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The Wacky World of Craigslist and eBay Ads

Old 01-28-15, 12:30 PM
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Ooh, a steel canondale.
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Old 01-29-15, 02:11 AM
  #9727  
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Originally Posted by yellowbarber
apparently have sold a dozen Wellgo SPD clips at at 930% markup
New Wellgo 98A Cleat Set Pedals for SPD MTB Bike Black | eBay
and 35 pairs of WR-1 MTB platforms at 1600% markup
USA Wellgo WR 1 Superlite Bike Pedals 108 grams Light Black Red Silver | eBay

do they have shill bidders maybe?
I'll see your pedals, and raise you Two Batteries for $5,001.45 of which E-Bay lists 459 out of 1,100 sold.

Yes, these were to fix my bicycle computer.

Actually, I think some sellers put a preposterous price on their items to park a web page. If you click on the "Items Sold", and it gives a list, of all the batteries sold for $1.45 (exactly $5000 less than the current list).

Last edited by CliffordK; 01-29-15 at 06:10 AM.
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Old 01-29-15, 05:56 AM
  #9728  
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Lose a zero, or maybe even a 2, and you're there.,,,,BD

old ten speed 70s model
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Old 01-29-15, 06:13 AM
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Originally Posted by Bikedued
Lose a zero, or maybe even a 2, and you're there.,,,,BD

old ten speed 70s model


The "new tires" are worth more than the rest of the bike.
Unless the generator is collectable.
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Old 01-29-15, 07:41 AM
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Originally Posted by CliffordK
Actually, I think some sellers put a preposterous price on their items to park a web page. If you click on the "Items Sold", and it gives a list, of all the batteries sold for $1.45 (exactly $5000 less than the current list).
And if someone sorts their search results by price high-to-low, guess whose listing is going to be at the top of the list?
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Old 01-29-15, 10:11 AM
  #9731  
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Originally Posted by smontanaro
And if someone sorts their search results by price high-to-low, guess whose listing is going to be at the top of the list?
But if the BIN price is set high (and there's no "Make an Offer"), how can a potential buyer buy it for a realistic price? Did the previous buyers buy it at $1.45, and then the seller changed the price? Maybe it's a way to indicate he only has one left?
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Old 01-29-15, 10:14 AM
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Originally Posted by CliffordK
I'll see your pedals, and raise you Two Batteries for $5,001.45 of which E-Bay lists 459 out of 1,100 sold.

Yes, these were to fix my bicycle computer.

Actually, I think some sellers put a preposterous price on their items to park a web page. If you click on the "Items Sold", and it gives a list, of all the batteries sold for $1.45 (exactly $5000 less than the current list).
That's what's going on - ebay doesn't like it when you frequently end auctions early because the item sold outside of ebay - and they'll ding your seller rating if you do it more than a few times. So, often, if an item is sold out at a low price, rather than ending the auction, the seller may jack up the price to a level that nobody will buy it.
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Old 01-29-15, 10:25 AM
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Originally Posted by RubeRad
But if the BIN price is set high (and there's no "Make an Offer"), how can a potential buyer buy it for a realistic price? Did the previous buyers buy it at $1.45, and then the seller changed the price? Maybe it's a way to indicate he only has one left?
Dynamic pricing on sites like Amazon tends to boost last-item-price to stratospheric levels. I'm not sure about the missing "make offer". That kind of surprised me as well. Still, there is at least a perceived benefit in showing up first in a crowded list. Witness all the "AAA" companies at the start of the phone book (presuming you still have a phone book - we don't).

Even stranger for the guy with the batteries, eBay actually lists some "sales" at those exorbitant prices:

beachs_best_batterys | eBay

They must be shill sales, but for the life of me I could find no way to report that. All the eBay pages did was lead me in circles, always coming back to the "what we will investigate" page. Oh well, eBay...
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Old 01-29-15, 10:27 AM
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Originally Posted by D1andonlyDman
That's what's going on - ebay doesn't like it when you frequently end auctions early because the item sold outside of ebay - and they'll ding your seller rating if you do it more than a few times. So, often, if an item is sold out at a low price, rather than ending the auction, the seller may jack up the price to a level that nobody will buy it.
Now that makes a lot of sense! I dinged the guy for fraudulent practices. I hope that "cures him".
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Old 01-29-15, 11:11 AM
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If the seller has one of a kind item such as a used bicycle, then sells it on Craigslist, then it would pointless to jack up the price on E-Bay so it wouldn't also be bought there (and if sold in 2 locations, then the seller can't replace it).

With the battery guy, I don't see any actual sales at the high prices (open up the individual items and click on the number sold).
My guess is that as he sells down his inventory, he jacks up the price until he gets new stock in.
Then he drops the price again and lets the sales resume.

He may also sell using Amazon or a personal web page. However, there is no fraud unless he is offering for sale items that he doesn't actually have in stock.
So, pick an item that he lists a stock of 1,100 for $5,002.69 each, and put in an order for the full 1,100 of them for a total of $5,502,959.

No doubt you'll have the seller sweating as he scrambles to put together the inventory he sold and doesn't have. But, if he manages to do it, he'll score over $5 Million profit. For that, he may be able to get his shipment as an overnight express delivery from China.
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Old 01-29-15, 11:21 AM
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Originally Posted by CliffordK
If the seller has one of a kind item such as a used bicycle, then sells it on Craigslist, then it would pointless to jack up the price on E-Bay so it wouldn't also be bought there (and if sold in 2 locations, then the seller can't replace it).

With the battery guy, I don't see any actual sales at the high prices (open up the individual items and click on the number sold).
My guess is that as he sells down his inventory, he jacks up the price until he gets new stock in.
Then he drops the price again and lets the sales resume.

He may also sell using Amazon or a personal web page. However, there is no fraud unless he is offering for sale items that he doesn't actually have in stock.
So, pick an item that he lists a stock of 1,100 for $5,002.69 each, and put in an order for the full 1,100 of them for a total of $5,502,959.

No doubt you'll have the seller sweating as he scrambles to put together the inventory he sold and doesn't have. But, if he manages to do it, he'll score over $5 Million profit. For that, he may be able to get his shipment as an overnight express delivery from China.
Not really - he doesn't need to fulfil the order until you pay for it. And I'm sure if you actually paid for it - he could run down to the nearest other supplier, pay retail for it, and turn around and ship it to you at a large profit.

I find it fascinating that folks are talking about various ways to screw sellers who are not actually harming anyone, except possibly ebay itself - and acting like it's the SELLER is in the wrong. Frankly, doing the sort of bidding without intent to pay is a FAR more onerous fraud than the simple parking of a listing by jacking the price, fully expecting that nobody will buy unless they have the nefarious intent described here.
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Old 01-29-15, 11:38 AM
  #9737  
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Is it more expensive to close a sale and then start a new one when you get more stock rather than jacking up the price, or is it just a pain in the ass to close a listing/make a new one? Or is it that eBay dings you for closing an auction when you still have some stock left (according to what you told them) and then open a new one for the same thing later?
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Old 01-29-15, 11:40 AM
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No, I didn't suggest that one bid without the intent to pay, or to fail to honor one's payment.
I just found it an odd practice to significantly overprice something, apparently for the purpose of discouraging sales, probably due to a lack of inventory.
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Old 01-29-15, 12:03 PM
  #9739  
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Originally Posted by Bikedued
Lose a zero, or maybe even a 2, and you're there.,,,,BD

old ten speed 70s model
What really annoys me is the people who BUY a bike like this at a price like that so jack up the prices of all vintage bikes no matter their worth. How'm I gunna keep m'parts bucket filled like'at?
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Old 01-29-15, 12:11 PM
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Originally Posted by CliffordK
No, I didn't suggest that one bid without the intent to pay, or to fail to honor one's payment.
I just found it an odd practice to significantly overprice something, apparently for the purpose of discouraging sales, probably due to a lack of inventory.
Really? What was this then:

Originally Posted by CliffordK
So, pick an item that he lists a stock of 1,100 for $5,002.69 each, and put in an order for the full 1,100 of them for a total of $5,502,959.
This strikes me as analogous in terms of the offense and it's proper sanction, to someone who is angry at their bank for charging a monthly fee on their checking account, so they are rationalizing robbing the bank, to teach them a lesson.
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Old 01-29-15, 12:57 PM
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That scenario concluded with "seller scores $5 profit", so it doesn't seem to me to be suggesting fraud as much as hypothesizing about what would happen if a buyer did buy at the stated price.
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Old 01-29-15, 01:19 PM
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Wacky:

[h=2]Drift trike - $900 (Spokane valley)[/h]

Drift trike
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Old 01-29-15, 04:00 PM
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Originally Posted by RubeRad
That scenario concluded with "seller scores $5 profit", so it doesn't seem to me to be suggesting fraud as much as hypothesizing about what would happen if a buyer did buy at the stated price.
Considering that he'd have to pay with PayPal, and/or a credit card and/or some other payment methodology that ebay accepts, and none of those payment methods would provide a means of paying $5.5 Million for the transaction, the only plausible deduction is that he would not actually pay for the transaction.
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Old 01-29-15, 07:16 PM
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Originally Posted by anixi
Wacky:

[h=2]Drift trike - $900 (Spokane valley)[/h]

Drift trike
Cute.
Pretty small foot pegs (ahhh... longer in some photos).

I like the backwards handlebar stem and upside-down seat. I wonder how fast it goes, it looks like a death trap.
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Old 01-29-15, 07:37 PM
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Originally Posted by CliffordK
Cute.
Pretty small foot pegs (ahhh... longer in some photos).

I like the backwards handlebar stem and upside-down seat. I wonder how fast it goes, it looks like a death trap.
LOL! Death-Trap-2015!!
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Old 01-29-15, 10:41 PM
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Someone needs to jump on this. single speed bike

[h=2]single speed bike - $200 (dinkytown)[/h]


i got hit buy a car the front rim is messed but fork is good swell as every thing els i do have a new rim u just need a tire has a great books sattle its a large bike great bike i just got a new one from the guy that hit me..
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Old 01-29-15, 10:54 PM
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Originally Posted by rjhammett
Someone needs to jump on this. single speed bike

single speed bike - $200 (dinkytown)




i got hit buy a car the front rim is messed but fork is good swell as every thing els i do have a new rim u just need a tire has a great books sattle its a large bike great bike i just got a new one from the guy that hit me..
The "books sattle" (sic) might actually be worth a reasonable portion of the asking price
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Old 01-30-15, 01:32 AM
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I like the left handlebar plug on that bike.
One can tell a lot of care was put into the conversion.

It might help to straighten out he handlebars.

Anyway, find a cheap rim or wheel, and it might not take much to get it back on the road.
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Old 01-30-15, 03:23 AM
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Something you don't see everyday Louison Bobet



Vintage Louison Bobet French Touring Bike

Seems a bit pricey to me but then I'm not very familiar with the marque.

Vintage Louison Bobet French Touring Bike Probably could use some restoration and a little attention.

$500 cash only firm in price
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Old 01-30-15, 03:37 AM
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Originally Posted by rjhammett
Someone needs to jump on this. single speed bike

single speed bike - $200 (dinkytown)


i got hit buy a car the front rim is messed but fork is good swell as every thing els i do have a new rim u just need a tire has a great books sattle its a large bike great bike i just got a new one from the guy that hit me..
Anyone care to hazard a guess about the above "phrase?

Is it some type of "tap talk," written by a person who uses English as a second language, or just a pathetic indictment on the state of education in the US? It seems to be getting worse. sattle? ....fork is good swell?
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