eBay Weber BBQ Sales

odyssi on 01/09/2014 - 08:24
Last edited 17/04/2020 - 12:23 by 1 other user

Following on from the discussion here yesterday about a particular ebay users weber BBQ sales.

A quick calculation on his sales.

Good luck to him ! (Hope it doesnt go pearshape on him)

Item Unit Price # Units Gross Sales FVF P/pal Fees AO Cost Profit C/Rewards (4%) Profit inc. Cash Rewards
Q1000 $375 149 $55,875 $5,531.63 $1,385.70 $40,081 ($269) $8,876.67 $1,603.24 $10,370.91
Q2000 $500 317 $158,500 $15,691.50 $3,899.10 $116,973 ($369) $21,936.40 $4,678.92 $26,615.32
Q2000 $540 16 $8,640 $855.36 $212.16 $6,368 ($398) $1,204.48 $254.72 $1,459.20
Total 482 $223,015 $22,078.49 $5,496.96 $163,422 $32,017.55 $6,536.88 $38,445.43
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  • AppliancesOnline.co… on 26/09/2014 - 10:53

    Hi all,

    My name is Lucas Ng and I look after customer acquisition at AppliancesOnline.
    I (and many of my colleagues) have been monitoring this and the other threads regarding Tom, eBay and Weber BBQs.

    Our main objective in this saga was to ensure customers were not disappointed and got the BBQs that you ordered via an eBay promotion.

    There are many details that have not been shared by Tom, eBay/PayPal or AppliancesOnline but you can take it from me that it was a mini-Game-of-Thrones-esque epic unfolding behind the scenes. We took this unique case as a challenge to providing legendary service and we are glad there has been a happy ending for the majority of buyers. There was a supreme level of effort required to get Weber, eBay and PayPal aboard and I have to repeat that not disappointing Tom's customers was our #1 goal.

    Taking nothing away from Tom and his entrepreneurial spirit, this type of order is not something Appliances Online normally condones.

    Let me know if you have any other questions related to this and I (or some of my colleagues) will try to answer you.

    FYI: these are my personal thoughts and not necessarily reflective of AppliancesOnline. I'm using this account so you know I'm an employee of AppliancesOnline.

    LN

    • 17
    • NosDan on 26/09/2014 - 12:31

      this type of order is not something Appliances Online normally condones.

      what exactly about it do you not condone? by making that statement you sound like your calling out dodgy behaviour (on face value it looks like your calling out tom)?

      is it simply the size of the order tom made with you? do the rules change if its a single sale on ebay versus 2 or 200?

      • 3
      • AppliancesOnline.co… on 26/09/2014 - 12:55

        It's not simply the size of the order. The main concern was disappointing our potential customers by not being able to fulfil orders.

        We have built our reputation on providing amazing customer service.

        Tom used our name and brand in good faith because he felt like we would be able to fulfil the orders.

        However, this was not and will not always be true - for example, we did not have 500 Webers ready to ship out from the right warehouses in each state. A lot of legwork was done with Weber to get the BBQs in place. Secondly, some suppliers do not want us to be selling on eBay. So not only did this deal have the potential to disappoint customers, it also could have seriously hurt our relationship with Weber.

        So to answer your question, it does sound like we're calling out Tom, but mostly from the perspective that Tom used our brand name without consulting us beforehand. That had the potential for a huge customer backlash which is why we don't condone someone doing this in the future without prior consent.

        LN

        • 16
        • Daniel Plainview on 26/09/2014 - 14:56

          IMHO completely fair and logical.

          I don't pretend to know the in's and out's of this whole saga but I think AO's rep should be given a bit of credit for taking the time to post in this forum and also for being so honest and direct.

          I don't know if there really is a true villain in this whole matter but if it is I don not feel it's A.O but rather Ebay for a very poorly run and administered promotion.

          Which as stated they seem to want to perpetuate by letting The Good Guys laud a 20% off sale but prior to this jack a lot of their prices up across the board. Ebay are certainly privy to this practice and should be policing their vendors far better.

          • 5
        • Spizz on 27/09/2014 - 09:30

          @Nikko:

          Agree with your comments. However I would find it hard to believe that Weber Australia would of turned away, or would of been upset with over $200,000 worth of sales (less AppliancesOnline profit margin for said BBQ's) for over 500 BBQs that they would not have potentially sold under normal circumstances during the year (e.g. if there wasn't that amount of discount offered on their product).

          • 3
        • Daniel Plainview on 28/09/2014 - 06:48

          @Spizz:

          This is the same Weber that has a modified product through a range of dealers that they provide ONLY on the basis that they never discount the price on them.

          Weber has such a strong brand presence in their field (BBQs) that its absolutely certain they were far from elated at seeing so many of their products sold at heavily discounted prices.

          Saying it was sales they'd otherwise not have had is untrue as its all but certain many of those buyers would have eventually bought a Weber at an authorised dealer and at far closer to RRP.

          Equating it to turnover/sales they'd have otherwise not had is a gross over simplification as the most valuable thng Weber has is not its design but its brand reputation - and mass seling off like this pisses off authorised dealers, existing customers and folks who miss the sale and can only pay RRP via a normal sales outlet.

          If it were otherwise you'd see 'stock clearance sales' at Gucci, Mercedes-Benz and Cartier - but they don't as anything like this is very damaging to a brand. And that for an established manufacturer is absolutely critical.

          • 2
        • matt_will_fix_it on 28/09/2014 - 07:52

          @Nikko:

          Saying it was sales they'd otherwise not have had is untrue as its all but certain many of those buyers would have eventually bought a Weber at an authorised dealer and at far closer to RRP.

          Why does it matter? Appliances Online/Weber still received the full payment.

          • 1
        • Daniel Plainview on 28/09/2014 - 08:51

          @matt_will_fix_it:

          With all due respect I'm really not here to play heresay games - it's very well known in the BBQ community that a small number of dealers get Weber's enhanced models but to get this they always sell at the RRP. BIG DIFFERENCE between this practice and breaking law and then there's always the difference bwteen breaking a law and proving it in court. ACCC can't even prosecute a single petrol co for price gouging so you think Weber would be something that interests them? No. :-)

          Again with all due respect if you ask why does it matter that Weber sold hundreds of their products at very discount prices you're not familiar with the challenges that an established brand has in protecting its brand/product/dealers/customer base.

          A.O did well out of this and they were the ones that got sales they'd otherwise not have gotten, Weber definitely got some sales they'd not otherwise have gotten (as there'd be a % of people that wouldn't normally fork out the $ for a Weber) but really as a premium product in their segment they do not want/need to have these buyers as they're already a class leading product.

          Is hard to explain but from a marketing/brand perspective I can assure you Weber would definitely have rathered this didn't happen. A.O/Ebay sure would have not rather had the hassle but profitable business is good business for them - much different when it's your class leading product being sold at very low prices pissing off all and sundry of your stakeholders.

          • 1
        • [Deactivated] on 08/10/2014 - 20:53

          @Nikko:
          Know what else is damaging to a brand ?
          Superseded stock on a retail front.
          There is a reason clearance stores exist for many premium brand names in places like DFO.

          • 1
        • matt_will_fix_it on 28/09/2014 - 07:57

          @Nikko:

          This is the same Weber that has a modified product through a range of dealers that they provide ONLY on the basis that they never discount the price on them.

          Do you have evidence of this? If so that's resale price fixing and is strictly illegal and please report it to the ACCC. Companies can not enforce a minimum price to sell at

          See below for the details
          https://www.accc.gov.au/business/anti-competitive-behaviour/…

          And here is an example of a company that was prosecuted
          https://www.accc.gov.au/media-release/highest-ever-penalty-f…

          • 0
        • Spizz on 28/09/2014 - 21:07

          @matt_will_fix_it:

          Exactly. Beat me to it.

          • 0
        • andyken on 07/10/2014 - 10:08

          @AppliancesOnline.com.au : i like game of thrones, can you please share us more of what happen behind the scenes :), maybe the story will be in hollywood one day

          • 0
  • thepigs on 01/09/2014 - 10:47

    Clever guy. Stupid promotion.

    • 13
    • wiltonson on 01/09/2014 - 13:26

      Actually, I just realized Ebay wasn't stupid to have done this. This seemingly stupid promotion likely to have been done intentionally by Ebay. It is to try and attract more future seller to sell things on Ebay so Ebay generate more future revenues. I think Ebay will probably continue to do similar promotions in the near future, and ending them slowly once the number of Ebay listing has reached a certain target.

      In this promotion, it means Appliance Direct would have been the one making the big profits if they have listed their items on ebay at a higher price.

      • 2
      • wiltonson on 01/09/2014 - 14:07

        looks like nobody agree with my thinking

        • 11
  • [Deactivated] on 16/09/2014 - 18:01

    This has been a pretty fun read :) I didn't buy a BBQ from Tom or anyone else, but I've been following the drama nevertheless and am happy that people are receiving their goods.

    Can't help but feel bad for the 12 people that left negative feedback on his eBay account. Way to jump the gun and screw themselves over like that. How on earth did they miss all of Tom's emails? Sounded like he maintained constant, updated communication throughout. I don't see how it could've been handled any better, tbh.

    Their loss. Shame.

    • 13
    • Paulb5 on 16/09/2014 - 19:15

      I hope they go back on and see all the people getting their webers. I'll be leaving a nice message to really rub it in to them.

      • 5
    • tomclancy on 16/09/2014 - 21:15

      I'm also enjoying Tom's responses to the ebay feedback. He has a great sense of humour and writing style.

      • 0
      • [Deactivated] on 16/09/2014 - 22:32

        lol yeah "what makes you think I'm a man!"

        • 0
  • [Deactivated] on 01/09/2014 - 11:35

    Can't lie. I'm jealous.

    No way I'd ever be able to take that kind of risk though. Selling that many items he doesn't physically have or own yet? Eep.

    I'll be watching with interest… lol

    • 9
    • spiff on 01/09/2014 - 14:32

      He has minimal financial risk though. He received everybody's money up front, so the worst that can happen is that he will have to refund the money. I doubt he would place a buyer's order with Appliances Online if the buyer hadn't paid yet. Then the BBQ goes directly from AO to the buyer, it doesn't need to go through his hands unless the buyer opts for pick up. The only risk is his eBay and Paypal account "reputation" but as others have said, nothing is stopping him from fading into the internet abyss and then creating a new account.

      • 5
      • [Deactivated] on 01/09/2014 - 17:27

        I was thinking more the risk of AO not having enough stock to fulfill the number of orders he's committed to, or orders stuffing up along the way (with delivery) and having buyers hassle the eBay dude rather than AO, or any issue relating to customer dissatisfaction… with 500 customers, the odds of having some PITA people to deal with could be worth considering, no? lol.

        But yeah. I'm far too overly anxious to do even low risk things like this guy. I'm jelly.

        • 2
      • msmhw on 01/09/2014 - 15:21

        the risk will be after he placed an order with AO the buyer changed his mind and wants a refund.

        • 0
  • Daniel Plainview on 25/09/2014 - 11:37

    Hmm well I contrast what this guy did - which seems completely within the rules and common sense standards of conduct set down by Ebay.

    And then you have the big retailer The Good Guys, who is WIDELY reported by OzB members as having jacked their prices up on a whole range of products in advance of a 20% off promo they're having through their Ebay store on this weekend.

    Now it seems Ebay came down very hard on 'Tom' essentially for what I can only see is outsmarting them - and yet I suspect TGG will get off scotfree in doing something which could actually be against Australian Consumer Law.

    Seems a tad unfair and duplicitious.

    • 8
  • gooseberry on 12/09/2014 - 08:04

    Latest email from Tom.

    Ebay BBQ Bulk mail out #5

    Hi

    My name is Tom and I run the BBQ Sale store on eBay. This is my fifth? bulk email to everyone who has ordered a BBQ from my eBay store.

    I did say the one before would be the last, but unfortunately not.

    A lot of you are contacting me asking why I am not responding to questions.

    Two reasons.

    1) Over the last week I have been in intense legal negotiation with eBay and PayPal and their legal team. Basically at the moment I have a frozen bank account, credit card and PayPal account. This all sounds very bad but all organisations have to run risk profiles and they do have a point, I haven’t sold any BBQ before the other Sunday.

    2) Because of 1 above I haven’t really been able to provide an answer to your questions, usually being ‘when are you sending the BBQ?’ and ‘when will I receive the BBQ?’

    3) When I go to the bank, they show so much interest in my BBQ story that they forget they are supposed to be helping me gain access to the account and not talking about BBQ, so if anyone can provide any armchair legal advice I am all ears.

    So do I have any good news?

    Yes.

    1) I have already processed approximately 50 orders with unfrozen funds. These begin getting delivered from next Tuesday.

    2) I have confirmation that my PayPal account will be unblocked first thing this morning so orders will recommence.

    3) Delivery will begin next Tuesday and ramp up over the following days

    To other news. eBay originally contacted many of you last Friday saying they would take over BBQ orders. Well that was the plan and I thought it was brilliant the whole less work for Tom and more work for eBay situation. However eBay has discovered that the BBQ business is hard work so they have handballed it back to me.

    Some other points. I have attached a copy of my recent credit card transactions. This is not something I would normally do but I know some of you still have your doubts about me so hopefully that will alleviate some concerns. Also you will see a Café Vinyl transaction down the bottom. So for anyone who works in the Perth CBD head over there and say hello to Aaron (the boss) or Sarah (not the boss) grab a coffee and muffin and they will tell you that they know Tom who sold lots of BBQ of eBay. I would probably be described as the type of guy who looks like he has never done a hard day’s work in his life and has recently developed a keen interest in all things BBQ. I’m not sure so you let me know.

    Another note. I have some people lodging PayPal disputes because they want to ask me when their BBQ is arriving and then when I refund they say they didn’t want a refund but wanted a BBQ and leave me negative feedback. Please only lodge a dispute if you want a refund. I only have one option with the dispute and that is to push refund. Negative feedback I don’t mind. eBay have already banned me for life from ever selling again; so if you want to call me a ‘Lier’ twice under two different usernames, all good.

    Also to the people who send me emails telling me what they are going to do to my mum because they haven’t received the BBQ yet. Look you are entitled to your thoughts and opinions but really my mum has informed me she would rather I didn’t sell BBQs anyway and I now have to visit her more often to borrow cash to buy food while all my accounts are frozen.

    I really super really hope this is the last mass mail out, but you never know. I will be forwarding invoices for all completed order ASAP and remember if you miss delivery it will be carded so you can arrange a preferred date.

    On an end note I do know you all like to call people when I say don’t call but if you really want to call any of eBay, PayPal or the NAB and ask them when they will be releasing your money in my bank account; please feel free.

    Also if you want to call me send a message with your number and I will get back to you. I would post my number here but I would prefer not to get a brain tumour.

    Speak soon

    • 6
    • Paulb5 on 12/09/2014 - 09:11

      Was just about to post. I actually got a call from Tom the other night as my ozbargain and ebay usernames are almost exactly the same and it didn't take much for him to figure out both were the same person.

      He told me the above about frozen accts but had asked to keep it quiet so I did. He has also lined up with appliances online to have the stock available which it is but obviously has no unfrozen funds to pay with.

      So 1) tom is a real person, nice guy too. 2) I'm convinced he's genuine and just wants to get the webers out. 3) he is an ozbargainer.

      • 13
  • tomclancy on 01/09/2014 - 14:38

    Thanks OP for posting this thread - it's a very interesting read!

    • 5
  • eneloop on 01/09/2014 - 22:35

    Too many jealous people

    • 5
    • Gomo on 01/09/2014 - 23:14

      quick post another deal less then $19.95 delivered ^_^

      • 0
      • eneloop on 01/09/2014 - 23:23

        Soon

        • 0
  • OneJay on 06/09/2014 - 14:12

    I just spoke to a family member who works for eBay and asked if she heard about the eBay seller who sold all the BBQs. She said who hasn't? I mentioned he's got eBay working for him and she realised that's probably the reason why their customer services team has been staying back late LOL.

    • 5
    • odyssi on 06/09/2014 - 14:16

      I just spoke to a family member who works for eBay and asked if she heard about the eBay seller who sold all the BBQs. She said who hasn't?

      Gold !

      • 1
    • Ash-Say on 06/09/2014 - 16:21

      Why i feel like Tom is an Ebay employee and they have setup this scenario to make extra money!

      • -1
  • Paulb5 on 16/09/2014 - 10:00

    My weber is being delivered today. Not sure if Tom has been unfrozen or he just likes me. If you want a weber hang in, I think tom has fulfilled about 200 so far its just no one has come forward and said so.

    • 5
    • Hen on 16/09/2014 - 10:07

      Just heard from Tom that mine is to arrive tomorrow. Yippee!

      • 3
  • The Champagne Mile on 01/09/2014 - 09:59

    Just got this email from the seller (I purchased a weber Q1000):

    Hi,

    My name is Tom and I run the BBQ Sale store on ebay. This is a generic email to all people who have send payment for your BBQ through paypal to help clarify some of your queries and concerns. I know many of you have already been in contact and I am working hard to get back to you. This is not instant because I have had some 700 BBQ emails today.

    I can see some of you have brought multiple BBQ or you have contacted me saying you and your partner/friend have purchased two by mistake. I will be working to refund anyone who this has happened to ASAP. Please don’t lodge paypal disputes but rather reply to this email with the problem and which one you want cancelled.

    Another issue is that some people have had problems with the ebay coupon code and have either forgot to put it in or it hasn’t worked. Please note that this is out of my hands but if you contact ebay and they should be able to sort it out for you. A quick way to get in touch with ebay is through their facebook account https://www.facebook.com/eBay.com.au where you can send them a private message.

    Also there is some confusion where people think they have paid twice but really only once. Please check your bank/credit card account balance to confirm as your paypal account will show the full purchase price not the discounted price you are actually paying.

    I have also received a lot of questions about how to cook on the BBQ and whether certain parts fold up or down. Please not that I hate cooking and I don’t own a BBQ so I cannot help with that sorry. But the good news is your BBQ will come with instructions.

    The next question is how it is possible for me to have so many BBQ? Well this is easy. I don’t have any BBQ on hand in my tiny apartment but I will be ordering you one and it will be sent directly to you by a reputable BBQ seller (More on that below) or Perth pickup from me if you wish.

    Now the question is if I don’t have your BBQ, who does? I have multiple shipping options but am primarily looking to use a company called http://www.appliancesonline.com.au/ they are a subsidiary of a very large appliance retailer. To explain in simple terms they are like a Harvey Norman (massive) but without any actual stores, only large distribution warehouses (room to store lots of BBQ). If you check out my feedback on ebay you will see I am so impressed with them that I even use them myself. One advantage is that they run a very professional delivery network of drivers who they employ directly, so your BBQ gets to you and not someone in the other street.

    Now to Shipping. I know some of you have purchased the BBQ by mistake as you live in TAS or NT and I also know some of you have purchased and are not sure if the BBQ can be shipped to your location.

    Please follow the below links to your BBQ:

    This allows you to put in you postcode and check whether shipping is free. Should shipping not be free or unavailable then I will process a refund for you ASAP alternatively you may fund the shipping cost if you still wish to proceed. Remember that the delivery network is large so not too many of you should be affected by this.

    Weber Baby Q1000 BBQ

    http://www.appliancesonline.com.au/weber-baby-q-bbq-50060224…

    Weber Q2000 LPG BBQ

    http://www.appliancesonline.com.au/weber-q2000-lpg-bbq-53060…

    Weber Q2000 Natural Gas BBQ

    http://www.appliancesonline.com.au/weber-q2000-natural-gas-b…

    Whilst checking that postage is free you can also see which delivery days are available at your postcode. This is achieved by clicking:

    Add to Cart (Green Button) >>>> My Cart (Orange Button) >>> Go to Checkout (Green Button) >>> Checkout (Green Button)

    Note available delivery dates are shaded black on the calendar.

    This is a quote from their website about delivery

    Delivery

    •We deliver with our own trucks from our own warehouse.

    •You can request a specific delivery day.

    •We are not able to deliver to Post Office Boxes.

    •All items must be signed for and your driver will need to sight photo ID (this can be a representative of the person who has placed the order).

    •Our drivers are fully trained in handling all goods.

    •Your driver will call on the morning of delivery before 10am with an approximate 2 hour delivery window, and will call again 1 hour before delivery (unless delivery is before 11am, in which case the driver will call 1 hour before delivery only. Or before 8am, in which case the driver will call you as they leave the warehouse, endeavouring to give you as much notice as they can).

    •If stock is not available from our local warehouse, we may arrange for it to be delivered direct from an interstate warehouse or direct from the manufacturer, to avoid delays. (We will let you know, prior to delivery, if this is going to happen.)

    Another question I have been asked is regarding the ‘no returns’ policy as stated on my eBay listing. Please note this just means no returns to myself. Should you experience problems with your new BBQ than you will still be entitled to you full rights under consumer law but this will be between yourself and Weber or Appliances Online. You BBQ will be genuine, brand new, with full manufacturers’ warranty and you will receive a receipt with your name on it. Without paining you with the Harvey Norman example again, If for example you buy a BBQ from Harvey Norman then when it breaks you don’t take it around to Gerry Harvey’s house for repair, it goes back to the Harvey Norman shop or the manufacturer.

    I hope I have covered the main points.

    I have most of your names and addresses from PayPal however some are PO boxes or company names and some are missing letters. So to ensure your BBQ gets to you or to your preferred address where someone will be available to sign for the BBQ please reply to this email stating:

    1) First Name

    2) Last Name (These will appear on your BBQ receipt)

    3) Mobile Phone Number

    4) Alternative Mobile (If you have one)

    5) Landline Phone (if you have one)

    6) Full Address

    7) Suburb

    8) State

    9) Postcode

    10) Your preferred delivery date (Checking what is available on the website, see above)

    Once this is received I will get your order processed ASAP.

    IMPORTANT: Until I let you know that your BBQ has been ordered please don’t contact Appliances Online asking them about the status of your order. Once I have placed your order I will provide you with details and then you will be able to contact them should you need to.

    To everyone else who is not able to have BBQ shipped or has any other problem, or has solved a problem since we last spoke; please reply to this email so I can follow up and know that you have read this email.

    Speak soon

    Tom.

    • 4
    • moo on 01/09/2014 - 11:42

      I can see some of you have brought multiple BBQ or you have contacted me saying you and your partner/friend have purchased two by mistake. I will be working to refund anyone who this has happened to ASAP. Please don’t lodge paypal disputes but rather reply to this email with the problem and which one you want cancelled.

      To clarify, refund outside of PayPal, is that only limited to the portion which the buyer pays rather than the 'full amount' (Buyer funded + Ebay funded portions)?

      Another question I have been asked is regarding the ‘no returns’ policy as stated on my eBay listing. Please note this just means no returns to myself. Should you experience problems with your new BBQ than you will still be entitled to you full rights under consumer law but this will be between yourself and Weber or Appliances Online.

      Referring to the above, I thought the contract of sale is between the buyer and Ebay seller regardless of whether they use dropshipping or other delivery methods. Therefore, shouldn't it be within legal rights of the buyer to seek returns/exchanges with the Ebay seller? Keen to hear other people's thoughts on this.

      • 0
      • tomclancy on 01/09/2014 - 14:09

        To clarify, refund outside of PayPal, is that only limited to the portion which the buyer pays rather than the 'full amount' (Buyer funded + Ebay funded portions)?

        You would be refunded just the cost you incurred (i.e. 50%). The seller would refund through PayPal so only the net cost to you will be refunded to the same account/credit card you were charged.

        Referring to the above, I thought the contract of sale is between the buyer and Ebay seller regardless of whether they use dropshipping or other delivery methods. Therefore, shouldn't it be within legal rights of the buyer to seek returns/exchanges with the Ebay seller? Keen to hear other people's thoughts on this.

        Technically you are correct that the legal rights for returns lie with the seller. However, in reality should your BBQ become faulty who would you likely contact first: Webber, AppliancesOnline or some random seller on eBay with 80 +ve votes?

        • 1
  • Daniel Plainview on 03/09/2014 - 11:08

    Absolutely full credit to the vendor for the initiative and bravery to pull off such an effort.

    That said I fully concur with other posters who have stated that it's 100% unacceptable for him to have sold his items as free express postage and now backflipping on this for some of his customers.

    He'd have known this when he set the promo up but obviously couldn't find a methodology to get around it and have his listing up - so the burden should be his to bear - offering a refund is unacceptable - you made an offer - so honour it.

    That said, it was a gutsy effort to pull something like this off so I HOPE he finds a way to do the right thing by folks and have earned a decent amount for himself as well. Thats only fair.

    • 4
    • warmbeer05 on 03/09/2014 - 15:54

      Bugger, who has he backflipped on I couldn't find anything in the comments because I have also purchased from him as well a ttg

      • 1
    • wiltonson on 03/09/2014 - 12:56

      Exactly what I believe as well. He is doing a business and he made offers that others have accepted to pay for. If he is passing on his mistakes by making buyers to pay extra money means he is just a typical unreliable businessman.

      • 0
      • matt_will_fix_it on 04/09/2014 - 09:58

        As long as he is offering refunds to people that he can't supply the service to as promised, what is the issue?

        • 0
        • wiltonson on 04/09/2014 - 14:23

          I thought the issue is he is now charging for delivery costs when the item was initially offered with free postage??

          • 0
        • matt_will_fix_it on 04/09/2014 - 15:41

          @wiltonson:

          To quote from "Tom"

          Should shipping not be free or unavailable then I will process a refund for you ASAP alternatively you may fund the shipping cost if you still wish to proceed. Remember that the delivery network is large so not too many of you should be affected by this.

          So its free shipping for addresses that Appliances Online free shipping normally applies to. For locations that Appliances Online charge for shipping, he is offering a refund or giving the buyers the chance to pay for shipping.

          • 0
        • wiltonson on 04/09/2014 - 16:06

          @matt_will_fix_it:

          Ah I didn't look into such level of detail. Then I guess Tom is doing the right thing.

          • 0
        • SaraK83 on 04/09/2014 - 20:52

          Those buyers probably would have bought from another seller, instead of having to pay extra for something they were led to believe was included or cancel their transaction and miss out on this fantastic deal.

          I am so pleased that I changed my mind at the last minute and went with another seller. I just did a quote on appliances online and it would have been more than $100 shipping to my area, so that extra $25 I paid initially ended up saving me $75 and best of all I have already enjoyed delicious steaks cooked on my new weber q.

          • 0
  • gooseberry on 12/09/2014 - 08:10

    Also, looking at his credit card statement - he's going to be getting a lot of Citibank credit card rewards points.

    • 4
    • Paulb5 on 12/09/2014 - 09:43

      Maybe he can get a weber with the reward points!

      • 3
      • tomclancy on 12/09/2014 - 10:10

        Hope he gets well rewarded for his efforts. Yes it was gutsy, yes it was risky, but who are we in life if we don't take risks? Good on him. Tom, if you are reading this then well done. You have many supporters on OzB.

        • 9
        • NosDan on 12/09/2014 - 14:16

          Hope he gets well rewarded for his efforts. Yes it was gutsy, yes it was risky

          i dont see how it was risky (apart from getting his actual bank account frozen… which surprises me a little). at the time he didnt spend any of his cash and is using an ebay account that was more or less throw away anyway. extremely little risk for a fairly huge payoff if it all went well

          Good on him. Tom, if you are reading this then well done. You have many supporters on OzB.

          yup, nice work. i would be curled up in the fetal position in a corner by now with the shit ebay/paypal is trying to pull. just extra reenforces my thought that ebay is the dodgiest shithole it seemed. ill certainly be trying to screw them out any way i can.

          i almost wish i wanted/ordered one through tom just to shove it to ebay/PP harder, for those that did please stick with it as it certainly seems tom is doing all he can while ebay/pp screw him over and worse case if tom ends up with an aneurysm from this you still have 45 days to put in your PP dispute to get your refund (from time of purchase)

          • 1
        • tomclancy on 12/09/2014 - 22:54

          @nosdan:

          ill certainly be trying to screw them out any way i can

          You're not alone. This Sunday is a reasonable opportunity to do it and many will take advantage. Not as good as 50% but still in front :)

          • 0
        • zassaliss on 13/09/2014 - 02:58

          and 90 days from the bank most of the time

          even more if you just keep pressing the issue.

          tom's a hero

          • 0
      • gooseberry on 15/09/2014 - 23:47

        Depending on which Citibank card he has, he should be able to get at least 4 baby Qs with the points !

        • 0
  • ChickenTalon on 12/09/2014 - 10:13

    Feedback is rolling in from those who disputed their transactions and he cancelled their orders. http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback2&user…

    I still think this guy is a massive champion. He probably didn't figure on ebay stepping in like they did, could have been a play by them to get people to request refunds.
    eBay have no incentive to unfreeze his accounts if they can make him look like the bad guy because he can't buy stock.

    • 4
    • Paulb5 on 12/09/2014 - 10:31

      The amount ebay are spending on lawyers for this probably equals what the bbqs are worth.

      But the longer they freeze his acct the more people request a refund and the less they lose I guess.

      People leaving Negative comments on ebay are idiets (yes the e is there on purpose).

      • 4
      • tomclancy on 12/09/2014 - 11:27

        eBay really are cutting off their nose despite their face on this one. Tom has not broken any eBay/PayPal rules nor any consumer rights (despite what one negative feedback said) yet eBay/PayPal are making it difficult for Tom to fulfil orders. Yes I understand why they freeze funds for money laundering purposes, but it's taken too long to clear up. As Tom says in his last email, he doesn't care about negative feedback because he's banned from eBay for life (well until he gets a new email address) but there is a lot of residual negative sentiment about shopping on eBay from all the buyer's perspective.

        • 11
        • drdolphin on 12/09/2014 - 15:17

          They are probably just annoyed they didn't think of it first!

          Like many people, I wish him well. Takes a lot of guts (and stress) to do this, so hope he ends up with a heap of money from it. Every rich person starts out with some hare-brained scheme to make their first fortune; good luck to him!

          • 6
        • Richfield on 12/09/2014 - 18:59

          To spite, not despite.

          /bugbear

          • 3
        • tomclancy on 12/09/2014 - 22:55

          @westical:

          Haha, thanks :)

          • 0
    • odyssi on 25/09/2014 - 22:45

      Thanks Tom. Sucked in to the impatient people. You missed out. All the best Tom

      Hah!

      Nearly back to 90% (89.7%)

      • 0
  • The Champagne Mile on 13/09/2014 - 10:55

    At the end of the day, eBay is ultimately responsible for creating the hair-brained promotional scheme of selling one item only (BBQs) at 50% off for a day. Anyone with half a brain would, from a mile off, have predicted a small number of enterprising users to capitalise on the situation. EBay made their bed, and they should lie in it!
    I would be interested to know on what grounds Tom has been 'banned from selling for life'.

    • 4
    • treeman on 13/09/2014 - 11:55

      Exactly, would have been pretty easy to do if they wanted to do it properly by making it bbqs from good guys, hardware village and bcf + perhaps only second hand ones too. With ebay having a clause to reserve the right to cancel any listings.

      • 0
  • Paulb5 on 14/09/2014 - 21:21

    Tom even attached his credit card statement to one of his emails showing the payments he'd already made before his accounts got frozen.

    Appliances online have the stock and are ready and waiting. Can't really blame ebay for originally doing what they did as I think tom had something like 200k moved from paypal to his account.

    However from speaking to Tom on the phone they were a bit heavy handed and got lawyers etc involved when he was happy to transfer money back to cover the cost of the bbqs. Hopefully it all works itself out and tom has some fun with his well deserved profit.

    • 4
  • uder on 01/09/2014 - 12:00

    Gotta be the stupidest promotion ever. I'm actually less likely to use Ebay in the future purely based on how bad of an idea this was.

    But yes, good luck to the bloke above!

    • 3
    • The Champagne Mile on 01/09/2014 - 12:09

      Yes, what the hell were they thinking? Good to know they are using the exorbitant listing fees they charge us to fund massive payments to a select small group of legit BBQ sellers, small entrepreneurs and scammers!

      • 6
  • mmd on 01/09/2014 - 12:52

    plus 163,422 FF points if he pays by numerous credit cards.

    • 3
    • Turd on 01/09/2014 - 12:54

      FF points are easy to generate.

      • 0
      • badg3rz on 01/09/2014 - 19:18

        Care to go into detail on your statement?

        • 0
        • mmd on 01/09/2014 - 23:38

          Well, Turd has 165k worth of credit cards ready to use…

          • 0
    • tomclancy on 01/09/2014 - 14:22

      Unlikely they have $165k worth of credit cards available for use.

      • 0
      • Turd on 01/09/2014 - 15:07

        I do

        • 2
      • matt_will_fix_it on 02/09/2014 - 08:56

        You can always load up the cards into credit then go spending. You'll still get the points.

        E.g. transfer the $165k from Paypal to his credit card. Then he can spend it all.

        • 0
  • 1Dollar on 01/09/2014 - 17:29

    I called Appliances Online and they mentioned they have 83 Q1000 stock on hand and 0 Q2000. They will be receiving 16 Q2000 more this week. Either the seller reserved all of the stock or AO actually can't fulfill all orders.

    • 3
    • wiltonson on 02/09/2014 - 11:11

      I would imagine they don't have that many stocks. How many Weber would you expect to sell on an annual basis? They aren't cheap to stock and in comparisons Masters are selling bigger BBQ unit for less or at the same price as the Baby Q.

      However I do think there is a chance that Appliance direct may offer his upgraded/downgraded model for the same/reduced price so buyers might need to make decisions on individual basis.

      Either way, it's still worth the hassle for the seller to pocket that $40k profit.

      • 0
  • [Deactivated] on 13/09/2014 - 13:11

    I don't understand why he's been "banned for life" (even though that seems very easy to circumvent lol)..

    What exactly has he done wrong? Like, legally. I'm genuinely curious as to what eBay has an issue with. Aren't there plenty of sellers/stores (both online and brick & mortar) who sell products that are often not physically within the grounds of the seller at the time of sale?

    I'm really completely uneducated on how business and all this sort of thing works, so perhaps I don't have it quite right - but I've attempted to buy things from stores, only for them to say "we don't have it in stock but we'll order it in for you". Though I guess the difference there is that I don't pay the full amount (or anything) upfront - not until the item is actually brought in and physically available. Conversely, Tom had everyone pay upfront before even placing their orders with AO. Is that the difference, and thus the issue?

    I still struggle to see what's so awful about what Tom did. Wish eBay would give a statement and explain their gripe. I can kinda understand why his bank account / paypal account would be frozen though. A precaution, albeit extreme, to make sure he doesn't run off with or blow all the money before the sales are completed, I guess. Though to freeze ALL of his money is a bit rich..

    Can't really believe eBay didn't predict something like this would happen, even on a smaller scale at least. For such a huge company…

    Very interesting anyway!

    • 3
    • NosDan on 13/09/2014 - 15:37

      i dont see how they even froze his bank account unless they claimed it was a scam

      his original listing was for ~$500 bbq with $400 odd cash back claiming anywhere in aus you can pick up the bbq at any time from him in perth…. so obviously that never existed and was purely a scam to screw ebay/PP over, this is the reason i was originally concerned if our mate tom was going to come through with any of these bbq's or this was simply another scam.

      the banned for life thing i also find strange again unless its because of the above initial scam rather than the webbers he sold?

      • 1
    • tomclancy on 13/09/2014 - 17:22

      Presumably somewhere in the eBay registration t&cs they have the right to cancel any account on their discretion. Kind of like retail shops having the right to refuse service to anyone they see fit.

      • 1
  • Paulb5 on 16/09/2014 - 11:37

    Well let's see if we can get his ebay feedback rating above 80%

    • 3
    • tomclancy on 16/09/2014 - 11:45

      Lol. If only it mattered :)

      • 0
      • Spizz on 17/09/2014 - 22:31

        If only to rub it into Ebay whom have banned him, to see people posting a positive result from Tom's auction.

        • 1
  • t_c on 16/09/2014 - 14:34

    Looks like the positive feedback is starting to roll in.

    • 3
  • Paulb5 on 10/09/2014 - 12:48

    Posted this in the other thread but figured it could go here too.

    So I'm not a patient man and I'm suspicious by nature so I called up eBay customer support regarding the webers from Tom and my own in particular.

    They said the email from eBay is legit and they are working with suppliers to get people the webers by the 19th of September and it is in your best interest to reply yes which I've already done.

    Hopefully this brings peace of mind to some people that it's from a source other than Tom's emails.

    PS. I see he's copping some negative feedback on his eBay account.

    • 2
    • odyssi on 11/09/2014 - 02:21

      PS. I see he's copping some negative feedback on his eBay account.

      Seriously doubt he cares about that.

      With 480+ sales his ebay account was always going to be scorched.

      Would you rather an ebay feedback of 83 @ 100% or $32,000!

      • 6
    • tomclancy on 10/09/2014 - 13:33

      Thanks for the update - much appreciated.

      PS. I see he's copping some negative feedback on his eBay account.

      I took a look at Tom's feedback for interest sake. Negative feedback doesn't have the same impact when you can't spell "liar". Twice. lol

      • 3
      • Turd on 10/09/2014 - 15:20

        People want their things NOW NOW NOW NOW.

        Stuck in the Entitlement era I suppose.

        • 5
        • odyssi on 11/09/2014 - 02:26

          @Paulb5:

          all in all I'm disappointed Tom's first foray into venture capitalism didn't work out

          I think it's worked out fine for him.

          He's scored truckload of cash AND now ebay are doing the work for him!

          • 4
        • Paulb5 on 10/09/2014 - 17:30

          I'm happy to wait I just wanted to know that it wasn't a hoax. The generic emails just didn't fill me with confidence and the one from eBay was a bit bizarre but now I've been reassured.

          People leaving negative feedback are a bit rich saying he never delivered when he's sent multiple emails and if they just took the time to get in contact with eBay themselves they'd know they were coming.

          All in all I'm disappointed Tom's first foray into venture capitalism didn't work out but I thank him as I never would have got the opportunity to pick up a weber if he hadn't have done what he did.

          • 1
        • scottb721 on 10/09/2014 - 17:11

          They've obviously never bought much online.

          • 0
        • sulmar on 11/09/2014 - 22:18

          @Paulb5:

          People don't like waiting weeks, especially when there's risk of them not receiving the item at all since seller does not have the item.

          I don't see anything wrong with the negative feedback.

          • -5
      • NosDan on 10/09/2014 - 14:24

        the top 2 at least seem like its from the same person

        • 0
  • murkywater on 12/09/2014 - 21:59

    This whole situation seems really sucky. Why on earth were all his accounts frozen… Ebay and paypal are such crooks, I feel for him.

    Good luck Tom!

    • 2
  • zone on 16/09/2014 - 10:24

    Got an email from Tommy this morning saying mine will arrive tomorrow. Can't complain if it appears at my door tomorrow.

    • 2
  • p3t0r on 16/09/2014 - 17:02

    I received my receipt from AppliancesOnline via Tom. Delivery for tomorrow!

    • 2
    • p3t0r on 17/09/2014 - 20:17

      Just confirming that it was received today. Awesome Job Tom. Enjoy your ~30k

      • 0
  • Mikaela on 16/09/2014 - 22:27

    This has been a very interesting read. It is good to hear that people are receiving their BBQs

    • 2
  • berger on 19/09/2014 - 08:31

    seems to be getting a LOT of positive feeback…

    Guess people could not wait a few extra days. Sucks to them

    • 2
    • ChickenTalon on 19/09/2014 - 09:21

      good things come to those who wait.

      Can't really feel sorry for them, Tom was upfront at all times, and there was never any real risk as these people paid with paypal. Glad they didn't get their BBQs

      • 2
  • captain smash on 06/10/2014 - 21:02

    This is the greatest triumph of man in the history of the internet shopping

    'STRAYA 1 eBAY 0

    • 2
  • p3t0r on 01/09/2014 - 10:43

    Good on him for taking advantage of this. I purchased this based on the availability described on eBay (delivery date) If I get my BBQ within the next 2 weeks, I'll be happy. Here's hoping that applicancesonline.com.au have enough stock..

    • 1
  • warmbeer05 on 01/09/2014 - 13:22

    Hope it works out for him, he's taken the time and has the initiative to do it, it's the bags of crap that have purchased 4 or 5 bbq's that I hope get burnt including me lol I purchased from tgg and him

    • 1
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