Might sound like a stupid question to the majority of you but I've never used it nor have I ever needed to buy when I'm occasionally browsing I see deals offering items worth, for example, £200 for £80.
What are your experiences, views, advice and opinions?
2007-10-22 07:19:47 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Business & Finance ➔ Other - Business & Finance
Rules to follow:
1. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
2. Is it costs too little, watch out for the shipping.
2007-10-22 07:22:37 · answer #1 · answered by Feeling Mutual 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I have made quite a few purchases on there and I have had no big problems. A couple of times, the items purchased were not as good as I expected but it was not a really big deal. There are people on there scamming but for the most part the sales are done by regular people wanting to just sell you something.
What I would watch for if I were you.
#1. Learn to use feedback. Check the feedback of any person you deal with before you bid. If there are negatives then you might want to skip that auction. If there is no feedback then you will want to consider how much risk do you want to take. I would not do business with someone with a very low feedback (like less than 20) for an amount more than $100 (about £50 for you). Also, look to see how many times the person has sold before. Feedback can come from selling or buying. If the person has never sold before, you may want to consider any possible risk.
#2. Read all of their terms and conditions before you bid. Sometimes, there are people on there selling who will have some goofy terms like expecting you to pay only thru wire service (that is an indicator of a scam by the way).
#3. See what they are charging for shipping before you bid. If they do not list shipping or use a calculator then contact them and ask what the shipping cost will be. If the seller does not give you a shipping cost then do not bid. If the shipping seems high then do not bid. There are some sellers who pad their profits by making the shipping larger. Also, make sure you know where the item is being shipped from. The are rules that say a person is supposed to list where the item is being shipped from. Some people get confused and list the stuff wrong and some will just not tell the truth. I have never had that happen but a friend of mine did win a bid on something being shipped from overseas one time and that made the shipping much larger than what he expected.
#4. Understand what you are buying. Make sure that you understand exactly what you are purchasing. They may show a picture of a DVD player but it may be just for the manual for the player. The sellers are supposed to only show pictures of exactly what they are selling but some get lazy and some try to trick you. Also, knowing something about the product they are selling is not a bad idea. Do a bit of research on what you are buying before you bid.
2007-10-22 07:31:51 · answer #2 · answered by A.Mercer 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I used to shop on ebay along time ago, Seller had a high rating and I won the bid, I paid for the item and got verification that he recieved the money and he never sent my my item that I won. When I contacted him, he tried to make up every excuse in the book. I also tried contacting ebay about it. They didn't care at all. They basically sent me a email saying that they don't care and it's not there problem. So basically, I was screwed out of my money and my item. So I never went back to ebay. One of my family members have had problems on ebay as well. But we have ran across another website that is just as good and never ever gotten screwed over and that is shopgoodwill.com. I have found alot of good deals there.
2007-10-22 07:37:06 · answer #3 · answered by Crystal A 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ebay itself is but check the history of any sellers to see if past customers have complaints. Also check the item description carefully as some things are listed only for parts or may be damaged in some way not apparent from just the title of the item.
2007-10-22 07:24:12 · answer #4 · answered by KatieK 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i've had several frauds on ebay all of which however were not only resolved and my money returned but legal actions were taken against the people who had to pay fines and were banned from the internet for a period of time. as long as you document your transaction and get a hold of a FBI agent (internet fraud is a felony last time i checked).. forget filing a complaint through paypal or ebay.. that may be great to leave them a lousey negative feedback or get partial money back.. stick it to them.. go for the jugular!!
2007-10-22 07:32:09 · answer #5 · answered by smileydtd 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, if Ebay wasn't trust worthy, then it wouldn't be on the internet. Plus any offer that deals with money you don't have, don't buy it because then you'll get in a big mess.
2007-10-22 07:23:46 · answer #6 · answered by moneylord 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In my nutshell Yeah but their fees are too much therefore I am seeking a different avenue. Ebay is over. Unless they want to give us back the over charged exorbitance fees. Those aren't listing fees those are charge me when the money comes in and out then back on the way in then out charge.
2007-10-22 07:30:55 · answer #7 · answered by Brettski 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Im guessing your in the UK, but in the us if you dont buy outside the country, and if you know the rules well enough, and dont buy anything over 2k, its impossible to get screwed. If you know your stuff you can always get your money back. But if your a seller... then you can still get screwed no matter how well you know your stuff.... :(
2007-10-22 07:38:42 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ebay is trustworthy.
Some of the people who sell and buy on Ebay are not.
I have had alot of good experiences.
2007-10-22 08:11:18 · answer #9 · answered by clam001122 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
not always....
this is advisable that you check the sellers score & recent feedback before making a purchase.
2007-10-22 07:23:16 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋