George,
I've frequently felt bad when I've bought something on eBay for the opening or near opening bid price. It usually depends on the type of seller.
On the other hand, quite often when I've sent an eBay seller a polite note correcting a blatant error in their description or requesting clarification or better pictures, I've received negative responses.
For example, there is a seller offering an item under a listing for a certain French brand bike. That brand (probably) never used that make of component plus he's got it way overpriced because he thinks it's the top model when it's the entry level product.
It bugs me because the item has been coming up at the top of one of my searches for several months. I've written the seller several times with polite corrections plus I even made him a very generous offer. Properly listed it would have been grabbed up weeks ago.
BTW, someone mentioned that perhaps a seller didn't really want to part with an item but listed it because of the desires of a "significant other". I never really thought about that possibility.
Chas. Colerich Oakland, CA USA
James G Allen wrote:
> No offense to Earle. What he describes is done all the time and
> considered proper. However, I feel queasy about buying items way below
> their market value. I don't mind getting bargains, mind you. But there
> are times when sellers have no idea as to the value of their items and
> to pay them pennies on the dollars just seems wrong to me. There is a
> lot of authentic Shaker furniture in my area and I personally know of
> occurrences where dealers have gone to the homes of elderly people and
> bought their Shaker furniture for next to nothing.. When they are
> offered $500 for a chest of drawers they think they've hit the lottery
> when, in fact, they've been totally scammed. There have been many times
> on Ebay when I have tried to inform an uneducated seller about the value
> of their item even if I intend on bidding for it. Many times I have seen
> bikes being sold by the family members of the recently deceased original
> owner. Usually, these people have no clue as to the value of the bike. I
> just have a problem taking advantage of their ignorance. If someone is
> getting a really, really good deal on something then someone else is
> probably getting the shaft. Just my 2 cents.
>
> George Allen
> Lexington, KY
> USA