Stupid for buying on EBAY? (1 Viewer)

[Brian Johnson]

Since I am new at collecting, am I stupid for buying on ebay? I have won a few in the last few weeks and have so far had no problems & have gotten some good deals. I always see what I can get them for new if they are available and bid accordingly ,I have been looking mostly for OOP titles on ebay.
For example: I just won an auction for six(yes six!!)DVDs for 67.42 + 4.50 shipping. The list inclueds Alien SE,The Matrix,The 5th Element(non-superbit),Star Wars EP1,Robocop(criterion),and Star Trek 2. (the only one I had was the matrix, so I can always resell) I went to dvdpricesearch, typed in all the movies and going by deepdiscountdvd rates(about the only one I have actually bought from) these movies add up to $127.19
I guess I can post a link to the auction since its over.
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI...ndexURL=0&rd=1
Have many people been burnt using ebay? I figure both parties are in a legal contract we when buy/sell.
I guess I should of searched before posting but its too late now

 

[paul o'donnell]

Just check the buyer's feedback for blemishes and if you're happy with the deal you're getting, there's no way you can be stupid.

 

[Jacob_St]

Someone sold me a defective VHS about a month back. When I sent it back the guy "claimed" it worked and didn't refund me. If your item is 25 dollars or higher you can file a fraud claim but anything less than that you aren't left with many options. I tried the safe harbor thing at square trade but that didn't get me anywhere. Since I only paid 8.99 for the tape I didn't pay the 20 bucks for a mediator. I'm still pissed for being ripped off but there's nothing more I can do about it. I just posted negative feedback on the guys account and then blocked his email address because he kept sending rude emails calling me a liar.

 

[Malcolm R]

I've successfully purchased more than 100 items through Ebay over the past couple of years and have never really been unhappy with anything. I did have concerns about one item, but the seller gladly refunded my money and let me keep the item as well, so there was certainly no hassle there.

As suggested check other sources to get an idea on pricing available elsewhere and bid accordingly. Also check the feedback profiles to excessive negatives. Sellers of any volume are bound to get a few negatives, but if they make up any significant percentage of their feedback, there could be trouble.

As far as the "Legal Contract" issue...true, but usually the amount involved is generally so small as to not be worth your while to pursue in a true legal sense (lawyer, small claims, etc.). The best you can usually do is complain to the seller, then to Ebay if s/he isn't cooperative. But I've not yet had any bad experiences that went anywhere near the levels of legal recourse.

Sounds like you probably got a great deal, provided all the discs and packaging are in good condition.

 

[Jeff Howard]

I've been using ebay the last month or so,& have gotten a few good deals on dvd's although you have to watch out for the dvd bootlegs.I've noticed on some ebay posts it will say no region code on items i know should be region 1.Just have to be careful.

 

[Geo Gabor]

I've had plenty of good experiences at eBay - both buying and selling - and would definitely recommend that route if it appeals to you.

A word of caution, though: be educated in the items you are buying. For example, someone might list an item as being OOP, but it might be OOP because they're releasing a special edition next week. If you don't know what you're doing, you might suffer some buyer's remorse when you learn that you could have gotten a better item later.

By the way, if I'm selling an item on eBay that is soon to be re-released, I will not put OOP in the ad. That's misleading, IMO.

Happy bargain-hunting!

Geo

 

[Brian G]

Another option that has been getting popular lately because you don't have to deal with the bidding aspect is the amazon.com marketplace, mew, used, and Oop items have a link from amazon's new item.
I've gotten really good deals from there without having to win a bid. I've also been very succesful myself at selling my old VHS library there.

 

[Dick]

I am past the 2500 item mark in terms of items sold - mostly video's, DVD's and laser discs - on eBay. I have only had two defaults on payment in that time (by contrast, the post office has lost twice that many packages, so I always insist upon insurance). Not one bad personal check. Very nice people. I've bought probably two hundred items (mostly laser discs) from eBay and have NEVER had a problem that the seller wasn't willing to make good on, and very few of those. Feedback is a good guage of a seller/buyer's record of fast payment or shipping, and of reliability regarding condition of items sent. It's a fickle business but a very intersting one. I can purchase a certain laser title one week on line for $20.00, then sell it two weeks later for $40.00, or get no bids at all. Depends on moment-to-moment demand, rather like the stock market. It's actually kind of fun, except for the packing and mailing part.

 

[Tony_Faville]

I have purchased somewhere between 30 and 40 DVD's off of Ebay and have not been screwed, they all worked and they all showed up. Of course, I was careful in who I dealt with so your results may vary.

 

[Lars Vermundsberget]

Stupid?

Maybe. If you:

1. bid way too much

for

2. an item you don't really want

offered by

3. a seller with bad feedback...

Just make sure you check those three points, and you'll probably have a good eBay experience.

 

[Andre F]

I'm just not into the whole EBay thing. I had a few problems on Half.com and decided that I would quit right there. Just my opinion of course.

-Andre F

 

[Barry_B_B]

I usuaully buy from sellers with a high rating. Only one disappointment so far, bought a copy of Stargate and was not informed it was a "flipper" I didn't even know they existed!

 

[Brian Johnson]

Ok Barry (or whoever) whats a 'flipper'?
Either way thanks for the responses. I do make sure too look at the feedback. I just am a bit gunshy to sending money to someone that I don't know upfront(although I know this is how it works online, but mainly from a brick & mortar store you know you can trust & contact easily)
I figure I stick with purchases under $50 mostly so until I get burnt I guess I dont see any problems.
P.S. Speaking of getting burnt. I bought a pair of klipsch rp-3 off ubid. I have listened too & compared (the best I could in the store before buying) And the price I paid was at least $400 dollars off buying them from another online vendor. (BTW. Ubid is authorized to sell Klipsch online, few others are) Not to mention how much I saved from buying locally. HOWEVER, I guess when you try to save a few pennies, you lose the customer service. I received the speakers very much sooner than I did with other purchases from UBID, and I even arranged to have them picked up at UPS. I went to UPS, looked at the boxes they had waiting for me, and they were too different speakers One speaker was the RP-3 the other was a RP-5, a much larger speaker & clearly marked ON THE BOX.
To make a long story short, refused RP-5, Ubid working on sending me the right one now.
Buyer Beware
Thanks for reading, I know I went way off topic & probably in the wrong area.

 

[Lars Vermundsberget]

I have used eBay mainly for items not readily available elsewhere. I prefer to buy in-print material from a "real" (online) store.

 

[Barry_B_B]

The dreaded "flipper" is a DVD which has half the movie on one side, half on the other. Not a big deal really, just completely unexpected since none of my others had this feature. I now check descriptions on older discs very carefully and email if anythings in doubt.

 

[Bjorn Olav Nyberg]

I haven't used ebay that many times, and I have mainly used it to buy laserdiscs, some at rather high prices (50-70 USD) some at more regular prices. Now my desire for the old lasers are kind of slowing down as a lot more are available on DVD, but still I have found that buying some DVD's on ebay can be very practical, for me who live in R2 land and want to get a few more hard to get R1 DVD's for reasonable prices and don't want to register my VISA at too many stores.

Recently I got amongst other a Criterion Charade DVD. I had already ordered one from Amazon but it took it's time and I got worried I would lose it so I bought one of ebay as well.

This is where I did learn a lesson others have told as well. I bought three DVD's from the same seller, the other two were perfect, but the Charade DVD lived up to the theme of the movie. Everything were not as it seemed upon opening the case. First I noticed the plastic wrapping was kind of loose, but I didn't think much of it at first. Then I noticed the safety sticker on top was uneven and didn't stick very well. When I opened the actual case the booklet and insert were crumpled, and the disc had scratches and fingerprints.

The case had been opened up and resealed! I am positive that must have been it. I have seen warnings of that before, but I bought this disc from a well respected seller with about 200 positive feedbacks and 2 negatives a long time ago.

I am not trying to scare you away from using ebay though. I have got some good deals there myself. But sometimes things happen that are not as easy to predict, as in this case.

 

[Bill Balcziak]

I have significantly more problems with Half.com than EBay.
Half.com is a crook's paradise. My advice? NEVER buy from somebody with no rating or a rating lower than 4.8 out of 5.0 or fewer than 10 feedback responses.
If you have a problem, you are in for a huge hassle. Half.com makes communication between parties next to impossible, and the waiting period for a refund is usually 60+ days, no matter what they claim (and you will almost always have to call Half.com to get any action taken on a refund). The biggest problem I've had is with sellers who wildly overstate the condition of the item they are selling. And recently, I've had buyers who claim they didn't receive an item (but when I present a delivery confirmation, their claim magically disappears ).
I've stopped buying from Half.com sellers. The ripoff rate is way too high, and that negates any "deal" I might be getting.

 

[Eric Thrall]

I've been eBaying for many years now, but I do it more to locate hard-to-find items than to get deals. My experience on eBay is that you usually pay more than it's worth - I've sold used items on eBay for more than it would cost to buy new. If you can find deals, good for you, but as another poster noted, be sure to do your homework! You might win a movie you want for $11, with $3.50 shipping, and if you went to a good online retailer, you might get the same item for $13.99 including shipping!

I've only been ripped off once - I took a chance with a seller with a rating of only 5 (5 positives) because it was an item I really wanted (only about $20). The day after I sent the money order, their rating went down to 4. The next day it was at 3. Within a couple of days, they were down to -4. I talked to her on the phone, sent emails and letters, and she lied to me every time we talked. She claimed that she had sent the package UPS - but she couldn't provide a tracking number. She said that she'd contact them and get one, but she never managed to get a tracking number to me. Obviously, their plan was to get a few successful transactions, then rip off 10 or 15 people all at once.

 

[AaronMK]

The few times I have bought on ebay, I have had prompt delivery and items arrived as advertised. However, I only use them for hard to find items.

OTOH, the one experience I had with half.com was less than steller. What enticed me to buy from them was that with a $5 coupon, I would be able to get a factory sealed Heat for $10. The first seller backed out, and it took them a week to reactivate my "new customer" status so I could reapply the coupon. On the second try, the disc came, but it was not factory sealed as advertised. This was also from a very well rated seller.

I don't plan on using half.com again.

 

[Ron Boster]

"How many people have been burnt using Ebay?...I guess I should of searched before posting but its too late now "
I did a search on this forum and counted 1,328 cases of people being burned on Ebay. I included those who noted a blemish on a cover of OOP titles.
Buyer Beware
Ron
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