Buying on Ebay

[kenhar]

Most of the time when a deal seems too good to be true, it is. Returning something by mail, UPS ect. can get expensive. Ebay helps with some problems but in a satisfaction guarantee, your money is usually satisfactory whether your deal is or not.

 

[CoyPatton]

There are several things I try to be very diligent about when ebay shopping. No real order, but like each to be checked off.
•above 98% positive feedback score
•over 500 feedback provided (more is better)
•ebay money back or accepts returns
•check photos if of actual item and read description carefully

I have ordered lots of stuff off ebay, but find that it was better years ago for honest sellers. But I find the same to be true of Amazon sellers.
I have only been burned a handful of times from both combined, but fill used and abused when it happens. Generally if an item is priced way lower than other sellers of same item when all things are equal, I avoid those items(such as tool only).

 

[johneking]

I want to purchase the Echo 2500T battery saw. It is very expensive even without the battery and charger. There are several sellers on ebay with brand new, in the box ones for far cheaper. The price difference seems worth the risk but the sellers all have high ratings. Am I taking a huge risk here? Not a big ebay shopper so looking for some advice.

Do you have/use PayPal?
I buy quite a bit {am now almost ALWAYS staying away from anything selling on Fakebook as most are SCAMS! unless I can go directly to their website} and will ALWAYS use PayPal or PayPal Credit {I like the option of 6 months FREE} and if there is ever a problem {I have two "Fraud Claims" presently with a Master Card -- AGAIN! and they will refund almost instantly, but then "review" for 2 to 3 months} PP has been great.
I did buy a Toro 60V 20" chainsaw and so far love it. I think it came with a medium sized battery and would like another but so far pricing has stopped me from buying one {I cut for fun/firewood/removal -- not for income} and keep checking on batteries.

 

[John_Mc]

That's a good list, @CoyPatton.

A lot of people don't seem to realize that a feedback score below the mid 90's can pretty darn bad. I'll also read through some of the feedback to get a feel for some of the things that have gone wrong in the past. Things that did not show, were not as described, or arrived missing parts is a red flag. Someone who got dinged for being a little slow to ship is less of a concern to me.

I'll accept lower feedback numbers if it's a specialty item, but only after having some email interactions with the seller to get a feel for whether they really know the item they are selling or not. (Occasionally someone who is not a regular seller will have something I'm interested in, such as a part for my antique Coot UTV or my 1951 Truck. They may only have sold a few things on eBay, but I can usually get a decent feel for whether they are a legit owner or just someone who copied a photo from somewhere.)

 

[WinterDeere]

No name tends to be better quality than counterfeit. Even though they are not a brand name, they at least have a name of their own, and have some interest in repeat business.

That's a good point. "off brand" and "counterfeit" are two very different things.

 

[walhondingMF]

I did use pay pal on this order. I liked the idea of a little extra protection.

 

[jyoutz]

I use PayPal on EBay, and Pay Pal is really good about pursuing and granting refunds in case of seller fraud.

 

[XxLT250RxX]

I have use eBay since 1999. When I first started any dispute always went in favor of the seller. That changed overnight. I don't remember exactly when it happened. I remember all the seller bitching and threating to leave eBay. Since then, they are buyer oriented. I have had a few problems with purchase since then. I have never lost a cent. eBay has always ruled in my favor. Sometimes almost immediately and sometimes it takes a week or two but always in my favor. I have taken some chances on to-good-to-be-true deals. Some worked out and some I had to file a dispute, but all were ruled in my favor. I have had more trouble with Amazon. If it is sold by and ships from Amazon no problem. If it is sold by and shipped from a third party, you may have a problem returning or getting a refund. I bought a very expensive security camera system through Amazon from Amcrest. It was sold by and shipped from Amcrest through Amazon. There was a problem, and it took me months to get my money back. Many items are sold by and shipped from China. Be careful with those too.

 

[deserteagle71]

You have to be VERY careful buying off Ebay...way too many counterfeit items being sold there that are labeled as OEM when in fact they are fakes.

Counterfeit spark plugs: The ignition villains that could ruin your engine!

NGK SPARK PLUG advises on how to beat the counterfeiters. Fake spark plugs can do serious damage to cars and businesses.

www.ngkntk.com

I got burned big time when I decided to change the spark plugs in my F150...didn't do my research beforehand. I knew which Motorcraft part number I needed so I went on line, found the cheapest bargain, and ordered them. This is the ad:

Six spark plugs for $24. Little did I know that OEM Iridium Motorcraft plugs from a Ford dealer will run ~ $18 each, or $15 each from an O'Reilly or such. When they arrived they sure looked genuine, with the packaging and the plugs themselves markings looking genuine. 2000 miles after installing them the truck began misfiring...pulled the plugs to find the center electrodes were pretty much burned off. That's when I found out about counterfeit spark plugs, coil packs, etc. Although these LOOK genuine they are made of inferior material. All sorts of horror stories on the auto forums and many YouTube videos on the problems these fakes cause.

I reported this to Ebay but their response was essentially "too bad, so sad".

 

[dfkrug]

There is a booming business in counterfeit batteries for many popular tools. Visually, the counterfeits are so good that it is easy to be fooled - some of them have even shown up on the shelves of brick & mortar retail stores. Unfortunately, they often contain low-end or substandard battery cells, or have missing or ineffective fusing and battery management systems.

Yes, counterfeit batteries for DeWalt, Milwaukee, etc are often externally indistinguishable from genuine. Even the packaging. Scary.

But, if sold on eBay, you will get your money back if you complain within 30 days, and I expect the seller to be stopped very quickly.

Note that listings for legitimate compatible non-OEM batteries are listed as "for DeWalt", or "for Milwaukee". Some of these aftermarket batteries are better than others, and may be a good deal. I have purchased some of those in the past (for Makita, for Nikon).