Ebayitus…Disease…Is it incurable?

I constantly get emails and phone calls from people quoting ebay prices. It appears to be getting worse with time. No, I will not buy your equipment for ebay seller asking prices. Most of the individuals who call and want to sell their audio equipment don’t even have ebay accounts and if they do they don’t know how to search completed/sold auctions. All they can see is the absorbent asking prices of a few sellers with the same equipment they would like to sell. As previously stated, it isn’t happening from me or anyone else. Without going through the whole 9 yards ebay is a hard place to sell “working” items. One obstacle is the 180 day paypal money back guarantee and the ebay 30 day return policy. Believe me, you can can’t win, you can state “as is” even non-working till the cows come home and your still liable. Ebay / paypal will go right into your paypall account, CC, or bank account to refund a buyer. No Matter What….Even if they swipe out parts or send you back a unit that isn’t what they received.  Point being, comparing ebay to immediate cash price is like comparing apples to oranges. It’s been my experience that 99% of the people who quote ebay prices will never sell their items on ebay. It’s even complicated to set-up a selling account with dozens of preferences and pit falls.  So, what’s the point? Ebay is no longer a good reference for prices, not even comparison. When someone calls and starts in with the “I saw it on ebay line” I pretty much tell them to give ebay a shot. Then they take off 15%-20% off the ebay price, lol. Oh thanks, now I will lose only 80% of my money selling on this venue. Yes, that’s the only place to sell your equipment for profit, but…you better have a lot of money reserves for returns and patience because it’s a real JOB. And Not a fun one at that.  I pay approximately 1/3-1/4 of median ebay sold prices for that item. And even at that % ebay is risky business. That’s right, If I sell on ebay I have to pay fees, pack, ship, repair, write a description, take pictures and honor ebays/paypals money back guarantee. Ebay was once the most awesome of sites on the web. Now with all the anti-seller rules and forced guarantees/returns on half century old equipment it’s no longer a viable option for a seller. As I am writing this blog I am waiting for two return units to arrive at my front door. One is $300.00, the other $450.00. I know the deal already. At least one amplifier will have been raped of its power transistors and the buyers burnt out transistors will be substituted in my unit. The other will come back to me all banged up because it weighs 76lbs and the person sending it back won’t pack it properly. Dealing with the carriers insurance is not a walk in the park so I might not even put in a claim if the unit is smashed up. They punish you in other ways by taking away your business discount, etc. for too many claims.  So in essence I lost $750.00 this week regardless of how much I paid for the two units. So if you feel you deserve even near “ebay asking price.” I wish you good luck and will even give you some pointers!