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BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay
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Subject: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Richard Bridge Date: 18 Mar 06 - 01:41 PM I have been considerably affronted this week: 99% of US based ebay sellers say "shipping to US only" or similar. If I want to bid from England I email to check. I have always been okayed before - and, it goes without saying, I have always paid). This week I emailed and the ebay seller (from Santa Ana, CA) without any apology says "No. I've lost too much money shiping overseas already". I resent getting lumped in with far Eastern and African scammers, frankly. Is this a general American view of the English? Views? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Clinton Hammond Date: 18 Mar 06 - 01:48 PM Move on, Richard.... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Rapparee Date: 18 Mar 06 - 01:52 PM I'd never do that, but then, I never buy or sell on ebay. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Joe Offer Date: 18 Mar 06 - 02:00 PM I don't think it's arrogance, Richard - it's just a major hassle to deal with shipping and money transfer outside the U.S. I have the same trouble buying from outside the U.S. I think the problem is that the U.S. economy has always been somewhat insulated from the rest of the world, and we're just not set up to deal with internationalism. We have our own system of weights and measures, and the cost of money exchange and shipping is horrendous for us. And yes, some of us have had bad experiences with international money transactions, and we don't know what to do to protect ourselves. I hate having to pay five dollars or more to get a hundred from an Automatic Teller Machine (ATM) in Europe. I'm still wondering what those $30 charges on my credit card were a couple of years ago - some company in the EU billed me, and I think it may have been connected with European book purchases I made on eBay or Bookfinder. So, I think it's not arrogance at all - we Americans just find it scary to do international transactions. I've traveled a lot and get along in a number of languages, and I find it daunting - most Americans would find it even more difficult. -Joe Offer- |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: SINSULL Date: 18 Mar 06 - 02:03 PM I know of several eBay sellers who have had problems with goods damaged during overseas shipment no matter how careful the packaging. Question: Are UKers who refuse to ship to US eBay buyers arrogant as well or just good businessmen? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Brass Monkey Date: 18 Mar 06 - 02:08 PM Well why don't those americans who use ebay but don't like shipping abroad stop using ebay altogether and use some local/national method of advertising their wares instead of wasting the rest of the world's time as usual? Get a life. Lose your egos. Find some friends. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: John MacKenzie Date: 18 Mar 06 - 02:11 PM Difficult one to call Richard I have done a lot of transactions using Paypal, if they don't ship outside US I get it sent to my son and he sends it on. My biggest gripe was with WalFart who while happy to take my credit card in person refused to deal with me over the internet, the solution.....stop dealing with them. Yes the US van be insular but you just have to get over it mate. Giok |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Big Al Whittle Date: 18 Mar 06 - 02:36 PM well actually I always find them all right. They all say that about not doing business outside America, but they're usually quite amenable, if you e-mail them. you will probably meet one or two strange cases, or occasionally find yourself dealing with the office boy, who has his orders - BUT, and its a big but. the vast majority of business men recognise the value of an paypal account or a visa card, and the customer really does have the morality and the relentless logic of the marketplace on his side. a dollar looks pretty good wherever it comes from. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Bee-dubya-ell Date: 18 Mar 06 - 02:57 PM Please consider that part of the problem might well be that some non-US bidders have no idea how expensive it is to ship something overseas. Then, when they find out that it's going to cost them $20.00 in shipping to receive that $15.00 item, and that they may not get it for several weeks, they back out of the deal. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: WFDU - Ron Olesko Date: 18 Mar 06 - 03:00 PM Richard, if you check some the UK listings, you will find the same - no shipping to the U.S. Get a grip!! Just because you have a preconceived notion you are finding what you think is justification. It doesn't work that way! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Little Hawk Date: 18 Mar 06 - 03:08 PM A lot of American Ebay vendors will only sell within the USA. I have never seen anyone from any other country who will only sell inside his own country on Ebay. Never. UK vendors sell to the whole world, in my experience. I think this derives from an insular psychology in the USA all right...the sort of perception that says "the real world basically stops at the USA border". It's annoying, all right, because you have to watch for it quite carefully when deciding whether to bid on an item from the USA, and the whole rest of the world apparently believes in trading with each other as a perfectly normal thing, but NOT some Americans. Add to this that you have the largest single market by far IN the USA, and it's an annoyance to the whole rest of the world's Ebay buyers. It doesn't speak well for the USA. It seems to indicate either ignorance on the part of some American vendors, an unwieldy system, a bad attitude, or all three. A Paypal account will eliminate the various risks and complications with sending payment to an overseas customer. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Little Hawk Date: 18 Mar 06 - 03:13 PM Really, Ron? "No shipping to the US?" Hmmm. Well, I must not be bidding on the right stuff, cos I haven't seen one of those yet. I wonder if anyone refuses to ship outside Lichtenstein? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: WFDU - Ron Olesko Date: 18 Mar 06 - 03:34 PM Maybe it was just me. I had an experience last year trying to purchase a Martin Carthy LP that the seller would only ship to the UK. I just did a check and I do see that UK sellers are willing to ship worldwide. I stand corrected, and I apologize. Still, it is not right to call us "arrogant" because of shipping issues. As Richard said, he has never had a problem before. Is it right to call this thread "arrogant americanS" because of one experience? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Purple Foxx Date: 18 Mar 06 - 03:38 PM Certainly this thread might have been less emotive had it ended in a question mark. Can't help noticing that the Google ads at the bottom are for "Cash machines & ATM's & Debit Card .Ahem. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Stilly River Sage Date: 18 Mar 06 - 03:39 PM I had a query this morning from a fellow in Italy who wants six of the 14 books (mysteries) in a lot I've put on eBay. He says he'll pay for the lot (it's really cheap) and pay the postage if I'll send just six of them because they're the ones by this author that he hasn't read. I had to do some research and I still don't know what a total price would be because I have to find a box that will be the right size and make the trip intact, pack the books, and notify him of the time and cost. He said send it cheap taking a few weeks. Sounds like he's a guy in Italy who likes the author and wants to read more. I'm still pretty new at this, and I'm still duking it out wht PayPal and eBay often enough that advertising I'd ship anywhere in the world may invite more work than I want to fool with while I'm learning the biz. For now I advertise I'll ship anywhere in the U.S. But since he wrote and it only means repacking, filling out extra customs forms and paying PayPal an extra fee to convert Italian money on top of a fee for using a credit card on top of the eBay fees. . . it's an opportunity to learn, but I won't end up making any money on the deal. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Little Hawk Date: 18 Mar 06 - 03:43 PM Well, it's strange, that's all. I don't know if it's arrogance or what it is exactly, but it's a very noticeable phenomenon if you shop on Ebay and you're not an American. Shipping into Canada is a hassle too, because of our damned customs and post office which both cause unnecessary problems and fees for the receiver of the shipment. I was getting a package from England last month. I eventually got an email from the seller, a longtime friendly contact who is 100% dependable, and she told me that the Canadian Post Office (or Customs) had returned it to England! With a note saying: "No return address" It obviously HAD a return address (and a very clear one too) because they successfully RETURNED IT, didn't they? DUH! She said this has happened a few times with her shipments to Canada, and it's totally inexplicable why it would, since the return addresses on the packages she sends are clearly indicated every time. Canadians hate the Canadian Post Office. It's about as popular here, in a general sense, as politicians or lawyers are. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 18 Mar 06 - 03:52 PM Cross-border insurance is a problem. Insurance sold at the U. S. post offices stops at the Canadian border. One parcel shipped insured from Texas was tracked to the border, but couldn't be tracked into Canada. It never arrived. The item was insured for selling price, $300. The shipper was good enough to refund half the price. Expensive items should be shipped by courier only (expensive) since they have their own insurance. Registered mail is tracked across the border, I use it for small items such as collectable postage stamps. I buy occasionally from UK dealers, the cost to them is about $9; the cost from Canada is $11.00. Registered mail is almost never lost or damaged, but if the item is really expensive, get private insurance to cover. U. S. banks are barred from dealing in foreign currencies and this causes further difficulties. Foreign money they receive in checks or cash is sent to a Federal Reserve Bank for conversion, with a fee attached. Many Ebay sellers are private and are not prepared to take plastic. I send U. S. international money orders for sterling to the UK from Canada, but I don't know if this is possible from the States (Canada does permit banks to trade in foreign currencies, only a small number of Federal Reserve banks in the States are allowed to do so). Rather than blame American Ebay sellers for refusing the headaches of overseas shipment, find out the regulations and rules before you rant about their practices. After all, it is the right of the seller to set their own rules. Many sellers and buyers refuse to use a third party expense like Paypal; I am one of them. Moreover, some banks here refuse to transfer funds through that type of company. At my bank I would have had to transfer funds to another account in order to deal with them. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Little Hawk Date: 18 Mar 06 - 03:59 PM The expense involved in using Paypal is minimal. The convenience is considerable. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: kendall Date: 18 Mar 06 - 04:41 PM I sold a set of CDs to a guy in the UK and it took me months to get paid for them. There may have been a screw up in the mail, and had nothing to do with arrogance. Sometimes it's just not worth the hassle. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Clinton Hammond Date: 18 Mar 06 - 04:49 PM I've never had a problem with Canada Post... Nor with getting things I've ordered on eBay shipped into Canada.... Living in a border town and having international chums also helps dispense with the problems of "Only Ships To America" auctions... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Stilly River Sage Date: 18 Mar 06 - 04:56 PM PayPal is the 800 pound gorilla, and you're stuck using it if you want much traffic at eBay. They're a territorial pain in the ass. I had a "free" PayPal account, no fees to use it, that is, until someone tried to pay with a credit card and I, thinking that they must have made a mistake, denied the payment. The resulting mess was not pretty but we didn't get to a shouting match or leave bad feedback. After that I tried to fix it by advertising that I didn't take credit cards. So eBay cancelled those auctions (they don't believe in sending a warning to change something) and said I had no choice but to take credit cards and upgrade my PayPal account if someone wanted to pay that way. They assured me that I would enjoy paying for all of the options I have no intention of using but that are being foisted upon me. It reminded me of that stupid "lie back and enjoy it" advice that used to be given to women in case they were raped. So much for eBay's promise that PayPal is free to use* at their site. (They need a huge asterisk so you go in and find all of the conditions as they really exist.) I've been using eBay for nearly a year, and thought I was getting the hang of it until this happened. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: WFDU - Ron Olesko Date: 18 Mar 06 - 05:01 PM I've never had a problem with Paypal. I've used them through e-bay and another online service I use and never had a problem. I've always received what is owed me and I only have the "free" service. I highly recommend them for ease and safety when shopping or selling on the net. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Peter K (Fionn) Date: 18 Mar 06 - 05:37 PM Unquestionably there are UK sellers who will not deliver overseas. There are even some who insist "buyer collects." The US has a domestic market is several times greater than the UK's, and if that's as far as some sellers want to go, what's wrong with that? The title of this thread is entirely unreasonable. Also, Richard, what makes you think you've been "lumped in with far Eastern and African scammers"? And is that really so much worse than being lumped in with UK scammers, of whom I've encountered a few? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: katlaughing Date: 18 Mar 06 - 05:51 PM Well-said, Fionn. Like, Ron, I've never had a problem with PayPal's free service, either as a seller or buyer, and it allows me to accept or use credit cards. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Naemanson Date: 18 Mar 06 - 05:59 PM I sell things on eBay, mostly my old books because I am trying to cull the library. However I also sold an old sword, an 1830s Austrian Infantry weapon. I have shipped to Britain, Canada, The Czech Republic, and the good ol' US of A. I haven't had any trouble. My only difficulty is with the expense. When you add the expense of mailing to the price of an item I am sure it dismays potential buyers. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: GUEST,Art Thieme Date: 18 Mar 06 - 06:15 PM A few years ago (1998 or '99)I wanted to secure what I was told was called an International Money Order so I might purchase the first CD of Nic Jones' to be issued in a VERY long time. Nobody here knew what an I.M.O. was or is. Finally I was able to contact Nic directly and he was nice enough to agree to swap his new one for mine.----It was the only way I could solve the problem. Art Thieme |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Alaska Mike Date: 18 Mar 06 - 06:24 PM Heck, most ebay sellers won't ship to Alaska, and we're in the same country for crying out loud. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Little Hawk Date: 18 Mar 06 - 06:40 PM What you Alaskans need to do is threaten to secede and join Canada if other Americans won't shit to Alaska! That'll smarten them up fast. Remember, your medical care is mostly free in Canada, eh? And our beer is better too, so I've heard. ;-) As for the cold, you've already got it worse than most of us do. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Joe Offer Date: 18 Mar 06 - 06:58 PM I suppose most groups don't deserve the stereotypes they're saddled with. Americans are described as "arrogant" - but that's seldom the case. Little Hawk describes the weather in Alaska as cold, and that's true for Fairbanks and places north. Anchorage is warmer in winter than what I remember from my childhood in Milwaukee - and Southeast Alaska is downright balmy in winter. I suppose Little Hawk is right in saying that many Americans won't shit in Alaska. Maybe it's constipation from eating cruise ship food... -Joe- |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Little Hawk Date: 18 Mar 06 - 07:03 PM Whoops. Bad typo up there... I meant to say "ship" to Alaska. ;-D |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Bee-dubya-ell Date: 18 Mar 06 - 07:24 PM That's okay, Little Hawk. It's not as bad as the time you called Billy Boy "Shitner". |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: SqueezeMe Date: 18 Mar 06 - 07:25 PM Recently asked an American eBay seller about shipping to Australia. His reply was that, no, we don't ship to Europe! For arrogance, read ignorance! MC (P.S. There are no kangaroos in Austria!) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: kendall Date: 18 Mar 06 - 07:37 PM Stereotypes afford us the luxury of not thinking, But, sooner or later they will extract the price of our not thinking. (Jean Harris) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Stilly River Sage Date: 18 Mar 06 - 08:32 PM If you accept credit cards via PayPal, then you're not getting PayPal for free. Take a look at your account. You can spend on PayPal via a credit card and it doesn't cost you. But if you sell and someone out there with PayPal wants to put their purchase on a credit card instead of out of their bank account or out of their PayPal balance, it is going to cost you. You'll get a message saying you need to upgrade to a Business or Premier account in order to accept that payment. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Little Hawk Date: 18 Mar 06 - 08:34 PM Oh, really? Hmm. Haven't run into that yet. And how much does that cost you? Is it a set fee or per individual transaction? How does it work? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: The Fooles Troupe Date: 18 Mar 06 - 08:45 PM The solution: no more ebay.com for Americans, but only ebay.us - if any one wants to sell on the whole world market. they sell at ebay.com. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Georgiansilver Date: 18 Mar 06 - 08:47 PM Have received dollar cheques in payment for antiques on Ebay..from US.. and cash by secure post which is my favourite. I have bank charges to consider if selling outside the UK and receiving overseas currency cheques....that charge is levied on the customer. Cash by 'secure signed for postage' is best by far. I can cash dollars for pounds at UK post office at favourable exchange rate....easy! |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: The Fooles Troupe Date: 18 Mar 06 - 08:57 PM Art International Money Orders no longer exists in Australia - you used to be able to buy them at the Post Office, but now all such things aew done thru the Western Union agency at the Post Office - W.U. have started to set up independent office here in Oz now too. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 18 Mar 06 - 09:21 PM U. S. International money orders in Canada available through banks, not the post office. My bank provides then without charge, but if I go to another bank, there is a fee. I thought banks in Australia wrote them- has this changed? Western Union in Canada does money transfers, but expensive to foreign countries. They have stopped- or are about to stop- the old telegram service. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: WFDU - Ron Olesko Date: 18 Mar 06 - 11:29 PM Sorry SRS, I misunderstood you. When we sell, we do not accept credit card but we accept Paypal since we have a free account. The buyer usually pays their Paypal account with a credit card so it is transparent to us. I did not understand that you were not getting paid through Paypal |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: SINSULL Date: 18 Mar 06 - 11:49 PM Ron, I had to upgrade to a Premier account in order to get paid by credit card. The cost is minimal and the systen for me is convenient, A sales closes in a matter of hours vs weeks when checks have to arrive and clear. SINS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Little Hawk Date: 18 Mar 06 - 11:52 PM Exactly. And isn't that worth a minimal fee? These guys make money on the sheer volume of transactions, which must be in the millions. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: WFDU - Ron Olesko Date: 18 Mar 06 - 11:52 PM When my wife or I sell something on e-bay we usually request payment by Paypal. No problems yet. IF we sold more frequently I would surely upgrade, but we only sell occasionally. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Stilly River Sage Date: 19 Mar 06 - 12:58 AM I do take payments through PayPal, and I had to accept the charges they insist upon. I used some of their wording to try to make myself clear (the reference to a "merchant account") and was slammed for it. Here is what they sent when they cancelled an auction (edited slightly to remove name of actual auction):
Lot-14 PB- [Name of auction listed] However, your listing was in violation of eBay's Paypal Payments policy and has been removed from eBay. We have credited all associated fees to your account and notified eBay users associated with the transaction that it has been cancelled. We would like to take this opportunity to let you know what part of your listing is not permitted. Your listing(s) contains the following information: I do not have a merchant account, so no credit cards are accepted Sellers who offer PayPal as a payment option in the listing process must accept all forms of PayPal payment, without restriction. For example, it is *not* permitted to state: "I only accept cash transfers with PayPal (no credit cards)" "I only accept payments with PayPal over $15" Sellers must have a Premier or Business PayPal Account or be willing to upgrade from a Personal PayPal Account to a Premier or Business Account if sellers receive a credit card payment. Sellers may not communicate to buyers that they accept, or will not accept, specific forms of PayPal payment. Please be aware that you are not required to use PayPal as an accepted form of payment for your listings. However, we hope that you will realize the protection and convenience that PayPal offers. For more information on Paypal Payments visit the following Help page:http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/paypal-payments.html Please note: violation of this or other eBay policies may result in forfeit of eBay fees on cancelled listings, limits on account privileges and account suspension. Please review eBay's Listing Policies and User Agreement at the following locations: http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/policies.html http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/user-agreement.html For more information on why eBay removes auction-style listings, or to write to us with questions, please review the following Web page: http://pages.ebay.com/help/confidence/listing-ended.html We thank you in advance for your cooperation. Regards, eBay Trust & Safety I wrote back and complained about this and received the following automated response: Thank you for taking the time to write eBay with your concerns. I'm happy to help you further. To begin, I would like to inform you that eBay's intentions are never to accuse, or speculate that you are intentionally violating our listing policies. Our intention is to educate our members regarding issues which are contradictory to our User Agreement. We value all of our buyers and seller's input with regards to the PayPal Payments policy. I understand that you are a hobbyist seller and the policy may end up costing you more money should you continue to list your auctions on eBay. Please understand that the driving force of this policy was not out of greed. While it does appear to be a major factor to sellers such as yourself, do keep in mind that policies are put in place with both buyers and sellers in mind. In this case, we feel that buyers will benefit from this policy as it will make their transactions simple, safe and more consistent between sellers. For sellers, I understand that it will be more costly, however, there are still benefits to this policy. For example, many bidders have told us that they prefer to bid on auctions that accept credit card through PayPal. With this policy, it may help drive more bidders to the listing. The increase in bidders can also lead to more bids being placed. This can result in a higher bid price overall. While you may feel that this policy is unfair, it has been put in place with the best intentions to benefit the site and our members. Bidding on eBay is supposed to be fun and easy. If you feel that the charges of your "payment services" are to high for you, you should incorporate these charges into your opening bid price. Then, you could for example offer a discount to buyers who pay by your preferred method. If you would like to use this option, the discount would have to be taken off the winning bid price after the auction closes. While I may have not have changed your opinion about this policy, do know that many of the changes made on the site are due to suggestions received from our eBay Members. While we are unable to implement every suggestion, we do review all of the suggestions we receive. To make a suggestion please do so by emailing: suggest@ebay.com Due to the number of suggestions we receive, we are unable to respond to each one. However, if you send in your suggestion please be assured that it will be reviewed. With regard to your request for a copy of your original listings, please understand that since eBay removed your listings, they can no longer be viewed or accessed on eBay. Therefore we cannot return a copy of your listings to you. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused you. In the future, we highly recommend saving a copy of your listings for backup purposes. You may also wish to consider using Turbo Lister for your future listings. Turbo Lister is free and you can download it from the Turbo Lister home page. This program allows you to list faster by duplicating your primary listings and save those listing templates to re-use again later. For a better understanding of our listing guidelines and more information on Turbo Lister, please visit the following URLs: http://pages.ebay.com/help/policies/listing-ov.html http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/turbo-lister-ov.html I apologize for any frustration but please know, that when eBay removes listings, all fees associated with creating the listing are refunded. Please feel free to relist the listing at your convenience, with the required corrections. Finally, we appreciate your intentions to be a great part of the eBay community. We truly appreciate your honesty and willingness to comply with eBay's policies. At your earliest convenience, please take some time to fully familiarize with our site policies. And please be assured that this violation should not discourage you from trading on eBay in the future, and rest assured, you do not have a tarnished reputation with eBay. Thanks again for writing, and thank you for being part of the eBay community. Have a good day. Regards, Archie Community Watch Team eBay Trust & Safety You may have clicked on the "upgrade" button ages ago and made the change without even realizing what you were doing. Look at your PayPal account and see if you find charges for .50 and .75 and such in there from VISA through PayPal for taking cards. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Wolfgang Date: 19 Mar 06 - 06:49 AM You'll find often "No shipping to Switserland" in German Ebay. It has nothing to do with prejudices just with past experiences and not even with past experiences with the people themselves, simply with past experiences with the workings of the system. The most frequent limitations you'd find in German Ebay would be to exclude all non-Euro countries or only to allow them if they pay more and use paypal. That too discriminates the poor British buyers. Wolfgang |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: JohnInKansas Date: 19 Mar 06 - 08:04 AM Stilly - Ref eBay's Then, you could for example offer a discount to buyers who pay by your preferred method Note that since the new bankruptcy statutes were enacted in the US recently, companion changes made it a technical violation of a US Federal Statute for any commercial seller to offer a discount for paying cash instead of by credit card, or for offering a discount for use of one credit card instead of another, if the seller takes any credit cards at all. The seller may specify that only certain cards are accepted, but the "price" cannot be changed to reflect the method of payment. Most credit cards previously included that in the terms of use of their cards, but information from my local newsrag (not always 100% reliable, of course) indicated that it is now US Law. John |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: kendall Date: 19 Mar 06 - 08:07 AM As awkward as it is, it is a far cry from the days when everything was bartered. "I want a cow and calf for this prize pig" . "Ok, I want it, but how about shipping?" "two sheep will cover the cost of shipping, but I'll need a good dog to cover the cost of shipping the sheep." |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Toenails John Date: 19 Mar 06 - 08:18 AM Arrogant Americans on EBay? what was the last bid, and when does bidding close? (sorry Couldn't resist it. IT HAD TO BE SAID) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Richard Bridge Date: 19 Mar 06 - 08:19 AM The seller did take, and stated that he would take, Paypal. He was also a trade seller. So it's not a convenience of payment issue. Nor is it an "I don't know how" issue. It's that he didn't trust me. I've bought a Beta 52 kick mic now, instead of the Sennheiser 902 I was hoping to. From another US seller, who said (when I emailed) "Sure. Shipping an extra $5" The people in Miami I buy my strings from have no problems. The guy I bought a guitar line pre-amp from had no problems. Now as for Paypal, that's a whole other issue. I have just bought some B-band pickups from a guy in Germany, and because he only had a basic Paypal account, I could not use a credit card to pay him via Paypal. He could not get a premium account because he had no credit card. Paypal, like ebay, has no conception of commercial morality. But it can be useful if used with care. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Stilly River Sage Date: 20 Mar 06 - 12:08 AM You could put money into your PayPal account from your bank and use that to pay the guy in Germany. Yes, John, I saw the line about offering a discount for paying with my preferred method. Which means I have to do some extra fiddling around to do it and I wouldn't be surprised if there are Overlords from eBay Overseeing that part of it also, ready to "tsk tsk" if something isn't stated correctly. You know WHO got the lines put in the law saying you can't penalize blah blah blah--the credit card companies. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: The Fooles Troupe Date: 20 Mar 06 - 12:16 AM Wouldn't suplerfluity drive down the price Toenails John? (Da Debil made me do it!) |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 20 Mar 06 - 12:51 AM Looking over my Ebay buys (174), I rated only two at less than satisfactory, and only one shipment was lost (details in post above). Several were from the UK. I think this shows that most people are honest in their offerings. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: WFDU - Ron Olesko Date: 20 Mar 06 - 11:17 AM Sorry, but I am still scratching my head trying to figure out what the issues are with Ebay and Paypal that you are referring to. I have a basic account with Paypal. I have established an account that holds my money for sales that I've made, and when I request it, they have sent me checks. When I buy something, it is a quick and easy process. I do not have them do my bank account directly. I have not had any problems accepting Paypal, and I am still foggy on what you are referring to when you say "pay by credit card instead of Paypal" but still paying THROUGH Paypal. To establish an account as a buyer, I have to have money in my account. When I pay, how would I PAY by credit card through Paypal??? If I have a Paypal account, wouldn't that be where the money is coming from when I purchase something? Paypal, if they are charging me fees, appear to be fairly standard. For brokering these exchanges, one would expect that they take a percentage. I have not seen anything out of the ordinary when doing business through them. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: SINSULL Date: 20 Mar 06 - 11:27 AM Not exactly, Ron. When I set up my Paypal account I used a Debit Card and my bank info. This was the basic free membership and I used it for years buying om eBay. My first sale went to someone who tried to pay by Credit Card. I got a very short and polite letter from Paypal stating that if I wanted to close the sale I would need to upgrade to a Premium Account. So, if someone pays by credit card I am charged about 2% of the selling price as a fee. I figure that into my minimal selling price. I don't understand what happened with SRS. I never had a sale pulled for offering Paypal before I upgraded to Premium. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: JohnInKansas Date: 20 Mar 06 - 11:30 AM It has to be noted: Several people has demanded that Amuricans get off of eBay and use some local business. eBay is an American Company, so what are all you furringers doing using it. Yeah, it has separate branch offices in lots of places.... 21 spitball salute, wave the flags, play the lousy music. Obviously: JUST KIDDING! As has been discussed, especially by Joe O., a lot of Americans simply don't think in terms of markets outside the US when they post offers to sell, and have no idea what additional things are required in order to ship elsewhere and to deal with money exchanges across borders. It's reasonable to expect anyone making a business of selling on eBay to know what's involved and to accomodate international sales and shipping; but it's also understandable that less knowledgeable individuals are going to get a warm pair of pants just thinking about it. Trading across borders is very common, I understand, in lots of places; but it just doesn't happen much for many of the locals here. It is also possible that the specific individual originally cited may have run into that one bad guy somewhere in Europe, so it's really his choice to decline the risk of trying it again. I'd be inclined to "not take it personally." Just by way of "conversation," I did find Wiki eBay sort of interesting. Since I haven't done any dealings on eBay, I don't know if it's accurate; but it's got a fair amount of opinionating. John |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: WFDU - Ron Olesko Date: 20 Mar 06 - 11:46 AM Thanks Sinsull, that makes sense. In esscence, Paypal would be acting as a broker for the deal if the buyer is using a credit card instead of their Paypal account, so Paypal should be entitled to a fee. 2% sounds very reasonable to me. Is there any other cost with upgrading to a premium account? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: GUEST,Dave Date: 20 Mar 06 - 12:26 PM All selling assumes an exchange which implies some sort of revulsion with yourself, the other party, or both. It's a sex thing - prostitution/threat of rape is the first such exchange. Adam & Eve broke their trading contract with God (now known as eBay). P.S. I'm selling records on eBay from the UK & sell happily all over the world... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Q (Frank Staplin) Date: 20 Mar 06 - 01:43 PM According to a shopkeeper in London that I deal with on EBay, some Americans send checks (Cheques) that are not in sterling despite a notice in the offering. A common UK bank charge for conversion is GPB 10 ($17.50). This is the equivalent of sending foreign currency checks or cash to the U. S. where the banks must levy a charge to make the conversion to dollars. These charges are caused primarily by government regulations. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Little Hawk Date: 20 Mar 06 - 02:11 PM Okay, so maybe I have to pay an extra 2% fee for a credit card paid sale through Paypal. So what????? What is the big deal about a 2% fee on a credit card sale? I don't get why that is a problem, Stilly. What about the Premium Account? Does it have a big yearly fee or something? Is there some part of this I am not getting? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: SINSULL Date: 20 Mar 06 - 08:04 PM No. The only charge is for sales done on Credit Cards. That's for Premier. There are other privileges and charges for another account but i wasn't interested so I don't have the details. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Big Al Whittle Date: 21 Mar 06 - 03:00 AM Twould be of interest to know what Mr Bridge was trying to purchase and which scoundrel affronted him in this manner. I certainly shall have no commerce with this scurvy knave. We British must stand together. We will fight them on the Paypal site, we will fight them on the Mudcat, and on the Google search. We shall never surrender. And even if cyber commerce continued for a thousand years, they will say this was their finest hour. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Stilly River Sage Date: 21 Mar 06 - 12:56 PM When you pay with PayPal, it defaults to the account you established it with. I first set it up to pay from my credit card, but then to have a certified (or whatever) address within eBay (some sellers only ship to these guaranteed addresses) I had to use my bank account instead. It's all part of how they want to get the cash the fastest and cheapest way they can. eBay/PayPal always draw first from your PayPal funds, then your bank account. If you want to use a credit card once they have your bank account number you have to make a manual change during authorizing the payment and it comes up with a "DO YOU REALLY STILL HONESTLY WANT TO PAY WITH YOUR CREDIT CARD?" statement you have to answer. You have to do it with each purchase, you can't make that setting default. I actually was always using my credit card instead of my bank account because I figured it was safer, since the credit card companies have recourse built in for sales gone wrong. Had I realized that using my credit card was costing others I probably wouldn't have used it, just kept a little cash in the PayPal account, as I do now. The point is, or the point I was making is, that PayPal is owned by eBay and they're very pushy about how it is used, and though they suck you in with the "free" offer, it isn't really free. I figure the cost of credit card purchases into my auctions now so basically everyone pays more, even if they don't pay with a credit card, because I haven't taken the time to read all of the fine print to learn how to offer a discount if someone pays cash (all the while not uttering the "I prefer you not pay with credit cards" that eBay abhors). When you have a business account I think you pay for any PayPal transaction even if a credit card isn't used. That's where the 2% comes in. I usually make several dollars on these sales, but at worst I want to at least break even. eBay suggests you start sales low, like at 99 cents, and the increased bidding will compensate for the low starting price. But if you list something at 99 cents and that's all it sells for, and if you used an extra photo and/or a gallery photo and a credit card purchase is made (you pay 50 cents to collect), you lose money. Enough of those and eBay stops being a fun place to visit. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Scoville Date: 21 Mar 06 - 01:19 PM I've never had trouble shipping to Canada but I've shipped some things to the UK and to Germany that turned into headaches. Took FOREVER and the buyers thought I'd ripped them off. I had to do a lot of begging to get them to be patient and not trash my feedback. I mail promptly and I really do try hard to make people happy whether they're buying from me or selling to me--I can't help it if the mail systems decide to sit on your package for awhile. I still ship overseas but I have to post caveats all over the page so people don't get their shorts in a wad. The other issue that comes to mind is that a lot of stuff I've sold isn't, to my mind, worth what it would cost to ship abroad. I guess anything is worth what people will pay but I've still had people get honked off if it costs more to ship than it did to purchase, especially if I already had to charge them extra for oversized mail or if the item was heavy. This applies to intra-U.S. shipping, too. I sold somebody an electronic typewriter for $10 but it cost $60 to ship it to New York. I had it in big, bold, red letters on the page but they still tried to give me a hard time. I cannot imagine what it would have cost if the buyer had been from Sweden, where the thing was originally manufactured. SOme other issues that come to mind could be that 1) some eBay sellers are somewhat new to the process, if they are not "professionals", and may not be comfortable shipping overseas or dealing with international payments. 2) the paperwork can be a pain if the item has any significant value. 3) insurance claims can be [even more] annoying. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Stilly River Sage Date: 21 Mar 06 - 03:48 PM I'm learning as I go, and expanding my offerings as I figure out what is doable. I can envision limiting some sales to the continental U.S. for the reason you state--that it would simply be too difficult to ship out of the country. Case in point--I have an antique Brown (Grisly) bear rug, head and claws and all. Old, kind of dusty, never used (stored in a cedar box), in great shape. But not necessarily easy to send out of the country. It was shot/made nearly 100 years ago, so the process for tanning may be an issue (did they use anything toxic?). I'd like to sell this thing, I never use it. My great uncle brought it back from Alaska when he was there in 1912, or ordered it soon thereafter. eBay doesn't handle many of these, so research is difficult. They go for $8-10 thousand new and big, but who knows about antique? My research is cut out for me on this! SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Naemanson Date: 21 Mar 06 - 05:06 PM Joe Offer - "I suppose most groups don't deserve the stereotypes they're saddled with. Americans are described as "arrogant" - but that's seldom the case." Actually Joe Americans generally are not so arrogant in their own homes and on an individual basis overseas. But we all have to admit that our Government and our businesses are very arrogant and are not above shoving the "little guys" around. The exception to individuals being arrogant is many of the individuals in our military, generally the younger men in the lower ranks. They seem to take American power personally and like to flex their muscles overseas. They have been fed a line of propaganda and run around talking loud and wearing t-shirts with jingoistic sayings on them. Fortunately they are not as common anymore. Here in Guam we have 7,000 Marines coming from Japan in the near future and I expect to see a lot more of that. They are being kicked out of Japan because they couldn't be controlled. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Stilly River Sage Date: 21 Mar 06 - 06:11 PM Unlucky Guam. Sold another box of books. Not very big, and I think I started this one at $2.99. It went for $7.78 and PayPal just gobbled up 69 cents to process a credit card. I did get the "print mailing label" function to work this time--it never would when I had Symantec's Firewall in place. Postage came out the same as I weighed at the post office when I first packed the box, but the delivery confirmation costs less this way. So the 46 cents I saved on the confirmation helps offset the PayPal fee. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Richard Bridge Date: 21 Mar 06 - 06:39 PM You can't get a premium PayPal account (so my German seller tells me) if you don't have a credit card. I'm still waiting for the 6 days for a think called an "Echeque" (not known to any banking law textbook I am aware of) to clear - then maybe I'll get the kick mic I eventually ebought. So tell me - if I pay by PayPal, how do I scam a seller? If, as I suspect, the answer is that I cannot, what is the seller's pretext for refusing to ship to ANY destination (including the mother country) outside the USA (other than the arrogance that no American of course except for governments and junior military types displays (much))? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Little Hawk Date: 21 Mar 06 - 06:50 PM One thing you can do, Stilly, is set a reserve price on what you are selling. If the bidding doesn't go that high, you don't lose a red cent, you just try and sell it again later. If it never sells for as much as you consider acceptable, well, then at least you have not taken a loss on the sale, and you're still got the item. I would tend to stay away from selling inexpensive items that are also heavy...it doesn't sound like a very practical notion when you work in the shipping charges. The items I buy and sell are not very heavy, accordingly the shipping charges are not so bad. No way I would try to sell and ship a used electric typewriter like someone mentioned! The shipping charge would be astronomical. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Richard Bridge Date: 21 Mar 06 - 06:52 PM You do lose from reserve: listing fees. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Little Hawk Date: 21 Mar 06 - 06:53 PM Okay. How much is the listing fee? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Little Hawk Date: 21 Mar 06 - 06:58 PM The other thing is to start an item off at a first bid price that you consider acceptable. True, it will not get as many bids. It may not sell at all. If not, you list it again, and try again. How about that for a method? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Scoville Date: 21 Mar 06 - 08:17 PM I don't normally sell heavy items but the typewriter was too good to just dump. Really. It had a memory, a little viewing screen, and was perfect for somebody who didn't quite need a computer. I was told it went to an elderly cancer patient. I don't know if that was true, although I can't imagine anyone would spend $70 on a 25-year-old obscure-brand typewriter and lie about it, but I hope it has a good home. Other than that, anything bigger than an average shipping box goes to Goodwill or gets sold to the used book people. Not worth the effort. I sold a large-ish painting once and the guy bitched at me because I had to charge him for the oversized box, and then couldn't mail it until Tuesday after the auction closed because it was over a federal holiday weekend. He had 1 feedback so I figured he was a newbie and told him how the eBay world worked, after which he apologized. Goober. Actually, I really don't care as long as you don't screw up my feedback. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Stilly River Sage Date: 21 Mar 06 - 09:24 PM LH, I'm not selling heavy stuff, and since these are paperback novels, I can send them media mail, which along with the postal library rate, is as inexpensive as it gets for mailing stuff. You do have to be sure it's packed well and taped up tight when it goes at this rate because it isn't the best treatment around. And on today's package she paid for insurance. This is my version of an online garage sale, though I'm not calling it that. I'm working on increasing my feedback score and I'm making a few dollars. I'm reading through the book descriptions and getting a nice overview of what my Dad was reading, though I don't have time myself to read most of them. Garage sales (in theory) tend to start with things priced at about 10% of the original price. These books probably don't make any more than that, but since I didn't pay anything for them (except to store them and lug them around the country along with everything else from both parents' estates) there isn't a loss on them that way. Though I'm not asking much for them, I don't want to just give them away because of the whittling down on income that eBay and PayPal do. SRs |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: open mike Date: 21 Mar 06 - 09:29 PM when i purchased a musical instrument from Sweden, i used an international money exchange program i did the transaction at my local bank teller travelex was the name of the company. I chose to have them send me a check which i then sent to the seller. they first wanted to send it to the bank, and i would have to come back there in a couple days to pick it up. I convinced them to send it to me as i am nearly an hour from the bank in town. this was one way to conduct international business. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: SINSULL Date: 21 Mar 06 - 09:39 PM For those of you trying to get rid of stuff, FreeCycle is a godsend. BatGoddess put me on to it. This week I had a FAX machine picked up. Thursday, a couple is picking up a chair I was going to have to haul to the dump - a very large chair. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Little Hawk Date: 21 Mar 06 - 10:37 PM Here's another way to get rid of hard to dispose of items. Put them in an old purse or a cruddy old suitcase you don't need, preferably a locked one, and "accidentally" leave it sitting by the bus stop or the park bench in any major city for just a few minutes. It will usually disappear as if by magic! I heard about a man who got rid of his dead dog in this fashion, not wanting to pay a vet some outrageous fee to do it for him. (he lived in a highrise apartment, so he couldn't bury the dog in the back yard) A handy way to get rid of Jehovah's Witness books or something else unsaleable like that (the used bookstore won't take them...) is this: Drop them in a downtown mailbox. Where they go from there is hard to say, but you won't see them again. Don't do this too often at the same location, however, because the post office may become suspicious of your activities if you do. You can also drop them into the return slot at the public library, afterhours! I particularly love doing this with books that are simply 100% impossible to sell...but you don't want to just throw them out because that would be wasteful, and waste is immoral! ;-D |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: number 6 Date: 21 Mar 06 - 10:41 PM Stuff you want to get rid of .... here in the southern penninsula of Saint John, you just put it out on the curb ... goes in no time. sIx |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Little Hawk Date: 21 Mar 06 - 10:43 PM Yeah. That can work too. But not with Jehovah's Witness books. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: number 6 Date: 21 Mar 06 - 10:45 PM Yeah I know ... they'd take them, then be back knocking on your door the following Saturday handing you the books right back to ya. sIx |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Little Hawk Date: 21 Mar 06 - 10:50 PM That's why I recommend the library afterhours slot. It's perfect. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: number 6 Date: 21 Mar 06 - 10:55 PM I'll try that next time LH ... but I'm sure, some how, some way they will be back to haunt me with that book. sIx |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Little Hawk Date: 22 Mar 06 - 09:15 AM Of course they'll be back. But at least you will have gotten rid of the book, and you'll have made a |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Ebbie Date: 22 Mar 06 - 12:14 PM Stilly, your brown bear rug is probably valuable to collectors or to some nouveau-rich - is there some way you can reach them? Or perhaps an estate auction? There are magazines for enthusiasts too. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Becca72 Date: 22 Mar 06 - 01:22 PM I think the real problem here isn't arrogant Americans, but just simply that someone doesn't like to be told "No". Regardless of how many other American sellers have agreed when prompted further, it's up to the individual whether they will break their "US shipping only" rules and you just have to live with it. It would be one thing if the auction offered international shipping and then that offer was revoked. But if they've said right up front that they don't want to ship outside the US and they mean it, then I'm afraid you're SOL, my friend. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: GUEST,Folkiedave - cookieless in Spain Date: 22 Mar 06 - 01:47 PM I have done a lot of transactions on Ebay with America and had very little in the way of problems. If you are buying (in my case often) a book - then ask if it will fit into a Global Priority Envelope which is $9.00 which I factor in when buying. These take as little as 3 and as many as 10 days to arrive. Rarely longer. I have also had large items shipped by sea. A set of Dover Child arrived in a US Mail bag (as sewn by prisoners in countless films) and took months, and for some reason came from California via Dover. But it arrived and I made the cost up selling the "Genuine US Mail Bag" on Ebay!! But don´t get me started on arrogant American tourists in the Alhambra in Granada......... |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Scoville Date: 22 Mar 06 - 03:30 PM I have no qualms about recycling useless books for paper. Anything the used book guys won't take--and they'll take almost anything--gets the cover stripped off and goes off to the masher. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Richard Bridge Date: 22 Mar 06 - 05:14 PM I resent not so much the refusal (although I do not like it) as the apparent reasoning. If he had even said "Sorry, but..." it would have been better. I do not accept that England is to be aligned with the well known scam territories that afflict ebay. What would you make of someone who said "I don't sell to Jews"? Or - "all you foreigners are the same"? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: SqueezeMe Date: 23 Mar 06 - 07:44 AM Hey, don't knock the Jehovah Witness books! Some of the older ones are fetching four figure prices from collectors! Anything pre-war (WWII that is) is well worth eBaying. Those mail sorters must be cleaning up! :-) MC |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Mr Red Date: 23 Mar 06 - 07:52 AM If the guy has had bad experiences and his only income comes from Ebay then his attitude is understandable - if maybe brusque. I have to agree with Clinton - it is anarchy out there and impoliteness is not the worst that can happen. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Scoville Date: 23 Mar 06 - 05:07 PM What would you make of someone who said "I don't sell to Jews"? That is a false analogy and I resent the assumption that that is why so many American eBayers don't ship overseas. Did he explain to you later that he had been ripped off? I've never been ripped off but I would say that I've certainly "lost money" in terms of time and inconvenience when shipping overseas. Lost money isn't necessarily stolen money. If he's had items disappear or be destroyed in the mail, insurance claims can be a royal pain in the butt to process and it's sometimes hard to convince the buyer that you really did send the item, it just didn't get there. If he does this a lot, or, as a bunch of others have pointed out, as his main/a major part of his income, this adds up really fast. It's even worse if you ship lots of small items instead of a few big, expensive ones--endless trips to the PO because people want stuff shipped NOW and don't want to wait for your weekly Wednesday mail run. If that's all he said, I wouldn't be so quick to assume that he thought you were a crook. It might just be that he really had lost too much income shipping overseas. Bottom line is, it's his prerogative. Nobody is forcing eBayers in England to ship the the U.S., either. Old Jehovah's Witness books are worth something? Damn! I'll have to stop turning the dogs loose on them . . . |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Little Hawk Date: 23 Mar 06 - 05:24 PM I see. So I need to keep the Jehovah's Witness books for about another 50 years and THEN cash in... Hmmm. Is it worth it? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: SqueezeMe Date: 23 Mar 06 - 06:42 PM Probably not, but find the ones grandad and grandma forgot to put in the mail box or the library return shute and you could be in the money! Or better still, go knock on a few JW doors, tell them (nicely) that their modern books stink, but have they any older ones they can give you. Like, say, 50 years old.... Works for me. MC |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Little Hawk Date: 23 Mar 06 - 07:38 PM Hot JW antique books! The next big black market item. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Stilly River Sage Date: 23 Mar 06 - 09:59 PM As a test I've switched my sales over to say I'll sell internationally, but they have to wait for my invoice so I can tell them how much the shipping will cost. I don't know if that will spoil the effect, but people who want to buy from overseas know things are going to be more expensive. I look at some of the precious objects for sale from China and know they have a scam going--the item is listed for $9 and the shipping is $160. Of course they want $160 for the item and the shipping is probably so slow that it only costs $9. But if someone gets in there and bids the item up they get something over the cost of shipping. This is pretty easy to sort out when you see that some shippers are quite reasonable from the same area. I ended up not selling to the guy from Italy because he couldn't bid since my ad said U.S. only. So that's why I've switched it for a while, to see what happens. If it is a headache, I'll stop shipping to the rest of the world. (For now I can't see a huge market for used American paperback mysteries in Asia or South America--I doubt I'm going to be troubled by much international postage). As to the bear rug--I've done some preliminary research. There are some sites that will occasionally buy rugs and resell them in their shops or magazines. I think if I did it on eBay I'd put in a reserve price and I'd run it for a long time (30 days) to give buyers a chance to discover it. This rug stays in the U.S. because to start shipping skins is more bother than I want to deal with. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: GUEST,Yogi Date: 23 Mar 06 - 11:57 PM are you sure the bear is actually dead, and not just forgot to wake up from long-term hibernation ? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: SqueezeMe Date: 24 Mar 06 - 07:36 AM Hey, Little Hawk, before you take the mickey any more, check out the listings. Item # 7012345241 for instance. (Sorry, can't handle blue clickies). That's the only 4 figure sale recently, but there have been many others. Look at other recent prices too. (eBay search 'Jehovah') So get down to that mail centre and apply for a job! :-) And save me a place in the queue! MC |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: GUEST Date: 24 Mar 06 - 08:02 AM To Richard Bridge; Why not shop Ebay for some skin that is not so thin? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Janice in NJ Date: 24 Mar 06 - 08:29 AM I have bought United States silver half dollars (1807-1839) on eBay from dealers in the U.K. and Germany, and I have never had any problems with either eBay, Pay Pal, or the vendors themselves. The problems have been with the very high cost of registered air mail, and the U.S. Customs inspection fee. Even though the reimportation (repatriation) of U.S. coins is duty free, the Customs Service still charges an inspection fee whenever it handles an incoming parcel. What incoming items the Postal Service decides to send to Customs and which it doesn't is entirely a hit and miss affair. If the outside of the package has a label that says "Contents: U.S. silver coins," then it shouldn't be sent to Customs unless there is something suspicious. Since a label like that might as well say "Steal this package," it is absolutely necessary to have it shipped by registered mail. The dealer's commercial insurance will not cover coins shipped any other way. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Stilly River Sage Date: 24 Mar 06 - 10:37 AM Good ol' Catch-22 in the postal and inspection system. Here is that eBay Jehovah's Witness book link. They made a little more than the $2 asking price! Next to "History" click on "bids" and see how it ballooned. If you're selling something you rely on those new to eBay to drive the prices up in the days before the auction closes. I never like to show my hand, unless it is something that is so low and I can take or leave if I don't win it. Sometimes placing that one bid at the beginning will get it if no one else is interested, and you might forget to go back and put in the bid at the end. I've lost things a couple of times that way. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Richard Bridge Date: 24 Mar 06 - 11:46 AM 100, thank you |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Stilly River Sage Date: 24 Mar 06 - 03:04 PM So that's why you started the thread, eh? I notice that Google has caught on to the topic--the ads are "Free Postage Meter Quotes" and "Snipe eBay Bidding." SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Stilly River Sage Date: 27 Mar 06 - 01:35 PM The habit grows: I was out walking the dogs early this morning and passed a box of toys left at the curb with the morning trash. I drove back later and picked it up. Everything was in sight so they intended passers-by to see and pick up. I'm thinking: I can put the stuff that will works here in my garage sale, or I can research it on eBay. My garage is getting a bit full. I picked up a perfectly good rocking chair last week (just needs some spindles glued on one arm and needs to be refinished) and some toys a few weeks ago. And a chandelier. . . I can take it apart and sell the crystals, or I can clean it up and sell it as-is. Probably not the chair and the chandelier on eBay, though, too much bother to try to ship those. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: GUEST,new and worried ebayer! Date: 27 Mar 06 - 05:19 PM Genuine question to American ebayers- I have recently dipped my toe into selling on ebay and have advertised that i will post worldwide. I have only sold 3 items so far but bidding is going well, but I am now worrying about my postage position. I have been surprised at the post office when i asked the cost of an item i was posting to Spain, by asking what it would cost to send the same item to U.S. Just to give me a rough idea. Airmail is astronomical to U.S but surface mail is reasonable. It's too late for me to revise my items listing because i have bids on them and Americans are amongst those bidding. To be honest i am dreading one of them winning! I haven't stipulated how i would post items to U.S. I know now i should have put in the postage bit that i will only send items by surface mail, i know now it takes 8-10 weeks to deliver, do American ebayers usually accept that postage to them is by surface mail? Or will they expect airmail? I will revise future listings but don't want to upset anyone so early in the game? Any thoughts out there? |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Stilly River Sage Date: 28 Mar 06 - 12:12 AM If you're not too close to the end of your auction you can revise it, though I don't know if there are some things they don't allow. You might be able to add a remark in your description that says "INTERNATIONAL buyers email me for a postage quote: I ship surface" or set it up so they can choose from slow or faster and you'll send those rates and let them decide. I had to do that when I listed overseas shipping, and I'll have to see how it goes. So far I've had someone in Canada ask how much to ship there. Not exactly "overseas," but it does require some research and filling out of forms. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: GUEST,Dewey Date: 28 Mar 06 - 05:13 AM Paypal and international shipping don't mix. www.paypalsucks.org .com?. www.about paypal.org .com? Plus 40 different customs forms, currency conversions etc. is an extra hassle, and in the Asian contries it costs more than its worth. Also higher ticket items are often not protected by insurance or fraud. Right now America is still the greatest share of ebay, for the American public, myself included, it is a lot easier that way. Its not Arrogance as mich as LAZINESS. There is enough of a buyer base here, to not have to worry about over "there". Unfortunately for the rest of the world that idea does not fit well. One can avoid offending an un-desired bidder from an un-approved of country, by going to ebay preferences and selecting the countries to which one wishes to omit doing business. It is not a crime to do so, though others here might think that its unfair to, For me its laziness and inrritation with forms, customs, etc. But mainly its currency differences, and extra shipping costs, and paypal resolution discrepencies. People claim to honor those costs but don't always cover the expenses, and if they fraud you saying the item wasn't delivered you can have your funds held up, or even forfeited through the paypal system. And also, if you have to refund shipping as mandated by paypal for an item a buyer decides he is going to return (see Paypal user agreement) you are also out bigtime and for no just or apparant reason. Also, if the buyer sends the item back (as required in this same user agreement), or reports it lost, stolen or undelivered, you can really, really be scammed out of money by third party arbitary fund reversal on the part of Paypal, money can be frozen for months on end, and you may never have any re-course in recovering the item. Not everyone wants to, nor is required to go international. It still is the individual seller's perrogative. One is NOT required to go through extra work if he or she chooses not to. And no one has the right to tell someone esle they are arrogant just because they do not desire this extra elongated form of business and/or work. Obviously, smaller countries will choose to ship to Americans, because they would be missing a good 80 percent of their business by not doing so. As for Americans, since their markerplace is so large to begin with, they tend to do just fine trading within, without the extra hassles from "without". Frankly I hate international shipping and I think its dangerous to one's bottom line should something ever go wrong and an item has to be returned. If the New World Order Comes about, and we get a one world currency, insurance company. etc. I, myself, would reconsider selling more to global market. But I still wouldn't be crazy enough to accept Paypal, this is the biggest threat to an ebayer's profit anyone could hope for. Ebay is expanding its operations with Ebay Express, to take credit cards, maybe they will be able to streamline the system through some up coming way without resorting to the Paypal mess/scandal. As of current status, you can get scammed out of you eyeballs. Paypal dipute resolations and internantional frozen fund reversals, are a nightmare!!. I've shipped a far amount of moderate valued items into Canada as it is part of the same continent, I wouldn't, however, ship overseas, anything of moderate value EVER. Dewey |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: GUEST,new and worried ebayer Date: 28 Mar 06 - 06:15 AM Thanks for the info. Actually dewey I have currently approx fifty bids from customers and only three of those are from America. Posting within Europe is not presenting a problem, but Americans certainly do not make up 80% of my buyers. After reading this I have withdrawn US shipping options to the U.S (on those items I can revise) as it isn't worth the hassle.And won't be offering it again. And I have enlisted a couple of European based friends to outbid on the items that the Americans are winning on, not ethical I know but I don't need the hassle. At least I know the pitfalls now and will avoid them. Thanks again. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Scoville Date: 28 Mar 06 - 12:27 PM I never ship airmail and I would not expect an international seller to do so (although I say so). I think you can still do an add-on to your description, with an apology and an explanation of shipping restrictions, even if you cannot revise the original posting. People may withdraw bids, though. It's up to you. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Stilly River Sage Date: 29 Mar 06 - 09:54 AM I have a no-communication/non-payer on the hook right now for a box of books. I ask that people let me know within three days how they will pay (she hasn't done that) and request that payment be completed by 7 days (so I'll wait till then before I do anything more). This is domestic shipping, U.S. dollars--it's hard enough to get the local folks to cooperate sometimes, I imagine the international difficulties with this situation are exponentially more difficult. I hear on the radio this morning that the "Buy It Now" feature eBay uses is patented by another company. At least the Supreme Court will have to decide if it is. SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Scoville Date: 29 Mar 06 - 10:11 AM Oh, man--I just had a girl sell something to me and no offer any communication at all for a full month. I emailed her repeatedly asking for help, had she not received my MO, did she no longer wish to sell, etc. I finally sent her a snail-mail letter and then requested her personal information from eBay, and the items miraculously appeared on my doorstep three days later (postmarked a full month after the auction closed). I never got a response of any sort from her (this was also a domestic seller, only two states away). Sometimes they need a push if they think you're coming after them. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Stilly River Sage Date: 29 Mar 06 - 11:49 AM My phone number is part of the listing a buyer receives, along with my mailing address for payments. I'd actually like to take it out of there, but when I've looked to try to reset my personal particulars I haven't found the place to take it out. It would be easy enough to find it online anyway, if they give it a thought, but I don't want it just out there. I returned a box a week ago (with the basket that was falling apart) and a few days later learned the seller moved but he's still using the old labels. So the box I sent priority insured with delivery confirmation hit that burg then was forwarded, and since the 23rd has languished at the new post office because he hasn't gone to retrieve it. I forwarded him the postal information that they've attempted delivery (so he knows to go look for the box even if the slip somehow vanished). SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Stilly River Sage Date: 29 Mar 06 - 10:10 PM Book lady paid finally, that is good! I'd sent her a note yesterday, courteous and curious as to which method of payment she was going with (so I'd have a heads up to head to the post office if she was choosing that route). Another query from Canada on my books from two British mystery writers. When you read the squabbles out there, it makes you wonder, if you are really hasty and snappish to a buyer, why would they then continue to want something from such a nasty person? Why continue to cooperate? (Those feedback scores can make some interesting reading. Amazing how much you can say in 80 characters!) SRS |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: LilyFestre Date: 29 Mar 06 - 10:21 PM Hey Worried, I believe there is the option for the seller to cancel out the auction. If you are really concerned about the overseas shipping thing, it might be worth your while to cancel that auction and repost it with your shipping policies for international shipment. Best of luck to you! Michelle |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: GUEST,new and worried ebayer Date: 30 Mar 06 - 12:24 PM I think you're right there michelle, but then it would maybe look bad if i have withdrawn items listed against my name. I'll just make sure they are outbid and relist the items in a few weeks. In a weak moment i did accept a winning bid from an American recently and she doesn't have paypal, so asked if i would accept US currency money order as she is finding it difficult to get one in UK pounds? I can't be arsed going to the bank and queuing up and checking their fees, then let her know, then add it onto her invoice, then wait for a reply, then get the money order, then queue in the bank to deposit it, then pay exorbitant amounts to post it, then worry for the next eight weeks about whether it has arrived. Paypal and European only customers for me in the future. At least I have learnt early on. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Donuel Date: 30 Mar 06 - 12:53 PM Fed Ex simplifies the process wonderfully. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: GUEST,Jaze Date: 30 Mar 06 - 09:34 PM I have a question for sellers. Can a seller bid on his own item to drive up ther price? I 've always wondered. |
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Subject: RE: BS: Arrogant Americans on ebay From: Stilly River Sage Date: 31 Mar 06 - 02:20 PM No, you can't. I believe eBay will censure you or ban you from the site for that, because it is conspicuously dishonest. It's bad enough detecting all of the shills people have helping them. SRS |
