USA eBay is overrun with foreign sellers

[conkitchen]

On occasion I do search for BMW 2002 items on eBay to buy only. After having been burned by eBay with double dipping a % of shipping costs on top of listing and valuation fees- I said no more selling with them.   Today I did a search for kicks and noticed two things.  1) the prices for ordinary items I.E. a used non tii distributor is listed for over $400. Not saying this is selling, just the minimum bid amount caught my attention. 2) I started looking at other auctions (BMW 2002 stuff) and noticed many, if not all these extremely high priced items are from every place but the US. I see the country for some sellers listed as Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Latvia, Uruguay, Egypt, Turkey, and Greece too.  Makes me wonder what's going on. Is this some form of collusion? Are these prices a money laundering thing? Does the US market seem to the rest of the world like the only place to sell really expensive used car parts to?  

 

Where and when did this-I am lacking a definition-become convention. AND are people actually supporting these sellers by buying?  

 

The prices for things on eBay makes the rank and file flipper bottom feeder parts sellers here (you know who you are) look tame. 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2019 by conkitchen

[conkitchen]

11 minutes ago, conkitchen said:

nt

 

 

Edited May 13, 2019 by conkitchen

[GregC]

I’ve been able to filter these out of my search if I want. When I input my search terms I can choose, under the filter “item location,” to search only Ebay Germany, or only sellers located in Germany, in Europe, or Worldwide.

 

Do you still get the foreign sellers if you don’t choose to see worldwide sellers?

 

Cheers,

Greg

[NickVyse]

1 hour ago, GregC said:

I’ve been able to filter these out of my search if I want. When I input my search terms I can choose, under the filter “item location,” to search only Ebay Germany, or only sellers located in Germany, in Europe, or Worldwide.

 

Do you still get the foreign sellers if you don’t choose to see worldwide sellers?

 

Cheers,

Greg

 

Greg 7 of the 9 places mentioned are in europe ?

 

surely that's just a fine example of ebay creating a global marketplace?

[FunElan]

I don't think it's just on eBay. Every time I look in the classifieds section here I have to filter through all of the ads for overpriced foglights from the same seller in Europe. 

[rcf925]

I've had the opposite experience. I recently bought some 02 parts from Egypt, Latvia and Germany for about 25% of the price people were asking in the states if I could even find them. Shipping is always a little slow but I'm cheap and refuse to pay sky high prices I've seen from vendors here in the USA

[John_in_VA]

I, too, have purchased from sellers in Poland, Latvia & Germany recently, often with free shipping.  UK sellers often have some good prices but shipping kills it.  Choose sellers with excellent/100% feedback

Edited May 13, 2019 by John_in_VA

[conkitchen]

ALL, along with inflationary pricing on nothing special 2002's as well as the gouging going on for used parts, it tends to detract from the hobby for me for sure.  In ways, I perceive what's happening as a result of a new world economy ethos. That mindset being: everything is an auction, and a side hustle to make money. Flippers selling to flippers and scammers looking to make easy money by following what trends.   Nothing new. 

 

Of course this is not 100% of what's going on out there. There are good folks who just like the social aspect of these cars and the community. High praise. 

 

Anywhoo, like some of the forum regulars and lurking others here, the effort to stay involved and prop-up the hobby culture is waning fast, at least for me. And for those who will defend the free market rule, yeah go ahead one can ask whatever they want for their stuff and we can vote with our wallets.  I do, however it's more than just over pricing, It feels a little like douchebaggery enabled by a "free" point of entry without controls.  Think Denver Tii. Kinda a sleazy parts pimp. As many complained and reported it, nothing happened. All one can see is that he was either driven away by the forum heckling or just changed his tactics. Craigslist is another prime example of "free" ads which attracts so many asshats cause it aint cost nottin.  Of course eBay has fees, which I think has driven many of the domestic parts folks away leaving it open for the globe. 

 

But I'm bitter according to Ryan. 

 

And Coop, would you call me a Whaaaaaaaaambulance?  

 

Off my soap box. 

 

just a quick example here: from Uruguay by the way. 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2019 by conkitchen

[Ian]

I agree with most of the sentiments, but honestly, my love of the 2002 comes from the car and my fellow nutters, both virtual (on this board) and local.  I don't set much emotional quotient from the eBay/Craigslist listings.  As the years go by parts will by definition become harder to come by.  And the interweb does indeed add to the confusion.  But we used to have the same problems with disreputable sellers when we were mailing checks and getting stuff by UPS or Greyhound.  The being said, I've also gotten some great deals on parts from Latvia, so they aren't all scammers, they may just have a bigger pile of deceased 2002's without the market that the US represents.

[Conserv]

58 minutes ago, conkitchen said:

 

just a quick example here: from Uruguay by the way. 

 

 

 

I have a different viewpoint.

 

I bought my 235/5 close-ratio from this guy about five years ago. Good trans, good seller. I could have, alternatively, bought one out of Germany for twice as much. My ‘76’s Solex DIDTA needed a new float two years ago. No one had a new one....until I found one in Egypt: the shipping was more than the float, which might have been all of $10: NOS in the original box with the original orange label.

 

I’m happy to have ‘02 parts from anywhere. There are crazy prices coming out of the U.S., just as well as from outside the U.S. But there are also reasonable prices coming from the U.S., as well as from outside the U.S. There are good sellers in the U.S. and good sellers outside the U.S. I look to experience ratings: I’m never the first one to try a seller, whether he is in the U.S. or outside the U.S.

 

Are there more dealers and speculators in old car parts, especially since the advent of the internet? I’m certain. But I don’t see that issue as any greater among non-U.S. sellers than among U.S. sellers.

 

I want those parts that have been collecting dust on back shelves out in the market, regardless of where those back shelves are located....

 

My viewpoint.

 

Best regards,

 

Steve

 

 

 

Edited May 13, 2019 by Conserv

[conkitchen]

7 minutes ago, Conserv said:

There are crazy prices coming out of the U.S., just as well as from outside the U.S. But there are also reasonable prices coming from the U.S., as well as from outside the U.S. There are good sellers in the U.S. and good sellers outside the U.S. 

Of course and agreed. It's just when I see a non-tii valve cover listed for more than pocket change I get weird'ed out. I have at least 5 of them which I would gladly give away for the price of shipping.  

[resra]

10 hours ago, conkitchen said:

On occasion I do search for BMW 2002 items on eBay to buy only. After having been burned by eBay with double dipping a % of shipping costs on top of listing and valuation fees- I said no more selling with them.   Today I did a search for kicks and noticed two things.  1) the prices for ordinary items I.E. a used non tii distributor is listed for over $400. Not saying this is selling, just the minimum bid amount caught my attention. 2) I started looking at other auctions (BMW 2002 stuff) and noticed many, if not all these extremely high priced items are from every place but the US. I see the country for some sellers listed as Bulgaria, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Latvia, Uruguay, Egypt, Turkey, and Greece too.  Makes me wonder what's going on. Is this some form of collusion? Are these prices a money laundering thing? Does the US market seem to the rest of the world like the only place to sell really expensive used car parts to?  

 

Where and when did this-I am lacking a definition-become convention. AND are people actually supporting these sellers by buying?  

 

The prices for things on eBay makes the rank and file flipper bottom feeder parts sellers here (you know who you are) look tame. 

 

 

Haha...you are thinking in wrong direction....Collusion? Money laundering? 

I think as global cost of living is rising along with population growth and values of 2002 cars/parts on the rise (Don't have to look far). Call your local BMW dealership and 10 years ago the part that cost $25 is $200 now, people are making the connection and finding 2002 parts they can sell on a global market place like on ebay. Those parts maybe in Germany, Turkey or Egypt but NOS parts to me are far better in build quality than say buying something made aftermarket in modern times. 

That being said, I won't be surprised if some of those sellers find their ways to FAQ eventually and start selling here. I have nothing against anyone trying to sell anything legit. It's their right to price and market things however they like. No one is holding a gun on anyone's head to buy the product. 

[resra]

In fact none of those high prices or foreign sellers bother me as much as regular buyers, sellers or big talkers on this site who use this site regularly but don't care to contribute financial help to this great platform. i.e. solex users

[conkitchen]

3 minutes ago, resra said:

. solex users

Low blow, but you got me. I want my cake and to eat it too. I guess free wisdom and fun/helpful community spirit now has to have a price too. So long to the good Samaritan for he (sorry, she for those PC snowflakes reading)  shall be taxed for any good deed. 

 

and don't get me started with hipsters and their beer. 

[Flamingo 5]

Use search filter and eliminate 

mall but North America