ebay madness.......

[macliam]

We all know the strengths and weaknesses of the most popular online auction site, however, just recently it (or its users) seems to have gone quite mad.

Often you will find things being sold on a "new" at prices greater than the normal shop price. Some of these must sell, otherwise why? Sometimes you will find things second-hand that are no longer available new at prices greater than the new price, equally these must sell..... if not??

However, I have recently purchased some "new in box" Wi-Fi mesh units (for 2-pin plugs, good for Portugal) for under £40 (rrp over £150), I have bought a pair of new American leather slippers (RRP $70) for £19, I have bought a "used" tablet, still on sale at £270 for £180 and found that it was still in its shrink-wrapped box. All par for the course.

However, I have also been tracking a dehumidifier for sale, used, with some cosmetic defects. The headline description suggests it is the premium model, but the text makes it VERY clear that it is actually the budget version. As of now, it is tracking at £10 less than I can buy it new online......

So, do people simply not read the description? Or do they develop a form of bid blindness where winning is everything? On what planet does somebody pay the same price for something second-hand as they would buying it new on a different site?? The seller must be laughing!!

[blythburgh]

Went to Acle Market late last century. At the time they had an auction and market stalls. We noted the price of strawberries on the stalls. Then came the auction. Identical boxes of strawberries were sold for more than the market stall price.

Needless to say as someone brought up on market auctions we waited and got strawberries later in the auction for less than the market stall price.

[macliam]

As an update, the dehumidifier actually sold for £12 more than the first price I found when looking online for this item new.... and that was with free P&P.

Sheer lunacy.....................

[Chadwick]

I think some people assume they are getting a bargain on eBay and simply don't research any further. Or perhaps choose to avoid the big retailers (online and real world) where the better prices are often found.

As you note, there are genuine bargains and honest sellers just trying to get a bit of money for something or pass it to someone else rather than throw it away. And there are less scrupulous souls taking advantage. Caveat emptor.