Power Sellers Unite

elgato · Joined: 24 Feb 2005 Posts: 16923 Location: Texas

This thread on the PSB has got me thinking. If you don’t have PowerSeller Board access, here’s the jist of the story:

Buyer buys an item, buyer asks seller to add other items to order, seller says “go click BIN in my shop”, buyer doesn’t pay, seller files UID, buyer pays for original item but then leaves neutral feedback complaining that seller wouldn’t add items to order. Seller thinks, “I played by eBay’s rules, why should I get bad feedback for it?”

Now I’m not an eBay seller any more, I can say this in public: I would have done the off-eBay sale every single time. Indeed, I built most of my business doing such deals: “have you got a whatever?” “Not right now, but I’ll get you a whatever from my supplier next week and send you an invoice when I’ve got it.” Not one buyer ever asked me to put it on eBay for them first.

Saying “go and buy it in my shop” when the buyer clearly can’t be bothered to, looks like bad customer service to me. Just like Sainsbury’s staff take you to the right aisle and find the item for you, making it easy for buyers should surely be what it’s all about. And if that means just sending them a PayPal invoice – well, just send them an invoice. You know you’re not going to rip them off, don’t you?

more.. link to news article

sammicat · Joined: 22 May 2008 Posts: 63

I agree, I do not sell there anymore either but yes I have done it and would still do it. A sale is a sale is a sale. In this day and age with people just trying to survive, nuff said! :D

hblt46 · Joined: 27 Jul 2007 Posts: 293

I don't sell there any longer either, but when I was, I did it all the time and never felt one bit bad about it.

I've made 7 or 8 purchases in the last month where I found the item on ebay. On every one of them, I asked the seller if they sold anywhere other than ebay as I will not deal through ebay. Every single time the seller directed me to either their website or to another selling venue where they are set up and every time I purchased the item there.

I just love to do that!

Juliartz · Joined: 29 Jan 2007 Posts: 570

hblt46 wrote (View Post): › docWrite("quote")I don't sell there any longer either, but when I was, I did it all the time and never felt one bit bad about it.

I've made 7 or 8 purchases in the last month where I found the item on ebay. On every one of them, I asked the seller if they sold anywhere other than ebay as I will not deal through ebay. Every single time the seller directed me to either their website or to another selling venue where they are set up and every time I purchased the item there.

I just love to do that!
I do the exact same thing. I try very hard to NOT buy on ebay, but I do *shop* on ebay. I look to see if a seller will sell off there, and 99% I am able to get what I want w/o helping out ebay, and saving the seller some fees.

Stockmiser · Joined: 03 Jun 2006 Posts: 1146

I do this all the time as a buyer and seller.

In fact, I recently won an auction and asked the seller if they had more to selll me (off ebay), and I got a GREAT deal.

As a seller, I strongly encourage buyers to visit my website after making an ebay purchase, and send them a discount coupon.

But I have actually had a few buyers ask me to put items up on ebay - and I have done it, but I am very clear that it will cost them more and they will save money if they buy direct. If they want to pay me more for the "security" of an ebay purchase, that's their choice. I can remember a couple of buyers that went the ebay route (out of hundreds that bought direct :wink: )

hotandvintage · Joined: 09 Feb 2008 Posts: 1705

i totally agree with the sentiment, as buyers want any discount they can but ebay are trying to put every obstacle they can in stopping any contact let alone any off ebay sale, so not sure how much longer that will work.

Also did someone not get kicked off ebay for that? I am sure i read a story where a buyer sent the request to purchase off ebay and when the seller responded stating they could buy it from their website at a discount, the buyer sent the message into ebay and ebay instantly kicked the seller.

It may have been someplace else I heard it but I am sure it came up on here some time ago. I think it was round about the time BUY came on, as I am sure they came up as part of the discussion.

Which would just make me think if you are doing that you would have to be careful how you word the message.

Baconsdozen · Joined: 06 May 2008 Posts: 753

Its also nice to feel that somehow you've 'got one over' on ebay getting a sale because of them but not paying any of their horrendous fees.

Allen87 · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 32

Several times, I have buyers that want to buy more than one of my items. My usual response is "I don't know if eBay can combine all of my shipping for me, but I will, and I'll give you X Amount off (x = 5%)"

Usually, I come out a couple hundred dollars a month this way.

surplusdealdude · Joined: 07 Aug 2009 Posts: 551

I have a few buyers that simply say, "Send me a Paypal invoice".

I tell them to do a Buy it Now.

I'm not prissy about it, but my philosophy is that, if ebay has done the work to sell the product, they deserve to get paid. Fair is fair.

If the buyer wants something that I haven't listed yet, then ebay's out of luck and I don't worry about that at all, either.

beautifyinc · Joined: 29 Jan 2010 Posts: 26

well, i suggest to them using BIN because I don't want them to be worried that I am a fraud, etc, for their own security. However, if they're on to deal straight away w/o going thru' eBay, then I'm fine as well.