Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To be annoyed at profit hungry ebayers?

138 replies

woopdiedoo · 27/10/2012 22:27

Grrrr!!!! I am doing some shopping online for Xmas and DDs 2nd birthday which is Xmas eve. She is mr tumble mad so I was really pleased to ding they did Mr T toys exclusively in tesco - except, they are currently out of stock.

Had a quick look on EBay and there are dozens and dozens of the same toys for sale at massively inflated prices! I know everyone has to make a living but I'm really upset by this!

I'm not sure what to do. Money is tight especially with a birthday and Xmas but I know DD would LOVE these toys. Do I just buy them off eBay and get them less or hope that tesco gets more in and I'm lucky enough to but one before the eBay vultures descend?

I feel like emailing the sellers and telling them that they are out of order. A few quid more I could accept but they are doubling and tripling the price in some cases. Sad Angry.

OP posts:
LineRunner · 28/10/2012 00:18

I think where you can get great bargains on ebaY is with genuine private sellers, who have very nice quality nearly-new (used) toys.

If there are people deliberately buying up new stock and profiteering, then boycott them. And report them if are pretending to be private sellers hen they're not.

LineRunner · 28/10/2012 00:18

when they're not ffs I can't type

MissKeithLemon · 28/10/2012 00:22

Not strictly true Linerunner.

This link www.hmrc.gov.uk/guidance/selling/income.htm may help you decide Wink

Basically, if you are selling old or unwanted items that you have previously bought for personal use then there will be no tax. Selling something unused and in its packaging will be treated as trade however. Each case is decided individually, HMRC are judge and jury and they have a massive issue with non compliant e-bay sellers.
Penalties will probably far outweigh any tax due. Its tax evasion in its simplest form. They like to throw the book at these types of white collar criminals.

MissKeithLemon · 28/10/2012 00:22

Sorry Linerunner Wink should have been a Grin

BeingBooyhoo · 28/10/2012 00:23

you do have an option. stop saying you have no option. this toy is not your only option and as has been pointed out she will be happy with pretty much anything at 2 years of age. you do have other options!

MissKeithLemon · 28/10/2012 00:24

Gah - it was to Boo not Linerunner.

I am off to bed now.

Original poster
woopdiedoo · 28/10/2012 00:25

Sorry, I mean my only option if I were to buy that toy is to pay the inflated price as they've caused it to go out of stock. Should have written that better.

OP posts:
LineRunner · 28/10/2012 00:25

I only sell old tat. Grin

MissKeithLemon · 28/10/2012 00:26

But before I go... don't buy from Amazon either.

They are tax avoiding bastards rather than illegal evaders but just as bad.

LineRunner · 28/10/2012 00:26

I wonder what a MN Ebay would look like.....?

MissKeithLemon · 28/10/2012 00:27

Linerunner. Old tat is where its at.

Grin
BreconBeBuggered · 28/10/2012 00:27

I'm not that bothered whether the goods are for adults or children, though obviously a lot of parents are vulnerable to DC pester-power at this time of year. It just strikes me as a bit sleazy to buy up stock to make sure somebody who really wants it will have to pay the eBayer's cut on top of the retail price.

BeingBooyhoo · 28/10/2012 00:28

and no. i dont feel guilty about not buying every piece of tat my child asks for (this happens every time we pass a shop or there's an ad on tv doesn't it?). i have nothing to feel guilty for. children dont have a right to every toy they want. they have a right to love and healthy food and clothing and education and a home. i provide all those things. i provide endless hours of fun activities and memories that will long outlast the plastic crap they'll get at xmas. my children know they are loved everyday without getting toys. they get things at xmas and birthdays that i can afford. i dont beat myself up if those things arent what they asked for i know they will be happy with whatever they get and as they get older (and more likely to be disappointed with not getting what they asked for) they will have a better understanding of why they cant always get what they want. and quite honestly i dont think they are any better off for always getting what they ask for. i dont think it makes for happier children.

Original poster
woopdiedoo · 28/10/2012 00:29

I sell old tat too (mine I'd like to add) but never make much and it's eaten up by the fees.

OP posts:
Original poster
woopdiedoo · 28/10/2012 00:32

Yes being, my children get all that too but I don't see the harm in making sure that the little I can afford for birthdays and Xmas are the things they will really love. I know it's silly and I should just say oh well but I was genuinely excited to have found these toys only tore slide that I can't afford to because someone had the idea to make some money out of it.

OP posts:
Original poster
woopdiedoo · 28/10/2012 00:33

Tore slide - to find

OP posts:
BeingBooyhoo · 28/10/2012 00:41

ok well lets say tesco had the toys on for £40, you still wouldn't have been able to afford them. would tesco have been wrong for having them at that price? (bearing in mind they definitely didn't cost tesco £17 to make and get to the shelf and are therefore making a profit at whatever price the market them at) you would still have had to buy something else even though this is the toy your DD would like.

could i just also add that there are just under 2 months til her birthday/xmas, plenty of time to persuade dd that she loves something else (cheaper-more easily available) and also, you have 2 months to save up a bit more money. it may turn out that nobody will pay £40 for these toys and the price will drop. either way, your dd will be thrilled just to have any toy to open on xmas morning. she really wont care what it is.

ilovesooty · 28/10/2012 00:45

I think the "guilt" is much more about your mindset than about your daughter's needs.

hauntedhouse · 28/10/2012 00:48

The tie-in character toys are a a rip off even at half price. Luckily my DS just reuses old toys - yellow car becomes Gup-E or whatever or asks to print something out. For a while every day he made himself a new Tree Fu Tom costume out of paper. There were none to buy, luckily, or I would have got one. Now he's over Tree Fu Tom and into Puss in Boots :)

I spend too much books, board games and magazines, though.

Original poster
woopdiedoo · 28/10/2012 00:59

Well obviously ilovesooty! Wink.

Being, if I felt the toy was worth £40 from tesco I would factor that into her present list. As it is, they are only worth what they retail at in tescos so I don't want to buy them at the inflated price. Like I said, if it was a small profit margin then I wouldn't have minded do much - it's the level if profiteering although I know you think they are entitled to charge what they like. But also, I can't use my tesco vouchers on eBay which was partly why I was glad to have found them on tesco.

OP posts:
ilovesooty · 28/10/2012 01:08

I think they're entitled to charge what people will pay - it's no different to me than any form of supply and demand. I do think it's unfortunate that owing to our increasingly consumerist society the demand is there. The only way it would cease to be profitable is if people did refuse to pay, even if they could afford to do so. Then prices would come down.

The Tesco voucher stuff is a shame though: I can see how it would have helped you to be able to use them if tesco had the toy in stock.

BeingBooyhoo · 28/10/2012 01:09

"As it is, they are only worth what they retail at in tescos"

they are only worth this price to you. to others they may be worth less or more. i dont know this particular toy but i'd probably think it worth less than £17. and quite honestly i'd rather pay £25 to a parent saving for xmas (who is making £8 on it) than pay £17 to tesco who are probably making £13 on it.

BeingBooyhoo · 28/10/2012 01:10

just to be clear, i'm not saying all these ebayers are parents saving for xmas. i know some are business sellers.

Mosman · 28/10/2012 01:19

If I was in this position I would move the birthday until the day that you was in stock again. Children don't usually remember when their birthday is so you can have it at the weekend or whenever suits really.
Same with Christmas

Mosman · 28/10/2012 01:20

With the tescos vouchers go and buy a toy of a similar value so you use the voucher and then when the one you want comes back into stock go and exchange it. That way you haven't got to worry about expiry dates.