eBay again.

[whiskywill]

Crooked or clever, I can't decide.

I was looking for some potato fertiliser for next season and came across an offer of 25kg for £18.99 including delivery. I ordered on a Friday afternoon and it arrived on Saturday morning with a big Amazon Prime sticky tape around it.
I was curious so looked on Amazon and found the exact same product for £11.99. The eBay seller, speedysavings, obviously takes the order, passes it on to the Amazon seller and takes a rather hefty mark up. On further investigation I found a lot of other items on the seller's listing, which are also on Amazon, with some mark ups of over 500%.

I should have checked the seller's feedback but didn't. I now see that they have 169 negative feedback messages for the past 12 months.

As an aside, the 25kg turned out to be 2.5kg so is now the subject of a dispute.

 

[marcros]

nothing wrong with the concept, and to be fair, undeserving of negative feedback just because people didnt realise that was the business model.

the 2.5kg/25kg issue is different, but should be easily resolved. Hopefully they wont do the whole "just return it at your own cost for a refund of the purchase price".

Not sure if applicable to you, but local to me the allotment sosc have a shop which is always good value. I dont have an allotment but they have never asked- a stone (yep, old measurements) of growmore weighed out is much cheaper than a small tub elsewhere. I assume that there must be similar clubs around and about.

 

[MattRoberts]

I always check eBay vs amazon prices as a matter of course...

 

[transatlantic]

Interesting. So I guess you're screwed when it comes to warranty issues.

 

[MrTeroo]

Crooked or clever, I can't decide.

Nothing crooked at all there. Surpised you need to ask?

Caveat emptor

 

[JohnPW]

I see the "seller" has over 500,00 items for sale!

When I see a vague item location like "GB" or "UK" (or even "Shire County" *) I immediately get suspicious. If it's a business seller, I then check the address; in this case it's PO box number in the US. I think business sellers who refuse to give a proper address are trying to hide something, and even if they're operating from home they should still give their full address.

There's something called "drop shipping" where the seller doesn't have any stock and uses a third party (factory, wholesaler, distributor etc) to supply goods to the buyer, but I think there's usually a formal arrangement. I've bought stuff from Chinese sellers but the goods are sent from different places.

With the OP's seller, my guess is they don't have any arrangement with the supplier (Amazon themselves or Amazon Marketplace sellers) .

Re the weight, the item is listed as "Seklos LT POTATO AND VEGETABLE FERTILISER - 25 KG" but in the description it's "2,5kg" and "2.5kg". It could be a mistake or it could be deliberate to mislead.


*Used by a woodworking tools seller

 

[whiskywill]

nothing wrong with the concept, and to be fair, undeserving of negative feedback just because people didnt realise that was the business model.

Most of the negative feedback is because of poor customer service in that they don't respond when a wrong item has been delivered or is not as described.

the 2.5kg/25kg issue is different, but should be easily resolved. Hopefully they wont do the whole "just return it at your own cost for a refund of the purchase price".

I am fortunate that they have offered me a refund if I return the package but it will cost me £6.90 unless I can get them to refund that as well. Wait and see.

Not sure if applicable to you, but local to me the allotment sosc have a shop which is always good value. I dont have an allotment but they have never asked- a stone (yep, old measurements) of growmore weighed out is much cheaper than a small tub elsewhere. I assume that there must be similar clubs around and about.

I am the secretary of our small local allotment association but with only 16 plots, and some holders having two, we don't have the buying power to benefit from discounts offered by most suppliers, who insist on a minimum £150 spend.

 

[whiskywill]

I always check eBay vs amazon prices as a matter of course...

I will in future but the 25kg offer is not on Amazon.

 

[whiskywill]

Crooked or clever, I can't decide.

Nothing crooked at all there. Surpised you need to ask?

Caveat emptor

I didn't ask. Do you know what a rhetorical question is?

 

[Alder]

I was surprised that you could buy 25kg of fertiliser on the net. Fertiliser has been a bomb making ingredient for terrorists since IRA days hence is regulated.
Russell

 

[whiskywill]

Re the weight, the item is listed as "Seklos LT POTATO AND VEGETABLE FERTILISER - 25 KG" but in the description it's "2,5kg" and "2.5kg". It could be a mistake or it could be deliberate to mislead.

I spotted that when I checked the listing after the package arrived. I think the headline description is what attracts most buyers not the small print. I will be more careful in future.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I was surprised that you could buy 25kg of fertiliser on the net. Fertiliser has been a bomb making ingredient for terrorists since IRA days hence is regulated.
Russell

I believe the stuff is treated now so it can't be used for that purpose. We used to blow people's hedges up with it when we were kids.

 

[whiskywill]

I was surprised that you could buy 25kg of fertiliser on the net. Fertiliser has been a bomb making ingredient for terrorists since IRA days hence is regulated.
Russell

I don't think there is a problem with compound fertilisers. It's the straight fertilisers like sodium nitrate that are restricted.

 

[MrTeroo]

I didn't ask. Do you know what a rhetorical question is?

Yes thanks. Is the Pope a Catholic?

You solicited opinions by posting your experience on a public forum.

 

[JohnPW]

I am fortunate that they have offered me a refund if I return the package but it will cost me £6.90 unless I can get them to refund that as well. Wait and see.

Business seller, wrong or faulty item: seller has to pay for return of goods.

 

[Doug71]

This was posted on the Festool owners group a few days ago, it explains how the whole Ebay/Amazon scams work.

https://www.entrepreneur.com/amphtml/278622

Doug

 

[marcros]

It isn't a scam it is a business. It isn't fraudulent or illegal.

 

[MrDavidRoberts]

It's NOT SCAM!
About 2.5kg vs 25kg , 100% its honest mistake when importing products..
Just do your research better next time about what you are buying.

 

[Inoffthered]

It isn't a scam it is a business. It isn't fraudulent or illegal.

Well I think the copying of a company's advertising material is a breach of copyright which could open the arbitrager to a claim for
breach. There is also an argument that copying a company's advertising material could open an action for "passing off".

 

[marcros]

I agree that those parts are potentially problematic, but neither are the bit that is being complained about, nor are they necessary in the business model. The complaint seems to be against the seller making a profit from using Amazon as a supplier. In that respect, nobody is being tricked.