EBAY rant - seller "betteroffblu"

[DABO]

I've been buying and selling on Ebay for years, not to make money, but to try out lots of different things. One seller stands out both for the amount of things he/she sells and the number of times I've been beaten to a sale. Betteroffblu.

This person makes thousands of buys and sells and I think is almost singlehandledly responsible for pushing prices up for Nikon users. I occasionally check the just listed "buy it now" auctions to try to catch a good deal. Betteroffblu very often gets there first. I have to admit he must be obsessive and have a good system, because he ends these auctions within a minute or two of them being listed. I wish I knew how he did that.

Then of course he turns them around for sale. I see, for instance, that he's bought a number of Cameta 28mm/1.4 demos for $1500 and resells them for $2600. Seemingly any good deal is snatched up by this seller and resold for a higher price.

This seller is also apparently not a nice person. Here's samples of feedback he's left for others:

http://toolhaus.org/cgi-bin/negs?User=betteroffblu&Dirn=Left+by&Many=ON&ref=home

I suppose the reason for this nasty feedback is to have leverage to try to get his own negative feedback "mutually withdrawn".

What really annoyed me today was that I read one of his auctions. He says: "An Open Letter to ALL; Ebay has been a fun way to explore my hobby and has afforded me the privilige of having dealt with MANY,MANY WONDERFUL people". As if he's sharing his wonderful good fortune with others.

I know he has a right to run a business, but he's inserted himself as an extra middleman, raising prices for all of us.

DAB

 

[icetraxx]

He is probably useing auctionsniper or something similar. You can check it out at www.auctionsniper.com. I have used it myself sometimes and yes it is owned by ebay too.
Larry

 

[bwilder10h]

Ebay is loaded with people buying stuff and reselling it for a profit. This is repeated over and over no matter what the product is. I personally blame ebay for driving the classic muscle car values through the roof and that is something I follow as well.

The guy seems to be a terrible person to deal with but I also know how bad it can be to deal with folks that bid and win my auctions then disappear like it's a game... so I do have some sympathy for a seller on ebay.

I dont see where this auction sniper thing would help you get items on ebay at a bargain though. That just enters your bid seconds before the listing ends, it doesn't help you get them any cheaper.


What I want to know is how I can get one of those 28's for $1500

 

[DABO]

He is probably useing auctionsniper or something similar.
Larry

Larry - I also use auctionsniper. But I'm talking about something different. When a seller places an ebay listing with a "buy it now", betteroffblu often grabs it within one or two minutes of it just having been listed. That means, I guess, that he's sitting in front of his computer constantly watching, with his finger on the "buy it now" button.

 

[Gr8Tr1x]

Larry - I also use auctionsniper. But I'm talking about something different. When a seller places an ebay listing with a "buy it now", betteroffblu often grabs it within one or two minutes of it just having been listed. That means, I guess, that he's sitting in front of his computer constantly watching, with his finger on the "buy it now" button.

Well, people have to make a living somehow...

 

[lexiticus]

I never liked Ebay for camera equipment, Its not even that I'm worried about the condition of the equipment, But the expense of selling on ebay drives the prices up to compensate for the "ebay fees" coupled with paypal fees, And anything you could look for you can pretty much find on here.

I'm sure most people will tell you about a "killer ebay deal" they got, but overall I think they are too rare and too risky to be worth the venture.

 

[icetraxx]

I'm sorry I misunderstood the original post. I think that there is a service that will poll ebay for a certain item and let you know when a new item is posted via email. I know it exists I just don't remember where.
Larry

 

[Candidcameraman]

The only thing I buy

The only thing I buy off eBay are - CD's. Seriously, out of print or hard to find CD's, that's it and I have never had any issues all else is either bought new or off online forums like this one here or TimeZone for watches.

I sleep well at night not worrying about my feedback - I am a great buyer! :biggrin:

 

[papafoxtrot]

Blu is a gal. I've bought a number of lenses from her at prices that I considered reasonable. And she has been a good seller to me.

To stay in the market you have to offer goods at a market value. Believe it or not, buyers set the prices, not sellers. If the price is too high, it simply won't sell. You can see this at the Cafe, too. Of course, if they are too low, they get snapped up more quickly, too.

In any case, I've had good experiences with Blu.

Regards,

Paul

 

[Beezle]

I've bought some older lenses from this seller.

Unless it is something I really really want I don't think I will again.

This person does in fact have the right to buy stuff and sell it at a profit, but middlepersons sure can be, as we see here, irritating!

 

[DABO]

Well, people have to make a living somehow...

When I start feeling annoyed with this person, I try to channel that emotion into feeling pity for the person who's livelihood depends on staring at the computer screen for hours and hours, constantly refreshing the screen, trying to keep alert for the next good deal. Hmmm... Is that what stock traders do?

DAB

 

[Kevin Scott]

I've bought lenses from her as well. Her name is Penny. She was very pleasant to deal with. I bought my lenses at very reasonable prices. This was about 2 yrs ago. I've noticed that her prices have increased for some of the same lenses I previously bought. That said, I've still got a few of her auctions bookmarked as I intend to buy from her again.

 

[Doug]

I think of these people as scalpers really, speculators I guess, They learn the market, they pretty well know what an item will bring! So, they lay in wait, like a tiger after it's prey. Waiting in the bush, to take it down. We come along and think, oh I want this! But it's done in their sites, and to a point, they come over the top of us like a Texas Hold-em player. We want a bargain, they are happy making 50-100 bucks after fees.

 

[general]

My Experience

I have bought many items from Penny and have always found her to be fair and honest. I have no complaint about dealing with her.

 

[Gr8Tr1x]

I think of these people as scalpers really, speculators I guess, They learn the market, they pretty well know what an item will bring! So, they lay in wait, like a tiger after it's prey. Waiting in the bush, to take it down. We come along and think, oh I want this! But it's done in their sites, and to a point, they come over the top of us like a Texas Hold-em player. We want a bargain, they are happy making 50-100 bucks after fees.

What's wrong with that? Whats wrong with buying something low, and then selling it again at a higher price?

When I start feeling annoyed with this person, I try to channel that emotion into feeling pity for the person who's livelihood depends on staring at the computer screen for hours and hours, constantly refreshing the screen, trying to keep alert for the next good deal. Hmmm... Is that what stock traders do?

DAB

Why would you pity someone like that? Perhaps there are people who do exactly as you described because thats all they can do. Why place judgement on someone because this is how she chooses to make a few extra bucks. You just sound bitter that she gets to the good deals first.

 

[DABO]

Why would you pity someone like that? Perhaps there are people who do exactly as you described because thats all they can do. Why place judgement on someone because this is how she chooses to make a few extra bucks. You just sound bitter that she gets to the good deals first.

Well, I started out annoyed. You're right that anyone is allowed to buy low and sell high - we all do that, or try to do that. My annoyance was about the sheer volume of it and how it affects what we all pay for these things.

Then I got bitter when I saw what she was doing with the Cameta 28/1.4's while she was advertising herself as a fellow hobbyist enjoying meeting all the nice Ebay buyers and spewing malicious feedback to, in my opinion, keep her own feedback high.

I don't like feeling bitter about people. It's just not in my nature. So my defense mechanisms turned it into pity. If she doesn't feel my pity, then there's no harm done.

DAB

 

[Gr8Tr1x]

Well, I started out annoyed. You're right that anyone is allowed to buy low and sell high - we all do that, or try to do that. My annoyance was about the sheer volume of it and how it affects what we all pay for these things.

Then I got bitter when I saw what she was doing with the Cameta 28/1.4's while she was advertising herself as a fellow hobbyist enjoying meeting all the nice Ebay buyers and spewing malicious feedback to, in my opinion, keep her own feedback high.

I don't like feeling bitter about people. It's just not in my nature. So my defense mechanisms turned it into pity. If she doesn't feel my pity, then there's no harm done.

DAB

Cool. I wasn't trying to get up on ya'. I was just playing Devils Advocate. I mean, imagine someone who snipes ebay auctions and buys low and sells high, and they do it because they're bedridden or something, supplementing their disability...ya know...just something to think about.

 

[jemaerca]

Folks, the world's full of middlemen. It's call a supply chain:smile: . If the market can figure out a way to eliminate a middleman, that guy/gal is gone in a heartbeat. It appears to me that this person is doing well by knowing the market, being vigilant, and taking action when the time comes. No different from stock brokers, real estate speculators, watch collectors, etc. Nothing wrong with that, in my opinion.

And as for eBay, I personally think that it has been good thing because it has expanded the market for things that would otherwise have gone to a garage sale.

 

[sbutchin]

ebay

I spent I can't tell you how long getting a listing ready for a lens I wanted to sell, making sure the pics were good, fonts, colors, etc., it was a job in itself - as soon as I hit the button to submit the listing, it disappeared - i was so ticked - i spent so much time on the listing and now I would have to start all over again!!!! ahhhh!! but then I looked and realized, someone bought it with the buy it now button! I found it quite impossible that it was basically purchased at the exact moment in time it was listed. But there was the paypal payment and it was so - I couldn't figure out how anyone could possibly get it that quick - I'm telling you it never even appeared on the screen - I looked into the guy and sure enough mostly everything he bought was that way, within milliseconds! And then he relisted them immediately and made money - I still don't understand how he could have gotten the listing that quick - what types of programs are these guys running?

 

[bwilder10h]

what types of programs are these guys running?

I dunno.... but I'd like to find out. :BigGrin: