Who is using eBay/PayPal these days?

[fabsroman]

I wasn't going to let the cat out of the bag, but okay. LOL

[Tennessee Elkman]

I buy and sell on ebay on a daily basis. All the advise you've read is great but please be careful. I just got notice today that someone in Romaina was trying to log into my account. 3 TIMES! Ebay suspended my account and I had to chat directly with them online to get things cleared up. I would have better luck calling the Queen of England than I would trying to call ebay. They only deal via email or direct chat connect. And when your being spoofed you're unsure exactly who you're talking to.
As far as the buy it now pricing I agree it works as long as the price is reasonable and below $500.00. Over that I've found the buy it now isn't as effective. There is also the option of make offer. I've found that extremely annoying as people may ridiculous offers on your items. Good Luck!

[Skinny Shooter]

Not having the ability to talk with a live person is a drawback. Heck, they're probably from another country and I'll have trouble understanding what they say anyways.

Rocky, I signed up for the click n ship acct. Do you use this shipping label: PN: LUEBAYSLW10

Back to calculated shipping: I was checking out the free PM boxes and saw that flat-rate boxes are also offered.
That might be an advantage where someone orders a large number of heavy items that can fit in those boxes and the calculated shipping may end up being more.

[skeet]

I've bought quite a few items on ebay. Best buy I made was the Ford truck I have right now. In December after the accident I had in November of 2003 I saw this truck on ebay. It was priced really well but got no bids. It was located in Northeast Md so I PM'd the guy. Got his number and went to look at the truck. He was a little abrasive right at first but I bought the darn thing for 27,000. 2002 powerstroke 250. Had 11,300 miles....and he had paid 41,000 7 months earlier. Think I did alright..oh and the guy gave me a notorized bill of sale for 20,000 bucks. Saved 350 bucks on taxes.and he had put a tonneau cover extra lights custom taillights and had the bed done by Line-X. oh and a cover for the whole truck(which I've never used).

BTW ebay DOES have a phone number or two. I've called them and got a real live person. Not too helpful a real live person, though. Will look for the number and post it.

[Rocky Raab]

Skinny, yes those are the labels I use. You might also be able to find them elsewhere if you search for gummed labels 8.5x11" half-sheet. The label prints on one half of the sheet and your copy prints on the other. I file mine for 30 days in the event of a dispute.

The only difference between the PayPal shipping label creator and the USPS is that PayPal gives you an option to NOT print the postage total on the label. Tat might be of value if you tend to average your shipping costs and charge a median amount to everybody as a flat fee (as I do).

I ship books in USPS double-video boxes (#1096L) or single-video boxes (1096S). I also have a selection of Tyvek bags on hand, some Priority and some Express Mail, plus some Flat Rate boxes. Get a roll of Priority Mail sealing tape if you might ship larger boxes of your own. All free.

One final note: Use a random-character password for eBay and PayPal, and change it quarterly. I learned that one the hard way - had a random password, but didn't change it. Somebody got it somehow.

[skeet]

Rocky, I think the post office quit giving the rolls of priority mail tape away. I have 3 or 4 rolls left but I don't see it listed on their ordering site anymore.

[Skinny Shooter]

Have any of you folks put together an "about me" page?

[fabsroman]

I haven't, but I might do that if I get time later tonight. I have been on a cycling chat board recently and I like the way their "about me" page is set up. I'll have to take a look at ebay's. I am sure it won't hurt on ebay for me to disclose I am an attorney and CPA. Then they will really know I am cheap.

[BILLY D.]

I'm not going to address any single person with this, but you people never cease to amaze me.

You talk about how precious you firearms are and your right to own them, then you schmooz with the likes of Sleazebay and Paypal. Both anti- firearm and ownership organizations.

It seems you speak from both sides of your A$$ and with a forked tongue. I'll bet some of you donate money to PETA and the Fund for animals to.

I don't understand.

[skeet]

Billy, In my everyday life I deal with all kinds of sleaze balls that want to take something from someone else. So do you! We all do at one time or another. I don't necessarily like others points of view on some items. I hate to have to buy things made in other countries. If you want or need some item sometimes it just isn't available in Made in the USA. Ebay provides me with a venue to sell and buy mostly shooting items. Do I like ebay's points of view on firearms...well heck no. I don't speak with a forked tongue and don't talk out of both sides of my A$$. But I do make some necessary income from sales on ebay...and other places. I do however support the NRA and even they have done things I really didn't agree with. Lighten up, man...and try not to buy items made in Vietnam!

[fabsroman]

Is it worse to buy things from Vietnam or China?

I never knew that ebay and paypal were anti gun. I'll have to re-assess my situation regarding them.

We had this sort of discussion in hunting dogs a while ago about Eukanuba and Iams. Supposedly, the two of them contribute to PETA. They also contribute to Qualis Unlimted and other conservation programs. So, do you boycott the makers of a food that is good for your dog just because they provide support to PETA. The tough thing is that these retailers are trying to make everybody happy.

I'm not supporting ebay here, but don't they allow the sale of hunting equipment on the board? If they were that anti-gun they should not allow any of that.

Last but not least, how anti-gun are ebay and paypal?

[skeet]

Fabs,

ebay and paypay(really an entity of ebay) are moderately anti gun. They don't allow the sale of guns or magazines contrary to california law. If they were adamantly anti gun there would be no firearm related items sold onebay. The worst part about them is they do not allow the sale of parts of "assault weapons"...guns such as AR-15's etc. The largest part of the reason is they have no control over what may or may not be legal in 50 states and a few territories as well as sales to foreign countries. You do know how attorneys try to cover their clients butts??!!

Now being a one issue voter I worry about my votes and who they help. That affects me directly as far as laws that may be passed. A company's stance is something I can do nothing about. I mean I had to belong to a union when I worked in the fire dept. I didn't support the union's choices(in fact they sucked). This is more or less the same type of issue.

Also...since I spent enough time in SE Asia to learn how those people think of us...I try to buy no items made in Vietnam....and almost impossibly...China. But as I have said before. Sometimes you can't find the same items that companies such as Harbor Freight sells that have "Made in the USA" on them. Even finding something made in Canada(which I would buy) is almost impossible now. Everything is now made in Mexico....and our politicians helped that to happen

[Rocky Raab]

Billy, skeet is absolutely correct. The reason that eBay will not list guns or certain gun parts is because they cannot control who buys or sells on their service, or what might be illegal where. They really have no choice. If they did list those items, they'd be breaking some law somewhere - and might even fall afoul of the BATFE.

Just because they don't SELL guns doesn't make them anti-gun. Target doesn't sell guns, McDonald's doesn't sell guns, General Motors doesn't sell guns, Budweiser doesn't sell guns - but that doesn't make them anti-gun.

If one wants to avoid companies that actively contribute to anti-gun forces, that's one thing. (And I'd join in if there's proof.) But it isn't fair to berate a company that's just following the law.

[GoodOlBoy]

Correct Rocky. Also gunbroker DOES work gun sales. However I can't sell old movies, dishes, toys, etc through gunbroker to make extra income. I CAN sell that all through ebay. By the way the last gunbroker deal I purchased I did so using paypal.

By the way when I was in High School my biology teacher who was a HUGE supporter of ducks unlimited came in to school one day steaming. IT seemed he checked the donations redistribution from them and they had donated about $200k to a swamp conservation project that was ALSO anti-hunting.

Almost nothing is clear cut black and white.

Food for thought.

GoodOlBoy

[fabsroman]

Yep, I got a little mad at DU one day because their ad for contributions sounded like a crock. If I made a contribution of a certain amount, I would get a DU sweatshirt; however, they added that the sweatshirts would only be supplied while supplies lasted. That really had me steamed.

Now, as far as I am concerned about ebay, they are not actually selling anything. They are acting as a facilitator between two parties, but they never have legal title in the goods. I think I have looked at Gunbroker before, and the guns need to be shipped ot a FFL. However, who does the shipping? Does Gunbroker ship the gun, or does the seller ship the gun?

There are so many issues with selling firearms in an ebay format that if ebay were my client (I only wish) I would tell it not to do it too.

I thought that Billy knew of something where ebay was giving funding to the antis.