Interesting Comment On Ebay

'sellers can either accept the cost of doing business on ebay or list their material somewhere else.'

The problem is ebay keeps upping its fees.

Some people who contributed to this thread seem to have missed the main point of the Stephens passage: that in addition to charging higher and higher fees, ebay also discriminates against sellers in several very important respects.

jimjamtwo..

I haven't missed it, I read his posts on two other stamp forums... Hard to miss it, he is right. And the ability of buyers to say they never got it, stems from sellers never sending stuff. Ebay/Paypal have to do something to protect buyers or there would be none. They make the bulk of their money form buyers not sellers.. think about it, if you are a seller, ebay doesn't make any money if no one buys your stuff.

And without sellers, there would be nothing to buy, the pendulum swings both ways on ebay.

As I said in my initial post on this thread, I have not sold anything online so my bias is toward the buyer.

However, I've just reviewed the selling information on ebay and have concluded that ebay makes abundantly clear those actions a seller must take in order to protect him or herself from fraudulent buyer claims (and, interestingly, to qualify for Paypal seller protection).

I'm not sure I understand how failing to take those actions, despite so much forewarning, constitutes discrimination against sellers...

And I'd really like someone to point me toward all of those sellers who selflessly absorb ebay's myriad fee increases rather than passing them on to their buyers.

It should be noted that GS is a seller only, he doesn't collect and never has. His anti-Ebay, anti-Auction house ranting is monotonous to say the least. According to him, the only place to purchase is, funnily enough, from him! As he has never collected, he doesn't see the significance of tracking down that one elusive item on ebay, Delcampe, Bidstart et al. His view is totally economic and dispassionate.

Have you ever known a dispassionate collector??

jubilee..

No, I haven't known a dispassionate collector..

A great topic for Aussies to keep away from.

People always have a choice...i was never a Ford person..i preferred General Motors or Chrysler until Toyota came along !!

Jubilee, I think you are off on your assessment of Glen. What Glen preaches is buying from reputable dealers and avoiding the middle man costs. Sebastian DelCampe is a registered user on Glen's forums and I've never heard Glen suggest to anyone not to use Delcampe. Anyone who has put up anything for auction at an auction house can confirm the fees that are attached to sellers as well as buyers. One of the main issues he has against ebay other than their fees are the very common mis-identified Stamps by people trying to inflate values on Stamps or the lack of information since a picture is good enough for ebay. There are certainly a few dodgy sellers there such as the infamous British cartel and a very good discussion over at the VsC on Vkirby444 (or something like that). The key to ebay in my humble opinion is to know what you're looking for and if spending over a certain amount, ensure that a certificate accompanies it.
There are also some fantastic sellers there as well, but one should always proceed with caution


Edited, not for spelling as I can spell....I just can't type.

stallzer..

The British Cartels are well known and have been closed down on ebay.
Don't misinterpret Glen's statement for sticking up to the little guy. He really doesn't care, he wants to sell stamps. Every one of his posts invariably leads to "Buy from me".
Oh and he takes the credit for bringing down the cartel on ebay... Yes, HE takes credit for the work HE did.

I'm sure he is a decent person, but please don't fall for his ego...

I would just like to say, I have learned more about stamp collecting on Glens stamp site, Stampboards, than any other stamp site I have ever gone to. Not necessarily form him, but from the 5000+ members of his site. Not only is the information great but I have saved money by asking questions before I purchased items. I will admit I collect Australia, Papua New Guinea and U.S. so it helps me more than others. One other thing, If you buy something from Glen Stephens, you can bet it was advertised right and you get what you ordered. Just my 2¢.

Ok, I don't know why I don't just walk away....but I am just wondering how ethical is it for a wealthy stamp dealer who you might say is in competition with ebay to rag on them like that ?? I think he has a dog in the fight ...

moldman... no one is doubting his honesty as a seller. and stampboards is a good site. one of many good sites.

but don't forget he is a seller NOT a collector. and what Phil said above certainly hits home.

No one is saying he isn't honest or a good guy, I am saying he has a vested interest in stirring the pot, because he can get more potential buyers directed his way.

philb...I don't think hes at all large enough to give ebay any competition.

Moldman Ok..i can't really compare..to each his own..i was on his forum...i feel a lot cozier here !!