‘The Computer says No’ – a rant about E-Bay1

I opened my original e-bay account around 2004 – found it quite enjoyable getting rid of odds and sods and a few snaps culled from LFI’s (my photo agency) vast archive.

However, selling didn’t intensify until I started the dreaded divorce proceedings and the selling of possessions and memorabilia became a bit of a necessity rather than just a hobby – ‘head above water’ etc.

This eventually settled and I quickly continued the practice as a hobby having found a niche market amongst collectors for old advertising ashtrays and other pub/bar odds and sods – ‘Tobacciana’ and ‘Breweriana’ as they are known.

Problems arose, not insurmountable but annoying – most of my items were ceramic and quite fragile so, unless carefully packed, could arrive broken – so packing became a skilled job but there was bugger all I could do about careless postmen – I gave firm undertakings to buyers that I wouldn’t quibble about damaged deliveries and would refund not only what they had paid for the items but also the postage – the only quid-pro-quo was that they had to send me photographs as proof that the items had been broken. But I could do nothing about items that were ‘lost in the post’ – just take the buyer’s word for it and give ’em back their money (I suspected several fiddles here but could do nothing).

Then in one week, I had a sudden spate of damaged deliveries and ‘no shows’ – one or two of the buyers complained, somewhat prematurely, to e-bay (the rule is that they should contact me initially to sort out problems) and, suddenly, out of the blue, e-bay terminated my account – their computer system had flagged me up as a villain!

Then started a long chain of correspondence, e-mails and telephone calls (many to Bangalore) and letters to their UK and USA CEOs (neither of whom gave me the courtesy of any responses) – all I got, summed up, was ‘the computer says you’re dishonest and what the computer says has to be obeyed – with profuse use of the word ‘sorry’.

I gave up and started up my own site which has been moderately successful but never as good as E-Bay was so I was quite surprised and pleased, in March this year, when E-Bay seemed to allow me to open up a fresh account.

——and it all went swimmingly until 5 PM today when I was working on uploading stuff and the account was suddenly suspended because (after 6 months) they had correlated an ‘association’ with my original account – I made the call – lots of ‘sorry’s’ again – couldn’t understand what was being said half the time – accent was so pronounced – but the computer says I am a ‘villain’ again – by simple association with the previous account – I have appealed it but I don’t hold out much hope.

Ironic thing is that I received three messages from them at the same time – two related to the suspension – the other was a survey requesting details of my transactions, was I happy with e-bay?, would I recommend it to others? &c – silly sods – my comments in the survey can’t be repeated here.

I read, the other day, that E-Bay’s roster of sellers and buyers is on a fairly steep downward decline – this could be a reason!

F–k ‘Em!

Ashtrays

I have been selling vintage advertising ashtrays and other bar/pub collectibles and ephemera on the web for some years now – http://www.tobaccianacollectible.co.uk – if you care to take a look. It seems that many people want to create an authentic old fashioned pub/bar atmosphere in their home bars (even if nobody smokes it’s pretty essential to have a beer or spirit branded ashtray knocking around) – I have been totally amazed by the spread of orders – most from UK, of course, but also most Europen countries (including those in the former ‘eastern bloc’), the far east and many, many to Australia – a few to Russia as well.

These are iconic items reflecting the history of a widespread human ‘bad’ habit which, thankfully, is now on the wane – but they make amusing decorative items and are great ice-breakers and conversation topics – take a look http://www.tobaccianacollectible.co.uk

THIS HAS TO STOP

I am incensed – via Facebook I received a posting featuing the attached picture – it ‘celebrates’ the fact that the 13 year old pictured hunted and killed the bear as part of her ‘bucket list’ and invites others to submit their own ‘bucket lists’ of rare animals they would like to hunt and kill before they die themselves – I never thought I would see anything like this in the 21st century!

This is the site – http://www.huntdrop.com and I implore you to ‘troll’ them unmercifully and try and force them to stop this disgusting practice.

Clearance to make space!

I have reduced all of my ‘Breweriana’ and ‘Tobacciana’ stock to the bare minimum (except for half a dozen rare items). It’s the cost of packing and despatch that converts a real bargain into a less affordable item but I am inclined to be accomodating even on this is buyers are prepared to commit to two or more items – some good results already and I will plod on with the promotional stuff – here are some samples: – www.tobaccianacollectibles.co.uk.

CLEARANCE SALE – TOBACCIANA/BREWERIANA

Due to having to give all my time to a new exciting new project I have to clear my remaining Tobacciana/Breweriana stock – I have, therefore, reduced all but a few items to a basic price of £ 2.00 and £ 3.00 (Roughly $ 3.00 and $ 4.50, Eur 2,80 and 4,20) + standard post and packing charges – + further discounts for buying multiple items. I can’t do any favours with the postal charges but the reductions should make the items far more affordable – take a look – www.tobaccianacollectibles.co.uk.

TOBACCIANA AND BREWERIANA WEB SITE

Worked very hard, alongside a (paid) web-designer firm, for nearly three weeks listing in, describing historical items and enhancing my new site only to find, now, that there’s an access problem – it seems it’s getting a mixed up reaction conflict with the ‘old’ site which has the same ‘URL’ but doesn’t really exist anymore except in sections of the internet ‘ether’. Bloody nuisance as I confidently went ahead with promotional texting, Tweets and this – still, never mind, it’ll happen in the long run – these things are sent to try us. Strange how internet and web site experts start passing the buck as soon as there’s a problem – attitude seems to be ‘we put it together’, in our book it’s perfect – so get on with it – your problem now!’

Keep trying, please and spread the word where you can – http://www.tobaccianacollectibles.co.uk/

AN ICONIC BREWERY

The first record of the Davenport family in the brewing trade is that of Robert Davenport in 1827, a brewer at 120 Brearley St, Hockley. He also had premises in Pritchett St and eventually owned several public houses. His son Robert moved into Bath Row in 1852 and the business was gradually centralised there. In 1867 John Davenport and Sons was registered at that address as “Maltsters, Hop Merchants, and makers of Pale and Brown Malt for brewing bitter ales and porter”.

The firm was incorporated as a limited company on 17th November 1896. Davenports bought the old Bath House, from which the Row took its name, converted the mansion into offices and built over the gardens. The biggest change to the company came when Baron John Davenport began the ‘Beer at Home’ service in 1904. This expanded rapidly and a distribution network was set up all over the country.

A separate company, Davenports CB Ltd, was set up to deal with the bottled beer and home delivery service, while John Davenport and Sons Ltd continued to run the brewery and the licensed houses.

During the war years the home delivery business suffered, due to the rationing of brewing materials and fuel for transport, but after the war Davenports made full use of television for advertising and the business prospered again. Dare’s brewery was purchased in 1962 to strengthen the public house side of the business, and their land allowed Davenports to negotiate with the City Council for the site of St Thomas’s School on the corner of Granville Street and Bath Row. The company’s main garage was built there in 1970.

From the 1st October 1974 Davenports CB Ltd and John Davenport and Sons Brewing Ltd ceased to operate independently and instead traded collectively as Davenports Brewery Ltd. Davenports Brewery continued to expand and by 1985 they owned 123 pubs, cash and carry outlets and off licenses, and supplied more than 600 free trade accounts in Birmingham and the Midlands. During this time home deliveries played a decreasing role in the company until, in that year, the operation was sold to an independent firm. In 1986 an agreed merger took place between Davenports Brewery Ltd and Greenall Whitley plc, and the Bath Row site was progressively decommissioned over the next few years and closed in 1989.
http://tobaccianacollectibles.co.uk/

A Fine German Beer…..

Holsten Brewery (Holsten-Brauerei AG) is a brewing company founded in 1879 in what is now Hamburg’s Altona-Nord quarter.The group now has seven breweries in Germany. Its nationally distributed premium brand is the pale lager Holsten Pilsener. The company was acquired by the Carlsberg Group in 2004.
http://tobaccianacollectibles.co.uk/

Everybody wants Heineken…..

Every day I get more and more calls for Heineken collectibles and I have only sold more Carlsberg and Pernod items than those promoting the famous Netherlands’ lager (‘Holland’ is only a part of The Netherlands – calling the whole country ‘Holland’ is wrong!). I have but a few items and here is one of them – had four now only two left so, if you’re an enthusiast, go to
http://tobaccianacollectibles.co.uk/ quickly and stake your claim.

An unusual find in France…..

My Ashtray collecting frequently takes me over the Channel where I scour the ‘Depot Ventes’ (sort of Junk Supermarkets – every town and village has one) and, in the summer, the ‘Vide Greniers’ (literally ‘Clear Out the Barn’ – but they’re really what we in the UK would call ‘car boots’ but without the cars) – held in the streets which are closed off for the event – they’re a fabulous source of both ‘Breweriana’ and ‘Tobacciana’ and most of the French stuff seems to be in high demand – however, sometimes you come across something different – like this typical American item I found in a barn in La Rochelle….
http://tobaccianacollectibles.co.uk/