Friday Afternoon Ranting (Specifically about seller YNOT IT)

[ebsternator 10]

We all know that BidOrBuy advertises itself as an auctioneer in public, but on the fine-print distances itself legally from sellers by claiming that it is merely a platform for auctioneers to use.

 

Legally this may be disputed, but ethically people use BidOrBuy over say a random persons website because there are some checks and balances when it comes to the rules for buying and selling. Now the moderator will reply to this with the same rhetoric that BidOrBuy is not responsible for the actions of sellers blablabla and that's fine because we have heard it a million times now on the forums.

 

My question is, from a customer service, not a legal, standpoint, can BidOrBuy not compel sellers of electronic goods to post real, actual pictures of their wares (like laptops and cellphones) as most of the time, sellers are unwilling to email pictures of the actual unit and many buyers want to see a laptop for example, in order to ascertain its quality. Most of the time sellers use a subjective rating out of ten which is not very helpful.

 

Now for my rant, today during the Snap Friday Auctions, I asked the seller YNOT IT a three lined question about an Acer Tablet/Laptop they were selling, including if the charger was original. I received a response to every query except the one about the charger. I then asked the question a second time, and it was answered but the charger issue remained unanswered. On my third try i specifically pointed out that the seller is not answering my question to which they replied "YES IT COMES WITH ORIGINAL". Now I have had this experience with electronics sellers now and again, and I suspect that they do not answer the questions completely because they can claim that they did not state a laptop comes with the original charger etc when it is shipped off. Even with YNOT IT, they answered by saying it "COMES WITH ORIGINAL" but omit the word charger. This type of response is shady to say the least.

 

So leading on from this rant, can a standard format for electronics be created, similar to the Carbonite classified forums where sellers state the condition, age and packaging (including whether accessories are original or not) so that us buyers can have a pleasant experience on this website. I am not accusing all the sellers of such practices, but it seems that this behavior is becoming commonplace here.

 

Also, is it normal for questions to not appear on the products bidding page, as I suspect that YNOT IT has also been deleting the questions and answers once they answered them so that other bidders cannot see it.

Edited January 30, 2015 by ebsternator

[Free Soul Styles 10]

Just my two cents here...

 

1. Bob does actually state that all info be stated in a listing, if there's damages, additional items, etc:

 

1.1. Misrepresentation of items including:

1.1.1 Creating titles and descriptions that do not accurately describe the item for sale.

1.1.2. Inappropriate use of brand names or other words for the purpose of attracting Buyer

 

This is all on their Listing Policy.

 

2. Regarding questions, the seller is either making them private (we have control over that as sellers), or deleting them. Probably just making them private.

 

But i do agree with you. Any and all items sold on BoB, especially second hand items, should have images of the actual item, not an image from Google. You buy a phone that looks all nice and pretty, it's stated as second hand - minor scratches, and when the buyer gets it, it's actually in horrendous condition. I will never buy electronics on BoB because of that reason alone.

 

As a coin seller there's nothing worse than someone buying a coin and it looks so beautiful in the image and in reality it looks like it was dragged through the sticks. Then the seller claims "the image is of the exact coin"... You don't need to be a genius to see the difference. I've seen that happen a few times (luckily not to me).

Edited January 30, 2015 by Free Soul Styles

[ebsternator 10]

Just my two cents here...

 

1. Bob does actually state that all info be stated in a listing, if there's damages, additional items, etc:

 

1.1. Misrepresentation of items including:

1.1.1 Creating titles and descriptions that do not accurately describe the item for sale.

1.1.2. Inappropriate use of brand names or other words for the purpose of attracting Buyer

 

This is all on their Listing Policy.

 

2. Regarding questions, the seller is either making them private (we have control over that as sellers), or deleting them. Probably just making them private.

 

But i do agree with you. Any and all items sold on BoB, especially second hand items, should have images of the actual item, not an image from Google. You buy a phone that looks all nice and pretty, it's stated as second hand - minor scratches, and when the buyer gets it, it's actually in horrendous condition. I will never buy electronics on BoB because of that reason alone.

 

As a coin seller there's nothing worse than someone buying a coin and it looks so beautiful in the image and in reality it looks like it was dragged through the sticks. Then the seller claims "the image is of the exact coin"... You don't need to be a genius to see the difference. I've seen that happen a few times (luckily not to me).

 

I did read that but the problem is, that many sellers don't list defects especially when it comes to scratches and dents or software and packaging issues and just use their out of 10 rating. BoB should conduct random checks on listings to ensure reasonable compliance using a standard format.

 

I, like you am wary of electronics on BoB now and only really buy from the guys I have regularly dealt with. Perhaps a mod can give us their esteemed input ?

[mrmouse 11]

My question is, from a customer service, not a legal, standpoint, can BidOrBuy not compel sellers of electronic goods to post real, actual pictures of their wares (like laptops and cellphones) as most of the time, sellers are unwilling to email pictures of the actual unit and many buyers want to see a laptop for example, in order to ascertain its quality. Most of the time sellers use a subjective rating out of ten which is not very helpful.

 

I would like to add to this ,I ( as an Electronics Technician ) would like someone to explain to me how a computer/ monitor is refurbished ,to refurbish is to restore back to factory condition , PLEASE explain to me how this is done by non factory personnel , its a general term and explained like this >>

Other types of products that may be sold as "refurbished" include:

 

• Items used in field tests, sales displays or demonstrations^[1]
  
• Items returned for reasons other than defect and tested by the manufacturer^[1]
  
• Items returned to the manufacturer because the box or item was damaged in shipping^[1]
  
• Previously leased units that are turned in and resold after the lease ends^[2]
  
• Used electronics that have been turned in to an electronic recycling program^[3]
  
• Used items that have been donated to a charity or non-profit organization^[3]
  

Different companies and industries may have different types of "refurbished" products. Since the electronics industry doesn't have a firm, widely accepted definition of "refurbished", its exact meaning may vary from one product to the next, or one company to the next.^[3] In various cases "refurbished" may be synonymous with "used", "reconditioned", "remanufactured", "refreshed", "recycled", "repaired", "recertified", or "like new". Merchants do not often specify the exact reason an item is "refurbished", so buyers may be assuming some of the same risks of buying used equipment.

But on BoB all is refurbished what is actually done to the item , is it wiped with a clean cloth and washed ???

[ebsternator 10]

And so the crickets chirp from the silence of BoB ...

[lilythepink 11]

Calling Admin!

[Johan 7]

Hi All,

 

I apologise for the late reply.

 

The points raised in this post is valid in my opinion. And from a bidorbuy point of view we would want products to be accurately described so that there is little room for disputes between buyers and sellers.

 

With second hand items we find that the images can become problematic because the description of second hand items are quite subjective. My opinion of what makes a 9 out of 10 condition might be a 6 out of 10 in someone else's eyes. In a large amount of these disputes the image is generic. An original image could have made a difference in managing buyer expectations or the buyer choosing to purchase the item in the first place.

 

As such we are working on an update in policy to be more clear about what our expectations are as a market place, this means changing terms and condition, updating listing policies which is a bit of a process.

 

So there will be amendments as we all want safe and pleasant trading environment for everyone. Please bear with us as this is one of the changes planned for the current listing policy.

 

 

Regards,

 

Johan du Toit

[ebsternator 10]

Hi All,

 

I apologise for the late reply.

 

The points raised in this post is valid in my opinion. And from a bidorbuy point of view we would want products to be accurately described so that there is little room for disputes between buyers and sellers.

 

With second hand items we find that the images can become problematic because the description of second hand items are quite subjective. My opinion of what makes a 9 out of 10 condition might be a 6 out of 10 in someone else's eyes. In a large amount of these disputes the image is generic. An original image could have made a difference in managing buyer expectations or the buyer choosing to purchase the item in the first place.

 

As such we are working on an update in policy to be more clear about what our expectations are as a market place, this means changing terms and condition, updating listing policies which is a bit of a process.

 

So there will be amendments as we all want safe and pleasant trading environment for everyone. Please bear with us as this is one of the changes planned for the current listing policy.

 

 

Regards,

 

Johan du Toit

 

Thanks Johan, we all look forward to these changes, hopefully sooner rather than later