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Having the worst luck with eBay sellers lately...

4K views 33 replies 13 participants last post by  Guiddy 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
My latest 2 purchases were on eBay, a sort of birthday present to myself.
By coincidence both models were from a couple of UK sellers, both had decent ratings and were models I've wanted to add for some time.
I don't know if I've just had the worst luck or I've somehow attracted these douche bags sellers.

Both models were shipped in the SMALLEST boxes I've ever seen, that just barely fit the outer box. This is the one I received today but was exactly the same from the other seller.
Hardly any padding whatsoever, and both these models I would consider to be quite rare.
It boggles the mind why they would take the chance to ship models out like this, from the UK ALL THE WAY TO AUSTRALIA with barely any padding at all.


This particular BBR model had quite a unique packaging technique that I'd also never seen before.
The guy sticks pieces of white tape over the clam shell opening, and then tapes clear tape again around the entire opening:




Once all the tape was removed, it made more sense why he did this. The box was completely collapsed on the bottom edges so it couldn't be closed properly. This was not mentioned in the listing at all, all he said was the "box has cracks in the corner". The photo on the listing showed only one of the rear corners that had a slight tear but was not split and it didn't look that bad so I wasn't too worried about it, but he should've been honest and just said the box is completely and utterly f^&ked.



And of course, the lack of proper packaging has caused some damage to one of the two models I've received.

I should also mention the other guy I bought from sent me photos of the packaging, and I told him it was definitely not enough and he needed to use a bigger box and more padding. And what does he do? He didn't bother to reply and shipped the model out as is.

I just don't get why sellers would do this, do they just not care, or not understand the models can be returned to them and it will be there loss?
The BBR model above was from a seller with a perfect 100% feedback as well, so you really are throwing the dice at times.
 
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#2 ·
Did you buy them through the Global Shipping Programme? For such purchases, the seller is only liable to get the parcel to the shipping hub and eBay are responsible thereafter. So if you receive the item damaged and open an eBay claim then the seller gets off scott free!
I personally always wrap the model box in a few layers of bubblewrap and then place in a larger box with some additional padding. Then I use some hard plastic corner protectors to prevent any denting to the corners if its dropped or whatever.....bashed corners on my model boxes really grinds my gears
 
#3 ·
Sometimes the post offices have weird rates though. You have a 18 x 8 x 8 box, which is pretty snug and what I used myself for shipping. But if you use 18 x 10 x 10, which is only 2 inches bigger in two dimensions, the rate TRIPLES! It's $180 to ship instead of $60 lol. Just one of the reasons. Sometimes you pack it well and the models get damaged anyway. I had a few I sold that had parts fall off them. I don't think there's anything I could have done. Thankfully the buyers were reasonable and asked for like $10 partial refund.
 
#6 · (Edited by Moderator)
I get that about the weird rates, Australia has notoriously high shipping costs. But I wouldn't under quote the buyer, and then take a risk when shipping the model out. I would charge what the post office charges me, simple as that. If you've packed well and issues happen, there's not much you can do, $hit happens. But these 2 sellers have just wasted my time ...

I thought this may have been the reason why I received these 2 packages back to back, and both were in these ridiculously small parcels.
Keep in mind, the models I bought were both resin, no inner padding or clam shell like GT Spirit models or some of the older Kyosho or AutoArt signature models. There's literally nothing cushioning them from hard bumps ... parts are going to start coming off. I would say these 2 guys are not really collectors, because they know F all about how to protect a model from being damaged and/or don't care.
 
#8 ·
The seller just responded ..

[background=rgb(249, 249, 249)]Mate im so sorry,its my mistake i hold my hands up![/background]
[background=rgb(249, 249, 249)]Normally i would use larger boxes but shipping to you is so expensive that i tried with a [/background][background=rgb(249, 249, 249)]smaller box and obviously screwed up! Yes i could have described the item better also,its [/background][background=rgb(249, 249, 249)]no excuse but this is the way i received it from a french seller last year. [/background][background=rgb(249, 249, 249)]Is any of it repairable? I could give you a hefty discount? [/background][background=rgb(249, 249, 249)]Either way let me know what you want to do?[/background]
[background=rgb(249, 249, 249)]Sorry again[/background]
 
#10 ·
The seller just responded ..

[background=rgb(249, 249, 249)]Mate im so sorry,its my mistake i hold my hands up![/background]
[background=rgb(249, 249, 249)]Normally i would use larger boxes but shipping to you is so expensive that i tried with a [/background][background=rgb(249, 249, 249)]smaller box and obviously screwed up! Yes i could have described the item better also,its [/background][background=rgb(249, 249, 249)]no excuse but this is the way i received it from a french seller last year. [/background][background=rgb(249, 249, 249)]Is any of it repairable? I could give you a hefty discount? [/background][background=rgb(249, 249, 249)]Either way let me know what you want to do?[/background]
[background=rgb(249, 249, 249)]Sorry again[/background]
Sorry to hear about the bad luck buddy....especially if its for a rare model. The seller might have been trying to do something good i.e lower the cost of shipping but he should've let you decide that. You cant decide for a buyer to lower the shipping cost at the expense of the security of the model.

Did this model have any damage? If there is then I wouldn't accept his "hefty" discount unless its 50%-70% off coz you basically have a damage model with a screwed box.
 
#12 ·
Problem is that once a parcel exceeds 2kg and 90cm (W*D*H) out of the UK then the postage rate goes through the roof. From about £30 to Oz to nearly £90 and no one wants to pay that.
What he's done is try and get inside those dimensions and weight limit. However it's almost impossible with a decent 1/18.
 
#17 · (Edited by Moderator)
I experienced that today! The Post Office have had some different staff in there this past week, one lady today took a look at a box I was sending to Spain and said it was too big.
Normally they they just take them and don't say anything.

I went elsewhere and tried, they said they've clamped down on the size of small parcels lately.

I had to re size the box
I know now for the future. It's a shame as the boxes I buy (in bulk) are a standard size, so I'll be re sizing more of them for outside of the UK.
 
#13 ·
Sorry to hear that Mark. Don't get me started on postage costs in Australia whether it be domestic or international. With Covid 19 it is almost an additional excuse to delay shipping and the like. In regards to your BBR, I hope that you get a decent discount and that it is salvagable. Interested to see what's in the box - can you give us all a peek?
 
#15 · (Edited by Moderator)
Sorry hear about your bad luck. The seller seems honest. And glad your getting a good discount. I avoid GSP whenever possible. Once the package was clearly repacked. I confirmed this with the seller. The shipping box was a mess. Model was ok. But it's box was slightly damaged. Yours was packed better than mine.

I alway's tell the seller this on Ebay before i buy. Besides the condition of the model. What is the condition of the model's box? Any dents, tears, etc, etc. And, to please make sure it is packed very well. Don't want to take any chances with shipping. Or wanting to return it. So far so good. Right now i am waiting for a model from Russia. And keeping my fingers crossed.
 
#16 · (Edited by Moderator)
Lesson learnt here from both sides. I didn't know before about the crazy shipping rate for the UK, I just assumed eBay's shipping calculator would be somewhat accurate. On the other hand I didn't expect 2 sellers would try and get away with this sort of poor packaging without even contacting me to discuss the issue ... It's just not the right way to go about things IMO. I did the same thing once about 10 years ago and definitely learned my lesson, and I've not had an issue since.

In the end I got a decent refund after speaking with the seller. Now it's just a matter of trying to fix up the model.

Simon its a BBR 458 Italia in Rosso Corsa. I missed my chance in picking one up years ago and finally found one for a fair price. If all goes well and the model can be brought back to its former glory I'll happily share some pics. It's also one of my favourite modern Ferrari V8s, I absolutely love the look of it.
 
#18 ·
My cousin sent me Hot Wheels Elite from UK to Singapore with stamps pasted on the window screen and address written with a marker on top. The window film gave in, thankfully he had bubble wraps inserted inside. As a result the window film did not shift too much. And looks like the post office or someone later on wrapped a fresh tape across the box to ensure the film remains.

When i had received the 575 Maranello, some of the plastic pieces (read windscreen, qtr windows) appeared missing, including head lamp lenses. Probably have seeped out through the film gaps.

Cousin's argument? He did not realize he had to pack inside a box.

:/
 
#20 · (Edited by Moderator)
Guys I just wanted to update this thread, as I knew when I started it I wasn't in the best mood (understandably though), and I definitely wasn't picking on UK sellers ... I just unfortunately had a bit of bad luck with a couple of bad apples, and this was driven by ridiculous postage costs to Australia. Previous to this I've not had any issues, and at a time where we need some positivity due to whats happening around the world, I thought I might give this topic a happy ending.

As I mentioned above, one of the models I received was a BBR 458 Italia.
They made 900 of these in the classic Rosso Corsa colour, so it terms of numbers its not exactly a rare piece, but this colour is not the easiest to find, nor for a good price.
I found this example listed from a seller with 100% feedback rating, and from the photos and description it looked fine, and the price was in the range I was looking at.
Unfortunately when it arrived, it was covered in a thick layer of dust, many parts fallen off, it had paint scratches around the rear wheel arch, the interior dash was not sitting right, and the outer box was completely ruined. I dont want to go over all the dramas with it, I'll fast forward to what happened next.

I wanted to somehow keep the model if I could get it fixed, and I'm not a model tinkerer especially with a high end resin model such as this ... so I reached out to our very own Rob (Robs Model Cars) and asked if he was able to do a "Robs Model Repair" ?

Its not something he does usually, but he didn't hesitate to help me out.
I shipped the model out to Rob soon after, and pretty much he started working on it as soon as he received it. I was taken back by how gracious he was with his time, as we all know Rob does a lot of work for his own custom builds, as well his YouTube channel and other interests. But he pretty much finished it within a few hours and was kind enough to take photos and showed me exactly what he did to fix certain issues.

I also sent Rob a replacement BBR black alcantara base, and this is how the 458 looks now:



The model looks as good as new, and has the updated look of the new base which Im very happy with.
Thanks to Rob for helping me out with this, Im very much appreciative that dX has members like him around


I should also mention, this was the other model that I received from the UK. For those who know, its exceedingly rare to find these Koenigsegg Hundra models now, as they were limited to 100 pieces and even include a signed card from Christian Von Koenigsegg which is very cool. I've hardly seen any of these trade hands on eBay or other sites, so when I saw it I made a deal with the seller and purchased the model. As you can imagine, my heart skipped a few beats when I saw the package it came in, but thankfully somehow there was no damage to the model at all. Albeit I was still very ticked off with the seller that they risked damaging a pricey and rare model such as this, it came in one piece and I'm stoked to have it in my Koenigsegg collection.

 
#21 ·
Sorry to hear about your experience. It is a shame when models are damaged beyond repair but so nice to hear this had a good ending.
What the sellers name something like Piglywiggly?
I saw he had a few low price models and was tempted but have simply run out of space! (again!)
 
#22 ·
The 458's seller was "patuk-22dnwujgy" on eBay. He took full responsibility for shipping the model inadequately and gave me a decent refund.

The Koenigsegg's seller is another story. He was a really weird person to deal with, I knew something was a bit off during my messages back and forth with him. After the model had been shipped, I did some digging and found out he was actually a former member of dX, who was caught trying to scam a retailer, and was subsequently banned. His dX name was "harms", and on eBay he's "f1_mania", I would avoid him at all costs. Very shady character. The model arrived undamaged which I'm very grateful for.
 
#25 ·
I just tested it out with the same seller, added something to the basket, and as soon as I went to checkout I got "One or more sellers can't accept payments right now. Please contact the sellers for help."

Looks to me like an issue between seller and PayPal, or maybe eBay blocked his acc for non-payment of fees or whatever other reason. I think maybe contact the seller to find out?
 
#26 ·
Believe me I tried - several times and didn't even get a 'your business with us is very important' etc.....
I also contacted e-bay themselves in case my account would be hit for non payment.
He has a number of items on his account, and if there is a problem e-bay are now aware of it but the items are still there.
Even the model I thought I had bought.
They told me to mark it as 'paid'.
 
#27 ·
Perhaps the seller hasn't updated his payment method in eBay? eBay has recently boycott Paypal completely and we are all required to update our payment preference by adding bank account details (or some other mean of payment gateway) I kept getting reminder from eBay to update my payment details but haven't done so yet.
 
#29 ·
#31 ·
It's all in the thread I made the other week. If they haven't messaged you about it they will do. For me I'll be on it by the end of April, but by the end of the year everyone will be on it.
 
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