The Ebay/Gamestop/Craiglist/Amazon/Goodwill/etc rant thread

[Tanooki | 4,934]

Yeah ebay has broken pretty badly, and I can't quite tell if it's the mobile or web version that's more jacked up.

I would look for something and I'd get the full under best match.  But if I dared ever try to sort from low to high or when it ends, sudden the number shrinks by anything from a bit to a lot?!  I saw more posts on atariage about it, now a debate is going.  My best guess is they're taking their best match bs to the next level to make sure they can scam more optional charges out of people along with strong arming more sellers into doing their shady as shit best customer practices.  You know where someone can just go 'I don't like this...' and you pay for a return up to 2 weeks or a month whatever it is after the fact, not them, you, even if it's just a halfass non-defective excuse.  There are a few other gems as well, I refused to use them for the last few years there before I quit.

From what I saw if you aren't best match, you're dropped, maybe not exclusively dropped, but you're third tier, second would be what I would have stayed at, power seller rated for quality but not paying into their scam racket for best match.  Nothing else to me make sense fiddling with it, they're excluding people who don't pay extra and don't meet their power seller rating the most, then power people in the middle, and best match gets a free ride.

[twiztor | 851]

18 hours ago, RH said:

Ugh…. Has eBay broken anyone else’s saved searches?

I have about 50 saved searches and probably 3/4 of them send me an email if anything pops up under that search.  Some of these items are semi-common and I’m either waiting for a cheap deal OR I do it to hunt rare variants.  Other saved searches are for those super-rare items that pop up once a year or less.

Well starting a couple of days ago I went from getting an average of about 8-10 eBay emails a day to 15-20.  Glancing at the results, my search results went from returning a typical 1-5 items to some of them returning 20-100!  What happened? Well it looks like eBay converted their matching process from an exact match to fuzzy-search logic.

I didn’t ask for this.  Most of my searches are now useless.  I kid you not, there are some searches for rare items that would return a bit about once every 2-3 months, and this one specific one has over 100 hits a day.  That’s because the unique word is about 3 characters away from a common word. So frustrating.

i had a similar thing happen. i only have a handful of saved searches, so this may be too much work for you, but i had to redo every saved search. and not just once. had to play around with it (adding/removing spaces inside the quotation marks, etc.) until it stopped giving me dozens of results for an item that generally only shows up once every couple months. pain in the ass.

[avatar! | 1,812]

23 hours ago, RH said:

Ugh…. Has eBay broken anyone else’s saved searches?

ebay once had customer service in the USA, and for a long time now everything has been outsourced. Their searches don't work properly at all. If you post an item it may or may not even be searchable. Saved searches and other features break or just don't work. Sometimes I'll do a search and it will say something like 150 items found. Then I'll go from "best match" to "ending soonest" and it will either drop that amount by a lot or add too it. So basically, ebay is a giant crapshow, but most of us already knew that.

[RH | 4,904]

9 hours ago, twiztor said:

i had a similar thing happen. i only have a handful of saved searches, so this may be too much work for you, but i had to redo every saved search. and not just once. had to play around with it (adding/removing spaces inside the quotation marks, etc.) until it stopped giving me dozens of results for an item that generally only shows up once every couple months. pain in the ass.

Thanks.  The eye roll was because you’re probably right.  Not mad at you, just agitated with the process.

[Tabonga | 2,318]

i ordered this from Best Buy:

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/martian-panic-bundle-nintendo-switch/6522134.p?skuId=6522134

The game arrived today but no ray gun.   No messages that they wouldn't arrive together.   I chatted online with someone who was obviously overseas and did not have a clue. They suggested I call customer support.   Not much luck there either since they put me on hold which was actually a disconnect.

I found a support forum which is supposed to be supported by Best Buy.   After various adventures there I managed to get signed up and pm'd one of the moderators there.  Whilst there I did notice lots of complaints about the customer service (or more accurately lack of it).

I suspect that they may have made an error - the game by itself goes for $39.99 and everyone else is now listing the bundle for $49.99.  The truth be told I was as interested in the gun as the game.

i will go to one of the stores  tomorrow and rattle their cage - if worse comes to worse I will return it then and reorder elsewhere.

Hell of a way to run a business.

Update  - the person at the support forum got back to me - she is going to reorder for me.   I may actually do ok on this.  The original ad for best buy shows a physical copy with the bundle whereas everyone else is now advertising a downloadable code with the bundle (still on pre-order everywhere else).  So with any luck I will get the replacement bundle and keep the physical copy.

Second update - I got the order (free) copy and I will be getting the gun without the downloadable code - Amazon and Best Buy list it at $25 dollars so I will do ok.  Looks like those haven't started shipping yet (the guns are still on pre-order) but I am willing to wait all things being taken into consideration.

--------------------------------------------

The gun arrived today (Friday 21st) - so all's well that end's well!

Edited October 21, 2022 by Tabonga

[avatar! | 1,812]

ebays search function has progressively been getting worse and worse, which is really quite amazing because I was sure the crappiness would bottom-out, but ebay proved me wrong!

As just one example, I looked up a book title, and there were maybe around 50 hits. I then clicked on "newly listed" and it went to zero! Why? because the search title automatically got mangled! It was such a silly error that it was funny. I don't know how ebay is doing, but I shop much less, because among the reasons, over the years they're just getting worse and worse and more difficult to deal with. I avoid them whenever possible.

I doubt I'll ever be rich, but if I were, I would absolutely invest millions into building an alternative to ebay.

Edited October 25, 2022 by avatar!

[Tulpa | 3,505]

1 hour ago, avatar! said:

I doubt I'll ever be rich, but if I were, I would absolutely invest millions into building an alternative to ebay.

The biggest obstacle is getting enough traction with a new platform, and that won't happen when eBay already has millions of users and billions of items. Most users either don't see the problems we see, or they're willing to put up with the annoyances to get a $5 knickknack. It would have to be an established company like Amazon or WalMart, able to get a ton of merchandise available on day one in order to pull it off. Some startup coding a new platform from scratch isn't going to cut it, even if the site is technically superior.

Edited October 25, 2022 by Tulpa

[avatar! | 1,812]

17 hours ago, Tulpa said:

The biggest obstacle is getting enough traction with a new platform, and that won't happen when eBay already has millions of users and billions of items. Most users either don't see the problems we see, or they're willing to put up with the annoyances to get a $5 knickknack. It would have to be an established company like Amazon or WalMart, able to get a ton of merchandise available on day one in order to pull it off. Some startup coding a new platform from scratch isn't going to cut it, even if the site is technically superior.

I think if you get enough traction, and you could by incentivizing both sellers and buyers, it would catch on. For instance, instead of having all these weird tiers that ebay does, and ultimately they always seem to get at least 15% of an item's value, I would have it so that anything sold is a flat 10% cost. Technically, that's 50% cheaper than selling on ebay. Also, you can absolutely make good money by charging 10% - ebay simply has no competition so they keep raising prices.

Most users either don't see the problems we see, or they're willing to put up with the annoyances to get a $5 knickknack.

Why do you assume most users do not face similar problems? I think they do. I do agree they put up with annoyances because there is no viable alternative. I'm honestly shocked that amazon has not set up an auction site, I know if I were in charge I would have done so long ago.

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

As someone who spends a shit ton of money on ebay buying things, I’ve never run into any of the complaints I constantly see online. 
 

So no chance I am moving to a new sketchy site. 

[Tulpa | 3,505]

19 minutes ago, avatar! said:

I think if you get enough traction, and you could by incentivizing both sellers and buyers, it would catch on. For instance, instead of having all these weird tiers that ebay does, and ultimately they always seem to get at least 15% of an item's value, I would have it so that anything sold is a flat 10% cost. Technically, that's 50% cheaper than selling on ebay. Also, you can absolutely make good money by charging 10% - ebay simply has no competition so they keep raising prices.

 

The problem is you still don't have enough starting inventory to get people to jump ship to the new platform. Without that, it's a non-starter. People go with the items are, and items go where the people are. Maybe in 1998 you could have had a startup eBay-but-better, but in 2022, it's a chicken or the egg scenario.

Unless you have tons of a variety of inventory to start with, you're going to be small potatoes like Mercari.

It doesn't matter what your site has to offer, if you're not rapidly, and I mean in a matter of days, getting people to your site, it's dead in the water.

19 minutes ago, avatar! said:

Why do you assume most users do not face similar problems? I think they do.

I didn't say they don't face similar problems, I said they don't "see" similar problems, in that the problems they encounter aren't on their radar as problems. They're just after that $5 deal and put up with a lot.

And yes, Amazon is the company that would probably have the traction to take on eBay, but they seem content with their Marketplace and to rule that roost. They and eBay seem to be okay with being the duopoly of online random merchandise commerce.

Ali Express would probably be another site, but that's pretty sketch. I imagine they'd just become eBay 2.0 and we'd be right back where we started.

Edited October 25, 2022 by Tulpa

[darkchylde28 | 1,546]

1 hour ago, MrWunderful said:

As someone who spends a shit ton of money on ebay buying things, I’ve never run into any of the complaints I constantly see online.

So no chance I am moving to a new sketchy site. 

I mostly agree with you here, but I have run into a decent amount of the complaints folks have posted about in 25 years of using eBay.

That being said, beyond things that are totally outside of the buyer's control (lost shipments, seller sent wrong item, damaged in shipment, seller didn't ship via stated method and/or add insurance, etc.), many of the complaints I see are pretty petty when you get right down to it, and if such picking of nits were expressed in a different forum (buying cars, for example), plenty of folks wouldn't hesitate to call those buyers (or potential buyers) "Karens."  A ton of these types of complaints could be easily avoided by the buyer just moving along at the first sign that the seller isn't going to end over backwards to please them, but eBay's "buyers can do no wrong" policy seems to encourage bad decision making in these situations, leading to a ton of easily avoidable complaints.

As for a new site, I might give it a shot, but similarly to how eBay eventually got their stuff locked down, any such new site would really need to tied at the hip with a payment processor with bulletproof security (similar to, but not necessarily being PayPal) as well as safety policies that were more or less in lockstep with eBay's (e.g. if the seller claims they shipped something but can't prove it and the buyer doesn't get it, the buyer gets their money back, no arguments).  With stuff like that in place, a new site would definitely have room to grow, as it would mostly be shining a light on all the important bits and doing all they could to push any hint of sketchiness away from them.

[MrWunderful | 2,927]

58 minutes ago, darkchylde28 said:

I mostly agree with you here, but I have run into a decent amount of the complaints folks have posted about in 25 years of using eBay.

That being said, beyond things that are totally outside of the buyer's control (lost shipments, seller sent wrong item, damaged in shipment, seller didn't ship via stated method and/or add insurance, etc.), many of the complaints I see are pretty petty when you get right down to it, and if such picking of nits were expressed in a different forum (buying cars, for example), plenty of folks wouldn't hesitate to call those buyers (or potential buyers) "Karens."  A ton of these types of complaints could be easily avoided by the buyer just moving along at the first sign that the seller isn't going to end over backwards to please them, but eBay's "buyers can do no wrong" policy seems to encourage bad decision making in these situations, leading to a ton of easily avoidable complaints.

As for a new site, I might give it a shot, but similarly to how eBay eventually got their stuff locked down, any such new site would really need to tied at the hip with a payment processor with bulletproof security (similar to, but not necessarily being PayPal) as well as safety policies that were more or less in lockstep with eBay's (e.g. if the seller claims they shipped something but can't prove it and the buyer doesn't get it, the buyer gets their money back, no arguments).  With stuff like that in place, a new site would definitely have room to grow, as it would mostly be shining a light on all the important bits and doing all they could to push any hint of sketchiness away from them.

I think a lot of is has to do with change, and people Feeling entitled about using other people’s services. They are Karens, but its ok to be a Karen. Just be prepared to get called out on it. 
 

“ebay used to do search this way, but now it does it x”

 

I want to say well “dont use it then”  
 

or my favorite is when normies talk about how terrible eBay is run as a company and how its a failure or whatever lol. Like the guy with a noskill low Paying job who can’t afford his kids should be commenting on how a $1 billion company is run. 
 

But I guess this is the spot for it!

[Tabonga | 2,318]

I got an email from Amazon saying that a delivery from DHL couldn't be delivered.  And to contact DHL.  No mention of what package it was  or the order number (I order lots of things from Amazon) or what problem they had - I have been home all day and night and I am always within  20 feet of the main door.  I suspected it was my Sega Mini II - which i later verified.

I linked on the link they gave me to DHL and it said that I had to link back to Amazon since DHL's deliveries were finished by Amazon's delivery service. So I followed that and then tracked down the order (I ordered it quite awhile ago) on their form to inquire about it.   I had them call me and got a call from what I assume was overseas somewhere.   

They were given the reason that there was no occupant repsonse when they attempted to deliver.  Also they gave two delivery attempts - one at 6:46 pm today and one for an attempted delivery at 12:45 am tomorrow morning.  (The email was at 6:58 pm today.)

Maybe Doc Brown tried (or would that be he is going to try?) to deliver it!

In any event they are supposed to deliver between 6 and 11 tomorrow morning.  Assuming they can be bothered to knock on the door that is............ 

 

Edited October 29, 2022 by Tabonga

[austin532 | 467]

Update on my GC situation. After calling the buyers bluff they remained quiet for a few weeks and a few days ago requested to send it back. I get it back today and it works fine.....

They never sent me pictures of it not working like I asked and the fact that they remained silent makes me wonder if they just played this for awhile, got bored, and sent it back. Either that or their discs that are supposedly in good condition are scratched to hell.

[Tabonga | 2,318]

Bah - I got brushed with an Amazon package from China this morning and online Amazon says they want you to report it by contacting customer service - after reporting several times that I needed "something else" at the bottom of several lists they sent me off to an online assistant type deal - which was even worse.  You would think that if they really wanted it reported that there would be a specific form to report brushing.

And I am not quite sure what I am going to do with a  Christmas blind box of advent ducks.....

[LeatherRebel5150 | 1,056]

1 hour ago, Tabonga said:

Bah - I got brushed with an Amazon package from China this morning and online Amazon says they want you to report it by contacting customer service - after reporting several times that I needed "something else" at the bottom of several lists they sent me off to an online assistant type deal - which was even worse.  You would think that if they really wanted it reported that there would be a specific form to report brushing.

And I am not quite sure what I am going to do with a  Christmas blind box of advent ducks.....

What is brushed/brushing?

[Tabonga | 2,318]

12 minutes ago, LeatherRebel5150 said:

What is brushed/brushing?

Brushing is when a seller (usually on Amazon) will use your name/address to send you (unordered) cheap goods of some sort and then leave glowing feedback via a fake account (using your name and address) to boost their ratings.  (They usually don't try to charge you - which is why the goods are really cheap - and the way the postal agreements between China and the US are they usually pay almost nothing for shipping.)  As far as I know the practice first came to prominence when people started to get small unordered packages of weird seeds from China.

Edited November 11, 2022 by Tabonga

[avatar! | 1,812]

9 hours ago, Tabonga said:

Bah - I got brushed with an Amazon package from China this morning and online Amazon says they want you to report it by contacting customer service - after reporting several times that I needed "something else" at the bottom of several lists they sent me off to an online assistant type deal - which was even worse.  You would think that if they really wanted it reported that there would be a specific form to report brushing.

And I am not quite sure what I am going to do with a  Christmas blind box of advent ducks.....

I've had that happen. If you can find the seller that did it, leave negative feedback. You can also leave a negative review of the product on amazon, I know scammy sellers from China hate that... which is good

[Tabonga | 2,318]

20 minutes ago, avatar! said:

I've had that happen. If you can find the seller that did it, leave negative feedback. You can also leave a negative review of the product on amazon, I know scammy sellers from China hate that... which is good

Unfortunately there is no return address - and that order doesn't appear on my order list - so I suspect they simply used my name and address on a totally dummy account (maybe made it to look like a drop ship)  so there is no way to track what went down. There is what I assume is a delivery ticket but that is worthless unless I could contact Amazon - they might be able to do something with that.

[Tabonga | 2,318]

On 11/11/2022 at 6:05 PM, avatar! said:

I've had that happen. If you can find the seller that did it, leave negative feedback. You can also leave a negative review of the product on amazon, I know scammy sellers from China hate that... which is good

Mystery solved - a friend just sent me an email saying that she had that package drop shipped to me.

[Mega Tank | 961]

3 hours ago, Tabonga said:

Mystery solved - a friend just sent me an email saying that she had that package drop shipped to me.

You should ask her what she's going to do with a blind box of advent ducks

[Tabonga | 2,318]

9 minutes ago, Mega Tank said:

You should ask her what she's going to do with a blind box of advent ducks

Heh - she bought them for me - we are just that sort of friends......

(The gift has much more to do with the ducks rather than the advent aspect.)

[Mega Tank | 961]

11 minutes ago, Tabonga said:

Heh - she bought them for me - we are just that sort of friends......

(The gift has much more to do with the ducks rather than the advent aspect.)

 

On 11/11/2022 at 10:28 AM, Tabonga said:

 

And I am not quite sure what I am going to do with a  Christmas blind box of advent ducks.....

 

[Tabonga | 2,318]

2 minutes ago, Mega Tank said:

 

 

Since I now know the true provenance they will be placed in a place of honor - which translates to somewhere safe from cat depridations (who has already showed an unhealthy interest in them).  

[FireHazard51 | 2,043]

13 hours ago, Tabonga said:

Heh - she bought them for me - we are just that sort of friends......

(The gift has much more to do with the ducks rather than the advent aspect.)

What kind of lame friend drop ships ducks.....

Spoiler

Great friend drop ships a giant box of BBQ chips