@peachfront @jhavok @arstechnica I knew just the mention of "Utah" would yield at least one ignorant comment. Found it.
Derrick Brundage
@brundaged
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@TechTangents You could always try messaging the seller. If they can offer the item outside ebay there's usually a lot more pricing flexibility. But you'd want to be friendly (no lecturing on the "correct" price). Just "Hey, I'm interested but can only justify $X, what do you think?".
@TechTangents I'm not debating. I was hoping to help you acquire the item. I get why pricing is frustrating.
Reality is frustrating because it aggressively resists conforming to our mental models of it.
FWIW, I will usually accept an offer 20% off after it's been on the market a while. 10% off almost always gets accepted. If it would be worth it at 20% off, make the offer. I asked what you were offering because--hey, it's Christmas--and maybe I could chip in to help meet the seller price.
@TechTangents I'd love to know where you're getting a 10% return as "standard". In my experience that's an aspirational return investors want to see.
I'm just trying to explain what's probably happening on the seller's side. A lot of times this stuff is acquired in bulk and it doesn't cost anything extra to liquidate individual items over time. What isn't worth it is putting a lot of attention into sub-$100 items, hence the auto-rejection.
It was listed at $80. What did you offer for it?
@TechTangents In my experience, high-priced items do eventually sell over a reasonable (2-3 year) timeframe. So it's rational to list items at prices that are "worth it" to you. No one is obligated to buy them, so no violation has occurred. Obviously an $80 item listed for a million will never sell, but if it's unique it probably will eventually for $100.
I understand your frustration with wanting something for a price that isn't available.
@TechTangents My thoughts on this: If you can't get it somewhere else, why do you think the price is wrong? Also, when I sell items on eBay there is a minimum price under which it's not worth bothering (seller fees, packing, and shipping kill the value of most items under $50). It has to be "worth it" to the seller, which is often independent of what the buyer thinks the real value is.
@RonsCompVids I have a relatively recent Pixel phone with a similar problem: The WiFi antenna intermittently disconnects. I put it in the freezer for 15-30 minutes and it fixes it every time. I assume the tiny thermal contraction in the traces is allowing a broken trace or loose connection to reseat itself, which is counterintuitive. But it works for me. Worth a shot.
@hashraydamon @arstechnica Close. It refers to test proctors: the people that watch examinees as they test to confirm they aren't cheating
@Hippasus500 @carstenfranke @itsmeholland @taraprice @wiredfire @econads Yeah, I did all that: Online ordering, ordering in advance, online reservations. Barely used. Not worth the effort.
You can't compare an established billion-dollar brand with a new, independent one.
Online services only add value *after* establishing a market, which again is primarily through location. I'm also willing to bet that Starbucks is in a prime spot.