Amazon Marketplace - why did I bother?

Hezzawithkids

johnnyboyrebel wrote: »

From my experience, 'Used-like New' simply means an item that isn't new regardless of wear and tear or damage no matter how bad it may be. I think a lot of sellers think the only options available to list under are 'New' and 'Used - like New', they don't realise there are 2 or 3 others that decline depending on the condition.

Even though I used to sell on Amazon I would personally never buy from a marketplace seller, it would always be Amazon. A-Z claims, 'thought it was in stock but it isn't' all add up to hassle you just don't need when you simply want an item.

Trust me I spent a long time trawling the listings as I will be "living" with these texts for a year! As well as the sellers in question choosing "Like New" I also only bought from those added further descriptions in their notes e.g. no marks, read only once, etc. So still letting the side down.

trukdiver

johnnyboyrebel wrote: »

From my experience, 'Used-like New' simply means an item that isn't new regardless of wear and tear or damage no matter how bad it may be. I think a lot of sellers think the only options available to list under are 'New' and 'Used - like New', they don't realise there are 2 or 3 others that decline depending on the condition.

Even though I used to sell on Amazon I would personally never buy from a marketplace seller, it would always be Amazon. A-Z claims, 'thought it was in stock but it isn't' all add up to hassle you just don't need when you simply want an item.

When I worked in a charity shop and we put books on ABE, we used this grading system:
http://www.ioba.org/pages/resources/condition-definitions/

I don't think Amazon and Ebay sellers use it though. To me "like new" means it doesn't have any marks apart from the sort of marks it might get on a book shop's shelf. The description that I don't like is "acceptable" - what's that supposed to mean?

Another thing that bugs me is the way some sellers charge different prices for Amazom Marketplace. The Book Despository had one book I wanted for £90 on Amazon and £45 on their own site. WH Smith had it listed for £29 but it's out of stock and being reprinted in August. £90 seems like blatant profiteering to me but some sellers had it for well over £100!

Crowqueen

People will charge what the market will bear. If someone is prepared to pay £100, then they will buy it. If not, then it will go unsold. I'm not sure I am going to begrudge someone their profit or their living. Academic books in particular are expensive because of small print runs - they can be bought for good prices on Amazon, and although I'm slightly frustrated by some of the prices for texts e.g. by my potential PhD supervisor which I really ought to read between now and next October, I don't for one minute suppose he would be happy to spend all that time writing a book and then not actually see any return on it because the company is forced to give it away.

Incidentally, there is a thread on the official boards about charity shops and profiteering. No-one has thought to say there that if someone is willing to pay the prices they are talking about, or get more for something on eBay, . I buy a lot of stuff from charity listers on eBay, I'm happy to fork over a decent price for something, but everyone seems to think charities should only pay 10p...wut? If it's worth a good price, why not sell it for that? And the ironic thing is, most of the people there are sellers, including the person who says she can never find lego in charity shops...and sells...lego!

cestlavie

well you have been unlucky. i'd have no hesitation in leaving negative feedback forthe seller who sent you a package without stamps and i wouldn't pay the postage charge when the postman came calling. in fact i'd be tempted to contact amazon direct about this dipstick. as for seller not checking condition thoroughly, well i once missed a pencilled margin so i feel some sympathy. it's an error i've not made again. in fact like crowqueen i go overboard with photos showing any possible flaw.

BaconandEggs

Crowqueen wrote: »

People will charge what the market will bear. If someone is prepared to pay £100, then they will buy it. If not, then it will go unsold. I'm not sure I am going to begrudge someone their profit or their living. Academic books in particular are expensive because of small print runs - they can be bought for good prices on Amazon, and although I'm slightly frustrated by some of the prices for texts e.g. by my potential PhD supervisor which I really ought to read between now and next October, I don't for one minute suppose he would be happy to spend all that time writing a book and then not actually see any return on it because the company is forced to give it away.

Incidentally, there is a thread on the official boards about charity shops and profiteering. No-one has thought to say there that if someone is willing to pay the prices they are talking about, or get more for something on eBay, . I buy a lot of stuff from charity listers on eBay, I'm happy to fork over a decent price for something, but everyone seems to think charities should only pay 10p...wut? If it's worth a good price, why not sell it for that? And the ironic thing is, most of the people there are sellers, including the person who says she can never find lego in charity shops...and sells...lego!

Do you have a link to this thread please?

BaconandEggs

Having said what I posted earlier, I have had problems with eBay sales and with Playtrade sales. So I do empathise with the frustration you must be going through. It does make you question whether that small saving is actually worth the hassle. Especially when the grievance procedures are more convoluted than when buying directly from a large online retailer directly. If problems do become widespread people will just stop using the services.

Taadaa

I usually buy from AM, have had a couple of problems. One was an ex library book not listed as such, the other was decribed as good condition but had a torn cover! Will be returning the latest one.

Crowqueen

BaconandEggs wrote: »

Do you have a link to this thread please?

http://community.ebay.co.uk/topic/Seller-Central/Ot-Thrift-Shopping/18000460526

Have fun rubbernecking. Actually, some of the points they're making are valid, but I've been in Henley and Oxford, I always go there if I want nice secondhand stuff, because the markets there can support more than your average falling apart, musty-smelling paperbacks. We have an Oxfam bookshop in Reading that I have spent hundreds of pounds in and most of the stuff in our other charity shops makes a refreshing change from dirty junk shops.

FWIW, Primark and other low-price clothing stores (Peacocks, Bon Marche etc) now serve the people who need cheap clothing; there's nothing special or sacred about charity shops. I don't think most of the people posting on there really care about the low-paid; I think they are complaining about people pricing things realistically because of competition from eBay and trying to make a decent amount of money for the charity. I can see the point if things are not selling; but if they are, why kill the goose that lays the golden egg?

I don't think the forum there is in any mood for being told that, though.

johnnyboyrebel

soolin wrote: »

To me like new means as new but with some cosmetic damage. Both ebay and Amazon explain the conditions and are quite strict about it.

I recently sold some DVDs , some on Amazon and some on Ebay for my son, all watched once but sold as 'very good' as they were not 'like new' as they had been watched.

You are probably correct there. Although I did have one big blowout before stopping selling and listed around 300 blu-rays as 'new' that were actually second hand and used. As a lot of items are not sealed nowadays anyway noone would have been able to tell the difference (obviously if there was some damaged it would have been listed as 'used-like new') but if the item has no visible damage then you may aswell just list as new, thats what most people do.

sk1010

I had a really bad experience with Zoverstocks recently. They sent me a defective DVD (advertised as "very good" condition - come to think of it, they always advertise their stocks as "very good" condition... hmm) which keeps skipping at one episode and returning to main menu. I emailed them to let them know about this, and they apologised saying "oh, we always test all our stock before sending them out, and it's a rare occasion that in your case this happened"... I asked if I could return it for a refund, they say "no it's okay, dispose of it and we'll send you a new one." I waited a week and nothing. So I emailed them asking when have they sent a new one. They said they sent it straight after the last contact and told me to please not contact them until 14 days from that date. Already I thought it was BS... they sent it a week ago by Royal Mail so surely it would have arrived? Okay fair enough sometimes !!!! happens... but ... I just had a feeling. And true enough, 14 days drifted by - in fact, 15 - and nothing showed up. So I emailed them again and asked them if I could just have a refund please? They simply did not reply for 2 days and to be honest, I just expected it because they replied very promptly before - within a few hours to 24 hours - and now 2 working days have gone by and no reply. And so I had to open a claim with Amazon and sure enough they refunded me immediately and sent me a long-winded email on how they value customer service etc. etc.

Now why did I think they were trying to fob me off?

To be sure, this wasn't the first time I ordered from them. Another time a DVD I ordered from them, listed as in "very good" condish, turned out to be in a crumpled, knackered jewel case. The DVD played alright, thankfully. But there was no way I would consider the whole thing in "very good" condition. Acceptable maybe. Or even, "good", if they wanted to stretch it.

I will never bother with them again. I would rather spend a few more pence buying from someone else who is more reputable.

I have never bought books from them before though.

I have however bought several books in the past from the Book Depository and can say hand on heart that I've never had a single bad experience with them and their books were always in exactly the condition as stated - i.e. brand new. They seem like a big company, but at least they manage to send out stuff that matches the descriptions! Shame on Zoverstocks.