primitives discuss eBay versus Amazon

[franksolich]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=213x7430

Oh my.

Joanne98  (1000+ posts)      Thu Jan-20-11 06:55 AM
Original message
 
Selling on Ebay versus selling on Amazon

Ebay and Amazon are the two leading online retailers, selling everything from books to DVDs, technology, household goods and furniture. You can furnish every room in your home using just these two sites, without ever having to leave the comfort of your chair.

Buyers and sellers alike flock to both sites. But are they equal, or is one better than the other?

From the buyer point of view, Amazon seems to posses the greater buyer confidence, due to ease of purchase, quick delivery times and less likelihood of meeting scammers on the site. A non-delivered item needs only be followed by a claim, whereupon Amazon investigates and the buyer gets a refund.

Ebay has a record of buyers being scammed and never being able to recoup their funds when sellers (scammers) failed to deliver items. Having said that, Ebay and PayPal have now teamed up to ensure that any payment transferred from buyer to seller's PayPal account is not released for twenty one days, giving the buyer this length of time to raise the alarm if an item has failed to arrive.

However, what is the experience of the two sites from the seller's point of view? Both sites have pros and cons, and in the end it is most likely up to the seller to decide which better suits their personality. Below are some of the main advantages of each site over the other:

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Selling-on-Ebay-versus...

customerserviceguy  (1000+ posts)      Thu Jan-20-11 07:17 AM
Response to Original message
 
1. I've never been seriously scammed on eBay

Only once, when a seller failed to deliver a few cheap laptop computer parts, did I ever have an iota of a problem there. The biggest problem was that the seller gave me negatives after I gave him a negative for the item he didn't ever deliver, and two neutrals for the ones he took a month to send. That blemished my otherwise perfect record there, and pissed me off, even though the clown was finally drummed off of eBay for screwing over other buyers.

Since then, eBay has changed it's rules, and it's far more advantageous to be a buyer than a seller there. I buy computer parts, books, and other things there regularly, and have never had a problem. eBay clearly figured out that it had to increase the confidence of buyers, and that attracts more of them to the site.

2Design  (1000+ posts)      Thu Jan-27-11 03:43 PM
Response to Original message
 
2. I have not used ebay for about 4 years after three separate scams

two were as a buyer and one as a seller

I sell on amazon, mostly books but did sell camera storage media because I knew it was safer and I would be paid

I less likely to buy from individual on amazon because of quality unless it is a book for less than $5

Shagbark Hickory (1000+ posts)      Tue Jun-07-11 09:59 PM
Response to Original message
 
3. Oh don't get me started. 

Too late. I'm started.

I got screwed by a counterfeit item from China. The seller claimed the item did something it wasn't capable of doing also but the underlying problem was a counterfeit. The seller agreed to refund the money if I sent the item back. Of course it costs a lot more in USDs to send something back to china than it cost them to send to me and it's also illegal to mail counterfeit goods. I offered to let them send a call tag for it. After communication broke down, I made every effort in the world to resolve through paypal and ebay.

First with paypal. Went through the procedure to dispute the charge under their supposed buyer protection scheme. Days go by. No response. Then I open up a case with Ebay.

Paypal almost immediately sends me a notice that my case has been closed because a case has been opened with ebay.

Ebay tells me that I need to take it up with paypal. Yes, the same paypal who will no longer talk to me because I was talking to it's alter ego, ebay.

Anywho finally after much aggravation, ebay writes to me and says, we'll send you a prepaid UPS label to send the item back to the seller and once they get it back, we'll give you a credit for the purchase price. I was fine with that.

A week goes by, still no label. I write to ebay. They say to wait longer.

Longer comes and goes and I write back. No response. They just start ignoring me.

I think they figured out the seller was in china and they weren't about to spend the ~$100 to ship the $100 item back to china.

So my last resort was to dispute the charge with the credit card company. This is a real pain in the ass with pay pal transactions because when you dispute a charge from paypal, they put your account on lockdown and it's very difficult to restore it.

Alas, that's what I did. The credit card company, HSBC, which is a horrible Chinese bank and I wouldn't recommend them to anyone, credited back the money to my account. Then 2 months later they send me a letter saying they have concluded their investigation and are siding with the seller of the counterfeit goods.

I've never had a dispute turned over like that before. So I was out the money.

The lessons to be learned from this experience:

1.) Ebay & paypal.. Their seller protections are totally bogus.
2.) Make sure your credit card issuer is not a bunch of turds. Just because it has a visa or MC logo, it boils down to the policies of the issuer and how sleazy they are. Use an AMex card for ebay purchases if you have one. They have better service.
3.) If it looks too good to be true, chances are it's a ****ing counterfeit.

Like the Big Zero's turned out to be, huh?

Maraya1969  (1000+ posts)        Thu Jun-16-11 03:44 PM
Response to Reply #3
 
4. I would write that story on one or a couple of Ebay forums. Make it puclic so the people wanting others to buy and sell see it.

Maybe this one is over but for the future I think that it a company is guilty of fraud you should talk about it where it will hurt them. They usually jump then.

When I was younger my mother said she bought a pair of shoes from a local shoe store and right away one of the heals broke off. She took them back and the man said he would not return her money because she had worn them already. So my mother went up to another customer in the shop and said, "Don't buy from this store, they don't stand by their items and look at my shoes........

The man rushed over and got her and gave her money back.

[Ballygrl]

Ebay and PayPal have now teamed up to ensure that any payment transferred from buyer to seller's PayPal account is not released for twenty one days, giving the buyer this length of time to raise the alarm if an item has failed to arrive.

Umm, if a seller sends Delivery Confirmation the funds are released within 2-3 days.

[Ballygrl]

I got screwed by a counterfeit item from China. The seller claimed the item did something it wasn't capable of doing also but the underlying problem was a counterfeit.

I pretty much only buy from US sellers, a few times I've bought off sellers in Canada, before I buy an item I ALWAYS CHECK THEIR FEEDBACK at Toolhaus.org and actually read the feedback and determine whether or not I want to do business with that person.

[jukin]

Why am I not surprised that the DUchebags are being constantly scammed?

Rule 2 of my father was "Those that think they are smart are the easiest to fool."

[Rebel]

Why am I not surprised that the DUchebags are being constantly scammed?

Rule 2 of my father was "Those that think they are smart are the easiest to fool."

Remember, they ALL have IQ's above 150.  

[jukin]

Remember, they ALL have IQ's above 150.  

Which brings us to Dad's Rule 1, "Those that keep telling you how smart they are, are not."

[AllosaursRus]

Why am I not surprised that the DUchebags are being constantly scammed?

Rule 2 of my father was "Those that think they are smart are the easiest to fool."

I wonder who holds these fools hands when they take a dump?

[delilahmused]

I've bought a lot of stuff from ebay over the years, everything from hatching eggs to plant starts to ephemera I use in mixed media projects (I'm fascinated with the useless papers and postcards, & etc. people save) to bulk vintage costume jewelry I use in my own jewelry. Got a brand spanking new pair of Asic's circuit training shoes, Turbo Jam workout DVD's and the whole set of Carmen Electra's Aerobic Striptease for $30 a few years ago. Considering the shoes alone cost over $100, I'd say I did pretty good. I love ebay. The only thing I've ever bought at Amazon from sellers is used books and a Rosetta Stone Japanese course when we were homeschooling.

Cindie