What percentage of ebay buyers are just plain stupid?

[bigtrain]

Recently started selling stuff on ebay. So I put up an item that has recently sold there for $250.00. Mine is damaged. I describe the damage fully in the listing and include a dozen pictures including three showing the damage. The item sells for $96.00. I' m happy. Surprise! I get an email this morning telling me that the item was received yesterday but its damaged. Of course, the damage complained of is exactly the damage I pictured and described.

[sdkammeyer]

I made an attempt to run an ebay "business" about 10 years ago and gave it up for much the same reasons. Yes, some people are just ignorant.

I recently started selling things on ebay again and sure enough, within a week I had my first "idiot". (I mean that very lightly, as we ALL make mistakes)

I was selling an item as "new open box" and clearly stated in my description that since the box was already open (this was a bathroom exhaust fan) i took everything out of the box, tested the fan, made sure all the parts/pieces were there, put everything back in the box, and sealed it back up. The buyer left me negative feedback saying "it looks like the box has been opened before and i think the fan was used".

Jeez ........ wow.

Luckily I was able to point the buyer to the big bold letters in my item description that he never read and he was able to revise the feedback. I got lucky on that one, but unfortunately I know it I won't always get lucky like that. Some people just don't read, and then get defensive when you point that out to them.

[EvilKing00]

ROFL - a few years back I sold a 1987 topps barry bonds rookie to an "idiot" he left me bad feedback saying i didnt give him a bonds rookie. i just dont get people

[thecatspajamas]

"What percentage of ebay buyers are just plain stupid?"

By my experience, licking one finger and holding in the air, I'd say about 10%. If by "just plain stupid" you mean they don't read past the listing title, don't look at the photos, don't read the description, don't understand the concept of combined shipping, don't read the description, think that low-grade/worn/used items should look brand new, don't read the description, and somehow thought they were bidding on something else. Add in those who win an auction and don't pay, make an accepted offer and don't pay, and Buy It Now and don't pay, all with zero communication, and the percentage goes up. But yeah, 10% in the collectibles world feels about right. May be higher in other categories

[D. Bergin]

With the onset of more people bidding on items through their mobile devices, who don't have experience of knowing how the auctions are set up in a larger viewing format, get ready for lots more "not reading the descriptions", or not clicking on the multiple pictures.

[Exhibitman]

50% of them are dumber than the average ebay buyer.

[thxforthebp]

I recently sold a non sports signed photo. After having the item for just about the 45 day limit. I get an email saying he didn't think the item was authentic and wants his money back plus $125 extra for his time. After I issued a refund since he was threatening negative feedback and telling this to eBay he decided now that he got his money back he didn't want to even return the item which he keep for another 2 weeks. It took me contacting the police and telling him this to have him finally return the item since he had over $500 of my money tied up for over a month with his nonsense.

[JollyElm]

There are two types of people in the world: idiots and bigger idiots.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by JollyElm

There are two types of people in the world: idiots and bigger idiots.

I had a friend who used to say everything could be grouped into two categories: 'great' and 'not so great'.

As far as ebayers, I've probably met more 'not so great' sellers than buyers.

[Michael B]

A vast majority of the buyers from me have been very good over the years. I have had 2 negatives since starting in 2000 and both were morons.

1) I got a Rawlings Official Major League ball signed by Luis Gonzalez at a sporting goods convention. I described it as such as I knew the difference between ROML, ROA and RON. They buyer complained because it was not an RON even though the description was clear. Newbie, moron with a below 20 feedback.

2) This summer sold a photo out of the Jim Wiggins collection signed by Olympic medalist and world champ boxer Lou Salica. This photo was a non-glossy photo printed on heavy paper, almost cardstock. It was described as printed on thick paper. The Brazilian buyer (ciscogu) emailed saying it was a photocopy photo and signature and he wanted his money back. He insisted that I refund his money before he returned the item. I will not do that, not for $5.00, not for $500.00. He threatened me and immediately left negative feedback. Interestingly ebay agreed with my assessent of the situation and did not refund him from my paypal. They did not remove the negative, but did send several emails letting me know their investigation found I was in the right. Solution: NO more shipping to South America even though this may have been the first, it was the last.

[cpbronco]

I guess I've been lucky. I've been selling for about a year and a half and other than a couple non-payers, I haven't had any issues. Of course, the stuff I'm usually selling is low value stuff that doesn't need any authentication or anything like that.

I have read the horror stories about sellers getting scammed and the general idiots out there who apparently can't read. Twice when selling two higher value items I had bidders sent me several messages asking about stuff that was clearly described in the listing. After the second message from each of them, I just blocked the bidders. Much easier than dealing with them after the sale.

[t206hound]

Originally Posted by thxforthebp

I recently sold a non sports signed photo. After having the item for just about the 45 day limit. I get an email saying he didn't think the item was authentic and wants his money back plus $125 extra for his time. After I issued a refund since he was threatening negative feedback and telling this to eBay he decided now that he got his money back he didn't want to even return the item which he keep for another 2 weeks. It took me contacting the police and telling him this to have him finally return the item since he had over $500 of my money tied up for over a month with his nonsense.

If you ever get a message that threatens negative feedback, you should immediately report it to ebay. I had one of those a year or so ago, reported it and eBay took care of it from there.

[drc]

My dumb encounter was I sold a wirephoto to a guy (photos shown) and he was disappointed as he thought it was going to be a slide.

[pow323]

At least 50% of the people on Ebay, the same as in this country!!!!!!!!!!

[kmac32]

My wife recently was selling a sweater on eBay. The sweater was a large upper end sweater in excellent condition. We had pictures of the sweater, tag said large and was pictured. An idiot low feedback broad bid the sweater up and we shipped it to her. We get an email from this persons daughter saying she didn't bid on the item and she didn't know how we got her address. An hour later we get an email saying her mother had used TTY account to buy it. A few days later without contacting us, the "mother" left negative feedback saying the sweater didn't fit her and couldn't be a large sweater. At no point did she ever ask for measurements on the sweater. Maybe the sweater just didn't fit her body type ( probably obese) . Of course eBay left the feedback leaving this as our only negative feedback ever. If the buyer would have contacted us, maybe we might have helped her out. Apparently she was to stupid to know how to communicate!

[BigJJ]

Ebay reversed its decision! I guess the buyer purposely shipping the item back in a box with a huge hole, and stating so in writing three times, along with photos of the box with hole, damaged bag, and hours of time, did the trick. I am amazed.

[cobblove]

Lets see the pics you took of the whole and bag?

[BigJJ]

Pics of bag are inaccessible now but here is the box with hole that the $600 delicate bag was shipped in, jostling against the shards of cardboard for nearly a week.

[esd10]

at the buisness i work in we sell are products on ebay which is a good way to get ride of overstock but man about 2/3 of the people we deal with are just plain dumb and they expect something for free.