Everything eBay! Scams, questions, etc...

[Rob]

They did this in IL last year…. I have no idea if it was proper or not but when I explained to my accountant that this was frustrating because I was using eBay as a garage sale and not a business, selling things I’d bought and paid for, with money I’d already paid income and sales tax on, she deducted my original purchases from the proceeds as well which basically canceled it all out. 

Like I said, I don’t know I’d that’s legit, but paying income tax on the full value of **** I sell after a few years of owning it is total bull****.

[Muftak]

It sounds legit to me.

I know my situation on eBay is slightly different because I am producing unique items to sell there, but every purchase and expenditure that goes towards those sales are the difference between my gross sales and net sales, so you had better believe they get deducted from the 1099 sales total. This includes the obvious stuff like materials, shipping and printing charges, but also eBay and PayPal fees themselves, and even Star Wars toy purchases (since they are used in the advertisement side of the business they become a write-off too.)

[Nicklab]

Thanks for the feedback, guys.  I was able to download all of my PayPal statements for the year, and I can tabulate all of the shipping expenses that I paid.  That plus shipping supplies are going to be the first deductions.  And I'll definitely bring up what you were talking about, Rob - this is me clearing out my basement and my garage, not a business that I've been planning for the past 20+ years.

[EdSolo]

This seems to go hand in hand with the proposed IRS bank account monitoring nonsense.

I'm glad I went with FB marketplace for selling my stuff.  Hopefully they don't try to pull the same crap.  Trying to tax people for a yard sale is way too much of a burden on the seller.  Are we really supposed to still have receipts for POTF2 figures from the late 90's?  I have all my Hasbro 12" stuff up for sale currently.  At best I hope to break even on what I paid for them 20 years ago.  How much proof would the IRS want if I say sold all of them for $3000 when I paid probably around $3500 for them?  Would I be able to claim a loss?  If they want to claim we are a business for selling old toys, then we should get business deductions as well.

Another thing to remember is to deduct the fees from both paypal and ebay.

[McMetal]

Here’s a new one:

I won on auction earlier today, at least I think I did, where I was the only bidder. However, eBay refuses to acknowledge that I actually won the auction. No confirmation email, nothing. When I click on the item page it says “We’re determining the winner. Please refresh the page.” 

I googled it and couldn’t find any reference to this on the internets. WTH?

[JediJman]

Here’s a new one:

I won on auction earlier today, at least I think I did, where I was the only bidder. However, eBay refuses to acknowledge that I actually won the auction. No confirmation email, nothing. When I click on the item page it says “We’re determining the winner. Please refresh the page.” 

I googled it and couldn’t find any reference to this on the internets. WTH?

Wow, that's weird.  Does the page show you as the winner if you refresh the auction?  Did you bid in advance of the auction closing or pretty close to the end?  I wonder if the seller tried to cancel the auction close to the end if there were no bidders.  Or did someone else try to bid last minute that screwed something up?

[Qui-Gon Jim]

Here’s a new one:

I won on auction earlier today, at least I think I did, where I was the only bidder. However, eBay refuses to acknowledge that I actually won the auction. No confirmation email, nothing. When I click on the item page it says “We’re determining the winner. Please refresh the page.” 

I googled it and couldn’t find any reference to this on the internets. WTH?

Try using an incognito window and check the auction without being logged in to see what it says.

[McMetal]

I had placed my bid well ahead of time but it did occur to me it might have been some kind of last second bid from someone else messing things up. Like a photo finish or something.

Good news is that it finally did go through a few hours later, looks like my bid was the only one, so who knows? Just glad it worked out in the end.

[JediJman]

I had placed my bid well ahead of time but it did occur to me it might have been some kind of last second bid from someone else messing things up. Like a photo finish or something.

Good news is that it finally did go through a few hours later, looks like my bid was the only one, so who knows? Just glad it worked out in the end.

Russian hackers. Again.

[Nicklab]

UGH!  I got scammed by a buyer.

I've been selling off a significant portion of my Sideshow and Gentle Giant collections.  One of the items I put up for sale?  A 1:6 scale Darth Sidious hologram with mechno chair.  I bought it new when it came out around 2008 at a convention.  And I had it in storage for years - never displayed it.  In my listing I only took photos of the exterior package - I should have completely photographed the contents, and that's probably where I made my biggest mistake, because this shitheel buyer wouldn't have been able to try pulling a fast one.

The buyer contacted me the day after he received it, saying that it was damaged - the top of the mechno chair was coming off.  He sent me 2 sketchy photos that barely showed the extent of the issues.  I asked him at least 3 times for additional photos so that I could understand the extent of the issues.  THEN he tells me "Oh, and one of the legs is broken", and finally sent me more photos.  He didn't document what looked like a repair attempt on the leg or the immobilized joint, or the hobby glue residue on the leg.  All of which I saw when I received the return - along with a whiff of the scent of hobby glue! 

I get that it can be frustrating if one of the items in your collection breaks.  But to then go on eBay, find a listing and try to swap out your damaged item for a new one and use the eBay return process to essentially get yourself a free replacement?  That's ******.

[Dave]

That sucks.  And eBay will always take the side of the buyer, even if you've got photos.

I don't know if people think they're buying from faceless billion dollar corporations and screwing them is fine, but when you're buying an item likely coming from a personal collection from a  hardcore SW fan you've got to know you're being a dick when you screw them over.

I've been screwed a few times and each one makes me so, so pissed off.  I still haven't found much success with Facebook or other means of selling, so I end up going to back to eBay and rolling the dice each time I sell something expensive.

[EdSolo]

Those things were pretty fragile.  The first one I had fell off a shelf and broke.  I had to buy a replacement years and years ago for it.  Still sucks that someone would scam you like this.

[Nicklab]

eBay had the balls to send me an email for feedback about the process.   Hahahahaha!!!!!!  I unloaded on them for the return policy being so stilted in favor of buyers who abuse the process.  Along with the fact that they NEVER responded to my appeal regarding the situation.

I'm just going to start photographing everything as thoroughly as possible before it ships - especially the high dollar value items.  And if eBay is unresponsive the next time this happens?  And I'm sure there may be a next time.  I'm going to social media to shame them for screwing over sellers.

As for this instance?  I put the buyer on by banned user list.  And that list is going to grow with each instance of shenanigans.  Case in point?  A guy wanted to buy a Robotech Masterpiece Collection piece from me.  He put messages in his Best Offer notes about how he's such a big fan, and these pieces are so expensive.  Ultimately, we negotiated a price through the Best Offer tool.  He paid for the item.  And shortly after that he canceled the order.  But wait!  He messaged me that it was an accident and he still wanted to buy it.  It just reeked of bull****.  BANNED!  And I relisted the piece without the Best Offer option.

[JediJman]

Here’s a new one:

I won on auction earlier today, at least I think I did, where I was the only bidder. However, eBay refuses to acknowledge that I actually won the auction. No confirmation email, nothing. When I click on the item page it says “We’re determining the winner. Please refresh the page.” 

I googled it and couldn’t find any reference to this on the internets. WTH?

Just won an Ebay auction and have the same thing.  I sniped someone in the last 30 seconds, bidding $21 and the auction closed for $17.50.  But it says "We're determining the winner. Please refresh the page." And nothing changes when I refresh.  Not sure what this change is all about, but its pretty annoying as I'd like to pay and move on to something else. 

[GrandMoffNick]

Anyone have any tips on how to best "beat" a shill bidder on ebay?