Thread: I don't get it

Originally Posted by RezDog

It is always a tough choice if you want to give your money to rude people when they have something special.

ain't that the truth! I outta bid just to see if I was blocked....

Some sellers don't like knowledgeable folk. They view them as future problems and also some just take the attitude you are really trying to question their honesty or quality of their mdse.

Well, i don't know what's happened to the seller recently, but maybe they've had a couple of things returned.

I usually get a little bit iffy if a buyer doesn't seem to have any experience and I'm selling something nice. To such a person, a $50 and a $200 razor are interchangeable and you never know when they're going to get cold feet. Same goes with tools. If I recondition or refit a wooden plane, I may charge what I paid for the plane, but I always run into people who want to know why it costs more than a plane that's not functional at all or that's missing parts (never mind the fact that I'm usually selling stuff out of my user pile that I paid as much for, anyway - before putting the time in to make it usable).

If I sense that a buyer is really critical, I badmouth whatever the goods are to them when they ask questions to try to deter them from buying. Sometimes they buy anyway, and are pleased.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Some sellers don't like knowledgeable folk. They view them as future problems and also some just take the attitude you are really trying to question their honesty or quality of their mdse.

Good point. And some sellers can spot eager folk as well. I expressed interest in a particular razor, exchanged a few emails, the razor went up as a BIN, and when he listed the price, it was slightly higher than we had agreed - had to smile, seller knew I wanted that razor, and only I could click on the button...but it was a win-win and I admit, I had a laugh.

I've had some good sellers list BIN for me after asking them a few questions, too. Especially if they've had a razor for a while. I've also seen a few razors go no sale for several auctions and then magically when I want them, two people bid halfway through the auction before I even bid. Happens with tools, too. Always worth the trouble to ask the seller about the listing first, and see if they'll list something BIN so you don't have to wait another several days to get it.

My experience on ebay has been, in general, pretty good. I've only ever had one buyer who really took advantage of me on there, and that was because his wife didn't like what he bought and he said "she wasn't happy with it". He pored over it until he could find something he claimed wasn't disclosed (though it was pictured) and said he'd contest it if I didn't take it back. What choice do you have in a situation like that? All I could've done is send paypal the first email saying that his wife wasn't happy with what he bought, but they'd have probably ruled in his favor anyway, because it's not their money.

I've had other stuff from less than knowledgeable sellers that arrived with undisclosed problems, but a look at what they had for sale and have sold usually tells me whether or not they should've actually known it, and I usually cut those people a break if it's unintentional.