Ebay Foolproof?
How many of you people tried selling or buying items via eBay in the past? I hope your transaction went smoothly. Recently I placed my tickets for the FIFA Soccer World Cup Germany 2006 on eBay for sale. I managed to sell it off but there are a couple of hiccups during the process.
First, the winning bidder did not pay me. In fact, he did not even respond to my emails even while the auction is on going before he emerged the winning bidder. I sensed something is amiss when he fails to reply my email but I chose to adapt a wait and see approach. This unfortunately for me turns out to be quite costly. Even with eBay’s buyer and seller protection policy where a winning bidder is legally bounded to purchase the item he bid in the event that he won or the vice verse, there is physically no way the policy can be enforced if the buyer or seller vanish without responding. The most eBay can do is to just ban that particular user from the site but they could always just change their username and address, conjured up with a false credit card number to register again and carry on with their mischief.
The agony experienced is that both valuable time, money and effort is wasted if such a scenario happens. You have to take into account the time it requires to deliver the item internationally and the time it will reach the hands of the buyer.
I contacted the second highest bidder when the winning bidder fails to response to my third email and we agreed on a certain price. He is already in Germany by then and requested that I ship the tickets to his relative staying in New York and they would pass it to him. In the end, after finalizing on the terms and conditions, the deal did not go through. Barely just a day after the discussion, he tried to undercut the price we already agreed on saying that since he is in Germany, it is hard for him to have access to his bank account.
I was like “Huh? What bullshit!” Does Germany have internet access? Does Germany have computers or internet cafe? Do the hotels in Germany have access to a computer or internet network? Yes to all of the above right?! So what’s the problem if all the equipment and gadgets needed to proceed with an electronic money transfer via internet back home in New York is available in Germany….or any major cities in the world for that matter?!! If you never seen my face before, do not assume I look like a carrot top with no brains.
I hate people who try to break their words after we reach an agreement so in the end, I sold my tickets off to the third highest bidder who in this case is an awesome fellow. Quick, responsive, sincere and an avid soccer fan. Thankfully, I managed to sell my tickets to someone who would utilizes and get enjoyment from the match rather to halfhearted individuals.
I feel that unless eBay who is making millions, consider spending a tiny fraction of their profit in hiring someone to personally travel to the place of residence registered by those forfeiters and issued a legal warning, there will still be people who would continue to abuse the policy and waste other individuals time and effort.
First, the winning bidder did not pay me. In fact, he did not even respond to my emails even while the auction is on going before he emerged the winning bidder. I sensed something is amiss when he fails to reply my email but I chose to adapt a wait and see approach. This unfortunately for me turns out to be quite costly. Even with eBay’s buyer and seller protection policy where a winning bidder is legally bounded to purchase the item he bid in the event that he won or the vice verse, there is physically no way the policy can be enforced if the buyer or seller vanish without responding. The most eBay can do is to just ban that particular user from the site but they could always just change their username and address, conjured up with a false credit card number to register again and carry on with their mischief.
The agony experienced is that both valuable time, money and effort is wasted if such a scenario happens. You have to take into account the time it requires to deliver the item internationally and the time it will reach the hands of the buyer.
I contacted the second highest bidder when the winning bidder fails to response to my third email and we agreed on a certain price. He is already in Germany by then and requested that I ship the tickets to his relative staying in New York and they would pass it to him. In the end, after finalizing on the terms and conditions, the deal did not go through. Barely just a day after the discussion, he tried to undercut the price we already agreed on saying that since he is in Germany, it is hard for him to have access to his bank account.
I was like “Huh? What bullshit!” Does Germany have internet access? Does Germany have computers or internet cafe? Do the hotels in Germany have access to a computer or internet network? Yes to all of the above right?! So what’s the problem if all the equipment and gadgets needed to proceed with an electronic money transfer via internet back home in New York is available in Germany….or any major cities in the world for that matter?!! If you never seen my face before, do not assume I look like a carrot top with no brains.
I hate people who try to break their words after we reach an agreement so in the end, I sold my tickets off to the third highest bidder who in this case is an awesome fellow. Quick, responsive, sincere and an avid soccer fan. Thankfully, I managed to sell my tickets to someone who would utilizes and get enjoyment from the match rather to halfhearted individuals.
I feel that unless eBay who is making millions, consider spending a tiny fraction of their profit in hiring someone to personally travel to the place of residence registered by those forfeiters and issued a legal warning, there will still be people who would continue to abuse the policy and waste other individuals time and effort.
posted by Mr Lee at 12:54:00 AM
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