is it illegal or just immoral to buy something from bunnings for $400 and sell it on Ebay for $700?

[heihachi_73]

Making $5 on an item after "eBay tax" is a fairly decent profit, but do many games actually sell? I don't generally sell brand new games (e.g. new releases) and find that eBay is a mixed bag when it comes to sales, with most games sitting there unsold for months while a small number trickle through; other times I might sell half a dozen in a single day or over the weekend and then nothing all week, despite most of them being the exact same games that have sat there forever! I offer both regular and tracked postage (Registered Post) but it doesn't make a difference even when I would lose $1-$2 on the postage ($3 for a 125-250g large letter and $4 for the RP label).

As for using tough bags, I would suggest using a 160x230mm bubble mailer (padded bag) as I find with tough bags the only thing protected from damage is the tough bag itself, I have had countless items arrive with cracked cases courtesy of Australia Post, and every time they have been in either a paper envelope, a tough bag, or a Parcel Post/eBay satchel. If you buy the mailers in bulk (e.g. a box of 200) on eBay they are only a few cents each rather than around 50c (note: don't buy the Australia Post ones, they are either slightly too narrow to fit DVD/Blu-Ray cases or miles too big). The bubble mailers are 18-19mm thick with a DVD case inside so they still pass as a large letter rather than a parcel.

[swapwaregames]

Bubble wrap are the worst they too soft and items move during transits, with a tough bag ive sent maybe 800 items out with no damage whatsoever, as long as you seal it properly its the best, ive had many items arrive in bubble bags, and postie stuffs them in the mail and discs becoming dislodged and cases cracked, i maybe had one complaint in the last 3 months and it was because i sent express post in a bubble bag and the limited edition was crushed on arrival. About making the $5, yes im happy and i have worked out a formula that works, it sells , it sells, it doesnt , down the track ebgames go out of stock and item then sells, you win some , and you loose some just have to live with it.

[phoenixpnsion]

Definitely not, but I would doubt you would make any consistent profits, considering all the fees, buyer fraud and sell through.

[ozstockman]

It is business mate. How is it different from buying the whole container of things in China and selling it for profit in Australia?

I totally agree with other members pointing out here that it is a consumer responsibility to find a better price. If they do not care to do their homework and find the best price they should not blame anyone but themselves.

BTW, that kmart thing was mentioned here earlier. I have read it was like a local type of drop shipping here in AU a few years ago. People would list kMart items on eBay and after they were sold they rushed into a closest KMart store, buy a product and ship it to a buyer.

I remember seeing one store here on ebay about 7 years ago who was selling Ikea stuff only,. It was kind of a very clever idea considering we do not have IKEA stores at every corner and IKEA does not offer online purchases. Moreover 7 years ago we could have just 2-3 stores in the whole Australia and a lot of people could not get there from where they lived. So I guess it was beneficial for a lot of buyers

[morfhis-au]

It may or may not be illegal depending on the product and juristication. It's absolutely is unquestionably immoral and unethical. But then so is capitalism at a fundamental level. So go ahead, all capitalists are essentially cheating people with markups, getting themselves lots of money for nothing. Those selling at high prices would say to this, "But I brought it from Bunnings (or where ever) and posted it to you! I deserve that 300% margin of dozens, or hundreds, of dollars for 30 minutes work!"

[padi*0409]

If buyers don't practice due diligence and just assume items are cheaper on eBay, then more fool them.

I have looked for items on eBay in the past and then looked at the retailers website to compare prices, sometimes they are cheaper there sometimes not, but I have certainly saved money by spending a bit of time doing just that.

[offroad7400]

The prices at Bunnings have no doubt risen in the three years since this thread started ?

Move on.

[louisas_lines]

Haha this thread reminds me of some Facebook threads recently.

On one group, somebody recognised after some research that they had purchased a really expensive piece of crockery in an op shop for about $4 that was worth more that $400.  So all moralistic and proud, they march back down to said op shop, inform the attendent of the true value of the piece, get their $4 back and the shop goes on to sell it for much more.  Thread full of claps on the back and support for the high moral aptitude and social consciousness of the punter.

Over on the FB resellers groups, high stakes competition going on for who has achieved the best flips from op shops, such as gucci bags etc etc.

Love the diversity of our communities.

[digital*ghost]

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@louisas_lines wrote:

On one group, somebody recognised after some research that they had purchased a really expensive piece of crockery in an op shop for about $4 that was worth more that $400.  So all moralistic and proud, they march back down to said op shop, inform the attendent of the true value of the piece, get their $4 back and the shop goes on to sell it for much more.  Thread full of claps on the back and support for the high moral aptitude and social consciousness of the punter.

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A parade indeed, lol.

Would be easier to just donate some more money to the charity running the shop if someone felt that bad about buying something that was valued at significantly more than they paid for it. Charities don't tend to be inclined to wait for the one who will come in and pay $400 - not the ones I ever went to, anyway, some of them don't have the resources for that kind of sale.