eBay seller rant

Ok everyone here goes my latest rant. The background here is a KIA WWI medals pair with Memorial Cross that fits my theme dead center. They have been up on auction many times ( 4 rounds since I have been keeping track)

With our dollar being so weak and continuing to fall, I messaged the seller to see if he would accept a close amount to his starting bid, but in Canadian Dollars. He is also an Ottawa based fellow.

I never heard back, not even an acknowledgement, decline or anything. Zero reply. I offered him the same amount in Canadian as his opening bid and have still not had him bother with a reply.

What the hell is wrong with people anymore?? What happened to common courtesy?? Quite often, I will message a seller to see if they are willing to move a bit, I have had some accepted and some declined, but NEVER have I been ignored like this.

If our dollar was par with the USD, I would not have problem with the opening bid but the dollar is so weak, it puts this group outside the top end of the value.

As I said, both the seller and I are both in Ottawa, so we are CANADIANS. WTF is wrong with Canadian Dollars? I am sure eBay takes a chunk of his profits as well. Plus I pay over the top in currency exchange.


Ok everyone, sorry for my rant, I just get a little aggravated when multiple messages go unacknowledged. Is it too much to ask for a little common courtesy, I would not even have a problem if the guy replied telling me to get stuffed, at least it is a reply.

Well as you know, when I sell online I deal in US dollars, I find that many times items sell for far less here than in Europe and the US, so that's a bit of the way I make up a bit of the shortfall..also I find that many Americans only deal in US Cash..now with that said. Most of the time, I start the bidding at my cost, but in US $
I always reply to all messages as you know.
It is not allowed on ebay to make an offer on an item, then have the seller agree, if the make an offer button is not there. If you do that and ebay finds out..then you can be banned for a month or more.

I find it improper for this person, a fellow Canadian to not have the curtisy to reply.

I know in the recent past we worked something out for a bit for the Museum you work with..neither of us knew who the other was until we were in contact..and I did my best to help you out.

Both ebay and Paypal are a bit of a scam, and as Canadian we really get screwed on exchange.

Now this new global shipping is crazy, as we know in many cases we are not charged duty on these sort of items, however with this global shipping we have to pay all those charges up front..thats why I never deal with anyone who uses that shipping option.

Just My thoughts
Dean O
Ajax Canada

I have talked to a few US sellers that had the Global Shipping feature in there listings, most do not know that it is there or what I was talking about. It seems like it is something eBay skims off us and the seller never knows about the extra costs on our end.

One example is a guy I meet at shows but lives in the States, he listed something I wanted, I contacted him and explaned the issue. He can not see it on his end so I e-mailed him a screen shot. Once he understood he had a hell of a time getting rid of it. Finally had to put the shipping as local pickup.

What a nightmare eBay has become, I rarely buy things off it any more unless the item is super rare and I have no other options.

And to add to your statement about people responding to emails. Most people do not have common courtesy any more.

Hi Dean, yes I do appreciate you helping me out on that Gilmore Group. I didn't know it was you at the time I inquired.

It is all sorted now, the fellow replied to my message, which is what this rant was about. I understand the world seems to work in US dollars. It just sucks as a buyer where our dollar is so low. If that exchange rate is not calculated at the start, the buyer can get quite a shock. LOL

As for the Global shipping Program, there is one of my rants here about that too. It seems the sellers are entered into the program without their knowledge and have to manually opt out. (a little shady if you ask me)

What really burns me with the GSP is the longer wait times for items out of the US and there is no recourse or appeal system in place to reclaim duties payed. Every time I have ever been charged duties (which is not often) I have appealed them and won. No problem. But with this system, it seems to me to be a get rich scheme by eBay.

I sent a screen shot of an auction to a US seller and they could not believe how much the shipping, duties and import fees were. The seller has since exited the program.

Anyway, as I said before, I have heard back from this seller and all is good. I am back down to a normal heart rate and no longer spitting nails. LMAO

Wait for my next rant. No idea what it will be about or when it will happen but as sure as the sun rises, there will be more.

Thank you for your reply.  I buy little off ebay, as there is so very little I am looking for, as a rule if I see something "different" that I may want, I always check to see if the seller is using that Globel shit.

If so I will not bid, no matter how much I want it.  I see that some of those that use it, when you add up the costs they charge, it comes to the same amount as the opening bid or more..and remember, the import cost shown is for the opening bid...not the much higher amount you will pay if you get into a bidding war and win.
I suggest that we all avoid anyone using that system..just another way for ebay and paypla to make more money from collectors, and as I mention, the exchange you get from paypal, is FAR below the exchange rate, yes I understand that, that's the way many banks and companies make money...but they are so far below the exchange, it should be against the law!!!!

JUst My Thoughts.

Dean O
Ajax Canada

I've had the same experience with one retailer. Watched and watched a pair of collars getting listed over and over. Made a very reasonable offer TWICE much like you did, never got a response. I inquired about some details about a badge they had listed on their website at least twice in a 6 week period and never heard back. Its frustrating.

As for US$ listings, I dont mind them as long as the price reflects on value in CDN$. Im not going to pay an extra 20% because the dollar is down. I see a few sellers that had prices in CDN$ have now listed in US$ at the same price.