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Ebay Links
RichardK - 27/10/06 at 09:33 PM

What do you all think about the subject of advertising ebay links to other Locosters?

Rich

P.S this is first time I've done a poll so apologise if it doesn't work


Confused but excited. - 27/10/06 at 09:49 PM

I thought we already did that, when it is an item of interest. Or have I misunderstood the question?


gazza285 - 27/10/06 at 09:54 PM

Minority of one so far.

I voted not at all. We all know where eBay is and we all know what to look for. As for posting links in Bargains elsewhere, there's few bargains to be had on eBay now as it has permeated into every corner of the planet. I doubt posting the link on here much improves the chance of fetching a higher price anyway due to the sheer numbers of hits the item will get.

Either offer the good to the Locost users or sell it on eBay. For more fun buy something of Locostbuilders, preferably off somebody with a short fuse like CaLviNx, then sell it on eBay for more money and watch the recriminations fly.

[Edited on 27/10/06 by gazza285]


gazza285 - 27/10/06 at 09:54 PM

Daft stuff's cool though.


Hellfire - 27/10/06 at 11:29 PM

"If it's relevant" - would have been a nice option... but you missed it off!

Steve


gazza285 - 27/10/06 at 11:49 PM

quote:
Originally posted by hicost
Its all a community so we are one big family.


Are we a happy family though?



There's been a few good flame wars on here, and no doubt there will be a few more.............


RichardK - 28/10/06 at 08:31 AM

quote:

I thought we already did that, when it is an item of interest. Or have I misunderstood the question?



Yes we do, but in a previous thread I posted a screen that was been advertised and was spelt incorrectly and thus would have been easily missed so I posted it. A fellow locoster replied suggesting that it would be better not to advertise ebay items, he was probably watching it and was miffed that I told the locost community where it was, on reflection if I had been watching it too I too would have been miffed but in the same breath if I had been looking for a screen and hadn't seen that one due to me not searching for that misspelling I would have been grateful for the link so it works both ways.

So I just wanted to get your thoughts and if the poll came back as the majority of No or only from sellers I would have removed my previous post and refrained from posting ebay stuff in the future.

Think thats all!

Regards

Rich


zilspeed - 28/10/06 at 11:29 AM

You forgot, 'who cares - do what you like"

Although I suppose not voting at all gives that answer, that's why I'm not voting


andrew.carwithen - 28/10/06 at 12:32 PM

I have lost out a couple of times to members who have been alerted via. the forum to items I have been bidding on/watching.
I have been the winning bidder with minutes to spare only to lose out to a fellow member at the last minute who I know has only seen the item by chance in the 'bargains elsewhere' section.
Obviously, I find this very irritating as I have gone to the trouble of doing the appropriate searches under key words etc. and monitoring the item from the onset.
So, in short, I think its fine to notify the forum members of ebay listings provided you are the seller.
Otherwise, I don't think its fair to do so.


geoff shep - 28/10/06 at 01:18 PM

You can't always be sure that they have only seen it at the last minute because its been on here. Lots of people watch items on ebay and only bid very late on when they have seen how the bidding is going.

However, if links are put up shouldn't they be in the 'bargains elsewhere' section and leave this section to actual small ads?


ChrisGamlin - 28/10/06 at 03:04 PM

At the end of the day, if you lose out on Ebay to other people that have been alerted via a forum, its because they actually did want it more than you did (because they were prepared to pay more)


Peteff - 28/10/06 at 04:04 PM

If you are watching it you would be dumb to post it on here but if you see something and think someone might be interested stick a link to it, I bought a cheap engine and got a free spare from a link on here so I'm not going to complain. It works both ways. If you want to find more misspelt items use fatfingers


RichardK - 28/10/06 at 04:10 PM

quote:

However, if links are put up shouldn't they be in the 'bargains elsewhere' section and leave this section to actual small ads?



Good point


Confused but excited. - 28/10/06 at 04:52 PM

quote:
Originally posted by andrew.carwithen
I have lost out a couple of times to members who have been alerted via. the forum to items I have been bidding on/watching.
I have been the winning bidder with minutes to spare only to lose out to a fellow member at the last minute who I know has only seen the item by chance in the 'bargains elsewhere' section.
Obviously, I find this very irritating as I have gone to the trouble of doing the appropriate searches under key words etc. and monitoring the item from the onset.
So, in short, I think its fine to notify the forum members of ebay listings provided you are the seller.
Otherwise, I don't think its fair to do so.


I thought the object of the forum was to help each other, or do you want first dibs on everything?
Try higher bids.


andrew.carwithen - 28/10/06 at 05:56 PM

Its not a case of wanting first dibs, its a case of having done the searching myself and looking like I may well win the item at a good price, I resent another member whom otherwise wouldn't have been in the equation, now being in a bidding war against me simply because they have been alerted to a link posted by somebody else!
(I know this to have happened to me in the past when 'X' has posted a random link to an ebay item I've been bidding on/watching and 'Y' has replied 'ooh! thanks for that, 'X' I need one of those' and then is suddenly bidding against me (their ebay ID was the same as their forum ID) and able to bid high enough to ultimately win it.
At the end of the day, this is a forum for building kit cars on a budget. Which means sourcing parts at the cheapest price possible. I have missed out on items I would've otherwise won and hence delayed the build due to the above.
I have no problem with members promoting their own ebay listings and nor do I have any qualms with any member posting a link to items in response to a request from another member's post in trying to source specific parts.
Afterall, quite rightly, we are here to help each other.
Its in posting links to random items a member may think will be of possible interest to the rest of the forum that I'm against. For in trying to possibly help one member another is probably hindered!


peterriley2 - 28/10/06 at 06:26 PM

^^^^ youre only seeing this from your point of view, i bet the other person ('y' was very happy to be alerted, which means linking has helped one person, and hindered another. usually, things can be found off of ebay, and at much cheaper prices, and thats where the effort comes in finding them, not simply typing something in the search box and clicking 'watch in my ebay'. personally i dont find this to be an effort, and if someone else has clicked on a link to get to it, there is a very small difference in the 'trouble' they both went to....


MikeRJ - 28/10/06 at 10:14 PM

quote:
Originally posted by andrew.carwithen
I have lost out a couple of times to members who have been alerted via. the forum to items I have been bidding on/watching.
I have been the winning bidder with minutes to spare only to lose out to a fellow member at the last minute


Andrew, try http://www.bidnapper.com

It's very likely that at least some people that have outbid you didn't see it at the last minute at all, but used a sniping service like this.


Stu16v - 28/10/06 at 10:22 PM

Or simply put in a maximum bid that was higher than yours...


andrew.carwithen - 29/10/06 at 12:07 PM

quote:
Originally posted by MikeRJ
quote:
Originally posted by andrew.carwithen
I have lost out a couple of times to members who have been alerted via. the forum to items I have been bidding on/watching.
I have been the winning bidder with minutes to spare only to lose out to a fellow member at the last minute


Andrew, try http://www.bidnapper.com

It's very likely that at least some people that have outbid you didn't see it at the last minute at all, but used a sniping service like this.


Well, that's just plain sneaky!
I have actually got up at some godforsaken hour to place a bid in the last few seconds of an auction only to have it immediately outbid - when I know it will have been impossible for a rival bidder to physically do so! That explains why...
What is ebay's stance on such sites (or are they too busy making lots of money to care?)
Anyway, rant over. I've expressed my opinion on the poll - as have others theirs.
Life's too short to dwell over such trivial matters. I'm off to have a potter in the garage...


Stu16v - 29/10/06 at 07:14 PM

Andrew_ why bother? Look at the item, and place your maximum bid - the maximum amount you want to pay for that item. Ebay doesnt automatically place the amount you *want* to bid. What it does do is automatically keep raising the stakes if someone else puts a bid in, up to your maximum amount.

So, for example, you have seen a nice steering wheel on Ebay. Bidding starts at 99p. However, you put in a maximum bid of £15. If you are the first bidder, even though you have put in £15, the bid seen on screen is 99p - and this is all you will pay if no-one else bids. If other people bid the steering wheel remains yours unless the bidding exceeds £15 - but what you pay will go up accordingly to remain the highest bidder.


Now you can go to bed at night!


JoelP - 29/10/06 at 07:38 PM

if you do that though stu, you encourage other people to bid more! Someone else may decide they want to bid a tenner, if they are immediately outbid by you (having earlier bid 15) they may continue bidding and the price goes up. A last minute snipe would prevent this.


andrew.carwithen - 29/10/06 at 07:59 PM

I agree with Joel. There's definitely a competitive element to any auction and by 'playing your hand early' as it were, I believe it encourages any rival bidder to bid more than they would otherwise do so - because 'not losing' the auction becomes more important than 'winning' the item! (Hope that makes sense?)
Thats why, I believe, there's little activity until the final minutes of most ebay auctions.


Stu16v - 29/10/06 at 08:45 PM

As I understand it, a snipe will only work if it is higher than, say, the £15 max bid set.

So you may as well set wahat you want to pay, and go to bed anyway...!


ChrisW - 30/10/06 at 03:15 PM

I'm happy for people to post ebay links..... as long as they are in the right section!

That also includes posts that arn't selling things *cough*

Chris


StevieB - 30/10/06 at 09:10 PM

I always take the view that if I advertise something on ebay and post it through here as well, I'll do a better deal with someone within this community.

If that person chooses to sell it for more elsewhere, good on him for doing something I couldn't be arsed with!

[Edited on 30/10/06 by StevieB]


Peteff - 30/10/06 at 11:24 PM

There is no time limit in an auction, bidding goes on till a maximum is reached, if your bid isn't high enough to get the item you lose it.