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[bkenobi]

I don't think Ive seen this discussion here, but maybe theres already a thread.  If so, sorry.

I may be alone here, but I've been seeing ebay transition from a place one can easily find a wide range of products unavailable locally and for a fair price into a den of cheats and scams.  I'm mostly referring to the bait and switch advertising they now make possible through what I assume is a loophole.

In order to make a single ad that covers multiple options (size, color, etc), ebay made a dropdown available to sellers.  This is a good thing really.  Since differences could affect the price, they allow the change to adjust the price.  That is also reasonable.

However, it has become increasingly difficult to find the product desired especially when sorting by price.  That's because some sellers (read everybody from China from the looks of it), seems to add a plastic flower to the ad which costs $0.01 (yes, a slight exaggeration).

Has anyone found a solution?  I've tried different search and filter approaches and have been looking at other sights also.  I just go stung for a second time this year by the ad being so confusing I ordered the wrong product entirely somehow.  The ad says the model number but he default option was the lower model I assume.  Since it was from China, I had to wait weeks to find out which is the most annoying part!

I may just get prime and stop buying from ebay entirely especially if the state tax exemption goes away.

[dhouston]

I may just get prime and stop buying from ebay entirely especially if the state tax exemption goes away.

Over the past year or so Chinese vendors have learned how to game the system. Using AliExpress, I had one vendor send me 50 long outdated ICs that were totally unrelated to the ones I ordered. In another case the tracking number indicated my package was delivered - 3000 miles from where I live. After wasting 2-3 days trying to navigate their complaint process I gave up - I doubt any humanoid has ever successfully filed a complaint let alone received a refund. These were small transactions so I just stopped using AliExpress.

I've seen similar issues with Chinese vendors on EBay (where I avoid items shipped from China) and even through Amazon (where it's not easy to see when an item will come from China. I try to buy only Prime or items sold by others but shipped by Amazon.

[Knightrider]

Seen it. The $10 option is out of stock, so you need to buy the $50 option .

[brobin]

When searching for a product on ebay the first thing I do is click "US Only" under the "Item Location" filter.  Only if the US prices are more than I want to spend and I don't mind waiting and rolling the dice on what I get, do I look at the Chinese sourced items.  That said, I have ordered from the Chinese sources on ebay and haven't had any problems.  At least with ebay & Amazon you have recourse. AliExpress not so much.  On ebay I will not order from any seller with less than a 99% rating.
 Lately I've found that Amazon usually has prices that are as good as or better than ebay on a lot of items.  Like Dave, I did get scammed on a Chinese sourced item on Amazon but they refunded my money promptly.  The scam works like this: You order the item and promptly receive a tracking number. Since it's coming from China you know you have to wait. Eventually you see it clears customs and, in my case, made it to the expected USPS distribution center in my state.  Then you see it's out for delivery but to a different city. The actual recipient receives something worthless (like a plastic flower or hairpin).  At this point the "seller" is long gone and has the money. At least Amazon's "A to Z Guarantee" process is fairly easy and they will issue a refund within a few days.
 As for the ebay drop downs, yes, they require extra scrutiny as they often show a lowball price for an unrelated option so that they appear at the top of the list when the "Lowest Price First" filter is used.  Best to skip the listings that show a price range since they're rarely a good deal.
 BTW, if you're going to get Prime (it's worth it) do it now as the price is going up $20 on May 11th!  Also, if you have Prime and your guaranteed delivery date is missed - even by just a day - call and report it and get a 1 month extension on your Prime membership.

[BackAgain]

However, it has become increasingly difficult to find the product desired especially when sorting by price.  That's because some sellers (read everybody from China from the looks of it), seems to add a plastic flower to the ad which costs $0.01 (yes, a slight exaggeration).

Has anyone found a solution?  I've tried different search and filter approaches and have been looking at other sights also.


I may just get prime and stop buying from ebay entirely especially if the state tax exemption goes away.

The plastic flower is not an exaggeration.  There was a seller that included one of those cheap spinner toys among tech items normally selling for $20 or more.  The spinner toy was sold out so you couldn't order it however.

One 'fix' that floats around the Community Boards there is this.  Once you have everything else set and know what price range the item you want SHOULD fall into ($25-30), set something just below that ($15) as the lowest price to include ($15 min - 50 max).  Your sort by 'lowest price' should then be above the trinkets.


I'm doing just the opposite and turning away from AMZ.  I prefer to buy from small business people like many of the sellers on E than a mega corporation run by a gazillionaire.

[HA Dave]

...... I've been seeing ebay transition from a place one can easily find a wide range of products unavailable locally and for a fair price into a den of cheats and scams. 

Retail has never been static.... and never will be. Even though we are individuals..... we purchase with a herd mentality. So retailers will always be catering to how we want to shop.... and trying to win the competition to sell to us. The crooks and scammers are merely a result of the difficulties of marketing. Some sellers will always be willing to lie and cheat.... maybe... just to make payroll.

EBay, Amazon, Sears and Roebuck, even General Motors..... sooner or later will close their doors.

[JeffVolp]

Two of the last three products I purchased on eBay came in Amazon boxes with "gift" notices inside.  One was a book, and the other was a package of electric fence insulators.  Apparently people are using Amazon as a drop shipper for their eBay sales, probably taking advantage of Prime to offer free shipping.

It looks like eBay is just becoming a sales front end for drop shippers.

Jeff

[dhouston]

Two of the last three products I purchased on eBay came in Amazon boxes with "gift" notices inside.

I recently experienced  just the opposite - an order to Amazon came from Walmart. The seller merely ordered the item from Walmart and had Walmart ship it to me. It even included the packing slip with the price which was about 7% less than I paid Amazon.

[HA Dave]

Two of the last three products I purchased on eBay came in Amazon boxes with "gift" notices inside.......

I recently experienced  just the opposite - an order to Amazon came from Walmart...…...

I think you both just experienced the fringe of the "just in time" warehouse scheme.... and the newer on-line "virtual store". Very little is universally like in the old days. And in some ways.... that's kinda sad. While out riding today I noticed the number of delivery trucks (UPS, FedEx, and USPS)...… everywhere. People... (apparently US too)…. enjoy our on-line shopping.


And now that I think about. My very first on-line purchase..... was with X10. 

[BackAgain]

My first wasn't X-10, but I can't recall what it was.  I remember the daily (or more often) X-10 spam that plugged up my inbox quota though.


I Neg sellers who dropship.

There have been reports on the eBay boards that if you complain to Amazon and they confirm the seller misused their Prime account, SOME people have received credits or Gift Cards for $10-15, though others have said they didn't get one.

[JeffVolp]

I think you both just experienced the fringe of the "just in time" warehouse scheme.... and the newer on-line "virtual store".

Another one yesterday...  I had ordered a small wall-mount 12V power supply on eBay, and yesterday received a notice that the Amazon warehouse was out of stock even though their eBay listing still says more than 10 available.  I gave them the OK to cancel and issue a refund, but then they said the order was cancelled because something was wrong with my shipping address.  Then to top it off, it appeared to be a US seller (hldb) with inventory in California, but the name on the PayPal refund notice was in Chinese characters.

I started looking for an alternate supply.  As you can guess there are hundreds listed.  But then if you look at the other products they are offering, it includes all sorts of widgets like one would find in a dollar store.  So clearly these are all fronts for drop shippers too.  I finally chose one that included photos of a warehouse with an actual physical address in Florida.

Jeff

[dave w]

I gave them the OK to cancel and issue a refund, but then they said the order was cancelled because something was wrong with my shipping address. 

I have had very similar experience, only when the cancellation notice came through, it said "Order was cancelled by the buyer." I don't care, but I wondered why the seller blamed me, when they said they were out of stock(?).

[Brian H]

If the buyer cancels the order. It probably doesn't ding the seller and maybe dings the buyer.

I have also received an eBay order shipped from Amazon. I suspected they had an Amazon Marketplace store and an eBay account. Shipping from their Amazon Marketplace Store.

[BackAgain]

but I wondered why the seller blamed me, when they said they were out of stock(?).

OOS Cancellations are very serious, sometimes account fatal dings.

[HA Dave]

…... I remember the daily (or more often) X-10 spam that plugged up my inbox quota though.

X10 when a LOT further than just spam.... they pushed (or users involuntary pulled...) pop-ups! It was awful for a short while.

This isn't the first bout of click-stores either! Bill Gates drove the first wave of click-based attempts at earnings with his predictions that those who jumped in with on-line ventures first.... would prosper in the long term. The idea Bill Gate sold was first on-line would be like Sears and Roebuck in future years. Kmart (if you remember Kmart) even jumped in with both feet (1998?).... giving away FREE dial-up Internet (they called Blue light). You just had to put up with the Kmart sale ad's.