What are people's opinions of ebay?

Question

Has anyone ever sold or bought items on ebay?

Answer 1

eBay can be very safe, provided you do your homework.  First, read the terms of the auction carefully.  That means read every word in the auction.  If you buy the item, the auction is a binding contract.  

Next, before an auction even begins ask the seller at least one question.  That way you will gauge his responsiveness.  Is he a responsive, communicative seller, or is he going to blow you off and not answer your questions?  How he behaves prior to the sale is a good indicator of how he will behave after the sale.  Depending on what you bought, you might ask if it came from a smoke-free environment, if that is important to you.   You might ask about the seller's return policy.

Regarding the auction, is the item description clear? Is there a good photo of the actual item, or is it a stock photo?  Red flags would be stock photos (instead of photos of actual items), excessively high shipping rates, an "all items sold as is" policy, and a sketchy, brief description of the item.  

Check the seller's feedback on their eBay profile (should be 100% positive or close) and by going to http://www.toolhaus.org and typing in the seller's name.  Check both the seller's feedback that he's received from other users, as well as feedback he has left for other users.  If there is a lot of drama going on on a seller's toolhaus page, avoid them!  

You can still have a negative experience with a seller with a 100% positive feedback rating. Often buyers are afraid to leave a seller a negative, for fear of a receiving a retaliatory negative feedback in return.  I have bought from sellers with 100% feedback who shipped 50-year-old books in flimsy envelopes, sold items reeking of cigarette smoke, or "forgot" in their item description to mention flaws.  I gave honest feedback except for one case, which was a $5 item.  A retaliatory neg isn't worth $5 to me.

Regarding shipping, look for positive feedback on the seller's profile mentioning great packing.  There's nothing worse than buying a beautiful item and having it ruined because your seller doesn't know how to pack properly.

If something goes wrong, contact the seller, and use all available means necessary to try to make things right with the seller prior to leaving feedback.  Take up to 10 to 15 days to try to resolve any issues diplomatically.  There are deadlines for filing disputes with eBay; find out what they are. If something really goes wrong, email eBay's customer care team; you can put in a dispute.  My experience is that it is best to pay with Paypal using a credit card.  Don't use disputes unless the item was significantly not as described in the auction, arrived broken or damaged, or is missing parts that were named in the auction but did not arrive in the package.

Do your homework prior to bidding.  Check what similar items have sold for in the past 30 days by doing a completed auctions search.  Check what similar items are currently selling for.  Add all similar items to your watchlist and keep an eye on them.  

Check the auction prices against your local store's prices for the same item, and against online shopping websites.  eBay is not always the cheapest way.

eBay can be a safe place to buy.  Remember you are buying from individuals.  As on Yahoo, individuals vary greatly.  So do your homework before you buy, and you'll be less likely to be disappointed and more likely to have a positive buying experience.

Answer 2

I've never sold anything. Buy, I buy stuff all the time. I've probably made several hundred puchases and been disappointed only a handful of times. One time was a direct rip-off (advertised one item and shipped another - then the sellers account was removed). Other times, I ordered glass items that the seller didn't pack properly and they arrived shattered. Then, they said they wouldn't replace the items (I was out maybe $20). Another time I ordered an item that didn't ship for 6 months.

Overall, though, I am very confident when buying items - even high-priced items (thousands of dollars) - as long as the seller has a good feedback rating. That's very important to do before bidding/buying on eBay: check the seller's rating and read what other people's experiences were like. Avoid less than about a 98% positive rating and you should be fine. Also, use PayPal. It's a pretty secure method of payment.

Answer 3

Looking for anime DVDs? I found mine here at http://stores.ebay.com/2ndChance-Deals.  Great selection and friendly people.