Ebay

[jean88]

Have any one bought anything from ebay? I  am considering making a purchase there. How safe is it? Some of the prices are too low. I heard of all those scams on ebay. What should I look out for? What about the quality and customer service...etc?

Thanks

[barrsp]

HI,

I am a reguler buyer and seller on ebay and there a serveral things to look out for.  Firstly make sure you read and understand the description eg are you getting an actual book or an e copy of one.  If the bidding price is very low it either means that the seller is hoping for a last minute rush or the postage is over inflated.  I recently bought a cd for .1p paid �2.50 postage when it actually cost .30p.  Ebay is fairly safe and paypal helps to make things safer but can get expensive, but only if you sell.  Quality and customer service are down to the individual and are, on the whole, good people to deal with.  Ebay themselves however are a real pain to try and deal with if anything goes wrong.  Many use Ebay as a business. 

[LeMarchand]

Although I've never had a bad experience, I'd advise reading the item description and and feedback (especially negative) carefully. Some DVDs, for instance, will be copies or Asian imports of dubious provenance. I'm not too worried about the postage - check you're willing to pay it, but if they tell you in advance what the postage will be, I can't see that you can complain.

Don't get too caught up in the bidding, either - I've seen many an item go for more than "proper" net outlets sell them for!

[fo3nix]

as the others have said. make sure you know what you're buying, and whether or not the seller includes the postage for you (sometimes the postage can increase the price by �10, or more).

second, check the seller's feedback. no-one ever has perfect feedback (or rarely), as there's always some idiot rating them bad when they're really good. but as long as it's over 80 or something like that, and you've read what most others have said, and they all say that they received their stuff fast etc. then it'll be fine.

[desertrat]

I haven't had any problems. Watch out for postage costs as this is the way some people hope to make a profit. If it doesn't state a postage cost I personally don't buy. Some sellers won't leave feedback for you unless you leave feedbcak for them first which is irritating. I don't leave feedback for them under those circumstances. Read the description very carefully and the feedback from other buyers / sellers. If you see something you fancy do a bit of research on the web first you might actually find it cheaper. I've been amazed at what people will pay beacause it is an auction site. Set yourself a price you are happy with and stick to it.  

[j2buttonsw]

Agree with all of the above. It is a huge market and full of scammers so take precautions. I don't think it is that cheap: after all some people buy goods at car boot sales then flog them on eBay. If it is an expensive item, always e-mail them and ask to view it and see if you can pay cash when you pick it up by hand. The other thing to note is that you will almost always find another similar item if you miss out on a bid so don't get carried away! Oh and another thing, I can't see any reason to bid at any time than 5-10 seconds before the auction ends (unless you are not available when the auction ends). Any other time provokes interest and the chance of a bidding war. Oh yes, one more thing. Be especially wary of new sellers (members since the day the auction starts) which hide the bidding history by making the bidding private. This will prevent honest eBayers e-mailing the bidders and warning them that it is a scam. This also goes to people who make their feedback private: what are they trying to hide? (By the way, I am very trustworthy and please bid on any auctions I may be putting up in the future, thanks :o) )

[dmsjps]

I agree with everyone else. I've been buying and selling on eBay for several years now and the only thing I know a friend had trouble with was some EDT which turned out to be fake. I can buy mine cheaper from a proper website anyway, so I don't even look on eBay for it.

 

New sellers with no or very little feedback: I wouldn't buy anything expensive from them, just in case they're scammers, but I have had some very good bargains from them on cheaper things because other people are wary of bidding.

 

I would say go ahead and bid if it's something you want, but has already been advised - and as with any normal auction - decide what you want to pay before you bid and stick to it. Also, if P&P is not stated on the item page, do check it with the seller beforehand too, to make sure they're not going to get silly with it.

 

Good luck, hope your bid is successful!

[WoWo]

Personally I'd say don't purchase something for more than you can afford to lose.

I've had both positive and negative experience of e-bay (mostly positive) but I woudln't buy anything too expensive.