Question:
I have considered using eBay but was concerned that my home e-mail address would start circulating and I would suddenly get on everyones SPAM list. Have you noticed if that is a problem?
I haven’t noticed an increase in SPAM due to using eBay. In general, eBay makes it relatively hard for the spammers to pick up email address lists. Posting to usenet, however, is a real SPAM attractor in my experience. Oh well, I’ve learned to delete the junk so fast I hardly even noticed it had arrived. John
Response:
Not really- I get some junk mail but no more than I had been getting before I used eBay and a lot less than I get on AOL. I probably get more off of these newsgroups than I do from eBay. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have done a lot of buying and selling on ebay (over 200 completed transactions) with very few problems. Occasionally buyers bid things up higher than they could have bought them elsewhere, which seems darn foolish to me. I have considered using eBay but was concerned that my home e-mail address would start circulating and I would suddenly get on everyones SPAM list. Have you noticed if that is a problem? "If something is worth doing, read the directions FIRST" Gary Cochran
Response:
I have used E-bay since it’s beginning…….NO PROBLEMS great place and you can go broke saving money. Terry
Response:
I can’t believe that I see people bidding $71 + some undisclosed shipping charge for the Central Machinery 5 speed drill press that Harbor Freight sells for $49.95 and free freight. . . Sorry Rob but there’s no way to outlaw stupidity.
Last week I took the time to email one poor soul who was bidding $130 for a Chicago plate joiner (Taiwanese) on sale at Harbor Freight for $65. Stupid? Maybe. Naive? Definitely. But equal blame should be spread to the unscrupulous sellers who falsely advertise their wares (e.g., no online photo but a description that makes the item sound like it fell from heaven, ridiculous claims that the item in question retails new for $900 when tool catalogues carry the identical item for $500, etc.).
Response:
I have done a lot of buying and selling on ebay (over 200 completed transactions) with very few problems. Occasionally buyers bid things up higher than they could have bought them elsewhere, which seems darn foolish to me. But then again, people often will go into store XYZ and pay a higher price than they would have at store ABC. Go figure. With the internet, it is very easy to comparison shop. An ebay bidder who doesn’t bother to check out the many online retailers is pretty much of a fool begging to give away their money. Maybe the thrill of the auction is their reward. The good news in this is that almost all woodworkers have some tools sitting around the shop in perfectly good condition which aren’t being used anymore. Things like Black&Decker jigsaws or Craftsman pad sanders which have been replaced by more, er, adequate models 
. I had exactly that situation and so I listed them on eBay. Got back about 75% of what I had originally paid for the tool. The buyer got a well cared for tool at a discount. I got cash and more space in the shop. The only ones who lost out I suppose might have been B&D or Sears, who *might* have had the chance to sell a similar tool to the buyer. So boys and girls, there is no excuse not to clear those unused tools out of the shop! John
Response:
I have done a lot of buying and selling on ebay (over 200 completed transactions) with very few problems. Occasionally buyers bid things up higher than they could have bought them elsewhere, which seems darn foolish to me.
I have considered using eBay but was concerned that my home e-mail address would start circulating and I would suddenly get on everyones SPAM list. Have you noticed if that is a problem? "If something is worth doing, read the directions FIRST" Gary Cochran
Response:
Why not just have the seller ship it UPS COLLECT?…UPS would collect the money when item delivered and then pay shipper. Just curious Lee
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Ebay does have a third party that you can use. I am not sure exactly how it works, I think the purchaser sends the money to this company, the seller ships the item to that company, company sends item and money to appropriate places. Of course you have to pay extra I’m sure but if it is something rare, well you know.. Kris Rob Weaver wrote Sorry folks – I just gotta rant for a minute. I can’t believe that I see people bidding $71 + some undisclosed shipping charge for the Central Machinery 5 speed drill press that Harbor Freight sells for $49.95 and free freight (I know, $3.05 Handling on all orders). Isn’t there a limit to stupidity? (rhetorical question mode = off) I suppose I shouldn’t go on to much about this, after all, I own C’man (insert sheepish grin here) Thanks, I feel beter now. There was a story on local TV news about a woman running a scam using Ebay. She would make some sales on Ebay, collect some money then move on to a new town and do it all over again. I would think it a bit risky to make and unsecured transaction with someone you know nothing about. They said she had bilked many thousands of $ this way. Mike McCombs
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Sorry folks – I just gotta rant for a minute. I can’t believe that I see people bidding $71 + some undisclosed shipping charge for the Central Machinery 5 speed drill press that Harbor Freight sells for $49.95 and free freight (I know, $3.05 Handling on all orders). Isn’t there a limit to stupidity? (rhetorical question mode = off) I suppose I shouldn’t go on to much about this, after all, I own C’man (insert sheepish grin here) Thanks, I feel beter now. All the best, Rob Weaver
I guess we now know why eBay’s stock has gone into orbit.
Response:
Lee, that is done on occasion but UPS charges something like $8.50 for the service which makes it cost prohibitive on some smaller items. Another problem is that the seller must prepay the freight and if the buyer doesn’t accept delivery for whatever reason, the shipper takes the beating not to mention the delay in getting his product back. I’ve seen some shippers require that the buyer send funds for the freight only then COD the balance. Not a bad solution since the shipper is protected and the buyer knows he’s getting his merchandise before parting with most of his money (assuming the box contains the product as described). – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Why not just have the seller ship it UPS COLLECT?…UPS would collect the money when item delivered and then pay shipper. Just curious Lee Ebay does have a third party that you can use. I am not sure exactly how it works, I think the purchaser sends the money to this company, the seller ships the item to that company, company sends item and money to appropriate places. Of course you have to pay extra I’m sure but if it is something rare, well you know.. Kris Rob Weaver wrote Sorry folks – I just gotta rant for a minute. I can’t believe that I see people bidding $71 + some undisclosed shipping charge for the Central Machinery 5 speed drill press that Harbor Freight sells for $49.95 and free freight (I know, $3.05 Handling on all orders). Isn’t there a limit to stupidity? (rhetorical question mode = off) I suppose I shouldn’t go on to much about this, after all, I own C’man (insert sheepish grin here) Thanks, I feel beter now. There was a story on local TV news about a woman running a scam using Ebay. She would make some sales on Ebay, collect some money then move on to a new town and do it all over again. I would think it a bit risky to make and unsecured transaction with someone you know nothing about. They said she had bilked many thousands of $ this way. Mike McCombs
Response:
Sorry folks – I just gotta rant for a minute. I can’t believe that I see people bidding $71 + some undisclosed shipping charge for the Central Machinery 5 speed drill press that Harbor Freight sells for $49.95 and free freight (I know, $3.05 Handling on all orders).
eBay is like anything else…it’s integrity is determined by the person using it. I have done ALOT of selling and purchasing on eBay. I have never attempted to rip anyone off, but sometimes the buyers do that to themselves. The first item I ever sold on ebay was an almost new Craftsman bench top saw, that I bought for $165.00. The bidding war on that saw was furious and the price quickly went up to nearly $200.00. I was a bit dismayed and felt somewhat guilty so the next time I sold an item, (a $50.00 Central Machinery Scroll saw), I told buyers right in the text of the sale that the maximum bid was $50.00. Not every seller will attempt to protect bidders from themselves, and frankly, I don’t feel that they are morally obligated to do so. Persons purchasing items on eBay have the same responsibility in terms of being wise consumers that anyone else has. Perhaps more so. Just my 2 cents worth. Robert A.
Response:
I have seen the same message in other forums. In the rec.scale.model forum they told of an auction where a $5.00 airplane model that was still being produced going for something like $29.00. You have to watch on Ebay I was tracking a few toys from Fisher Price that where no longer produced so they could go for a higher price, but I saw some toys that are still very much in stores going for higher than what you could get at Toys ‘R’ Us and you still have to pay for shipping and Handling. If you want a good laugh you should have followed the Xmas Furby fiasco. People where driving the price of a Furby to about $100 per. Once everyone who was willing to pay that price had bought theirs the market did a nose dive. It seemed that a few weeks before Christmas they where going for less than $50.00. I wonder how many people bought a ton of them at $100.00 figuring to turn a quick profit in a few days. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Sorry folks – I just gotta rant for a minute. I can’t believe that I see people bidding $71 + some undisclosed shipping charge for the Central Machinery 5 speed drill press that Harbor Freight sells for $49.95 and free freight (I know, $3.05 Handling on all orders). Isn’t there a limit to stupidity? (rhetorical question mode = off) I suppose I shouldn’t go on to much about this, after all, I own C’man (insert sheepish grin here) Thanks, I feel beter now. All the best, Rob Weaver
Response:
Sorry folks – I just gotta rant for a minute. I can’t believe that I see people bidding $71 + some undisclosed shipping charge for the Central Machinery 5 speed drill press that Harbor Freight sells for $49.95 and free freight (I know, $3.05 Handling on all orders). Isn’t there a limit to stupidity? (rhetorical question mode = off) I suppose I shouldn’t go on to much about this, after all, I own C’man (insert sheepish grin here) Thanks, I feel beter now. All the best, Rob Weaver
Response:
Rob Weaver wrote – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Sorry folks – I just gotta rant for a minute. I can’t believe that I see people bidding $71 + some undisclosed shipping charge for the Central Machinery 5 speed drill press that Harbor Freight sells for $49.95 and free freight (I know, $3.05 Handling on all orders). Isn’t there a limit to stupidity? (rhetorical question mode = off) I suppose I shouldn’t go on to much about this, after all, I own C’man (insert sheepish grin here) Thanks, I feel beter now.
There was a story on local TV news about a woman running a scam using Ebay. She would make some sales on Ebay, collect some money then move on to a new town and do it all over again. I would think it a bit risky to make and unsecured transaction with someone you know nothing about. They said she had bilked many thousands of $ this way. Mike McCombs
Response:
Sorry Rob but there’s no way to outlaw stupidity. People should know the value of things they’re bidding on and set a limit before they start so emotion can’t overrule logic. I’ve seen people pay incredibly high prices for items but I’ve also gotten some excellent buys. I’ve sold some things for less than I would have liked and also for more than I ever expected. As to scams, most of the people on eBay seem to be honest. There is a feedback system that helps protect against unscrupulous buyers/sellers and I have backed away from items because I didn’t trust the seller based on that feedback. eBay tries to stay at arms length but will pursue crooks. There are also provisions for escrow sales that protect both parties. All in all, I’ve been pleased with my dealings on eBay and have made some good on-line friends in the process. You can enjoy it but like any other monetary transaction, use common sense and caution. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Rob Weaver wrote Sorry folks – I just gotta rant for a minute. I can’t believe that I see people bidding $71 + some undisclosed shipping charge for the Central Machinery 5 speed drill press that Harbor Freight sells for $49.95 and free freight (I know, $3.05 Handling on all orders). Isn’t there a limit to stupidity? (rhetorical question mode = off) There was a story on local TV news about a woman running a scam using Ebay. She would make some sales on Ebay, collect some money then move on to a new town and do it all over again. I would think it a bit risky to make and unsecured transaction with someone you know nothing about. They said she had bilked many thousands of $ this way. Mike McCombs
Response:
Ebay does have a third party that you can use. I am not sure exactly how it works, I think the purchaser sends the money to this company, the seller ships the item to that company, company sends item and money to appropriate places. Of course you have to pay extra I’m sure but if it is something rare, well you know.. Kris – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -Rob Weaver wrote Sorry folks – I just gotta rant for a minute. I can’t believe that I see people bidding $71 + some undisclosed shipping charge for the Central Machinery 5 speed drill press that Harbor Freight sells for $49.95 and free freight (I know, $3.05 Handling on all orders). Isn’t there a limit to stupidity? (rhetorical question mode = off) I suppose I shouldn’t go on to much about this, after all, I own C’man (insert sheepish grin here) Thanks, I feel beter now. There was a story on local TV news about a woman running a scam using Ebay. She would make some sales on Ebay, collect some money then move on to a new town and do it all over again. I would think it a bit risky to make and unsecured transaction with someone you know nothing about. They said she had bilked many thousands of $ this way. Mike McCombs
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