Careful if you're buying a car on eBay

[Rory]

http://tinyurl.com/ncnkt

I hope the seller isn't one of us!

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

Am I the only person in the world who has NEVER bought anything from ebay and never ever would. I don't understand the lour of an on-line jumble sale.

 

[Blobcat]

Caveat Emptor, same as anything else really. Ebay can be very good and very bad you just have to be carefull. If it looks fishy, smells fishy and tastes fishy it is probably fishy.

 

[jberks]

Caveat Emptor, same as anything else really. Ebay can be very good and very bad you just have to be carefull. If it looks fishy, smells fishy and tastes fishy it is probably fishy.

This whole deal had the aroma of ropey Haddock -
A c180k coupe for less than 6k, bring cash, change of location etc but a fool and his money and all that. Scarey never the less. They said they were suspicious anyway - so can't understand why they didn't leave.
I'd like to think I'd have smelled a rat but when you think you're onto a bargain you can sometimes be blind to the obvious.

 

[Rory]

Am I the only person in the world who has NEVER bought anything from ebay and never ever would. I don't understand the lour of an on-line jumble sale.

I've found it particularly useful for stuff that isn't generally available.

ie, I got a brand new elec shower that was exactly the same model as the manky one I had (so swopping it was cinch) for £70. Refurb (new not available anymore) from Triton was £200.
Central heating boiler control PCB for £40 (at least £125 from any other source).
Books for daughter's uni course are typically £4/5 - have to be careful to get the right edition, sometimes the courework is based on an edition that isn't current (£30+ new)
HP printer - I wanted one that's out of production now so it matched the 2 others in the family so we only have to keep 1 spare set of carts.
Complete Diamondbrite kit for £20.

I've also made some slightly daft impulse purchases - Honda Jazz foglight kit (I'm just never going to fit them) and an infrared thermometer, to name but two.

There are some very good looking laptop bargains (on Thinkpads etc) but there are so many dodgy ones too, I'd be terrified of buying anything expensive.

I've only ever bought stuff, I really couldn't be bothered with the hassle of selling.

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

we have guys at the office who make a fortune selling stuff on it. Our sales director sold a pair of used trainers for £30!! I think I'd much rather sell stuff on ebay than buy on it.

 

[Blobcat]

I've bought and sold a few things on ebay. Most expensive purchase was a Ducati 996, I spent quite a bit of time with the DVLA, HPI and the Police ensuring that the seller had title before I handed over the folding.
I'm in the market for a new coffee maker at the moment, I can buy the exact model I want on ebay from Germany for £645 less than it is from on-line stores in the UK. I'm just checking out the seller at the moment to ensure all is in order. £645 is a lot of reasons to use ebay in my book.

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

I hear that! It's giving over financial details that worries me.

 

[Blobcat]

If you sign up with paypal there is no cost as a buyer and you are covered up to £500

 

[Myros]

Careful Blobcat

some of the Germans are adding 4% for paypal transactions, to cover their seller costs.
I've bought loads of stuff for the kids and cars from e-bay. only had two non-deliveries, one of which was refunded, one of which wasn't. I've had a few slow items, but on the whole, refreshing and cost effective.
Choose your sellers carefully, go for very high or perfect feedback only.

 

[Rory]

I hear that! It's giving over financial details that worries me.

Giving them to who?

I use a separate (to all my other) credit card to pay via PayPal so feel I'm pretty well isolated, however I wouldn't be very confident about PayPal sorting out any issues on a particular transaction - there are a lot of get-out clauses in their T's & C's.

Anytime you give someone a cheque (remember those) they had all your account details on them, and I don't remember people being too hung up about using cheques.

 

[Blobcat]

some of the Germans are adding 4% for paypal transactions, to cover their seller costs.
I've bought loads of stuff for the kids and cars from e-bay. only had two non-deliveries, one of which was refunded, one of which wasn't. I've had a few slow items, but on the whole, refreshing and cost effective.
Choose your sellers carefully, go for very high or perfect feedback only.

They used to do that in the UK as well until Ebay took over Paypal. The rules were then changed so sellers could no longer add anything on for payments via paypal. You will notice though that P&P prices have gone up to compensate. Ebay makes on the listing fee the selling fee and the paypal fees, great business.
The item I'm looking at is 20 euros more via ebay than if I buy direct with a transfer to their bank. No guarantess that way though.

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

Can't order stuff on line with a cheque though. My brother ordered some electronic components on-line from an outfit in Scotland once and then about a week later had a call from the Police telling him that he would be getting a credit card bill for £25,000 because the company had been using customers cards to order stock! The police had already informed the credit card company so nobody expected him to pay it but a couple of hundred quid here and there is less likely to be spotted.


I buy on line A LOT (way too much according to the wife) but only from companies I have first checked-out (reviews on pricerunner etc - makining sure that are not all from John Smith and all entred within a couple of ours of each other; make sure they have a contact phone number - that isn't premium rate; and an office address that isn't a PO Box). Can't really do that on ebay, or at least not to my satisfaction.

I'm sure if it was full of crooks it wouldn't have lasted as long as it has but I think I'll still give it a miss.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

Am I the only person in the world who has NEVER bought anything from ebay and never ever would. I don't understand the lour of an on-line jumble sale.

eBay?

thats greek isnt it? like football!!

 

[littlebrooklyn]

Am I the only person in the world who has NEVER bought anything from ebay and never ever would. I don't understand the lour of an on-line jumble sale.

I quite like eBay and I've bought and sold quite a number of things on there

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

Millions have. I'm just not one of them. Never bought anything from a car boot sale either.

I like the "idea" of eBay, just a bit concerned about my money going walkies.

 

[SLinKyjoe]

Millions have. I'm just not one of them. Never bought anything from a car boot sale either.

never found the need for a car boot either. i have found people get addicted to ebay, I cant be bothered myself, but i have noticed a rash of people now finding they can buy things cheaper in the shop if they look.

a case of, I am bidding so it must be cheap!

 

[OmniCognateNeutronRangler]

Very seldom buy stuff in "shops" these days. I tend to look at the item in the shops and then look around on the inter-web for the cheapest reputable reseller and have it delivered. Especially at Christmas, when I try to do as much on-line shopping as possible.

 

[bitonw]

This has nothing to do with eBay! It's just a naive move of a 42 old mother... very stupid!

But any how I bought loads of stuff from eBay inc my £169 Audio APS 30 what is working excellent!

 

[tom7035]

I'm a seller on eBay and find it a lot of fun. I sell old vinyl records and accessories like protective sleeves etc. so no 'life or death' sums of money involved. Started it to pass the time since I became unwell and retired, but now it pays for the holiday in the sun twice a year and helps keep the old MB on the road! Bought several jukeboxes in the past but cash on collection so no worries there. Nearly four years now and, touch wood, never been a hiccup.
Just wish I'D thought of it!