Are fruitcakes running rampant on eBay lately? Selling, buying, listing, feedback, etc...

[Captain_Obvious]

Every Christmas I'm reminded on eBay thru strange messages that I am the scum of the earth.

I'm not able to go back to my messages last year, but here's the summary:

"I work for a local charity and I was hoping you could donate the 60266 745pc Ocean Exploration Ship that costs $150 retail" 

• Ya, sorry. Charlie's (Wonka) uncle would pawn that thing in a second or Charlie's life would be in serious danger in the neighborhood
• The guy who asked had feedback showing several items purchased over $1k and $1k+ items for sale
• Let's be real dude, this ain't going to Charlie, more like your son Jimmy

" This has been a really bad year for us and Jimmy, I was hoping you would understand, and sell me the 60266 745 pc Ocean Exploration Ship for 50% off retail"

• Again, this other dude's feedback showed several high priced items recently purchased 

"I can't believe you're selling the 60266 745 pc Ocean Exploration Ship at 150% of retail. You are a rip off and causing Jimmy to miss out on his present"

• I'm sorry, did you wait all year for this to launch, did you wait in front of the mall for hours to guarantee you would get one only to find out that they had plenty in stock and I wasted a Saturday morning?
• Did you see the sale a couple of months ago when this thing was 30% off? Maybe you should have taken advantage Karen

So, I'm giving in this year and doing auctions starting at a penny. I haven't gotten a message yet. Probably because they realize the market will determine the price based on supply & demand, and it's your peers that are driving the price up.

I know I'll miss out on the "emotional" buy it now high margin selling price, but at least I can guarantee that they'll get it by Christmas because the auction ends within the delivery window plus extra room for delivery delays.

Sorry for the rant. I know you all will understand this. 

 

[Darth_Raichu]

10 minutes ago, Captain_Obvious said:

I know I'll miss out on the "emotional" buy it now high margin selling price, but at least I can guarantee that they'll get it by Christmas because the auction ends within the delivery window plus extra room for delivery delays.

Assuming winning bidder pays in time (or pays at all)

[ponderingzissou]

Received this one this morning. Guess because they're not a collector or reseller I don't have money invested and need to make a profit 🤷‍♂️ Or need money to purchase things on a Christmas list for my own family

No harm in asking I suppose but still it's annoying. Btw they're asking for about 40% discount 

[terrymc4677]

Every Christmas I'm reminded on eBay thru strange messages that I am the scum of the earth.
I'm not able to go back to my messages last year, but here's the summary:
"I work for a local charity and I was hoping you could donate the 60266 745pc Ocean Exploration Ship that costs $150 retail" 

• Ya, sorry. Charlie's (Wonka) uncle would pawn that thing in a second or Charlie's life would be in serious danger in the neighborhood
• The guy who asked had feedback showing several items purchased over $1k and $1k+ items for sale
• Let's be real dude, this ain't going to Charlie, more like your son Jimmy

" This has been a really bad year for us and Jimmy, I was hoping you would understand, and sell me the 60266 745 pc Ocean Exploration Ship for 50% off retail"

• Again, this other dude's feedback showed several high priced items recently purchased 

"I can't believe you're selling the 60266 745 pc Ocean Exploration Ship at 150% of retail. You are a rip off and causing Jimmy to miss out on his present"

• I'm sorry, did you wait all year for this to launch, did you wait in front of the mall for hours to guarantee you would get one only to find out that they had plenty in stock and I wasted a Saturday morning?
• Did you see the sale a couple of months ago when this thing was 30% off? Maybe you should have taken advantage Karen

So, I'm giving in this year and doing auctions starting at a penny. I haven't gotten a message yet. Probably because they realize the market will determine the price based on supply & demand, and it's your peers that are driving the price up.
I know I'll miss out on the "emotional" buy it now high margin selling price, but at least I can guarantee that they'll get it by Christmas because the auction ends within the delivery window plus extra room for delivery delays.
Sorry for the rant. I know you all will understand this. 
 

PM me your eBay info. I’ll through a few bids your way, especially if you have Ocean Explorer ships. Great set. Target exclusive. Out of stock everywhere. Short life.


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[ravenb99]

7 hours ago, terrymc4677 said:

PM me your eBay info. I’ll through a few bids your way, especially if you have Ocean Explorer ships. Great set. Target exclusive. Out of stock everywhere. Short life.


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60266?? not a exclusive at all, normal 1.5 year run as well.   Was just in stock as of 11/29 as well.  Been going in and out at Amz last month or two.

It is a great set, was better last year when they were 280 but hey who cares...

[$20 on joe vs dan]

13 hours ago, ravenb99 said:

60266?? not a exclusive at all, normal 1.5 year run as well.   Was just in stock as of 11/29 as well.  Been going in and out at Amz last month or two.

It is a great set, was better last year when they were 280 but hey who cares...

yeah, I don't think it has any exclusivity except it being popular.

That said I am really high on it...it's LEGO's largest boat hull (altho they "cheat" by attaching two identical side); the box is Huuuge (great perception of getting a lot for the money..."grandparents catnip")...awesome play functions.

Also the ceiling during the low stock of $280 "should" be the floor once it's clearly unavailable.

I got a few when Zavvi had them for $119; but space limitations keeps me from getting too high on it 

Edited December 8, 2021 by $20 on joe vs dan

[coelian]

Someone was in a bidding war on my item and he lost, I relisted it after the auction and he messaged me to ask why do I have another copy??!! Should I tell him I'm reseller scum?

I often get messages telling me somewhere else is cheaper, I'm like ok good deal buy from them instead! 

[melting]

I got a message from an  upset buyer asking me why I have not given them updates on their first class package which has not arrived yet. And that when they sell something they are "on top of it" to let their buyer know if something is going to be late.  I currently have 28 active items with 88 sold in the last 60 days.  This buyer/seller has 0.

 

 

**edit - did a bit of research and seems like the items they sell are the same as what I sold them. Hmm wondering if they are flipping the flip and getting grief from their buyer, lol. **

Edited December 9, 2021 by melting

[$20 on joe vs dan]

anyone get the ebay shipping insurance?

ever get a pay out?

 

wondering if it's worth it...sold a cell phone for $500 and I buckled

[ponderingzissou]

8 minutes ago, $20 on joe vs dan said:

anyone get the ebay shipping insurance?

ever get a pay out?

 

wondering if it's worth it...sold a cell phone for $500 and I buckled

Shipping insurance thru Ebay? Orders over $100 I often add insurance thru the post office up to actual purchase price (Priority mail already has small amount of insurance... maybe $50?). I've never tried to collect though. 

I've recently had 3 small orders (parted out minifigs) lost in the mail and never recovered even after filing a lost claim. All 3 lost at the USPS hub nearest me and within past two months. 

[FM]

Someone was in a bidding war on my item and he lost, I relisted it after the auction and he messaged me to ask why do I have another copy??!! Should I tell him I'm reseller scum?
I often get messages telling me somewhere else is cheaper, I'm like ok good deal buy from them instead! 

If he took 2nd place in a bidding war ask if he would like to buy the new item at his last offer price, or feel free to take part in the new auction:)

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[lodibricks]

22 hours ago, coelian said:

Someone was in a bidding war on my item and he lost, I relisted it after the auction and he messaged me to ask why do I have another copy??!! Should I tell him I'm reseller scum?

I often get messages telling me somewhere else is cheaper, I'm like ok good deal buy from them instead! 

Silly on so many levels. I've seen plenty of non-scum stores list their items one auction after another as well as simultaneous BIN listings. I think the combo caters well to both types of people, the patient waiters for savings and those who want it asap at full asking price.
In my case, I list each set qty 1 (even if I have 10) as I list actual pictures of that particular set. My luck, I'd send a creased set with the previous set's mint photos and get a SNAD return.

Adding my own rant. Having a $300 set returned for "changed mind." Shipping was $32 and I chose Seller Pays Return Shipping for the stupid Top Rated credits, so that'll be ~$64 in shipping eaten for nothing. Just waiting to see if it comes back pancaked or re-taped w/o minifigs. 😐

 

Edited December 10, 2021 by lodibricks

[$20 on joe vs dan]

12 hours ago, ponderingzissou said:

Shipping insurance thru Ebay? Orders over $100 I often add insurance thru the post office up to actual purchase price (Priority mail already has small amount of insurance... maybe $50?). I've never tried to collect though. 

I've recently had 3 small orders (parted out minifigs) lost in the mail and never recovered even after filing a lost claim. All 3 lost at the USPS hub nearest me and within past two months. 

yes, specifically on the shipping insurance when purchasing shipping label thru Ebay.

 

[$20 on joe vs dan]

5 hours ago, lodibricks said:

Silly on so many levels. I've seen plenty of non-scum stores list their items one auction after another as well as simultaneous BIN listings. I think the combo caters well to both types of people, the patient waiters for savings and those who want it asap at full asking price.
In my case, I list each set qty 1 (even if I have 10) as I list actual pictures of that particular set. My luck, I'd send a creased set with the previous set's mint photos and get a SNAD return.

Adding my own rant. Having a $300 set returned for "changed mind." Shipping was $32 and I chose Seller Pays Return Shipping for the stupid Top Rated credits, so that'll be ~$64 in shipping eaten for nothing. Just waiting to see if it comes back pancaked or re-taped w/o minifigs. 😐

 

was the $300 set a QFLL of a hard to get current set or retired?

[Darth_Raichu]

2 hours ago, $20 on joe vs dan said:

yes, specifically on the shipping insurance when purchasing shipping label thru Ebay.

 

When buying Priority Mail from eBay you automatically get insurance coverage up to $100.  You can pay for additional coverage.  Any claim has to be done via USPS website.  The process is opened several days / a week? after the estimated delivery date.  You may need to open lost mail investigation ticket in order to claim.  Descriptions of item and packaging are part of the lost item ticket and insurance claim, so make sure you put enough details.  Once claim is approved, it takes 1-2 months for the check to arrive.  This is based on my last claim 3 years ago.  Things might change.  

For $500 cell phone, I would add signature confirmation.  Per eBay's guideline, signature is required on $750+ order, but you can add it on lower amount depending on your comfort level

Edited December 10, 2021 by Darth_Raichu
Added more info

[scratchdesk]

I rarely insure anything.  If you're worried about it going missing I try to reduce the number of hands it passes through and length of time.  Overnighting items that are above a certain amount.  In my years of selling the only items I've had an issue with was First Class items. 
I did send in multiple large shipments via USPS to PSA (authenticators).  I utilized insurance and Registered Mail on those.  Mostly because I was afraid of the sheer number of items they were receiving at the time.  That took forreeevveeeer to get there and scared me way more than just overnighting.

If you're worried about packaging getting damaged make sure you are fully aware of the packaging restrictions they lay out.  (Amount of packing material, box rigidity etc).  Just too much hassle to really deal with imo.

[Lego Lass]

Just had some kid ask me for a list of my entire inventory so he could sell on eBay. I gave him a ballpark of what I had, which of course he promptly refused. I advised him that getting into LEGO reselling requires some time and effort (so get off YouTube and start hitting the clearance aisle), never buy from a reseller, and learn to spell "Entrepeneur" 🤨

[$20 on joe vs dan]

1 hour ago, Darth_Raichu said:

When buying Priority Mail from eBay you automatically get insurance coverage up to $100.  You can pay for additional coverage.  Any claim has to be done via USPS website.  The process is opened several days / a week? after the estimated delivery date.  You may need to open lost mail investigation ticket in order to claim.  Descriptions of item and packaging are part of the lost item ticket and insurance claim, so make sure you put enough details.  Once claim is approved, it takes 1-2 months for the check to arrive.  This is based on my last claim 3 years ago.  Things might change.  

For $500 cell phone, I would add signature confirmation.  Per eBay's guideline, signature is required on $750+ order, but you can add it on lower amount depending on your comfort level

the option I had was for ANY shipper; not just USPS.  So they are a 3rd party underwriter is my guess and they basically insure that the package will not get lost enroute. The cost of the insurance changed depending on which vendor I chose.  I opted for FedEx Home Delivery (Which has never failed me before tho I am low volume) and the cost of the insurance was lower than the USPS Priority Mail optoion.

 

ANyway I checked w/ the buyer before shipping that I intend to do signature required (good to give folks a heads up as many don't work form home). He claimed that he was working and would not be able to sign; but also stated he has an enclosed porch and has never had problems w/ deliveries. Generally good communication so that's a good sign.  I guess I'll know how it goes by Tuesday.

Edited December 10, 2021 by $20 on joe vs dan

[lodibricks]

4 hours ago, $20 on joe vs dan said:

was the $300 set a QFLL of a hard to get current set or retired?

Retired 2018. I don't do the QFLL as I'd expect the returns. Danger is not my middle name.

[Darth_Raichu]

37 minutes ago, $20 on joe vs dan said:

the option I had was for ANY shipper; not just USPS.  So they are a 3rd party underwriter is my guess and they basically insure that the package will not get lost enroute. The cost of the insurance changed depending on which vendor I chose.  I opted for FedEx Home Delivery (Which has never failed me before tho I am low volume) and the cost of the insurance was lower than the USPS Priority Mail optoion.

 

ANyway I checked w/ the buyer before shipping that I intend to do signature required (good to give folks a heads up as many don't work form home). He claimed that he was working and would not be able to sign; but also stated he has an enclosed porch and has never had problems w/ deliveries. Generally good communication so that's a good sign.  I guess I'll know how it goes by Tuesday.

Got it.  I have used Shipsaver in the past but never had the need to claim.

Good luck with the shipping

[Bricklectic]

got this question from a buyer:

Are these Lego pieces....look closely at a piece in a bag and they should be stamped Lego...if not then knock offs

 

is that true? Im selling an amazon return but i bought it from a retailer and i dont see lego stamped on it

[Shortbus311]

got this question from a buyer:
Are these Lego pieces....look closely at a piece in a bag and they should be stamped Lego...if not then knock offs   is that true? Im selling an amazon return but i bought it from a retailer and i dont see lego stamped on it

Sorry, I can't tell which part is the buyers question and which part is you talking. Are you asking if all genuine Lego pieces have Lego stamped on them? If you are then the answer is yes.

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[Bricklectic]

Just now, Shortbus311 said:

Sorry, I can't tell which part is the buyers question and which part is you talking. Are you asking if all genuine Lego pieces have Lego stamped on them? If you are then the answer is yes.

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strange. im looking at my amazon return and i see all the volkswagon bags but NOTHING has lego stamped on it. I also have a few random lego pieces on my shelf here and some have it and some dont. maybe ill just block him

[Shortbus311]

strange. im looking at my amazon return and i see all the volkswagon bags but NOTHING has lego stamped on it. I also have a few random lego pieces on my shelf here and some have it and some dont. maybe ill just block him

Every stud should say Lego on top of it, if it doesn't then it is a knockoff brand.

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[Bricklectic]

Just now, Shortbus311 said:

Every stud should say Lego on top of it, if it doesn't then it is a knockoff brand.

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Thanks.

Its the campervan and upon examining it closer I see that the bags arent numbered either, they look a little different than regular lego bags. I definitely bought it from a retailer, but it was an amazon return so who knows maybe it was swapped out. 

But i opened a quidditch set near me to test and I see that while most bricks have the stamp some do not so appears it isnt uniform.