eBay Listing Removed: Copyright Violation (Megadrive Adaptor)

[Tirian]

Works both ways though. I recently had a feedback where a buyer complained that the MD box was damaged in the post due to 'poor packaging'.

Now, I describe in all my auctions exactly how the game will be packaged, and give the option of paying for cheaper postage, in a jiffy bag (which he chose) - or for a little extra, in a cardboard box. For Megadrive games, jiffy bag is generally more than adequate, and most buyers prefer the cheaper postage to the moderate additional protection of a box.

The game was basically new when it left me, and I had no contact whatsoever from him after sending it until getting the feedback. So what exactly was I supposed to do?

[MattyD]

In my experience very few sellers leave feedback anyway, but now they can't neg you it's not like there's any incentive for them to do so. How are sellers going to know if you're a welching, scamming, theiving git if their fellow sellers can't neg you?

[chaoticjelly]

I've noticed a trend in the last year or so where you'll only ever get feedback from people with between 20 and a few hundred feedbacks, newbies don't give and power sellers can't be bothered.

I think a lot of PowerSellers use the facility in eBay that automatically leaves a positive feedback when one has been received, this way they don't have to do it manually.

What this means is if you don't "leave feedback first" then you probably won't get any off them as it is all automated.. get my drift?

But yeah I guess around 20% of buyers don't leave feedback for me.. despite now leaving positive feedback upon receipt of payment. I sent a polite message to someone after about 55 days (ability to leave feedback about to "drop off") and they said something like "I haven't tested it yet".

[Cauterize]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360064724164&ssPageName=ADME:X:AAQ:GB:1123

Ugh... My Mistake, I accidentally left in the text 'Comes In a Big Box' that is default for my Big Box PC Games template.

The Buyer now wants a refund cause he didnt get a Big Box... Surely there could be some common sense used here by looking at the picture.
I know full well its my mistake for leaving that text in there, but he could have contacted me before hand. All my pictures show exactly whats included...

Im in a strop :-P

[chaoticjelly]

The game was basically new when it left me, and I had no contact whatsoever from him after sending it until getting the feedback. So what exactly was I supposed to do?

Well some people are strange like this and expect sellers to be psychic. Others simply can't be bothered raising issues of damaged goods with sellers so they put it in feedback etc like it is your fault something got broken.

I'd explain to the buyer that if he had informed me of the fact that the game was damaged, I would have put in a claim with Royal Mail etc. and that this could still be done. The option was available for heavier duty packaging, but this was not taken advantage of. Royal Mail handle millions of items per day and something is bound to get damaged at some point, and the type of packaging chosen is, in the huge majority of cases, suitable for the type of item being enclosed within it.

[chaoticjelly]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...:X:AAQ:GB:1123

Ugh... My Mistake, I accidentally left in the text 'Comes In a Big Box' that is default for my Big Box PC Games template.

The Buyer now wants a refund cause he didnt get a Big Box... Surely there could be some common sense used here by looking at the picture.
I know full well its my mistake for leaving that text in there, but he could have contacted me before hand. All my pictures show exactly whats included...

Im in a strop :-P

Well it's quite cut and dry really with the text saying it comes with a big box. That could mean anything though, could mean that you were just going to put the game in a big cardboard box i.e. not the original one.

Some common sense probably should have been used by the picture and postage costs (would cost more than what you have charged to send a big box PC game..).

You should probably just refund him.. doubt it's worth the stress and hassle of a negative, and try not to dwell on it

Maybe even just tell him to keep the game. Who knows, the buyer that becomes satisfied today, may be the one that buys again and again..

[Tirian]

Ugh... My Mistake, I accidentally left in the text 'Comes In a Big Box' that is default for my Big Box PC Games template.

The Buyer now wants a refund cause he didnt get a Big Box...

Fair enough, it is your mistake. But what's the big deal - just tell him that you'll give him a full refund on return of the item. Your costs will be something like ?2-?3 all told (postage fees, ebay fees). Not a disaster really. Might even be able to get the ebay FVF back if you give a full refund.

[Profit]

I suspect sellers will start charging even more for P&P and force buyers to take recorded/insured postage.

[MattyD]

A lot of them already take the piss on P&P ever since they separated it from the item cost for fees purposes. A lot of the Hong Kong sellers (most of whom are pirates amirite?) already list games for like a tenner or less and the rest is down as P&P.

[Profit]

Well, it's to save on eBay and submission fees.

Not sure why some buyers complain of high postage charges though; just calculate it into your overall bid. And you often see items with high S&H prices sell for less overall than low S&H items, so there's bargains to be had on such items.

And in high S&H items, the buyer gets even more preferable treatment from eBay and PayPal in the event of a dispute e.g. I bought from seperate sellers a collectable Gameboy from Hong Kong and .hack game boxset from US. Both had very high shipping costs, about ?UK25. Both arrived with the boxes damaged. I argued to PayPal that because of the high S&H cost, the seller should have sent the items in a sturdy box, PayPal agreed and gave me a full refund from the sellers.

[Tirian]

A lot of them already take the piss on P&P ever since they separated it from the item cost for fees purposes. A lot of the Hong Kong sellers (most of whom are pirates amirite?) already list games for like a tenner or less and the rest is down as P&P.

Actually, I separate the postage cost because it is independent from the cost of the item, and can differ extremely widely depending on many factors such as:

Location of buyer
End price of item (hence level of insurance required)
Packaging preference of buyer

Of course, I could just make a flat rate of £100 on all my items, on the basis that it might sell for £1000 to someone in Timbuktu who wants it packaged in sheet metal - but then I suspect you might object to that too.

Seriously though - how exactly would you suggest that postage price be included in the item price without that kind of difficulty (albeit less extreme)?

[MattyD]

Actually, I separate the postage cost because it is independent from the cost of the item, and can differ extremely widely depending on many factors...

I understand that, it's not a problem when sellers are being honest and transparent. What I was referring to is the sort of practice where people put ridiculous postage fees of like ?3.99 for a game. You can get dvd-sized cardboard mailing boxes in the post office for 95p and postage for a game is usually about 70-75p depending on the weight of the manual. When there's that much disparity it's clear they're using P&P to supplement the price of the item and avoid paying fees.

[Profit]

£3.99 is quite reasonable with eBay and PayPal fees. More so if you live far away from the post office.

People often mistakenly see the stamp value and think they are ripped off the S&H value.

At the moment, I charge £2.99 for 1st class UK postage (mainly PS2 games), and that's not quite covering the actual costs, so I'm considering £3.99.

[honeymustard]

I only charge £1.50 for games... postage is almost always 74p and I buy 10 jiffy bags for £2 on ebay (or I just reuse ones I've received). I can print the postage label through paypal, and drop the game in the postbox about 20 metres down the road

[MattyD]

If sellers want to sell on ebay then it's down to them to foot the bill. Hiding it in the P&P is at the very least dishonest.

I realise entirely the irony of debating the mores of online commerce with someone named 'Profit'