GILLETTE Mach 3 Turbo/Mach3 blades

tonyivb

When I list items for sale I would normally say why I am selling it as I feel that a sincere reason for sale adds value to the item description.

Most reputable websites and eBay traders will include something about themselves, but having looked through a few listings for razor blades this kind of information seems to be lacking.

I imagine that there could well be some profit to be made from taking advantage of price differentials on the Grey market, or reselling wholesale bought goods. If this was the case (and I think there are a few) then I would expect the eBayers to be large volume sellers, but many of the eBayers selling razors appear to be private individuals (and there also seems to be a disproportionate amount of new/recent registrations amoungst them).
Also isn't it a coincidence that some also sell other 'pocket' sized items!

Having worked in the past for a supermarket I know that razors were regularly nicked and although they have made it more difficult in recent years I imagine that it is still a huge problem.

After all that, I would not buy razors via eBay as it is my suspicion that they will have been stolen. I do not have proof that this is the case but I feel that the circumstantial evidence strongly suggests that they are nicked.

gods_gift

What rubbish to say that some one who sells on ebay 'pocket size items' must have nicked them.
I sell on ebay and when you sell with little or no overheads make it easier to sell at a smaller profit (goes with out saying really).
What about the people that work for gillette they like many others in their families get these blades at reduced rate and if they sell them, surely they should be thanked and not considered common criminals acting on asumptions made by others.

scooter100_2

please dont brand all razor sellers as criminals.i have been selling a certain brand of womens razors and replacement blades on ebay for the last 3 months after obtaining them from a nationwide chain at %15 of the normal rrp.(thanks to someone posting the offer on this board).so its quite possible that others have obtained different brands legally.

soolin

tonyivb wrote:

When I list items for sale I would normally say why I am selling it as I feel that a sincere reason for sale adds value to the item description..

I feel absolutely no need to clutter my auctions with any history of my items for sale. I buy, and then I sell, all I need in my auctions is the relevant details...how big, how many, how much.

tonyivb wrote:

Most reputable websites and eBay traders will include something about themselves, but having looked through a few listings for razor blades this kind of information seems to be lacking..

Well, I must be getting this ebay lark all wrong then. I keep myself private, I have no 'about me' page as it isn't necessary, my feedback and my clear auction details are all my many buyers seem to need. Even as a buyer I don't believe I have ever bothered to read anybody's 'about me' page. If I want to blog, then I'd sign off to a blog site, if I want to sell, then I use ebay.

As for pocket size items equalling theft somehow, I think you are misunderstanding how ebay works. I can't speak for others but I am an ordinary person living in an ordinary house, I can't store many items yet I need to keep a stock of ebay items, I therefore only sell small things. That makes sense to me.

tonyivb wrote:

I would not buy razors via eBay as it is my suspicion that they will have been stolen. I do not have proof that this is the case but I feel that the circumstantial evidence strongly suggests that they are nicked.

I don't believe there is any circumstantial evidence here at all and would say again if you have any real suspicion that stolen goods are being sold on ebay then you ought to report it to the proper authorities.

Soo

tonyivb

It looks like there was some confusion between what I actually said and what I implied, so I'd just like to clarify...

I am not branding all razor sellers as criminals and I freely acknowledge that there are legitimate ways to profit from the re-selling of razors and that there are some people who do this.

As Gillette razor blades are the items most frequently reported stolen(*1) then it stands to reason that there must be a demand for the stolen goods to fuel this theft (ie they are not all stolen for personal use). As well as other avenues such as Car Boot Sales, Guy in the pub & stolen to order, eBay offers an attractive outlet for this type of illicit goods as it is very difficult to prove the provenance.

As for my 'pocket sized items' comment... it would not take long for a shoplifter (or team of them) to clear out all the razor stock in a locality, therefore they would have to diversify and supplement their haul. Therefore, if the razors were going to end up on eBay then the rest will also (could this be an example http://search.ebay.co.uk/_W0QQsassZbovine333QQhtZ-1)

To give a null-hypothesis, from looking at the listings on eBay I cannot satisfy myself that the razor blades on offer are being re-sold legitimately, therefore , I chose not to buy them.

As for putting additional info in item descriptions... I'm not saying I am right, just that I like to know more about who I am trading with, so I feel it is only fair that I provide this for others.

I can assure you that my suspicions are 'real', but I do not have 'real' evidence. I only have circumstantial evidence gained through working in retail & pubs, the media and a little amateur research.

If this offends anyone then so be it... it is my honest held opinion (as well as others, see para 6 - (http://www.economist.com./business/displayStory.cfm?story_id=1563928

*1 http://www.retailresearch.org/crime_and_fraud/shoplifters_hit_parade.php

reelcrazy

The auctions you have shown as an example look like someone who has bought a lot of stuff from Boots, probably getting a good few advantage points and selling the stock on. Doesn't seem untoward to me.

soolin

reelcrazy wrote:

The auctions you have shown as an example look like someone who has bought a lot of stuff from Boots, probably getting a good few advantage points and selling the stock on. Doesn't seem untoward to me.

I agree, 371 feedback with 1 neg hardly looks like this seller is a problem. More likely someone who knows how to 'work' the Boots offers to get items cheaply enough to sell on at a loss, but still make money overall.

I've got tons of small items here (small as I walk to Boots and don't take the car so weight is important) all bought at Boots where the points I received equalled the value of the goods. I've got makeup and toiletries that I don't even use and I either just donate them to the school fetes 'tombola' stalls or give them away for Christmas presents. Anything for children go in the Christmas shoe boxes. I hadn't thought of selling them on ebay.....

Oh, and as for blades, recently the Gilette ones were on special offer *and* they had £2 or £3 vouchers attached to them which scan in Tesco, so effectively the blades were free. I bought a small stock, but my local Boots ran out very quickly, I think I can see where they all went now :T

Soo

Alleycat

There was a programme on tv recently examining all the most popular items to sell and razor blades were (I think) number 1. The presenter had shoplifters on the programme and it was stated that Ebay is one of the places used to offload the stolen goods. Even with their plastic boxes used to prevent theft they were extremely easy to get into and could be cleared out very easily.

I am sure there are some genuine sellers of blades and other small but high value items, but there are definately a lot of stolen razor blades on there.

Penny-Pincher!!

I bought some Mach3 blades off ebay a few weeks ago and they were fine-not copies at all. Granted they were cheaper than Boots etc, but isnt the whole idea of ebay-bagging a bargain
The responsibility is with the seller and not the buyer if the items are dodgy. We are buying them as genuine products which they seem to be and know no different.

PP
xx

bagby

Ive been selling razors and blades on ebay - they have all been gained by legitimate means and they are all genuine. Buyers get them for at least a third of the price in the shops. I just cant fathom why sometimes they havent sold and then the next day go for double the price - any ideas.