Experiences with eBay.

[Hope]

Although I hate to say this, I had some unpleasant experiences with an eBay seller today.

We negotiated the price and were about to start the transaction, but he began not to reply to my messages. When I waited across the jet lag, he had already found a new buyer and just said sorry to me. It had been two days in a row. He waited till early morning, I couldn't sleep until early in the morning for two days waiting for his reply.

I was unwilling to give up the two pipes and expressed my willingness to increase the price. He also stopped replying to my messages. I didn't know where the problem was. Maybe he had his own reasons. This feeling was very frustrating.

Friends, I'd like to know what you think about this, or if this is something you're used to on ebay.

I always thought that commitment and credibility were the international consensus.

 

[Sigmund]

Ebay is a crap shoot. There are some really great people there and some thieves. Additionally, some seroulsy odd ducks that simply dont know how to do business. There is a lack of committment and credibility in distance transactions. They can make you disappear with a mouse click. I know its hard but I wouldnt stay awake hoping for email replies. Too often people are half baked nuts.

 

[FLDRD]

Not feeling the desire for the product(s) you do, I'd glibly say that you've simply encountered a basic character of human nature which is especially prominent on a platform that provides some anonymity for bad behavior.

I think most humans are decent overall, some aren't.

I've been burned enough to know I'm taking a risk with certain interactions and try to factor that into my inclination to act or avoid...

And as much as it may not seem so, in most cases, "another one" will actually show up in the future.

 

[captpat]

I don't purchase much on eBay anymore. Often I can find what I'm looking for elsewhere for a better price and there are only a handful of eBay pipe sellers that I would consider purchasing from.

From the seller's perspective, he found a better deal and took it. Not too different from buyers who say they'll purchase something (craigslist, Facebook, etc.) and then disappear. I never consider the deal done till money and merchandise have changed hands.

 

[vosBghos]

There are only a few sellers that I trust and I stick with them and follow their pages and don't even bother with the general search bar.

 

[Papamique]

I have had hundreds of positive experiences on eBay and only a few negative ones. Same with smokingpipes, Amazon, Walmart, Perkins etc.

 

[UB 40]

Can’t remember any bad experience on the bay. Never been cheated.

 

[didimauw]

The 0nly pipes I bought on eBay, were project pipes. Crappy old cracked and broken pipes. I don't smoke em used. And I don't see myself buying anything from eBay in the foreseeable future. Easier to go with a reputable shop in my mind.

 

[Lucashly]

Ebay is a crap shoot. There are some really great people there and some thieves. Additionally, some seroulsy odd ducks that simply dont know how to do business. There is a lack of committment and credibility in distance transactions. They can make you disappear with a mouse click. I know its hard but I wouldnt stay awake hoping for email replies. Too often people are half baked nuts.

This. I would respect if you have not spent money move on. There are plenty of great eBay sellers.

 

[Lucashly]

Check out deadmanspipe on eBay, A righteous seller. | eBay - https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ssn=deadmanspipes&store_name=deadmanspipes&_oac=1&_trksid=p4429486.m3561.l2562

 

[Kobold]

I’ve been buying and selling on eBay since 2000 and I’ve had way more good experiences than bad. About once or twice a year I have to deal with a kook which is never fun but that’s just how it is.

 

[Sobrbiker]

Only bad experience I’ve had recently is getting sniped at the last second (literally) on auctions I was winning.
I miss the time when they had a few minute rule to allow more bidding, it eliminated sniping software for a while.

 

[HawkeyeLinus]

You were negotiating, he found a better offer - no point getting invested in it to the point of losing sleep.

 

[ashdigger]

I do not want to sound like the asshole that I may be, but there are more pipes out there.

Take this as a lesson and move on.

 

[tobakenist]

I only use UK ebay, never had a problem.

 

[ssjones]

Some sellers are flaky. I always check their ebay rating number. A low number is usually a bad sign.
I've bought hundreds (around 300 or so ) pipes on ebay in the past 10 years and have had very little issues

But, coincidentally today, I had two failed sales on outdoor ceiling fans for my patio. We have two matching Lowes brand fans, one was damaged in a recent storm. Lowes doesn't sell parts to his model any more. I found two updated fans of this model on Ebay, new in box, about $30 less per fan than new at Lowes. One seller had a zero rating. I should have known better, but bought that one and another that was about $15 less than Lowes, shipped.

Ebay notified me today that there was an issue the zero rating seller. It was too late to cancel my order, so now, I have to wait for a refund or fight with ebay to get one. Then, the other seller notified me, he can't get the fan from his vendor either. He did immediately process a refund. So, I'm oh-for-two today.

Some days you get the bear, some days the bear gets you.

 

[Call Me Late]

I have never had a good experience with EBay and stopped trying. I’d rather locate shop sellers and contact them directly. There’s a lot of deception and I absolutely loathe the automatic bidding.

 

[Peterson314]

Check out deadmanspipe on eBay, A righteous seller.

He's an awesome guy. I bought my unsmoked Denmark-era Stanwell from him. He had an unsmoked 1892 BBB Long Cutty with an amber stem that I bid to the moon but the damn auction ended on Mars. I wrote him afterward and congratulated him on it.

I'd say to OP that there are no friends at an auction.

 

[Uruss]

I dont buy from their hardly ever, but I did just have a great experience buying from there about a month ago. There's some great sellers and then there's some very shady ones.

 

[greysmoke]

eBay buyer since 1998. Seller since -- some time in the 2000s. All experiences are positive to neutral. The fees have certainly climbed upward over the years. But it's still my "go to."