[Shellshock!]

lol. Gargoyle's quest is just another mid-level CIB, R5 or R6 maybe and shouldn't be anymore than $25-$30. Auctions would be lucky to break $20, but of course BINers will slap it up at 200-300% of it's value. Guess you missed that sealed one that just ended for $41 last week, you coulda VGA'd it and gotten $300+ by your perception of "worth".


Don't confuse what you think it's worth and what others think it's worth. If I can sell Gargoyle's Quest at $60+ and Belmont's Revenge at $120+ (which I will, I promise you) then that's what's worth to the buyer. My $25 sealed Darkwing Duck (Sunsoft edition) resold for $100 says so.

[pseudonym]

How long was the game in your ebay store though?

I don't see the benefit of waiting 2-3 months to sell something for double or triple the price when I could sell it in one or two weeks for it's normal price range. Obviously, you get more money, but is it worth the wait?

[Shellshock!]

How long was the game in your ebay store though?

I don't see the benefit of waiting 2-3 months to sell something for double or triple the price when I could sell it in one or two weeks for it's normal price range. Obviously, you get more money, but is it worth the wait?

About 1 week.

That's up to you, of course. But I rather sit on it and get 200% to 400% more than to sell it quick. I do have other things I sell, like Dell computer parts, that I just sell at bottom prices just because I don't want them around and I get them for free.

[ryborg]

argghhh can we please not have the "greedy seller" debate again???

[jonebone]

Don't confuse what you think it's worth and what others think it's worth. If I can sell Gargoyle's Quest at $60+ and Belmont's Revenge at $120+ (which I will, I promise you) then that's what's worth to the buyer. My $25 sealed Darkwing Duck (Sunsoft edition) resold for $100 says so.

No, it just means you ripped off an unknowledgable buyer. What is it worth to one person does not establish the new market value. What it is worth to the market as a whole (i.e. auction) is a better indicator of value.

If you haven't been under a rock the past 3 years, you probably understand the housing mess. If sellers ask $300k for their house and they can't get any buyers offering more than $250k over the course of a year, then their house isn't worth $300k.

Pretty simple concept really.

[garagesaleking!!]

No one is forcing you to use ebay. Since it's so terrible and expensive, I urge you to find another venue to sell your $50 item for $50 quickly and have no fees involved.

You said it brother. Feel free to sell your $50 item for $25 elsewhere. Ill take my $40 after fees and still be $15 ahead. Thanks. Now of course I hate ebay fees, and they are out of control. Im not going to tell ebay directly fee increases are ok. But Im not going to complain or stop using the site, they dont care because they know they can keep raising.

[Shellshock!]

What is it worth to one person does not establish the new market value. What it is worth to the market as a whole (i.e. auction) is a better indicator of value.


I never said otherwise. My buyers and I obviously don't care about what the market value of a game is, given the prices we handle. Yet still we happily do business every day. I guess we operate on an alternate market!

Anyways, sorry for the thread derailing. No more of this.

[UnpluggedClone]

excuses

It happen to my friend...

[ryborg]

Paypal has stopped another potential scammer. A now-suspended user attempted a chargeback on all recent items purchased, including those he already received. I contacted other sellers he bought stuff from and they were targeted too. It appears the chargebacks went through, but Paypal ate the loss instead of the sellers, which is great. I received this email today:

Hello (me),

As you know, we were recently notified that one of your buyers filed a
chargeback with their card issuer. One of the unique benefits of using
PayPal is that we help you fight unwarranted chargebacks and attempt to
recover your funds.

Usually the funds associated with a chargeback are temporarily held until
the card issuer makes its decision.

Because you followed the guidelines of the seller protection policy,
though, PayPal will cover the amount of the chargeback.