Special deal - not!!

[antagoneyes]

Is this Irishman taking the Mick? - pun definitely intended!

I was looking to buy a 54g wireless network card from ebay and noticed some D-link cards had been sold over the last week by a company based in Ireland called vbnets.com and trading on ebay as vbnetsuk. The company had none on sale at the time but reading through one of their old adverts I saw that they promised to reduce the ebay purchase price by 21% if a valid VAT number could be produced. The cards recently sold had made £31, £38 and £40. These figures include postage but not the reduction of 21%. I had the following email dialog with Peter Bellow from vbnets, thinking I may be able to get a card direct for around the £30 mark ie top price less 21% less paypal fees.

My question : -
-----------------

Hi

What does the following phrase quoted from your recent ebay sales advert mean please?
'Sales Tax - the auction price includes VAT at 21%. I can process on Ebay vat exempt transactions for European purchasers who have a valid VAT number'

I am UK VAT registered - does this mean you will reduce the final auction price.

Peter's answer : -
---------------------

Hi

That is right I can bill you less 21% if you have a valid UK vat number.

Peter

My comment : -
------------------

[Irish VAT is 21% added on so in fact the reduction would not be 21% - 17.35% is the figure – oh well Irish licence to be innumerate]

My question : -
-----------------

Hi

Thanks for the reply.
Do you want to sell me one outside of ebay?
If so please give me a price for the card and postage with the VAT
discount.
I can pay direct to your bank account or with paypal funds.

Look forward to your reply.

Peter's answer : -
---------------------

Hi

The total is
Unit UK£39.63 ex vat
Postage UK10.00

Can you please send me an email with a copy of your headed notepaper with a VAT no on it or fax me a piece of paper with VAT no. to

Peter Bellew
+353667190092

Many thanks
Peter Bellew

My comment : -
------------------

That's the top ebay price including postage and then add double the postage? Why are these sorts of people allowed to operate in a modern well educated, well informed society?
Thought I'd post this up to warn others about this idiot who apparently picks up his stock in a flat bed lorry.

[RobAnt]

Isn't one of the rules of eBay and the like that you don't conduct business outside their forum by advertising your business - something to do with side stepping eBay charges? So he may be charging you for the risk element :lol

None of my business really, but its dodgy dealings like this one which make me avoid eBay and similar auction sites like the plague.

[antagoneyes]

Morning RobAnt - Thought I'd answer this post before I go out and do my paper round:lol

Isn't one of the rules of eBay and the like that you don't conduct business outside their forum by advertising your business - something to do with side stepping eBay charges?

Ebay don't like people side stepping their charges for obvious reasons in the same way the governement don't like people not paying taxes. Unfortunately they both offer similar value. In ebays case there is no buyer/seller protection and the feedback system in inadequate as reciprocal feedback can be just as damning. Paypal offer no protection to the majority of users in the UK - US is different.

So he may be charging you for the risk element

What risk element? - If I part with my cash via paypal or direct bank transfer without sight or receipt of goods, who is taking the risk? I thought you had an online business or has your 12 year old child hijacked your id?:lol

None of my business really, but its dodgy dealings like this one which make me avoid eBay and similar auction sites like the plague.

I'm surprised you are in business with an attitude like that RobAnt. I have carried out well over 150 satisfactory transactions on ebay with 100% positive feedback. You are obviously misinformed and are clearly missing opportunities to deal with high quality buyers here. My original post was about an exceptional stupid greedy dealer who was trying to charge around £50 for £30 worth of gear - the fact I noticed he dealt on ebay was irrelevant, particularly as there were no products of the type I required on ebay at the time. My post was designed to inform others of my experience and warn them off dealing with this particular company - its a shame the message was completely lost on you!

I am wondering whether your post is a serious comment - can't quite believe that someone like yourself who sells online can be this naive and still be in business:lol

[RobAnt]

By advertising a business - I meant advertising a business through eBay. Maybe I'm wrong, but that is certainly the impression I got last time I looked. It is a limiting factor that, nothing more.

By risk - I meant the risk of being caught by eBay. Nothing else.

I stick by my statement, so far as auction sites are concerned, I'm not in the least bit interested in selling below cost price, what's the point in that?

I think maybe you've misunderstood me.

And before we go further, I don't respond on these forums to get involved in personal insults and a flame war. Which is why I steer pretty much clear of all the other rubbish. However, I put my hands up, I was suckered in.

This is supposed to be a technical forum, why did you post here?

[antagoneyes]

Think we have a communication problem here and apparently we have misunderstood each other. I only flame others when they deserve it and to be honest your level of communication got exactly what it deserved. I try to communicate in English but apoligise if that confuses some people.

I have no problem with being flamed or flaming others - sometimes its a good way of teaching people healthy lessons or learning yourself.

I have been dealing with ebay for some time and also sell items on websites, rather like yourself. I have found that ebay undersells some items and oversells others. One is an opportunity to buy the other to sell - normal market conditions. Items such as CD rewriters, memory and some computer bits can sell for more than they sell at places like dabs. I don't actually know what you sell but I'm guessing it's PC accessories and bits - you may well be missing an opportunity here? I have experimented with new items that I was selling and ebay did not work for me as the sell price was too low but if you don't try with a sensible reserve you really have no place commenting unless you have learnt from the failure of others with exactly the same product. Many traders make a good living facilitated by ebay.

Ebay produces good committed buyers with a strong sense of community and responsibility. I wish my website customers were a tenth as good. The anonymity of website sales seems to create a cosy environment for musers and time wasters with a low percentage sales rate.

I hope this clarifies the matter RobAnt - I had no real wish to flame you but you were suckered - not quite sure why though as on this occasion I certainly wasn't trying to sucker anyone!

[RobAnt]

The anonymity of website sales seems to create a cosy environment for musers and time wasters with a low percentage sales rate.

We do alright, but then our business details are available for all to see, so perhaps we aren't what you would class as one of those sites. We only use the website to sell items in support of our main business, really, though - so quantity of on-line sales isn't something we aim for. It's just something to do when not otherwise engaged. That's not to say it is done without a professional outlook, far from it - it is simply that our main priorities lie elsewhere.

I can see that eBay is a great place to buy and sell second hand goods, indeed I did use it myself to seel some personal items, but I have read so many stories of people being defrauded by sellers that I simply don't trust it, and don't understand why anyone else would either. Just call me an old fuddy duddy.

Anyway, all to their own.