Why do people buy/sell boxes on Ebay?

[toomanyparrots4]

Are there really folk who collect boxes?  Why do I find boxes for computer graphics cards going for £20-£30?  It's a piece of carboard with a pretty picture on it.  Hint: the thing which comes inside the box is what does the useful thing.  It's really annoying when I ant to buy something, sort by price, then have to wade through the boxes to find the actual product.  Sometimes it's not even in the title, so I waste time going to the listing.

[eastern-lights]

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@plpmr wrote:

"Why on earth would you want to stop people making cheaper copies of rip-off overpriced Apple products?"

'slave labour', organised crime, danger, safety, copyright etc and if it's OK for Apple products where would it end - Pharmaceuticals, electronics, spare parts etc?  

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I admire your confidence about the supply chain for "known brands",

[plpmr]

At least there's accountability for genuine brands.

[lpdingo]

True, plus it should be the buyer's choice whether to pay for a genuine article or a cheaper version. It's the deception that annoys me.

Some are knowingly selling generic items boxed as originals and that it just wrong.

[toomanyparrots4]

£10.42 an hour is a huge wage compared to what it used to be.  I'd be quite happy earning that.  You might not be able to afford a fancy car, but you survive on it easily, it's more than benefits and people live on those.

[toomanyparrots4]

I don't really care what's happened to make the product, I care it works and it's cheap.  I'm not a big girl's blouse, so safety is not a consideration.  Copyright, I have no interest in - one big company hogging the rights to make something and having no competition is wrong.

[toomanyparrots4]

If it doesn't work you send it back, simple.  If it doesn't work well enough, you often get to keep it for free as the postage costs are too high for them to want a return.

[toomanyparrots4]

I buy what I need, if it doesn't do what I expect, I get my money back, not sure why you'd have a problem with that.

[plpmr]

“I don't really care what's happened to make the product, I care it works and it's cheap.”

That's a public statement that you support the worst crimes associated with the tasks of making counterfeits - forced and child labour.

[toomanyparrots4]

Why should kids get to laze around?  I don't do modern soft society.  They're a resource we should be using.

[lpdingo]

My particular problem is that some here are selling generic products incorrectly listed as branded items from a known manufacturer, with all of the issues involved - as others have tried to explain.

They are therefore making more by doing this than by selling them as generic products, as many do.

To put it another way, it should be the buyer's choice to buy a generic or branded item.

I am also old and do not have a local Post Office for returns which I realise is my problem!

[toomanyparrots4]

Often the generic product is as good as the branded item, Velcro for example is no better than "hook and loop", but the Velcro monopoly wants to cash in on something they invented decades ago.  I do not accept companies doing this.

Royal Mail have offered free collection from your house (incuding a safe place like a shed if you're out) for the past year or so.  If they ever stop it, it's only 70p to collect.

Most often the seller doesn't want to pay for a return on a substandard item, so you get to keep it and don't have to bother with returning the parcel.

[lpdingo]

Thanks for the info. 🙂

[toomanyparrots4]

I'm amazed how many people don't know about the free collections, since there was a card through everyone's door a year or so ago.  A few friends and relatives I mentioned it to recently had never heard of it either.  Do people not read what comes through their door?

[unclestein]

£50 is a lot to pay for components if you intend to sell it on (which is something I don't do anyway as there are too many vultures selling on their rubbish).

But if it's a classic amp that you intend to restore and treasure for yourself then it's priceless!

[tech-tonix]

Yes, many folk must buy based on the picture of eg. a phone pictured on the side of its box, without reading the description (if present) stating "you are bidding on just the box". In that precise scenario, it's hard for me to sympathise with the witless buyer, though it still smacks of a very avoidable scam, very sharp practice

[toomanyparrots4]

I often am in a hurry and read only the title and look at the picture.  The title should say "box only", if not, they're lying.  I will not spend time reading desriptions, especially as most of them are full of meaningless waffle and adverts.

P.S. Ebay looks amazing with an ad blocker - you'd think they made enough off fees, to not have to advertise aswell!