I have been buying and selling on ebay since 1999, and have had NO serious issues, ever. Lately, I have been mostly buying. I have several "favourite sellers" flagged and usually, most of what I need comes from them. These individuals have very high transaction numbers and 100% positive feedback. They also are very precise in shipping costs, which are very low compared to others. As a Canadian, it is extremely frustrating that at least 50% of sellers will not: 1. ship outside the USA 2. list the shipping charges on their auction or BIN listing. Recently I was looking for a Kato SD90/43MAC. 18 were listed, none would ship outside the US, despite half the engines being CP (I was going to strip and detail anyway). In general, if the shipping is much more than 10% of the item cost, I will not bite. There are still plenty of sellers out there that charge low shipping costs, usually USPS First Class International, allow you to calculate your exact shipping cost online, ship promptly and send you notice of shipping. I have never had to pay customs fees and taxes on ebay purchases unlike online retailers which is another plus-perhaps the lack of obvious commercial grade packaging and hand written label helps, whatever works! I only buy new or like-new items, there are still bargains to be found - (I eventually found a brand new undec Kato SD90/43MAC for $60 plus $5 shipping to Canada, the seller mistakenly listed the engine as non-DCC ready which may have turned away buyers unless they knew there was no such animal). Other than low-cost bargain locos, I tend to buy detail parts, containers, Unitrack items and little else anymore. Never had a Paypal problem, it is great for buyers. Yes, they rip you off a bit, but it's a few clicks at your computer and done, as opposed to finding the time and driving 20 miles to your bank and back, lining up to buy a money order, mailing it, waiting, etc. My time is worth more to me than a couple of bucks that PP takes away for the transaction.
ram53, I understand your frustration with people not wanting to ship to Canada. As a buyer and a seller, here is why I don't like shipping to Canada. You want a seller to use USPS First Class International because it is very cheap, but there is no tracking or insurance of any kind available using that method. I, as a seller, am responsible for getting that item to you in one piece and if I can't track it or insure it, I am not sending it that way. You have to go to Priority Mail International to be able to insure it and yes, that costs about 6 times as much. I even had one instance where the buyer said they would accept all responsibility for item if I would use First Class. They didn't get it and failed a claim with Paypal and I lost. Never again. Also, based on my experience and on average, delivery to someone in Canada takes longer than going to anywhere else in the world, including Russia, Australia and Brazil. Canada customs must be really slow. I would say most packages take an average of a month to get delivered to Canada.
If budget wasn't an issue, and the manufacturers still produced all of the L&N items I'm looking for - then I would agree with you. However...that isn't the case. So ebay - and train shows - have been my source for locomotives and it appears it's going to stay that way.
Structures on Ebay I once made the mistake of giving a seller positive Feedback (arrived quick and was happy at the moment) on a structure kit (Walthers Mills Bros) before checking it's entire contents. The seller listed as new, though it was opened when he bought it from an estate sale. The kit was missing a few pieces to build one of the sheds and was missing window frames and both doors for the office. It was a struggle, but he finally agreed to refund a 3rd of the purchase price. I used the money to buy Evergreen styrene and fabricated the pieces. Recently, I purchased another Walthers kit that was listed as "new" and it was missing it's base. This time, I checked the contents before leaving Feedback. I contacted the seller and he/she automatically refunded me 50% of the entire cost (shipping incl) and also gave me the option for a complete refund. I took the 50% deal. :mcool: Actually, I plan on buying more items from this individual seller. The structure I bought, was won a Saturday afternoon at 3:21 pm and arrived in the mail the following Monday (from Oregon to Vegas)!
I've bought and sold hundreds of items on Ebay. Shipping has become outrageous. I factor the shipping into the price I'm willing to spend on any item. And I avoid sellers who clearly charge too much. Luckily there are still a number of honest and reasonable sellers.
i have way over 1000 transactions on ebay. no issues so far. shipping costs vary indeed. after a while you have your favourite sellers. regarding 'not-shipping-outside-us' ... most of the sellers did ship worldwide after i asked them and assured that i'll pay the extra shipping cost.
Sure ebay is a risk but what isnt? all in all I have been well pleased with what I have bought. maybe one or two out of hundreds have been a bit of a disapointment. Right now there is a collector item I have my eye on. Out of production for years. Thats one of the great things about ebay. Stuff you may never would of had a chance of ever finding is there. And lets face it, they set the market price for that stuff. As far as shipping I have been hosed once that I can remember. The seller had excellent feedback but pages of disclaimer stuff. I tried to find his shipping info but got tired of looking. I won the item but when sent the invoice it was more than the item iteself! The item was four of the MDC shorty passenger cars. Charged me $15 shipping. I went back and read his feedback. Even though he had a high positive percentage the few negatives all had to do with outrageous shipping charges. So buyer beware on shipping charges!
I've been selling on ebay for almost 2 years now and I agree that International shipping is risky. However, I find that by offering it I now sell about 10-15% of all items international. I am very honest in my listings and state that there is no type of tracking available and the buyer is at their own risk. So far I have only had 1 problem out of probably 500 shipments and believe it or not the item came back to me about 4 months later! Took forever to track the guy down and refund his money. I might have just been lucky so far but the rewards have outweighed the risks so far. I have a couple guys from Australia that I have sent dozens of shipments to with no problems. Shipping costs with International are always hard to guess until its all packed and ready to go but I keep track of everything and always refund any overcharge there might be, I feel that making money off of shipping is unfair and shady. I refuse to buy from people that I know are charging to much for shipping. As far as payment, I only accept Money Orders if they have a significant amount of 100% feedback. I also let them know I won't ship until cashed or cleared.
Usually I buy on E Bay foolishly... Late at night, oooohhhh that looks good. I've found, over the last few years, that a few etailers usu have better prices on new stuff. On the older stuff, I now try to wait for my price, or ignore it. I try to be patient and it is working out. I have wanted an MTL Hoiday Caboose. Thr one that says have a holly jolly. NO WAY I was paying ove $50 bucks plus shipping. Found it new at Greenberg for $14 - no tax, no shipping! But patience and not in December, seem to work.
Been purchasing and sellign stuff on ebay for years now and can olny remember getting burned once as a seller and once as a buyer. The deals I have gotten outweigh the risks I take bidding and selling (IMO). High shipping is just how things are. I persionally would rather pay $12 shipping on a brass locomotive that I droped $200 on, and know that it is insured and coming to me priority, than $3. in a padded evelope and hope the usps guy isn't having a bad day when he delivers my mail.
I recently purchased 2 Atlas GN GP7s on Ebay from a gentleman in Canada. He advertised them as in his collection for years, barely any run time, and most of the time in a display case. One in original box and the other in a GP40 box. When the engines arrive, the original mechanisms (the two particular road numbers were made as DCC ready or equipped) had been swapped out for older Atlas non-DCC mechanisms with the older fast motors. The engine in it's original box was in a box stating DCC equipped by Atlas. When I contacted the buyer, his reply was that he had never advertised them as DCC ready. I told him that by not noting that the mechanisms had been swapped, he had misrepresented them. He seemed unresponsive, so I filed a complaint with Ebay. After filing the complaint, I found where he had purchased two identical engines in October (both DCC equipped). Coincidence? I think not. In his collection for years? Circumstantial evidence says no. Usually if it looks like a duck, it is a duck. He finally offered to refund my purchase + original shipping if I returned them to him with a tracking number (can't get a tracking number for Canada, and to send it registered would be another $12 on top of the $11 to ship), I countered that he should refund my money first and send return shipping money. He had my money before I had the engines in my hand, I think it only fair that he reciprocate. He has declined and I have elevated it with Ebay. If I accepted his option, I would be out over $23 in shipping, while he would be out nothing. I now await contact from them. In the meantime, I have left negative feedback, only the second time I have felt the need to do so in over 1,200 transactions.
I would be interested to hear how E Bay responds to an item that is "not as described" in the auction. Supposedly E Bay is weighted heavily toward buyers. A good time to see. This guy sounds dishonest. For you to send the locos back without proof of delivery wouldn't be a good idea. However, the postage should be on the seller. Can you either post his ID or PM it to me. I want to add him to my "blocked bidder list" and also make sure I don't buy anything from him. I have sent lots of auction wins to Canada and only had one bad experience. The guy was just an idiot, not a dishonest person.
In over 1000 eBay transactions, I've only had a couple of problems of items not quite as described. One was a compressor with a cracked cylinder head. Elevated that to eBay and got my money refunded and I didn't even need to send back the compressor. Another time, one of those eBay resale shops (at the time located in Alexandria, VA) listed a set of Kato HO Unitrack that was missing the feeder track. He had listed out the pieces included but I said is wasn't a set which is what he claimed and all I wanted was a couple bucks back to buy a piece of feeder. He was a jerk about it so I just wrote it off at the time as it probably could have gone either way with eBay. Later when I moved to Arlington, VA, I drove over to Alexandria and threw a brick through his window. The part about the brick isn't true but in the long run, the herd thins itself and people stop dealing with jerks like that. I know he is no longer in business in Alexandria. Most of the time with N scale items, the problem is there is no box and the seller didn't feel like mentioning that fact. If there is something I like, I've learned to always ask the details or for more pictures. When I sell, I try to make it a point to NOT misrepresent what I am selling. Andy Tetsu Uma
Yes, I do. Shipping cost go in to how much I will pay for an item. I also try to find sellers with 2 or 3 things I want (this year it was a few Christmas cars). If I think a total price plus shipping is right, thats where I stop bidding. I didn't start like that. I've got some overpriced stuff.... The otrher thing I keep an eye on is Buy it Nows. With new stuff, I always google the part number before bidding. You would be AMAZED how often that same item is available from an etailer you already use, for a comparable, or better price. For instance, an example in O is the Hogwarts Express. Just try it.
Had an interesting discovery this evening. I went to bid on an item from a seller that I had purchased from before and I have apparently been blocked. In addition, I am unable to send him a message to inquire as to why. I have always paid quick and don't remember any problems. Oh well. On another note, my latest dealings with Ebay are still ongoing. They have credited my account $10 to cover shipping the item back to the seller....in Canada. After I post the tracking number and the seller receives his lokies back, then I get a refund. Great deal, except you can't send packages to Canada with delivery confirmation, only registered at a cost of about $12 extra. I told them I would ship it to them and they could take it from there. Awaiting their reply.
Well I just had a bad experience with a buyer in Australia. Filed a claim with eBay about his items not arriving. I tried to explain that it is the holidays and that shipping is very slow, I have numerous people I deal with in Canada and Australia and it has been taking about 3 weeks at least. Well this guy wouldn't even respond to me and escalated his claim even though I told him to please be patient and I was sorry it was taking so long but it had only been about 15days. Well needless to say he got a full refund and is probably sitting there right now with his items for free. Sometimes I don't understand people impatience and lack of communication, guy still has not replied to any of my messages even though I offered right off the bat to at least refund his shipping.
I've had the same thing, one in Spain and the other I can't remember where. The one in Spain I was out a Kato Mikado, the other was a Bmann 4-8-4.
Luckily I was only out a couple Unitrack switches. I just don't like the fact that the USPS doesn't have any kind of tracking option.
Johnh and NIevo, With a bulk of my eBay business coming from foreign countries, I can provide you the following information: USPS online tracking is available for international shipments if the Priority Mail International delivery option is selected. Although a Certificate Of Mailing (PS Form 3817) is available for an additional cost, there are no tracking services available for First Class Mail International or Priority Mail International Small Flat Rate (SMFR) parcels. With foreign orders, I have found it to be safer and more cost effective to utilize USPS Priority Mail 0-1096L boxes (which can be tracked, have a built-in [though limited] amount of USPS international indemnity coverage, and/or can be insured for most countries) for N-Scale locomotives and/or combined rolling-stock purchases approaching and/or exceeding the $100.00 mark. Unfortunately, along with the USPS mandate that requires insurance values equal customs form valuations, international buyers on the lower end of the purchasing scale often tend to balk at the higher shipping cost that must be borne for online tracking.
