Yes U Won

My parents used the phrase “It must have fallen off the truck” all the time. As a child I thought it was something literal. I wondered how or why some of these things actually could be falling from trucks. Why the items didn’t break when they fell, and how anyone could actually get to the item and pick them up once it did fall?  The phrase often made me watch trucks to see if I could actually see something falling. I never did.

As I grew older, someone explained it to me. It’s basically a euphemism for any illegially obtained goods or merchandise. I assumed after that, probably correctly, anytime that phrase was used it really meant someone stole it.

It seems as a society too many people have decided that stealing is much easier than earning, and are making a living this way. I am speaking from personal opinions gleaned from watching business and society evolve over the last 25-40 years. People have made stealing things, from tangible objects in an actual burglary, to your identity and credit card numbers into a regular 9-5 type job. They will tell you it’s “just that easy” and why not? Well, it’s wrong, that’s why not!

I get at least 20 spam emails a day in which people try to “trick” me into giving them information, money or product for free. Yes, in ever manner possible they keep shaking the truck, so that the goods fall off — but they are really just trying to steal it.

Most of us are aware of the “bigger” scheme’s out there, like the Nigerian Letter and the one where you win 5 million from just having an email address — but there are sneaky, underhanded new ones popping up each and every day with twists that make doing business honestly an enormous challenge. For an average consumer, it might be equivilent to walking through a field of landmines blindfolded hoping to come out the other side unscathed.

Many of the new items on auction sites, are selling for less than they would normally cost for me to purchase! I am speaking only of specific items I personally have access to and am familiar with in terms of pricing. I have a 26 year old business selling computer services and related supplies (www.ccssinc.com).  I cannot sell for the same prices listed on these sites because I cannot buy them for resale at those prices. And when I add in the fees and shipping costs ~ their pricing is still less than if I bought a few pallets (let’s use 100,000 pieces) from my regular suppliers. And that’s annoying!

This wasn’t always the case. I used to be able to sell on Ebay and make a couple of dollars on each lot I sold – I wasn’t getting rich, but it was allowing the rotatation our product on a regular basis. Then all of a sudden a few years ago, prices fell lower than I pay for the items. One day, I was buying enough to be competitive, and then zap I wasn’t.

All this is a mystery to me, and keeps making me wonder about that truck. Why can’t I sell at the same prices as these others? What am I missing? Has someone figured out how to get them to fall off the truck into their waiting arms, and therefore has a seemingly unlimited supply to sell?

We all love a bargain, but I personally care if they fell off the truck. I don’t want an item someone stole, no matter how they came to have it. Could the seller be stiffing their vendor, buying seconds, buying factory rejects, or heaven forbid counterfeit merchandise?

Is it the price that matters most anymore whether it falls off the truck or not?

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