Disney Gift Cards on E-Bay, Paying Higher Amount on Card

[js]

I just looked on e-bay and noticed that some people are bidding on gift cards for a price higher than the actual amount of the card.

For instance, for a $50 card, someone bid $51.00.
Same for a few others

Why would someone actually pay more than the face value of the card.

Can anyone give me insight as to why someone would pay a higher amount? Thanks so much!

 

[Trinity524]

From what I have seen, this is usually from sellers on ebay. They make the money off their sale and instead of transferring the money they made into their checking account, they keep it in their paypal account. Then they buy the giftcard.

 

[Jdismom]

I don't have an answer, but I am so glad someone asked this question. I have wondered this for a long time. I figured people must know something that I don't.

 

[js]

From what I have seen, this is usually from sellers on ebay. They make the money off their sale and instead of transferring the money they made into their checking account, they keep it in their paypal account. Then they buy the giftcard.

Thank you for answering me but maybe because I had a long day driving with my newly licenced dd and getting up early but I still don't have any idea what you mean. Can you type slowly so I can figure it out LOL
I honestly don't understand or get what you mean. Thanks SOOO Much

I don't have an answer, but I am so glad someone asked this question. I have wondered this for a long time. I figured people must know something that I don't.

I hope you are smarter than I am and that you figured out the answer, above, but I still don't have a clue LOL

 

[cglaura]

Thank you for answering me but maybe because I had a long day driving with my newly licenced dd and getting up early but I still don't have any idea what you mean. Can you type slowly so I can figure it out LOL
I honestly don't understand or get what you mean. Thanks SOOO Much

From what I have seen, this is usually from sellers on ebay. They make the money off their sale and instead of transferring the money they made into their checking account, they keep it in their paypal account. Then they buy the giftcard.

I hope you are smarter than I am and that you figured out the answer, above, but I still don't have a clue LOL

I think they are saying the $1 over the $50 is so the ebay seller made something from the sale. They kept the $1 and the $50 bought the gift card at Disney.

Though this still doesn't make sense b/c they'd have to ship it. Unless they order it online and send it to the buyer w/ free shipping from Disney.

Still doesn't explain why the BUYER would spend $1 more when the can get it from Disney, no tax or s/h !

I never understood that either

 

[js]

I think they are saying the $1 over the $50 is so the ebay seller made something from the sale. They kept the $1 and the $50 bought the gift card at Disney.

Though this still doesn't make sense b/c they'd have to ship it. Unless they order it online and send it to the buyer w/ free shipping from Disney.

Still doesn't explain why the BUYER would spend $1 more when the can get it from Disney, no tax or s/h !

I never understood that either

Thank you but I guess it is me.
From what I understand, you are saying:

For instance:

I have a $50 Disney GC
I put for sale on e-bay for bidding
Strangers bid and at the end of the auction, a stranger has bid $51.
I send them my Disney GC and they put $51 in my paypal account.

So, for the seller, I think this is a good deal, even if they only got $40 if they never expected to use the card again or didn't know when they were going to use again or if they needed the cash...correct?

For the buyer, they rather purchase a Disney gift card from a stranger on e-bay, pay the same price or a few dollars more, and trust they will get it. They do this so they don't have to drive to a Disney store...correct?

I have also seen other gift cards for other stores being sold although not higher than the price on the card LOL For some, I can see this if they rather have the cash then spend, for instance, $50 at Home Depot.

Please let me know if this is how I am to understand it all?
Thanks so much!

 

[krissy2803]

I think that people buy gift cards when their Ebay bucks certificate comes.

Say for instance I have $10 in Ebay bucks. I bid full face value or even a couple dollars more on a $50 gift card. At checkout my $10 in Ebay bucks would apply. So I only really pay $40.
Make sense?

 

[jls886]

You can also use shopping sites like Mr. Rebates and Ebates and get a % back on your eBay purchases. Essentially bringing the cost of that gift card a few % under face value after all is said and done.

 

[Trinity524]

It's not you, it's me. LOL

Let's say I bought a $300 baby stroller. I would get 6 dollars in Ebay bucks to use later.
I think see a gift card I want to buy during the time I can use my ebay bucks with a $50 face value. I can bet up to $56 and still only be paying $50 out of pocket.

Most giftcards have free shipping.

 

[cats mom]

I once had a PayPal discount code that was about to expire, and I wasn't actively bidding on anything, so instead of losing it I used it to buy a gift card. Luckily I didn't have to go over face value, but I could have, and I still would have come out ahead. For the most part I think it's probably folks who are getting discounts of one kind or another.

 

[JaymeC]

There's also a psychological side of things. It may not be as strong with gift cards since people can see the actual value, but it happens all the time with people bidding over retail price for things that aren't hard to find at retail price. Some studies have shown that once people have a winning bid for something on ebay they feel like they own it, and they're therefore willing to pay more not to lose it. It's all very fascinating

 

[plummer925]

Another reason people do this is because they have offers for say 10% back or something like that so (Bing and other companies offer rebates) - I have seen instant 20% offers sometimes - but you have to buy certain dollar amounts - so people sell giftcards for 10% over value with a 20% off and everyone makes more money.

I have never done that - it's like playing with snakes...just waiting to get bit, but I remember a year or so ago people talking about it on another board I'm on. It doesn't make a lot of sense to me???

 

[maggiew]

I guess that is a game I am not willing to play either!

The most important thing is that you have to trust the seller that it isn't just an empty gift card?????? Kind of like if you buy Disney tickets off of eBay (which I don't recommend!)

My answer was going to be that the bidder was willing to pay whatever because they had no intention of actually paying!!! They could pay with Paypal and then reverse charges after the item was sent. Or they could write a bad check, etc. I guess I am too cynical and was burned a few too many times selling on eBay.

Maggie

 

[js]

Thank you all VERY much!

It makes more sense knowing about the ebay bucks and the ebates, etc.
I have purchased from ebay but never knew about the bucks.
I am a new seller, started this week, so I have been looking around the site to see what sells.

I currently have a new game on auction, ending today, that I had in my attic saving for a garage sale for the summer (before our Disney and Dream Cruise) so I decided to see what I would get. I would have been happy with $5 at the garage sale but the last I checked the bidding was at $18.50.
Go me. LOL

Thank you ALL so very much for trying to explain it to me. I was very puzzled LOL

 

[cglaura]

I think that people buy gift cards when their Ebay bucks certificate comes.

Say for instance I have $10 in Ebay bucks. I bid full face value or even a couple dollars more on a $50 gift card. At checkout my $10 in Ebay bucks would apply. So I only really pay $40.
Make sense?

Thank you! This makes alot of sense now. I'd probably do the same thing. I can't believe I didn't know anything about these, I shop eBay all the time.

Can I hijack for a minute...I found a link about them in eBay help, "Click here to start"...and now I see the Bucks logo under the prices of things. Do I have to go through that link every time, or is my userid now associated with Bucks, so it will show up automatically when I login and shop?

And if you go through something first like Ebates, can you still get them?

Thanks! And sorry OP for the topic diversion

 

[js]

Thank you! This makes alot of sense now. I'd probably do the same thing. I can't believe I didn't know anything about these, I shop eBay all the time.

Can I hijack for a minute...I found a link about them in eBay help, "Click here to start"...and now I see the Bucks logo under the prices of things. Do I have to go through that link every time, or is my userid now associated with Bucks, so it will show up automatically when I login and shop?

And if you go through something first like Ebates, can you still get them?

Thanks! And sorry OP for the topic diversion

No worries!
I'd like to find out the answers to your questions too!
My mother also shops e-bay and I bet she, too, has no idea about these bucks.

Let me ask you since this is ALL new to me, do you always go through ebates when you want to purchase something from ebay?

Would I first type in:
ebates
and then from there do I go to ebay somehow?

At least we both learned about those darn GCs. I started to think many people were crazy. Although, if you look for Disney tickets, some people are bidding on the tickets, not knowing if there really are days left AND for just a few dollars less than purchasing at UT or somewhere else. Oh well.

 

[cglaura]

No worries!
I'd like to find out the answers to your questions too!
My mother also shops e-bay and I bet she, too, has no idea about these bucks.

Let me ask you since this is ALL new to me, do you always go through ebates when you want to purchase something from ebay?

Would I first type in:
ebates
and then from there do I go to ebay somehow?

At least we both learned about those darn GCs. I started to think many people were crazy. Although, if you look for Disney tickets, some people are bidding on the tickets, not knowing if there really are days left AND for just a few dollars less than purchasing at UT or somewhere else. Oh well.

Yes I always go through Ebates first (I have it on my favorites bar). Usually my purchases aren't alot, so it might only be 30 - 50 cents reward, but it all adds up, right?

After you login to eBates, in the drop down menu of stores on the top left, just pick Ebay, and that's it. If I win the bid, I always log back into eBates and click through Ebay again to do the payment. Not sure if you have to, but I figure can't hurt, and I've never missed getting my reward.

I use eBates for just about all of my shopping. Dell is the best, I have to buy stuff for work, so that really adds up.

I did a test, cleared my history and cookies and used IE7 instead of Firefox, and the Bucks was still there, so I guess it stays with your userid and you only have to click the link once. I found the link by searching Ebay bucks in their Customer Support section.

I am going to be buying something next week so I'll test the eBates thing too. The Bucks logo still shows up after going through eBates, just have to see if the reward credits. Not sure if the Bucks reward negates the eBates one somehow....like using an external coupon sometimes does.

 

[jls886]

Yes, you can get eBay bucks on top of rebate websites.

Just wanted to point out that Mr. Rebates is 3% back for eBay, and Ebates says 1-3%. I don't know what gets 1% and what would get 3% so I use Mr. Rebates almost exclusively when I'm buying on eBay so that I am guaranteed the 3%. I have earned over $400 in cashback from them (not all from eBay!) so I know they're reputable and your cashback should show up like clockwork.

Go to Ebates, Mr. Rebates, whatever site you choose and then go to eBay through there. You'll then get your cashback rebate through that site and you will also earn your eBay bucks (assuming you have enrolled in that program).

Hope that helps!

 

[cglaura]

Yes, you can get eBay bucks on top of rebate websites.

Just wanted to point out that Mr. Rebates is 3% back for eBay, and Ebates says 1-3%. I don't know what gets 1% and what would get 3% so I use Mr. Rebates almost exclusively when I'm buying on eBay so that I am guaranteed the 3%. I have earned over $400 in cashback from them (not all from eBay!) so I know they're reputable and your cashback should show up like clockwork.

Go to Ebates, Mr. Rebates, whatever site you choose and then go to eBay through there. You'll then get your cashback rebate through that site and you will also earn your eBay bucks (assuming you have enrolled in that program).

Hope that helps!

Thank you thank you! I can't figure out what is 1% or 3% either, I should probably take the time to figure out what % I got I just check to make sure it posted at all. I will check out the Mr. Rebates too.

 

[Mom of 3 Princesses]

It makes no sense. Because even after that... they have to pay a bidder ending fee to EBAY and they pay a percentage to Paypal for the transaction. They may list it for free, but they still have to pay the percentage after the sale..

I don't get it!!!