Having some trouble with a cel seller...

kawaii-clamp-fan · Post by **kawaii-clamp-fan** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 11:11 am

I won a beautiful cel of Sakura from CCS on ebay a few weeks ago ( http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... RK:MEWN:IT ), and I've beeen trying desperately to get in touch with them to ask for a postage quote to the UK. I'm not getting any communication from them at all, and thier feedback rating has sharply dropped post winning the auction.

Does anyone know the seller (otakupocky) or another way I could get touch with them?

I could request their phone number, but calling them would cost too much from the UK

Nene · Post by **Nene** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 11:26 am

And they have private feedback too. x.x Eep.

At least you haven't paid yet but I'd be careful with handing money over to a private feedback seller, especially with that low a rating. The negatives could be for anything, even non-delivery.

Saying that, there could be a genuine reason why they haven't been able to respond for so long and could explain the rating drop, so perhaps just wait and see if you get a response. If not, at least you still have your money. I can't think what else you can do apart from request their details from Ebay and like you said, calling them would probably cost more than the cel itself lol.

I'd just wait it out personally, you've sent emails and can't do any more.

kira · Post by **kira** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 12:03 pm

well, kawaii, i'd say find out their zip code. then do a calculation with your zip through either your postage service their or through the usps.

www.usps.com

then after calcutlating, send that amount plus whatever s&h rate you got, if it's not enough then that's their fault. i would wait on sending though if their not responding. why does this feel like tex-chan's saga all over again?

funshine · Post by **funshine** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 12:40 pm

i'd be very weary... private feedback is a bad sign, especially with that low of a rating and the seller is relatively new to ebay.

if it was me and i paid via paypal i'd be very tempted to take out that paypal insurance crap (or whatever it is). i've never done that before but if i won that auction and paid... i'd probably take it out just to feel a little safer.

in any case, good luck. i hope you get the cel safe and sound

kawaii-clamp-fan · Post by **kawaii-clamp-fan** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 1:25 pm

It's probably a good thing I haven't paid - it kinds sucks though, I've been after a cel from that sequence ^^;

Welll, I've sent them another email, so I guess I'll see what happens ^^

Post by **sensei** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 1:38 pm

Twelve negatives in three months of eBay action ... nine in the most recent month! I'd say write this off as a bad deal and feel lucky you're out nothing. The seller is probably in jail, or at least unplugged from his or her computer due to bad deals.

Cels from this sequence do show up fairly often. There's a much nicer one up on YHJ now for a BIN price of 8500 yen, a far cry from your winning bid, but pretty close to what I paid for mine, and at least you'll get it. I'd say the attractively low winning bid for "your" eBay cel, sadly, was a reflection of other bidders' reluctance to risk the auction.

tex-chan · Post by **tex-chan** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 2:20 pm

kira wrote: why does this feel like tex-chan's saga all over again?

Hmmm ... it does have a familiar ring to it, doesn't it?

Although, my saga wasn't through ebay, and I had sent payment. >.< In the end, I had a happy result, as I finally did get my cel, just after a long, long, long wait for it. So, I'll cross my fingers that the same will happen for you (the happy ending, that is ... not the long wait, although it seems like you've already been waiting for a while).

I think I might be inclined to agree with others --- it looks like this might not happen, especially if they aren't returning emails even before they've ever gotten payment from you. Plus, the negatives are a bad sign ... as is the private feedback. At least, you can feel fortunate that you didn't send them any money, and you still have your funds. Small consolation ... but at least it's something.

Sensei is absolutely right, too. Cels from this sequence seem to come up fairly often. Not that I'm the "voice of experience" or anything (far from it --- LOL), but I have seen several show up recently. I can't remember what I paid for my wishlist cel from this episode, but I think it was closer to the 8500 yen Sensei mentioned ... maybe even a bit more (LOL).

Good luck! I hope the situation comes to a favorable resolution for you!

kawaii-clamp-fan · Post by **kawaii-clamp-fan** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 2:41 pm

I seem to have the worst luck ^^; Sadly, I can't afford to pay the prices of the cels I like on YJ, especially with all the deputy and shipping fees, so ebay is often my only option. I've got a very limited cel budget (hence the relative low quantity/quality of cels in my gallery) - but I love my cels. The most I've ever spent on a cel was $50 - and that was because it was my chance to snag a cel from the end of the 2nd CCS movie ^^

I'll just wait patiently for something nice in my price range - sadly, this auction was just not to be

Thanks for your advice everyone *hugs*

tex-chan · Post by **tex-chan** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 3:14 pm

*sends extra good luck vibes*

Maybe it'll still work out ... or you might find another one you like even better for just as good of a price. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

Post by **sensei** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 10:58 pm

kawaii-clamp-fan wrote: I've got a very limited cel budget (hence the relative low quantity/quality of cels in my gallery) - but I love my cels. The most I've ever spent on a cel was $50 - and that was because it was my chance to snag a cel from the end of the 2nd CCS movie ^^

I can relate: most of my snags have come in the $50 range. Sometimes I think I'm "The King of the 3000 Yen Auctions" ... but more often I'm Minnowman trying to survive alongside some big sharks with huge budgets (or scary credit card debts).

There's no harm in being a "picker," i.e., a professional bargain hunter. I can still count on my fingers the lots that I spent more than $150 on, and yet I'm satisfied with the overall quality of my collection.

Still, for some really nice CCS items you'll need to think about raising your limit. Don't underestimate the quality of what you have already ... the cel of Sakura at the end of Movie 2 is a treasure. And don't think that the quality of a cel correlates directly with its price. But you might want to start storing up a modest war chest so that you can make a hit on a very select few cels in the 3000-8000 yen range (that's $50-$100 with commissions and shipping included). You'd be surprised at what that can get you if you watch for the right item at the right moment (dishy Yues, hot Touyas with original bgs, dramatic action scenes, Clow Cards, etc.)

And you might check to see which service would be most economical for you. Rinkya, with its shipping direct from Japan to you, might be cheapest; or perhaps Shopping Mall Japan, with shipping free between Japan and the US, might work better as the lot would be halfway home when you ask for shipping.

What do other British-based collectors say about this last issue?

klet · Post by **klet** » Fri Dec 30, 2005 11:46 pm

There's a warning about this seller on Animanga. Gasp! I mentioned the forbidden forum!

This also appears to be the same person warned against on beta a while ago in this thread. I'm not sure if it's the same person, but others seem to think so.

ReiTheJelly · Post by **ReiTheJelly** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 12:08 pm

KCF: In the future, no matter how much you want the cel, it's probably not a good idea to bid on an auction where the seller has such a bad feedback rating. I hope you get everything resolved. And like many others have said: it's a good thing you haven't paid yet. Just make sure this person doesn't stick you with an accusation of being a NPB.

MDKiller1 · Post by **MDKiller1** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 2:28 pm

Not all the time is private feedback a bad sign..I happen to have my ebay feedback hidden..Only because ive had people look at things ive bought and would email me about it. I do however have very good feedback.

As for whats going on..Its a really nice cel. I hope they do get back with you..If they dont and youve already paid with paypal..Id just ask paypal to refund your money.

Nene · Post by **Nene** » Sat Dec 31, 2005 3:05 pm

sensei wrote:What do other British-based collectors say about this last issue?

The one about deputy services? I chose SMJ because they hold my stuff at their Japan storage unit. And from past experience, shipping from Japan is alot cheaper than from the US. For example, my most recent package from SMJ cost around $30 for EMS and about 15 cels and sketch sets were in there. I'd have had to pay much more if they were being shipped from the States, somewhere around $20 for just one cel if I want it insured/signed for.

I know Rinkya have a Japan storage unit too but I chose SMJ since I'd rather make my bid deposits by Paypal and use my bank account (Rinkya is credit card deposit only, I believe). There's usually more money in my bank account than the limit on my card (it's only small... especially with Vision still on there). ^_^; Plus, I don't want to run up needless exchange rate fees on my card with the USD-GBP conversion.

kawaii-clamp-fan · Post by **kawaii-clamp-fan** » Sun Jan 01, 2006 5:29 am

ReiTheJelly wrote:KCF: In the future, no matter how much you want the cel, it's probably not a good idea to bid on an auction where the seller has such a bad feedback rating. I hope you get everything resolved. And like many others have said: it's a good thing you haven't paid yet. Just make sure this person doesn't stick you with an accusation of being a NPB.

*nods* I wouldn't - in this case, most of the negatives came in after I had won