Ebay Experts and “Fake” Items

Today I am not going to talk about the company but rather the customers. The moronic customers.

There are plenty, and I mean PLENTY, of fake and counterfeit items on Ebay. What is worse is there are even more self proclaimed experts who buy thing on Ebay solely for the purpose of claiming it is a fake to make themselves feel smart.

I had no clue how many of these people there were until I started looking at their youtube videos. These are some of the dumbest b.s. “informational” videos you can find. Just try watching some on True Religion Jeans. Some of them go so far as to claim all True Religion Jeans under $100 on Ebay are fakes. That is completely moronic because if I price my True Religion Jeans above $100 real or not no one is going to buy them. Thinking that Ebayers may just be masochists and want to pay more I raised the price (A few times) and sure enough no one bought. There are some other issues like alleged secret seller limits and corporate sellers getting favoritism in search results but I’m not going into that here.

The point is you don’t know how to spot fakes. You just don’t. Stop pretending. I have some experience in this area and I can tell you 90% of the techniques are garbage. That microscopic fiber hanging off the inside tag of that jacket that has been worn for three years does not spot a fake. I have news for you. Some things like that happen before it even gets to retail locations. Spot trying to make yourself feel smart by ruining ebayer’s reputations.

And for crap’s sake take a look at the other stuff they are selling before you decide they are running an counterfeit Polo empire. If they have a couple of pokemon cards, a Who record, and some hot wheels they aren’t counterfeiting. They are spring cleaning.

Big problem number 2: Some companies sell counterfeits of their own products. Some (unnamed) shoe companies and blue jean companies will go down to the docks in certain Asian countries and buy out the stock of counterfeits, slap their official logo on it, and sell it retail. Why? It actually save money. So even if you spot a counterfeit half the time you have the clothing company to blame.

True Story time:

I have sold items on Ebay that I purchased for myself in major reputable retailers and got reviews saying it was fake. Idiots. I had Hi-res photos of the fabric, tags, front, back, too many photos really. They could see absolutely everything in detail. Review: “Fake”

Idiots.

Green Start Up Right In the Middle of Oil Country

Green Start Up Right In the Middle of Oil Country.

via Green Start Up Right In the Middle of Oil Country.

Why I Rescue Books

Why I Rescue Books.

via Why I Rescue Books.

Help Us Rescue Books

Help rescue some books marked for destruction

Learn the Trivium

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Help us rescue these books and find them a good home. Books that can be repaired without damaging historical value, collectible value, or functionality are repaired the best that our expertise allows.

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This is not a non-profit organization. This is a group of people who feel very passionately about keeping books out of incinerators, dumpsters, moldy basements, and ditches.

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Rick and Morty The Greatest Show on Television

I hadn’t really planned on doing reviews of television series when I started this blog but I’m diving in because of Rick and Morty.

I’m a regular viewer of Adult Swim. I watch almost every night but I never ever miss an episode of Rick and Morty. It is the most creative show out there right now. The characters all either have depth or are hilariously shallow. Not out of laziness but out of comedic genius.

I own the first season DVD and the picture quality is great and it didn’t break the bank. There aren’t hours of DVD “extras” (am I supposed to care? Because I definitely don’t) There is a “behind the scenes sort of thing that was pretty funny. Mine came with a hilarious Chick Tract parody. Very, very, very, obscure reference. I laughed.

Buy it. Watch it. Tell Nielsen you’re watching it. Go. Buy it now. Right here:

Your Mobile Site Sucks (And You Know It)

This one is really going to get some people fuming. That is a good thing. When people get pissed off about consumer reviews that is usually a good thing. Now down to business.

Mobile sites suck. All of them suck. Major retailers, banks, universities, all of them. They are awful. They are buggy, non-responsive, the buttons don’t work, and most of the time it is on purpose. You read right. They are made to suck on purpose. Why would a business do that you ask? Why would a business risk losing customers over a sucky site on purpose? Why do you think? Money. And they want to spy on you which is also about money in some cases and in other cases it is just bending over for the government.

Apps are the answer. They are trying to make you download their apps. they want you to quit using the mobile site and download their app. They get more advertising revenue from apps, and they want to worm their way into being a permanent part of your phone. They listen to your phone conversations and activate your mic to gather data for targeted ads and they hand over data to governments whenever asked.

I know a little bit about app development and regardless of what the company tells you they do not need eighty percent of the permissions they require upon download. Let me say it again. They do not need most of those permissions to function. They just don’t. Yes I understand that an app that utilizes the camera need access to the camera. Obviously that isn’t what I’m talking about.

I have news for you people. I don’t want your stupid app. I have too many apps already. I am not against apps. I use them. I am not going to download another app for every site I visit. Every site you go to these days wants you to download their app. Some don’t even let you into the site without downloading the app. I’m not going to download an app to read a single message board post for a car review. I’m not going to download an app for a product I don’t know anything about. If it continues to get worse I’m not going to use my phone for internet browsing anymore.

Oh and if you think users are EVER going to tolerate or click on popups in a phone browser you are a class “A” moron.

most technologies need to age before people view them as “sucky”. Most of you people thought dial-up was great the first time you got internet access. You didn’t know any different. Mobile sites suck now and have only gotten worse over the years. The Iphone came out almost a decade ago and I would say they have gotten worse.

So stop building crappy products on purpose. If it isn’t on purpose I wouldn’t admit it if I were you.

 

Bendy Iphone 6

So the new Iphone 6 bends. That isn’t a design feature. It is a design flaw. Here is a pretty good article at Endgadget that summarizes the problem.

If I hear something about a product like this I will try to let the readers know so you can decide for yourself. Disclosure: I don’t have an Iphone 6.

The Iphone 6 might be a great phone. You just need some protection.

In this Daily Mail article it looks like Apple might be making things right to a certain extent but on a “case by case basis”. That doesn’t sound good enough to this blog. Making things right would be a recall for a design flaw. Or try not sitting on your $850 phone. (stupid on consumer’s part). I have heard things about possible free cases but this blog can’t confirm that yet.

I have personally used the Otter silicone (I think it is silicone) cases on my Samsung and other products and they are great.

I don’t buy Apple products. Why? They cost many times more and are in no way better than the competition. I have used them before. I don’t hate Apple. Macs are fine computers. They are just not better than a PC with the same specs. They don’t perform better. They are just trendy.

If you have the cash go for it. It isn’t like an Apple is more likely to stop working.

The operating system is not better in my opinion than most Linux operating systems. Ubuntu is far superior. Couple that with a home built computer with wholesale components and I would take that over an outrageously priced Mac any day.

Don’t get me wrong. I would take a free Mac in a heartbeat. That is not at issue though is it? The issue is cash.

By they way you Windows fans can calm down. Windows 8 is the worst operating system ever. I’m not taking sides because I don’t get overly emotional about corporate loyalty. I’m not a moron. That is what genius marketing has done to your brain over the years.   I would take Windows 3.11 over Windows 8 any day. I’m just being objective.

I have never used a windows phone. I personally use and recommend the Samsung Galaxy line of phones and tablets.

Don’t spend a pile of cash on any phone however if you can get a good deal with a phone plan.

 

 

Brick and Mortar Vs. Online Retail or Learning to Sell

Brick and Mortar: Get back to the selling basics! Learn them!

Brick and mortar stores are worried about online competition. They all complain but they don’t ever change. They all have their own online shopping but it sucks. Their sites are not as easy to use as their online competitors. I have also noticed that it isn’t always easy to find something on a superstore website that I saw in their store. It isn’t a big deal for me but I know it is for many people.
My absolute biggest gripe about physical retailers is their physical store. Yes that does encompass everything and yes it is the fault of the company. “Superstores” are the worst. They are dirty. They are filthy. The customers cause much of the filth but the stores do nothing to attempt to fix it. I shouldn’t come out of a store stickier than when I came in. Some of the stink actually comes from the store. Some major stores really need to get on top of the rancid smells they are producing.
Then there are the noises. Sometimes I will walk through a superstore then need to get my hearing checked from all of the ear-piercing inexplicable noises. I’m not talking about loud kids or the giant blaring televisions. I’m talking about weird alarms that sound like there is a missile silo under the store about to launch a nuke. It will go on for an entire trip to the store without as much as a single employee even checking what the hell is going on. This problem goes on everywhere. Someone trips some alarm in the electronics department and the employees will just sit there not moving or budging while everyone leaves the area. Guess what? You don’t sell games that way. R.G. Walters should be required reading at your company. I own an antique copy and it is great.
Fundamentals Of Selling: Meeting Consumer Demand

Next biggest gripe: They are always completely out of large chunks of my shopping list. And then when something sells out it never gets restocked. Ever. This never happens online. Something may sell out online but eventually it gets restocked unless it isn’t manufactured anymore. Why? Because it is the best seller!
Do superstore retailers think I care about their excuses? Well I don’t, hence the online shopping. They can give their excuses to their increasingly empty stores. The reality is that the biggest retailers do not care about your experience. They might like the idea of clean well stocked stores with competent employees but they are not willing to do anything to make it happen. They think they are too big and powerful to care about service. They think you will keep coming back regardless. That attitude doesn’t work in the long run and now they wonder why online retailers are eating into their profits.
I would give some solutions but I’m not going to bother. They don’t pay me for that. I will however give you retail guys a little insight. Stop telling your stores when your regional or corporate people are coming in. It is a joy to shop at your stores on the days I see well dressed people with i.d. tags from corporate. Other times it is awful. Send in plain clothes people to your stores without notice and just go shopping. Actually go shopping. Buy a pound of hamburger, some jelly, bananas, some canned goods, a twelve pack of beer (This is important. Your employees are freaking out about alcohol purchases even with grey hair and i.d.), a pair of pants, some super glue, some shampoo and a paperback. Pay with cash once and with a card another time. That will give you a pretty varied experience with all the major departments. See what it is actually like. Do it twenty times in each region. I know this is probably already done and I already know about secret shoppers, but it doesn’t seem to be working.

Update On The USPS (Don’t use it)

Do Not Use The Post Office

I am forced to keep dealing with them for now because I still have packages out, and I can’t always avoid other people sending me stuff through them. Also I might find myself using them again some day, you never know. Pigs might fly and I will give you an update if they do.

This is very simple. Do not use them. Do not use the United States Postal Service. No one made me angry at the Post Office. My mail carrier is a nice guy. It isn’t personal. This blog thinks very carefully about negative reviews (and positive) but the fact is, the United States Postal Service has a 100% failure rate with my business. I have tried over and over and they simply can not succeed at getting packages from point A to point B. I am telling you that sending a package via USPS is playing Russian Roulette with your business transaction. In the last year they have had a complete failure rate at fulfilling and providing the service I paid for. I pay for tracking numbers that never get updated. Ever. Even when launching a “case” I don’t get the service. I pay for signature confirmation and it never happens. No signature, no copy of signature, nothing.
My most recent package was sent via Media Mail. I paid for full tracking. When I got home it didn’t update. It didn’t update the next day. It didn’t update the following weekend. I called the eight hundred number and I was eventually informed that the postal workers never scanned my package and on the computer it looks like I never dropped it off. It is missing. It wouldn’t be a big deal if this happened every once in a while. This is the case every single time.
Our Government needs to stop funding the USPS. I know that the commercials say they are not funded by the government and they are completely self funded with stamps etc. This is a lie. A quick Google search will bring up all of the billions in “cash infusions” they receive. One might think “But we can’t do without the Postal Service. Important business has to get done!” Well that is what we have now. My business isn’t getting done. The biggest success rate I have experienced was my Christmas cards. 50% of those got to their recipients. The other 50% didn’t get returned for a bad address or not enough postage or something. They just didn’t show up.
Receiving mail is a hassle. Every single time my package shows up at another house and I have neighbors knocking on my door delivering packages and I do the same for them. I get mail in my box for other addresses e v e r y day. I have received as of this date for 2014 four jury summons at wrong address, two failure to appear notices, mail from the county jail, various social security checks and electric bills. I send all back with “wrong address” written on them every time.
Now more on those jury summons. In my case I called the court every time and they told me that the people wouldn’t get in trouble because it happens all the time. The lady said “we know they get delivered to the wrong boxes and we can’t prove otherwise anyway”. Not a month later I’m reading stories in my local news about “roundups” of “jury dodgers”. I have never heard of such a thing. The court just got tired of it and decided it needed to blame someone who could fill their coffers by paying fines. Not the USPS obviously but the people with thirty wrong address pieces of mail every thirty days. The local court here doesn’t seem to understand the basics of our legal system like the fact that the burden of proof is on the government. And that there is no way to prove that they received the summons unless there is a signature confirmation. On that I refer you to my above anecdotes. So the local government and the USPS is working together on this pooch-screw.

Their 800 number service isn’t too bad. The wait is awful, sometimes an hour even early in the morning, but that does not save them for me. Calling customer service is time out of my day and money out of my pocket. My phone logs are full of customer service calls as it is. Calling customer service usually means that the service has already failed in some way. Not always but usually.

Please don’t use the USPS. Use Fed-Ex, UPS, DHL, something else. If you care about your business that is. By they way, I have no affiliation with the Post Office, UPS, Fed-Ex, DHL, or any other delivery service. You might feel differently but honestly I don’t care. If you have had good experiences with the post office you are either delusional, lying, or the luckiest person on earth and therefore your experience doesn’t really matter to me. Seriously. I asked a lot of people if I was just unlucky. I didn’t find a single person who disagreed with me in real life. Negative feedback whether you think it is constructive or not is not welcome on this one. The United States Postal Service is one of the worst services of any kind in the country. Hands down.

(Not my video) I have to say unfortunately this is typical and when this lady gets an apology this continues to the rest of town.

 

Multimeters

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I was going to make a youtube review video of this product but honestly I didn’t watch any videos myself before I bought these products. I read text reviews. They get to the point and I can tell right away if they are giving me the information I need,
A word about Miltimeters in general:

Multimeters are the modern equivalent of the volt meter. Some people still refer to them as volt meters or “v.o.m.’s”. These modern devices have many more functions. Multimeters are divided into digital and analog meters. Digital meters have a digital read-out and analog meters have an analog sweeping arm. Both are useful. Most prefer digital. Within the digital class of multimeters there are auto-ranging and manual rang multimeters. There is no real reason to purchase a manual range multimeter in my opinion. My main concern when buying a multimeter is accuracy for price (bang for buck) and whether or not they simply stop working without use and abuse. This is a major problem with many Chinese or other types of cheaply manufactured electronics. A good general price rule is that fifty dollars should be the bottom price limit. This obviously does not mean skip buying what you know is an eighty dollar meter when it is on sale. Use your brain. This is exactly what happened with my Ex-Tech. I have seen this particular meter for over ninety dollars but I got a great deal on this one. It hasn’t seen serious use yet but it is very sturdy compared to my cheapo Mas-Tech. Comparing the two, the Ex-Tech is obviously sturdier and uses better materials. That being said, I havn’t had any problems with the Mas-Tech yet. It didn’t show up broken (yes that can be a problem with some companies) But I wouldn’t throw it around. If you are going to put it in a tool bag don’t let a bunch of other heavy tools bash and crush it. It has been pretty good for the price I paid but I may have gotten lucky. Under fifty dollars it is a dice roll. The best feature on the Mas-Tech is the lighted screen. They both had lighted screens but somehow I missed that the Mastech came with one. Not too bad for under thirty dollars. I really enjoyed that feature.

 

Extech EX430 True RMS Autoranging Multimeter with K Type, Capacitance, Frequency, and Duty Cycle

Extech TK430 6 Piece Electric Test Kit

MASTECH AC/DC Auto/Manual Range Digital Multimeter, MS8268

If you buy the Mastech meter and notice that the picture on the box isn’t the meter you received don’t panic yet. In my case it looks like they use the same box with the same image on the cover and indicate which actual meter is inside with a sticker on the side.

The reason I bought two is because I need two. If you are doing electronics work you will probably need to measure voltage and current at the same time at some point. It is also always best to practice redundancy when on can afford it. Multimeters blow all the time. That current will get you. Sometimes you can replace a blown fuse but sometimes they really blow if you are being stupid and some just quit on you when you need to fix something now.

If you are wondering about those really cheap pocket meters at the hardware store go ahead and get one. In my opinion the convenience is high enough to justify the seven dollars for a meter that fits in a shirt pocket.

After some heavy use I will get back to you on the long-term performance of these meters. As of now these are both basically fresh out of the box.