Glossary of Ebay seller terms

Post articles here that do not fit into other categories. I may add more categories to accommodate these posts.
Post Reply
Message
Author
User avatar
75RR
Posts: 8207
Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2014 2:34 am
Location: Estepona, Spain

Glossary of Ebay seller terms

#1 Post by 75RR » Fri Mar 06, 2020 3:39 pm

Feel free to add and or correct

2000x: attempt by seller to convince beginners that more magnification is better (not true for anything more than 1000x)

2500x: seller is just embarrassing himself

Antique: old and expensive

As is: technically meaningless phrase that is meant to convince buyers that they are stuck with the item no matter what condition it is in.

Brand New Open Box Item: item has previously been returned for no reason

Brand new: extra new

New in Box (NIB): unused

Open Box Item: item has previously been returned

Parts: (Ebay recognized term) item incomplete or not working

Previously owned/Pre-Owned: not new. Sometimes utilized to avoid the technically compromising description “used”

Reconditioned: should mean restored to good condition (as in it was not in good condition at some point)

Refurbished: used interchangeably with Reconditioned

Removed from a working environment: technically meaningless phrase that is meant to convince buyers that item was in use until quite recently (and is therefore complete and in good condition)

Second hand: not new

Serviced: should mean cleaned, minor repairs done (if needed), lubricated and collimated

Unable to test: meant to suggest to buyer that item might be in working condition. Usually used to avoid labelling item as Parts

Used: (Ebay recognized term) previously owned and working/serviceable item

Vintage: old yet in demand
Zeiss Standard WL (somewhat fashion challenged) & Wild M8
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)

PeteM
Posts: 2989
Joined: Tue Dec 06, 2016 6:22 am
Location: N. California

Re: Glossary of Ebay seller terms

#2 Post by PeteM » Fri Mar 06, 2020 4:49 pm

The list from some sellers could go on:

"I can see through both tubes" - the eyetubes are misaligned
"Lens is scratched but doesn't affect function" - some light still comes through but it's confused about making an imae
"Objective needs a cleaning" - it likely has fungus or is delaminated
"I'm not sure what's wrong" - it's too horrible to say
"Unable to test" - looked bad when I took a quick look through
"I know nothing about this" - just figured it looked worth more than the $3 I paid for it
"just needs a lightbulb" - the power supply may be bad
"Comes complete with five objectives" - which upon closer examination look to have been scavenged from a pile of sometimes incompatible objectives . . .

All that said it's possible to get a very good scope at a decent price, but paying attention, asking questions, and being willing to fix a problem or two.

BramHuntingNematodes
Posts: 1538
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:29 am
Location: Georgia, USA

Re: Glossary of Ebay seller terms

#3 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Fri Mar 06, 2020 7:14 pm

Another poster suggested this somewhere, but a good idea would be to play for low stakes until you get comfortable with the channel. On the other hand, I never stopped bidding for low stakes. I won an item recently I knew might be broken, found out it was definitely broken when I got it, and still think I got a pretty good deal.
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination

MichaelG.
Posts: 3980
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:24 am
Location: North Wales

Re: Glossary of Ebay seller terms

#4 Post by MichaelG. » Fri Mar 06, 2020 7:28 pm

75RR wrote:
Fri Mar 06, 2020 3:39 pm
Feel free to add and or correct

As is: technically meaningless phrase that is meant to convince buyers that they are stuck with the item no matter what condition it is in.
.

Not quite ‘technically meaningless’ ... It is widely accepted in Law

US: https://definitions.uslegal.com/a/as-is/
Singapore, citing UK: https://www.mondaq.com/CorporateCommerc ... situations

I have been involved in several sale and purchase agreements where the condition of an aircraft was agreed to be “as-is, where-is” ... The more questionable aspect is, of course, whether the use of a term like this in an ebay listing is an acceptable “get-out” for the seller.

MichaelG.
Too many 'projects'

User avatar
75RR
Posts: 8207
Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2014 2:34 am
Location: Estepona, Spain

Re: Glossary of Ebay seller terms

#5 Post by 75RR » Fri Mar 06, 2020 7:45 pm

The more questionable aspect is, of course, whether the use of a term like this in an ebay listing is an acceptable “get-out” for the seller.
It is my understanding that it is technically meaningless within Ebay.

I think Ebay only accepts two conditions for second hand goods, it is either working or sold as parts.

The fact many people think the use of 'As is' is valid in Ebay is why the sellers use it - every customer that doesn't return faulty goods is a win for them.
Zeiss Standard WL (somewhat fashion challenged) & Wild M8
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)

User avatar
75RR
Posts: 8207
Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2014 2:34 am
Location: Estepona, Spain

Re: Glossary of Ebay seller terms

#6 Post by 75RR » Fri Mar 06, 2020 7:49 pm

BramHuntingNematodes wrote:
Fri Mar 06, 2020 7:14 pm
I won an item recently I knew might be broken, found out it was definitely broken when I got it, and still think I got a pretty good deal.
The usefulness of door stops is underestimated ;)
Zeiss Standard WL (somewhat fashion challenged) & Wild M8
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)

User avatar
Wes
Posts: 1027
Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2019 12:58 pm

Re: Glossary of Ebay seller terms

#7 Post by Wes » Fri Mar 06, 2020 7:54 pm

75RR wrote:
Fri Mar 06, 2020 7:49 pm
BramHuntingNematodes wrote:
Fri Mar 06, 2020 7:14 pm
I won an item recently I knew might be broken, found out it was definitely broken when I got it, and still think I got a pretty good deal.
The usefulness of door stops is underestimated ;)
I am currently sporting some very nice Planapo paperweights.
Zeiss Photomicroscope III BF/DF/Pol/Ph/DIC/FL/Jamin-Lebedeff
Youtube channel

MichaelG.
Posts: 3980
Joined: Mon Apr 10, 2017 8:24 am
Location: North Wales

Re: Glossary of Ebay seller terms

#8 Post by MichaelG. » Fri Mar 06, 2020 8:02 pm

75RR wrote:
Fri Mar 06, 2020 7:45 pm
It is my understanding that it is technically meaningless within Ebay.
.

Sorry, I didn’t spot that you meant ‘technically meaningless’ within ebay :oops:

Your understanding is apparently supported by this discussion:
https://community.ebay.com/t5/Buying-Q- ... p/23245245

MichaelG.

.
Edit: This appears to be ebay’s list of recognised descriptors for condition:
https://www.ebay.com/pages/help/sell/co ... ion_1.html
Last edited by MichaelG. on Sat Mar 07, 2020 12:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
Too many 'projects'

User avatar
75RR
Posts: 8207
Joined: Sun Oct 12, 2014 2:34 am
Location: Estepona, Spain

Re: Glossary of Ebay seller terms

#9 Post by 75RR » Fri Mar 06, 2020 8:09 pm

No worries MichaelG

Thanks for the confirmation
Zeiss Standard WL (somewhat fashion challenged) & Wild M8
Olympus E-P2 (Micro Four Thirds Camera)

BramHuntingNematodes
Posts: 1538
Joined: Tue Jan 21, 2020 1:29 am
Location: Georgia, USA

Re: Glossary of Ebay seller terms

#10 Post by BramHuntingNematodes » Fri Mar 06, 2020 11:13 pm

Oh, another benefit of buying things for trivial amounts of money is that no one is going to spend a lot of effort making a believable counterfeit for like $8
1942 Bausch and Lomb Series T Dynoptic, Custom Illumination

User avatar
Rossf
Posts: 363
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:39 am
Location: Victoria Australia

Re: Glossary of Ebay seller terms

#11 Post by Rossf » Sun Mar 08, 2020 6:28 am

Fun post about non fun aspects of eBay-Removed from a working environment should mean “ripped roughly from working machine and placed in a non working environment” ie surplus house.Speaking of low stake bids I had a really good low stakes win the other day-both started at $20 starting bid and didn’t move from there! And I deliberately didn’t check once until bidding was over-it was a lottery bid-to use annoying eBay parlance they look “minty”-sorry couldn’t help myself! use them on my inverted-32x ain’t bad for inverted-sometimes 40x is just a bit too much bigger...but I ain’t a monster and didn’t have the heart to ask for combined postage...oh found out that phaco 1a means it uses the same size annulus. So can have a 10x,20x,32x and there is a 40x (hens teeth rare) that all use the one annulus-pretty cool technical design.
Regards ross
Attachments
B21F5606-7026-49A6-8903-E4AF77BC3C9F.jpeg
B21F5606-7026-49A6-8903-E4AF77BC3C9F.jpeg (224.21 KiB) Viewed 11089 times

User avatar
Rossf
Posts: 363
Joined: Mon Jan 20, 2020 12:39 am
Location: Victoria Australia

Re: Glossary of Ebay seller terms

#12 Post by Rossf » Sun Mar 08, 2020 8:27 am

BramHuntingNematodes-I really like your optimistic outlook on life when it comes to eBay duds! Roll the dice, pull the strings, push that button!

Post Reply