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Auctioning your values
Auctioning your values
Published by The Geek
08-10-04
Auctioning your values

this article originally appeared in Scratch, October 2004

Since opening the Nail Geek forums a year and a half ago one of the more common threads that regularly pop up is in regards to people discovering professional nail care products on EBay.

A year ago, all that you would find next to the gently used grandma knickers would be the occasional L&P brush or jar of polymer powder. Things have changed dramatically as now people are finding monomers, gels, fibreglass kits, UV lights, drills, etc… This is turning into a serious business for some!

Now it appears that you can find a virtual trade show of professional products up for auction every day. These products are being sold by professional nail technicians that have managed to land a load of product somewhere to auction off to make a quick quid. Interestingly enough, the largest surge of products appear directly after a trade show where many professional technicians have gone in anticipation to buy products at a discounted rate to maximize their profit margins.

My EBay experience

About a year ago Mrs Geek and I were looking at remodelling our sitting room and I just about had her talked into a new Plasma Screen television. Desperate for my new toy that would be a true monument of my masculinity and an altar to the testosterone gods; I hunted out a brand new “factory sealed” forty-two-inch Pioneer Plasma Screen TV on EBay for half what I would have paid in the store.
My delight was paramount after heavy bidding and a last second snipe; I won out all other bidders with less than a minute remaining! The joy and triumph was second only to those that climb Mount Everest wearing only a mismatched pair of striped tube socks.

Minutes before I was about to pay for the goods I was alerted by EBay that I was dealing with a fraudster who was greedily awaiting me to click the button to transfer the funds to him and the rest of his Eastern block Mafia.
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  #1  
By carpediemgirl on 09-10-04, 08:45 PM
Eek Re: ON NAIL ITEMS BEING SOLD ON EBAY

I To Know What It Is Like To Get Duped On Ebay. I Do Sell Some Things On Ebay. I Sold Some Polish, And I Did Sell A Bottle Of Kiker From Backscratchers We All Know The Product Is In A Aerosol Can And This Led To A Problem With Shipping The Items.in This Aspect My Husband Was Called By The Post Office And Told That I Was Selling Illegal Contraband. In This Same Aspect I Found Out That The Products That I Shipped Were Flammable And Had To Be Ground Shipped Due To Flammability. Also I Found Out That The Public Is Under The Misconsumption Of What Can And Can't Be Mailed In The Us Postal System. I Think That The Post Office Should Better Inform The Public Of What Can And Can't Be Shipped And How You Should Go About Shipping Things.
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  #2  
By Little Angel on 09-10-04, 08:49 PM
hello all

I am totally against professional products being sold on e-bay, there are plenty of nail tech boards where professionals may sell their unwanted stock on!
As Samuel has said to ship these hazardous materials through the post could have disastrous consequences and may affect us as all in the industry.
This isn't taking into consideration that professional products are falling into untrained hands! The damage a member of the public could inflict on herself or her Friends with these products is unthinkable, it makes me shudder at the thought. All to save a few £££££'s is it really worth it?
I personally would never buy professional products from e-bay, how do we know they are what they say? not contaminated? or out of date? or something totally different in the bottles as to what they are advertised as? what if the liquid for example is mma? in an ema bottle? how would we know?

I think e-bay should take some action to prevent this from happening and should list professional nail products on their list of forbidden items for sale.
Last edited by Little Angel; 11-10-04 at 05:35 PM..
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  #3  
By Sarah Lou on 09-10-04, 09:14 PM
Ok, where do i start. I sell and buy on ebay and do think it is such a wonderful site full of bargains for one and all. Allthough i am so fed up of seeing professional nail technician products for sale to the general public on ebay. I saved and saved for months to have the oportunity to train to become a nail technician, and recieve the appropriate knowledge to learn how to use the chemicals I now use every day. These chemicals are for PROFESSIONAL USE, afterall that is what we are trained for allthough they are being sold to Joe public out there at sometimes extravagant prices. Putting these chemicals in an untrained persons hands is asking for trouble. I do not condone the sellers for doing this as they are supposed to be trained professionals who should know better than to sell to any tom **** or harry for a quick quid (or fifty as is sometimes the case.) This needs to be stopped now.
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  #4  
By The Geek on 09-10-04, 09:14 PM
This was just posted on another thread and thought I would post it here:

Quote:
Originally Posted by nails@42ndstreet
Sam

What forum/steps should we take to inform EBay of this type of mis-selling? Is it throughSafe Harbour? How do we inform them?

A tad more info required please?
Good Q Cathie...
Go to http://pages.ebay.com/help/contact_inline/index.html

And follow the steps to inform them of hazardous goods being sold.
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  #5  
By The Geek on 09-10-04, 09:17 PM
Well said Sarah. Personally, I love eBay. I get all sorts of bits and bobs there. I just personally do not feel that it is appropriate to allow selling of hazardous items that can be very dangerous to Joe Schmoe!
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  #6  
By Just Jo on 09-10-04, 09:18 PM
I wholeheartedly agree with everything you say about eBay ... We use this site at home and have had varying degrees of success both with selling and purchasing items ... we have also been stung/duped with copies and with nearly paying for something (several hundred pounds) that didnt exist .. thanks to another eBayer warning us we didnt pay!
There are some lovely, genuine people that buy and sell on eBay and I am actually quite a fan of the whole eBay thing providing you go in with your eyes open lol BUT ....

I totally agree that professional nail products should not be allowed to be sold on eBay ... bad enough that you can buy those crap kits out of argos etc These products should not be allowed into untrained hands.
As already stated there is no guarantee as to what is in those pots or bottles - and then for it to be sent via normal mail or airmail is so scary!
I hope eBay take notice of you Sam and prohibit these sales.
Jo x
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  #7  
By Tickled Pink! on 09-10-04, 09:30 PM
It is both IRRESPONSIBLE for ebay to allow these professional nail product listings to continue and IRRESPONSIBLE of the ebay sellers to knowingly sell professional nail products to untrained and inexperienced members of the public.
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  #8  
By michelemacca on 09-10-04, 09:33 PM
It should definitely not be allowed.....Jo and I have just had a similar conversation about certain large chemist and catalogue stores doing the same thing.

They are dangerous things to use in the wrong hands
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  #9  
By naturalnails on 09-10-04, 09:38 PM
I love Ebay for certain things but I do not think that it is fair that we spend lots of time and effort and money to become professional and try and help to portray a professional industry image if every Tom, **** and Harriett can buy very dangerous (in untrained hands) chemicals on ebay.

Imagine the chaos in the Royal Mail if some fine white powder leaked out of an inappropriate envelope!
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  #10  
By Lellipop on 09-10-04, 10:49 PM
Evil

Well I feel that all these fraudster who sell products illegally in E-bay need to be stopped NOW. Although I believe that there are genuine people selling genuine items, I know think that the fraudster are taking over. Also I am against any nail products being sold over e-bay, I like to know that I am getting my products from a legimate company. Its not only the fact that liquid and powders should only be sold to professionals, But also why should these people be allowed to illegally post hazardous goods through the post, Companies can not do this so why sellers on e-bay.
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  #11  
By angel fingers on 10-10-04, 08:26 PM
dont hate me for this guys , but providing the items are authentic, in date and correctly delivered, isnt it just the same as the public being able to purchase professional products from sallys or acrylic kits from boots ?
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  #12  
By angel fingers on 10-10-04, 08:33 PM
i almost wish i hadnt posted this, coz i agree with the principle. but i 'm not sure if its fair to stop one group of people selling certain products and not another.
Last edited by angel fingers; 10-10-04 at 08:52 PM.. Reason: spelling mistake
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  #13  
By mum on 11-10-04, 01:11 AM
A favourite analogy of mine with regards to home learning is one involving a dentist practising on a plastic jaw with plastic teeth 'drilling and filling': gorgeous fillings and a jaw that doesn't need scraping off the ceiling.

Maybe we can get the latest ceramic veneer material from e-bay??

Selling quality professional nail products in this way is no different.

The sellers are irresponsible and greedy and don't have the acumen to start a 'proper' business. The sellers of professional kits on some shopping channels and shops such as Argos and Boots are equally irresponsible but the hair industry has had to put up with it for years. The professional industry can demonstrate 'it is better to go to a pro'.

The e-bay trade is, I feel, coming from 'within'. Those in the know going to shows and knowing they have a market in the hobbyists and cheapskates; you know the ones that have done a 1 day course or 'homelearn'.

Maybe one of the newspaper journos who love to print the horror stories about nails would like to know about the e-bay traders. Anyone got a friendly journo?
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  #14  
By geeg on 11-10-04, 09:03 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by mum
Anyone got a friendly journo?
You're the one who's friendly with all the journos my friend!! Go for it.

Just as a matter of interest, how about all those 'nail companies' who sell their products without a scrap of education?? They are no better or worse than Ebay or Sally's. You think it doesn't happen??? People in our own industry do it every day ... open you eyes and smell the coffee everyone!!
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