Greedy E-bay idiots!

From: Teo Zenios <teoz_at_neo.rr.com>
Date: Thu Feb 5 22:23:04 2004

----- Original Message -----
From: "Patrick Finnegan" <pat_at_computer-refuge.org>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
<cctalk_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2004 10:39 PM
Subject: Re: Greedy E-bay idiots!


>
> That's been relisted on eBay since last Spring or maybe Winter. With a
> $4k start bid, that can't be cheap. At this point it wouldn't suprise
> me if he's spent hundres of $$ just relisting the machine. If he just
> had some sense to either lower the opening bid or sell it in some other
> venue that bought that kind of thing... And from an email exchange I
> had with that guy when I was considering buying it, he's 1) got no idea
> what he has and 2) is willing to sell it for less money. I think I
> managed to get him down to $2500 or $2k - I'd be suprised if he
> wouldn't have sold it by now if he'd set the start bid to something
> near that.
>
> Of couse, he seems to resell Compaq PeeCee hardware, so he can't be all
> that bright. ;)
>
> Pat
> --

The insertion fee is $4.80 for anything $500 and up plus $.15 for each
picture hosted by eBay after the first free picture (only the second
insertion fee is refunded if it sells on the second try, other then that you
pay for each re-insertion).

Assuming he re-lists it 37 times (10 days per auction covering a year) he
has accumulated $177.60 in eBay charges over the year. So at that rate he
can have it running for years before somebody bites at the $4k price and
still make more money then your $2500 offer now. Most likely he will drop
the price sometime in the first year and who knows might sell it at $3k. Who
knows the guy probably was paid to remove it from some business in the first
place so no big deal.

He might have no idea what he has, but he knows you will pony up $2,500 for
it so maybe $4,000 might be reasonable to somebody else. You might call him
greedy, but I don't see why he would be stupid? eBay has been around for
quite a few years and more people are listing items (and selling them) now
then every year before so somebody is making some cash (besides UPS, USPS,
and Fedex anyway).


eBay Pricing is here: http://pages.ebay.com/help/sell/fees.html
Received on Thu Feb 05 2004 - 22:23:04 GMT

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