Anybody use e-bay?

[J-Luv]

i'm trying to buy something off e-bay for the first time, just created an account and bid on something.

can you just buy an item and have it delivered or do you "have" to bid on it and wait 1 or 2 days to see if somebody else bids on it?

i'm trying to buy a movie prop needed for this weekend.

[silverx2]

you can click buy it now on some items.

EBAy is the devil i wouldnt never do anything with ebay... ebay is the paris hilton of the internet.

[J-Luv]

lmao...why do you say that? whats so bad about it?

[silverx2]

id say just going off what i read 45% of the things on ebay are scammers.

[cancerinform]

ebay is ok. When you bet on something just bet once low to have the item stored as email. Then just wait a few seconds until the auction ends and enter the amount you want to spend. Don't get into endless betting, which will only drive up the price.

[hanratty21]

id say just going off what i read 45% of the things on ebay are scammers.

I've been using ebay on and off for 5+ years. Never had an issue. Try not to ship anything to West Africa or buy $1500 laptops for $89 and you should be fine. Just like with anything else, common sense rules. If you are looking to find something for nothing...then you'll probably pay something...for nothing.

[silverx2]

you better knock on some wood.

[J-Luv]

the thing i want costs like $10, i wish it was a way i could just buy it and not have to wait, etc.

[Loyal Rogue]

I've been buying and selling on ebay for years now with no problems.
Always make sure to check for any hidden shipping or handling charge that might be written into the item description.
Ebay only takes a commission from the selling price so a lot of sellers will try to shift their profit margin over to the "shipping and handling".
I don't have a problem with the practice so long as the shipping charge is clearly stated and shows up on the results page next to the current bid.
Example, I'll use a USPS flat rate box which costs $9 to send, then I'll list the item with a starting bid of 99 cents with a $20 shipping charge to insure a profit even if the item sells at the initial bid.

Make sure you check the seller's positive rating and actually look at the description for any negative ratings.
Don't buy any big ticket items from new sellers with little or no score.
When paying I use paypal which is owned by ebay and I pay thru them using a credit card with purchase protection.

Like Cancerinform said, "sniping" or waiting till the last few seconds to bid on the item is the way that 99% of the autions go.
Since you've already placed a bid, there's obviously no "buy it now" option for your item so you'll have to wait until the end of the auction to try and win it.
Decide on the absolute highest amount that you are willing to pay for it and when the auction is about 20-30 seconds from ending place you maximum bid.
Other people will be doing the same so if your maximum is higher than everyone else's you'll win the item at just above the person's maximum bid below you.
Example, in the last couple of seconds you place a maximum bid of $100 and the next guy below you places a maximum bid of $75.
You will win the item and pay $76.

[Loyal Rogue]

the thing i want costs like $10, i wish it was a way i could just buy it and not have to wait, etc.

Try contacting the seller.
If you can make him an offer that is more than he thinks he'll get from bids he might be willing to end the auction early for you or cancel and relist with a "buy it now" price for you.
Doesn't hurt to ask.

[robbmcaulay]

I've used ebay for over 5 years without one problem. Bought things costing hundreds without worry. If you execute a little common sense it's flawless.

And yeh, asking to end early is a good idea if it's not a popular item.

[littleMatt]

If you execute a little common sense it's flawless.

Agreed!

eBay is pretty good, just beware the winner's curse.

[gerbick]

I'm going on 7 years, never had a true problem either. But I just don't buy high dollar items from there.

[Frets]

I buy high dollar items on ebay and never have a problem.

I also do my research before placing a bid.

[MagnusVS]

I bought a lens for my camera (for USD 1000). I don't know if I would've bought something that expensive again, but if the seller has a good rating from many buyers, I think it's quite safe.

[asheep_uk]

Know the market price.

I buy most of my computer games from eBay, as I don't see the value in owning them new, but when I was bidding on SimCity 4 a while back, quite a few of the bids went over how much a new boxed copy would be from Amazon!

Can work to your advantage though, if you're the seller.

[silverx2]

you are all in for a world of hurt. i have forseen it.

[kevin_smithers]

I have been using eBay for years and not had any major problems but as mentioned do your homework on the person you are purchasing from, if they have 100% feedback but none of that has been in the last 6 months and you are spending a large amount I would say avoid as you can't look back and see what the cost of the items the feedback was for.

Over the past 9 months I have probably spent £200 on crap, £300 on things I do need, £300 on a SONY VAIO and £360 on a Canon 400D and no problems at all, and I will probably be spending around £400 on a lens next week.

[onine]

ok, here's a question for you all (except silver I guess);

who would pay £800-£900 ($1600) for a copy of Adobe CS3 Web Premium (worth £1000+) boxed etc... from a seller who has only ever used ebay to make three small purchases (comics)?

If not, what would the seller have to do to convince you he's legit?

[gerbick]

To answer your question... no. Small purchases, then a huge item sell. They'd need custom pictures that are high-resolution, answer each inquiry, and know the likelihood of being able to transfer that software. Otherwise, no... I'd not trust it.