All Forum Comments
Comment by bretbysteve posted on Logging-in problems at 16/06/2008 - 20:30
Hi,
As Canon and Nikon have more or less totally dominated the 35mm pro market for decades, I am not aware of ANY pro hire centre in the UK being financially viable enough to hire any Pentax gear...including London...
cheers Steve.M.
As Canon and Nikon have more or less totally dominated the 35mm pro market for decades, I am not aware of ANY pro hire centre in the UK being financially viable enough to hire any Pentax gear...including London...
cheers Steve.M.
Comment by bretbysteve posted on hiring equipment in london at 20/06/2008 - 14:40
Hi,
There are now yet more changes designed to make sellers lives more hassle.
You now not only have to offer paypoo (which actually means being forced to accept it) but sellers can no longer choose whether or not to ship to unconfirmed addresses. Paypal confirmed addresses were brought in to make security better..but they are now making it obligatory for sellers to ignore this..leaving sellers even less secure when sending items.
In other words, paypal confirmed addresses are now totally redundant and pointless.
Also...should you accept cheque/PO's on ebay, you now have to accept them from ANYWHERE in the globe...you can no longer specify 'cheques from UK only'....so if a buyer in Indonesia wants to send you a cheque made out in guango beans...you have to accept it.
The inmates have truly taken over the asylum now...
cheers Steve.M.
There are now yet more changes designed to make sellers lives more hassle.
You now not only have to offer paypoo (which actually means being forced to accept it) but sellers can no longer choose whether or not to ship to unconfirmed addresses. Paypal confirmed addresses were brought in to make security better..but they are now making it obligatory for sellers to ignore this..leaving sellers even less secure when sending items.
In other words, paypal confirmed addresses are now totally redundant and pointless.
Also...should you accept cheque/PO's on ebay, you now have to accept them from ANYWHERE in the globe...you can no longer specify 'cheques from UK only'....so if a buyer in Indonesia wants to send you a cheque made out in guango beans...you have to accept it.
The inmates have truly taken over the asylum now...
cheers Steve.M.
Comment by bretbysteve posted on If you sell on evilbay...huge changes now, so be careful.. at 28/06/2008 - 14:57
Hiya,
Did not expect the thread to last this long!
"What eBay could have done is to ban sellers from leaving negative feedback for buyers who paid by PayPal in full and on time"
Pete..this is unworkable. A seller can get a chargeback via paypal months after the payment is received...and who decides it is on time? If a buyer pays with an Echeque via paypal, they can take as long as THREE WEEKS to be cleared by paypal.
Also...the previous poster who has 'only sold a bit'..if you sell regularly, your views may well change...especially with the new changes.
Non paying bidders have always been allowed to still leave any feedback they like, including negative...I have always disagreed with this nonsense and still do. It needs changing.
cheers Steve.M.
Did not expect the thread to last this long!
"What eBay could have done is to ban sellers from leaving negative feedback for buyers who paid by PayPal in full and on time"
Pete..this is unworkable. A seller can get a chargeback via paypal months after the payment is received...and who decides it is on time? If a buyer pays with an Echeque via paypal, they can take as long as THREE WEEKS to be cleared by paypal.
Also...the previous poster who has 'only sold a bit'..if you sell regularly, your views may well change...especially with the new changes.
Non paying bidders have always been allowed to still leave any feedback they like, including negative...I have always disagreed with this nonsense and still do. It needs changing.
cheers Steve.M.
Comment by bretbysteve posted on If you sell on evilbay...huge changes now, so be careful.. at 05/06/2008 - 14:08
Hiya,
" But I've never had any buyers that caused me SERIOUS problems. The worst that generally happens is non payment or slow payment"
Pete..you have been lucky so far...some stories:
1. I sold a Contax lens (£200) to a USA buyer (an EOS user). He paid with paypal within 48 hrs. I sent the lens...and heard nothing. Next I know, he is mailing me 6 days later to say he has returned the lens as it is no good for him and wants an immediate refund. Turns out, he bought about 7 Contax & Leica lenses from 4 different sellers in one week, then finds out they may not work on his EOS, so he refuses delivery on the doorstep of all of them, without asking, or telling the sellers first. He then demands instant refunds and tries paypal chargebacks to do so.
I mail to say, when the item is back, you get your refund. This goes on for weeks. My lens does not show after 6 weeks...another sellers two Leica lenses do not show either (lots of checking out reveals the other unhappy sellers). We now suspect a fraud. The item finally turns up after 2 months...after paypal have already forced me to refund this idiot. Turns out he is an American doctor and thinks he can walk all over people to get his way. I leave a neg f/b (obviously) and get a retaliation one back..should this happen now, I am unable to warn others of this fool....he disappeared off ebay a little later.
2. I buy a lens from a UK business dealer (never again)..it turns up with fungus or haze inside after being declared 'has no issues'. I say I need to return it. He refutes any problems with it. After many emails, I finally get him to agree a return after I refuse to pay to send it back. I send back to his freepost return address he gives. It never turns up (allegedly)...he fails to refund. I open paypal dispute and lose. I finally, 3 months later get £34 from the PO for a lost item, which partially covers the value.
I leave a neg f/b, item not as described and unhelpful etc...I get a retaliation neg back...although the new system would help with this one.
3. I sell a lens. After 6 weeks I still have no payment ( I am very patient)...I sent 6 invoices and 4 reminder emails. I get nothing, no mails, no money. I finally give up and report as NPB and leave a neg. Magically within 48 hours, he finally manages to email me and leave a totally unjustified retaliation neg...with lies...this has happened to me three times...should it happen now, I cannot respond with f/b...this is NOT justifiable.
I agree things needed to change, but now even totally fair, patient sellers are almost totally at the mercy of idiot buyers.....
" But I've never had any buyers that caused me SERIOUS problems. The worst that generally happens is non payment or slow payment"
Pete..you have been lucky so far...some stories:
1. I sold a Contax lens (£200) to a USA buyer (an EOS user). He paid with paypal within 48 hrs. I sent the lens...and heard nothing. Next I know, he is mailing me 6 days later to say he has returned the lens as it is no good for him and wants an immediate refund. Turns out, he bought about 7 Contax & Leica lenses from 4 different sellers in one week, then finds out they may not work on his EOS, so he refuses delivery on the doorstep of all of them, without asking, or telling the sellers first. He then demands instant refunds and tries paypal chargebacks to do so.
I mail to say, when the item is back, you get your refund. This goes on for weeks. My lens does not show after 6 weeks...another sellers two Leica lenses do not show either (lots of checking out reveals the other unhappy sellers). We now suspect a fraud. The item finally turns up after 2 months...after paypal have already forced me to refund this idiot. Turns out he is an American doctor and thinks he can walk all over people to get his way. I leave a neg f/b (obviously) and get a retaliation one back..should this happen now, I am unable to warn others of this fool....he disappeared off ebay a little later.
2. I buy a lens from a UK business dealer (never again)..it turns up with fungus or haze inside after being declared 'has no issues'. I say I need to return it. He refutes any problems with it. After many emails, I finally get him to agree a return after I refuse to pay to send it back. I send back to his freepost return address he gives. It never turns up (allegedly)...he fails to refund. I open paypal dispute and lose. I finally, 3 months later get £34 from the PO for a lost item, which partially covers the value.
I leave a neg f/b, item not as described and unhelpful etc...I get a retaliation neg back...although the new system would help with this one.
3. I sell a lens. After 6 weeks I still have no payment ( I am very patient)...I sent 6 invoices and 4 reminder emails. I get nothing, no mails, no money. I finally give up and report as NPB and leave a neg. Magically within 48 hours, he finally manages to email me and leave a totally unjustified retaliation neg...with lies...this has happened to me three times...should it happen now, I cannot respond with f/b...this is NOT justifiable.
I agree things needed to change, but now even totally fair, patient sellers are almost totally at the mercy of idiot buyers.....
Comment by bretbysteve posted on If you sell on evilbay...huge changes now, so be careful.. at 04/06/2008 - 19:09
Hi,
"As it has been, and as I suspect it will continue to be, it will be a rare ocurrance to receive Negative feedback unless you deserve it."
Pete, I am just not able to agree with this, as it is simply not true. There are hundreds of instances of non payers leaving neg feedbacks for innocent sellers..it happens all the time...fact...it is retaliation feedback...they can now do it, if the seller reports them as a non paying bidder.
Most of the people who sell and have 100% pos f/b are the ones who never, or hardly ever stand up to problem buyers, by leaving appropriate f/b, or reporting them. If you always stand up to problem buyers, you will get unfair negative f/b at some point..it is inevitable.
In my time, I have had four retaliation negs from non payers and sellers who sent me faulty items. They simply left a retaliation neg after I negged them first...it happens and is totally unjustifiable., but it did not matter anywhere near as much as it does now...
cheers Steve.M.
"As it has been, and as I suspect it will continue to be, it will be a rare ocurrance to receive Negative feedback unless you deserve it."
Pete, I am just not able to agree with this, as it is simply not true. There are hundreds of instances of non payers leaving neg feedbacks for innocent sellers..it happens all the time...fact...it is retaliation feedback...they can now do it, if the seller reports them as a non paying bidder.
Most of the people who sell and have 100% pos f/b are the ones who never, or hardly ever stand up to problem buyers, by leaving appropriate f/b, or reporting them. If you always stand up to problem buyers, you will get unfair negative f/b at some point..it is inevitable.
In my time, I have had four retaliation negs from non payers and sellers who sent me faulty items. They simply left a retaliation neg after I negged them first...it happens and is totally unjustifiable., but it did not matter anywhere near as much as it does now...
cheers Steve.M.
Comment by bretbysteve posted on If you sell on evilbay...huge changes now, so be careful.. at 04/06/2008 - 14:42
Hi,
Pete..I do think you have rose tints on. I agree about banning bad sellers, but ebay have now gone from one extreme to the other. Buyers now have undue and unfair power over sellers. They DO now have the power to get sellers thrown off.
The fact is, there are just as many 'bad' buyers as there are 'bad' sellers, but before, If I (or you) encountered a rogue/bad/nutty buyer, the worst they could do, is leave bad feedback with no real harm done. That has now all changed.
In 7 years of much buying and selling, I have directly encountered about 6-7 people who were totally impossible to please, or quite frankly nutcases, this 6-7 was split between buyers and sellers.
One quite literally took a magnifying glass to items he bought. Another bought items from multiple sellers, then refused all the deliveries at his door, then tried chargebacks. Another took a 40 year old lens hood and case to trading standards because the 40 year old case of the lens hood was slightly crazed...the hood was perfect. Many buyers expect p+p to simply be the post cost with nothing on top at all for any other expenses...I have also had about 6 non payers (with no good excuse)......the list goes on.
These people (including NON payers) can now freely leave neg feedback without any comeback at all and get even the best seller thrown off ebay, how can this make sense?
If you read the ebay community boards, there has already been many, many hobby sellers suspended for no good reason, (even though you think ebay will not want this), whilst many poor ebay power sellers are still trading with lots of neg feedback. The situation is already out of hand and unreasonable.
The reason it is especially bad, is that ebay use a far too simple percentage system to suspend sellers...a small time seller only needs 1-2 negs (or neutrals) in a month to get suspended, which is quite possible (it has happened to me in the past)..meanwhile a poor, but big seller who lists 100's of items a month can 'afford' to get many negs without any problems....
Pete..I do think you have rose tints on. I agree about banning bad sellers, but ebay have now gone from one extreme to the other. Buyers now have undue and unfair power over sellers. They DO now have the power to get sellers thrown off.
The fact is, there are just as many 'bad' buyers as there are 'bad' sellers, but before, If I (or you) encountered a rogue/bad/nutty buyer, the worst they could do, is leave bad feedback with no real harm done. That has now all changed.
In 7 years of much buying and selling, I have directly encountered about 6-7 people who were totally impossible to please, or quite frankly nutcases, this 6-7 was split between buyers and sellers.
One quite literally took a magnifying glass to items he bought. Another bought items from multiple sellers, then refused all the deliveries at his door, then tried chargebacks. Another took a 40 year old lens hood and case to trading standards because the 40 year old case of the lens hood was slightly crazed...the hood was perfect. Many buyers expect p+p to simply be the post cost with nothing on top at all for any other expenses...I have also had about 6 non payers (with no good excuse)......the list goes on.
These people (including NON payers) can now freely leave neg feedback without any comeback at all and get even the best seller thrown off ebay, how can this make sense?
If you read the ebay community boards, there has already been many, many hobby sellers suspended for no good reason, (even though you think ebay will not want this), whilst many poor ebay power sellers are still trading with lots of neg feedback. The situation is already out of hand and unreasonable.
The reason it is especially bad, is that ebay use a far too simple percentage system to suspend sellers...a small time seller only needs 1-2 negs (or neutrals) in a month to get suspended, which is quite possible (it has happened to me in the past)..meanwhile a poor, but big seller who lists 100's of items a month can 'afford' to get many negs without any problems....
Comment by bretbysteve posted on If you sell on evilbay...huge changes now, so be careful.. at 03/06/2008 - 19:34
Hi,
There are many forum members recommending evilbay as a venue to sell, but you should be aware that as of this last month there have been huge changes at ebay towers to try and stamp out the bad sellers, only the changes have been very badly thought out and even excellent sellers are being thrown off ebay....
Ebay has now become since this last month, a nightmare for small time hobby sellers. Sellers can no longer leave any negative or neutral feedback for buyers...even ones who never pay you! Also, the feedback stars on the system (DSR's) ..detailed seller ratings, which are given by buyers are now being used by ebay to suspend any sellers with a mere 5% of unsatisfied buyers in any 30 day period.
This means, if you sell 20 items in one month and get just one negative f/b...you will get suspended by ebay...and it only takes one idiot buyer (or non payer) to do this. Also, bad buyers are now getting wise to these changes and realise they now have far more power than before, as just a couple of negs or neuts can get sellers suspended ...some buyers are starting to blackmail sellers. ie, saying 'lower the post cost or I will neg you' ...ebay is now very dodgy for sellers and many have already been suspended (even good ones) and many are leaving ebay...sell there at you own risk...
cheers Steve.M.
There are many forum members recommending evilbay as a venue to sell, but you should be aware that as of this last month there have been huge changes at ebay towers to try and stamp out the bad sellers, only the changes have been very badly thought out and even excellent sellers are being thrown off ebay....
Ebay has now become since this last month, a nightmare for small time hobby sellers. Sellers can no longer leave any negative or neutral feedback for buyers...even ones who never pay you! Also, the feedback stars on the system (DSR's) ..detailed seller ratings, which are given by buyers are now being used by ebay to suspend any sellers with a mere 5% of unsatisfied buyers in any 30 day period.
This means, if you sell 20 items in one month and get just one negative f/b...you will get suspended by ebay...and it only takes one idiot buyer (or non payer) to do this. Also, bad buyers are now getting wise to these changes and realise they now have far more power than before, as just a couple of negs or neuts can get sellers suspended ...some buyers are starting to blackmail sellers. ie, saying 'lower the post cost or I will neg you' ...ebay is now very dodgy for sellers and many have already been suspended (even good ones) and many are leaving ebay...sell there at you own risk...
cheers Steve.M.
Comment by bretbysteve posted on If you sell on evilbay...huge changes now, so be careful.. at 03/06/2008 - 11:27
Hi,
Many 'signed for' services are ONLY signed for on arrival and are therefore not tracked at all, which is why they only show up after being delivered (and signed for). In other words, they are quite literally what they say...signed for, but NOT tracked.
I would also point out that many services, including Royal mail, DO NOT cover any items for damage IF THEY CONTAIN glass. So, lenses and cameras are often not covered aginst damage at all. This is not widely known.
However, if you ask the right person at Royal Mail (who knows the RM terms & conditions properly), they will admit that items that contain glass are covered against damage...as long as they are packed to the standards acceptable to Royal Mail (whatever that is). You must keep (or get back) the original packing and parcel, in the same fashion it left you and Royal Mail will want to inspect it in the event of a claim for damage.
Many Royal Mail staff do not know these facts, so watch out. Even Royal Mail customer services often give out incorrect information about this point.
I would also mention the dreaded so-called paypal protection cover. If you sell using this, you are only covered as a seller IF the buyer has a paypal CONFIRMED address. Also, the buyer must be in the UK, USA or Canada...all other states, including the whole of the EU, are not covered with paypal seller protection.
In addition, if you send an item overseas, the Royal Mail signed for service and the Airsure services are no good for paypal seller protection IF the item is worth over £150. Indeed the airsure service is no good at all, as paypal expects a signature to be taken at the arrival point.
There are many little 'get out' clauses that most ebay and paypal users have no clues about....be very careful.
cheers Steve.M.
cheers Steve.M.
Many 'signed for' services are ONLY signed for on arrival and are therefore not tracked at all, which is why they only show up after being delivered (and signed for). In other words, they are quite literally what they say...signed for, but NOT tracked.
I would also point out that many services, including Royal mail, DO NOT cover any items for damage IF THEY CONTAIN glass. So, lenses and cameras are often not covered aginst damage at all. This is not widely known.
However, if you ask the right person at Royal Mail (who knows the RM terms & conditions properly), they will admit that items that contain glass are covered against damage...as long as they are packed to the standards acceptable to Royal Mail (whatever that is). You must keep (or get back) the original packing and parcel, in the same fashion it left you and Royal Mail will want to inspect it in the event of a claim for damage.
Many Royal Mail staff do not know these facts, so watch out. Even Royal Mail customer services often give out incorrect information about this point.
I would also mention the dreaded so-called paypal protection cover. If you sell using this, you are only covered as a seller IF the buyer has a paypal CONFIRMED address. Also, the buyer must be in the UK, USA or Canada...all other states, including the whole of the EU, are not covered with paypal seller protection.
In addition, if you send an item overseas, the Royal Mail signed for service and the Airsure services are no good for paypal seller protection IF the item is worth over £150. Indeed the airsure service is no good at all, as paypal expects a signature to be taken at the arrival point.
There are many little 'get out' clauses that most ebay and paypal users have no clues about....be very careful.
cheers Steve.M.
cheers Steve.M.
Comment by bretbysteve posted on Sigma 10-20 - Dodgy Ebay - at 03/06/2008 - 11:08
Hi,
In this weeks AP...a welsh countryside open comp, where the nice NT people do a 'rights grab' and you sign away all rights to your photo...VERY naughty indeed...and their spokesperson tries (in vain) to justify it...
In this weeks AP...a welsh countryside open comp, where the nice NT people do a 'rights grab' and you sign away all rights to your photo...VERY naughty indeed...and their spokesperson tries (in vain) to justify it...
Comment by bretbysteve posted on National Trust competitions...AVOID... at 22/05/2008 - 16:33
I have also started having problems with this site. I use microsoft explorer and have the latest Norton. I have only just started having big problems, this last month getting onto the site at all. Norton has started blocking access with 'suspicious site' messages. Has someting been changed on the site?
cheers Steve.m.