ccDan - 2:45 am on Jun 20, 2007 (gmt 0)

yosmc writes: Interesting. In my mind, eBay has been favoring the sellers over the buyers way too long. Just an example: You buy an item for $1, and then it turns out that they charge $10 for shipping and handling (or $9 just for handling if you pick up the item personally). Sure, eBay says you have to check all the conditions in advance, but under European consumer rights this would never fly (not sure about other countries). Basically means that everyone who is used to a decent consumer legislation unsuspectedly enters a Wild West scenario at eBay, with the company looking the other way as long as they can cash in on the seller fees.

I'm sorry, but if the seller lists their conditions and the buyer neglects to read them, it's hardly the Wild, Wild West. Maybe the buyer will pay closer attention in the future. Perhaps that's the best way for them to learn the lesson. There is too much dumbing-down of stuff these days. I have found that people will generally meet the bar you set for them, so if you keep them low, you will attract the lowest common denominator.

lammert writes: The only way eBay can stop this is by booting a large number of sellers from their system because of a non-fit business model--just as Google has done a few weeks ago with AdSense arbitrageurs--but I doubt they will do that as those sellers generate a large part of their income.

Maybe do away with Buy It Now? Ebay is an auction site, no?

Irregardless, I think one of the problems with sellers these days is that they have their financial expectations far too high. Minimum (or hidden reserve) bids are frequently too high. I've seen the same items listed over and over and over again, at the same price, and not selling. Sometimes they will cut the price and announce it's a sale. Still it does not sell.

If you have an item that you keep listing at the same price over and over again, and there are no takers, perhaps it's because it's not worth your minimum bid. Perhaps sellers think that they are going to be able to clean their attics out and buy themselves a McMansion with the proceeds? More than likely, the stuff is only worth a new paint job on their home's exterior, but they're still going to try for that McMansion!

Ebay's own success has probably been a contributing factor to its apparent decline. People read stories of people making a living, or getting rich, off of Ebay and figure they can do the same with the junk in their attic.

Too bad their junk isn't worth all that much. It's like that roadshow you see on TV. They only show the people who wind up with big ticket items; what you don't see are the dozens (hundreds even?) of people who find out their junk is junk. People watch the show and think they must have something valuable in their attic too.

Not everyone is lucky enough to find an original copy of the Declaration of Independence behind an old painting they've had stored in their attic for years!