Is EBay completely worthless or does it just seem that way to me

[ALinCarolina]

Yep, I order much less from ebay than I used to. Much more from Amazon. I hope ebay stays around though. I recently needed replacement control board and a drain pump for a discontinued Maytag washer. Found used ones easily on ebay.

 

[Roert42]

eBay for me has always been for used items.

I essentially treat eBay like an online thrift store.


I’ve bought a few new items off there, but it’s been rare and only because I couldn’t get it anywhere else.

 

[NYBODYMAN]

I sell sparingly on ebay due to the enormous fees but at the end of the day it is generally a guaranteed sale.
I do buy quite a bit from ebay whether used or new (after comparison shopping of course). Sometimes the price of new goods is cheaper than Amazon.

 

[bwringer]

For general interest goods, fleaBay is nothing but a treacherous hive of scum and villainy, and has always been that way.

For extremely niche items, it's great. Sellers can find the two people on the planet interested in the thingy they're selling, and buyers can find the one seller on the planet who has the whatsit they want. I'm talking about the kind of stuff where you're punching in a part number that was discontinued in 1984.

I've bought hundreds of obscure vintage motorcycle parts on fleaBay without a single issue. (Quite a few have been from the same few niche sellers.) But if you're buying something of general interest like a laptop computer, you're gonna get a brick in a box at the absolute best. Same goes for things where the supply chain matters, like spark plugs -- eBay and Amazon are stuffed with counterfeits.

There are also hundreds of auto junkyards hawking stuff on fleaBay too -- anything that will fit in a reasonably sized box. I have a part for my wife's car on the way right now, in the correct paint color and everything. I never would have found it locally, and would have spent ten times or more on new parts and paint. They have teams of people posting and selling on eBay all day every day, and generating

It's also great for industrial supplies and surplus. I know a guy who was in procurement for a large factory, and finally convinced the muckety-mucks to let him set up an eBay account. He saved hundreds of thousands of dollars on things like weird parts for old machines.

What has gotten worse over time are eBay's fees and shipping costs. However, when you're in a market for very niche items, cost matters less and less the more obscure it is. To some degree, buyers will pay whatever it takes, but sellers can't go to an extreme when the entire potential market for an item is five people.

FleaBay is like any other tool; you have to know how and when to use it. Same goes for Amazon, RockAuto, FB Marketplace, McMaster-Carr, and all the other marketplaces and suppliers. Try using a ratchet as a hammer and you're gonna have a bad time. Understand the strengths and weaknesses of each, protect yourself, and choose the right tool for the job.

 

[Steve_P]

I've been on Ebay since day two and have had mostly great luck, but I've also been ripped off on two transactions that were $$$; this was in the early days before the "buyer is always right" and "not as described" rules of today where you get a refund. I've also sold some stuff that I had zero luck selling on other forums specific to those items- and even with the Ebay fees I got significantly more $ than I tried to sell them for prior.

As far as hand tools, I've bought quite a few new Matco ratchets, and misc new Snap On items on Ebay at good to great prices: typically, 20%-40% off; but I'd never buy things like batteries there. I also occasionally buy things like OE drain plug gaskets and air filters- less $ than the local Toyota dealer and never leave the house. I just bought a couple NIB water PRVs for half of what the identical product sells for at Lowes.

Saying all that, my original draw to Ebay was NOS discontinued parts for older cars. It was great for that in the early days, but now 99% of the parts are gone and since the free listings what's left is just ridiculously overpriced and sits there forever. And a bunch of generic "fits" listings for things like light bulbs and electrical crimp connector selections. Yes, I know you can add "- fits" in your search. In the early days you had to pay for a 7-10 day listing, so it encouraged a realistic price because if the item didn't sell, you had to pay the listing fee and then list it again if you wanted. Paying that fee over and over gets old quickly and stops the idiots who are asking 5X what something is really worth. I stopped looking for NOS parts years ago because it's just a waste of time.

So, for me, it's still good but its purpose has changed.

 

[Farmall450]

Otherwise, the actual
bidding craziness etc. is kind of over, and it certainly isn't as fun as it used to be.

I feel society doesn't have the attention span for a week or 10 day auctions anymore. Especially when you'll likely only save a buck or two under the cheapest buy-it-now.

 

[Farmall450]

It's also great for industrial supplies and surplus. I know a guy who was in procurement for a large factory, and finally convinced the muckety-mucks to let him set up an eBay account. He's saved hundreds of thousands of dollars on things like weird parts for old machines.

I love when purchasing comes to engineering saying something is unavailable "everywhere" yet I can find it on fleabay or Amazon. We don't use it, as it could be fake, but the ol google FU normally yields something "legit."

 

[slowtwitch73]

Gotta be careful buying power tools and esp batteries on Ebay... and everywhere else really.

 

[dchawk81]

I love when purchasing comes to engineering saying something is unavailable "everywhere" yet I can find it on fleabay or Amazon. We don't use it, as it could be fake, but the ol google FU normally yields something "legit."

My truck shop did that to me once for an oil pan. "None available and backordered."

The only people they called was the local Mack dealer. Didn't call any other Mack dealers or look for aftermarket.

I bought one myself and had it to them in 2 days.

 

[bwringer]

Gotta be careful buying power tools and esp batteries on Ebay... and everywhere else really.

Right; name brand power tools and batteries are almost universally counterfeit on eBay (and Amazon). Anything with a market of millions of people is the exact wrong thing to be buying on eBay.

Its amazing that they still sucker people with this ****, but there's always a percentage of people who think they've discovered some sort of life hack or workaround.

 

[whateg01]

.. .
I don't use Amazon unless only option, really don't like the way the platform lists items and it full of fake garbage & sellers who send alternative items to what you shown .

I keep seeing this comment about not getting what was ordered. Like eBay, Amazon has not given me any issues at all and is decidedly "pro-buyer" when it comes to dispute resolution. I'm not saying that nobody has any issues with either platform, but I sure haven't had many.

 

[Firebrick43]

I love when purchasing comes to engineering saying something is unavailable "everywhere" yet I can find it on fleabay or Amazon. We don't use it, as it could be fake, but the ol google FU normally yields something "legit."

They don't "fake" odd and uncommon old industrial parts.

 

[u2slow]

EBay is rather harsh on freight charges for me. That's my biggest dissuasion as most Amazon stuff is free delivery. That leaves me resorting to eBay mainly when all other channels are coming up dry.

Once in a while I find some auto parts (new/jobber) on such aggressive clearance that no other vendor can compete.

 

[bwringer]

EBay is rather harsh on freight charges for me. That's my biggest dissuasion as most Amazon stuff is free delivery. That leaves me resorting to eBay mainly when all other channels are coming up dry.

Once in a while I find some auto parts (new/jobber) on such aggressive clearance that no other vendor can compete.

It's honestly amazing how difficult it can be to mail or ship stuff between Canada and the US.

I've bought and sold obscure vintage motorcycle stuff to people in the UK, South Africa, Europe, Taiwan, Japan, and many other countries, and shipping is usually straightforward, prices high but mostly fair-ish, and service is reasonably quick.

But getting stuff in and out of Canada is such a royal asspain for some reason that it makes commerce between individuals mostly unrealistic. I have shipped stuff to Canadians a few times by sending it to a US business just across the border that holds the package until the Canadian person crosses into the US and picks it up.

Obviously, this only works for Canadians near the border who aren't in a hurry, but the fact that you can run a profitable business by providing this workaround is nuts. I mean, we (kinda) share a language and an enormous border... would a little mail and shipping cooperation to get things across the maple curtain be so damn hard?

I love when purchasing comes to engineering saying something is unavailable "everywhere" yet I can find it on fleabay or Amazon. We don't use it, as it could be fake, but the ol google FU normally yields something "legit."

There are businesses that specialize in acting as a "legit" go-between for nervous-Purvis purchasing and accounting departments who won't allow purchases of used/surplus parts directly from eBay.

So, you find the good condition 1948 Frammis encabulator on eBay you need to continue dingus production (Frammis went out of business in 1960), send it over to Bob at LegitCo Industrial Supply, and then he buys it from eBay and sends it to you at a hefty markup, and it's all OK and fine because the invoice is on impressive letterhead.

 

[Packard V8]

It's honestly amazing how difficult it can be to mail or ship stuff between Canada and the US.

I've bought and sold obscure vintage motorcycle stuff to people in the UK, South Africa, Europe, Taiwan, Japan, and many other countries, and shipping is usually straightforward, prices high but mostly fair-ish, and service is reasonably quick.

But getting stuff in and out of Canada is such a royal asspain for some reason that it makes commerce between individuals mostly unrealistic. I have shipped stuff to Canadians a few times by sending it to a US business just across the border that holds the package until the Canadian person crosses into the US and picks it up.

Obviously, this only works for Canadians near the border who aren't in a hurry, but the fact that you can run a profitable business by providing this workaround is nuts. I mean, we (kinda) share a language and an enormous border... would a little mail and shipping cooperation to get things across the maple curtain be so damn hard?

Obvious answer is Canadian businesses and Canadian govenment don't want Canadians buying stuff from the US.

jack vines

 

[u2slow]

It's honestly amazing how difficult it can be to mail or ship stuff between Canada and the US.

....

Obviously, this only works for Canadians near the border who aren't in a hurry, but the fact that you can run a profitable business by providing this workaround is nuts. I mean, we (kinda) share a language and an enormous border... would a little mail and shipping cooperation to get things across the maple curtain be so damn hard?

It is the greedy middle-men. Freight companies choose to treat it as two separate freight transactions. Plus a cross-border fee.

Rockauto and Summit Racing are two companies that bypass/reduce/streamline the costs for Canadian customer benefit.

I have done the cross-border pickup arrangement a couple of times. Saved me more than I anticipated because Canada Customs didn't bother to levy taxes on the goods I was declaring. Even Canada Post wants the taxes and a fee - every time!

 

[mikedodge]

Obvious answer is Canadian businesses and Canadian govenment don't want Canadians buying stuff from the US.

jack vines

it's a customs thing. It works the same way the other direction too.
On the plus side the border people are usually nice and don't waste your time or theirs on small amounts.

 

[WWheeler]

Before the 1099s started I could almost always find new items from an ebay seller with an excellent rating for less than I could from other retailers at discounts that made forgoing any warranty issues that might arise by buying from a not-authorized seller worth it to me. I might be wrong but it seems likely to me that there were lots of sellers that were able to get discounts on items that I couldn't and pass that savings off to me for a small profit, but the 1099s seem to have killed that off. I'm guessing that savings was often due to them more easily getting away with not having to pay taxes on that small profit per sale that they were making.

I do still purchase used tools on ebay fairly often. Have not had any issues. There do seem to be less used items I want than there used to be though. i think the whole 1099 thing makes it not as worth it to navigate that extra thing on their taxes when they can get away with selling other ways instead, like fakebook marketplace.

 

[Two Door]

Something I never expected when I started listing is flaky prospective buyers who, no matter how much detail you put in the description and pictures, bombard you with question after question.

I've had it happen twice, once for a set of spark plug wires, and the other for a transmission bushing driver. In each case I figured the buyer was buying beyond his intelligence or was making a sport of messing with me. Either way they would never by happy and it was best just to take the listing down.

 

[four.cycle]

^ If you post enough photos and accurate and detailed descriptions of the items, you will minimize the amount of your time the tire-kickers are able to waste.
I've had less than half a dozen "stupid questions" thrown at me by prospective buyers over the course of the last year. Last one was definitely a time-waster-tire-kicker, though. Fortunately they're not all that's out there.
I just add them to the "blocked buyers" list and move on - they get one crack at it and I'm done with 'em.
bunch of ebay stuff

 

[NoahG]

Like the rest of the internet, eBay is a shadow of its former self.

 

[Madjik Man]

At one time, maybe five years ago, EBay was a worthwhile marketplace and I sold a lot of TOPTUL tools using it now every time I order something from it it's a scam of some sort. I ordered a 4.0 A-hr Bosch battery which was clearly marked as such in the listing and the seller sent me a 2.0. I dare not buy any Milwaukee or Makita power tool batteries from EBay as there is a 95% chance of them being fakes. When did EBay turn to ****?

I find myself ordering a lot less from EBay.

I’ll only buy from sellers that have been selling for a long time with a lot of high reviews.

Otherwise I have a similar experience: seems like most are scams.

 

[Ing3018]

I will still at least check Ebay for obscure or surplus items. I have not had problems with those kinds of sellers. Kind of like how the site started, as an online garage sale. The only new items I look for there are from established sellers.
Side story: I was just looking at a file of browser bookmarks I had transferred to my laptop. I had a bookmark for Auctionweb in there from the '90s. That was the original name of Ebay.

 

[BillK]

I just pulled some stuff down that was up for a few weeks with very little views. Pretty sick of the 25%+ fees, including fees on shipping and sales tax, holding onto sales proceeds and trying to going above and beyond without even courtesy of leaving feedback. Can't say I'm done with ebay but I'm pretty close to being done.

ETA, I just pulled down the remaining listing's I had posted hahaha

Not sure where you come up with 25% ??? I think 13.5 is the max.

Sales tax has nothing to do with E-bay. They don't have a choice.

You don't have to use their shipping labels but its hard to beat the price.

I'll still keep using them because its hard to beat the exposure.

 

[slowtwitch73]

Right; name brand power tools and batteries are almost universally counterfeit on eBay (and Amazon). Anything with a market of millions of people is the exact wrong thing to be buying on eBay.

Its amazing that they still sucker people with this ****, but there's always a percentage of people who think they've discovered some sort of life hack or workaround.

Yup.

If you have to ... make sure item is located in the US, buy ONLY from 100% feedback sellers, and read, then re read the item title and description looking for ambiguous/dodgy/disingenuous wording.

 

[cgrutt]

Not sure where you come up with 25% ??? I think 13.5 is the max.

Sales tax has nothing to do with E-bay. They don't have a choice.

You don't have to use their shipping labels but its hard to beat the price.

I'll still keep using them because its hard to beat the exposure.

Base fee is something like "13.5%" but if you want it to acrually be seen you can promote it. The typical suggested promotion is typically 12% or more. 13.5% + 12% supposedly equals 25.5% (more on that below).

I'm not saying anything about them charging sales tax I'm talking about them including the sales tax (and shipping) into the base where the calculate fees. Yes, they charge seller a fee on the sales tax. That, IMO, should be illegal.

Seller actually gets a slight benefit between shipping charged to buyer and shipping label cost to seller. They do that to maximize their fees.

If you divide fee charged into selling price (before taxes and shipping) the effective tax rate can be 3 to 5 points higher than the percentage they say they're charging. I was being generous when I said 25% believe my last several sales the effectiv tax rate that I actually paid was closer to 30%. It's ridiculous and has been getting worse, particularly over the past several years.

 

[KenC]

I was charged with selling my father-in-law's tool collection. Great names, Snap-On, Mac, Chrysler. I tried Facebook messenger and that was a disaster. I re'cd 100's or replies, most with low-ball offers to buy everything. So many replies, it was impossible to track. I switched to Ebay, sucked up the fees and moved them all (about $3k in sales). One thing I hadn't considered, was this was the start of sellers getting 1099's. I tracked and distributed the proceeds among four family members, but I got stuck with the tax bill.

I my other hobby, I sell old mostly British tobacco pipes, some on pipe forums, most thru Ebay. The fees are getting tough, but there aren't many alternatives for reaching a world-wide audience.

Depending on who/how your taxes are done, it is not likely that any tax is or was due on sales of personal items. 1099s don't automatically trigger a tax, especially if it is used stuff that you bought new, then sold cheaply. And remember all selling costs should be deducted from the figure on the 1099. A little work, but nothing you can't handle in a few seconds.

 

[KenC]

Right; name brand power tools and batteries are almost universally counterfeit on eBay (and Amazon). Anything with a market of millions of people is the exact wrong thing to be buying on eBay.

Its amazing that they still sucker people with this ****, but there's always a percentage of people who think they've discovered some sort of life hack or workaround.

I've had good experiences with DeWalt purchases on the bay. But, if buying new I make sure the seller is and authorized dealer. That assures that the warranty is valid. If there is any doubt, you can as Stanley/Black and Decker. The of course have a dealer list and will tell you if the seller is on it.
That said, I've bought several aftermarket parts for tools. Most recently a new handle for my 12" miter saw. About a third of the price of a 'real' DeWalt and fit perfectly.

 

[Farmall450]

They don't "fake" odd and uncommon old industrial parts.

I'm talking new, mass production stuff - sensors, wire, etc. Apparently it is a big issue, b/c UL is cracking down on fake wire and harnesses.

 

[Farmall450]

EBay is rather harsh on freight charges for me. That's my biggest dissuasion as most Amazon stuff is free delivery. That leaves me resorting to eBay mainly when all other channels are coming up dry.

Once in a while I find some auto parts (new/jobber) on such aggressive clearance that no other vendor can compete.

You're not paying $140/year for eBay tho.

 

[u2slow]

You're not paying $140/year for eBay tho.

You mean Amazon Prime? I don't pay for that either....

 

[Farmall450]

You mean Amazon Prime? I don't pay for that either....

Then you're not getting free shipping on everything?

 

[L.Cheapo]

Like anything else, it's all in how you use it. I would never think to buy run of the mill stuff on ebay. But it's been great for finding NOS OEM parts for my decades-old vehicles as well as unused or gently used factory tools that are NLA for pennies on the dollar. I've only purchased from reputable sellers with long histories of positive transactions and I've never been burned there.

 

[u2slow]

Then you're not getting free shipping on everything?

$35 minimum.

Prime does not waive fees on everything. I have tried the free trials to prove it.

 

[Farmall450]

$35 minimum.

Prime does not waive fees on everything. I have tried the free trials to prove it.

The vast majority of things I look for on ebay or Amazon are under $35. It's true that not everything is free shipping - but most is

 

[four.cycle]

ebay's selling fee is 13.25% of the transaction total, plus a 75-cent transaction fee on any item over $10.00.
not sure where you come up with 25% - it is nowhere close to that.
as to the sales tax - that's a pass through - ebay pays it out to your state.

 

[cgrutt]

So let's analyze it here is recent sale.



Sold nice set of wenches for $140. Ebay charged $36.05 to ship but only chased me $20 25. How nice of them.

I sold for $140, received $107.66 net, so 23.1%. Well thats not the whole story. So ebay charged buyer $36.o5 shipping but only me $20.25 that's a good thing right? Not so fast. Ebay charged $48.14 in fees. 34.4% of $140 selling price. $32.34 was paid by me and $15.80 paid by buyer in overcharged shipping fees. Ebay generated 34.4% on the $140 sale. F ebay.

 

[whateg01]

Base fee is something like "13.5%" but if you want it to acrually be seen you can promote it. The typical suggested promotion is typically 12% or more. 13.5% + 12% supposedly equals 25.5% (more on that below).

I have never paid extra to have my stuff promoted and it's always sold. I guess if you're selling the same thing as everybody else, maybe you have spend extra, but that's on you.

...
effectiv tax rate that I actually paid was closer to 30%. ...

"Effective tax rate"? Wtf are you talking about? The seller fee isn't a tax. The extra you choose to pay to promote your item isn't a tax. Maybe you don't know what a tax is.

 

[whateg01]

So let's analyze it here is recent sale.

.

I sold for $140, received $107.66 net, so 23.1%. Well thats not the whole story. So ebay charged buyer $36.o5 shipping but only me $20.25 that's a good thing right? Not so fast. Ebay charged $48.14 in fees. 34.4% of $140 selling price. $32.34 was paid by me and $15.80 paid by buyer in overcharged shipping fees. Ebay generated 34.4% on the $140 sale. F ebay.

You chose to pay extra though. You didn't have to do that. That's not eBay's fault.

 

[cgrutt]

Excellent point Wild Bill, bobbin size. The Singer 111W uses the tiny domestic bobbin and is a major drawback to the old machines if you are doing long seams in visible areas. I found this to be more of a pain in the neck than not having reverse...

You chose to pay extra though. You didn't have to do that. That's not eBay's fault.