eBay Rant (Not Another Rip-off Story)

<<<< Gets up on soap box.

[rant] I have been a huge fan of ebay for may years. I have got more parts from there than probibly any other place. I have box's of spairs for several cars that I keep "just in case" Coil packs for my expudition (got 8 for $15), porsch parts of all kinds. But as of late things are just not the same.

1. Prices. Simple parts (that are new) that I use to get at a good deal (better than the local parts store) are now way over priced. I wanted a fule pressure regulator for my car. Prices were in the $120 range plus shipping. My local parts store can do better. DriveWire has it for $69. This is not the only part I have run into this latly. Ebay use to be my go-to place for decent parts and good prices (I dont expect thigns for free. I expect to pay a fair price). Now I am finding most items are over priced. Again this is for new parts. It is almost like peolpe are taking the on line ware house price and doubbling it and putting it up on ebay. Good buisness if people will pay I guess.

2. Ebay needs to do somthing about the multiple listings by the same seller for the same part. And to make it worse they will list the same part at different prices some with free shipping some you pay the shipping. This just gets me mad and more to the point I hate sifting through 50-300 adds for the same part from the same people. Do they think I am just going to give up and purchas it? The reality is, when this happens, I give up and don't by on eBay! ( I can read the add the first time I dont need to be told 300 times somthing is a bad deal) It is boarderline insulting if you ask me.

Ebay use to be a great reasource. It was my go to place for everything before I started searching the various parts warehouses and local parts stores. Now it is turing into the last place I go in desperation.

Yes I know Ebay is a sponcer of some of he GRM events. Yes I am probibly going to get bashed for this but in my book ebay needs to change.

So is it just me? Am I just a grumpy SOB? . . . .. Ya.... Ok ....... . .I probibly am. /rant

Me too. I look at those adds and say, "What do you think I am, a berkleying idiot?." It sours me to the point were I say screw this seller and ALL his ads. Unfortunately, E-Bay has become such a monster that the much needed re-assessing of it's policies and practices will never happen.

Look at the price for used mercedes parts on ebay, totally ridiculous. Just because the list price says 400$ doesn't make your rusty used up part worth 150$. It seems that every internet entity I used to like starts changing enough I hate it. This includes some internet TV channels i.e. justin tv, who had to make some dough to pay back their financial sponsors. The TV station does it by bombarding the consumer with intrusive adverts. Hulu is the same.

I too used to buy a lot off of ebay (and sell) from 2000 -2005-ish. Since then Craigslist took off and all the good buys and cheap sellers went off to the free ads of CL. What that has left ebay with is only the "merchants".

I can not tell you even that last time I searched ebay for a part but I have bought rims/tires off CL in the past 6 months.

I just snagged a $1000 transmission off ebay for $300 because the seller didn't know what he had, so right now I'm happy with ebay. :)

I recently bought pads, and rotors on ebay for 2 cars for roughly 30 cents on the dollar compared with my local suppliers.

I despise the multiple listings.

jrw1621 wrote: I too used to buy a lot off of ebay (and sell) from 2000 -2005-ish. Since then Craigslist took off and all the good buys and cheap sellers went off to the free ads of CL. What that has left ebay with is only the "merchants". I can not tell you even that last time I searched ebay for a part but I have bought rims/tires off CL in the past 6 months.

This. Most of the private individuals have moved on, leaving the "for profit" businesses. I still see some pretty good deals on cars, but for parts-not so much. Not to mention that the merchants are doing the same thing on eBay that they do with their internet stores..they list every single part somewhere on their site so that the search function will "ping" on their ad, regardless of whether or not they have the part you want in stock. You can easily throw away the first three pages of results, because it's the same guy trying to sell you door handles (even though you were looking for a front bumper cover).

Ebay makes money off every listing, whether it sells or not. They're not going to prevent people from putting up multiple listings.

However, it would be great if we could "block" a seller, the antithesis of "favorite." Blocking would prevent their ads from showing when we search. That would be enough for me.

I've always wanted a check box for used items from private sellers. I don't really need another venue to purchase Chinese import knock-off parts, but I'd like to find a second-hand exhaust or sway bars every now and again since they don't really wear out.

We love eBay and appreciate their sponsorship of our events when they want to be involved, but that doesn't mean their service can't be improved. Have you sent these ideas their way?

There are deals on ebay?????

I never find E36 M3 for what I am searching for. All I find are 10k+ feedback "businesses" selling the same Chinese E36 M3 at varying prices with varying shipping prices.

Brian

Tom Heath wrote: I've always wanted a check box for used items from private sellers. I don't really need another venue to purchase Chinese import knock-off parts, but I'd like to find a second-hand exhaust or sway bars every now and again since they don't really wear out.

After you search there is a "used" check box on the left side under "Condition". Check that and watch all those new crap listings disappear.

Thanks, Marty. I'd never noticed that option before.

IIRC you can also filter out a lot by filtering for items that are actually in the country. Not that I have any issue with buying items from abroad, but I also prefer not to buy Chinese knock-off parts or "Canadian Bride seats".

Don't get me started on Bride seats. I was looking for a real set (before I determined my fat a$$ wouldn't FIT) and all I saw was those stupid Bride from Taiwan or whereever knockoffs.