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Want to Understand What Ails the Modern Internet? Look at eBay

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Re: Want to Understand What Ails the Modern Internet? Look at eBay

#121

Post by rconti »

steven2012 wrote: post #21

I use eBay frequently. I have only bought things, but I want to sell things, however I'm terrified of getting scammed. And eBay does nothing to ameliorate those fears. I got as close as taking pictures, writing a description, and stopped at the last step before putting my item for sale. Everything I've read suggests that it's simply not worth it to try to sell things because you have no protection from scammers. As a…

I've been using eBay since ~99. Bought and sold probably 50 or 100 things over that time; so I'm hardly a power user, but I've never come close to being scammed. You have to keep your wits about you, sure, but it generally works pretty well.

It helps that I'm generally selling personal stuff I don't need/want anymore, so the risk is relatively low (I've only had a couple of expensive sales where I sold things worth over $1500). On the other hand, if I was a store where profit margins were king and a scam could really hurt me, I'd probably have a better system and better intuition about scams as well.

Re: Want to Understand What Ails the Modern Internet? Look at eBay

#122

Post by rconti »

carom wrote: post #6

>Peter Thiel — an early Facebook investor and board member — with his funding of lawsuits against media companies and his eclectic and severe right-wing politics. The take away of Thiel glaringly missed Palantir in favor of some digs.

Agreed, although when I read that I was trying to remember what he is doing these days, and failed to come up with Palantir even though I used to work right next door to them. Of course, that doesn't absolve a journalistic enterprise of their responsibility.

Re: Want to Understand What Ails the Modern Internet? Look at eBay

#123

Post by pravda »

orbitingpluto wrote: post #119
nimblegorilla wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US postal system does bear much of the cost: https://www.forbes.com/sites/wadeshepard/2017/11/05/how-the-...

And for Canada: https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/canada-post-reveals-it-is-the-rea... As for the propaganda comment, isn't it a bit on the nose for someone to make that comment with a username Правда? Please let me now if you are having problem with colloquialism, comrade. да?

I have some troubles with colloquialisms.

I was abroad in the UK, and I need a bag to go around my waist. So I asked for a fanny pack at the local Tesco.

The saleslady started giggling. This is joke?

Re: Want to Understand What Ails the Modern Internet? Look at eBay

#124

Post by orbitingpluto »

pravda wrote: post #120
nimblegorilla wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The US postal system does bear much of the cost: https://www.forbes.com/sites/wadeshepard/2017/11/05/how-the-...

Well, you've found some propaganda! Here's a great quote: “It just adds insult to injury to watch our postal rates continue to climb while China is being given a free ride to siphon all this money out of our economy,” Lemme get this straight, China is siphoning money out of our economy by selling us products at a fraction of the cost of local retail monopolies? China is keeping money in my pocket! Money that I can in…

I've made a 1 cent purchase including shipping from Shenzhen.

China is not "siphoning money out of our economy". Chinese companies are passing their logistics costs to Western postal systems. There is a difference.

We honour the postage on packages from other countries. China's "One Belt, One Road" is being paid for by other countries' postal systems. Chinese companies need only get their products out of port.

Re: Want to Understand What Ails the Modern Internet? Look at eBay

#125

Post by jschwartzi »

pravda wrote: post #123
orbitingpluto wrote: post #119

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And for Canada: https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/canada-post-reveals-it-is-the-rea... As for the propaganda comment, isn't it a bit on the nose for someone to make that comment with a username Правда? Please let me now if you are having problem with colloquialism, comrade. да?

I have some troubles with colloquialisms. I was abroad in the UK, and I need a bag to go around my waist. So I asked for a fanny pack at the local Tesco. The saleslady started giggling. This is joke?

Fanny means something much dirtier in UK English than in US English.

Re: Want to Understand What Ails the Modern Internet? Look at eBay

#126

Post by reaperducer »

setquk wrote: post #46
steven2012 wrote: post #21

I use eBay frequently. I have only bought things, but I want to sell things, however I'm terrified of getting scammed. And eBay does nothing to ameliorate those fears. I got as close as taking pictures, writing a description, and stopped at the last step before putting my item for sale. Everything I've read suggests that it's simply not worth it to try to sell things because you have no protection from scammers. As a…

It’s not that bad. I sell a lot of stuff and have had no problems with scammers other than a couple of people doing a buy it now and then wanting stuff shipped to Lagos etc and payment via money order. You just cancel the sale and relist then. The real risks are couriers in my experience. eBay success: 1. Avoid GSP 2. Sell only inside your region 3. Mark and photograph everything sold and keep the serial numbers. 4.…

2. Sell only inside your region

I wish this was possible. Any time I list an item, it doesn't matter if I mark it US shipping only, and no matter how many times I put in the description that I ship US only, I get flooded with people from other countries asking, "How much to ship to {$nation}?"

After a while I got tied of telling them I don't ship to wherever they are, and just told them that international shipping rates are listed in the description. (Which they aren't, just the note saying no international shipping.)

Then I just started ignoring the bombardment.

Then I just stopped listing stuff on eBay.

Re: Want to Understand What Ails the Modern Internet? Look at eBay

#127

Post by setquk »

reaperducer wrote: post #126
setquk wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s not that bad. I sell a lot of stuff and have had no problems with scammers other than a couple of people doing a buy it now and then wanting stuff shipped to Lagos etc and payment via money order. You just cancel the sale and relist then. The real risks are couriers in my experience. eBay success: 1. Avoid GSP 2. Sell only inside your region 3. Mark and photograph everything sold and keep the serial numbers. 4.…

2. Sell only inside your region I wish this was possible. Any time I list an item, it doesn't matter if I mark it US shipping only, and no matter how many times I put in the description that I ship US only, I get flooded with people from other countries asking, "How much to ship to {$nation}?" After a while I got tied of telling them I don't ship to wherever they are, and just told them that international shipping ra…

There are buyer restrictions you can set up that stop this.

Re: Want to Understand What Ails the Modern Internet? Look at eBay

#128

Post by setquk »

behringer wrote: post #109
setquk wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was too. If you list it as "spares/repair only because no returns on XYZ" then it doesn't affect final value. I use this when selling vintage equipment because while fit for purpose at the point of sale it could blow up a week down the line with a new issue (as any second hand goods) or the buyer could meddle with it neither of which is my problem.

That may be true in general but if I were to receive a broken item and it was listed as working but no returns, I'd file a claim anyway. Sometimes I do pass these up too if the item is available from another seller.

It’s a combination of reputation and the description. I’ve sold hundreds of mid value items with no negative feedback.

Re: Want to Understand What Ails the Modern Internet? Look at eBay

#129

Post by [deleted] »

YouAreGreat wrote: post #24
Stratoscope wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is no doubt the reason, and it seems like a reasonable rule on the face of it. But there ought to be another rule that takes priority over that one: when you use the name of a person or company, capitalize and spell it as they spell it. They are the ones who get to decide. It's not the prerogative of a third-party publisher or newswriter to override that. It seems like a simple matter of humbleness and deference…

> They are the ones who get to decide Once upon a time, the late musician Prince decided to change his name. Turns out that no, you don't always "get to decide" and even fans don't follow your every whim: Most ignored his choice and without much "humbleness and deference" started referring to him as TAFKAP—"The Artist Formerly Known As Prince."

[deleted]

Re: Want to Understand What Ails the Modern Internet? Look at eBay

#130

Post by Obi_Juan_Kenobi »

e40 wrote: post #104
SmellyGeekBoy wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Interesting that the public perception of trust has degraded so much as a seller. I've been a member since 2003 and buy small bits and bobs on there most weeks and go through phases of occasionally selling things maybe a couple of times a year when I need space / money - most recently an old computer and some guitar pedals. I've only ever had a problem as a seller twice in all those years - one scammer insisting the…

My impression is that if you sell something of higher value, the scammers come out in droves. I tried to sell a DSLR through them, and the same scammer kept winning the auction and it took weeks to get out from under that bogus bid. I ended up selling on craigslist. Yeah, I had a few scammers, but they are easier to identify on CL, IMO.

I agree, it's mostly based on what you sell. Electronics like phones and cameras are notorious for this, while more niche items tend to be safer.
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