HP Forum Archive 19

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OT: Zero feedbackers Message #1 Posted by DaveJ on 9 Apr 2010, 3:07 a.m. I've got a HP calc for sale on you-know-where. Haven't sold one in a long time. I've had two zero feedback bidders so far, both of which I have canceled because I think they are just scammers trying to up the market price. I know it's to my advantage as a seller, but I don't like it as it ruins it for everyone. And if they are the only bidder they almost certainly won't go through and buy it. I sell lots of other stuff and never get zero bidders. So is this common when selling HP calcs? Dave.

Re: OT: Zero feedbackers Message #2 Posted by Johnny Bjoern Rasmussen on 9 Apr 2010, 3:16 a.m., in response to message #1 by DaveJ Hi Dave Why not try the classified here? Cheers! Johnny

Re: OT: Zero feedbackers Message #3 Posted by Bart (UK) on 9 Apr 2010, 4:07 a.m., in response to message #1 by DaveJ Hi Dave, Two possibilities I can think of: 1) Some people (like myself) are put off by shipping costs from far away continents (although I seem to be in the minority if I go by what I read on the museum forum). 2) Sometimes several potential bidders wait to snipe in the last few seconds.(I was watching a Nixie tube calculator the other day and it went from 99p to £32 in the last 5 seconds). It can be very unpredictable. As a previous reply said, put a link to it in the museum classifieds section. OTOH we all had to start as zero feedbackers I suppose, and calculator collecting, particularly HP, seems to be a growing fad. You are right though that we do live in a world with scammers and caution should be applied.

Re: OT: Zero feedbackers Message #4 Posted by DaveJ on 9 Apr 2010, 5:20 a.m., in response to message #3 by Bart (UK) Quote: Hi Dave, Two possibilities I can think of: 1) Some people (like myself) are put off by shipping costs from far away continents (although I seem to be in the minority if I go by what I read on the museum forum). 2) Sometimes several potential bidders wait to snipe in the last few seconds.(I was watching a Nixie tube calculator the other day and it went from 99p to £32 in the last 5 seconds). It can be very unpredictable. As a previous reply said, put a link to it in the museum classifieds section. OTOH we all had to start as zero feedbackers I suppose, and calculator collecting, particularly HP, seems to be a growing fad. You are right though that we do live in a world with scammers and caution should be applied. I have no concerns about the number of bidders, I know the calculator will sell, I know all about sniping and how the system works. It's just that I found it interesting that I've had two zero feedback bidders on a HP calculator, and never on anything else (and I've sold hundreds of items). Something is definitely suss. But not terribly surprising I guess given all the things I hear about various HP dealers on the auction site. Dave. Edited: 9 Apr 2010, 5:23 a.m.

Re: OT: Zero feedbackers Message #5 Posted by Juergen Keller on 9 Apr 2010, 3:38 p.m., in response to message #4 by DaveJ Quote: But not terribly surprising I guess given all the things I hear about various HP dealers on the auction site. Do you suppose that other HP calc sellers try to keep the prices high with a second (dummy) eBay account? I think there are some categories of items (e.g., vintage calcs & computers, ...) for which eBay is the easiest way to get one. Perhaps this might be a reason why there are more zero-feedbackers on such items.

Re: OT: Zero feedbackers Message #6 Posted by james summers on 9 Apr 2010, 4:09 p.m., in response to message #5 by Juergen Keller Quote: I think there are some categories of items (e.g., vintage calcs & computers, ...) for which eBay is the easiest way to get one. Perhaps this might be a reason why there are more zero-feedbackers on such items. Yup, that was how I discovered eBay - decided I 'needed' a hp-41 to replace a Casio and remembering the mystique that surrounded hps (very expensive and RPN) when I was a kid at school in the 70s I made my first of many hp calculator purchases (35, 45, 67, 21, 25C, 34C, 41C, CV and CX, 10C, 12C, 15C, 16C, 48S and 48G and 71B). Thinking about it, I would have been quite a bit richer if my original zero-feedback bid had been cancelled!! Have since found eBay to also be a good source of Innocenti Mini Cooper (Italian built version of the sixties British Mini Cooper) spares.

Re: OT: Zero feedbackers Message #7 Posted by DaveJ on 9 Apr 2010, 6:06 p.m., in response to message #5 by Juergen Keller Quote: Do you suppose that other HP calc sellers try to keep the prices high with a second (dummy) eBay account? That is exactly what I suppose. Quote: I think there are some categories of items (e.g., vintage calcs & computers, ...) for which eBay is the easiest way to get one. Perhaps this might be a reason why there are more zero-feedbackers on such items. Perhaps. But I have contacted these people and they do not reply. Hence they are almost certainly fake accounts. Dave.

Re: OT: Zero feedbackers Message #8 Posted by Raymond Del Tondo on 9 Apr 2010, 7:10 p.m., in response to message #7 by DaveJ Hi, over the last year or so, I also had some bidders with zero to below-ten feedback points. I also had slight doubts whether they were serious buyers and would actually pay. However each of them was a serious buyer so far. A few years ago, there were some unreliable bidders who did cost me time and nerves. Then I decided to activate some restrictions for bidders, and actually no fake bidder showed up ever since:-) Raymond

Re: OT: Zero feedbackers Message #9 Posted by Juergen Keller on 10 Apr 2010, 2:20 p.m., in response to message #8 by Raymond Del Tondo I had similar experiences/doubts. But when looking back I conclude that shipping is the biggest problem (especially when you ship worldwide). I had much more shipping related problems than problems with non-paying customers. People on eBay are just a mirror image of the society; there are good guys and bad guys, but the bad guys are only a minor fraction, as in real life. But back to DaveJ's suspicion: is it really that easy to have a normal account for selling and a second account to play whatever games you want to play?

Re: OT: Zero feedbackers Message #10 Posted by Bill (Smithville, NJ) on 12 Apr 2010, 6:48 a.m., in response to message #1 by DaveJ Hi Dave, Ummmmm, Zero Feedback Bidders. I seem to remember that I was once a Zero Feed Back Bidder as we all were at one time. Question: How does a person get feedback if they are never allowed to bid? Chicken and the Egg. I would suggest you contact them, see if they will give you references, such as web sites they mey have posted at, or even a phone number. When I sell on the HPMuseum web site, I always check the person out who is wanting to purchase what I have offered. I also check their shipping address to see if it matches their name (not always possible I know). Of couse, the auction site is a different animal. I'd be wary if you only receive Zero Feedback bidders - any HP calculator should also receive some valid bidders with feedback. I miss the days where the bidders weren't hidden and I could check to see what else they had bid on. Bill

Re: OT: Zero feedbackers Message #11 Posted by DaveJ on 12 Apr 2010, 8:30 a.m., in response to message #10 by Bill (Smithville, NJ) I did contact the bidders, they did not reply, therefore they are almost certainly fake accounts. Dave.

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