Buying Razors on Ebay

[rainman]

I'm tired of buying razors that are not as described or getting and finding flaws not shown in pictures ans not described. Sometimes I feel like just leaving an instant negative without contacting the seller. What are they going to do to make it all better for me?

If I send it back and they cover full shipping expenses, they usually don't and even if I'm just out my time, going thru stress and and effort, I'm still out the razor I was expecting to get.

If I get a partial refund I still have a razor in less than acceptable condition that I would have never purchased and am not happy with.

On top of it dealing with their attitudes thru the whole process and the time it takes to work something out while they make you feel like your some big complainer and how they are so great for helping you out with unproperly described/cleverly pictured razors that you purchased from them.

 

[john parker]

Can't disagree. There is one on there now with a stock picture of the wrong razor, and described as unused but belonged to a family member. A couple of us caught it, but it is still there. Haven't bought a razor on ebay yet, but have seriously looked at several. Still think the b/s/t is the best place to look. Or just post a wtb.

 

[HDPaul]

I bought a razor on ebay and it was described as having "little to no signs of age" and "excellent condition" which of course it was not. The razor had significant brassing and was tarnished heavily. I sent a message to the seller and there was no response. The razor I got was pictured in the ad, just in a way to hide the flaws. I left a neutral feedback describing the situation. I figured since I kept the razor (I got it cheap) it did not warrant a negative.

Lesson learned: buy on B&B!

 

[dpmtherrien]

I've always felt that in most cases if something is so good why is someone getting rid of it? I do realize that in some cases a person purchased something and it just did not fit their needs. This would prompt the item being sold "in excellent, perfect, or new condition".

E-bay however leaves much to be desired, with many people just out for a quick profit, or a chance to get rid of a defective item. To be quite frank if I were looking for an item, I'd feel much better in looking up an established dealer, or other trusted source. I also feel that buying through B&B would be that trusted source. E-bay?, not so much.

 

[njpaddy]

There's a Slim on there going off today that is listed as a FatBoy and the seller has a 100% feedback. I sent the guy a message a couple days ago but he never responded or corrected it. Thought about bidding as I wanted a Slim, but now I don't trust the guy. I bought a Slim on a buy-it-now from someone else, but haven't gotten it yet. Of course within several hours of me buying the Slim, 2 showed up on B/S/T. The story of my life.

 

[rainman]

There's a Slim on there going off today that is listed as a FatBoy and the seller has a 100% feedback. I sent the guy a message a couple days ago but he never responded or corrected it. Thought about bidding as I wanted a Slim, but now I don't trust the guy. I bought a Slim on a buy-it-now from someone else, but haven't gotten it yet. Of course within several hours of me buying the Slim, 2 showed up on B/S/T. The story of my life.

I remember I once told a seller of a bent tooth I noticed in one of the pictures on an otherwise nice looking english new. The seller inspected it and noticed it. He mentioned it to me in an email. I watched the auction for the two remaining days and he never fixed the description. Why didn't he? Because most won't notice it and it will hurt the potential value of the auction.

 

[Tha Baron]

I am pretty unimpressed myself with most of the item descriptions on eBay, which often don't list any of the negatives. I think some sellers think they can claim ignorance if/when an issue comes up...

I have sold a couple razors on eBay myself and I usually try to put at least 8 high res pictures, a detailed listing of the condition, any close ups of questionable areas or flaws, and also a definition if I claim something is 'excellent' etc.

 

[Greybeard]

Ebay = caveat emptor. It's safest to be skeptical. I mostly use ebay to bargain hunt and just like anywhere else, with high reward comes higher risk. It would be nice if ebay were as gentlemanly as this forum, but that's not the case.

I've bought a lot of items from ebay over the years and been satisfied most of the time. If I don't feel comfortable with some aspect of the listing (pictures, description, feedback, seller's replies to queries, etc.), then I don't bid.

If I were looking for something where condition really matters I would first look in the BST. If I were to look on ebay, I would want to see a listing like Tha Baron has described.

There are unethical sellers, but most of the poor descriptions on ebay are due to ignorance and not dishonesty. However, I too have had sellers not correct their listings when informed of inaccuracies. That being said, I've also not always informed a seller when his inaccurate description badly undervalues an item I'm interested in. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Back to my first statement. Ebay = caveat emptor. Shop carefully and you still take a chance. If you're not comfortable with that, then ebay is not for you.



- Peter

 

[rainman]

I think the point of my thread wasn't made. No, I will take chances and get screwed and get junk razors at a risk and sometimes get a good deal. I'm just saying that when a transaction goes bad, I'm willing to eat the loss and be done with it if I have the satisfaction of not even trying to communicate or work anything out with the seller and just leave them a negative feedback.
Do this to some one with a feedback count of less than 100 and the percentage goes way down.

Ebay = caveat emptor. It's safest to be skeptical. I mostly use ebay to bargain hunt and just like anywhere else, with high reward comes higher risk. It would be nice if ebay were as gentlemanly as this forum, but that's not the case.

I've bought a lot of items from ebay over the years and been satisfied most of the time. If I don't feel comfortable with some aspect of the listing (pictures, description, feedback, seller's replies to queries, etc.), then I don't bid.

If I were looking for something where condition really matters I would first look in the BST. If I were to look on ebay, I would want to see a listing like Tha Baron has described.

There are unethical sellers, but most of the poor descriptions on ebay are due to ignorance and not dishonesty. However, I too have had sellers not correct their listings when informed of inaccuracies. That being said, I've also not always informed a seller when his inaccurate description badly undervalues an item I'm interested in. I'm sure I'm not the only one.

Back to my first statement. Ebay = caveat emptor. Shop carefully and you still take a chance. If you're not comfortable with that, then ebay is not for you.



- Peter

 

[Greybeard]

I think the point of my thread wasn't made. No, I will take chances and get screwed and get junk razors at a risk and sometimes get a good deal. I'm just saying that when a transaction goes bad, I'm willing to eat the loss and be done with it if I have the satisfaction of not even trying to communicate or work anything out with the seller and just leave them a negative feedback.
Do this to some one with a feedback count of less than 100 and the percentage goes way down.

Ahhh! Now I think I understand. This seems to have happened to you more often than to me and your most recent transaction is the straw that broke the camel's back. It is frustrating when sellers don't act honorably and in the same manner that you would.

I can see the justifiable temptation to just be done with it. If the razor is not as described there should be no reason for you to have to keep it.
I would still try to contact the seller on the off-chance that he will make things right. It is time-consuming on your part, but at least the seller would also be making an effort. I would not hesitate to leave negative feedback if the seller is not willing to politely work with you.



- Peter

 

[sam o'reilly]

I've been buying and selling off ebay for about 5yrs now. My advice is, always check feedback/always ensure there are numerous clear pics/if in doubt ask the seller about any aspect of the item and if in doubt leave it and move on to another seller; there are lots out there why take a risk if you're not 100%? Genuine sellers will always reply to sensible questions because it's in their interests to. Avoid sellers that say "NO RETURNS"

 

[luvmysuper]

If you bought an object pictured or described in a certain way, and it was in fact NOT that way, then I am with you on leaving negative feedback. They deserve it.

Does that leave you open to getting negative feedback as a buyer from the "dissed" seller? I don't know how ebay could prevent that from happening.

 

[rainman]

Ebay and half.com do not let sellers leave negative feedback to buyers now. The same way that Amazon is. Yes in the past I never left negatives unless the seller/buyer prematurely left me a positive, then it was safe. People still can buy from you and leave you a negative as a revenge after you leave them one. Why do these things strike me as funny?

If you bought an object pictured or described in a certain way, and it was in fact NOT that way, then I am with you on leaving negative feedback. They deserve it.

Does that leave you open to getting negative feedback as a buyer from the "dissed" seller? I don't know how ebay could prevent that from happening.

 

[BBrad]

Yesterday, I sent a message to a seller that had a slim advertised as a Fat Boy. He thanked me and actually allowed my message to post to his listing, but did not edit the title or content.

I have had only a couple of "bad razor" issues, in both cases I contacted the seller and they made things "right" either through partial refund or replacement product. I was more than happy with their efforts to make me satisfied, and I certainly gave them both the "5 stars" they deserved.

I am on the verge, however, of giving my first negative . . . and it's not over a razor!! Small antique appliance was damaged due to poor packaging, and he tells me to file an insurance claim. Problem is, he did not insure the package!!!

When I sell on eBay, I offer to take returns, try to post clear pictures, and describe the product accurately and fairly. Once sold, I take care with packaging and have never had an unhappy customer. I pay for insurance for items that I'm not willing to "self insure" by refunding in the event I screw up the packaging! (They rarely lose packages anymore . . .)

The same can't be said for all who participate . . . caveat emptor for sure!!

 

[Slivovitz]

I haven't had a lot of problems with my own purchases on eBay. One razor which had undisclosed damage was cheap, easy for me to repair, and is now one of my favorites. Most of the rest have been close enough to "as advertised". I have noticed some very misleading information in listings, but have only twice written to the sellers to let them know. Both of these involved Slims that were being described as something else. The guy who called his a Fatboy never got back to me. The woman who described it as a Techmatic did respond, saying she had thought that was the name for any Gillette adjustable. I sent her some links, she thanked me, but didn't correct the listing. Probably didn't matter on that last one. Anyway, I stay away from the fishier looking auctions.

[Edit] BTW, if you read the full listings, some of these guys definitely have a bit of an attitude about customer feedback. A couple have statements like "please write to us if you're going to leave us less than five stars and let us know why", or "Ebay charges us more for our listings if you give us less than five stars, and then we have to charge you more, so please give us five stars for your own good". As far as I'm concerned, ordinary service that's as good as it should be is four stars; five is for doing an exceptional job, such as a listing with great detailed information on the product. If you give out five stars to just everybody, then it means nothing.

 

[njpaddy]

Yesterday, I sent a message to a seller that had a slim advertised as a Fat Boy. He thanked me and actually allowed my message to post to his listing, but did not edit the title or content.

I noticed one a few days ago that posted several messages about it being a Slim & not a fat boy. The seller stated in his response that he could not edit the title. I just received the Slim I got on a buy-it-now. I'm quite happy with the condition and it's a great shaver.

 

[BBrad]

. . . some of these guys definitely have a bit of an attitude about customer feedback. A couple have statements like "please write to us if you're going to leave us less than five stars and let us know why", or "Ebay charges us more for our listings if you give us less than five stars, and then we have to charge you more, so please give us five stars for your own good". As far as I'm concerned, ordinary service that's as good as it should be is four stars; five is for doing an exceptional job, such as a listing with great detailed information on the product. If you give out five stars to just everybody, then it means nothing.

Couldn't agree more! I stay away from the "attitude and defense" guys . . . if they have to defend their negative position before the sale, I'd hate to have to deal with them if there was a problem AFTER the sale!!

I also look out for the "I'm not an expert and I don't know what I'm selling" fellas as well - especially those who have sold razors every week for the past three years and don't know what they are selling!!

 

[Sailorman]

......

[Edit] BTW, if you read the full listings, some of these guys definitely have a bit of an attitude about customer feedback. A couple have statements like "please write to us if you're going to leave us less than five stars and let us know why", or "Ebay charges us more for our listings if you give us less than five stars, and then we have to charge you more, so please give us five stars for your own good". As far as I'm concerned, ordinary service that's as good as it should be is four stars; five is for doing an exceptional job, such as a listing with great detailed information on the product. If you give out five stars to just everybody, then it means nothing.

Common sense would be on your side for that statement, but here are the facts.
Any time you give a seller a 4 for a "good" transaction, he is penalized by ebay. You may think that 4 is a good rating for good service, but unfortunately, ebay doesn't see it that way. That's why sellers "have a bit of an attitude about customer feedback". Ebay changed their rules when they instituted the "Detailed Sellers Ratings". Bad things start happening to sellers when their averages fall in the mid to high 4 range. A seller who consistently got feedback ratings less than 5 would be quickly penalized and if he consistently got less than 4.5 he'd be out of action. Ebay makes it sound to the buyer that a 4 is good. That is not the case. It should be, but it's not. Ebay is like the strict parents who start punishing their kids when they average A's on their report cards because it's possible to earn an A+ average. But the kid might have a teacher that reserves A+ for exceptional performance and rarely grants one for fear of devaluing them.

The reality of the Detailed Seller Rating system is thus:

5 is good or excellent and is the only truly acceptable rating as far as ebay is concerned

4 is barely acceptable and warrants punishment by ebay if it happens more than once in 5 or so transactions.

3 is bad and will raise your fees and bury your auctions

2 is worse and you'll soon be suspended or banned

1 is terrible and bordering on criminal and will wipe out dozens of excellent transactions.

Unfortunately, none of this is explained to the buyer, they have no intermediate rankings between 4 and 5, and ebay tells buyers that 4 is good.

I reserve 4's and below for sellers who ship late and don't communicate, don't refund when warranted, or improperly describe things and then refuse to refund all shipping charges.

A 4 is not good. It's not even acceptable. If I were the conspiratorial type, I'd swear that Ebay deliberately misleads buyers into thinking a 4 is a good score so that sellers' DSR's are suppressed and they can collect more seller fees.

The recent avalanche of policy changes by ebay demonstrate their commitment to destroying small sellers while sucking up to the big corporate sellers like Buy dot com and Radio Shack, who btw, are given huge fee concessions and are held to a more lax standard in regards to DSR's.

 

[Sailorman]

Couldn't agree more! I stay away from the "attitude and defense" guys . . . if they have to defend their negative position before the sale, I'd hate to have to deal with them if there was a problem AFTER the sale!!

I also look out for the "I'm not an expert and I don't know what I'm selling" fellas as well - especially those who have sold razors every week for the past three years and don't know what they are selling!!

I agree totally with the second part of this post. But I have to take issue with the first part. I, like a lot of people who sell on ebay, have a statement about ratings because ebay forces us to. Ebay misleads buyers into thinking that a 4 is a good rating when, by the standard to which they hold sellers, it is not. It's not even acceptable to ebay. If ebay would make clear to the buyers what the ramifications are to a seller who gets 4's, the sellers wouldn't have to try to pre-emptively explain it in their listings. It's not a matter of being defensive, it's a matter of trying to correct a lie (4 is good) perpetrated on buyers by ebay.

 

[Sailorman]

Yesterday, I sent a message to a seller that had a slim advertised as a Fat Boy. He thanked me and actually allowed my message to post to his listing, but did not edit the title or content.

I have had only a couple of "bad razor" issues, in both cases I contacted the seller and they made things "right" either through partial refund or replacement product. I was more than happy with their efforts to make me satisfied, and I certainly gave them both the "5 stars" they deserved.

I am on the verge, however, of giving my first negative . . . and it's not over a razor!! Small antique appliance was damaged due to poor packaging, and he tells me to file an insurance claim. Problem is, he did not insure the package!!!

When I sell on eBay, I offer to take returns, try to post clear pictures, and describe the product accurately and fairly. Once sold, I take care with packaging and have never had an unhappy customer. I pay for insurance for items that I'm not willing to "self insure" by refunding in the event I screw up the packaging! (They rarely lose packages anymore . . .)

The same can't be said for all who participate . . . caveat emptor for sure!!

After a short time, titles cannot be edited. Descriptions can be.

By the new ebay rules, the seller is responsible until the item is delivered. Period. The seller cannot offer insurance as an option to the buyer. If the item goes out without insurance, the seller pays for any loss or damage, end of story.

Your practices as a seller used to be just good, ethical business sense. Now, it's mandatory. The seller of your damaged appliance is responsible for the damage. If he had bought insurance, there are things you would have had to do on your end. But since he didn't, it's a dead loss for him.

You can ship it back to him and demand a refund, including s&h both ways. If he refuses, file a paypal dispute. You WILL win.