What are your pet peeves when it comes to on-line shopping?

[PROTOTYPE]

OK my example.. people who over bid on a game that you can buy brand new on amazon for cheaper? What the @!#%! Try looking around first Duh... I know this is a rant of mine but come on. How are you suppose to find deals when you have people doing this stuff?:onfire: Anyway, what's yours?

[Edmond Dantes]

People who won't give information/don't answer questions about products.

People who list cartridge or disc-only games as "mint" or "like new."

[IHatedSega]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Yeah, I bought a 2 disk dvd set and it came in a terrible case, not even fit for two disks let alone the original they were released in. The seller of course had a * at the end of their description and I found out it was the usual bullshit "may or may not actually be in original packaging, some wear, may not include manual, ect." I wrote a blistering review of them on amazon, and gave them a 1 star. Then they read it and gave me $25 and my money back to shut me up. I took it.

[brainerdrainer]

people who only have blurry or bright ass photos. or none at all

[sloan]

1. Sellers who post stock photos
2. Sellers with incomplete/inaccurate descriptions
3. Sellers who ignore information requests
4. Sellers who feign ignorance
5. Sellers who package fragile valuables in simple bubble mailer envelopes

[PROTOTYPE]

1. Sellers who post stock photos
2. Sellers with incomplete/inaccurate descriptions
3. Sellers who ignore information requests
4. Sellers who feign ignorance
5. Sellers who package fragile valuables in simple bubble mailer envelopes

Man, this has all happen to me..As for the simple bubble mailer? They Also have use just the envelope with no bubble lining.Ps1 games cases will break or crack every time. Here is the funniest thing used to mail me a game, A frozen pizza box with only a Pay-pal sticker on it! The mailman had to come to the door as it wouldn't fit in the mail box! He just look at me very weird like.:hmm:

[Voliko]

Bubble mailers. I've learned my lesson on buying new releases that come with outer cardboard cases online. Twice now they've been shipped in bubble mailers and have been crushed in transit. So now I just have to pre-order these kind of games at Gamestop... This certainly applies to old games too but the solution isn't so simple, though I find most sellers are more wary of shipping fragile older games than brand new releases.

edit- A frozen pizza box!? That's crazy!

[PROTOTYPE]

Bubble mailers. I've learned my lesson on buying new releases that come with outer cardboard cases online. Twice now they've been shipped in bubble mailers and have been crushed in transit. So now I just have to pre-order these kind of games at Gamestop... This certainly applies to old games too but the solution isn't so simple, though I find most sellers are more wary of shipping fragile older games than brand new releases.

edit- A frozen pizza box!? That's crazy!

Yea, allot people didn't believe me and wanted pictures but I already threw it out...it was ps1 game and was wrap with a small plastic store carrying bag around it and other bags stuff all around it.[ So it cost him nothing] It came in very good condition.What is weird is somebody said the post office wouldn't not except a food package like that? Well they did,to bad the pizza wasn't in there too..HaLOL

[Polygon]

1. Stock photos. I don't buy games if I can't see detailed pictures of the actual game I'm buying. I've been burned too many times.
2. Sellers that lie about the condition. I agree that loose games are not mint or even great condition. I would call them acceptable. But even complete stuff it better look new or close to it.
3. Price gouging. I think that's pretty self explanatory. Prices online are getting out of control, even on common things. This is why I've decided to try finding more games in the wild.
4. Not answering questions. A question I ask a lot is if the label is peeling or coming off in any way. If gotten people that dodge the question or flat out lie. Hence pet peeve one.
5. No description! That or they just have a few words saying what game it is. I want a detailed explanation of the condition of everything included.

[Kitsune Sniper]

No combined shipping.

"Hi, yeah, all our games are two bucks! But we ask for three dollars shipping for each item. No, I don't care if you live five miles south of me, you still have to pay fifteen bucks shipping for those five items you bought, even if I'm sending them Media Mail. Yes, I'm a powerseller, how can you tell?"

Assholes.

[YoshiM]

Ridiculous eBay "buy it now" prices. I've seen too many common things priced too high using BIN and most of the time the item gets relisted at the same price!

One dude has the same magazines for the same price every month. Granted they are hard to find mags (early EGM) but they've never sold. I wanted to ask if he had an aversion to making sone money on his wares.

[Polygon]

No combined shipping.

"Hi, yeah, all our games are two bucks! But we ask for three dollars shipping for each item. No, I don't care if you live five miles south of me, you still have to pay fifteen bucks shipping for those five items you bought, even if I'm sending them Media Mail. Yes, I'm a powerseller, how can you tell?"

Assholes.

Oh yeah, I forgot that one. I won't buy if they won't combine. Also, inflated shipping prices.

[frogofdeath]

3. Price gouging. I think that's pretty self explanatory. Prices online are getting out of control, even on common things. This is why I've decided to try finding more games in the wild.
I am in agreeance on most mentioned, but wanted to second this. Seems almost like classic video game collecting is becoming more and more elitist.

[The 1 2 P]

People who won't give information/don't answer questions about products.



3. Sellers who ignore information requests


4. Not answering questions. A question I ask a lot is if the label is peeling or coming off in any way. If gotten people that dodge the question or flat out lie. Hence pet peeve one.

While I hate that I also started doing this on ebay. But only for stupid questions, which I still seem to get a ton of. So for instance, if I have a Japanese import game and state in the description "only playable on a Japanese system" and someone sends me a question asking "will this play on my US system?" I ignore it. Or my other least favorite questions: I'll have a game listed as game disc and case only, NO MANUAL. And I will have pics of the front and back of everything. Then I get the question "does this come with a manual?" So yeah, sometimes I also refuse to answer stupid questions.

My pet peeve is people who list items for hundreds or thousands of dollars but don't have pics. So they would be selling something like a cart only copy of Stadium Events for $4,000 but only have a stock photo. That is super annoyiny but ebay is suppose to have already started requiring all sellers to use real pics from now on. But I still see plenty of stock pics or no pics at all.

[Jack7]

only two major things happened to me once a guy listed it as shipped. Then later emailed me to say they actually don't have that they listed it as shipped before they checked their "warehouse" to find out they didn't have it. The second was USPS lost it. The seller resent the item and then I got a second one later so.... it worked out later

[Gentlegamer]

Two biggest from my experiences are using stock photos and no combined shipping on multiple auctions.

[wiggyx]

"Game is BRAND NEW...

I only played it two or three times."

[Ryudo]

When on Amazon if they list it as good,very good,like new and don't say if any of that means complete sometimes gotten "like new" with a missing manual and disc is scuffed

[Jack_Burton_BYOAC]

Not limited to online, but people who ask more for something I am buying used from them than I can buy it new from a retailer. They use the logic "I payed this much for it, so I can't sell it for less."

This would be fine if I were the one offering to buy, but I have had people offer to sell me things for more than I can buy them off of amazon right now.

[PROTOTYPE]

Speaking of Japanese import games, What is up with their prices? That game that's listed for 150.00 goes for 3.00 to 10.00 in japan! So, because its a import they can charge and make up there own prices? :onfire:

[wiggyx]

Japanese market =/= US market, so yes.

[Polygon]

I am in agreeance on most mentioned, but wanted to second this. Seems almost like classic video game collecting is becoming more and more elitist.

Yeah, exactly! I used to buy exclusively online. But I've been watching You Tube video of people picking retro games and I am really dying to give it a try.


While I hate that I also started doing this on ebay. But only for stupid questions, which I still seem to get a ton of. So for instance, if I have a Japanese import game and state in the description "only playable on a Japanese system" and someone sends me a question asking "will this play on my US system?" I ignore it. Or my other least favorite questions: I'll have a game listed as game disc and case only, NO MANUAL. And I will have pics of the front and back of everything. Then I get the question "does this come with a manual?" So yeah, sometimes I also refuse to answer stupid questions.

Nothing wrong with that. If they can't be bothered to read the description or the title, then you shouldn't have to bother to answer something that's already been answered.

[Schiggidyd]

I had a funtastic grey N64 online, with a busted power cord. I took a photo of the cord with the prongs missing, incase the buyer would want to repair it. Also, clearly mentioned in the description.

I still get this stupid ass comment..

"Is the cord broken? in the second photo somthing about it doesnt look
right. I am interested in purchasing this console."

Here is that photo.

6222

SOMETHING DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT GUYS!!!11!11!

[wiggyx]

Tell 'em it's the new inductive AC adapter :P

[Tron 2.0]

1. Stock photos. I don't buy games if I can't see detailed pictures of the actual game I'm buying. I've been burned too many times.
2. Sellers that lie about the condition. I agree that loose games are not mint or even great condition. I would call them acceptable. But even complete stuff it better look new or close to it.
3. Price gouging. I think that's pretty self explanatory. Prices online are getting out of control, even on common things. This is why I've decided to try finding more games in the wild.
4. Not answering questions. A question I ask a lot is if the label is peeling or coming off in any way. If gotten people that dodge the question or flat out lie. Hence pet peeve one.
5. No description! That or they just have a few words saying what game it is. I want a detailed explanation of the condition of everything included.
This if any thing at all,especially if the seller just shows a stock photo.Since you never know if the game is complete or not.

[Urzu402]

I have a few that were mentioned here, but one I haven't seen someone post is, people who overstate how rare the game is, or people who are persistent that the game is rare just because its not being manufactured anymore. these are the type of people who would say Super Mario bros/Duck Hunt was super rare.

[Guyra]

Wow, this thread is hilarious! So much truth!

Here's another one, and slightly related to Prototype's peeve about import games: People who think rarity and condition are the only variables you have to take into account when pricing an item. "These are really hard to find, so it's money level is OVER NINE THOUSAAAAAND!!!" No, dude. Seriously. You also have to take into account such things as what market you try to sell it in(Japanese region game with Japanese text on eBay? Most people can't play this, nor can they read Japanese even if they do manage to get it to play, like on a modded console), and not to mention demand. My point? Let me give you a theoretical example:

If I make a sculpture of my turd in clay, then bake it, and paint it with my fecal matter so that it looks and smells realistic, plus maybe put a face on it, maybe a moustache, a hat ... and maybe a little button that'll make the turd yell out the Norwegian equivalent of "CRAP!" And then I go on eBay saying, "buy this, it's a ONE OF A KIND ITEM! My price will be ONLY $1000!!" Guess what? Despite being a one of a kind item, it's still shit! And to make things worse, no one has even heard of Guyra's Shit Sculptures before anyway. So even if it actually might appeal to a certain amount of people around the world, they won't come looking for it, because they don't know of its existence - in addition to that, they might actually prefer shit sculptures made in their own country, because they'd yell, "CRAP!" in their native language, instead of in a foreign language which they don't understand. (Not to mention that my shit sculpture might not fit their Turd Sculpture Display 5000 because the sculpture base is of a different shape in every country. Yeah.)

Okay, so it's probably apparent this is one of those things which annoy me a lot, I guess. Also, I don't think I've ever talked that much about fecal matter in a single post ever before. :P Real example, though:

I actually talked talked down the price which a seller had set for a certain Japanese game on eBay, in a gaming series with generally very low demand. Now, this was a rather rare release, so that's one thing. However, I already had the same release(albeit a slightly different variant - both equally rare), and I payed roughly $6.5 plus shipping for mine when I bought it straight from Japan. He wanted roughly $110 plus shipping for his copy. Managed to talk him down to roughly half the price total(for some strange reason, the default shipping cost went down to roughly 1/5th as well when he relisted the item) and bought it at that price, since it was an item I really needed to get for my collection.


Speaking of Japanese import games, What is up with their prices? That game that's listed for 150.00 goes for 3.00 to 10.00 in japan! So, because its a import they can charge and make up there own prices? :onfire:
These sellers take advantage of those who don't know how to order from Japanese sites(or even check them, for that matter), so to those people, this might be one of the first times they see the Japanese version. Or they might be looking to add it to their collection, but since they don't know how to get it straight from Japan, they might go, "FINALLY, the game I've been searching for since forever popped up on eBay! It's a little expensive, but at least now I can finally add it to my collection!" Stuff like that. You get my point.


1. Stock photos. I don't buy games if I can't see detailed pictures of the actual game I'm buying. I've been burned too many times.
2. Sellers that lie about the condition. I agree that loose games are not mint or even great condition. I would call them acceptable. But even complete stuff it better look new or close to it.
3. Price gouging. I think that's pretty self explanatory. Prices online are getting out of control, even on common things. This is why I've decided to try finding more games in the wild.
4. Not answering questions. A question I ask a lot is if the label is peeling or coming off in any way. If gotten people that dodge the question or flat out lie. Hence pet peeve one.
5. No description! That or they just have a few words saying what game it is. I want a detailed explanation of the condition of everything included.
1. Yes.
2. Happens way too often!
3. Sadly, this is typical for a market where the items are highly sought after, and at the same time becomes fewer and fewer by the day.
4. Yes. I can understand not answering stupid questions, but other than that ... if you want me to buy this thing, answer my questions first!
5. Hopefully they'll at least respond to my questions ...


"Game is BRAND NEW...

I only played it two or three times."
Brand new, indeed! If you've opened it, it's no longer "brand new." If you've used it, it's no longer "brand new." How come people don't get this? I'd understand if they'd say, "as good as new," or, "almost brand new" - that'd be okay. But it's not "BRAND NEW" when you've played it. No. Just no.


I have a few that were mentioned here, but one I haven't seen someone post is, people who overstate how rare the game is, or people who are persistent that the game is rare just because its not being manufactured anymore. these are the type of people who would say Super Mario bros/Duck Hunt was super rare.
Oh, but don't you know? 50% of all games listed on eBay are really, truly ***SUPER RARE VIDEO GAME***!


SOMETHING DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT GUYS!!!11!11!
I can't quite put my finger on it, but I think maybe there's something wrong with the power cord ...


Man, this has all happen to me..As for the simple bubble mailer? They Also have use just the envelope with no bubble lining.Ps1 games cases will break or crack every time. Here is the funniest thing used to mail me a game, A frozen pizza box with only a Pay-pal sticker on it! The mailman had to come to the door as it wouldn't fit in the mail box! He just look at me very weird like.:hmm:
Wow! That's just incredible! You really should've taken a picture of that! xD


This post became much longer than intended. xD

[recorderdude]

my biggest peeve (and this happens more on amazon than ebay) is games set to buy at super cheap prices like a cent or a dollar with INSANELY high shipping. Like, we're talking $15 shipping on a gameboy cartridge. I know that's just their way of completing the game's actual value (and most often massively overcharging), but doing so makes it REALLY hard to tell what games are actually going for as they flood stores, and when searching amazon lists games' lowest price WITHOUT shipping, not price plus. What makes it worse is that it's one seller doing it, they never sell anything so they stick around, and he's got a TON of stock.

[Tanooki]

Mine would be condition liars. You read something or see something but it's angled well, or propped up to be nicer than it is, so you buy it and get not as advertised, then attitude about it when they're called on it.

Wife bought an item on ebay weeks ago as new, when it came it wasn't as seen in the nice pictures. Box was opened, item wrapped in bubble wrap sloppily, and it was detached from the base. When turned on, the mechanics of it were not working 100% either. We left an immediate negative, they blew a fuse demanding feedback revision. Then I had to go through paypal not ebay to get the money refunded out of their bank account, and since (today again) 2 more mails demanding, then pleading nicely to revise it.

If they do as I asked and send me a revision I'll do it, but it will only go neutral and still note shipping used as new isn't cool.

[retroguy]

Yeah, that's why I usually only browse the used listings. I figure I'm more likely to find an honest description of whatever it is I'm looking at. My internal BS Detector is a finely tuned instrument and if it pings, I pass.

[Kiddo]

I actually once got a eBayer who shipped me an item in a Pizza box, myself.

To make matters worse, it turned out to be a counterfeit GBA game. Thankfully I got a refund, since it seemed the guy was being called out by eBay for all the counterfeiting.

Anyhow, since a lot of pet peeves here are about what common sellers do, I'll put a bit of a different perspective on this;

1) People who seem specifically out to outbid you, regardless of whether the item is really of value to them. This may sound implausible, but this appears to have been happening to me on Yahoo Japan Auctions recently. Auction I don't bid on? 3,000 yen. Identical item, but I bid? 11,500 yen. Won't go into any more details there.

2) Whomever are selling repro carts of a ROM hack project you worked as a hobby on for $400+ dollars without you getting a dime of compensation for it. Especially when it's -featured on Gamesniped-. (http://www.gamesniped.com/2008/12/19/bs-zelda-no-densetsu/) And eBay refuses to shut it down.

3) While many people bring up people who obviously know more than they're letting on about a product and not being transparent... the other side of this is the sheer amount of people who don't have the first clue about what they're selling, but jack the prices sky high because they merely think it's valuable. For example, many Satellaview sellers on eBay do not even know how to check if an 8M Memory Pack has any data in it, but they'll sell them for higher prices than they sell on Yahoo Japan Auction. Of course, the same goes to the people who collect and hoard these things without having a clue what's actually in them.

This particular example is one of the most extreme, and ridiculous. (http://www.ebay.com/itm/RPG-2-ONGAKU-SOUND-NOVEL-TSUKURU-BS-X-8M-MEMORY-MAKER-SATELLAVIEW-SUPER-FAMICOM-/360554560841?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item53f2b9fd49)


The contents of inclusion of 8M MEMORY : RPG TSUKURU 2 FILE 01 , KANADERU CONVERT , SOUND NOVEL 1 , SOUND NOVEL 2 , SOUND NOVEL 5

At least he checked the 8M, but... dude, all that data is homebrew/homemade data with absolutely no collector's value whatsoever. Even with the other items in the set being CIB, this is NOT worth $300 by a long shot.

4) eBay shutting down a seller soon after I do a BIN. Happened just recently, and now I don't even know if my item is shipped. I may just have to ask Paypal for a refund soon.

[kedawa]

My biggest pet peeve?
Living in Canada.

[Nesmaster]

My biggest pet peeve?
Living in Canada.
We need a like button on DP...

Sucks because if you are lucky enough to find a US seller to ship here shipping costs usually kill any deal anyways. And Customs/UPS Brokerage fees are never anything but nasty surprises. I remember being charged ~$37 on a $55 package once from UPS and $20 on $25 from Customs.

[pseudonym]

We need a like button on DP...

Sucks because if you are lucky enough to find a US seller to ship here shipping costs usually kill any deal anyways. And Customs/UPS Brokerage fees are never anything but nasty surprises. I remember being charged ~$37 on a $55 package once from UPS and $20 on $25 from Customs.

Agreed. More frequently this year I've run into items I've wanted and the seller either refuses to ship to Canada at all, or will only ship it by Priority, Express, or UPS. I've had to let a few things go because sellers want to charge $20 to ship a $10 item for example.

[wiggyx]

You can't ship to Canada via 1st class when the package is over a certain weight, and you can't ship via 1st class to Canada when using paypal AT ALL anymore. I won't ship 1st class to Canada for this reason. It's a big-ass hassle to have to go to the post office to prep a package to ship international. If I can't make it good to go while sitting at my computer, then I'm not gonna bother, especially for a 10 dollar game or something of similarly lower value.

[PROTOTYPE]

So,I'm not the only one who had a game mail by a pizza box Ha.. I have bought so many games [on-line] over the years and I've seen everything it has to offer. Sellers that lie, brand new, like new, very good, to good, to its Crap but its for sale! Most sellers don't know WHAT IS LIKE NEW IS? I had one seller tell me when his game came like new [40.00 game]but was in very good condition, maybe if your that picky you should only buy brand new! ... or Putting a photo copy of the manual of Ps1 game and picture it just right so you think its complete 65.00 game.Showing a black copy of a game and get a greatest hits version.Sometimes I just want to..:2gunfire:

[IHatedSega]

When sellers list controllers as remotes. I dont know why, but that just gets to me. Even my best friend says remote instead of controller and I think shes adjusting the volume on her tv.

[Gentlegamer]

Showing a black copy of a game and get a greatest hits version.Sometimes I just want to..:2gunfire:Oh this really gets me! This is why I completely stopped buying games with stock photos only.

[Sundowner]

I hate it when people don't follow the guidelines when listing things on amazon and ebay. If it is cart or disc only that means acceptable!

I also hate it when I buy a saturn game and they don't put it in a box. Also, almost 75% of the time the disc pops out of the hinges. I always tell them to smush something in there to protect the disc from falling out, often they do, but sometimes they ignore my request completely!

[FABombjoy]

and you can't ship via 1st class to Canada when using paypal AT ALL anymore.
You might be able to soon directly on the USPS website:

http://ircalc.usps.gov/MailServices.aspx?country=10054&m=6&p=0&o=6

After the rate hike a First Class online price appeared, but in true USPS style it doesn't actually work... If you fill out all the info you'll only be given Priority / Express options. The person on the live chat said it should work in the future, although I couldn't get her to give me an ETA or a method of being notified. I suspect that these are the rates now available to metered services like stamps.com / P-B.

[wiggyx]

^^^ And is the USPS site ever busted, sheesh. I hate using their site to print postage, but it does technically beat going into the post office to do so ;)


So,I'm not the only one who had a game mail by a pizza box Ha.. I have bought so many games [on-line] over the years and I've seen everything it has to offer. Sellers that lie, brand new, like new, very good, to good, to its Crap but its for sale! Most sellers don't know WHAT IS LIKE NEW IS? I had one seller tell me when his game came like new [40.00 game]but was in very good condition, maybe if your that picky you should only buy brand new! ... or Putting a photo copy of the manual of Ps1 game and picture it just right so you think its complete 65.00 game.Showing a black copy of a game and get a greatest hits version.Sometimes I just want to..:2gunfire:

Had a game come in the sender's gas bill envelope last month, all hastily taped together, with the game wrapped in an Aldi bag inside. Fail.

[shane7951]

One of my biggest pet peeves is when a seller lists a game at a great price but cranks up the shipping. So you click the link thinking you're scoring a $30 game for $10 only to see shipping is $15, drives me crazy :onfire:

[sloan]

One of my biggest pet peeves is when a seller lists a game at a great price but cranks up the shipping. So you click the link thinking you're scoring a $30 game for $10 only to see shipping is $15, drives me crazy :onfire:

I thought ebay had clamped down on this type of garbage a few years ago. Been a while since I tried to sell on there, but last time I did, it would only allow a certain range of shipping fees based on type of merchandise being sold.

[Aussie2B]

There are ways to get around it and charge whatever shipping you want, but it would be pointless because eBay applies their fees to both the item cost and the shipping cost now.

[Gameguy]

One of my biggest pet peeves is when a seller lists a game at a great price but cranks up the shipping. So you click the link thinking you're scoring a $30 game for $10 only to see shipping is $15, drives me crazy :onfire:
It depends where it's coming from, if it's from Canada $15 shipping is normal for a parcel. To me anything not sendable in a bubble mailer counts as a parcel, and you'll be charged as such from the post office. I recently sent a parcel under two pounds within the same province and it cost a bit under $20 to ship. I opted for signature confirmation and coverage but that was only a few dollars more than the cheapest option without either of those things included.

I guess what I don't like are people who avoid auctions with supposed high costs in shipping just because they feel the shipping price is too high, even if the total cost of the item is well below the usual going rate. Something $30 with $5 shipping costs the same as $20 with $15 shipping, yet most people won't bother buying anything with a shipping price of $15.

[recorderdude]

I already mentioned this issue on amazon with that one single seller (I won't say his name here, but search for SNES or genesis games from low to high and he's bound to pop up a few times) and this probably sheds a bit of light on it. Does amazon take a percentage out of shipping? If not, it makes sense why he makes every half-common game a cent with massively bloated $15 shipping and others that are a bit harder to find even more overpriced.

[The 1 2 P]

I have two more. The first is with Amazon international sellers, particularly Japanese ones. Why is it that when ever I buy a Japanese import game from a Japanese seller on Amazon it takes 4-8 weeks for the item to arrive. But when I buy a Japanese import game from a Japanese seller on ebay it arrives in only 2-3 weeks. And this is for SAL shipping, which is the equivalent of international media/book rate/slow shipping. So sellers on both sites are shipping at the same rate but my Amazon items always take longer to arrive.

And then theres ebays unpaid item process. So even though I require the winning bidders to make payment within two days of aucitons closing ebay gives them four days to make payment. If that was all I would be ok with that but it takes four days before you can even open up an unpaid item case. And then you have to wait another four days to close it. If they are already giving that person four days to make payment and they don't(or respond to my own email reminder before I open the case) pay, they shouldn't then be given another four days(making eight total that I had to wait for nothing). Once the case is open we should be able to close it in a day, two tops.

[PROTOTYPE]

OK, have a new one.. been looking to buy this certain game for awhile but the price won't go down. This is listed on e-bay and amazon and all sellers are with in a dollar or two. This game is worth at the most 20.00 but all the sellers have it listed around 65.00! Saying its rare bull crap.My point is they are all sticking around that price so they can sell it high. THIS IS FIX PRICING! and its not fair.:angry:

[Guyra]

OK, have a new one.. been looking to buy this certain game for awhile but the price won't go down. This is listed on e-bay and amazon and all sellers are with in a dollar or two. This game is worth at the most 20.00 but all the sellers have it listed around 65.00! Saying its rare bull crap.My point is they are all sticking around that price so they can sell it high. THIS IS FIX PRICING! and its not fair.:angry:

Yeah, that is very annoying - send the seller a message about it. ;)

[PreZZ]

Found a new store in my area, they have the biggest inventory i have seen since 2002. They had tons of snes, nes, saturn, intellivision etc.
I spotted a couple of games for my sega genesis and saturn , but no price on the item. So I ask how much, and the guy says hold on, took 10 minutes to see the prices on ebay, he has absolutely no clue how much they are worth... He had a beaten shining wisdom, and he tells me 125$. So I replied : dude, I can have this game for around 65 to 80$ in better condition. He actually priced is stuff on Buy it now auctions, not even sold listings... Its the only store left that has massive inventory in retro gaming, and I probably wont go anymore. If he's going to overcharge ebay price, then why the hell would I buy there? This happened to me a couple of times, so I guess from now on ill only buy from ebay.

[The Clonus Horror]

People who list games as "like new" and, when you receive them, not only are they NOT "like new," but they are FORMER RENTAL COPIES. I received a copy of Eternal Darkness for the Gamecube from an ebay seller a few years ago, the case was covered in a layer of nicotine-smelling film, the disc was scratched up and had rental stickers all over it, and, best of all, it didn't work. At all. I submitted a claim, and the seller was a total dickhole to me about it. I tried to plainly explain to him that there is no possible way that a former rental could be "like new," as there was no way of him knowing how many hands it had passed through before it came into his possession, not to mention that the game clearly was in bad, non-working condition. Therefore, the item did not arrive in the condition that it was described. He continued to protest until that very last. Ugh. I've yet to play Eternal Darkness.

[GhostDog]

I'd say my biggest complaint is people that don't know how to accurately describe their product. They don't even know what to look for. For example, I bought Mirror's Edge for PS3 and it was listed in "like-new" condition. When I got the game the front cover had a puncture rip over the EA logo and the game disc itself had a circular sticker of some company going around the disc's hole. The seller just looked at the back of the disc and saw there were no scratches so he listed it "like-new" even though there were other defects on the disc and cover. Other than that I've had a couple of complaints buying online but the seller's have always been helpful in providing a refund. I love buying online and have got some awesome deals from eBay sellers. If you don't like the condition of the game you've received just message the seller and explain your side and politely ask for a refund and where you can send back the game for a refund.

My question is: for those that receive a game that's not as described, how are you handling the situation? I understand as collector's it can be infuriating when some clueless idiot blatantly misrepresents something in their description, but are you polite about it when requesting a refund?

[retroguy]

The seller just looked at the back of the disc and saw there were no scratches so he listed it "like-new" even though there were other defects on the disc and cover.

Not to start an argument, but that sounds awfully nitpicky. If the disc had no scratches on it and worked perfectly, then I fail to see the problem. The point of buying a game is to play it, yes? If the game works, who cares about the condition of the packaging? If it really means that much, just get a new case and print off a cover. It's not that big a deal.

[GhostDog]

Not to start an argument, but that sounds awfully nitpicky. If the disc had no scratches on it and worked perfectly, then I fail to see the problem. The point of buying a game is to play it, yes? If the game works, who cares about the condition of the packaging? If it really means that much, just get a new case and print off a cover. It's not that big a deal.

You fail to see the problem? Really? Did you even read what I wrote? There was a puncture rip on the front cover and the disc had a sticker on the actual disc. If I didn't care about condition then I'd be buying games that were listed as "acceptable" as long as they worked with a ton of scratches. I'm not a hardcore collector but I like to get what I payed for and generally look for items that are listed from very good to like-new when buying used. I had the condition that I wanted in mind and how much I was willing to pay for it. The game was misrepresented and I would not have payed as much as I did had I known all those defects like a rip on the front cover and permanent rental sticker would be on the disc. These things certainly do not make it "like-new" like it was described and I was certainly not going to stand by such blatant misrepresentation. I would have skipped this copy entirely had I known all those defects existed. I hope you see the problem now.

[retroguy]

I'm sorry, but I don't. I buy a lot of used games for my PS2 and while I've been fortunate enough to never get one that didn't work, quite a few of them had scratches on the disc when I bought 'em. If I get a used disc with zero scratches, that is "like-new" as far as I'm concerned. There's no need to be unreasonable.

[GhostDog]

I'm sorry, but I don't. I buy a lot of used games for my PS2 and while I've been fortunate enough to never get one that didn't work, quite a few of them had scratches on the disc when I bought 'em. If I get a used disc with zero scratches, that is "like-new" as far as I'm concerned. There's no need to be unreasonable.

Do you lack reading comprehension, or are you just playing dumb? Even though the back of the disc was mint the top of the disc had a damn rental sticker on it and the front cover had a rip. That is not "like-new" condition and those things should have been pointed out in the auction description and not described as "like-new." So if a car has a huge permanent sticker on it in plain view and other imperfections but drives fine you would not list it as "like-new" and expect the buyer to be fine with it while paying the "like-new" price when the product is clearly not in "like-new" condition. The condition of the overall package affects the value and as a consumer I had a price and condition in mind of how much I wanted to pay for said condition. What I got was not "like-new" condition and I felt it was blatantly misrepresented and didn't feel the price was justified for the condition that I received the overall package.

[GhostDog]

Not to start an argument, but that sounds awfully nitpicky. If the disc had no scratches on it and worked perfectly, then I fail to see the problem. The point of buying a game is to play it, yes? If the game works, who cares about the condition of the packaging? If it really means that much, just get a new case and print off a cover. It's not that big a deal.

It does mean that much to me, and no, I'm not going to print out the cover, and what does getting a new case have to do with anything? I'd rather have the original cover and instead return the defective product and buy another copy whose cover isn't ripped. I like my idea more.

[retroguy]

You're blowing this way out of proportion. Try to keep things in perspective, man. You're not dealing in gold bullion here. All you gotta do, like I said, is get a new case, print off a cover, and very carefully remove the sticker. Voila! A game that looks new. It's not that hard to have a nice looking collection if you put a bit of time into maintinance now and then. I get that the guy should've described it better, but seriously, you're making a huge deal out of something that isn't one. Peace.

[GhostDog]

You're blowing this way out of proportion. Try to keep things in perspective, man. You're not dealing in gold bullion here. All you gotta do, like I said, is get a new case, print off a cover, and very carefully remove the sticker. Voila! A game that looks new. It's not that hard to have a nice looking collection if you put a bit of time into maintinance now and then. I get that the guy should've described it better, but seriously, you're making a huge deal out of something that isn't one. Peace.

Voila? Are you trolling? It's a permanent rental sticker and I'm not going to try to remove it and in the process rip off some paint or leave sticker residue when I'd rather just return it to the seller. Plus, what does a new case have to do with anything? The case is fine. It's the front artwork that's ripped. Perhaps you thought I meant the case was ripped? No, I had a problem with an actual rip on the front cover art as well as the rental sticker on the actual disc. I ended up returning the game to the seller and bought from another seller for a similar price and no "maintenance" was required. You sound like a person that would misrepresent many things because you fail to see the obvious and are the type of person had you been a seller would frustrate many on this forum.

[retroguy]

That's why I'm not a seller. I could deal with a hundred customers who were perfectly fine with my service, but eventually I would get that one who feels the need to make something out of nothing.

[Guyra]

About the "Like New" thing, eBay specifies that the condition of the item should be "like it has just been taken out of its shrink wrap"/"looks as if it was just taken out of shrink wrap," and that it should be "No visible wear, and the item is flawless and intact"/"No visible wear, and all facets of the item are flawless and intact." And if there are any "imperfections" at all, the seller has to specify them in the item description.

Reference, eBay.co.uk: http://pages.ebay.co.uk/help/sell/contextual/condition_7.html
Reference, eBay.com: http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/contextual/condition_7.html

[Aussie2B]

Yeah, I don't see what's so hard to understand about a collector wanting the original packaging and wanting that original packaging to be in nice shape.

That said, I personally wouldn't request a refund for such a thing. At this point, I almost expect stuff on eBay to be in worse condition than the impression I get from the description (and from my own wishful thinking). I've been using eBay for well over a decade, and I think I've only bothered with a refund a couple times. One was for a Virtual Boy in which one side of the display was dead, and another was a strategy guide that was missing pages and many of the pages that were still in it were coming loose as I was (very gently) looking through it. Maybe I'm forgetting one or two other instances, but I think that's it. If there are some minor cosmetic flaws, it might be a disappointment, but I'm not about to waste time and money on the return shipping and such.

[The 1 2 P]

My question is: for those that receive a game that's not as described, how are you handling the situation? I understand as collector's it can be infuriating when some clueless idiot blatantly misrepresents something in their description, but are you polite about it when requesting a refund?

Well I buy and sell on ebay but I'm reasonble for both instances. I don't officially accept refunds/returns but if the buyer is really unhappy or they tell me the game skips at certain parts I offer them a full paypal refund upon the return of the item. I keep it simple to avoid any arguements, although I have gotten into a few of those. One guy left me a negative for a game that had scratches(that were clearly described by words and shown in pictures in my auctions description) and his comment was "disc scratched up, not sure it plays". So instead of trying out the game this idiot just left a negative. Unfortunately sometimes you get people like that. As for buying, I have twice recently had to return a game back to sellers on amazon because they sent out the wrong version of the game listed. It wasn't that much of a hassle, just annoying to go thru for the same item twice from two different sellers.

[PROTOTYPE]

Oh this really gets me! This is why I completely stopped buying games with stock photos only. it wasn't a stock photo!

[Aussie2B]

I almost kind of like stock photos in a way because they weed out people who refuse to bid on them, sometimes resulting in lower prices, and there's nothing stopping you from asking questions if need be about the completeness/condition of the item. In general, though, I do prefer to see a real photo, yeah.

[The Clonus Horror]

As I stated previously, if the game is a former RENTAL, there is no possible way that it can be "like new," as it has passed through countless, unknown hands before it even ended up in the possession of the seller. That fact alone, at least in my view, renders it ineligible for "like new" classification. As a buyer, I would appreciate it when sellers actually denote that their item is a former rental. I prefer to avoid former rentals in the disc format. I don't really feel that I'm being too nitpicky or making a mountain from a molehill in this regard. Both of the experiences I've had with former rentals in disc format ended up being non-working items. One was the aforementioned ebay purchase, and the other was an in-store purchase at a Family Video sale. It was a huge chore to return and get refunded via the ebay sale, it was as simple as returning to the Family Video, telling them it didn't work, and they refunded me right there. However, I saw the game back in the clearance bin a week later. Ugh.

[The Clonus Horror]

That's why I'm not a seller. I could deal with a hundred customers who were perfectly fine with my service, but eventually I would get that one who feels the need to make something out of nothing.

IF you were selling on ebay, it sounds like your item condition/description definitions and guidelines do not match up with theirs, based on reading your posts in this thread. I wouldn't necessarily blame the one customer as making something out of nothing if they are expecting to receive what is described based on the site's guidelines for buying and listing. I myself do not buy online to "collect," but to play, but I do like my items in "like new" condition, for I may want to sell them off myself one day. Your "champion of the common gameplayer" theory that the masses won't complain about scratched-up, but functioning games and that the singular "nitpicky" customer is somehow delusional or at-fault seems to fit the old mom n' pop video and game rental store business model, but not the online model, where the customer is solely dependent on the sellers pictures (if not stock) and verbal description of the item to be accurate based on the guidelines set forth by the site. And, if the product isn't listed accurately, there is the security of knowing that the transaction is somewhat protected. Do buyers abuse this practice? Yes. Do sellers abuse this? Yes. Nothing is perfect, but there should at least be some sort of accepted parameters for item conditions, which is what they try to provide. That is, if anyone bothers to read them, of course.

[retroguy]

Your "champion of the common gameplayer" theory that the masses won't complain about scratched-up, but functioning games and that the singular "nitpicky" customer is somehow delusional or at-fault seems to fit the old mom n' pop video and game rental store business model.

I hadn't thought about it that way, but I think you're right about that. Since that's what's available in my area, I do business with mom n' pop shops and rental stores frequently, so I probably would think the way they do. That said, I think my original point still stands. Inaccurate description or not, if he paid a reasonable price and the disc was completely scratch-free when he got it and worked fine, making a huge deal out of it seems a bit like throwing a tantrum. If you're dissatisfied, don't buy from that seller again. Simple as that. Move on with your life. Please understand that I'm not trolling, but that's honestly what I see when I look at his posts.

[GhostDog]

That's why I'm not a seller. I could deal with a hundred customers who were perfectly fine with my service, but eventually I would get that one who feels the need to make something out of nothing.

There was nothing wrong with the service, but rather the actual product. You can have wonderful service by putting on a smile and serving crap on a platter but that doesn't mean the actual product is good. I had no problems with the service but rather the product was not as described. I don't feel I made something out of nothing but rather the seller did so by describing something that was above and beyond of what he was actually selling. You can polish a turd but it's still a turd and many eBay sellers feel the need to do so with their product descriptions.

[GhostDog]

I hadn't thought about it that way, but I think you're right about that. Since that's what's available in my area, I do business with mom n' pop shops and rental stores frequently, so I probably would think the way they do. That said, I think my original point still stands. Inaccurate description or not, if he paid a reasonable price and the disc was completely scratch-free when he got it and worked fine, making a huge deal out of it seems a bit like throwing a tantrum. If you're dissatisfied, don't buy from that seller again. Simple as that. Move on with your life. Please understand that I'm not trolling, but that's honestly what I see when I look at his posts.

I bought the game expecting the game to work, that's a given. I also bought the game expecting a like-new condition item without a damn rental sticker on the disc and a physical rip on the front cover artwork. If someone describes something as like-new then it better be in like-new condition because otherwise it's not as described. I'm not going to be ok with that and just take it on the chin. I'm going to fight back and get my money back because of such blatant misinformation. There was no tantrum and I politely messaged the seller and let him know and requested a refund. My actions were not unreasonable in any way.

[wiggyx]

You're blowing this way out of proportion. Try to keep things in perspective, man. You're not dealing in gold bullion here. All you gotta do, like I said, is get a new case, print off a cover, and very carefully remove the sticker. Voila! A game that looks new. It's not that hard to have a nice looking collection if you put a bit of time into maintinance now and then. I get that the guy should've described it better, but seriously, you're making a huge deal out of something that isn't one. Peace.

If it's listed as "like new" then you shouldn't have to "just print a new cover".

[GhostDog]

If it's listed as "like new" then you shouldn't have to "just print a new cover".

Exactly. I'm baffled by his careless suggestions and his inability to understand my point of view even after explaining it time after time as detailed as possible.

[Gameguy]

Your "champion of the common gameplayer" theory that the masses won't complain about scratched-up, but functioning games and that the singular "nitpicky" customer is somehow delusional or at-fault seems to fit the old mom n' pop video and game rental store business model.
It fits the Gamestop model. retroguy supported Gamestop in another thread so he's ok with that type of stuff.

[GhostDog]

It fits the Gamestop model. retroguy supported Gamestop in another thread so he's ok with that type of stuff.

Retroguy doesn't care if the game is scratched to death with rental stickers and the manual and cover artwork being all ripped up as well since he can just print out a cover online. Even if the game disc looks like some idiot has been practicing his DJ skills on concrete as well as his frisbee throwing skills as long as it works he's a-okay with it. He fails to see how something like that can bother anyone and if it does then they're just being "nitpicky."

[Jack_Burton_BYOAC]

Retroguy, you seem to be exactly the type of person that this thread was created to complain about.

Video game collecting is about more than the disc "playing just fine". In fact, being able to simply play the game is one of the lesser driving forces in the hobby.