retroselect.com - Buying on eBay

WARNING

eBay now using internet advertising agency 'doubleclick.net' to covertly track everyone who browses eBay.

Everytime you log on to eBay, a 'tracking cookie' is implanted covertly by eBay onto your computer. This cookie monitors which webpages you visit, including the ones you visited immediately before and after you browsed eBay. In their 'privacy' statement, eBay do not disclose exactly what doubleclick.net does with this information. Furthermore, the doubleclick.net website gives no information about their link with eBay. Doubleclik.net also intrudes into your private email systems, Thus, when you receive an email from eBay with your favourite searches, and click the link on the email page to go to the item, you are forwarded to doubleclick.net. You have been warned!

Isn't it risky buying ceramics online?

Yes!

There is bound to be risk when you can't inspect goods personally before buying, and you will get disappointments. That is part and parcel of Internet shopping. So why does anyone risk using Internet sites such as eBay in the first place - especially for ceramics, where condition is so important?

Well, for may collectors of retro stuff, the rewards of buying on eBay far outweigh the risks and disappointments. You get access, from the comfort of your own home, to a staggering range and choice of ceramics. In the pre-eBay era, collectors had to spend lots of time and money travelling around to antiques fairs, collectors markets and dealers; or they had to use inconvenient and risky mail order from specialist catalogues.

So, a big thanks to eBay for making collecting much more easy and fun. Interestingly, eBay has greatly altered market prices for retro ceramics, pushing many prices down (by increasing the supply) while pushing others up (by increasing the customer base).

When people first discover eBay, they are often wary. This is hardly surprising: you are, after all, sending money to total strangers. And when you have made your first purchase, and sent off your payment and delivery address, you may worry that criminals or serial killers will come to visit you. In my experience, these fears are unfounded.

The truth is that eBay represents a true cross-section of humanity, and so you will encounter the good, the bad and the indifferent. I have traded on eBay with lots of nice people, some of them very friendly; a few selfish people; and one or two dirt bags. Fortunately, I haven't been visited by any serial killers yet.

If you really are concerned, then use a post box delivery address and don't give out personal information. Also, it is vital to have up-to-date antivirus and Internet security software for any Internet activity. Finally, never email people your credit card number, and don't reply to email messages purporting to be from eBay, and asking you to update your credit card information; they are always scam messages.

An increasing number of sellers are saying in their listings that they will give a refund if you are not happy with your purchase, and so one option, if you are worried about condition issues, is only to buy from these sellers.

On the whole, I have been lucky with eBay. Although I have bought some duds, I got these three beauties, all in mint condition, with no hassle. Left to right: Beswick/Colin Melbourne vase, 1950s; Poole freeform vase, 1950s; Midwinter modern vase, early 1960s.

Here is a summary of the pros and cons so that you can decide if eBay is for you.

eBay advantages	eBay disadvantages
Can be fun and entertaining	privacy issues concerning the murky association between eBay and ad agency doubleclick.net who covertly monitor your web browsing
Great way to track down rare or unusual ceramics	Can be addictive
Easy and Convenient	A significant number of ceramics listed on eBay are in less than perfect condition
Access to a huge range and choice of items	Money wasted on postal costs (and the inevitable second-rate items)
Good way to track prices and see what the state of the market is	You miss the fun (and human contact) of going round antique markets
You can often get your money back if things go wrong	You are contributing to the profits of a gigantic corporation that appears to be developing a monopoly position across the world
	You may have concerns about identity theft, fraud, and other security or privacy issues.

'STUNNING' is the favourite adjective of eBayers. In fact, you will be stunned so much when surfing eBay that you may quickly end up unconscious.

What is eBay?

eBay is a very large American corporation with a market capitalisation of over 40 billion dollars. The idea is that you advertise your stuff on their website (for a fee) and people sitting at home can place a bid over the Internet if they fancy your piece. When the auction closes, the successful bidder makes a payment (often electronically) and the seller sends the item to them by post. The electronic payment is typically made via PayPal, a company owned by eBay

eBay listings can be a bit corny:

STUNNING vintage Poole? / Clarice Cliffe? / Colin Melbourne? Art deco / shabby sheikh - vintage (Eames, Panton) Troika era WOW!!!L@@@K!!!!
You are logged in (several times)	watch this item (requires you to re-login)

	seller information dirtbag-2435 Location: Broadmoor, UK

Description
Highly sort after and ultra rare STUNNING h'orses duvres pot designed by world famous designers Jim Clappinson and Jessey Tate in 1930. STUNNING condition (commensirate with age). Listed in price guide at £300!!! Tiny chip mentioned for acuracy, if you are ultra picky!! Does not destract, displays well. Would grace any collection, will pique the interest of the connoisour, and is a must for all serious collectors. Ideal Christmas Gift. BID NOW!!!! Guaranteed invesment. All my items are genuine vintage peices and are sold as seen. I always aim to be totally honest with my descriptions and do not give refunds, so no time waisters please!!!! I make a modest charge (£5) for professional packing materials (I wrap it in toilet paper and send it in an old Jiffy Bag). Not Beswick, Not Midwinter, Not Royal Doulton. STUNNING! Available to: UK only Will post to: Worldwide Postage: 29.50

What trouble am I likely to run into?

Most of your experiences with eBay are likely to be happy ones. However there are some things to watch out for.

POSTAL CHARGES	Sellers commonly charge more than the actual cost for post and packing. So always get confirmation of the cost before bidding, and don't let them con you by adding on hidden extra costs for 'handling'.
DAMAGE	Most of your anxiety about eBay should be focussed on whether you trust the seller to disclose condition issues (damage, scratches, crazing etc.)
BREAKAGE	Inexperienced sellers (with low feedback numbers) often put too little packing on ceramics, and I have occasionally received broken pieces that way. However, problems such as this are not common, in my experience.
POOR PHOTOS	Fuzzy or poor quality photos can really be misleading. Furthermore, items are not always the same colour as they appear in the photos. So, ask the seller if the piece really is the rare grey and yellow variant, or just a blue and white one.

Other problems, such as outright fraud, are pretty rare - at least in my personal experience. I have occasionally been ripped-off over postal or packing charges, or hidden handling charges. Always pre-enquire about postal AND handling/packing charges.

If you live in Europe, and buy from the USA or elsewhere, don't forget you can get stung for import duties. Don't complain to the seller about this - it's your problem. UK-EU transactions are not liable to import duty.

www.ebay.co.uk is riddled with technical problems and unavailable pages

eBay's feedback system

In principle, this system forces people to act professionally - and in general, it seems to work very well as a kind of police force. One weakness of this system is that people may not want to leave negative feedback in case they then get a retaliatory negative. A better system would be one where you could leave comments, and warn other users, without risking retaliation.

Quelle surprise! Once, when there were almost constant problems, eBay.co.uk customer support advised me to log onto eBay.ca (Canada) or eBay.com (USA) instead!

Lessening your risk, or how to avoid problem sellers

Most sellers are perfectly reasonable people, and I have generally been very fortunate in being able to form a nice collection with only a minority of pieces arriving in unsatisfactory state. For me, therefore, the risks of eBay have been greatly outweighed by the advantages.

Not everyone has had my luck, and one friend of mine no longer collects ceramics on eBay because practically everything he bought arrived with some minor condition problem, or was 'not quite right'.

Click to read some comments by a collector of 20th century ceramics who emailed me to say she is basically happy with her eBay purchases, but is nonetheless cautious, and suspects that some dealers are using eBay to offload imperfect items...

eBay and PayPal: some corporate irritations

I love the US and I love Americans. I even worked in the USA for a while when I had graduated, and people were so kind and friendly. But eBay (and its daughter company PayPal) can be irritating in their attitude to 'non-Americans'. If you live outside the US, eBay and PayPal assign you to the category of 'International'. I have been a loyal and honest PayPal customer for years, but am still described by PayPal as a 'non-verified International member' (as though I am some kind of alien). I'm sure this is unintended, but it does look bad coming from a global company.

Also, the eBay website is a bit clunky and error prone; it would help if eBay could invest some of its substantial profits in improving the technical and design side.

Here is a typical eBay experience:

You go to the site and log in
You do a search and up comes the page of results. Unfortunately, the page is not ranked how you like it (e.g. by newly listed items, or highest priced first) because eBay doesn't remember your preferences.
So you change the listing order and wait for the page to refresh
You see something you like, and try to add it to your watch list. The page returns an error saying 'page not found' or 'page temporarily unavailable'.
You refresh the page, and all is well .. except, to add something to your watch list you have to:
log in again.
At last, it is added to your list. You try to get to the 'my eBay page. Unfortunately, for that you have to:
log in again, even though you have told it (several times) to keep you logged in.
You place a bid on something.
You are asked to log in again.
Then you check your email and see that eBay has sent you a message saying that one of your search items has been found.
You click on the link in the email, and it sends you to the item in eBay Unfortunately the prices are all in dollars because eBay directs you to eBay.com, not eBay.co.uk.
So you try to get back to eBay.co.uk to see what the sterling price is.
You are asked to log in again.
Also in your email, you notice 5 different automated messages from eBay telling that you have won an item! Each message gives different prices and instructions, so you have trawl back to eBay to figure out what you are supposed to be paying.
You click on the PAY NOW logo, and are directed to PayPal
You have to log in to PayPal
You fill in the various pages of PayPal and realise that you used the wrong delivery address. So you click on 'Edit Address'. Unfortunately, that is too simple for PayPal, so you are redirected all the way back to the beginning, so that you can edit your address ... and then start all over again.

And another! Are there any collectors of eBay.co.uk error messages? The range and diversity is simply STUNNING.

tip for keeping a permanent record of eBay listings

Many people like to keep a note of things that have sold on eBay. Useful information, such as price realised, and photos of backstamps, can be recorded. Also, you can see how many bids there were (a good guide to desirability) and which country the bidder is located in (a good guide to buying trends). But eBay listings are deleted after 90 days, so how can you keep a permanent record?

It is no use saving the webpage directly to your hard drive as an HTM file because the linked files will not be permanently stored on your computer. So you will end up with the blank crosses where the photos should be. However, you can save the webpage as an ARCHIVE file in Internet explorer (File -> Save As -> Webpage Archive Single File (thanks to Dave for this information). Another solution is to convert the webpage to a pdf file using Adobe Acrobat (not the free Acrobat reader, but the full version that you have to buy). A pdf file is a permanent record. Note that some listings use an image hosting service and the photos will be deleted immediately after the listing ends - so be quick.

Click here to see a screen copy of a model listing (I converted it to black and white to save on download time, and have put red boxes round significant components). Note that the listing: is neatly laid-out; has been done with considerable care and attention to detail; gives honest declaration of condition issues; gives postal charges and a range of postal options; has a very clear photo (in colour on the original listing) that shows the minor damage; offers a refund if the description is found to be inaccurate; and even offers to stay online for the closing hours of the auction. CONCLUSION: a real gem of a seller.

Note: the seller, antiquesavenue, gave me permission to use her listing. I have never met her and have no association with her, but have bought a couple of items from her without problems.

More tips for assessing a seller
GOOD SIGNS: PROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE	WARNING SIGNS: ATTITUDE PROBLEM
Sellers states, in their listing, that they will give a refund if the items are returned	Seller says, in their listing: 'I do not give refunds'. Don't touch these sellers with a barge pole
Seller gives postal and packing costs, for a range of destinations, in their description	Seller says: 'I will give postal costs after sale has finished'. This is either lazy, or displays an intention to charge rip-off prices, so beware. You have a legal right to know what the total post and handling costs will be
Seller responds quickly to emails, and answers your questions in full	Sellers slow to respond to emails. If they are slow to talk to potential buyers, how quick do you think they are going to be if you run into problems?
	Seller gives brief or evasive answer to questions
Clear, well-lit photos, with close-up of any damage	Photo: dark, or out of focus, or part of the object cutoff (this may be lack of experience - or an attempt to hide damage). Vase or cup scanned on a flatbed scanner (and therefore mostly invisible)
	Seller placed the vase or object on a paving stone, patio, wall, or other rough surface, when taking the photo. This suggests a lack of concern about condition: it also suggests that the item will arrive with scratching and damage it sustained during photography. One seller recently listed a large and valuable Poole vase on eBay - with the precious object photographed standing on a wall. You could almost hear the pottery grinding against the brick.
In seller's previous sales, the items were listed with honest descriptions of minor damage	Seller has negative feedback for not accurately describing condition
	Seller says 'Sold as seen' (these sellers are unlikely to give a refund if there is a problem)
	Sellers who say: 'in good condition for its age' or 'this piece has typical crazing for its age/factory' are probably trying to sell second-rate goods. It is certainly not rue that all pieces of a given age or factory should show crazing
Seller uses calm, professional language in their listings, and in their responses to negative feedback	Seller's listings contain lengthy or aggressive terms and conditions (often with key words picked out in bold or CAPITALS or RED). A related point: I'm no Dr. Freud, but I'm a bit wary of sellers who have a chaotic, ugly jumble of large fonts, in clashing colours and styles, in their listings.
	Seller's listings contain threats against potential non-paying bidders, or demand payment to be made within a certain time-frame. OK, fair enough: it's very annoying for sellers to be messed-around by buyers. On the other hand, why should a seller drag their previous bad experiences into your transaction? It's not the buyer's problem. In short, these sellers regard you, the buyer, as a potential troublemaker.
	Seller has left aggressive or abusive responses to people who left negative feedback
	Pushy sales pitch: *WOW!!!!* or *L@@@K* or *MUST SEE!!!!* or *FAB!!!!!*
	'Very rare' used to describe items that are not very rare
	Seller has tacky or sleazy user name (e.g. 'sexy-knickers221'); they may be fun guys and gals - then again, they may be as tacky and sleazy as their user names
Seller routinely gives a condition description in their listing (mentioning or denying crazing, cracks, chips and transfer scratches, where relevant)	The description simply says: 'good condition', or doesn't mention condition at all. No serious ceramics dealer would be so casual
	Item described as 'Mint, with no chips or cracks, etc.'. It is quite likely that such pieces have crazing
Seller mainly specialised in ceramics	Seller's old transactions (in 'feedback') are mainly for general antiques, or are otherwise not specialised in ceramics
	Seller uses keywords in their listing to attract searches, when in fact the keywords do not apply to the object. For example, the title says: "Not Meissen". Of course, everyone searching for "Meissen" will find this non-Meissen item. This devious tactic is most likely to irritate potential buyers, not attract them. It also suggests a lack of respect towards buyers.
	Seller unexpectedly ends the sale before the original end-date. This often happens because the seller got a better offer and sold it privately (which is unprofessional)

What to do if things go wrong

If you are not happy with your purchase, send a firm but friendly email to the seller. Don't immediately start with a hostile or threatening email. I strongly recommend that you use detached, legalistic, unemotional language. Keep calm, and be professional and courteous. Remember, your objective should be to get a full or partial refund without getting negative feedback. An example:

Dear x,

I have now received Item number Y - thank you.

Unfortunately, I note that there is a chip to the spout. I attach a photo of the area concerned. I also note that on the 12th August, 2003, you sent me an email assuring me that the piece was undamaged (see your email copied below). I am afraid that I must therefore return the item for a refund.

I am sure that this is an innocent misunderstanding, and am confident that we can settle this in a friendly way without contacting eBay I shall of course leave positive feedback on successful completion of the refund.

Remember, it is better to settle for a partial refund (they may refuse to refund the full postal costs both ways) than to get nothing, or to get a negative feedback. However, if they demand that you pay for their listings costs, I would dig my heels in
If something arrives broken, take photos of the box and contents, with the original wrapping intact, if possible -- and email these to the seller
Email the seller a photo showing the damage (or whatever you are unhappy about)

If you get no satisfaction, contact eBay There are three objectives here: (1) to apply pressure to the seller; (2) to qualify for eBay's insurance cover, that all eBay purchases are afforded (3) in serious cases, to get the seller struck-off so that nobody else gets ripped-off

Good Luck - if I haven't scared you off!

__________________________________________________