Good buys via Ebay?

[djans1397]

I just checked out Ebay to see what kind of prices are offered for lets say... Tiablo A9's and such. I was farly impressed as to the low prices, but something tells me to beware. What kind of service will I get should I run into problems with the product. Can anyone comment on he above , esp from personal experience?

Dan

 

[precisionworks]

I've bought & sold on eBay since Sept. 2004, and have over 500 positive feedbacks (100%). Lots of others also have 100%, and your buying experience will almost always be great when you trade with a seller like that.

99.9% or 99.8% is usually OK, but you'll want to read the feedback comments to see what happened & how gracefully the seller dealt with an imperfect trade.

Rule #1: Always read feedback before a purchase.

Rule #2: Use feedback to guide your purchase.

Rule #3: If it looks too good to be true, especially from sellers who require cash or money order, run like hell.

Most of my machine shop equipment is eBay purchased because ten cents will often buy a dollars worth of goods. Most of my lights are CPF Marketplace purchased.

Not rocket science, as long as the seller is 100% or awfully close to that.

 

[mikekoz]

I buy lights from Ebay all the time and I have never had a problem. I also look at the sellers feedback. I just got two Gerber Trio's for just $32.00 shipped! I received them two days after I paid for them also. As far as service goes you need to deal with the manufacturer, not the seller, unless you are talking about DOA products. This is true even with most things purchased locally.

Mike

 

[Citivolus]

I know of several manufacturers for which items purchased on eBay or elsewhere will not carry a warranty, if the product is not new or the seller is not an authorized dealer. One notable example of this is Canon, which I confirmed via a telephone call a few months ago. If in doubt, call the manufacturer's service department in advance and be up front about the purchase. There is no harm in asking.

eBay isn't inherently worse than a shop, it is just that you are much more likely to be purchasing from a non-authorized dealer and to encounter a refurbished item being sold as new.

 

[gollum]

I have bought and sold on ebay and never had a problem ...
It's ideal for price checking and you'll usually find its cheapest. (including shipping.)
However I'd be wary of buying anything like high end electronics or big $ items due to warranty repairs or returns etc.
most mass produced elec. items are good value because you're cutting out the middle man,
I've noticed the tiablo a9 is currently cheap @ $72 shipped ,last week it was $130... there was a thread in the Good deals section ...
apart from that the only disadvantage is you can't actually pick the one you want or hold it in your hand before you buy....

 

[BillBond]

I buy most of my Surefire stuff on ebay and sell most of my Surefire stuff on CPF.

From my experience most outfits that have less than 98.5 % feedback
will be very slow shippers and will rarely return emails.

 

[TooSharp]

I've bought several Surefire lights from Ebay. In fact an E1B should be delivered today.

 

[precisionworks]

most outfits that have less than 98.5 % feedback
will be very slow shippers and will rarely return emails.

Funny, isn't it? You bat .985 in the Major League & you're better than anyone who has ever lived. You bat 98.5 on eBay & (more than likely) you are a serious dirtbag, lowlife, scumbag.

There are rare exceptions, like the buyer who went on vacation (or went into the hospital) not realizing they'd won an auction. Or the seller who had a family emergency & couldn't ship for a week. But a consistent pattern of slow shipping, damaged/defective products, lack of email response, etc., is a big red light. I know serial killers who have better than 98.5% feedbackoo:

 

[kramer5150]

99.9% or 99.8% is usually OK, but you'll want to read the feedback comments to see what happened & how gracefully the seller dealt with an imperfect trade.

Rule #1: Always read feedback before a purchase.

Rule #2: Use feedback to guide your purchase.

Rule #3: If it looks too good to be true, especially from sellers who require cash or money order, run like hell.

Not rocket science, as long as the seller is 100% or awfully close to that.

x2...
I would rather buy a Romisen, superfire or other Chinese made light from DX. IMHO their prices are better and Shipping is free.

The only light I bought from Ebay was a 6P from that guy blowing them out for $36. It went very smoothly, and I have no complaints. Lifetime Surefire warranty was really the icing on the cake.

I would have no problems buying another SF from a reputable Ebay seller, knowing Surefire lifetime service & free part replacement comes with it. Its kind of like buying used Craftsman tools from the flea market.

 

[Wattnot]

I know of several manufacturers for which items purchased on eBay or elsewhere will not carry a warranty, if the product is not new or the seller is not an authorized dealer.

Garmin (GPS products) is another one. They specifically state they will not warranty anything purchased via auction.

 

[DM51]

This is the wrong place to discuss eBay transactions, so I'm closing this thread.