eBay Valet

just saw this:

 

Get a Little Rich, Without a Lot Of Work

 

http://www.ebay.com.au/rpp/ebay-valet?_trkparms=clkid%3D818379436378667490

 

At a time when many sellers are having difficulty registering even a single sale they promote this.  I wonder if the provider of the Valet service gets extra exposure in search results?  My thoughts would be "Yes".

 

Spoiler
On another note, for a variety of reasons I will be selling more items on this ID next year.  As a result, I will be posting on the boards a lot less, probably not at all.  Unlike some, if I am not posting I will probably not read the boards.  Thanks for the ride, it's been interesting.  Sometimes fun, sometimes childish, never dull!
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eBay Valet

No-where in the blurb does it actually say what commissions are charged. I would have thought that was a commonly asked question.

 

Spoiler
NOOOOO, you cant leave us slr, the place will be a little smaller ( and less interesting ) without you. Good luck with your plans for the future, I wish you every success.

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eBay Valet

By them the time you paid for the items to be picked up, paid standard eBay/PayPal fees,Valet commssion (however much that is) & the return of your unsold items, you'd be better off getting the satisfaction of just donating them to charity.

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eBay Valet

hi everyone, here am i after sending my carp to the valet service, just waiting for my millions to start flooding in.

 

Relaxing-on-Tropical-Beach-Stock-Photo-laptop.jpg

 

damn, just woke up, still it was a nice dream

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eBay Valet

Just how many of your second hand items have a barcode? That is one of the requirements, I wonder how many people will fall for the blurb, not read the T&Cs and then after sending of a large quantity of second hand clothing have to pay to get it back because none of it has a barcode.

____________________________________________________
It says in this book I am reading that by 2065 80% of women will be overweight.

See what a trendsetter I am?

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eBay Valet

This is Fishpond's Smartsell - the biggest rort going.

I sent 5 boxes to FP (au) using the reply paid.

All the books had ISBNs as I used my scanner & book catalogue program to keep track of what I sent.

First box was listed fine - but I did have to 'correct' 2 of the listings. They listed titles that I hadn't sent.(for which I was charged a 'barcode' correction fee...no amount of emails or complaints could get that changed...plus they couldn't tell me which books caused the fees...

The next 4 boxes were sent shortly after the first box listed. (June 2016)

Those books were listed...except for 34 books. I emailed them to advise that not all the books I sent were listed. No reply. I thought as I was a new Smartsell seller there might be a limit of the amount of books I could list. I emailed again in Aug 2016 (after some sales) to remind them of the missing 34 books. They replied that all my books had been listed under my Fishpond ID.

Armed with the ISBNs I searched Fishpond & found what looked to be MY books listed under 'Fishpond Smartsell' ID...but 6 out of the 34 were missing (presumed sold??)

I immediately emailed Fishpond.

Yep - those 34 books were indeed listed under the Fishpond ID. A system error I was told...yeah...right...

The remaining 'missing' books were then listed under my ID...BUT I was then charged another $9.95 box fee...

It took from 19/8 to 16/9 to receive the funds owing for the 'sold' 6 books & the refund of the incorrect 'box' fee.

What happens to the books that are supposedly donated to charity that you don't want returned due to the high courier costs???
They sell them under 'Fishpond Smartsell'

When I first looked at Smartsell it sounded fine. I looked at the current similiar Smartsell books & was fine with the prices they seemed to listed at.

Nobody mentions that Fishpond NZ lists your books at a fraction of the AU Fishpond price with 'specials' for NZ customers. (3 books for $10-$3.33 each, 5 for $15-$3.00 each, 10 for $25-$2.50 each)

I stupidly thought that the NZ Fishpond site would have comparable prices to AU with only currency conversion making the difference...

NOT SO.

If you're thinking of using Smartsell...DON'T

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eBay Valet

As I mentioned, selling through Fishpond is fraught.

 

If eBay spent a fraction of the time and cost they spend on these shonky deals {and big box sellers who return little to them for the exercise), this site would actually be a world leader, would work properly, and would have happy sellers and buyers who didn't have to jump through hoops to complete a simple transaction.

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eBay Valet

And as PJ has asked.....how many second hand goods have a barcode on them?

They are really just conning everyone.....they get all these goods that do not fit their criteria and which the owners do not want back due to high transport costs.  So they just stock another private little store on the side which no-one knows about.

Ebay has really hit a new low on this one....is it possible for them to go any lower?

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eBay Valet

I have two reactions...

 

Smiley Surprised

 

and Smiley Surprised

 

It does come across as a bit of a scam, even without the first-hand experience info posted here and elsewhere - I read the info and it's pretty much "send us your stuff, we might give you some money for it". 

 

How they can not have the percentage they take listed is beyond me, you're basically purchasing a service (by giving them a commission of sale price), but they don't state up front what the commission is? That'd be like advertising an item for sale and saying "we'll tell how much it is after you buy". Which would give them free reign to adjust the amount on a case-by-case basis - dodgy as. (Unless the commission is shown when you sign up and so forth, but even if so, still dubious that they won't say what it is in the advertising material. 

 

I'd think a trading assistant would be a better option by far for someone who is looking for a similar service. 

 

 

Spoiler
sigh

Sorry to see you won't be around so much (or at all) next year - I hope your sales go well, though. 🙂 

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eBay Valet

I received an invitation from ebay to send one box to ebay Valet for free.

I though I give it a go as if it works  ,it could be a solution for my at least 24 boxes of books!!!

 

i booked the courier and i have waited for 4 days for them  to collect,it is still here!!

 

i contacted fishpond the reply is:

 

couriers can collect berween 2 and 4 days

leave the box outside.( What about if it rains or gets stolen)

 

I have tried to communicate and asked for a confirmation of collection at least a day and AM OR PM

 

reply is just the same automated message.

 

so they cannot give you a call or email to confirm a collection date /time

i have not left my house fir 4 days.!! 

 

Ebay is tarnishing its reputation even further by being associated with this totally unorganised crowd

 

 

 

 

 

 

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eBay Valet

x3n0m
Community Member

an interesting read .. there is a certain evil stank of pesamafia corporate borg about this one .. yet another dilution of the ebay product and brand whilst hijacking the Australian internet ecommerce marketplace as the personal plaything of the American Chamber of Commerce ..  YANKEE GO HOME!!!

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eBay Valet

So eBay is trying to make it sound like every buyer is a nightmare to deal with just so they can sell their new valet service?

Message 3 of 35
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eBay Valet

From what I've heard, dealing with Fishpond is fraught.

Message 4 of 35
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eBay Valet

No-where in the blurb does it actually say what commissions are charged. I would have thought that was a commonly asked question.

 

Spoiler
NOOOOO, you cant leave us slr, the place will be a little smaller ( and less interesting ) without you. Good luck with your plans for the future, I wish you every success.
Message 5 of 35
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eBay Valet

By them the time you paid for the items to be picked up, paid standard eBay/PayPal fees,Valet commssion (however much that is) & the return of your unsold items, you'd be better off getting the satisfaction of just donating them to charity.

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eBay Valet

As this basically puts the selling onto eBay (I think) I'm wondering will eBay follow their own selling suggestions?

For example will they start everything at 99 cents with free postage, express postage, 120 day returns, etc., etc?

Somehow I think not as they'd realise tthey are going to lose money real fast.

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eBay Valet

hi everyone, here am i after sending my carp to the valet service, just waiting for my millions to start flooding in.

 

Relaxing-on-Tropical-Beach-Stock-Photo-laptop.jpg

 

damn, just woke up, still it was a nice dream

Message 8 of 35
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eBay Valet

Just how many of your second hand items have a barcode? That is one of the requirements, I wonder how many people will fall for the blurb, not read the T&Cs and then after sending of a large quantity of second hand clothing have to pay to get it back because none of it has a barcode.

____________________________________________________
It says in this book I am reading that by 2065 80% of women will be overweight.

See what a trendsetter I am?
Message 9 of 35
Latest reply

eBay Valet

This is Fishpond's Smartsell - the biggest rort going.

I sent 5 boxes to FP (au) using the reply paid.

All the books had ISBNs as I used my scanner & book catalogue program to keep track of what I sent.

First box was listed fine - but I did have to 'correct' 2 of the listings. They listed titles that I hadn't sent.(for which I was charged a 'barcode' correction fee...no amount of emails or complaints could get that changed...plus they couldn't tell me which books caused the fees...

The next 4 boxes were sent shortly after the first box listed. (June 2016)

Those books were listed...except for 34 books. I emailed them to advise that not all the books I sent were listed. No reply. I thought as I was a new Smartsell seller there might be a limit of the amount of books I could list. I emailed again in Aug 2016 (after some sales) to remind them of the missing 34 books. They replied that all my books had been listed under my Fishpond ID.

Armed with the ISBNs I searched Fishpond & found what looked to be MY books listed under 'Fishpond Smartsell' ID...but 6 out of the 34 were missing (presumed sold??)

I immediately emailed Fishpond.

Yep - those 34 books were indeed listed under the Fishpond ID. A system error I was told...yeah...right...

The remaining 'missing' books were then listed under my ID...BUT I was then charged another $9.95 box fee...

It took from 19/8 to 16/9 to receive the funds owing for the 'sold' 6 books & the refund of the incorrect 'box' fee.

What happens to the books that are supposedly donated to charity that you don't want returned due to the high courier costs???
They sell them under 'Fishpond Smartsell'

When I first looked at Smartsell it sounded fine. I looked at the current similiar Smartsell books & was fine with the prices they seemed to listed at.

Nobody mentions that Fishpond NZ lists your books at a fraction of the AU Fishpond price with 'specials' for NZ customers. (3 books for $10-$3.33 each, 5 for $15-$3.00 each, 10 for $25-$2.50 each)

I stupidly thought that the NZ Fishpond site would have comparable prices to AU with only currency conversion making the difference...

NOT SO.

If you're thinking of using Smartsell...DON'T

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