Ebay Question?

Question

Hi guys....

I just bought a new house and I want to put a Plasma TV on my living room. These things cost around $1000 - $5000 (depending on the size and brand) if I were to buy them from Retail stores like Best Buy....

I started looking around in Ebay and found a few that are below $1000, some are even below $500, and most of the sellers are located in Europe....

My question is/are.

Is this for real? And do people really deliver these things once paid for? And what assurance do I have that I will receive what I paid for? What are the chances of me getting screwed?

Click below to see the items.
http://search.ebay.com/plasma-tv_W0QQcatrefZC6QQcoactionZcompareQQcoentrypageZsearchQQcopagenumZ1QQfromZR10QQfrtsZ50QQfsooZ1QQfsopZ1QQftrtZ1QQftrvZ1QQsacatZQ2d1

*The prices just sounds too good to be true.*

Answer 1

Ebay is great, but your most important issue is the complexity of what you're buying. It is very likely something you'll wish you'd bought from someone who can give you plenty of support after the sale, and who will educate you about the item. I strongly suggest you shop at the retail outlets and learn more about what you are buying and all the other things you need to buy to go along with that TV to make it work right. A good deal isn't a good deal if it isn't: 1. the right product for you; 2. if it doesn't include all the supporting hardware and software you need to run it.; 3. someone to help you out when you can't get it to work right/don't understand the instructions.

Now about ebay...
You stand a better chance "of getting screwed" if you buy from someone outside of the US. Beware of currency conversions!!! If the price you're looking at isn't already converted to US value, you could pay double or more - $1000+. Also, you could end up with electronics not wired correctly for use in the US.

"Is this for real?" - You bet! But it is "definitely buyer beware".

"And do people really deliver these things once paid for?" -- Yes, IF they are reputable sellers. You can determine a sellers reputation by looking at his feedback rating. For expensive or technical items, it's always best to choose a seller with a feedback rating of at least 98%, but more importantly, a very high sales volume and several years history. Some large companys, complete with customer service, sell on ebay - this is your best bet for something like a plasma TV.

If you shop at the retail outlets, find the TV you want and find out what else you may need to buy with it, get their price and model numbers. This way you can make sure you're comparing apples to apples. Lastly - BEWARE SHIPPING COSTS AND HIDDEN FEES AND CHARGES! Always email the seller (look for "ask seller a question" link) and make them give you the total price (in US dollars) you will be charged (excluding the bid price) BEFORE you bid! Once you make a bid, you're committed to the purchase.

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

Be careful when dealing with overseas sellers that have offers that look too good to be true. They will usually charge an exhorbitant amount for the shipping and I don't know what you would do if you had a warranty issue. You should also check Costco and BJs for deals on Plasma TVs. Best Buy is a reputable dealer but they definitely don't have great prices on products.

Answer 3

they have 2

Answer 4

Things that sound too good to be true usually are not true. See if sellers have a rating in Ebay. Watch out for shipping and handling charges where they get you. For that amount of money, I personally would not buy from an unknown in EU.

Answer 5

You need to file a report with ebay and paypal as well. Call ebay and paypal as well and speak to someone. Sorry to say but It sounds like this guy was out to screw you right from the start.

Answer 6

yeah but on ebay (i have had a lot of experience trust me),

the sellers will sell a computer for 1 cent and make the shipping $800...apart from that they're like 100 other catches

I highly recomend u just try to find the best deal at best buy!!!

Answer 7

You will be protected and get what you pay for if you go thru Pay-Pals...but YOU are responsible for getting it here from Europe. Then I don't know if the warranty would be valid. You may want to pony up the extra money so you have a valid warranty, no shipping, and a store to take it back to should there be a problem

Answer 8

whatever you "save" on price, you will pay for it in shipping. if it's coming from europe, expect hefty shipping prices. that's usually how many of them turn a profit is by charging outrageous shipping costs. many of those sellers are not seasoned. they have a couple of sales but not a lot. noe did but also had some negative feedback issues. I think you'd be better off getting one from best buy and having some peace of mind.

Answer 9

Usually when something looks too good to be true, it probably is. I'd be safe and not do it. There are far too many scams out there today. Check the newspapers for someone who's selling one right in your area.

Answer 10

most of the time it is to good to be true the best idea is to check peoples feeback, if they set it private, then they are hiding something.
also check the tv against a webiste to compare prices, or if u find it a lot cheaper quiz the person why its so cheap

here is an good example
http://cgi.ebay.com/SHARP-AQUOS-LC-65D90U-65-in-LCD-Televisio-n-TV-HDTV_W0QQitemZ280016012637QQihZ018QQcategoryZ11073QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Retail price is $19,999.99
and he/she is hiding there feedback (private) so they are hiding something.