eBay is a fantastic place for a number of reasons, but one of the most significant has to be that it allows shoppers to find and buy items that simply cannot be located in the typical high street. Add to this the level of choice provided by diverse sellers, and the result is - not only can you purchase uncommon bits and pieces, but you can also expect bargain prices.
Some eBay sellers employ tactics that are a total turn-off for customers (like me). Often decisions about what to purchase from whom are not simply a matter of price, but to do with confidence in the seller. This is particularly true of second-hand goods, where I want to be able make a judgement as to the accuracy of subjective issues such as condition.
I cannot be unique among shoppers, so here are my top eBay turn-offs
Bad spelling and grammar
I am not talking about trivial errors, but major spelling mistakes, and sentences that have no grammatical structure. The issue is that if a seller takes so little effort and pride to construct an advertisement that conforms to normal language, can I really expect them to be bothered and able to sort out a problem? Bad spelling and grammar are unprofessional, and signal that communication is not the seller's strong point. Given a choice, I will buy from an eBay seller who has taken some effort to construct their advertisement, and does not create the impression they are unintelligent.
Missing essential information
Many sellers seem to omit essential information. For example, I like to buy old furniture for restoration, and many sellers do not think to detail the size of their item. I have also been looking for a camera, but some sellers forget to address key issues such as "does it work". I know I can always ask questions, but I normally just move to listings that do contain all the relevant information: it takes less effort.
Hidden reserves
I hate items with a hidden reserve. I guess the logic is that this strategy encourages interested parties to use bids to probe (try adding another £5), and ultimately exceed the maximum price they ideally wanted to pay. The flip side is that, as a bidder, you can be £1 below the reserve, and not know it. Listings that do not have a stated minimum price deprive the buyer of a vital piece of information, and lead to time wasted upon speculation. I do not even bother watching items with an unknown reserve price.
I am selling it for a friend
This is a phrase I see quite often. To me it says, "I want to avoid taking responsibility for this item. If there is a problem it is nothing to do with me." Why else is it relevant to include this information? I don't buy anything that is being sold for a friend.
Unreasonable postage costs
I accept that there can be an overhead to sending goods that is over and above postal charges. There are the packing materials (if they need to be bought), and the time it take to wrap things. Additionally, not everyone lives next door to a Post Office, and may need to drive and even pay parking fees. However, I believe most eBay sellers aim to subsume their "overheads" within the price of the item. Nevertheless, postage cost should resemble the actual cost of posting, and not be a means to extend the profit from eBay sales. Excessive postage cost normally stick out like a sore thumb. I was recently looking for a particular camera lens. The typical postage cost was around £3.50, but one listing (identical to all the others) had a postage cost of £10! I do not deal with any seller who asks for unreasonable postage cost on a matter of principle.
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