Originally posted by Mr D
please make sure your seller has a mostly positive feedback rating, and think wisely before sending money to strangers, I have bought thousands of dollars worth of watches, collectible trains and industrial equipment and yes there are a lot of scammers on e-bay, most prefer Western Union or cash, are new and have no history or are from another country. watches and laptops are used for scams a lot.
But it is fun buying an item possibly cheaper, but I've seen sellers turn around and ask for expensive shipping costs as well.
Think of it as an internet flea market. Do you often see brand new items at a flea market? yes you can but are they really what they appear to be? fakes? damaged? "new"old stock, which means its new merchandise that has sat on store shelves or in storage awhile, many sellers have stuff like this, last years toys, PC items, watches and games.
But it is fun making bids at the last 30 seconds..I know
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I was pretty lucky in terms of the issues you mentioned above.. My DD has collected Mickey Mouse items since she was a toddler (she's a gown woman now) and I was able to get several MM collector's plates that we somehow missed over the years.. She also has a very strong interest in John F. Kennedy & Jacqueline Kennedy Onasis and I was able to get her many books, magazines, old newspapers, etc. that she's going to be thrilled with! So much of it just can't be found anymore..
My son-in-law is a HUGE Jeff Gordon fan and all 12 of the items I purchased for him are brand new and not available locally.. They were INCREDIBLE deals and I am SOOOOO happy with them!
Got a bunch of videos for my DH - steal sealed - many being the older movies that he's never seen.. (He HATES movie theaters!!)
My granddaughter is into the Disney Princesses BIG time and I was able to get her the MOST adorable DP dress - custom made by a woman down south who sells these dresses on eBay to support her children.. It's GORGEOUS!!
Even cheated and got myself some brand new books and videos on topics of interest to me..
I only had one problem - and I requested a refund for an item that I never received.. The refund was in my account in an hour..
Still waiting on one other item.. The shipper failed to use Delivery Confirmation on the first package - shipped out a second one and didn't use it on that package either - so when I emailed him today to say the item still hadn't arrived he immediately refunded the entire amount (and then some) to my Paypal account this morning and told me if one - or both - should ever arrive to "enjoy them on him.." This item was over $20 - and brand new!!
I have a rule about shipping.. I never,
NEVER, ever bid on an item that does not have the shipping & handling clearly stated in the auction.. I also do not bid on auctions that don't accept Paypal as to do so would leave me with no buyer's protection..
And you're right about reading the feedback.. It's VERY important!
While there are certainly a lot of "flea market" type items on eBay, the trend seems to be leaning more towards offering the same merchandise you can buy in any store right now.. An example would be the Disney Princess Christmas tree.. People are buying them and then putting them on eBay in hopes of making a huge profit when people bid them up - and in many cases they have.. I was interested in one myself this year but because I couldn't wait for it to be shipped, I simply went to Target and purchased one..
It's a GREAT place to shop if you don't feel like leaving the house and fighting the crowds - BUT - you must do your homework first in order for it to be both profitable and rewarding..
Can't wait to start shopping again NEXT Christmas!!! LOL
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