Originally Posted by
MetalPedaler
That's a hoot! They treat YOU like you're a crook, but yet, you're the one who is most likely to be robbed by a fraudulent buyer, enabled by Ebay's dysfunctional policies. Ebay has become the world's biggest grab-bag for free electronics/designer merchandise.
I would never sell anything of value on Ebay anymore. All a buyer has to do is claim that the item you sent is SNAD [Significantly Not As Described], and send you back their old broken one with delivery confirmation...or take a needed part out of yours and replace it with an old broken part...or send you back a brick....and as long as they have delivery confirmation, Ebay will snatch back their payment from you and refund them. Happens EVERY day. It's insanity. And that's just the tip of the iceberg- there are a million other scams.
Us former sellers have a saying: "Don't sell anything on Ebay that you can't afford to give away".
Not saying you are wrong. I have had my share of disfunctional transactions too. And the feedback function is a joke. Who says anyhting bad about a seller? And if they do, it gets so diluted by all the other feedback, you don't know what to think. But here is the thing: where are you going to buy titanium stem bolts or aluminum water bottle cage bolts? Where are you going to find a VAR "tyre" tool? Etc, etc. All in almost one click. It is just too easy from the buyers' point of view.
As a buyer or a seller, if you self insure, that is figure in some fraction of loss despite the protection plans, you will still make out big time. What you said about not selling what you can't afford to lose, makes sense. Just realize that you won't lose it every time. That is what I mean by self insurance. There is some fraction of loss that you can afford, and even on ebay it is unlikely you will exceed it. Just don't think that you will lose every time, and price your goods to take the inevitable rare loss into account.
It is like the biggest market place for any and every item you may want. How can you justify going any place else first?