Amazon vs. eBay

[BrandoJames]

Ebay is still pretty much the only game in town for truck tools.

This ^^^^^. You also have to be patient for a good buy on a truck tool. For the last several months, I've been periodically scouting eBay for a used Matco 88 flex locking ratchet at a reasonable price point.

I finally found a Matco BFR128LF for $80, about half the price of new and in terrific shape. I bought it immediately, because it wouldn't last long out there. The going eBay rate for that 88 tooth flex-locking ratchet (used) is $100 and up. You can typically get the 60 tooth version for around $50-$70.

 

[MattT]

I found a speedometer for an old bike that was in really good shape, it was reasonably priced, so I put in a overly high bid just in case someone put in a bid... Wouldn't you know it, a sniper came in, started bidding in increments of $50 and $100, same guy, until this thing was almost to the ceiling of what I bid... then backed off.

You were dealing with an incremental bidder. Sniping is very effective against them. A snipe is placing your max bid a few seconds before the auction ends so the incremental bidders don't have time to counter. Let them think they're winning with their starting bid then at T-3s you win one bid increment over their start

I started sniping on dial up. Low latency broadband has taken a lot of the fun out of it but I still prefer to pull the trigger myself, instead of using a sniping service.

 

[kald]

You were dealing with an incremental bidder. Sniping is very effective against them. A snipe is placing your max bid a few seconds before the auction ends so the incremental bidders don't have time to counter. Let them think they're winning with their starting bid then at T-3s you win one bid increment over their start

I started sniping on dial up. Low latency broadband has taken a lot of the fun out of it but I still prefer to pull the trigger myself, instead of using a sniping service.

This slimmyness is one of the problems with ebay.

 

[jgromada]

I use both. In some cases eBay is less expensive but not always.

As a buyer i have always thought eBay has stood up pretty well when there has been an issue.

 

[Farmall450]

eBay is reliably my first choice

 

[like2wheel]

This slimmyness is one of the problems with ebay.

Why is that slimy?
Because you were outbid?

 

[brokeboater]

This slimmyness is one of the problems with ebay.

Slimy? As opposed to honorable bidding? There are many ways to skin a cat, this being one. There is no right and wrong way.

 

[BrandoJames]

You were dealing with an incremental bidder. Sniping is very effective against them. A snipe is placing your max bid a few seconds before the auction ends so the incremental bidders don't have time to counter.

This may be due to my suspicious nature, but the "incremental bidder" could be a surrogate of the seller, trying to artificially bump the price. That's why I don't bid on anything out there. I use the the "buy now" filter option, which screens out all the auction items.

 

[MattT]

This may be due to my suspicious nature, but the "incremental bidder" could be a surrogate of the seller, trying to artificially bump the price. That's why I don't bid on anything out there. I use the the "buy now" filter option, which screens out all the auction items.

That talk about sellers shill bidding with another account is as old as ebay itself. Back in the day when I looked at several bid histories you could see it was often a few different bidders that pecked away at a high early bid. And some of the bidders had pretty high feedback counts. Chances of a seller having multiple shill accounts with feedback totalling 1,000s are pretty slim.

I'm not saying sellers running up their own auctions never happens but it ain't as common as some people think it is. And sellers can't run up snipes either

 

[clubairth]

Once EBay started charging sales tax that was the nail in their coffin. They just don't get what their business model is and they need to understand it does NOT include charging sales tax!

My EBay purchases have fallen over 80% since last year when they started it.

No point in using them anymore when your paying sales tax again on used items that have already been taxed multiple times in their life.

Typical government greed. It's like charging sales tax at a yard sale. Just a plain stupid money grab.
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[seber]

It was not a choice by Ebay to charge tax. The Fed authorized it and states took advantage.

 

[slackdaddy1]

Sellers "running up" their own items is as old as auctions them selves.
in 1999 I bought a very used Case 580E backhoe at a large equipment auction.
I missed a pallet of 3 backhoe buckets. after the auction I asked the auctioneer if he knew who won the buckets, as I wanted to buy 1 from him,,, it turned out to be the seller.

That talk about sellers shill bidding with another account is as old as ebay itself.

 

[Farmall450]

It was not a choice by Ebay to charge tax. The Fed authorized it and states took advantage.

Who in their right mind would think they'd willingly increase the cost and complexity of using their service AND work, for free, for the gov't calculating, collecting, and handing over that tax $

 

[SGKent]

I've been a seller on Ebay since around 2004 and sell a particular seal kit for a fuel pump. I was pretty much a lone seller of these at least on there. Last May, I had noticed business slowed down and then found my add was copied by a seller in China. Ebay even promoted their add and thats how i found it. My add was copied and pasted and my color pics were made into black and white and be damned if they didn't watermark them after coping.took me a few minutes looking at it to realize it was my pic that they flipped 180*. So far that add now has 9 different seller accounts although its slightly changed a bit but still mostly my words.
Kicker is since they used my title they also picked up my product reviews. I handpick and make my kits so they may have the main seal but its not the same kit. They undercut my price by a few dollars. How they cover there shipping I really don't know since most packages cost me $2.78 just for postage for a $16.00 kit and I include the postage in my 16.00 price.Never liked the idea Ebay takes the fee from postage also, although i understand why they do it.
Tried to talk to Ebay but it seems if they get there fees it falls on deaf ears. Its a real kick in the nuts. I never tried to get rich and and at least thought I kept my price fair. Its reason like this i believe you see the older sellers disappearing. I cannot lower my price to compete with someone I'm not really sure even has the product and with all the stories of scammers I would have thought Ebay would have done a bit more investigation and took it serious. It hurts their reputation also.

If you trademarked your photo and logo etc you would be able to get ebay to stop selling theirs. The process is simple. That said, if it were me I would put together my last stock, take a write off and lower my price below theirs every time they lowered it. They don't know your cost. Will you make money no, but you can sell out of your stock and screw them in the process at their own game. You can also add something to your ad like "MADE IN THE USA, and not a cheap foreign copy." "Beware of foreign made copies that manipulate their product names to use product feedback from MADE IN USA products." It is also election year - write your Congress person and Senators. Believe it or not many will take it into consideration when they are passing bills - if they care about American businesses.

 

[Farmall450]

I've been a seller on Ebay since around 2004 and sell a particular seal kit for a fuel pump. I was pretty much a lone seller of these at least on there. Last May, I had noticed business slowed down and then found my add was copied by a seller in China. Ebay even promoted their add and thats how i found it. My add was copied and pasted and my color pics were made into black and white and be damned if they didn't watermark them after coping.took me a few minutes looking at it to realize it was my pic that they flipped 180*. So far that add now has 9 different seller accounts although its slightly changed a bit but still mostly my words.
Kicker is since they used my title they also picked up my product reviews. I handpick and make my kits so they may have the main seal but its not the same kit. They undercut my price by a few dollars. How they cover there shipping I really don't know since most packages cost me $2.78 just for postage for a $16.00 kit and I include the postage in my 16.00 price.Never liked the idea Ebay takes the fee from postage also, although i understand why they do it.
Tried to talk to Ebay but it seems if they get there fees it falls on deaf ears. Its a real kick in the nuts. I never tried to get rich and and at least thought I kept my price fair. Its reason like this i believe you see the older sellers disappearing. I cannot lower my price to compete with someone I'm not really sure even has the product and with all the stories of scammers I would have thought Ebay would have done a bit more investigation and took it serious. It hurts their reputation also.

This is super annoying. All of the aftermarket parts places will copy my ads verbatim and try to win a price war buy lowering a cent below or something lame like that. Yet, you order from them an it is a month long wait plus for them to get it drop shipped...

 

[jeffmoss26]

ebay came through, could not get nitrile gloves through amazon - ebay seller had them on my doorstep in 3 days.

 

[InjectorService]

I used to love eBay. I don't so much anymore. I wish they would separate it into 2 sites or something. I used to love the bidding and stuff on the used items, but now it seems there is so little of it. Everything seems to be "Buy It Now" and brand new Chineese stuff.

There are definitely exceptions but I just don't find that there are any better deals there for the most part than on Amazon, and Amazon is just easier to navigate.

All that being said I try to buy as much as I can locally, but sometimes that is just not possible.

 

[Lassen Forge]

This slimmyness is one of the problems with ebay.

You got that right! It makes me pissed, between the "snipers" and the "pickers"... Pur old vehicle hobbies should be affordable to kids (and the rest of us) but they want to buy their mcMansions off our backs, because they want to scalp us...

I stopped watching Mike and Whatzesname on American Pickers because they destroyed what we do for fun... made it a millionaires hobby, when we're putting hundreds of hours fixing up rust to make it drive...

We have 3 people up here who are the first at Garage sales, handing out cards saying they're "pickers"... I kicked one in their "pick" over this...

You were dealing with an incremental bidder. Sniping is very effective against them. A snipe is placing your max bid a few seconds before the auction ends so the incremental bidders don't have time to counter. Let them think they're winning with their starting bid then at T-3s you win one bid increment over their start

I started sniping on dial up. Low latency broadband has taken a lot of the fun out of it but I still prefer to pull the trigger myself, instead of using a sniping service.

I won't play. I'll let my one off car and bikes rust to death... oops. maybe these snipers shouldn't be so g-d greedy they want to empty MY bank account because I want a legal, running bike, and they see dollar signs...

All that being said I try to buy as much as I can locally, but sometimes that is just not possible.

Like I said above... it's the morons who **** into the "American Picker" Bravo Sierra who ruin the old car and old bike hobbies, not just for me but for my kids... "Hey. THEY can make 300% profit, so I will"... It's like the stupid housing market. GIMME THE MONEY rather than being upstanding, and if I'm upstanding, there's 10 people who want to screw you for doing so...

Someday in 160 years, after IC motors are LONG illegal, my stuff may go up for sale, and all these idiots who want to empty MY bank account because I want to get an old vehicle on the road will ALSO be dead...

My local market right now is nothing. Maybe in 50-100 years... but then I'll be long dead. And honestly, I'll care for my stuff and hold it before the Picker idiots decide to come and screw me out of what I have...

 

[Caboverbob]

I've made several very good deals on OfferUp. The biggest problem there is that they have a deall with USPS and sellers often times take too long to ship and Offerup automatically cancels the transaction.

 

[Aileron]

If you trademarked your photo and logo etc you would be able to get ebay to stop selling theirs. The process is simple. That said, if it were me I would put together my last stock, take a write off and lower my price below theirs every time they lowered it. They don't know your cost. Will you make money no, but you can sell out of your stock and screw them in the process at their own game. You can also add something to your ad like "MADE IN THE USA, and not a cheap foreign copy." "Beware of foreign made copies that manipulate their product names to use product feedback from MADE IN USA products." It is also election year - write your Congress person and Senators. Believe it or not many will take it into consideration when they are passing bills - if they care about American businesses.

I had a good run while it lasted anyway.Wish I would have watermarked it also. Hell the background was my colored shirt. I was getting to much reflection on paper. I have enough stock that my supplier had called and asked to buy from me. No biggie that I have competition, it is what it is. What really upsets me is Ebay giving them my competition my product ratings. I bent over backwards a few times for customers and stood by my kits.100% rating since 2004. My daughter that is just graduating college used to sit and put the kit components together in plastic bags when she was younger. Its just o rings and seals I source, but all was gathered from certain suppliers and put together by our hands. And yes, she was payed very well.

 

[MattT]

I won't play. I'll let my one off car and bikes rust to death... oops. maybe these snipers shouldn't be so g-d greedy they want to empty MY bank account because I want a legal, running bike, and they see dollar signs...

Sniping doesn't empty other buyers bank accounts. Just puts less money in sellers bank accounts. And it really doesn't affect your chances of winning an auction either. If your early max bid is higher than a T-3s snipe you still win.

Your bidding strategy, or lack thereof, is driving prices up. Seems you'd rather complain than do something about it.

 

[tym]

Yeah, eBay used to be great for finding deals on used stuff, but has essentially morphed into a retail storefront. Deals are few and far between now, IMHO. Usually when I buy, it's for a specific item with a BIN.