Some eBay successes

Fleabay. What used to be a community of buyers and sellers, where remarkable bargains were to be had and unlikely things to be sold, is now a virtual car boot sale, full of dodgy traders, bulk resellers and scam merchants, where bargains are few and far between and the chances of the unwary being ripped off are high.

At least, that's what the general mood is now. But I keep going back. The thing is so damn' useful. If you live in an urban area, with a large population within easy reach, then perhaps the utility of eBay is not so great. But living out in the sticks as I do, it's massively useful. I can reach an audience of millions with a single listing, and all I have to worry about is getting the item to the winning bidder. The cost to advertise is minimal, and a successful sale attracts a fee which obviously varies with the final price, but it compares well with an advert in the local paper, which can reach only a few thousand. Frankly, I wouldn't consider a local advert these days. And where would I be without Custardgrub (David Lambert)? He holds spares for all the old Yamaha XT models at reasonable prices, and offers expert advice too.

I'm in the middle of a big de-cluttering operation at the moment. A lot of stuff I have had hanging around has got to go, and eBay is the place it's going. Before eBay, I would have had to risk £15-£20 on a local paper advert, and no guarantee that anyone reading it was interested. Now, I can bung a listing on there for a few pence and if eBay takes 10% or so for the pleasure, well, that's better than not selling at all. Frankly, a lot of the stuff I am getting rid of would have been taken to the tip or given away, so even a few quid is better than that, and I have done a lot better in some cases. Here's a few recent punts:

Flip-front helmet from Lidl

I bought this a year or so ago, mainly to see if I got on with the concept of a lid that I could wear while talking to people. The low, low price (I think it was a shade over £30) tempted me to get something that was slightly too small, and it was unwearable. I think I rode in it twice, and had a splitting headache both times. Perfect condition, but no-one I know wants one and it was far too good to throw away. That went for a fiver - which is a fiver more than the council tip would have given me.

GenMar handlebar risers

These came with the Sprint, and I realised quickly that I didn't want them on the bike. They were stretching the throttle and clutch cables, and the bars were hitting the fairing on full lock. Once I had ridden the bike for a week I realised that I didn't need the extra height, so they went on eBay. They made £75, which isn't bad for an item that can be bought new for £90.

Motorcycling rucksack

Another Lidl purchase. When they have their bike-specific days, I always get there and I usually buy something. Their inner gloves have been fantastic, and I bought a waterproof oversuit there that performs brilliantly, even if it looks fairly naff. I bought a motorcyclist's rucksack there for the daily commute, which has loads of straps and pockets, plus a hard shell so that it keeps an aerodynamic shape. For some reason, it was never 'right' - the closures were fiddly and the shape was somehow wrong (if you have ever put your underpants on back-to-front you will know what I mean). I think I paid £15 for it. It went on eBay for £31.

Campervan rooflight

Back in 2006 I bought a home-converted Ford Transit campervan (on eBay, naturally). There was no roof ventilation, so I bought a rooflight to fit to it. These are the hinged canopies that stay down for travelling, but fold open like a vertical window to let in the fresh air when you are stopped. I have one (a full-sized one) in the caravan and it is a superb bit of technology, and one of the few bits of caravanning kit that I actually admire: well-designed, well-made and works brilliantly. This was a mini-size one, suitable for a campervan. The campervan had its troubles, mainly a clutch that didn't, and I spent a few weekends getting it to work properly and fettling a few minor issues. We spent one night away in it, and it was such a hassle to make the bed up out of a 3D jigsaw of about 20 ply panels and supports that we never tried it again. That was sold for what I paid for it (plus a bit; I think I covered my costs on the clutch parts), curiously through an advert in the local paper. The rooflight, unopened, went into the garage. I had a vague thought to fit it to the caravan, but Anna decided that she was happy with the existing arrangements, so that went on eBay too. It has just sold tonight, for 5p more than I paid for it.

I've only had one bad experience. I was selling a Nikon 35mm camera in the period just before they became obsolete curiosities. I had specified the postage cost, and at the end of the listing I said, in large letters, 'overseas bidders please ask for shipping cost before bidding'. It reached a reasonable price, I had checked out all the bidders, and then in the last seconds it was won by a snipe bidder from California. He emailed asking for the cost of shipping, I did the research and told him - I think it was over $50, as it included a case and accessories and was quite heavy - and that was the last I heard from him. I emailed him several times, then filed a NPB report and after two weeks left him a negative feedback comment. I can't remember what it said, but it included the word 'avoid'. He left me a negative comment in reply ("wants $50 shipping for one camera, bad seller" - that's word for word, though I am not bitter), which stayed on my feedback record and broke my 100% rating for a long time. I asked eBay to remove it, but they wouldn't without his agreement, and although I tried to contact him he wouldn't respond. It had a happy ending, though. I sold the camera to the second-highest bidder, who was in the area a week later and picked it up in person. He was a Major in the Army and was a really nice guy with a charming (and extremely glamorous) wife, and I counted that as a bit of good karma to wipe out the bad.

So you could say I was a fan of Fleabay. And, to be honest, I enjoy the whole process - writing the listing and taking the photos, then watching as first the watchers and then the bids come in, and finally the vinegar strokes of the last few minutes as the snipers get to work and try to outbid the regular guys in the last seconds.

Now, I have the rest of the garage to clear out, and then I am starting on the study. I can see a lot more going out there before too long. It's all going in the 'bike luggage' fund, for when I finally decide what to do for carrying capacity with the Sprint. There are a lot of options that need thinking about, and having a ready-made Paypal balance to pay for them will be very pleasant.

Good eBay experience

I mentioned in an earlier post that I fitted a Powerlet-type power outlet to the Bonnie.

The first thing to say is that this type of connector is way better than the usual cigar-lighter type. It's much more robust, with proper brass contacts, and it fits positively with a nice meaty 'click'. It can handle a lot more power than a cigar-lighter type, and is unlikely to be dislodged by vibration or a clumsy knock. So I set about getting an adapter to allow me to use my devices with the new power socket. The idea is that the only connector exposed to the weather will be this one. I wanted a lead which will go up into the tank bag, where I can make the other connections in a dry and protected area.

The connectors from Powerlet themselves are hugely expensive - probably brilliant quality, but unaffordable for me at the moment. But the beauty of this connector is that it is made to an international standard, so there should be many suppliers who can deliver the goods. I went to eBay and located what I wanted - a Powerlet plug with a split lead to two cigar-lighter sockets. That should take care of the satnav and the phone. The adapter was described as being 37 cm in length, and this sounded ideal for reaching into the tank bag without a lot of wasted cable, so I Bought It Now for the princely sum of £8.95.

It was delivered in a couple of days, looked good and well-made, and both sockets worked - always as well to check, in my experience. I gave the seller some positive feedback. But when I mounted it on the bike ...



... I realised that the leads weren't long enough. The leads were more like 12 cm than 37, and while this wouldn't stop me using them, it was not what I had ordered. More in hope than expectation, I emailed the seller to explain the mistake and asking for the 37 cm leads that I had paid for. To be honest, I wasn't expecting much of a response. These are hardly expensive items, and at this end of the scale, eBay sellers are rarely too concerned about customer satisfaction.

I was pleased to get a very polite email by return, apologising for the error and explaining the mix-up. The seller promised me a new set with the proper 37 cm leads, and said that I could keep the others in case they came in useful. This morning, they arrived - postage free and of the correct length. They work fine, and are the ideal length for what I need.



So, a very satisfactory outcome. Reasonable prices, quick delivery, good communications and a desire to keep customers happy - what more could you wish for? I wrote to thank him and mentioned the blog, and in reply he wrote

We try to cater to the biking community, so if there is anything you, or you fellow readers need, please let me know.

So a big thank-you and highest recommendation to James at qualityparts09. He's got 99.9% positive feedback over nearly 6000 transactions, so others must feel the same way. I've had a poke around his eBay store, and it's a boy's paradise, really. I'd certainly deal with the guy again on the basis of my experience.

eBayitis

n, medical condition, characterised by having an item for auction on a famous auction site, accompanied by the obsessive desire to check one's visitor numbers, bids and watchers every twenty seconds during waking hours.

There was over a week between agreeing to purchase the Bonneville and being able to collect it. It needs one or two things doing to it in the workshop before sale, and as it is presently untaxed, the dealer is taxing it for me, and it makes sense to wait until 1 April so that I get the benefit of a full month for my £66.

This waiting period of about ten days gave me a chance to put the Pan on eBay and see if I could get a better price for it there than the part-exchange price the dealer was offering. I know what price I have to get in order to make it worthwhile selling privately, so that is my reserve price, and I have put an optimistic Buy It Now price on as well. It attracted several bids within 24 hours of the auction start, which is a good sign, and there are currently 43 people watching it and one guy who seems to be serious, asking pertinent questions and requesting more photos.

But it's ruining my ability to do anything else with my life. Every time I pass the room where the laptop is, I have to just check one more time. The auction has reached the point where, after a few lowish early bids, it has gone quiet. With the number of people watching, I expect it to get lively in the last hour or so, but right now absolutely nothing is happening. But I keep checking, just to be sure.

Ebay, swallower of people's lives.