Ebay ripoffs - one perpetrator?

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A

Alex

Guest
Has anybody noticed that a certain individual appears to be running a
over-inflated LR parts business on Ebay?

His stuff is littered all over a search for landrovers, and all seems
to be very highly priced - an oil filter which Craddocks want £2.65
for he is selling for £4

There seems to be a lot of this at the moment, is the Ebay bubble
going to burst soon?

Alex
 
On Tuesday, in article
<[email protected]>
[email protected] "Alex" wrote:

> Has anybody noticed that a certain individual appears to be running a
> over-inflated LR parts business on Ebay?
>
> His stuff is littered all over a search for landrovers, and all seems
> to be very highly priced - an oil filter which Craddocks want £2.65
> for he is selling for £4
>
> There seems to be a lot of this at the moment, is the Ebay bubble
> going to burst soon?

Remember to compare costs including delivery.

It's not uncommon to see people paying over the odds, and setting prices
unusually high. This is something that happens with auctions.

I'm buying a camera. The postage will cost more than the price I bid.
I see quite a variation of price on similar hardware. A lot of the
high-price items don't get sold.


--
David G. Bell -- SF Fan, Filker, and Punslinger.

"History shows that the Singularity started when Sir Tim Berners-Lee
was bitten by a radioactive spider."
 
On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 21:30:19 GMT, Alex <[email protected]>
wrote:

>Has anybody noticed that a certain individual appears to be running a
>over-inflated LR parts business on Ebay?

Who?

>His stuff is littered all over a search for landrovers, and all seems
>to be very highly priced - an oil filter which Craddocks want £2.65
>for he is selling for £4

Well... If people are silly enough to pay...

>There seems to be a lot of this at the moment, is the Ebay bubble
>going to burst soon?

Not as long as people are prepared to pay...

I do agree that it's very silly, but the seller isn't wholly to blame
IMO.


--
Some Land Roveresque (101 biased), links available
from: http://links.solis.co.uk/Geek/X4_Land_Rover/
I also have a little Land Rover site biased toward
my beloved 101 "Grumble", at: http://www.101fc.net


Reading this in 'alt.fan.landrover'? Did you know
there's a group FAQ: http://www.aflfaq.dyndns.info
 
"Alex" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Has anybody noticed that a certain individual appears to be running a
> over-inflated LR parts business on Ebay?
>
> His stuff is littered all over a search for landrovers, and all seems
> to be very highly priced - an oil filter which Craddocks want £2.65
> for he is selling for £4
> > There seems to be a lot of this at the moment, is the Ebay bubble
> going to burst soon?
> Alex

Not a very good example. Yes that filter costs £2.65, but Craddocks would
charge you £6 postage on top =£8.62.

Do you mean The Land Rover Orphanage
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=31348&item=24847622
83&rd=1?

His filter is still £4 + £1.60 postage =£5.60 and what ever someone wants to
bid upto. This seems pretty reasonable and convenient to me, especially if
someone wanted a filter below Craddocks prices which are already low.

What is your problem with this seller or eBay? I've always been very happy
with eBay purchases. If you stop bidding when the price gets high you wont
ever feel ripped off. Have you personally had a bad experience with this
seller, he has 99.9% positive feedback, so everybody else is happy with the
service he offers.

I've never purchased from the guy, so I'm not defending him or his
reputation. However, I don't see any reason to attack him on a.f.l.
David



 
On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 23:31:06 GMT, "DavidM" <djm81@ (i hate
spam)cam.ac.uk> wrote:

>I've never purchased from the guy, so I'm not defending him or his
>reputation. However, I don't see any reason to attack him on a.f.l.

To be fair, I don't think Alex actually mentioned any names :)

 
"Mother" <"@ {mother} @"@101fc.net> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 23:31:06 GMT, "DavidM" <djm81@ (i hate
> spam)cam.ac.uk> wrote:
>
> >I've never purchased from the guy, so I'm not defending him or his
> >reputation. However, I don't see any reason to attack him on a.f.l.
>
> To be fair, I don't think Alex actually mentioned any names :)

No you're right, but an alegation with no names is just boring ;P I want
smoke AND fire!
I searched for "oil filter land rover" on the eBay home page and found what
he meant, only one of the 11 results was at or near £4. It's Alex's fault,
he wanted me to find it!

When I was searching for my SIII it was infuriating watching people bid like
mad for the Landies that _I_ wanted. Why can't they all just go away and
stop pushing the price up! I ended up getting it through a broad beg on
a.f.l, so there is a happy and non-eBay end to the story.
David


 
On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 23:46:53 GMT, "DavidM" <djm81@ (i hate
spam)cam.ac.uk> wrote:

>> To be fair, I don't think Alex actually mentioned any names :)
>
>No you're right, but an alegation with no names is just boring ;P I want
>smoke AND fire!

Ah, you want flameproof a air filter...

>I searched for "oil filter land rover" on the eBay home page and found what
>he meant, only one of the 11 results was at or near £4. It's Alex's fault,
>he wanted me to find it!

I dare say that Craddocks, Blanchards and any number of other LR parts
suppliers are onto the same gravy train (the two I mention are, to my
knowledge, employing extra staff on a part time basis to place eBay
ads). I maintain that it isn't necessarily any kind of 'con' - as
purchasers are quite evidently prepared to pay the price - and appear
happy. Notwithstanding, Alex is a **** stirrer, no doubt 'bout that
whatsoever ;-)

>When I was searching for my SIII it was infuriating watching people bid like
>mad for the Landies that _I_ wanted. Why can't they all just go away and
>stop pushing the price up! I ended up getting it through a broad beg on
>a.f.l, so there is a happy and non-eBay end to the story.

And there lay a lesson for us all - lest we be exposed before our
peers* for being rip-off merchants!

(*shameless Pink Floyd reference)


--
Some Land Roveresque (101 biased), links available
from: http://links.solis.co.uk/Geek/X4_Land_Rover/
I also have a little Land Rover site biased toward
my beloved 101 "Grumble", at: http://www.101fc.net


Reading this in 'alt.fan.landrover'? Did you know
there's a group FAQ: http://www.aflfaq.dyndns.info
 
In article <[email protected]>, DavidM
<[email protected]> writes
>What is your problem with this seller or eBay? I've always been very happy
>with eBay purchases. If you stop bidding when the price gets high you wont
>ever feel ripped off.

Quite so. I use bidding ('sniping') software. Contrary to some views,
all it does is ensure I don't spend too much in my enthusiasm to win an
auction. I lose quite a few, as the last-minute bid doesn't give me time
to increase the amount.

OTOH, it has meant I've paid *sensible* prices for a good number of
items, and I find eBay very useful as a consequence. For example, I
acquired an example of a very unusual early musical synthesizer/organ
that my dad designed in the 1970s. Previously, the only one I'd seen was
in Australia. Paid a fair price, but I can't imagine how else I'd have
obtained one.

OT Land Rover, I've bought one or two items, and I *do* think the effect
is to push up prices, i.e. to favour the seller. For example s/h
Defender doors: usually the amount of clean-up work doesn't justify the
price. Like most Defender owners, I need a set (of five), but I've held
off bidding, as I know it's not worth it. The psychology of eBay
distorts the laws of supply/demand a bit - when you go to a real
auction, you watch older + wiser bidders in action, and all but the
silliest learn what things are really worth. On eBay, nobody is
whispering caution in your ear, which is why I use Cricket (the sniping
prog).

Browsing the Land Rover lists (and BMW bike, and electronic stuff,
and...) remains a fun diversion for rainy evenings though. Perhaps I
*am* hooked!

Regards,

Simonm.

--
simonm|at|muircom|dot|demon|.|c|oh|dot|u|kay
SIMON MUIR, UK INDEPENDENCE PARTY, BRISTOL www.ukip.org
EUROPEANS AGAINST THE EU www.members.aol.com/eurofaq
GT250A'76 R80/RT'86 110CSW TD'88 www.kc3ltd.co.uk/profile/eurofollie/
 
In article <[email protected]>, Mother <"@
{mother} @"@101fc.net> writes
>On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 23:46:53 GMT, "DavidM" <djm81@ (i hate
>spam)cam.ac.uk> wrote:
>
>>> To be fair, I don't think Alex actually mentioned any names :)
>>
>>No you're right, but an alegation with no names is just boring ;P I want
>>smoke AND fire!
>
>Ah, you want flameproof a air filter...
>
>>I searched for "oil filter land rover" on the eBay home page and found what
>>he meant, only one of the 11 results was at or near £4. It's Alex's fault,
>>he wanted me to find it!
>
>I dare say that Craddocks, Blanchards and any number of other LR parts
>suppliers are onto the same gravy train (the two I mention are, to my
>knowledge, employing extra staff on a part time basis to place eBay
>ads).

I can't blame them. Running a parts business is a statistical nightmare,
balancing the cost of stocking the really unusual against the annoyance
factor and damage to reputation if you don't have it when the customer
calls. It's a judgement call on the purchasing department all the way.

We baulk at the mark up on some parts, but they subsidise the cost of
others. For example body panels - not only high cost items in
themselves, but very fragile, meaning increased warehousing costs and
high attrition rate through accidental damage in-house. My heart doesn't
bleed for them, but I recognise the skill in getting the right stock
levels to stay popular and profitable at the same time.

I know, you don't see them begging on the streets, but as long as they
don't lose focus on their core mail-order business I can't see the harm.
After all, if you're doing a repair and need clutch plates or UJs it's
probably *now*, so eBay isn't going to help much. It's the hobbyists
that have the time and, by definition, the deeper pockets...


Regards,

Simonm.

--
simonm|at|muircom|dot|demon|.|c|oh|dot|u|kay
SIMON MUIR, UK INDEPENDENCE PARTY, BRISTOL www.ukip.org
EUROPEANS AGAINST THE EU www.members.aol.com/eurofaq
GT250A'76 R80/RT'86 110CSW TD'88 www.kc3ltd.co.uk/profile/eurofollie/
 
I dont see anything wrong with Ebay items at whatever cost. if you dont like
the price go elsewhere, simple as that. Nobody is forcing anyone (Alex) to
bid for anything, are they?

"SpamTrapSeeSig" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>, Mother <"@
> {mother} @"@101fc.net> writes
> >On Tue, 20 Jul 2004 23:46:53 GMT, "DavidM" <djm81@ (i hate
> >spam)cam.ac.uk> wrote:
> >
> >>> To be fair, I don't think Alex actually mentioned any names :)
> >>
> >>No you're right, but an alegation with no names is just boring ;P I
want
> >>smoke AND fire!
> >
> >Ah, you want flameproof a air filter...
> >
> >>I searched for "oil filter land rover" on the eBay home page and found
what
> >>he meant, only one of the 11 results was at or near £4. It's Alex's
fault,
> >>he wanted me to find it!
> >
> >I dare say that Craddocks, Blanchards and any number of other LR parts
> >suppliers are onto the same gravy train (the two I mention are, to my
> >knowledge, employing extra staff on a part time basis to place eBay
> >ads).
>
> I can't blame them. Running a parts business is a statistical nightmare,
> balancing the cost of stocking the really unusual against the annoyance
> factor and damage to reputation if you don't have it when the customer
> calls. It's a judgement call on the purchasing department all the way.
>
> We baulk at the mark up on some parts, but they subsidise the cost of
> others. For example body panels - not only high cost items in
> themselves, but very fragile, meaning increased warehousing costs and
> high attrition rate through accidental damage in-house. My heart doesn't
> bleed for them, but I recognise the skill in getting the right stock
> levels to stay popular and profitable at the same time.
>
> I know, you don't see them begging on the streets, but as long as they
> don't lose focus on their core mail-order business I can't see the harm.
> After all, if you're doing a repair and need clutch plates or UJs it's
> probably *now*, so eBay isn't going to help much. It's the hobbyists
> that have the time and, by definition, the deeper pockets...
>
>
> Regards,
>
> Simonm.
>
> --
> simonm|at|muircom|dot|demon|.|c|oh|dot|u|kay
> SIMON MUIR, UK INDEPENDENCE PARTY, BRISTOL www.ukip.org
> EUROPEANS AGAINST THE EU www.members.aol.com/eurofaq
> GT250A'76 R80/RT'86 110CSW TD'88 www.kc3ltd.co.uk/profile/eurofollie/


 
I'm kind of...hooked on ebay....so I'm interested to know more about this
Cricket..where can I get an umpire who will tell me when I'm out of the
bidding game?


"SpamTrapSeeSig" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:eek:[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>, DavidM
> <[email protected]> writes
> >What is your problem with this seller or eBay? I've always been very
happy
> >with eBay purchases. If you stop bidding when the price gets high you
wont
> >ever feel ripped off.
>
> Quite so. I use bidding ('sniping') software. Contrary to some views,
> all it does is ensure I don't spend too much in my enthusiasm to win an
> auction. I lose quite a few, as the last-minute bid doesn't give me time
> to increase the amount.
>
> OTOH, it has meant I've paid *sensible* prices for a good number of
> items, and I find eBay very useful as a consequence. For example, I
> acquired an example of a very unusual early musical synthesizer/organ
> that my dad designed in the 1970s. Previously, the only one I'd seen was
> in Australia. Paid a fair price, but I can't imagine how else I'd have
> obtained one.
>
> OT Land Rover, I've bought one or two items, and I *do* think the effect
> is to push up prices, i.e. to favour the seller. For example s/h
> Defender doors: usually the amount of clean-up work doesn't justify the
> price. Like most Defender owners, I need a set (of five), but I've held
> off bidding, as I know it's not worth it. The psychology of eBay
> distorts the laws of supply/demand a bit - when you go to a real
> auction, you watch older + wiser bidders in action, and all but the
> silliest learn what things are really worth. On eBay, nobody is
> whispering caution in your ear, which is why I use Cricket (the sniping
> prog).
>
> Browsing the Land Rover lists (and BMW bike, and electronic stuff,
> and...) remains a fun diversion for rainy evenings though. Perhaps I
> *am* hooked!
>
> Regards,
>
> Simonm.
>
> --
> simonm|at|muircom|dot|demon|.|c|oh|dot|u|kay
> SIMON MUIR, UK INDEPENDENCE PARTY, BRISTOL www.ukip.org
> EUROPEANS AGAINST THE EU www.members.aol.com/eurofaq
> GT250A'76 R80/RT'86 110CSW TD'88 www.kc3ltd.co.uk/profile/eurofollie/


 
On Wed, 21 Jul 2004 10:25:16 GMT, "Richard" <richardsemail
[email protected]> wrote:

>I dont see anything wrong with Ebay items at whatever cost. if you dont like
>the price go elsewhere, simple as that. Nobody is forcing anyone (Alex) to
>bid for anything, are they?

No, I'll grant you that one, but I get the feeling with ebay that a
lot of people are putting things on at over-inflated prices, claiming
them to be "rare" or "difficult to source" or whatever and taking
advantage of the more gullible element of ebay punters.

I have spotted another firm selling thier product(s) on ebay, one or
two at a time, and they are regularly bid up to 20-30% more than the
same firm (openly) sells them for on thier website. I have no gripe
with this firm, as they openly include on Ebay the links to thier
websites, where the prices are openly published, yet people still pay
more!

The bottom line is Caveat Emptor. Check other prices first, and bid
accordingly.

Alex
 
On Wed, 21 Jul 2004 18:38:59 GMT, Alex <[email protected]>
wrote:

>I have spotted another firm selling thier product(s) on ebay, one or
>two at a time, and they are regularly bid up to 20-30% more than the
>same firm (openly) sells them for on thier website. I have no gripe
>with this firm, as they openly include on Ebay the links to thier
>websites, where the prices are openly published, yet people still pay
>more!

People must just get caught up in the auction or something. Seems very
stupid.
I was told today by one of my mates that someone he knew had just sold
a shower on ebay after he decided it was the wrong colour for his
bathroom. he had put in the description 'bought recently from B&Q for
£xxx', and it went for £20 more than that.

>The bottom line is Caveat Emptor. Check other prices first, and bid
>accordingly.
>
>Alex

 
On Wednesday, in article
<[email protected]>
[email protected] "SpamTrapSeeSig" wrote:

> In article <[email protected]>, DavidM
> <[email protected]> writes
> >What is your problem with this seller or eBay? I've always been very happy
> >with eBay purchases. If you stop bidding when the price gets high you wont
> >ever feel ripped off.
>
> Quite so. I use bidding ('sniping') software. Contrary to some views,
> all it does is ensure I don't spend too much in my enthusiasm to win an
> auction. I lose quite a few, as the last-minute bid doesn't give me time
> to increase the amount.
>
> OTOH, it has meant I've paid *sensible* prices for a good number of
> items, and I find eBay very useful as a consequence. For example, I
> acquired an example of a very unusual early musical synthesizer/organ
> that my dad designed in the 1970s. Previously, the only one I'd seen was
> in Australia. Paid a fair price, but I can't imagine how else I'd have
> obtained one.

Non-eBay-users may not be aware that eBay allows automatic bidding, so
you can make a bid of "up to X".

The advantage of bidding at the last minute is that other people don't
have a chance to reconsider their value of "X".

I suspect a lot of people don't quite get the idea of auctions, sellers
and buyers.

--
David G. Bell -- SF Fan, Filker, and Punslinger.

"History shows that the Singularity started when Sir Tim Berners-Lee
was bitten by a radioactive spider."
 
In article <[email protected]>, john
smith <[email protected]> writes
>I'm kind of...hooked on ebay....so I'm interested to know more about this
>Cricket..where can I get an umpire who will tell me when I'm out of the
>bidding game?

www.cricketsniper.com (sadly, the 'Cricket' in question is an insect)

It's a bit lumpy but it does work.

Regards,

Simonm.

--
simonm|at|muircom|dot|demon|.|c|oh|dot|u|kay
SIMON MUIR, UK INDEPENDENCE PARTY, BRISTOL www.ukip.org
EUROPEANS AGAINST THE EU www.members.aol.com/eurofaq
GT250A'76 R80/RT'86 110CSW TD'88 www.kc3ltd.co.uk/profile/eurofollie/
 
On or around Tue, 20 Jul 2004 23:56:40 +0100, Mother <"@ {mother}
@"@101fc.net> enlightened us thusly:

>And there lay a lesson for us all - lest we be exposed before our
>peers* for being rip-off merchants!

tear down the wall!!

--
Austin Shackles. www.ddol-las.fsnet.co.uk my opinions are just that
"Quos deus vult perdere, prius dementat" Euripedes, quoted in
Boswell's "Johnson".
 
On or around Wed, 21 Jul 2004 18:38:59 GMT, Alex <[email protected]>
enlightened us thusly:

>The bottom line is Caveat Emptor. Check other prices first, and bid
>accordingly.

exactly. if you can't be arsed to cave, then you deserve to empt at a high
price.

there are always some trying to sell stuff at silly prices - in ukrmc we get
occasional posts about how some eejits have bid 240 quid for a part which
can be got for 120 brand new; however, the buyer can always find out for
themselves what the item's worth, and bid or not bid accordingly.

--
Austin Shackles. www.ddol-las.fsnet.co.uk my opinions are just that
"Quos deus vult perdere, prius dementat" Euripedes, quoted in
Boswell's "Johnson".
 

"David G. Bell" <[email protected]> wrote in message >
> I suspect a lot of people don't quite get the idea of auctions, sellers
> and buyers.
>
Quite so. If someone is prepared to pay "whatever" for an item, that's his
decision an nobody forced him to do so. As a seller, why should I constrain
a prospective purchaser?

Anyway, one mans junk is useful to someone else and just because I was about
to fling something in the skip doesn't mean that shouldn't have put it on
eBay. I made a lot of money (relatively) and clearly a lot of people were
very much in need of the various odds and ends being auctioned, judging by
the activity and the end prices.

Its clearly ridiculous to suggest that people should be forced to sell
things at a given price. Its called price-control and it doesn't work.

Mike.



 
On Thursday, in article
<[email protected]> [email protected]
"Mike Buckley" wrote:

> "David G. Bell" <[email protected]> wrote in message >
> > I suspect a lot of people don't quite get the idea of auctions, sellers
> > and buyers.
> >
> Quite so. If someone is prepared to pay "whatever" for an item, that's his
> decision an nobody forced him to do so. As a seller, why should I constrain
> a prospective purchaser?
>
> Anyway, one mans junk is useful to someone else and just because I was about
> to fling something in the skip doesn't mean that shouldn't have put it on
> eBay. I made a lot of money (relatively) and clearly a lot of people were
> very much in need of the various odds and ends being auctioned, judging by
> the activity and the end prices.
>
> Its clearly ridiculous to suggest that people should be forced to sell
> things at a given price. Its called price-control and it doesn't work.

The implicit assumption is an honest description.

In other areas of interest, I know of traders who are inclined to be a
trifle economical with the detail, if not actually misleading. I have a
camera lens designed by the Carl Zeiss company before WW2, but it was
made about 1962 in the Soviet Union. "Carl Zeiss lens", anyone?

Also, a gentle reminder, folks. Think about how you title and describe
a sale, think about search strings people might use. If you're also
selling a fishing rod, and mention you're selling a Land Rover part in
that description, you'll irritate quite a few Land Rover owners.

And the feedback I get is almost embarrassing. It's as if some people
don't pay...



--
David G. Bell -- SF Fan, Filker, and Punslinger.

"History shows that the Singularity started when Sir Tim Berners-Lee
was bitten by a radioactive spider."
 
A neighbour of mine moaned ceaselessly about programmes on the TV being
crap. Decided to tell him about the "off-button" he does'nt bother me any
more.
It's a free world.
What's the old saying ? " a fool and his money are soon parted " !!



"Alex" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Has anybody noticed that a certain individual appears to be running a
> over-inflated LR parts business on Ebay?
>
> His stuff is littered all over a search for landrovers, and all seems
> to be very highly priced - an oil filter which Craddocks want £2.65
> for he is selling for £4
>
> There seems to be a lot of this at the moment, is the Ebay bubble
> going to burst soon?
>
> Alex


 
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