More eBay Humor

OC Engineer JD Jan 16, 2009

  1. Doug Gosha

    Doug Gosha TrainBoard Member

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    The eBay auctions I think are cute are the ones with a title like, "N scale train" and it's a piece of track.

    :D

    Doug
     
    Hardcoaler likes this.
  2. Hardcoaler

    Hardcoaler TrainBoard Member

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    Many years ago in my work in industrial transportation, an Auditor asked me "How many trains a day do you receive?" I responded, "One."

    The next day he appeared in my office and with great anger exclaimed, "You said you receive only one train a day, but there must be 200 trains out there!"

    With that, he soon learned the definition of "a train". :)
     
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2017
  3. JMaurer1

    JMaurer1 TrainBoard Member

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    ...but only one was given to me, the rest belong to the company LOL
     
    Hardcoaler likes this.
  4. Maletrain

    Maletrain TrainBoard Member

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    Hardcoaler, BoxcabE50 and mtntrainman like this.
  5. MK

    MK TrainBoard Member

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    And it's "Sold As-Is". Really? For a piece of paper???
     
  6. WFOJeff

    WFOJeff TrainBoard Member

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    Well maybe as is...or "Trogium pulsatorium" included.
     
  7. JMaurer1

    JMaurer1 TrainBoard Member

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  8. Maletrain

    Maletrain TrainBoard Member

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    This one is more disgusting than funny:

    I put 5 items from the same seller into my cart. Each has in red letters something like "Save 12%". When I try to "Request total from seller" to get "combined shipping" cost, it is grayed-out, and the "i" dot near that button says "You can't request a total because the seller has already offered a discount for these items."

    The total of the separate shipping charges comes to $17.25 or 31% of the total items cost. Even assuming something like a real combined shipping of $8.50, the inability to get "combined shipping" is still equal to about 16% price increase. So, basically, the "Save 12%" is a bait and switch if you are ordering more than one item. It is not really a discount or any savings. It may actually be a price increase.
     
    acptulsa likes this.
  9. acptulsa

    acptulsa TrainBoard Member

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    That's an eBay programmer error. Thanks for pointing it out. Both buyers and sellers should beware of that trap.
     
  10. Ryan Wilkerson

    Ryan Wilkerson TrainBoard Member

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    Ebay has some strange settings and seems to have a mind of its own when selling. Many sellers don't even think about how multiple purchased affect the price and they don't have control on the cart. In your case, I would message the seller and explain the situation and ask if the shipping cost could be taken care of after the purchased. I've had mostly good results when doing this.
     
  11. Maletrain

    Maletrain TrainBoard Member

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    I did message the seller, and am waiting for him to get back to me with an actual shipping price. But, doesn't eBay now charge the seller some % of the shipping fee, to discourage sellers from avoiding fees by offering low-priced items with very over-priced shipping?
     
  12. Ryan Wilkerson

    Ryan Wilkerson TrainBoard Member

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    Yes, both the item price and shipping charge is subject to the final value fees paid by the seller.
     
  13. Maletrain

    Maletrain TrainBoard Member

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    Then it has to cost at least one of us (buyer and/or seller) more money for eBay to refuse to allow "combined shipping" if the seller has advertized a "reduced price" in the listing.

    I guess the solution is for sellers to stop using the "price reduction" advertizing technique, because eBay has turned that into a scam.

    I will not be buying any more "price reduced" items from eBay unless it is a single item that I really need for something. Putting something like that into a cart with other items is both a time-waster and a cost gouge.
     
    Last edited: Dec 18, 2017
  14. Ryan Wilkerson

    Ryan Wilkerson TrainBoard Member

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    I wonder if that's a consistent behavior. It shouldn't work that way, like acptulsa mentioned above.
     
  15. Maletrain

    Maletrain TrainBoard Member

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    Well, that is the way it is working for me right now. And, it does seem to say exactly what it is doing, so why think it is an error?

    If it is a "glitch", eBay does not seem to want to be informed, anyway. If eBay really cared about computer problems, they would do something besides have an automated "help" function under their "contact" button. All that does is provide you with a bunch of options that are not applicable to a real glitch. And, if you can manage to work your way past the computer barrier, you get a phone number to call, which is answered by an underpaid and underinformed minion in the Philippines. I am not going to waste my time trying to argue about eBay policy with somebody in the Philippines.
     
  16. Maletrain

    Maletrain TrainBoard Member

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    Well, I spent some time reading posts to the eBay "feedback" forum, and this is definitely not a glitch. It is some sort of new policy that extends to a lot of other "combined shipping" problems, too. And eBay clearly has not intention of explaining it or justifying it or rescinding it.

    This policy change seems to be soley for the purpose of increasing fee revenues to eBay. Since it is obviously costing them sales, buyers and even sellers, it seems like a terrible business strategy - - unless it is a short-term strategy to make the company look more profitable for the purpose of either selling it at an inflated price or maybe doing some sort of stock move on Wall Street, then let the new owner or share holder find-out that the long-term effects are worse than advertized.

    Whatever their thinking, I cannot come up with one single possibility that it is honest in its intent.
     
  17. Maletrain

    Maletrain TrainBoard Member

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    So, I am "in searech of" alternative auction sites that have significant model train items. Any suggestions?
     
  18. BoxcabE50

    BoxcabE50 HOn30 & N Scales Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    Unfortunately there is no other alternative, which can compete with the monster. :(
     
  19. MK

    MK TrainBoard Member

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    Hardcoaler and WFOJeff like this.
  20. Maletrain

    Maletrain TrainBoard Member

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    Well, eBay is certainly not "too big to fail." They can be replaced, slowly, until they either don't matter or they realize there is real competition and start behaving honestly to compete.

    So, let's all of us start using and publicizing the existence of any competition that seems useful for model train exchange.
     

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