Road Cycling - Some People On Ebay, make ME Mad !!

I could not believe all of the LAF rubber bracelets on ebay selling for 2-10 dolars each, and not one seller saying they will give all proceeds to LAF. Talk about taking advantage. They even list all of the stars that are wearing them, and how it is the "in thing". If only LAF could force the sellers to give all proceeds to the foundation or force prosecution. I am all for the quick buck, but give me a break. :mad:

That makes me sick, Ebay should not allow these to be sold.

I agree. It's awful.

Why is this awful?

LAF gets the $1 for the bracelet and the people looking on ebay get a bracelet. They paid a mark-up because they were too lazy to find where to get them for the actual selling price. You are assuming that the people paying say $5 for a bracelet would have bought 5 bracelets from the LAF. Probably a bad assumption. They probably only wanted one, and they got one, and the LAF got their $1 one way or the other. So some chump is making some extra cash by reselling them. What does it matter?

my wife just got rip off at ebay, she bid for a Louie Vitton Handbag, and this item turn out to be a fake

I don't know, Just people profiting om the benefit of a charity seems illegal to me. Or maybe just principles. AT least make it clear that only 1 dollar will go to the charity.

LAF gets the $1 for the bracelet and the people looking on ebay get a bracelet. They paid a mark-up because they were too lazy to find where to get them for the actual selling price. You are assuming that the people paying say $5 for a bracelet would have bought 5 bracelets from the LAF. Probably a bad assumption. They probably only wanted one, and they got one, and the LAF got their $1 one way or the other. So some chump is making some extra cash by reselling them. What does it matter?

Ditto.

I think there are 2 issues here.

1. I think it is crap that folks are trying to make money off the LAF bracelets. I think that the money should be going to a good cause rather then for profit.

2. I think EBAY is in one of its slump stages. Lots of scams going on there right now and this seems to be a pattern. It was a problem early on with Ebay, and now it is back.

I could not believe all of the LAF rubber bracelets on ebay selling for 2-10 dolars each, and not one seller saying they will give all proceeds to LAF. Talk about taking advantage. They even list all of the stars that are wearing them, and how it is the "in thing". If only LAF could force the sellers to give all proceeds to the foundation or force prosecution. I am all for the quick buck, but give me a break. :mad:

I just bought 2 bands. Paid like 8 dollars for them. But if you try and buy them from the Lance Armstrong Cancer (livestrong) site. It says they are all out and back ordered. So I said what the heck some guy makes some money off me. But I will get my bands soon. I hope!!!

I think it is crap that folks are trying to make money off the LAF bracelets. I think that the money should be going to a good cause rather then for profit.
Word.

I walked over the to LAF booth on Saturday, handed dood a 20 and got my bracelets. I think they were surprised but grateful.

I just don't see how LAF benefits from second party sales unless the proceeds are sent to LAF, which I can't see that happening. People will sell stuff on ebay for pure greed, it's pathetic to take advantage of the sick and dying (as I've said before). Shoot, my sister had cancer, my aunt recently just died of breast cancer after suffering with that illness for almost 20 years (in the end, she screamed every day for weeks in pain, and then slipped into a coma and died 3 days later), and my father is currently suffering from prostate cancer. Living with the cancer makes me respect what the LAF is working to raise money for, and I can't believe that for all those sad stories out there, people are all about WEARING THE BRACELET rather than the PRIMARY GOAL, which is TO RAISE MONEY FOR CANCER RESEARCH.

I've noticed more and more lately, that we really do have a problem here in the USA- it's all about NOW NOW NOW. There is no respect for the process, and there's no patience at all. We want it now, and we want it our way. The LAF is not Burger King-they are a foundation, and has anyone ever stopped to think that maybe they are backordered because the LAF is losing money because of all the selfish people out there that go through the 2nd and 3rd party folks to get their bracelets rather than order it from them? How is that helping cancer research? :-/ Are we concerned with wearing the bracelet more than the idea of helping those in need- the sick, the dying, the cancer ridden, chemo taking cancer patients?

my wife just got rip off at ebay, she bid for a Louie Vitton Handbag, and this item turn out to be a fake


REPORT THEM TO EBAY. This IS illegal. Demand your money back from the seller.

Selling yellow bands is not illegal. I agree that it is slimey, but once LAF gets it's $1, the owner can do what he wants with it. Including sell it. It IS a free country. Buyers are the problem, not the sellers.

REPORT THEM TO EBAY. This IS illegal. Demand your money back from the seller.

Selling yellow bands is not illegal. I agree that it is slimey, but once LAF gets it's $1, the owner can do what he wants with it. Including sell it. It IS a free country. Buyers are the problem, not the sellers.

Which takes me back to my point before- why make more wristbands so you can lose more money in the process? If it's clear people bought them for $1, then the demand goes up and people profit without LAF seeing the money, I wouldn't be too quick to put another batch out there. I'd be pretty upset if others were making more money off my idea than me, and taking advantage of a not-for-profit and desperate customers in the process.


Koffee

Which takes me back to my point before- why make more wristbands so you can lose more money in the process? If it's clear people bought them for $1, then the demand goes up and people profit without LAF seeing the money, I wouldn't be too quick to put another batch out there. I'd be pretty upset if others were making more money off my idea than me, and taking advantage of a not-for-profit and desperate customers in the process.


Koffee


I think people are turning to ebay because they are out of stock at the LAF site.

CAPITALISM 101
get used to it!

If this is capitalism, then capitalism needs to be outlawed, since anything criminal is therefore capitalism.

Capitalism is merely free enterprise, not the BS that is being spwed about now. Capitalism is not just maximizing profits...it's being able to work hard and get what you deserve for the work you put in. You could call this work, but so are the nigerian scams then.

The big difference is Ethics...there jsut are no ethics anymore...actually that is how I gague who i do business with...I actually refuse to do buisiness with many places due to how crappy they are....part of my reason to ditch cars..everything surrounding them is crap, same for teh medical industry...I'm one of the fortunate few that has an "oh sh*t" fund that can cover if I get sick up to a point...any further and I say it was my time anyways.....it's better than feeding these gluttons that thrive on making needed drugs so expensive the ones who need it the most cant get it, since health insurance ends up paying for this stuff anyways.

Really...if you want to just shrug it off as capitalism, cool...but once you start feeling the real pain of it, don't start crying since after all you were all for it. Heck my main hooby, computers has had tons of BS in the name of capitalism...now the recording and motionpicture indistry is trying to make it so we can't build our own homebrew hardware....WTF kind of BS is that.. I assure you the day that law is made, I will ensure I make tons of non-compliant hardware to throw on EBay and even hand out in the streets...after all, their idea is against what true "capitalism" is...

...See it's aone sided street...if a corporation cries, it's illegal, if a charity or a person cries...well it depends on how loud they can cry.

Which takes me back to my point before- why make more wristbands so you can lose more money in the process? If it's clear people bought them for $1, then the demand goes up and people profit without LAF seeing the money, I wouldn't be too quick to put another batch out there. I'd be pretty upset if others were making more money off my idea than me, and taking advantage of a not-for-profit and desperate customers in the process.


Koffee

The LAF can't LOSE money unless there are fake bands out, for every band out there, they got a buck, no matter how much the seller paid for it. The LAF wont raise the prices of bands, thats stupid and greedy, if slimeballs want to make money off them on eBay they still get their product off the LAF, who have raise 8 million dollors in the cause, no one but the buyer is losing money.

-Middi-zon

Geess try that with a comcert ticket or game ticket, same prinapal but guess what
It's illegal, called Scalping
and sense the wristbands are like the tickets for one propous only LAF could possible have a case and force all the $$$ to come to them
I really dont see a differance in the two items
besides it just slimy to do it off a nonprofit item

my wife just got rip off at ebay, she bid for a Louie Vitton Handbag, and this item turn out to be a fake

Hey... At least she even got a handbag! I just got ripped off Ebay AGAIN and will probably never buy from that site unless the person has an organized business. There is so much fraud on Ebay today, even those with a dozen solid positive feedback notices are ripping people off. The seller of the product I wanted had over 15 positive feedback notices and he was still a crook!

Heads Up, the bands for sale on ebay do not come from the LAF.

Do most of the people complaining "not" have the LiveStrong bands & want one, or what?

I ordered mine direct from the LAF probably on the 2nd day of the tour. Didn't need a 10 pack of each youth & adult, but knew my kids had friends that would wear them, & thought "oh well", it's just a donation going for a good cause. Ended up with 5 or 6 left, & relatives heard about them & wanted one. In a way, I felt the same way, here I am giving them away after I made the donation, to help the cause more, I could have given them away & asked them to make a donation.

On the other hand, I've heard of LBS's selling them for $4-5 each; are they donating a the rest????

Wow, didn't we have this exact same goddamned discussion about a week ago? Reading some peoples responses in this thread makes me think that they have about 0 morals.

its not about morals......assuming that these bands are actually the REAL "LS" bands bought from LAF for $1 ea. It is purely about buyers who want the bands, can't find any in their local LBS, and are willing to pay up to get them NOW.

LAF does not lose money.....they still get the $1 per band. It is the BUYERS who lose the money. Those who are complaining that this is ripping of LAF don't have a very good grasp on the principles of economics.

I'm my area (Fairfield Cty, CT) all the LBSs are sold out of the bands, and have been for some time. I bought mine early on, and wish I had bought several so I could give them to a few people who now want them since they've become trendy. SO, although I would give my extras away to firends, there is nothing inherently immoral for selling them at a premium on ebay if Buyers are willing to pay for them. That is the WHOLE POINT of a capitalistic society.....goods and services are priced at what the market will bear for them. The ebay sellers only make money because people want the band.

FINALLY, thing about the motivation of most people who are buying the bands on line.....they are not doing it because they want to support LAF....if this was the case, they would send their $$ into LAF and wait until the bands are no longer back-ordered. NOOOO, they want to be able to show the world that they support LAF by having the band on their arm.....so in my mind many of those who are paying a premium on ebay are trying to get the bands for a less- altruistic reason than just supporting LAF. But, thats fine too, as long as ultimately $1 per band ends up in LAF's coffers.

Now, if the ones for sale on ebay are not originally purchased from LAF, then by all means it is a horrible, immoral, unethical, uncaring thing for sellers to be doing.

cheers

I see where your coming from with this TxH, but buying out a shop just to price gouge is less than ethical. The buyer had no reason to do this except to make people who wanted one to pay far more.

Given the answer is to NOT get one...this is the main reason i don't want one...it's the new beanie baby. Given it's a beanie baby for a good cause, but still man+dog seems to want one since Lance finally got mass media coverage.

Buyers are the problem, not the sellers.

Agreed. Buyers dictate prices, not the sellers. If enough buyers/customers feel offended by actions of a few immoral sellers, the word will get around whether they be an Ebay seller or your corner convinient store, people will stop patronizing them and eventually driving them out of business.

Exactly.

In fact I can think of scenarios in which the LAF is actually rising MORE money because of this practice. In fact I would almost bet on it.

Keep in mind unless these are fake the LAF is getting $1 per sold no matter what. So if people are getting it off ebay, or from a legitimate source LAF gets $1. Now several people see that people are buying them online for like $8 and they order up a couple hundred. Now LAF has all that money in the bank, but these guys may or may not be able to recoup their "investment".

LAF is only made better off this way. They have the money for bracelets that people only wanted so they could make a profit off of. Now the seller can loose his shirt and any buyers are paying more than they would have to other places but the LAF itself has sold itself more bracelets.

One of the beautiful things about the free market is how it makes people work together even if they have very different motivations. In this case someone who is trying to profit off of this campaign is actually helping it raise more money than it otherwise would.

I could do a numerical example or a proof by contradiction but I think the story I have told should suffice.

Geess try that with a comcert ticket or game ticket, same prinapal but guess what
It's illegal, called Scalping
and sense the wristbands are like the tickets for one propous only LAF could possible have a case and force all the $$$ to come to them
I really dont see a differance in the two items
besides it just slimy to do it off a nonprofit item

So you think that nothing should be sold for a profit except by the manufacturer?
Let me know when you decide to sell your house, since you will only sell it for what you bought it for.

wrong logic...now buying all the houses in a city to jack up the prices would get someone in trouble, that I'm sure of...which is more comparable to what is happening here. Basically a person is nabbing up all the supply to make a quick buck.

Really, I don't think there is a win/win answer to this. The LAF could say max of 5 bands per donator, but that might cut into how much they make since these guys are putting lots of money into their coffers. We could simply not buy them though...that is part of an open economy.

It's just messed up like that.

ya know, it's not like anyone is knocking over the change jar at the convenience store stealing money that was supposed to go to sick children.

No I don't think that someone cornered the market here. There were two full boxes of 100 in my LBS about two weeks ago.

So, it is a simple matter of someone selling something for more than they payed for it.

I'll admit it is on the sleazy side, since it is a charity thing. But, in the LA area, a house that would sell for $200,000 anywhere else, sells for $1.4 Million. How is that for sleazy? It is all because someone is willing to pay that much.

I still say that the BUYER is the real problem. You can put a price tag on anything. If there are no buyers, well, that is the end of that. If people line up for it, then you have a market.

It's the same thing with drugs. The govt blames the drug pushers. Aren't the USERS really the problem? No buyers - No market - No sleazy sellers.

O.K. well how about some of these sellers are charging $3 shipping, or some even say that they do not have any in stock and are waiting to be resupplied. I just thoght it was illegal to make profit off things that are part of a non profit promotion. All those years of selling MS cycler donation tags for a dollar when I could have charged 2 and pocketed a dollar, how stupid was I. I believe it is both the buyer and the seller. Next time I arrange the chinese auction for the local animal shelter, I will have to sort through the donations and sell them on ebay. How about, the county fair is coming up and all of the children get free balloons and sherif badges. I will use my little brother to round up as many of each as we can so we can sell them the next day.

Im almost positive Nike is producing these band for the LAF, to which Nike also contributed 1 million dollars. I really don't see how the LAF could be losing money with people going through other parties to acquire the bands, since they are in very high demand and many are going straight to the LAF for them.

Nike's donating them to LAF. I"m sure that Nike's given more to LAF, but the bands are the only thing, to my knowledge, that are being donated. The money from the initial sale, therefore, goes to LAF, every penny.

LAF does say on their website that they don't want people marking them up. It is sleazy. But it's also a buyer's market.

As for being Beanie Babies, it depends on the motivations of the person buying one. Like someone already said, there are those like me waiting for them to come off of backorder to wear one to support LAF and livestrong, and there are those that want to make a fashion statement. Either way, right or wrong, one can't argue for a second that it hasn't been an incredibly successful venture for all involved. Nike gets a nice writeoff for something that costs probaby $.02 to make, LAF/livestrong receives more money to further their programs, people make a fashion statement. I'll wear mine until it rots off of my arm (or my arm rots off, whichever's first). That is, once I get the ones that are on backorder.

Im almost positive Nike is producing these band for the LAF, to which Nike also contributed 1 million dollars.

Gee... a whole million. Nike makes that every day before lunch.

why not just donate the money directly to the fund?