[LUG]Re: eBuyer

[Sebastian via list <list@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Eion,

On 02/09/2025 20:04, Eion MacDonald wrote:
> Amazon.  It has been many years since I used Amazon, however for
> packages that can come through letterbox I have used them. I have very
> occasionally used eBuyer, and had no difficulties. However that always
> depends on the actual selling company, as EBuyer is only a 'platform'.

Are you not perhaps thinking of eBay? Ebuyer is - or was - a full 
retailer as far as I'm aware, whereas eBay is an online marketplace for 
lots of different sellers.

I used to use eBay a great deal for all kinds of purchases, but recently 
they have been causing so much trouble for me with dishonest marketing 
and other problems that I don't intend to use them again. Many of the 
sellers are quite reasonable but the eBay platform itself appears to be 
becoming worse all the time. My gripes include, in no particular order:

- The 'AI' item descriptions on private sellers, which so clearly make 
up information I can no longer trust anything in the listing. For 
instance, I saw a PC from 1990 being advertised as 'capable of running 
all the latest games' and a mobile phone with a gigantic crack visible 
in the photograph described as 'in perfect condition'...

- I was offered a £10 voucher to use their Android app for the first 
time, but every time I tried to apply the voucher it would move the 
goalposts for what counted as an eligible order. Suffice it to say that 
the app was rapidly uninstalled again.

- A few years ago they started conflating the reviews of the seller with 
the reviews of the item. This means that even if the listing has 
amazingly high reviews, I must check on a different page whether it's 
coming from a reputable seller, which is just plain confusing in my opinion.

- This year they introduced a new 'insurance' fee for items sold by 
private individuals (that is, not businesses), which is unfortunate 
considering that I mainly used it for buying second-hand books and music 
that are worth substantially less than the fee now is.

Anyway, rant over - I know others on this mailing list have avoided eBay 
for much longer than I have, but it seems to get on one's nerves eventually!

Best wishes,

Sebastian

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