Online Auctions - Pet Peeves & Positives

[Super]

That may be so but I would think a relative size picture would be inside the listing and not the main pictures as nobody can see what the item for sale is to want to know its relative size.

That may be so but I would think a relative size picture would be inside the listing and not the main pictures as nobody can see what the item for sale is to want to know its relative size.

Oh yeah, I totally agree! It's really poor way to attract a potential buyer's attention.

[Super]

As A Buyer
Sellers that say that they can only ship on the weekends because they are too busy with work during the week. Now I can appreciate someone who is too busy during the week and can't get packages to the Post Office before they close and I also appreciate them stating this in their listings.
BUT WHY WOULD THEY END THEIR LISTINGS ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY and have the buyer wait a week for their item to be shipped then wait another 4 or 5 days for the Post Office to deliver the package making it a week and a half, or more, before its delivered? Furthermore since Saturday is the only day on the weekend the Post Office is open and the hours are limited, if you miss them then the package will take over 2 weeks. Seller, wake up, have your listings end on Thursday and/or Fridays so you can get them to the Post Office on Saturday morning....Geesh...is that so hard to think of?

do you guys not have any decent courier services over there? back in the early days of trademe [our ebay], we had the same post issue. even worse, i remember before the days of internet banking spending ages trotting between the different banks in town, doing manual deposits for stuff i had won. now, that side is streamlined, and the people who use trademe as a business have couriers collect from their door at least once a day, sometimes twice. no more post shop visits needed.

as a buyer:
asking a question on a listing that will be the decider as to whether i buy or not. eventually get a reply, and the seller is out of town, cannot check the item to answer my question and wont be back until after the listing closes.

[Super]

No, no courier services here, at least that I have heard of, only the Post Office, UPS, FedEx, DHL. Which I believe all have pick up services but these sellers aren't home to schedule them I guess and just leaving them on the porch is very risky in these days with the porch bandits.

Yes having questions that can't be answered is annoying. What I don't understand that with todays technology why can't they get an Email alert to a question and answer it wherever they are. They can still show they are on vacation and items won't be shipped until the day they return.

[Super]

No, no courier services here

I stand corrected. As a Seller I have used Ebay's Global Shipping Program to send packages overseas but have never had it come in the opposite direction to me as a Buyer, until recently that is. Receiving a package from the UK using the Global Shipping program I saw a couple of Courier names I have never heard of before tracked all the way to my Local Post Office where they dropped off my package for home delivery..

[Super]

I cringe every time I see this in a Listing on the Japan Auctions...

"Shop tax (8%) will apply separately"

I understand why they have to do it but I still cringe adding 8% of the sale price when I am already adding in the extra Fees, Commissions and double shipping.

[Super]

Once again I was involved in a ridiculous Auction that had a 'Reserve Price' on it .............why do sellers like to waste the bidders time let alone their own time using this wasted type system as they will not make any more money than they would if they started their listing at their 'Reserve Price' This particular Auction starting Bid was 1 yen and personally my last minute Bid was in the hundreds of dollars but when the auction ended apparently nobody reached their 'Mystery' figure and it was relisted starting at 1 yen again.

For example: If I won't take anything less that $200 for my item, why would I start my auction a penny with a Hidden Reserve Price of $200? Only to have to constantly re-list it time and again. Why would anyone want to do that?? The best way to get what you want and maybe more is to start the Auction at $200 which is the minimum you would take and have no Reserve. This way you not only will have a better shot at getting at least the least you will take, you will get only serious bidders and weed out the nickle and dimers.

I have said it before, that 'Reserve Auctions' only work at the Auction Houses where the number you bid is the number you pay. Not like Online Auctions where no matter how high your bid is it only shows as just one place higher than the last bid. For example....If I bid $1000 on a $5 auction, the Listing shows me as the new highest bidder at $1 higher than that $5 bidder whereas at the Auction House, my $1000 bid now takes that Auction to $1000 and the next bidder will have to bid higher than that.

Furthermore.....If you do feel the need to List with a Reserve, wouldn't it make more sense to start your re-listing at the highest bidder was at that didn't reach your mystery number the first time? That way at least the bidders know that your Reserve is higher than that. Its just irresponible to re-list the same thing at 1 yen let alone just plain stupid IMO.

Sorry for the Rant but......I just don't get the benefits of this unless wasting of peoples time including the sellers.