+ryme-intrinseca Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 (edited) Hi all, it's 3.15 in the morning, so I'm not expecting any immediate replies...! I have a dilemma - there is a Geocaching item on ebay that regularly sells for around £5.00 plus postage. In my opinion, the item description implies that it is an 'exclusive' item, only available from a certain 'designer'. However, I know that in fact it is easily made from another item, and costs only just over £1.00 to create. My question is this - do I: a ) Leave them alone - stop being so petty, congratulate them on their 'entrepeneurship' and let them make a few quid from their creation, b ) Email them through ebay to say that I like their idea, but I think the wording in their description is a bit misleading, c )Tell everyone exactly how it's done so that other Geocachers can create these items cheaply? My ebay ID and Geocaching ID are the same, so it would be obvious who this came from! I don't want any nastiness, but I do feel that this isn't really fair. I always try to word ebay adverts carefully, but maybe I'm overreacting in this case, what d'you think? My other concern is that this item is the type that would most likely 'go missing' - personally I wouldn't like to pay so much, only to find it had been muggled and needed replacing. One last thing - I don't want to cast 'suspicion' on anyone else who is selling ebay items at the moment - there are none of the particular item I am referring to on sale at the time of writing. Also, most people word their descriptions honestly, so wouldn't have anything to worry about! *Sigh* the curse of insomnia... if only I could drive, I would go and do some night caching! Edited July 12, 2006 by ryme-intrinseca Link to comment
+Clyde. Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 Another night owl here Firstly, please don't take this the wrong way, I will just write it as it comes out..... IMHO Unless you are directly affected by this person selling the item in question or you are a bidder or have been in the past and have bought this particular item at this price then I don't really see that it has anything to do with you at what price it is sold for........ If a person wants to sell something at a certain price and someone is willing to buy it, well it doesn't matter or concern anyone else really does it ? Personally, I would say that if you emailed the seller, he would probally reply by telling you the same but not in such a polite way If you wanted to share the secret with the geocaching community that would be great and hopefully some of us would reap the benefits but that is your choice or you could go one better and make the item for the £1 and flog it on ebay for £2, that way you'll make a 100% profit and the buyer will think he's getting a bargain so they'll be happy as well.... A result all round Link to comment
nobby.nobbs Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 if someone is daft enough to pay more then more fool them. why not just open the thread on what the items is and how to make it? or go into production yourself and see how much you can make!! Link to comment
+Geotrotters Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 I've got to agree. Nobody forces anyone into paying more than they are willing to for an item on ebay. If you can make the item cheaper why don't you set up selling them yourself. It will give the other seller a bit of healthy competition as well as allowing customers the extra choice. Link to comment
+Simply Paul Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 If I were you I'd not approach the seller - If it's them adapting the thing into the other thing, then, although anyone could do the same, they have made something 'unique to them'. If you really feel strongly, broadcast the secret of 'thing making' loud and wide and perhaps the market for their 'overpriced' items will shrink or vanish. All without you having to upset anyone. I hope. Link to comment
+ryme-intrinseca Posted July 12, 2006 Author Share Posted July 12, 2006 Glad I asked first, as otherwise I might have emailed them and upset things. Thanks for your thoughts, everyone. You're right that people should be allowed to sell what they want, it was just the wording of the advert that I didn't like too much. I think I will set up a cache of my own using this item, and say on the description page that if anyone wants to know how to make a similar object, they can email me. How does that sound? Link to comment
+Happy Humphrey Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 (edited) Do you just paint the original "thing" to make the new "thing", or do you have to nail something to it? And perhaps paint it then? And then nail the "thing" to a thing in the outdoors to make a cachey thing? (I'm just fishing for more info...) Edited July 12, 2006 by Happy Humphrey Link to comment
+Teasel Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 (edited) I'd say that if the wording is deliberately misleading then at best it's false advertising, and at worst fraud. In which case it would be entirely appropriate for you to warn people on these forums, email the seller, report them to eBay, complain to the Advertising Standards Authority or even report them to the Police. But if it's just that they are asking £4 for their manufacturing efforts, whereas you don't believe their time is worth that much, then I'd say leave it up to the customer to decide. For example this nanocache is cheap enough to make using a pet's name tag, a laser printer, paper, scissors, a few tins of enammel paint, a small brush and a little time and practice. But personally I'd just cough up a fiver and spend my time geocaching! It's difficult to say without seeing the advert, but IMHO it all boils down to whether you believe they're attempting to deceive people. I think I will set up a cache of my own using this item, and say on the description page that if anyone wants to know how to make a similar object, they can email me. How does that sound? If it's something which might appeal to geocachers, then why not create a webpage showing how to make them and publicise it here? That way everyone gets inspired, people in a hurry can go search for them on eBay, and people with a bit of time on their hands can have fun, and save themselves £4, by making their own. Everybody wins! Edited July 12, 2006 by Teasel Link to comment
+Sensei TSKC Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 I think I will set up a cache of my own using this item, and say on the description page that if anyone wants to know how to make a similar object, they can email me. How does that sound? If it's something which might appeal to geocachers, then why not create a webpage showing how to make them and publicise it here? That way everyone gets inspired, people in a hurry can go search for them on eBay, and people with a bit of time on their hands can have fun, and save themselves £4, by making their own. Everybody wins! Yes! Link to comment
+Renegade Knight Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 It's fair for them to charge as they will for what they have made. It's fair for you to disclose how to make the item yourself for less than is being charged. The only thing that isn't fair is using their auction page to do it on. Nor would it be right for them to use your page saying how to do it for cheap, to try and sell them already completed for a much higher price. Link to comment
+ryme-intrinseca Posted July 12, 2006 Author Share Posted July 12, 2006 Now I'm really confused! All of the opinions above are valid but contradictory! Basically, I think this is a good idea and I want to share it. I should have done this anyway, without mentioning that they were for sale on ebay. Aargh, why do I make things overly complicated??! Link to comment
+TheRoundings Posted July 12, 2006 Share Posted July 12, 2006 ...Basically, I think this is a good idea and I want to share it... So share it with us anyway. There will still be those that want to buy it from ebay - so you don't have to feel bad about that. The suspense..... Link to comment
+ryme-intrinseca Posted July 12, 2006 Author Share Posted July 12, 2006 Heh, I've hyped it up so much, now you're all expecting something amazing, and you'll be disappointed whatever I say!! Okay, I'll share, but I'll start a new thread!! Link to comment
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