eBay = Evil Bay

[kshapero]

Wasn't really trying to blame other countries, just when there are problems, it is more difficult to deal with. Both my items were under $55 in cost, so I ask myself why bother with international shipping, etc for such cheap items only to have A--hole buyers to get nasty.It could have as easily happened in USA.

 

[redisburning]

And that is supposed to make it less offensive?

do you have another way to arange G, I, P and S into an acronym that is close to an actual English word?

I mean, it's perfectly fair to group those four countries together when talking about the financial situation of the Eurozone, so if you have some other acronym that is remotely memorable in English by all means let's hear it.

 

[George Bonanno]

Fees, risks, losses, etc. are all part of doing business.

 

[rxmd]

do you have another way to arange G, I, P and S into an acronym that is close to an actual English word?

I mean, it's perfectly fair to group those four countries together when talking about the financial situation of the Eurozone, so if you have some other acronym that is remotely memorable in English by all means let's hear it.

(1) it may or may not be fair to group those four (five actually, Ireland goes in too) countries together when talking about the financial situation of the Eurozone, but this is not what we're talking about at all, we're talking about buyers of photo gear

(2) there's no intrinsic need to use an acronym in the first place, nor does an acronym have to be close to an English word.

(3) if you choose an acronym, choosing one that is deliberately offensive and then claiming it's just because it's the only one close to an English word (i.e. it's not your fault that this word happens to be offensive :angel🙂 seems like a pretty weak argument and one in bad style.

 

[Jack Conrad]

Fees, risks, losses, broken knee caps, concrete shoes, drownings, etc. are all part of doing business.

😀 Sorry, I couldn't resist.

 

[George Bonanno]

That's funny Jack... but all too true.

 

[Rico]

... I take them off, I tell them why, I ask them to contact me before bidding to explain their feedback situation, and if necessary I black list them from bidding. ...

Does this approach work for snipers?

 

[splitimageview]

Most countries other than the US inspect packages and some of these customs agents are thieves..or customs will hold the package for duties without contacting you the buyer..

One reason I quit selling outside the US and Canada is because of the scam where the buyer claims the item was not described correctly. However they don't want to send it back so if you the seller will refund shipping as well as up to half of the selling price they'll call it even...IT'S A SCAM!!!!!!!!!!!

100% refund upon return, or nothing, usually settles these.

Never had customs issues but it helps to put low values for this reason, so the agents aren't tempted.

 

[250swb]

do you have another way to arange G, I, P and S into an acronym that is close to an actual English word?

I mean, it's perfectly fair to group those four countries together when talking about the financial situation of the Eurozone, so if you have some other acronym that is remotely memorable in English by all means let's hear it.

It is clearly an acronym that is meant to be abusive whether it is memorable or not. And while those particular countries may each have a very wobbly economy, they were still chugging along balanced on the edge until the USA dropped them in the **** with the sub prime debacle and its worldwide impact. I wonder what people in those countries have as an acronym for the USA?


Steve

 

[colyn]

100% refund upon return, or nothing, usually settles these.

I've tried it. The buyer files a complaint. My paypal account is then locked till paypal agrees with me then I have to wait another week or more before they release the account..

Never had customs issues but it helps to put low values for this reason, so the agents aren't tempted.

Since I buy shipping/customs through paypal/ebay the full value would be listed on the customs form. I can go to the post office and wait in line for 30 minutes or more but it is easier to buy from paypal/ebay and it is cheaper than even buying from usps online..

 

[splitimageview]

They will put a hold on the funds if the buyer files a claim; I have never had them 'lock' my account, preventing other transactions...

You can enter whatever amount you want on the customs form using PayPal or eBay shipping. I do anything possible to avoid waiting in line at the government mail...I can't think of many worse things in life. 🙂

 

[Bob W]

It is clearly an acronym that is meant to be abusive whether it is memorable or not. And while those particular countries may each have a very wobbly economy, they were still chugging along balanced on the edge until the USA dropped them in the **** with the sub prime debacle and its worldwide impact. I wonder what people in those countries have as an acronym for the USA?


Steve

The person who used the acronym was from Australia not the USA. Why are you now bashing the USA?😕

Bob W

 

[haempe]

Most countries other than the US inspect packages and some of these customs agents are thieves..or customs will hold the package for duties without contacting you the buyer..

Ask Mr.Toad how long it takes, before US-institutions release a "suspect" parcel with a camera.
In contrary european custom offices are express services...
And thieves? Hardly imagineable ...

 

[splitimageview]

It's quite imaginable...

As for the off topic discussion of bankrupt countries, there are plenty more where those came from. Debt is self-inflicted and each country is to blame for their own mess. That includes the USA...when their debt bomb explodes it will be a nuclear blast compared to Greece's single firecracker.

 

[mfunnell]

The person who used the acronym was from Australia not the USA. Why are you now bashing the USA?😕

Bob W

Good question. (About a comment that looks in retrospect very poor form.) Now can we put a BRIC through it?

...Mike

 

[Jan Van Laethem]

Ask Mr.Toad how long it takes, before US-institutions release a "suspect" parcel with a camera.
In contrary european custom offices are express services...
And thieves? Hardly imagineable ...

The problem with customs, at least in Spain where I have experience with these matters, is that if there is no mention of the value of the content, they will invariably open the package for inspection. Then they contact you and require a payment of import duties based on their assessment of the value, or they ask you a copy of the invoice to calculate these.

I've had a lens delivered, after paying for import duties, where customs had not correctly reattached the rear lens cap after inspection. The rear lens element also showed a nice careless fingerprint.

And another lens went from Cameraquest all the way to Spain, then back to California and back to Spain again. The first time customs made no contact with me, so they just sent it back. The second time things went fine. That lens has travelled more kilometers than I have. I must say that Stephen handled the situation brilliantly and sent it back with no extra cost to me.

Just shows you that things can go wrong and they are not necessarily the sellers' or the buyers' fault.

 

[dcsang]

Ebay, like the Internet, used to be a really wonderful place filled with good will, honesty, and only the occasional huckster.

Sadly, time changes and things are now never as good as we remember them..

(been on Ebay buying/selling since 1998 - refuse to sell now and only occasionally do I buy and it's always nothing of value)

Dave

 

[haempe]

The problem with customs, at least in Spain where I have experience with these matters, is that if there is no mention of the value of the content, they will invariably open the package for inspection. Then they contact you and require a payment of import duties based on their assessment of the value, or they ask you a copy of the invoice to calculate these.

I've had a lens delivered, after paying for import duties, where customs had not correctly reattached the rear lens cap after inspection. The rear lens element also showed a nice careless fingerprint.

And another lens went from Cameraquest all the way to Spain, then back to California and back to Spain again. The first time customs made no contact with me, so they just sent it back. The second time things went fine. That lens has travelled more kilometers than I have. I must say that Stephen handled the situation brilliantly and sent it back with no extra cost to me.

Just shows you that things can go wrong and they are not necessarily the sellers' or the buyers' fault.

Interesting, Jan. I respect your bad experience, but i dont think, this should be generalized.
Some is impossible in Germany (it is not allowed to the customs-clerk to open the parcels without the addressee or a sworn in mail-employee) and some are unlikely or rarely happening mistakes.
I never had a problem with the customs beside it takes some time and they take my money... 🙂

 

[mfunnell]

Ask Mr.Toad how long it takes, before US-institutions release a "suspect" parcel with a camera.
In contrary european custom offices are express services...
And thieves? Hardly imagineable ...

Europe is immune from things which have affected almost everyone else? Not my experience in the 1980s trying to cross pre-EU borders... However:

I've never had a problem with Customs authorities being straightforwardly dishonest ("facilitation fees" to speed things up have frequently been welcome, however). That said, a very long time ago (before I was old enough for it to affect me directly) Australian Customs was, quite correctly, regarded as being The Very Worst In The Entire World bar almost none (not excluding India and Egypt - not well regarded - at a similar time). Not dishonest (so much) but hopeless, and brutal, and Wrong. We fixed that (eventually).

For a while, in the early 1990s, when I was living in LA, I was told that baggage handlers at LAX were theiving what-names. I did have my bags broken into but, for some reason, they never bothered stealing my undies. (I never had my bags broken into while traveling US domestic through LAX, nor international through SFO. So maybe what I was told was real, but limited: I sure treated it as real and never left anything worth stealing in my checked baggage.)

For a while it was widely known that baggage handlers in Sydney did similar theiving things. Here in Oz there's some quite famous video footage of them - and a panotmime horse, don't ask - being caught out doing exactly that. People went to gaol over that. There was (and, annoyingly, still is) a rather murkier case of a lass from Oz being arrested in Indonesia over something she claims was stashed in her bag, by a baggage handler, without her knowledge. It would improve my temper if her claim were unbelievable.

But overall I've found that postal services, couriers and Customs authorities, the world over, have been pretty good of late and, if anything, are getting rather better. That might be the natural result of Niceness winning out over Evil (yeah, right), but I think it's more likely that most have figured out that being a dubious source or destination for goods is a wonderful way of crippling the kind of international commerce which everyone now wants to attract.

Yes - Bad Things happen from time to time. But I don't think anyone can really claim that their country is immune, while others are hotbeds of nastiness. It doesn't seem to work that way.

...Mike

 

[haempe]

Hmm...
Mike, I think it is my mistake.
I should have the irony in the sentence "In contrary european custom offices are express services..." making more noticable.
I wrote this to show, how long it takes...

Regarding bakshish: Sorry, no pity...
To corruption belongs always two, one takes - one gives... to get an unfair advantage. 😉

Regarding thieves: I had more problems with couriers. But customs-clerks...? Maybe I'm naive, but I can't this really hardly imagine. I'm relativly often there, and they are very accurate with following their rules. But hey, ymmv, I know only this place...

...
Bad Things happen from time to time. But I don't think anyone can really claim that their country is immune, while others are hotbeds of nastiness. It doesn't seem to work that way.

...Mike

This is also my conviction...