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I hate Ebay Sellers.

I was recently looking for a given model of a string trimmer. I looked on Ebay, Amazon, and several other sites, including dealer sites. I found the product for the least cost at Walmart online. Item is shipped directly from the manufacturer.

I paid $188 from Walmart. The lowest cost for the same item anywhere else was $230 and the average cost is about $270. On average, when the item could be found on Ebay, it ranged between 15 to 30 percent more expensive than the lowest cost outside of Walmart. I do not bid and choose to buy now when I buy from Ebay. For a new item it makes no sense to bid.

This is why I dislike Ebay. They are more expensive on average than other sites on the net. Even Amazon is more often expensive for the identical product than sites not on Ebay or Amazon.
 
So why aren't you buying trimmers from Walmart and selling them on ebay?


I was recently looking for a given model of a string trimmer. I looked on Ebay, Amazon, and several other sites, including dealer sites. I found the product for the least cost at Walmart online. Item is shipped directly from the manufacturer.

I paid $188 from Walmart. The lowest cost for the same item anywhere else was $230 and the average cost is about $270. On average, when the item could be found on Ebay, it ranged between 15 to 30 percent more expensive than the lowest cost outside of Walmart. I do not bid and choose to buy now when I buy from Ebay. For a new item it makes no sense to bid.

This is why I dislike Ebay. They are more expensive on average than other sites on the net. Even Amazon is more often expensive for the identical product than sites not on Ebay or Amazon.
 
So why aren't you buying trimmers from Walmart and selling them on ebay?

Because I research the product more thoroughly than most, and because I am aware that most are buffaloed by brand name.

Example, one of the products I researched, though not the one I bought, a Snapper S28BC. This product is identical to the Husqvarna 128LD. The diference is the color of the shroud and the name on the machine. I mean that literally. I spent several hours cross referencing each part of the machine. Each part, excluding the shroud, cross referenced over to the 128LD. Even the shroud on the Snapper had to be purchased from Husqvarna.

Difference:
Snapper only purchased at walmart and costs 167.
Husqvarna 128LD purchased in many places for up to 279.

Both are the same machine. The Snapper is a rebranded Husqvarna 128LD. However, I cannot compete with the volumn purchasing and exclusive sales of Walmart. Maybe, while not true of all selling on Ebay and Amazon, I have enough respect for myself that I refuse to burn someone else.

Besides, why should I mess with Ebay and hardscrabble when I can make a few hundred an hour by cutting and trimming your lawn and paying others to do the same? And this is why I was researching string trimmers. IM has many aspects; not all of them are hook and crook.
 
Don't hate the sellers hate eBay.
Like my dad always said:
"Shit filters down and not up. If you want to know the source of shit go to the head..." :p
 
OP, I am pretty sure you can report the seller to eBay, so they can warn him not to fuck up again or he will get banned. Or something like that.

Because I research the product more thoroughly than most, and because I am aware that most are buffaloed by brand name.
And this is the reason you can succeed.

Maybe, while not true of all selling on Ebay and Amazon, I have enough respect for myself that I refuse to burn someone else.

Besides, why should I mess with Ebay and hardscrabble when I can make a few hundred an hour by cutting and trimming your lawn and paying others to do the same? And this is why I was researching string trimmers. IM has many aspects; not all of them are hook and crook.


So every reseller is "burning" somebody? Wouldn't you be "burning" somebody be offering your service at higher price than your competitor?
 
So every reseller is "burning" somebody? Wouldn't you be "burning" somebody be offering your service at higher price than your competitor?

Depends on the situation doesn't it. About 6 years ago I bought an Ibanez guitar from Ebay. I paid 100 for it. In particular it is the GAX 70 model. Today, if you look this same guitar is selling for 200 +. The reason, the model is no longer manufactured. Also, those units are completely stock. With the unit I have, I have refreted in Stainless Steel, changed the tuners from Ping to Grovers with keystone heads, replaced the plastic nut with bone, replaced the TOM saddle with a Nashville saddle, Replaced the stock Powersound pickups with Pick ups ripped out of a Gibson Les Paul that was too badly damaged to repair, installed chrome pup covers, and replaced the pick up selector with a Gibson blade switch While the unit is not for sale and will not be while I a alive, if I were to sell it for less than I have in it, would that be taking advantage of another? Incidentally, as an amateur luthier, I did all the work myself.

On the other hand, the string trimmer I burnt up, I bought used for 10, put another ten into a carb rebuild kit bought locally for 8.95, when the same kit (a KAT 20) could be found online at the cheapest for 10.95 + shipping. Would it have been ethical to sell it for 50 online?

Since I am the one that has to look myself in the eye in the mirror, I am the one that has to decide what my ethical boundaries are. Working with my immediate business of cutting your grass, I have to factor in thing like fuel costs, transportation time, cutting and clean up time, equipment maintenance, wear and tear. All the nice little things you must account for. From there I give you a fair price. It may be higher or lower than another, but it is unique to the situation. This is entirely ethical because I am not forcing you to purchase my service. With Ebay there are shill bidders, pretty sure that many of those are bots that raise the bids. This is certainly unethical. Since I cannot control the behavior of another, I can only make a choice not to purchase from you.

Also, just so that you know. This is coming from a guy that spent over twenty years in prison. You are the master of your destiny and I the master of mine.

The issue is not marking something up. The issue is marking something up so as to take advantage of another.
 
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