"Internet brokers" find stuff for sale on the internet and then advertise it as if it is their own stuff. If you want to buy it, the broker buys it from the actual seller and then turns around and sells it to you after increasing the price. That way the broker doesn't have to have any inventory. What do you guys think about this?

 

I'm fine with it. Same thing I do at work with auto parts. If I dont have it, I will find it, mark it up and sell it off. I make a profit, and you get your part. Normal everyday occurance.

Q

 

Yes, but don't you come right out and say "if I don't have what you want I'll find it for you from someone else"? I gather that these people make the stuff out to be their own... I see a lot of opportunity for misrepresentation and other things that might not make me very happy if I were on the buying end.

But, OTOH, I can see other situations where it would be fine. It's what we do with cars too. If we don't have something that someone wants, we'll do a search for it.

I guess it depends on the item in question.

 

I don't think there is anything wrong with it. The whole purpose of being in business is to make money. If you can make money off of people being too lazy to look for something they want, then you found an area to make money.

You see some of these auctions on Ebay quite a bit where people are auctioning off some information on how to get certain products for a cheap price or for free.

 

I hate those auctions on ebay. They always have a misleading title then you find out it's only information in the fine print. At any rate, I think it's okay to a point. I don't like those that advertise as though they have the product, but I don't mind if someone says they'll look to get it. For those that advertise what they don't have, what happens when they can't get it?

 

Not always, I dont have to tell anyone where it is coming from. But for people I know I usually will tell them I am outsourcing it.

Q

 

Well, I think what you are tlaing about is something different altogether. I see a lot oft hat on eBay too. What pete is talking about is what a LOT of people do on eBay and other places. Some even have the items drop shipped. There are many vendors who are sponsors of this site who advertise products, and carry no inventory. The items are drop shipped form the factory. You want a big example? JC Whitney

This is a VERY common practice. I use to run my paintball shop that way online. Whatever they wanted I could have in to their door in two days. I could buy it at wholesale, they couldn't I marked it up and made a few bucks without doing much more than some accounting.