Turbo Gouging on Ebay ( r.i.p. - gouging much )

[FiftyQuid]

$50 for a TG + CD base is alright and it probably works too, but that seller has four negatives in the last month in addition to a very fishy payment system. Caveat emptor.

His list of items for sale is all over the place too.  He's got a Commodore and a bunch of cookie press things. 

[CPTRAVE]

Maybe he just found it at some garage sale or something.

[CPTRAVE]

Hey is this a copy of the original game, it does say copy?
What if it is someone that just won a free copy from here ..Oh no

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ginga-Fukei-Densetsu-Sapphire-Complete-TurboGrafx-16-J-Import-Rare-/251120106257?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item3a77ecbb11

[Necromancer]

For the $15 shipping: it's not all that ridiculous (the game's price is a different story) - $5.35 for a flat rate Priority box + $2.55 for signature confirmation + $2.90 for $200 worth of insurance = $10.80 (it'd be $13.85 for $350 worth of insurance).


For the Sapphire: the hub markings look like a legit version.

[jperryss]

For the $15 shipping: it's not all that ridiculous (the game's price is a different story) - $5.35 for a flat rate Priority box + $2.55 for signature confirmation + $2.90 for $200 worth of insurance = $10.80 (it'd be $13.85 for $350 worth of insurance).

I think it would be a different argument if he was just charging a lot for shipping. But there are two things that you need to consider:

1. The auction itself says shipping will be $4, likely the maximum that eBay would let him charge for shipping costs. In the listing itself he explains that it will really cost the buyer $15 for shipping. So he is trying to skirt eBay rules, and in the process screwing eBay out of final value fees, and screwing any potential bidder that trusts (rightfully so) the official $4 rate. eBay has shipping cost limits so sellers don't put an item up for BIN $1 with $50 shipping. Although I'm surprised eBay hasn't made him change it yet, I'm betting that the winning bidder could dispute the $15 ship costs and eBay would side with the winner, since the seller is basically trying to poke eBay.

He could've easily left the $4 shipping costs, and added $11 to the BIN price to make up for it.

2. All of his game auctions have that same $15 hidden shipping cost, and BS is the only one that's over $100.

[Necromancer]

I don't know how eBay would possibly miss out on fees, seeing as they include shipping and handling in the final value fee (and have for some time).

[jperryss]

I don't know how eBay would possibly miss out on fees, seeing as they include shipping and handling in the final value fee (and have for some time).

I will admit that is news to me. A quick google search shows it was done about a year ago. Link.

Either way, the invoice from eBay will only have the $4 shipping cost. That extra $11 doesn't exist officially anywhere, except for the separate invoice that the seller says he will send after the auction ends:

"Shipping and Handling will be $15 and will include SIGNATURE CONFIRMATION (It says $4 but Ebay clearly isn't up with the times about shipping costs!  Pretty dumb if you ask me.  I will send the invoice with the correct amount, this is MANDATORY for this kind of High Priced Item).  I won't have anything less than that, so don't ask."

So I'm betting that they will not count that extra $11 towards final value. And even if they do, combine that with sketchy feedback and his demanding ProPay instead of the more common and generally safer PayPal, and what do you have? A scumbag who's listings should've been pulled already on account of being sneaky.

[Necromancer]

No doubt the guy is a tool, but the shipping b.s. is at least partially due to eBay's stupid policies.  You must list a shipping service for $4 or less (you can have pricier options too), which makes it impossible to ship priority, insured, etc. without losing money or resorting to high starting prices or BINs.

[vestcoat]

Or a seller can sidestep the whole problem and use calculated shipping. Ebay's policies are totally stupid, but anyone selling more than a few items a year should really get off the flat-rate-priority crutch and invest in a scale. It saves buyers money by allowing them to choose the cheapest shipping service, cheap shipping makes for attractive listings, sellers don't have to hassle with international estimates, and it saves sellers money by printing postage online instead of going to the PO.

[PikachuWarrior]

I agree, before getting a postal scale, I would have to estimate shipping costs and sometimes I came in under the ebay estimates, and other times it was actually much higher.

[bob]

I don't know how eBay would possibly miss out on fees, seeing as they include shipping and handling in the final value fee (and have for some time).

I will admit that is news to me. A quick google search shows it was done about a year ago. Link.

Either way, the invoice from eBay will only have the $4 shipping cost. That extra $11 doesn't exist officially anywhere, except for the separate invoice that the seller says he will send after the auction ends:

"Shipping and Handling will be $15 and will include SIGNATURE CONFIRMATION (It says $4 but Ebay clearly isn't up with the times about shipping costs!  Pretty dumb if you ask me.  I will send the invoice with the correct amount, this is MANDATORY for this kind of High Priced Item).  I won't have anything less than that, so don't ask."

So I'm betting that they will not count that extra $11 towards final value. And even if they do, combine that with sketchy feedback and his demanding ProPay instead of the more common and generally safer PayPal, and what do you have? A scumbag who's listings should've been pulled already on account of being sneaky.

You know what really grinds my gears? Is that the beyond shadowgate listing keeps coming up when I search for "TH16".
Nice listing, douche

[KingDrool]

...the f*ck?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bonk-Brink-Extinction-Sony-Playstation-3-2011-/280932492299?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item4168e1a40b#ht_500wt_1370

I don't even know what to say about this. Not "gouging", per se. But... What?

Maybe this is that super-secret bootleg copy rjardina was talking shit about...in a "sealed" copy of Brink.

Just sent him this question:

"So this is a copy of Bonk: Brink of Extinction, a game that was NEVER released, but was supposed to be released as a downloadable game for PSN/XBLA, and is included in a sealed copy of the game Brink, which is a completely unrelated game?

Really?"

[Necromancer]

Brink of Extinction pops up as one of the suggested products if you try to create an auction for Brink, so he surely just made a mistake.  As for why a non-existent game is even in their listings (on all three platforms no less), I've no explanation.

[KingDrool]

Not sure how eBay works... So this guy enters in "Brink", and eBay automatically fills in all the BOE information, including changing the game title?

Bizarre...

[hizaygizirlz]

...the f*ck?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bonk-Brink-Extinction-Sony-Playstation-3-2011-/280932492299?pt=Video_Games_Games&hash=item4168e1a40b#ht_500wt_1370

I don't even know what to say about this. Not "gouging", per se. But... What?

Maybe this is that super-secret bootleg copy rjardina was talking shit about...in a "sealed" copy of Brink.

Just sent him this question:

"So this is a copy of Bonk: Brink of Extinction, a game that was NEVER released, but was supposed to be released as a downloadable game for PSN/XBLA, and is included in a sealed copy of the game Brink, which is a completely unrelated game?

Really?"

I thought it was funny