Scammed on eBay as a seller and then - scammed by eBay customer services!

[MrSMW]

32 minutes ago, Xavier Plagaro Mussard said:

Nowadays most good ideas finish in the trash

So often the case with so many things...

Standards drop or they get taken over by negative elements and something that worked, ceases to do so. Or at least as well.

 

[hercole]

There must be a ton of disgruntled sellers out there. Would starting and Avvaz petition for the government to look into their practices be a way forward? https://secure.avaaz.org/community_petitions/en/

[ntblowz]

Thank god we have our local auction site here, ebay tried to enter our online auction market decades ago but didnt make a dent so they move out.

[Avenger 2.0]

To sell I use CataWiki at the moment. It's like the reverse of ebay. Buyer has to pay auction fees and it has bad buyer protection but good seller protection.

[Steffen]

I am sorry to hear what happened to you, Andrew! I sold some lower-priced camera gear through eBay in recent years and had no problem at all. Only once a guy complained he hasn't received the camera, but I could prove the contrary by supplying the tracking number.

Regarding selling camera equipment in Berlin, there are some camera dealers selling (and buying) used items. I suppose you already now them, but maybe it will help other people as well:

Foto Meyer, Welserstraße 1
Fotomax, Augsburger Straße 33
Foto Hess, Kaiser-Friedrich-Straße 87
Foto Schilling, Kantstraße 87

You should also consider looking at rebuy.de. They are buying used camera gear and are located in Berlin as well.

Prices will definitly be lower than direct sales through eBay, but it should be more hassle-free.
 

[Andrew Reid]

5 hours ago, MrSMW said:

MBP make it so easy and yes, you might make a few quid extra selling (or cheaper buying) private, but near zero risk, returns policy, postage/delivery all taken care of and fast.

I bought my used S1H from them recently using their EU division. It arrived from Berlin within 24 hours.

MBP are great. I may offer them the gear I don't manage to sell through a Gear Store on my blog which I'm getting up and running.

I got my 1D C back in the day from them!

eBay is a great shame as there's a lot of very good sellers on there.

But the platform just takes advantage of them and fails them all the time, and we are all getting pretty sick of it.

[Matins 2]

Contrary to Ebay's main platform, Marktplaats is safe for sellers; not so much for buyers. Insured shipping through PostNL usually takes one working day. Online payement in less than a minute. Costly products are usually physically inspected by the buyers first. If you happen to know someone in the Netherlands than this could be an alternative. 

Personally, I've been screwed twice as a buyer. Last month I made a bargain deal over a $1200 product, only to receive a middle of the night message − a couple of hours before I was about to pick it up − saying: "I've changed my mind and and want to sell my product for way more. Sorry for the hassle!"

[Video Hummus]

6 hours ago, MrSMW said:

I think the trick of it is to really REALLY consider purchases in the first place and their longevity.

Yes, I would much rather pay a higher price to not deal with the stress caused by dickhead scammers. That time you never get back. Money can be made, time can't.

So I take the hit and sell gear to shops with more consideration for what is needed versus wanted.

[Dunjoye]

Don't they refund your fees back if the item is returned by the buyer?

Regardless, Screw Ebay, I use marketplace & Shpock instead. 

[Matins 2]

1 hour ago, Matins 2 said:

Contrary to Ebay's main platform, Marktplaats is safe for sellers; not so much for buyers. Insured shipping through PostNL usually takes one working day. Online payement in less than a minute. Costly products are usually physically inspected by the buyers first. If you happen to know someone in the Netherlands than this could be an alternative. 

Personally, I've been screwed twice as a buyer. Last month I made a bargain deal over a $1200 product, only to receive a middle of the night message − a couple of hours before I was about to pick it up − saying: "I've changed my mind and and want to sell my product for way more. Sorry for the hassle!"

*then

[MurtlandPhoto]

7 hours ago, MrSMW said:

My only experience of eBay has been mixed and I try and avoid the place these days. Especially in regard to big ticket items.

I think the trick of it is to really REALLY consider purchases in the first place and their longevity.

Cameras I expect to run into the ground these days and if buying or selling used, go through a dealer.

MBP make it so easy and yes, you might make a few quid extra selling (or cheaper buying) private, but near zero risk, returns policy, postage/delivery all taken care of and fast.

I bought my used S1H from them recently using their EU division. It arrived from Berlin within 24 hours.

I also sent them a piece of gear which they checked over and said had a small internal issue which downgraded their evaluation, so they are thorough.

Anyway, sorry about your phones Andrew. It’s stuff like this that people seem to have issues with most on eBay, - techy gear with higher sticker prices. 

+1 going through a reputable used dealer, but definitely shop around when trying to sell your gear. Adorama gave me an embarrassingly low quote for my mint condition Nocticron 42.5mm f/1.2. They wanted to give me $300 for it since they had many used copies already in stock. So, it made me nervous but I went the private route and was able to get $800 for it. Risk and reward sometimes.

[Marcio Kabke Pinheiro]

Still offloading my unused equipment through the local equivalent of eBay, no problems until now, but it is always a stressful thing - lots of scamming buyers reported.

I record a video of every product that I sell - a video with no cuts, showing the product, it cosmetic state, show that it is functioning, and the packaging process from the beginning to the end, showing external details of the packaging (if the buyer records the "opening" of a fake package), and the label of the package.

When buying, do a video (with no cuts) recording all the opening procedure and turning on the product.

Still have to use the online sells because, except for low priced items, buyers (myself included) prefer to have some degree of safety to get their money back - it is the price for living in a place where scam people is a common practice. Or to be received with a real gun inside a subway station and have your goods stolen is a real possibility. Hence, for middle to high priced items, in person negotiations are very rare.

Still have two cameras to go, will have to hope for the best. Just wished that we had a KEH or MPB here in Brazil - local camera stores only want to pay 40-50% of the value of your goods.

[Emanuel]

Sad to know. Thanks for your informative heads-up.

- E.

[jpfilmz]

After you make a sale immediately disconnect your banking info from ebay...never leave it connected perpetually.

[MrSMW]

4 hours ago, MurtlandPhoto said:

Risk and reward sometimes

I stopped using eBay for camera gear sales when with one lens sale, the purchaser came back and reported the lens had been dropped (by me) at some time and wanted a 50% refund. I said no and it was sent back and zero issues with it. And there were none when I sent it.

Another told me a lens they had purchased from was water damaged. FK off. Sent it back to me. I sent it and sold it to a dealer without issue.

I just don’t trust the place anymore. Never really have actually...

[1Ale82]

I have been using ebay since the very beginning and bought and sold many things. As a buyer I only had a couple of issues which were not properly scams but more things that were missing in the description. As a seller instead, since ebay is strongly in favor of the buyer, I usually avoid to sell to users with just a few feedbacks or to users who signed up in ebay just a few days before. And in case of expensive items I also don't sell to users which only buy baubles.

However I noticed the customer service got a lot worse in the past years, starting from the "help" page of ebay which makes harder to contact the customer service. And when you do manage to contact them, usually they will give very generic answers. You do have to bother them quite a bit to have some kind of thorough reply. Ok, I don't expect the red carpet, but I would rate ebay's cursomer service just a little better than those of the phone companies.

And I don't like at all the new policy implemented this year of having ebay handling all the payment to the seller. It stinks too much of a monopoly. I prefer to have paypal as an external intermediary of the sepa bank thansfer

[newfoundmass]

44 minutes ago, 1Ale82 said:

And I don't like at all the new policy implemented this year of having ebay handling all the payment to the seller. It stinks too much of a monopoly. I prefer to have paypal as an external intermediary of the sepa bank thansfer

PayPal is owned by eBay. It made it more frustrating to sell though, as had to get my routing info and stuff in order to get paid. Instead I just haven't done it. Don't know if I will. Might just stick to Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace. 

[MurtlandPhoto]

1 hour ago, MrSMW said:

I stopped using eBay for camera gear sales when with one lens sale, the purchaser came back and reported the lens had been dropped (by me) at some time and wanted a 50% refund. I said no and it was sent back and zero issues with it. And there were none when I sent it.

Another told me a lens they had purchased from was water damaged. FK off. Sent it back to me. I sent it and sold it to a dealer without issue.

I just don’t trust the place anymore. Never really have actually...

I hear you. Instead of eBay, I do a lot of selling on Fred Miranda forums. You have to pay a fee to sell on the site and you must build up good feedback to sell. Because it's a niche market, you end up with scrupulous buyers and sellers. 

[1tkman]

Very informative Andrew and I certainly understand your pain. Please consider posting your items directly from your site. I feel you’re overlooking just how much people appreciate you as a person and trust all that you are doing and have done for the community. I have a long-standing history with EBay and will relay your dealings as a reason for why I am stepping away from their services. Besides, every motion camera that I have ever purchased from the site arrived broken.

[Xavier Plagaro Mussard]

18 hours ago, Marcio Kabke Pinheiro said:

I record a video of every product that I sell...

When buying, do a video (with no cuts) recording all the opening procedure and turning on the product.

I passed that phase too. It was a royal pita, because it is very stressful. I remember thinking how can I make it sure 100% with a video that I am sending this box. It is nearly impossible, unless you do everything and then hand it out to the courier, in the same take!