I hate e-bay because...

[Black Sheep 1]

The biggest thing I've seen lately are the "shipping gougers."
yeah, the model's nice and cheap. But they NAIL you with shipping.

Along these lines, when I'm planning a bid, I ALWAYS factor in the shipping cost as part of the price I'll be paying.

you know it's against ebay rules to overcharge for shipping.
I've seen people charging aoutrageous amounts for shipping, reported them to ebay and within the hour, the auction was terminated.

 

[Elm City Hobbies]

The biggest thing I've seen lately are the "shipping gougers."
yeah, the model's nice and cheap. But they NAIL you with shipping.

Along these lines, when I'm planning a bid, I ALWAYS factor in the shipping cost as part of the price I'll be paying.

you know it's against ebay rules to overcharge for shipping.
I've seen people charging aoutrageous amounts for shipping, reported them to ebay and within the hour, the auction was terminated.

It is also against Ebay rules to sell counterfit products, but Ebay allows it to happen all the time. Model In, along with many other iterations of the name is a big time counterfitter of resin figures. But Ebay allows it to happen despite their own rules. And why? Because these kind of people make money hand over fist for Ebay because of all the items they post.

While I am not defending this action, nor the action of over charging for shipping....just that Ebay doesn't always follow their own rules.

 

[Black Sheep 1]

The biggest thing I've seen lately are the "shipping gougers."
yeah, the model's nice and cheap. But they NAIL you with shipping.

Along these lines, when I'm planning a bid, I ALWAYS factor in the shipping cost as part of the price I'll be paying.

you know it's against ebay rules to overcharge for shipping.
I've seen people charging aoutrageous amounts for shipping, reported them to ebay and within the hour, the auction was terminated.

It is also against Ebay rules to sell counterfit products, but Ebay allows it to happen all the time. Model In, along with many other iterations of the name is a big time counterfitter of resin figures. But Ebay allows it to happen despite their own rules. And why? Because these kind of people make money hand over fist for Ebay because of all the items they post.

While I am not defending this action, nor the action of over charging for shipping....just that Ebay doesn't always follow their own rules.

Oh yeah. Ebay has adapted a few policies to "protect the users" but in fact its an action to protect the illegal traders because it increases revenue for them.
Like their policy to cover the name of bidders in an auction. They say this is done so people don't get spammed by sellers but the truth is that this is to cover the tracks of shill bidders ans the sort.

 

[Ziz]

You must be a power seller Ziz....or power buyer ;D

Just a few hundred auctions under my belt, not thousands or millions, but I've been in sales of one form or another all my life so I look at it from a sales tactic/advertising perspective. Basically, everything I posted above is all about circumventing the typical sales tactics that sucker people into making emotional buying decisions. Take your feelings out of the equation and just look at it coldly and logically and you'll get a much better perspective on what a truly good deal is.

 

[Ziz]

And one more thing that Ziz missed, never ever buy an item on a Sunday. That is when most people bid, and prices are higher then.

I have sold about 300 items on ebay, and I always have my listings end on a Sunday for that very reason.

Yeah, when I sold on Ebay, I noticed that too.

I've never noticed a pattern with that but if it works for you... It kind of falls into my "weird hours" tactic - avoid bidding on auctions ending at any time when most people would be online bidding.

 

[MrNatural]

Control yourself!!!!

Ebay is awesome! I have bought so much cool stuff.

I am not ashamed to admit I have purchased a few re-cast resin Ma.K figures, off e-bay. 8) 8) 8) My curiosity got the best of me, I just cant believe the price tag on the official Ma.K resin figure kits, its outrageous.

 

[MilitaryAircraft101]

I just picked up two instrument panel gauges for my P-40E panel project
first off was a Manning Manifold Pressure gauge

second was a Sperry Directional Gyro from an operational B-17

They were both auctions, and I nearly lost the Gyro, but at $30, it was a steal (the others were very dear, $120+)
But for the life of me I can't stop! And I'm meant to be keeping my wallet shut and putting that cash into my PPL I'll stop soon, honest!