of course "you never know" is our eternal mantra, but sometimes the odds are pretty clear what you're likely getting and in those instances i listen to my instincts

I've heard people say this more than once, and I can only add: "Yes, that's true, but the law of averages says...yes, I do know this is a standard household type of lkr...so, I'm not going to bid on it."

I've found its much better NOT to buy marginal lkrs than it is to buy them hoping for a prize. Buying a lkr cheap or even getting it for free doesn't mean much if they are more than likely not going to provide a good outcome for the effort laid out. But of course THIS IS JUST MY OPINION based on my 7 years of experience and purchase of about 350 lkrs. Others experiences and opinions may vary as is ALSO most likely.

Yes, I agree that waiting for them to give feedback first is the way to go.

About 3 years ago (when the seller could still leave feedback) I got a negative feedback from a person who claimed the Princess House item I sent wasn't PH and was the wrong size ..... she KNEW what it was supposed to be like.

The pictures (large like the ones I use in the forums) clearly showed the PH box with the PH patterned item. The text told the size in inches.

She waited a full 59 days (ring any bells) and then left neg feedback saying it wasn't PH. I immediately left her neg feedback, but to what end...only my personal satisfaction. Each year on the anniversary of that purchase I sent her an email wishing her a merry Christmas. She still has the same 10 feedback (as a buyer) that she had then. Meanwhile my feedback (almost all as a seller) went from 400 to over 800.  That feedback hung around for a year until it went away on its own.

eBay plain sucks when it comes to such things for the seller, but there are some slight remedies like being able to list a reply to a feedback. It's something, but not much.

DID YOU KNOW you can ask the seller to retract a feedback?  If they agree, it goes away....typically they change it to something else. I had a guy give me a neg because a video tape on fishing didn't have the young woman in the tape that I showed in the listing. It was a fully clothed woman holding a big fish.  This guy...like many of the problem buyers...had 7 feedback. Seems like it's always the case with the dissatisfied. He took back the neg and gave me a green after I convinced him it didn't affect the fishing techniques shown in the tape. WHAT AN IDIOT!

you just want to be on tv!! haha

And now he's got the mafia after him !

Let me guess....

You offered to take THEIR trash to the dump for a minimal fee...say $5...and you pay the total dump fee, gas and your labor...a good deal for them and if a few take you up on it then it works for you too.

I do that but IN REVERSE. While cleaning out a just purchased lkr I will PAY one of the guys with an obvious dump load anywhere from $10 to $20 to take my mattresses, particle board, etc with him. It saves me the labor, time, gas and I am only paying what I would pay at the dump anyway. Also there are several regulars who will just take a small amt of my trash for free and I do them favors from time to time too.

Been using eBay for 7 years and learned VERY EARLY to wait for the buyer to leave feedback first.
Several reasons for doing this. I believe the sequence is this:

You send me money for the item you bought.
I send you the item.
You examine the item and place feedback regarding your satisfaction (or dis-satisfaction)
I send you feedback regarding your payment, etc.

This made perfect sense in the beginning and is even more important now that the seller can not give negative feedback.

eBay would not exist without either sellers OR buyers, but they give buyers a better shake.

Auctioneer A banned a buyer who backed out on her bid.

Auctioneer (regional manager at Public Storage) banned her too. When he left PS, the new regional manager didn't know about her being banned and let her in.

She then proceeded at an auction with yet another auctioneer to buy every lkr at the sale and spent about $5K, primarily because one of the other regular buyers took her for a ride. "You want them all. Here's the going price." It wasn't me, but I would have helped out if I had been there.

If anyone deserved to be banned or "bid up" this one was it.

Here's the link to the only other abandoned house auction I've attended.
Threre were about 10 at that sale as it was done by one of the major auctioneers in my area. There was even a phone bidder using a real person at the auction to pass on their bid...probably the contents owner.

http://storageauctionforums.com/index.php?topic=561.0

I've been using eBay for the 7 years I've been doing this and I have no complaints about the fees, but I do have complaints about not allowing sellers to give neg feedback to bad buyers. This happened a couple of years ago when the eBay administration changed.

Anyway, I haven't found anywhere else where I can sell certain items at the price I get. I sell some specialty tools that are quite expensive new and they get half their new price on eBay. I would never get that at the flea market and since I've had good success I don't seek out other avenues.

When you get right down to it...AND THIS IS JUST MY OPINION...I don't think any other avenue has the reach that eBay does.