I bought one thing off eBay....a $350 camcorder years ago...took my money and that was the end of that. Filed a complaint and never heard from them again.
Anyone have any good experiences? bad?
You gotta buy from people with good feedback. You can't buy from just anyone on there.
i bought an "authentic Lawrence Taylor throwback jersey" once from some dude who had impeccable buyer feedback... dude sent me some whack ass cheap imitation Ronnie Lott SF visitors jersey that didn't even look like the real thing... i sent him repeated emails asking for a refund only to find he'd closed out his account... when i took it up w/Ebay they said they pretty much washed their hands of it & left me to foot the bill.
that was my first & only time ever buying anything off Ebay... i now only do online shopping from verified retailers or Amazon.
It's not like it used to be but you can find deals and successful transactions all the time. Fees are getting out of control big time. Other sites have benefited from their not so Seller friendly environment. People use others like Craiglist, Amazon, Ebid, etc etc.
I think eBay is ok if you do your homework.
I've bought a lot of different things off ebay, including phones, video game systems and even sporting event tickets and have never had any problems.
I have bought cars, tV's, speakers, lots of stuff.
You gotta do you homework. And don't overpay. I see people overpay all the time.
I bought some billiard balls from china a few years ago. Really cool translucent colorful ones but they were 7/8ths regulation size! I complained and they sent be half the money back. I should have known better. Price was too cheap. They sit pretty on the wall rack. For what I paid, its cool.
I bought a used jet from Alaska on ebay.
Posted by BasketballJones:
I bought a used jet from Alaska on ebay.
I bought BasketballJones on eBay and then sold it on Craigslist.
Posted by GKFv2:
I've bought a lot of different things off ebay, including phones, video game systems and even sporting event tickets and have never had any problems.
ok I'm looking at you and Nalod and I know people that love eBay.....
Still how do you know if the item is legit? As you all know I'm looking for a phone...I saw a G1 selling for $296 which is about $100 cheaper than I can get it from T-mobile. I just watched...the seller has numerous items sold over the course of a year and some change...98% positive feedback...should I have purchased it? Now I'm not ballin like Stephon Marbury so I can't just say here dude take $300 and keep the change...
do your research? define this please.....every numb nut I ask about eBay always say this. What research? Read user feedback? Time in service? I dunno what else you can possibly research...please clarify.
I've bought over a hundred things, ranging from 5 bucks to maybe 800. I have had very very few problems. Maybe one item where I was taken and it was under 10 bucks.
Basically you have to look for people with a good history. I would NEVER buy something expensive from low history people. Nothing is guaranteed, but I try not to let one bad experience ruin all the good sellers. It's sort of like having one bad relationship, are you going to swear off women forever?
That said, when I can get something for the same price from Amazon, I go there, as they sell so many things these days.
Posted by EnySpree:
Posted by GKFv2:
I've bought a lot of different things off ebay, including phones, video game systems and even sporting event tickets and have never had any problems.
ok I'm looking at you and Nalod and I know people that love eBay.....
Still how do you know if the item is legit? As you all know I'm looking for a phone...I saw a G1 selling for $296 which is about $100 cheaper than I can get it from T-mobile. I just watched...the seller has numerous items sold over the course of a year and some change...98% positive feedback...should I have purchased it? Now I'm not ballin like Stephon Marbury so I can't just say here dude take $300 and keep the change...
do your research? define this please.....every numb nut I ask about eBay always say this. What research? Read user feedback? Time in service? I dunno what else you can possibly research...please clarify.
Electronics are "usually"
NOT a good buy on eBay. Use "Pricegrabber" or other search sites to find a good price.
Look for online sales....especially at holiday weekend times. Valentine's W/E 14th Feb and President's Day is Feb 16. Also look at Buy.com or Newegg - 2 companies that have good sales and from which I usually buy electronics online. (no sales tax if company doesn't do business in your state.)
I have purchased a bunch of items on eBay with very good results but never electronics. You also have to know/practice how to bid. I have sold my old computers on eBay and get a pretty good price selling electronics.
China: I have not had real happy results when buying items from China, HongKong or other Asian sellers. I would stay away from them and only buy from US or Canada sellers with good ratings.
T-Mobile G1 Phone with Google, Black (T-Mobile)
http://www.amazon.com/T-Mobile-G1-Google... List Price: $399.99
Price: $179.99(when purchased with new service plan) This is from Amazon - with free shipping. There may be other deals from other sites also......
Doing your research/homework also means reading the fine print......and checking other sellers. This phone seems like a good deal ....BUT the fine print in the description says that you can't disconnect the service that comes with the phone for 181 days -
Conditional $250 Discount
The purchase price listed above reflects a $250 instant discount based on your agreement to maintain service with the selected carrier. Please note that if you deactivate this device, cancel your line of service, or reduce the value of your service plan within 181 days of the activation of your service, you will be subject to a charge of up to $250, plus tax. Read more details here.
So you need to check out what the service plan is and if you like it or can live with it for 181 days. The eBay phone probably had conditions like this.
Good luck.
[Edited by - markji on 01-30-2009 07:45 AM]
eny,
I would not buy a phone or most electronics on E-bay.
I bought a used amp for a stereo project and that worked out. If it did not, I was out $120. That would suck, but thats the risk.
I buy from legit retailers whom sell on E-bay. YOu can tell by what else they sella and their rating.
My conditions are usually I won't pay more than 66% off retail price. If its more, its not worth the hassle. I also don't snipe at the end. I set my price and walk away. If someone wants to beat me, so be it.
I bought some great stereo equipment and got some great deals. Why? I knew what I wanted and waited. Be patient. Thats what most fail at. There is always another deal that comes up.
i would never buy any electronics from a private seller on ebay... if something ever went wrong w/it who do u return it to, or get troubleshooting support from? it's not worth the risk for the paltry amount of money you're about to save...
like Markji said, i would search for the best price on a price search engine like Slickdeals.net, Pricegrabber or Nextag... also run a google search on the item u want & just check out every price u can find & find the best deal... sometimes retailers run periodic specials that don't show up on those search engines... & like Nalod said, don't be in a rush to buy... electronics prices fluctuate so much, especially for newer technology... i bought my Garmin Nuvi 660 last year for $550... if i'd waited 6 months i coulda got the same exact model for $200 less... sometimes it pays to wait... if it's not an absolute must have item, usually it pays to wait til the price drops (especially true w/flatscreen TV's also)
[Edited by - TMS on 01-30-2009 07:18 AM]
i buy and sell on ebay all the time. i've sold my sony handy-cam as well as my entire stereo system(bose center sp, bose bookshelf sp, and 5 of the bose cubes). Never had any problems that weren't resolved though, you don't buy from someone with little feedback or that isn't near 100% feedback.
I've generally had good experiences. The few times I didn't I had payed via paypal and so got refunded; even after the SOB had closed shop. I think sometimes what happens is these guys buy accounts from reputable dealers who are leaving the buisness and try to take money without delivering goods.
Posted by EnySpree:
[quote]
ok I'm looking at you and Nalod and I know people that love eBay.....
Still how do you know if the item is legit? As you all know I'm looking for a phone...I saw a G1 selling for $296 which is about $100 cheaper than I can get it from T-mobile. I just watched...the seller has numerous items sold over the course of a year and some change...98% positive feedback...should I have purchased it? Now I'm not ballin like Stephon Marbury so I can't just say here dude take $300 and keep the change...
do your research? define this please.....every numb nut I ask about eBay always say this. What research? Read user feedback? Time in service? I dunno what else you can possibly research...please clarify.
OK Eny.
Did you buy a G1 or not? Where? and how is it?
