Rob,
It's funny....eBay built themselves on the little guy, then they saw what they thought was much better ground, dealing with the "big boys"...I think your right, the little guys are what built eBay in the early days, and if someone was smart, that could reproduced today!!

:-)Rocky

Rocky,
I was speaking of "my website". This forum does sell knives, due to a more open and knowing atmosphere...but...(Aaahhh)...my website rocks!
Best, Capt. Chris

On the other hand, from a buyer's perspective, things are much better than they used to be in terms of return policies, seller communications, etc. This not just for eBay but also Amazon and many other online sellers. Unfortunately, it seems like the pendulum has swung too far the other way and now sellers are at the short end of the deal and customers are being abusive.

I've been a long time buyer and seller on eBay. I've sold RMKs, BMKs, Swiss Army knives as well as books, CDs, toys, art and other collectibles. Overall, my experiences have been very good, though the 'headaches' are usually bad ones. While there are buyers looking to game the system, fortunately they seem to be few and far between; most of my buyers have been great folks who it was a pleasure to 'meet'.

I agree, however, with the comments of Rocky and Larry. eBay has steadily become much more buyer-friendly with their return (particularly the "Item not as described" policy) and inspection (30 days) policies. I see it as "keeping up with Amazon" which offers returns for any (or no) reason, and a 30 day (or more) inspection period. While these policies may help build up the confidence of buyers, and present no issues for full-time retailers (who may offer such policies on their own), they are often problematic for part-time sellers or simply folks selling a collection or cleaning out their attic. "As is" or "no returns" presently means very little (or nothing) on eBay.

Unfortunately, there are few viable alternatives to eBay for a seller who does not have a commercial website. Selling knives on this website is an excellent alternative (and a very cost-effective option as well), but you can sell virtually anything on eBay and reach an audience of millions of potential buyers.

So, while eBay presents some headaches, and seems to get more expensive (for sellers) all the time, in many ways it's the only game in town.

Bob

So...as we were discussing before...her is the email that came from eBay in the past few minutes.

Hi ---,

Some of your listings need to be updated in order to comply with eBay policies or security changes.

What do you need to do?
We’ve identified the listings that need to be changed to meet our updated standards.

• 3 of your listings have an unsupported return policy. Listings with unsupported return policy will not be automatically re-listed. Learn more about our new return policy guidance.
….

As always, thank you for selling on eBay.

Sincerely,
eBay Seller Team

Now they allow only the following options:

The five return policy options will be:
No returns accepted
30-day buyer-paid returns
30-day free returns
60-day buyer-paid returns
60-day free returns

Larry

Larry,
I believe you may be confused....based only upon my correspondence with my eBay "concierge" service teem member that I spoke with, regarding the return from my buyer....He has 30 days, regardless of what you put in the add, or even what you think is in the add.....AND, since I did not see fit to provide a return shipping label....eBay let me know yesterday, that they provided one to my buyer "on my behalf"....so, it's coming back to me, after 15 days(could have been 30) regardless of what I think, or what I do....
Now, will it be what I sold, or will it be something different, will it be damaged, or will it be exactly what I sold....I remain skeptical...
Also, my PayPay account has now been placed on "hold" I can not make other transactions using PayPal at this point....
THE MAN!!!
:-)Rocky

Rocky--

I understand. And they tell me my listings will not be renewed automatically, which is no big hassle for me.

I don't know if they will actually get my reply to their email, or actually care what I wrote, but here it is for "entertainment" value.

"A standard 30-day return policy is beyond the bound of reason—any buyer knows within a very short time whether the item they receive is as described by the seller and if they actually want it.

"A 30 day return privilege invites buyer abuse—they can buy and use an item, return it in diminished condition to the seller, and demand a full refund. That harms the seller.

"Also, an unscrupulous buyer can return a different item and claim it is the one they “received” from the seller, and again demand a full refund.

"Stories around the web describe such experiences that sellers have had, and also say that eBay does not protect the sellers when a dispute arises.

"I have had only one bad experience as a buyer [an outfit in Italy sold me a fake antique knife], and in that case the only way I recovered my payment from them was to go through my credit card company. Ebay and PayPal simply did not aid me in any way. In this case it was outright fraud by the seller, and they afterward changed their identity on eBay and kept doing business."

Larry

Larry,
Good luck with that....Like you say, they may not even read it....everything you said was spot on.

:-)Rocky

I've got an update for folks that are using the bay to sell items...eBay has a 30 day return policy, for any reason the buyer choses(keeping up with Amazon).... Regardless of what wording you have placed in your add, eBay policy over rules that....therefore, typing wording in your listing about your idea of your return policy, is a waste for your time.
Buck....I sold that M3 double stroke on the bay for $850+/-...the buyer, after they received the camera, messaged me a question with specific indications that they were asking about the M3...2 days later they filed for a return, due to the item being "not as described"...the buyer now states that "I sent them a damaged Cannon body"....the buyer now places negative feedback(which eBay says cannot be done when in dispute)....yet another fallacy....O.K....you think it can't get better...well, eBay closes the case, refunds the buyers money before I even receive the return....which, by the way, is a Cannon body(my M3 is now gone)....and now, I have to file a police report, and who knows what else....before I forget....paypal now has a negative balance in my account, and is demanding money....additionally, if you think for one second, that your feedback will have bearing on you qualifications as a seller you would be mistaken....my 1,700+ vs their 51....matters not...they say feedback is simply an opinion, and has no effect on your honesty as a seller...
God bless eBay!!!
:-)Rocky

Been in place for some time. Just open up a case and see what happens. Seller is forced to accept the return. This is not much new.