Ebay battery buy?

chiphead · Aug 31, 2010

Is there a safe place to purchase X123 or lithium ion cells on Ebay?

chiphead

DM51 · Aug 31, 2010

No.
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45/70 · Aug 31, 2010

DM51 said:
No.
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+1

While it is possible to get a good deal on ebay, you never know what you're going to get. If you don't get what you expected, it's difficult to straighten things out, and the seller knows that. It is a seller's market, all advantages are offered the seller, and very few to the buyer.

A lot of online dealers get rid of their second rate merchandise on ebay, because they know if the buyer is unhappy, they are likely to just pass it off as a bad experience and let it go. As for the rating system, it's worthless. It pretty much boils down to blackmail. If the seller were required to give feedback before the buyer could do so (as it should be), things would be different. That's not likely to ever happen, as ebay makes money on sales, the more the sellers get away with, the better for them.

The only things I buy off of ebay, are things that can't be found elsewhere, or items that are extremely hard to come by. In these situations you're forced to take the risk.

Dave

chiphead · Aug 31, 2010

Thanks for the feedback fellas, I guess that even in the digital age it's still; buyer beware!

chiphead

Jay R · Aug 31, 2010

45/70 said:
As for the rating system, it's worthless. It pretty much boils down to blackmail. If the seller were required to give feedback before the buyer could do so (as it should be), things would be different.

I thought they had changed it so if you give bad feedback as a buyer, the seller can't give you bad feedback in return.

I feel fine buying off ebay. Quite a lot of reputable shops sell there and as long as you know what you are shopping for, you should be fine.

LuxLuthor · Aug 31, 2010

DM51 said:
No.
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+2

No way to know good from bad, counterfeit from genuine. Ebay is the perfect dumping ground for cheap generic batteries. Some may be good, but they know most people don't have a reliable way to evaluate discharge voltage quality, run time, life cycles, etc.