I am annoyed so RANT = ON

eBay has a buyer "protection" program, I have just found out that an easy way to scam someone on eBay is to say that you've shipped the product, wait several weeks then claim there is a problem with shipping, waiting several weeks more and so long as you delay past those magical 45 days you get free money.

I am generally good natured and give people the benefit of doubt, however I just learned a $50 lesson about eBay and Paypal.

DO NOT let anything go past 45 days as you have no recourse and eBay customer service is completely automated, there is almost no way to talk with a human at eBay or PayPal.

Next RANT, Plumbers.

Swear to god, all I want is a new toilet installed. Whatever happened to flat rate billing? I will overpay for good work, but every plumber wants $50-150 just to show up, and then provide a quote. I value trademanship and if someone wants to charge me $100 an hour, fine come on in, I know what I am getting into up front, but this business practice of try to lock someone in with the upfront fee just to show up for a quote... and then vary the quote based on most likely your neighbourhood and house (see how much money they can sponge out of you) is bull.

Plumbers who operate this way... you suck.

I am annoyed so RANT = ON

eBay has a buyer "protection" program, I have just found out that an easy way to scam someone on eBay is to say that you've shipped the product, wait several weeks then claim there is a problem with shipping, waiting several weeks more and so long as you delay past those magical 45 days you get free money.

I am generally good natured and give people the benefit of doubt, however I just learned a $50 lesson about eBay and Paypal.

DO NOT let anything go past 45 days as you have no recourse and eBay customer service is completely automated, there is almost no way to talk with a human at eBay or PayPal.

I have had that happen to me and no longer buy through ebay.

Swear to god, all I want is a new toilet installed. Whatever happened to flat rate billing? I will overpay for good work, but every plumber wants $50-150 just to show up, and then provide a quote. I value trademanship and if someone wants to charge me $100 an hour, fine come on in, I know what I am getting into up front, but this business practice of try to lock someone in with the upfront fee just to show up for a quote... and then vary the quote based on most likely your neighbourhood and house (see how much money they can sponge out of you) is bull.

Plumbers who operate this way... you suck.

The reason they charge that is because if they spent the whole day driving to each house just to look at a problem and they give a quote and don't get hired they never get paid. Nobody works for free. That upfront fee should then go towards the first hour of work. That is the way most work. Good plumbers/electricians/heating and air condtioning are in high demand and they can work 24hrs if they wanted to there is so much work. There is a value to time.

Gotta be honest here--not all toilet installations are equal. I had a really miserable job here with a toilet flange that had been improperly installed years ago. No plumber could have charged a flat rate for installing the new toilet.

I don't shop eBay for that very reason, sorry.

As far as plumbers go, you would be wise to get 3 estimates and then decide who you wish to have install your toilet. And Macfury is right, not all toilet installations are equal.

I don't shop eBay for that very reason, sorry.

As far as plumbers go, you would be wise to get 3 estimates and then decide who you wish to have install your toilet. And Macfury is right, not all toilet installations are equal.

As his post states, many plumbers will not come over for estimates. They don't have time to drive around all day to give estimates.

All toilet installations are not equal. 'nuff said.

We have a good relationship with our plumber. The first couple of times we used him he'd come over and give us a quote, and then apply the quote cost to the cost of the job. However we've been using him for 25+ years now, so it's usually just a phone call, describe the issue, he comes over and does the job, and his wife mails us an invoice at the end of the month for time and materials.

Time is money.

As a former TV-fixit guy, my husband can still drive around town and point out the people who owe him $20 for an estimate fee for fixing something. What most people don't realize is that in order to diagnose something, you generally have to fix it, which takes time. And time is money. But they'd complain when he'd ask for an upfront $20 'diagnostic' fee (which he would apply to the repair if it went ahead). He's retired now (thanks to a disposable society and a wife who still works), but it's amusing to be driving by a construction site and have him point at a flag person and say "She owes me $20." (We would also end up with their abandoned equipment, which we would have to pay to send to landfill.) Being in the service industry gives one a different perspective on 'humanity'.

I don't think the OP was expecting a flat fee for the job, just a flat fee per hour.

Gotta be honest here--not all toilet installations are equal. I had a really miserable job here with a toilet flange that had been improperly installed years ago. No plumber could have charged a flat rate for installing the new toilet.


LOL, this reminds me of the toilet in my upstairs bathroom. I guess there had been so many leaks that it slowly rotted the plywood around the toilet. The plumber came by to check our leaky toilet and found he couldn't fix it because the flange bolts didn't have anything to hold onto so the flange could move around.

This was the straw that started the bathroom renovation. The bathtub needed replacing anyway and both of the sinks had nicks in them from the previous house owner. Time for a new bathroom.

I recommend you source your plumber through eBay.
If they ask to be paid by Western Union, that would be the trifecta.

:)

All toilet installations are not equal. 'nuff said.

We have a good relationship with our plumber. The first couple of times we used him he'd come over and give us a quote, and then apply the quote cost to the cost of the job. However we've been using him for 25+ years now, so it's usually just a phone call, describe the issue, he comes over and does the job, and his wife mails us an invoice at the end of the month for time and materials.



Yep, once you find a good plumber. Keep 'em. Since I've had my house, roughly 9 years, I've used the same plumbing company. I like their work. My mom likes their work. I made sure the contractor I use for the bathroom reno, uses them too.

I think I get a seniors discount too, since my mom is the one that stays around the house and pays them (I pay her after).

I recommend you source your plumber through eBay.
If they ask to be paid by Western Union, that would be the trifecta.

:)

:lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao::lmao:

My plumber has all of his modalities in place.

Personally, I've been a staunch Ebay supporter (as both buyer and seller) since way back in 2000 - and have a 100% perfect feedback rating too - at 368. I actually prefer to do most of my online purchases through eBay. I find it way more secure than repeatedly handing over my credit card # to some unknown and/or untrusted website that perhaps has a good deal going on (unless they take Paypal).

I also like that I can go into a seller's feedback to see how many they've had vs the number of complaints... and actually read each one of the complaints (sometimes they seem crazy or unjustified, sometimes legit). Certainly can't do that with most brick and mortar stores and it gives me a reasonably decent feel for trustworthiness and/or communication habits of the seller. Although I've rarely had a problem (although a $1000 Macbook that didn't ship was a big one) if I stay on top of it, I eventually get a refund.

In the scenario mentioned at the beginning of this thread by the OP, it sounds like you got ripped for $50? I'm sorry to hear that... that really sucks. Did you happen to email the seller about the delay (through eBay's system) before your 45 days were up? If you did, and can prove it, it's likely they might still find the case in your favor. They will take the extra shipping time into consideration if you are in another country. But I'm not sure what your exact circumstances were.

Similar to MacDaddy68, I've been on eBay over 12 years as a buyer and seller, well over 700 fb. Lately I am more of a buyer because eBay is heavily buyer biased. You have plenty of protection as a buyer. The OP failed to use the protection available. Essentially, you are ranting about being naive. You could have filed an INR and had your money refunded, very easy, well before 45 days. The seller has to prove shipping (via an online trackable method) or your money is refunded. And even with proven shipping, without confirmation of delivery- your money is refunded.
I've been ripped off a total of 3 times by sellers in 12 years. All were US sellers inexperienced at shipping Intrnl, one admitted to blatant incompetence, all under $20. I've been ripped off or attempted scammed by many many more 'buyers' (the term is relative, as 'buyer' would assume a payment was made). The rule of eBay is similar to the rule of gambling- never bet more than you are prepared to lose. The better the deal is for you, the more chance of the deal going bad.
In the past few years, buying on eBay is not the personal experience it once was, but it is very easy as compared to many other online venues.

And neighbourhood has little to do with ability to afford repairs. Most people in suburbia with their big cheesebox house and 5 bathrooms and giant big screens and four car garage full of SUVs are extended up to their necks, and the last thing they allow for is a repair bill, and they think they are above paying 'help' a fair wage, even though they are useless at helping themselves. So they call around and get as much as they can get for free before going for the cheapest option- which they then try to defer payment on. I've been in literally thousands of homes. I could count on one hand the homes that had anything worth looking at, let alone stealing (and these people take time off work to watch you every minute so you don't steal one of their tacky nik-nacks)- many people who could easily afford the finer things make the primary mistake of using their own inadequate taste to fill their box with junk instead of hiring someone to show them what good taste they could be investing in. Most people who think they have money- don't. If you think you have money, you probably don't. And actually, people with real money are usually the best people to work for, not because they have lots of money but because they are so far past their money, they are usually interested in what other people are saying to them, and interested in gleaning information from others. They are interested and interesting- as opposed to being knobs who think they have money.
I see your rant and raise you.

I have been on eBay as well since 2000 with over 1000 transactions.
I'm careful in what I buy and who I but from and have had very few issues.
Only money I ever lost was the return shipping cost when items showed up used that were supposed to be new - the item costs were refunded.

I must say, I have had more issues buying mail order directly than through eBay.