Ebay - private listing?

What's with this?

There was an existing bid which was invisible until the auxtion ended? Never seen this before

WINNING BID: private listing - bidders' identities protected US $3.00 Jul-03-13 13:11:26 PDT My Bid: Member Id: ( 78Feedback score is 50 to 99) US $3.00 Jul-06-13 08:07:58 PDT Starting Price US $1.99 Jul-03-13 08:08:05 PDT

Reply to
Rex
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I know nothing about it, except that eBay has been changing their rules from time to time, and a bunch of people don't like the changes. But, you will note the hidden bidder made the same bid EARLIER than yours, and that timing matters.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Elson

I personally do not like ebay. I also do not know a single ebay seller, who likes ebay. I sell on ebay, because that's where the buyers are, but I do not like it.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus8801

+1 on all that. But I do like the premium prices I can get on eBay. I put a low starting price, quintuple that for the BIN, and usually sell it by the BuyItNow. It amazes me every time.
Reply to
Larry Jaques

I have seen any number of things sell for 2X or more the buy it now price - those who are too cheap to pay the buy it now when the first see it, end up paying 2 or 3X that price when they finally get it..... go figure

Reply to
.

On 7/6/2013 4:22 PM, Ignoramus8801 wrote: ...

Why's that? Just 'cuz there's no way to cull the crowd or something about eBay itself?

I wouldn't say I'm enamored by it but I have used it some and have yet to be disappointed and have always thought I got at least a reasonable value if not always a steal. It's always been less than what could have gotten for locally.

I always make sure seller's ratings are in the 99 range or so and avoid the obvious major large storefronts in favor of individuals who may or may not obviously be doing it for serious as you or are just flipping stuff more or less randomly.

I've done everything from the JLG 40H 40-ft boom lift for ~$5K to an original hand-painted 1920s era lamp fixture hanging glass that matches ones in the house here that I've never, ever seen anywhere else other than that one by pure happenstance ($40 and would have given much more because of the nostalgia factor) to a $0.35 old gate latch that was $5 to ship that I just thought was unique (it's holding the door on the old shop at the moment).

A bargain not too long ago when was doing some additional wiring in the barn was a box of EMT couplings and end connectors (NOS) in both 1/2" and 3/4" that worked out at

Reply to
dpb

It's to hide the identity of the buyer, to get people to bid on something they don't want people to know they bought. You didn't give an item number. Are you ashamed for people to know what you were looking at? I've even seen listings like that for electronic components, they are nothing new.

Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

That's called Auction Fever. People get lost in the action and don't care what price it ends up, as long as they get the item they're bidding on. Bidding wars are EXCELLENT for sellers and really suck for buyers.

I had a great thing happen today. A lady negged me because the post office hadn't delivered her package before she went on vacation. I stayed calm and pointed out that the package had left my city and been delivered to another the very next day, as shown by the online tracking. And I asked her if she would consider changing the negative feedback. She said OK and I sent the Feedback Change Request through eBay. She changed it to positive feedback and said that the USPS delivered the items today! I'm happy.

Reply to
Larry Jaques

E-Bay is pretty low on my ratings, perhaps a 6 out of 10. Pay-Pal is now

100% blacklisted with me and I will only ever use as a "guest" and only then if I can't just mail a check and wait.

As a buyer my experiences have all been pretty positive and even just the past month or so I go some really good deals. I've also done a fair number of direct from China buys and have yet to have a single issue, not even slow delivery.

I don't sell much, so limited experience there, but the few sales I've made have been uneventful.

Reply to
Pete C.

This was a plastic gear for a garage door opener, dozens of identical gears listed. The winning bid was made days before my snipe bid, but did not appear until the auction ended.

Reply to
Rex

Did the bidder use a different snipe program? It's all in the details, and the timing.

Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

Lots of headaches with bad buyers, and eBay does not care about that.

I agree with that sentiment.

I do not perform any such operational safety checks on any manlifts I sell. Which is something I clearly disclose.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus19720

I don't think it's that they don't care; it's that it's very large and nebulous and therefore nearly impossible to police effectively. It doesn't help in that regard that it's a whole new cast of characters continuously.

I believe the difference is/was that the seller in this case is a commercial broker and owing to that he falls under a different set of rules(*). The machine did originate from the Chicago area, interestingly enough altho the broker thru whom I bought it (and from which the rental company bought their replacements) is in FL.

I don't think I'd have pulled the trigger w/o onsite inspection otherwise...

(*) I don't know for sure, it may also be that being the multi-state arrangement means there are additional hoops owing to the interstate commerce rules coming into play that wouldn't have been if all had been in one location. All I do know is that it had a just-completed OSHA-compliance certificate w/ it when it arrived. The head gasket leak was noted but was deemed a nonsafety issue altho was on a 'future maintenance' checklist the contractor who did the inspection used.

I talked to the broker several times on various details before bidding to work out shipping arrangements and discuss concerns of condition, etc., etc., and to just try to get a feel for what kind of a outfit it was as far as dealing with. He seemed straight and indicated he'd tried just selling 'as is' but w/o at least the operational check just wasn't getting any machines sold at all or only for less than scrap value. So, it was cheaper to get the operational check pass|fail compared to what it was to have them re'furbed and if the fail turned out to be only a single or few inexpensive items he could do them and then re-certify. As a result he was moving them at a fairly good clip.

Reply to
dpb

I am not sure what you mean by OSHA operational check. I test that stuff and report that it goes up and down, does not leak etc. But I cannot give any safety warranty for liability reasons.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus19720

On 7/8/2013 1:02 PM, Ignoramus19720 wrote: ...

There's an OSHA reg whose number I don't know otomh that outlines what is required as an operational safety check for aerial lifts. That's what I'm referring to. It basically does what you say you do but notes conditions that are considered unacceptable such as leaks, jerks, limit switches nonfunctional, etc., etc., etc., ... It's fairly generic since it covers all aerial lifts, but if a reputable person does it per intent it's pretty good indication the machine is, at least, fully functional. With it is a form/checklist that is to be used, signed and dated and kept on file w/ the machine. I believe it's required for machines that are in commercial use or on sites subject to OSHA reg's that this be done no less frequently than every 30 days.

There's another requirement in (I think CFR 1926(?)) that requires a pre-shift operator safety check as well. It's basically the pilot walk-around before taking off kinda' thing.

I'm not saying you (or even the broker in my case) are giving anything about a safety "warranty"; only that the machine did meet the minimum outlined in the OSHA reg's covering operational and safety mechanisms. Clearly you are doing just fine doing what you're doing; I'm not saying anything at all negative about that.

Rather, from what the broker told me, aiui he as a broker has to be registered in the states in which he operates and that adds burdens that you as the casual acquirer/disposer of "stuff" that might include a lift now and again aren't subject to.

The machine in question had been out of service for some time (months?) so I was concerned (obviously) about it's operational readiness not wanting to have to rebuild something drastically from the git-go. I figured if it mustered the above check done by an outfit who had their reputation on the line if they falsified such that odds were pretty good I had at least a working machine to begin with. Turned out it's been pretty solid. Other than the head gasket (it's an air-cooled gas Wisconsin V4J) the only thing I've had to do is replace the lift/swing and now drive controller modules. Each of them has failed now, over the last 2-3 yrs but it was almost 10 after I had it and the machine is an '88 model so can't really complain much. Oh, I forgot--I had to replace a seal kit on the main boom extension cylinder--it's a 20-ft 5" OD 2-way cylinder so that's a pretty hefty puppy. The local John Deere shop guys did it for me as I didn't have any way conveniently to rig up and support it coming out. The seal kit was

Reply to
dpb

...

...

I'll add I've never sold anything so from that standpoint I'm probably not fairly addressing issues. I've not wanted the self-hassle of having to ship stuff to the point that I just let it sit rather than try to sell it (if can't by making a phone call to the local "Radio-Bay" morning call-in show, anyway. One advantage of small town is that these kinds of local shows are still on and folks listen to 'em :) ).

But, I'm not trying to make a living moving stuff, either...I'm sure it's a hassle but a lot of people seem to be doing pretty well by it.

Reply to
dpb

...

Well, I guess where it originates isn't quite as I thought--some more looking seems to indicate that it comes indirectly from OSHA by their reference ANSI standards and the ANSI standards reference manufacturers' specifications which are where the typical 30-day routine inspections and checklists seem to actually come from...

I had just gotten the impression from the broker that it the periodic inspection was also an OSHA reqm't; near as I can tell relatively quickly the only one that is there except indirectly is the pre-shift operational check.

Reply to
dpb

I think that it is the owner's (buyer's) responsibility to ensure safety of their equipment. As a reseller, my obligation is to not hide any known defects and to be forthright in saying what was and what was not checked.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus19720

On 7/8/2013 5:12 PM, Ignoramus19720 wrote: ...

Well, yeah, but there are definitely OSHA and other reg's that are requirements on those owners. That's what I was speaking of. I had just gotten the impression during the conversation I had w/ him that the periodic inspections were OSHA-mandated...

And, I repeat, I'm not saying anything about what you needs must do as an individual on what are essentially private sales...

Again, while I'm not a lawyer or a contractor so it's not enforceable on me, I'm certain from what the broker did tell me that he has requirements on equipment he sells. Now again, some of that may be state and insurance as well as or instead of OSHA...

Reply to
dpb

They are mandated by by OSHA to be done by you, the owner.

i
Reply to
Ignoramus19720

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