Auction site 'advisors'

[BetaFunk]

I've bought and sold on auction sites like ebay since the late 1990s. One thing that always amazes me is that when selling something occasionally someone will email me telling me that what i'm selling is too cheap or too expensive (usually the latter).
It usually goes along the lines of 'i've seen the xxxx that you have for sale and i can tell that it is too expensive. I have seen these before for £xxxx but was too late to bid for it. I doubt if you will get what you want for it but if you want to sell it to me for £xxxx then please contact me'.

Now don't get me wrong because i do find them amusing but why what sore of people are they that can afford to waste their time and do this?

[Ou7shined]

In Scotland we call them "chancers".

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='Ou7shined' timestamp='1384893168' post='2282053']
In Scotland we call them "chancers".
[/quote]

[Thunderbird]

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1384890814' post='2281991']
I've bought and sold on auction sites like ebay since the late 1990s. One thing that always amazes me is that when selling something occasionally someone will email me telling me that what i'm selling is too cheap or too expensive (usually the latter).
It usually goes along the lines of 'i've seen the xxxx that you have for sale and i can tell that it is too expensive. I have seen these before for £xxxx but was too late to bid for it. I doubt if you will get what you want for it but if you want to sell it to me for £xxxx then please contact me'.

Now don't get me wrong because i do find them amusing but why what sore of people are they that can afford to waste their time and do this?
[/quote] Yep that really F--_s me off I am afraid it is a sign of the times ya know "the world owes me a living I want everything for nothing" I really hate these kind of people we all like to have a bit of a haggle but these kind of people I just cannot stand rant over lol

[chriswareham]

I think it's down to people thinking they know how to get a bargain. I just sold my last mobile phone on EBay, having decided to take the upgrade from my phone company. I checked the price the same model was listed for, and put it up for about ten percent less for a quick sale. Days after it sold, I'm still getting messages from numpties who had been watching it offering half the Buy It Now price by EBay message.

Edited November 19, 2013 by chriswareham

[Annoying Twit]

I have never sent such a message, and don't plan to.

However, there are auctions where the price is significantly out of whack. E.g. second hand items being sold for more than the new price. Items listed for double what they normally go for, or more. I just roll my eyes and move on, but I can imagine some potential buyers being frustrated that an item they would be prepared to pay a fair price for is 'available', but at an unrealistic price.

[karlfer]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1384932800' post='2282363']
I have never sent such a message, and don't plan to.

However, there are auctions where the price is significantly out of whack. E.g. second hand items being sold for more than the new price. Items listed for double what they normally go for, or more. I just roll my eyes and move on, but I can imagine some potential buyers being frustrated that an item they would be prepared to pay a fair price for is 'available', but at an unrealistic price.
[/quote]

This, nail, head.

[Thunderbird]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1384932800' post='2282363']
I have never sent such a message, and don't plan to.

However, there are auctions where the price is significantly out of whack. E.g. second hand items being sold for more than the new price. Items listed for double what they normally go for, or more. I just roll my eyes and move on, but I can imagine some potential buyers being frustrated that an item they would be prepared to pay a fair price for is 'available', but at an unrealistic price.
[/quote] Yep +1

[Immo]

I hate the opposite situation I usually get on basoofka.net (polish bass forum) - there are no rules that force the seller to state the price he wants.

Usually sellers just post: "PM about details" or, at best, "PM me for a price". And, when asked about the price, they most often say "Offer something!" or "How much can you give?".
You're selling the stuff, for God's sake, you know how much you value it! If you want to sell it to the highest bidder, use eBay or Allegro*, dammit!
All comes to finding [s]a sucker[/s] an unreasonable and unaware person: "Maybe he's dumb and he'll offer an above par price?"...
No, siree! It is mine, as a buyer, privilege to hunt an offer that will turn into profit, now isn't it?!

[size=2]* sort of Polish eBay[/size]

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='noelk27' timestamp='1385215411' post='2285689']
Why not? If you can put some doubt in the seller's mind, and secure the item at the price you want to pay, why not? In sport you'd call it gamesmanship.
[/quote]
That's what i thought. Time wasters.

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1384932800' post='2282363']
However, there are auctions where the price is significantly out of whack. E.g. second hand items being sold for more than the new price. Items listed for double what they normally go for, or more. I just roll my eyes and move on, but I can imagine some potential buyers being frustrated that an item they would be prepared to pay a fair price for is 'available', but at an unrealistic price.
[/quote]
I'm sure that the salesman in my local Ferrari dealership can see my frustration when i look at those gleaming cars in the showroom at what i see as unrealistic prices but guess what? He won't reduce those prices.

[Immo]

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1385228365' post='2285872']
I'm sure that the salesman in my local Ferrari dealership can see my frustration when i look at those gleaming cars in the showroom at what i see as unrealistic prices but guess what? He won't reduce those prices.
[/quote]
Yeah, but a guy who sells second hand bass with wear and dings at a new one's price may become worried that he won't sell his merchandise and maybe he'll do some research.

[BetaFunk]

[quote name='Immo' timestamp='1385230047' post='2285899']
Yeah, but a guy who sells second hand bass with wear and dings at a new one's price may become worried that he won't sell his merchandise and maybe he'll do some research.
[/quote]
I still don't understand why that would bother anyone. Who cares what other people buy? Do these 'advisors' stand in shops all day (when they not trawling auction sites that is) and give advice to prospective customers there?

[BetaFunk]

I think i've just found one of the auction site advisors..........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkZdTHmX0TQ


.......you don't want one of them there basses, you wanna get a very nice example from Matsumoko or a very collectable FujiGen you do.

[Immo]

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1385231937' post='2285944']
I still don't understand why that would bother anyone. Who cares what other people buy? Do these 'advisors' stand in shops all day (when they not trawling auction sites that is) and give advice to prospective customers there?
[/quote]
Sometimes they're ar**eholes or "chancers", but some have good intentions I believe. And some maybe just want to make a good use of their otherwise irrelevant knowledge about early 80's Japanese lawsuit basses made of ash in FujiGen?

Edit: Well, look at you. We were both thinking 'bout FujiGen.
[u]Buy FujiGen basses, people. [/u]

Edited November 23, 2013 by Immo

[JapanAxe]

I just 'advise' them to place a bid - if they're right, nobody else will bid and they'll get a bargain.

[discreet]

When I was an eBay trader for my sins I regularly had people message me saying, 'How can you be selling that at X? I saw it for Y at Z!' To which my reply was always the same - 'It's called capitalism - get over it. If you prefer the price that Z is offering, then f*** off and buy it from Z!'

Why people think that things on eBay should be cheaper than anywhere else, or why eBay traders should have to deliver items much, much quicker than anyone else is beyond me.

Edited November 23, 2013 by discreet

[Immo]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1385236290' post='2286031']Why people think that things on eBay should be cheaper than anywhere else, or why eBay traders should have to deliver items much, much quicker than anyone else is beyond me.[/quote]
People got used to thinking that way - it's a modern day swap meet/pawn shop/garage sale version after all

[LukeFRC]

My pet hate.... more a gumtree sort of thing...

Me: advert up with item up, not massive amount of info... price, say £500 ono

MrZ: Hi is the item still available.

Me: Yes it is (a short polite thing about it)

MrZ: whats your best price?


straight in there, not trying to talk me down based on condition, not even that interested... just "what's your best price"
Normally I just say "advert states I've looking for £500". It really annoys me - like if someone came and said "oh I'll give you £200 for it" then I can decide yes or no- but "best price mate" it's

[LukeFRC]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u75XQdTxZRc

[Annoying Twit]

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1385228365' post='2285872']
I'm sure that the salesman in my local Ferrari dealership can see my frustration when i look at those gleaming cars in the showroom at what i see as unrealistic prices but guess what? He won't reduce those prices.
[/quote]

I was specifically talking about unrealistic prices that the market won't bear. If your local Ferrari dealer is priced his/her cars at normal prices (for Ferrari cars) and selling them at this price, then this is an entirely different situation from someone who is listing a Harley Benton bass for £150, when the exact same model is £100 new from Thomann.

E.g. Jon Shuker sells his custom basses at prices that are more than I feel I can justify paying for a bass right now. But, I still think his prices are entirely reasonable for what he sells, and clearly he's able to sell them. Nobody's criticising basses being sold for what they are worth, they are talking about rolling their eyes when basses are listed at entirely unrealistic prices.

[quote name='JapanAxe' timestamp='1385235830' post='2286022']
I just 'advise' them to place a bid - if they're right, nobody else will bid and they'll get a bargain.
[/quote]

That doesn't really apply if your starting bid is £150 for a bass that costs £100 new.

Edited November 24, 2013 by Annoying Twit

[skej21]

[quote name='BetaFunk' timestamp='1385231937' post='2285944']

I still don't understand why that would bother anyone. Who cares what other people buy? Do these 'advisors' stand in shops all day (when they not trawling auction sites that is) and give advice to prospective customers there?
[/quote]

The sad thing is, they do! I've seen it numerous times in my local shop, where there's someone trying out an instrument and some nosey git interrupts to tell them 'you can get that £4 cheaper on the 'net you know!*.

The best one was a few days ago when I was trying a Nate Mendel Precision in my local shop. I was sat facing the amp with my back to the shop floor and this gentleman tapped me on the shoulder to tell me that it was 'an okay looking bass but a Squier (CV 60s Precision) would be just as good because it has the same 'humbucker' pickup, is the same colour, isn't 'shop damaged' and is better than half the price!'...

You get people like this everywhere and I just ignore them. Let them waste their own time being ridiculous with someone else lol.

Edited November 24, 2013 by skej21

[Donnyboy]

But there are decent well intentioned folks , as well as chancers.

A friend of mine was selling an old drum kit that his son had lost interest in. Someone got in touch with him just to let him know that it was a rare, valuable and vintage kit worth considerably more than the asking price.

Price went up a bit and someone still got a bargain.

[Prime_BASS]

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1385236290' post='2286031']
When I was an eBay trader for my sins I regularly had people message me saying, 'How can you be selling that at X? I saw it for Y at Z!' To which my reply was always the same - 'It's called capitalism - get over it. If you prefer the price that Z is offering, then f*** off and buy it from Z!'

Why people think that things on eBay should be cheaper than anywhere else, or why eBay traders should have to deliver items much, much quicker than anyone else is beyond me.
[/quote]

So so so true.
Sold my famicom on eBay, with a best offer, this guy haggled me down to 85 from 100, but then 4 days after paying complained to eBay saying he hadn't received it yet.
He obviously won, so I put it up again and got more for it than I originally wanted for it.