Online Trading

Just a few tips for the newbes (and oldies):

(1) Post what you have and include an ACTUAL picture of the item, not one off the web somewhere.

(2) Tell the truth...if it's junk, say so. If is pristine and collectable, say so.

(3) Specify how you want to be paid and if you or the buyer is responsible for the shipping. Include your zip code so they can figure for the shipping.

(4) NEVER ship the item until payment has been received! Then, put the funds in safe keeping until at least 3 days after the buyer has received his goods. Be a nice guy, give him time to tell you something is wrong!

(5) Always use a shipping service that you can track. WARNING...USPS is notorious for waiting until up to a week after the item is delivered to post that it has been delieved! (We send our son in FL cookies and he has them eaten before we ever know he got them&#33 E-mail the tracking number to the buyer the same day you ship the item. If the item is over the monetary limit of automatic insurance, insure the item! Insist on it!

(6) Refund the money if need be, but only after you have received the goods back. If it is a shipping problem, work together for a solution!

(7) Post feedback. Good and bad. Tell nothing but the truth.

(8) Communicate, communicate, communicate! E-mail is quick and easy! Send several!
"I have send your MO today".
"I have received your MO today and am shipping your package".
"Here is the tracking number..."
"Have received the item in good condition."

(9) If you are someone who likes ripping people off, here is food for thought... YOU CAN BE CAUGHT AND PROSECUTED!!

Using what God gave us for minds, amateur radio operators can prove to the world that we are trustworthy and truthful in ALL our dealings!

 

COD can be a better option for both parties. The item gets shipped sooner, and both parties are protected this way. If the buyer sends money first, he is trusting the seller for the total price of the item - perhaps several hundred dollars? With COD the seller is only trusting the the buyer to the amount of shipping - only a few bucks.... and the buyer is at least assured something was shipped.

What has worked for me in several purchases and sells, is both of us just ship the and money same day. We're both trusting each other and it's worked - so far.

If the seller is so un-trusting, he wants my money in hand before he even thinks of shipping, I'm kinda concerned WHY he is so un-trusting - is it because he ripps folks off and expects to be repped off himself?

Just some thoughts to show trust must work both ways to some extent.

Ken H>
K9FV

 

Good advice!

If I may add a few caveats:

Be careful about posting negative feedback on Ebay. While posting honest feedback benefits everyone it can also result in retaliatory negative feedback. This kind of undeserved feedback can not be easily removed.

Some of the online payment methods may impose fees upon the buyer instead of the seller. This can result in trading problems.

Be honest about your description of equipment for sale.

Materials for good packing do not always come cheap. If you don't have adequate materials you will have to purchase them. Make sure you add this cost to your shipping, if need be.

Protect both yourself and the other party by insuring the parcel. Get a tracking number and email it to the buyer.

Stand behind what you are selling. Be willing to negotiate any problems that might arise. Make every effort to resolve problems before submitting feedback.

73 W7RJR

 

And DON'T ship Fed-Ex Ground! It is not shipped by FedEx but a company that purchased the rights to use the name. They are slow, their tracking is terrible and you can't get a straight answer from them on the phone (because they really don't know). I've shipped three items this way with identical results each time.

73, Steve N4SL

 

Email transfers are best for me.  Use your online banking software.  Email cash to a person and their email address along with password-phrase.  They get three chances to get that right.  It will then deposit to the account number/bank they specify.  All the paperwork is on file in your accouny history.  The person gets the cash in seconds.

de Bill, VA3AY

 

Great ideas...I would add how important it is to carefully parse the ads. What is not said can be more critical than what IS said. I prefer buying gear from experienced, knowledgable Hams, and I want to buy the best I can afford.

I think people are basically honest. I've bought 15 HF rigs in this manner, and am not a dealer type, I just love radios, and I still have 9 of them, and the point I am making is that if you are very careful, and talk to people in person, as in on the telephone, and listen to what they say and how they say it, you can be very successful buying used equipment. I would also recommend buying again from people who have proven their honesty and judgement to you over time. Deal with people you get to know a little bit, and I think you will  be happier, and make some long term friends as well, if that is important to you.

I think two things are really important, namely patience and tenacity. I look at hundreds and hundreds of ads before I make my mind up. You need to think critically about how much you want to spend, and know exactly what you are looking for. After a while, you will be able to recognize immediately when you see something you would be interested in.

If the ad is well-written, no picture is necessacary. Besides, you can ask those kinds of questions via e-mail or telephone. Besides, you don't really know if a picture is truly of the radio for sale, or just a generic picture. Furthermore, the resolution of pictures on the Internet is only fair, and I don't think even digital cameras do proper justice to how a radio looks unless it is in awful shape. If you have bench and restoration skills, everything changes.

 

There are many good suggestions here.  I have a couple more:

On auction sales, check the feedback of buyer and seller. Use caution unless their positive count is over 20 or so. They may be honest, but inexperienced regarding auction protocol and ALSO about effective packing. Be very careful if there are any negative comments. Also on auction sales, it's nice when the seller provides the approximate weight as well as his zip. Shipping nowadays is getting ridiculous, and it can cost $12 to ship 5 pounds cross-country, which makes heavy, inexpensive items bad subjects for buying this way.

On non-auction sites like QTH, always check the announcement section.  Query Google for the other guy's callsign to see if you find any bad news about him. Don't be afraid to ask for a reference, particularly if it's an expensive item. An honest person won't mind.

Regarding FedEx ground: I've used them a few times with no trouble, and they're usually 20-30% less than UPS.

 

Pet Peeve - "MINT".... what? they MINTED that radio or that antenna at a MINT? Franklin Mint perhaps?

ebay Feed back can be very deceptive!

Echo - never ship "Fed-Ex GROUND". I have never had a problem with the good old USPS and Priority Mail is reasonable, and most important, trackable.

UPS is my LAST CHOICE, bad/hard feeling over the 220MHz grab and they cannot control internal theft! If you do not think they have a problem, ask them if you can send a firearm "Brown".

Some sellers get offened when you ask for "references", if they get offened, they have a reason why they do not want you asking questions.

The majority of sellers are honest, but there are always exceptions.

Pay the extra for insurance and tracking, it is cheap insurance.

Remember that third party shipping agents (Mail Boxes Etc) are the insured party, so if you ship thru them and the item is lost or broken, MBE makes the claim and gets the check, the you need to deal with MBE.

 

One other suggestion for you buyers........ask questions!  Often, what a seller does not say is just as important as what they do say.  A recent example on e-bay......seller had a nice looking Century 21 up for auction.  In the description he mentioned a couple of times how good the receive was on the unit, and how nice it looked.  I e-mailed him, and asked about the transmit function, and told him I was a serious buyer (I was...).  No reply was every received, although the seller had  a week to do it.  The "no reply" was in fact the answer to my question!  No, I did not place a bid, and the item went for a lot less than I would have been willing to pay.  Hope the buyer liked their new "receiver."

I'm sorry to say that this was not an isolated example.  Ask questions BEFORE you place a bid!!  And remember, the seller is not necessarily a ham, even if they use some of the right jargon in the description.

I have had many good experiences with e-bay sellers, and I guess I'm fortunate in that respect.  But be cautious......you have no idea who you are dealing with on this stuff.  

73 to all and have a Happy Holiday Season!

Jim/k7unz

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (RAD1OMAN @ Dec. 12 2002,17:53)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Pet Peeve - "MINT".... what? they MINTED that radio or that antenna at a MINT? Franklin Mint perhaps?[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
I agree completely! I think the term 'Mint' is usued wayyyy too loosely on internet auction sites. I've seen ads that say something like, "MINT condition...except there is a small dent in the upper right corner, one digit is non-functioning on the display, and the meter light needs to be replaced. Other than that, unit is in MINT condition." In my book, if an item is 'Mint', then it is as NEW, and basically unused.

 

I meant to make a few comments about shipping...

I've been very frustrated by UPS. They bounced a Kenwood 830, destroying the VFO module, and indenting all the controls on the inside of the inside box. They wanted to treat it trivially, but I forced the issue, and they sent a regional rep to check my claim out. The key to the claim was that the radio was superbly packed. They could not claim the damage was the result of bad packing. I would not let them repair the rig, as I was convinced if it fell far enough to ruin the VFO, there was likely other damage that would show up over time, like broken solder joints, or discrete component problems. I watched the rep enter into his laptop that the claim was valid, and accepted by UPS. It took me 15 calls, lies that the "check was to be mailed that day", arrogant men and women who could care less about my loss. The radio was insured for 400.00, and they wanted to find the cheapest example on the Internet, and pay me that, which I refused. Finally, I was able to hook up with a super nice, experienced female supervisor who finally understood what I told her, and the check was there in 4 days.

I prefer USPS, as you can talk to a human being in your town, not Arctic City, North Dakota. I can watch them weigh my box, and my experience is that the boxes USPS ships are taken at least as well cared of as the clowns at UPS. You also can get Saturday delivery, and it usually takes about half the time of UPS. Nothing is foolproof. If I have to accept something from UPS, I will, but I will not spend my money with them.

 

Having character and ethics to start with eliminates the need for all the "checks and balances".

They aren't necessary if a person is honest. Sad that more individuals are not so "honest" and we have to constantly repost information like this.

 

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (KenH @ Dec. 12 2002,12:44)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">COD can be a better option for both parties.  The item gets shipped sooner, and both parties are protected this way.  If the buyer sends money first, he is trusting the seller for the total price of the item - perhaps several hundred dollars?  With COD the seller is only trusting the the buyer to the amount of shipping - only a few bucks.... and the buyer is at least assured something was shipped.

What has worked for me in several purchases and sells, is both of us just ship the and money same day.  We're both trusting each other and it's worked - so far.

If the seller is so un-trusting, he wants my money in hand before he even thinks of shipping, I'm kinda concerned WHY he is so un-trusting - is it because he ripps folks off and expects to be repped off himself?

Just some thoughts to show trust must work both ways to some extent.

Ken H>
K9FV[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
COD is a poor choice for both buyer and seller.

As a seller, I have no choice over how you pay. You can pay UPS/USPS/FEDEX with a bad check, forged money order. Depending on how the shipper handles the money it might be a week before you get they money to even deposit it. then several days to find out its bad.

As a buyer I have no control over what you send me. I could have just paid hundreds of dollars for a box of parts or a brick.

 

On line auctions are based on two principles...1. That most people are basically honest in their description of an item and 2.that the seller and the buyer are both honest in their transactions. I won't be so naive as to say that this is always true, but for the most part it works.

I do not warranty anything that I sell on line. What I do though is tell you more in the description of the item about what's wrong with it than I do about what's right with it. I also invite questions about the item and respond promptly to any questions. Plus all listings that I make contain...THIS ITEM IS SOLD AS IS WITH NO WARRANTY OR RETURN OPTIONS....I've never had a complaint and nothing but satisfied buyers.

73, Vic K4VIC

 

I agree with checking feedback when purchasing from online auctions. However, feedback can be misleading. Many times I see sellers with fairly high feedback numbers and no derogatory ratings, further checking shows the feedback came from them "buying" not "selling", and many times buying small items. I try to only buy from someone who has a good history as a seller. I have found it worth while to check the "sellers other auctions". See to many ads, "no power supply, but works", and have seen a few where that same seller was selling a power supply separately (guess we are all stupid buyers). Most of all "know what you are buying". Buying equipment you are not familiar with can lead to problems, i.e a radio with out a power supply could cost you more then you wanted to spend. On one auction I asked a seller about power output, the radio was written up as excellent working condition with low hour tubes. My reply was "You will have to find that info out somewhere else". Needless to say my bid was not entered.