What is up with people selling used stuff? (1 Viewer)

[Marvin Richardson]

This has since been fixed, but I saw on ebgames.com one time that Super Monkey Ball 2 (NEW) was $29.99, while Super Monkey Ball 2 (USED) was $39.99...hmmm.

 

[MarkHastings]

On Amazon, the various "new" and "used" prices represent offers for sale from different associated vendors in addition to Amazon itself

Yes, but they are also being sold by individuals as well.

For instance: Young Frankenstein is being sold for $9.14 new and there is an individual selling it for $10.50 new.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...827848-2324853

Now, maybe this individual set the price when the DVD was higher than $10.50...This would make sense as to why the Amazon price would drop and maybe go lower than the originally lower price this person is asking.

If this is the case, then Amazon should probably do something about it. Maybe make some sort of programming thing where if the New price drops below the asking price (of an individual) then the item gets taken off the list and the person is sent an email to fix their price.

It just seems like the ethical thing to do.

 

[Burke Strickland]

It just seems like the ethical thing to do.

I'm afraid I still don't see how quoting a different (higher) price on the same page is unethical. If the buyer were being forced to choose the higher price, or if false claims were made by the high price vendor to entice the buyer to choose the higher price, then it would be unethical. But if the information is there, and the buyer is free to choose, then NOT allowing the high price vendor (or individual) to post their offer would be unethical restraint of trade. The high price vendor still risks not getting any sales, because the rational buyer is free to choose one of the other sources offering it for less.

If it is a matter of availability where the higher price source has it in stock and the supposedly lower price source is perpetually "back ordered" (a situation I've faced with certain other DVD retailers) then the higher priced vendor is offering "value added" of actually being able to deliver the product in a timely manner. In this situation, it could be argued that the low price "offer" might be the unethical one, since it potentially discourages people from ordering the item where it is currently available by promising a lower price if the customer is willing to wait until the vendor says they might have it in stock. That would be especially unethical if the vendor has never had it in hand to sell at the lower price and/or knows they won't within a reasonable time, if ever.

 

[cafink]

I agree, Burke.

Mark, I think you are making a mistake in assuming that the product offered includes only the physical item itself (in this case, a DVD).

In reality, the "product" also includes things like quality of service (reliable sellers with high feedback marks are likely to be able to command a higher price), time, and convenience. There are a number of reasons to choose one vendor over another, of which price is only one (admittedly a fairly big one). For example, someone might consciously choose not to buy from a particular company if he knows that company to have policies he disagrees with (animal testing, poor treatment of employees… it could be anything). He might choose a retail store instead of a cheaper on-line retailer because he enjoys interacting with an actual human being instead of a computer. He might choose to purchase from the more expensive of two stores simply because he is a loyal customer and enjoys giving them his businesss. There are myriad reasons one might choose a particular vendor over another besides price, and it is not uncommon for these factors to outweigh the price difference.

You seem to have this idea that once a seller sets a new low price for an item, no one should be able to offer that item at any higher a price. This philosophy is flawed. It ignores the other components of the product besides the item itself, and it retards the natural economic processes that allow consumers to get the most for their money.

 

[Aurel Savin]

Very interesting discussion ...

Re: the scalping thing

One example where scalpers ate the dust was a few weeks ago when I went to see Iron Maiden here in LI, NY

The show was NOT Sold Out, and me and 4 friends showed up without tickets. We were even hanging out in the parking lot having a little tailgate party well after the start of the opening bands on the faith that the show is not Sold out.

We wanted good seats upfront for all 5 of us sitting together and were willing to pay extra over face value if a scalper approached us with some great seats.

Scalpers came to us and while they had some decent seats, they were not great AND were not next to each other PLUS they were selling them less than face value. Now this told us that the show was not only NOT sold out but there were probably still better ones at the ticket window.

And so we bought 5 seats at face value, sitting next to each other pretty much upfront from the Ticket Booth.

BUT ... I am sure prior to the start of the show, if we were that desperate those scalpers were selling the tickets for a lot more than face value, but with no luck. Now that the show has started and we were not desperate, they could not even sell them to us for less than they were worth.

Also, becuase they were cheaper than face value, some feeling arose between us that they might be fake (which they were not) ... so as they say, cheaper does not always close the sale.

Same on Ebay for example, sometimes I see people selling DVD's for half the price of other sellers and nobody is bidding on them (usually imports or other region ones) and the first thing I think is "bootleg".

 

[Brian W.]

Yes, if you fall for it, you deserve to be scammed, but that doesn't change the fact that the seller is trying to trick and scam people.

As someone who has sold and bought quite a few things on Ebay myself, selling something for more than the list price cannot even remotely be considered a scam, whether it's used or not.

To be a scam, there would have to be some sort of DECEPTION involved. Now, if the seller said, "This is the cheapest you will find this anywhere!" and it was not, that might be considered a scam. There are STORES, retail stores, that price things above list -- is that a scam?

It is the BUYER'S responsibility to find out if that item is available elsewhere at a lower price, something they can very easily do if they've got a computer, which they do if they're logged onto Ebay. If they don't, then they are STUPID. It is not the seller's responsibility to make sure the buyer knows they can get the item cheaper elsewhere. My God, no store would ever sell anything if that were the case!

I've seen people asking outrageous prices for things on Ebay, and you know what? They usually don't sell. It doesn't bother me much. It's been my experience as a seller that if the asking bid is too high, the item usually doesn't get any bids.

Not like a certain seller I've dealt with who sells oldies CD-R compilations on Ebay and gets away with it because he claims they are radio promos. I ordered one. No friggin' way they are promos. He burns the CDs himself, then lies and says they're radio station CDs. I've thought about turning him in, but I don't know.

 

[Eugene Esterly]

The sellers are free to charge whatever price they want to for a used items. It's up to the seller to determine if it is a good price or a rip-off. Remember, some sellers are just plain greedy. For example, I saw a seller trying to sell a used DVD at the Amazon.com Marketplace for about a lot of money (it was between $50-$100), yet, the same disc & movie new from Amazon.com was about $25.99.

For example, during May 2003, I was ordering Mad About You: Season 2 DVD & a seller was selling a used DVD of it for $.60 less than Amazon.com's price which is $29.99. I brought Mad About You: Season 2 new from Amazon.com (in May 2003) because a $.60 price difference is not that much.

Sellers are free to charge whatever price they want for a used product.