How do we get eBay to treat sellers fairly again?

I wasn't being coy in my answer to kiss eBay goodbye----for me. I started selling there in '99. It was nice for a while

Now I only list a few things that are obscure and can't find a buyer in other usual ways. Although I ran up almost 4,000 feedbacks, it's now less that 1/10 of one percent of my sales.

 

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Believe it or not, there still are a good number of people, including actual dealers, that do not sell on ebay. This would be particularly wise for you to understand, considering your objectives, as it could afford you an opportunity.

As an aside, you might want to look into what an "original bank" roll actually is. Just a friendly suggestion.

 

eBay is not the problem. The real problem are buyers who are trying to save a few bucks by all means. It's not right that sellers can't give negative feedback anymore. If they could, less buyers would tell you 'free shipping or no deal'...

 

I understand your point, but we must remember that ebay is the one allowing buyers to get away with the nonsense, so while there may be plenty of blame to go around, they've certainly contributed (and continue to contribute) to the problem.

 

Good night to all ....

 

I have been selling on eBay since the beginning, and have over 200 items listed in my store at the moment. Have I dealt with bad buyers? Yup. Have I gotten stuck? Yup. Does eBay treat sellers fairly? Nope. Is there anything a seller can do about it? Very little. These are the facts of life when you sell on eBay.

But I treat all buyers like I want to be treated and I feel over 98% are good folks. It is the 2% that drive a seller nuts.

The problem is eBay does not understand the dynamics of selling collectibles. I sell coins, numismatic books, postcards, golden and silver age comics, advertising, rare stamps, fine art, ephemera etc. I have to find the items, research the items, clearly describe the items including condition, take a photo(s) of the item and create a unique listing for the item.

I can not reorder my items, drop ship or third party sell the inventory. I never sell used cell phones, fake sunglasses, vitamins, or counterfeit sports jerseys etc. However, eBay treats all sellers equally, and the numb skulls they employ have no idea what the heck is at issue.

When I encounter a difficult customer I block him. That is the only recourse, and my blocked customer list is quite long.

Ebay is already encountering a push back from sellers, and listings are flagging. Maybe one of these days the powers that be at eBay will finally start to actually listen to the sellers of collectibles. But I am not holding my breath, and I am listing 5 items tonight.

 

Case in point me. You've seen the kind of coins I collect and sell and compared to my Americana business their minor. And I have no use or need for sleazebay at all. I have no problem exceeding $500k a year in sales who needs their fees problems and bs. I believe in dealing with customers honestly and in person and treating them fairly and as I'd like to be treated and in representing my merchandise honestly. And paying my bills on time as any here who ever done business with me know. And when you get a problem customer in person you can tell them to kiss my a** or go someplace hot just fine!

 

I didn't say that there are no people who sell coins not on eBay. I'm saying it is very hard as you have demonstrated it is very hard to become a dealer and it must 100x harder to own a coin shop. And sure you could try to sell your coins in person at a show or at a in person auction but that could be as hard/expensive as eBay. I will PM you soon about the bank roll part.

 

Simple. If you feel that you're not being treated fairly, find another venue to sell your coins. IMO, that would send the message.
You'd also have to broadcast what your new found venue was so that others could try it and possible move there as well.
Some folks have had good success with Great Collections.

I do not particularly care for the eBay philosophy of pandering to the buyers since eBay's income is based upon a successful buyer/seller interaction AAND it's the seller's which pay eBays Fee's. Not the buyers.

And who knows, maybe sellers fee's won't be enough here in the near future with eBay considering adding a "buyer's fee" to all transactions of a specific type?

Basically, NOTHING is going to change eBay's business model except for a MAJOR Lawsuit which forces them into the change.

Anything less than that is just wasted drivel.

 

As just an observer but not a participant, any chance that Amazon.com will start a program for individuals to sell under.? They aren't as loose as eBay. You would need to report sales to the government and collect taxes where necessary, but I think they are a great source for competition to eBay. An they are big enough where eBay couldn't ignore them either. There could be some serious rivalry between them, all over developing and keeping their customer base intact.

 

Amazon's already offered that service for quite some time now.

 

I looked quickly at their site and I don't see where I, as an individual, could offer items for sale. By "individuals" I meant: No affiliation as or with a business. Simply listing items as a private sale. If you have a link, please post it. I would love to read it.

 

I would say contact amazon about selling on their site. I have not looked in a while, but one seller (had their own store) listed the coins higher on amazon which I guess was to cover fees, etc.

All I know is I wish ebay could get ride of bad sellers and buyers, but that is not going to happen. It would not bother me if the started charging a buyers fee - I just take everything into consideration when buying the coin. So if I am willing to pay $100 for a coin - I don't care what the break down is so long as the total is $100.

 

It was a lifelong dream of mine to own a coin shop. I fulfilled that in 1998. The idea of having regular hours in a rural area went by the wayside fairly quickly. Just not enough traffic. I still spend the majority of my day there but I am not tied to it being by appointment or chance only. I've said that to indicate that one's business seems to evolve into whatever kind fits one's lifestyle best. I love having the shop and the excellent security is a welcome plus.

 

It's listed in the categories at the bottom of Amazon's page under
Make Money with Us>Sell on Amazon

http://services.amazon.com/content/sell-on-amazon.htm

Or just Google search sell on Amazon and it will be the first couple results.

 

Never posted here before:
Between 2009 and June of 2011, I spent over 9K buying coins off EBAY. There were a couple minor rip offs, but the good out weighed the bad. I was buying off numerous sellers, but had a few faves.
Upon buying, I immediately paid EBAY with my credit card, usually within 5 minutes. I then paid my credit card, just as quick as not to pay any interest on purchases.
I find a lot of sellers will not give immediate feedback. I buy, I pay, give immediate feedback, that's customer service. Some sellers hold the feedback hostage until they get your feedback. Vey uncool. Or giving feedback is not important to the seller, showing no appreciation for your purchase.
June 2011, I get a call from Pay Pal. They tell me I have spent so much money in a certain time frame, that I must open a Pay Pal account. Now I know most people don't have a problem with that, but I do.
If I pay immediately, EBAY gets their money, Pay Pal is not getting my banking information. Because they insisted on having it, I no longer purchase from EBAY.
So you EBAY sellers, are out that 9K, I spent in less than 22 Months.
I would have spent much more over the years, I was having fun. Now, I just save my coin money and go to bigger Coin Shows. I no longer pay shipping, I get to see what I am buying, bring the coins home, file them away.

 

TECHNICALLY, you are correct, you don't pay shipping.

However, you do pay in car depreciation, fuel, time, and energy. Not to mention, you expose yourself if you carry large amounts of cash and you have to carry the coin in public.

PayPal was a fantastic company before eBay purchased them (now they are split). They have a long term agreement but hopefully when it ends, they can get back to business.

 

EasyE418, my wife is the CEO of a hospital, I am retired Army. Her job, we travel constantly. We are going to Vegas after she gets off tonight.
I am just speaking for me and know my situation is unique, this trip is business, so fuel, depreciation is paid. Time, I am retired and I intend to use what energy I have left.
So I have three days, to go to Coin shops, Antique shops, Pawn Stores and gamble until she finishes.
I always find nice Coin investments in Vegas. Allot of that money would have been spent on EBAY, so I guess I should be thankful for Pay Pal's rude behavior.