A Guide To Safe Ebay Buying
October 25, 2007 | Filed under Money, Online
When bidding on eBay, I find that if you abide by some simple rules, you will never find yourself out of pocket for an item that didn’t arrive, or an item that didn’t match its description.
Firstly, and most importantly, read the item description. Read it carefully and thoroughly, two or three times if you have to. Check measurements, details of use, and do some Googling to see the actual specifications of the item. This could mean the difference between buying a Region 2 DVD when your DVD player only plays Region 4. The difference between buying a bag you thought would fit your university books in, only to realise that it doesn’t even fit an A4 exercise book. The difference between buying a camera with a faulty memory card slot and a perfectly operatable camera.
Keep in mind that people have differing commands of the English language, so carefully consider all possible variations of what they could be saying. Does “I bought this top a year ago and it’s been sitting in my closet ever since” mean that they’ve never worn the item and have just had it in storage? Or does it mean that it’s been sitting in the closet inbetween frequent wearings?
Secondly, only buy items that are New Without Tags, New With Tags, New in Box, etc. While there are great second-hand bargains to be had on eBay, the truth is that you should always personally examine second-hand items first, and eBay doesn’t give you that chance. One person’s “shows slight signs of wear” might be your “huge amount of pilling on the jumper, with the hem coming undone”. Second-hand items are best bought IRL, at second-hand and thrift stores and markets. If the item is marked New With Tags on eBay, you can be assured that it hasn’t been used before, and that it is in good condition.
Thirdly, steer clear of high fashion brands unless the auction specifically states that they have proof of purchase (receipt, serial number, dustbag, etc.). The truth is that you get a lot of people flogging fake designer items online – Louis Vuitton, Prada, Chanel, Ralph Lauren, and the like are usually the brands targeted as they’re known worldwide. While you could probably find great bargains of these brands online (think Chanel sunglasses for $30), it’s safer to totally bypass them as authenticity can never be guaranteed.
I never buy high branded clothing on eBay, and stick to the smaller, but high-quality brands that people won’t bother to create fakes of. Saba, Satch, Country Road, French Connection, MNG, all of these are good quality brands that are normally fairly steeply priced, but which you can pick up for a song on eBay. Essentially, you get a great bargain and can be sure that it’s not a fake!
Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, always do some research on the seller beforehand. I try and refrain from buying from sellers who have fewer than 20 feedback responses, those who have been members for less than two months, or sellers whose positive feedback is below 98%. Don’t just look at numbers though – read the actual feedback left to see if they post the item quickly, if their descriptions are on target, and if other customers were generally satisfied with the service. That’ll give you a hint of how easy the seller is to deal with, and how truthful they are.
Follow the above advice, and 99999 times out of every 100000, you’ll never have a problem buying and purchasing on eBay. I guarantee it.
12 Responses to A Guide To Safe Ebay Buying
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Excellent advice Amanda! D: I am always scared of bidding on ebay because I have heard a lot about scams.. This should surely help :3
Ben on October 25, 2007 #
Thanks for the advice! I was thinking of bidding for some camera gear on eBay, but I was always hesitant. :/
Aravis on October 26, 2007 #
Thanks for the guide! I only very infrequently use eBay as a last resort for rare items. A friend of mine bidded and won a PS3 on eBay for about $600 but that turned out into a huge headache. Apparently the seller only had one previous sell before, said they were located in Thailand and did not communicate after the purchase. The funds have been transferred via paypal but the seller’s account has been suspended. My friend is worried about his money, a dispute claim has been started and it’s all a huge headache. I hope he gets at least the majority of his money back (or maybe a PS3!).
Have you ever had to handle disputes relating to buying or selling from eBay?
Belinda on October 26, 2007 #
Those are all great tips – I really should buy stuff online!
Kaylee on October 26, 2007 #
Great Ebay guidelines to live by. I just started selling items on Ebay after being a buyer since ’05 and have always been upfront and honest with all my possible customers. I make sure to keep all the tags intach etc to show everyone that all the High ended items that I do sell are in fact truly legit and not some cheap knock off. Ebay is like the shiznit when trying to find those childhood items that you wished you could have now. Take the Peanuts Gang Icee Machine or the Authentic Slip N Slide… one could truly re-live their childhood if they really wanted to. Also, usually when I’m at a store and don’t like their prices, I’ll go check to see if the same thing is offered on Ebay for a much lower price. Or I’ll check on Ebay to see if a certain item is popular with the buyers to see if it is worth it to invest in a few of those items myself that I do find in stores offline to try to make a decent profit off them.
Angela on October 26, 2007 #
Ooh, very good advice! I’m keeping it in mind when I decide to start buying from EBay… which I’m sure I’m BOUND to do quite soon, thank you!
Chantelle on October 26, 2007 #
I like this little post you made. As I buy on ebay quite often, I know most of the things. But it was great to have someone confirm what I have been buying buy. It’s great to know all of these things about online auctions and stuff. Awesome ;)
Carolynne on October 26, 2007 #
Oh good post! I have to keep all of this in mind when I browse ebay, as I seem to be doing a lot now :|
Tracey on October 26, 2007 #
Kudos for the advice! Will definitely keep it in mind when I start trawling eBay next year …
Xuan on October 26, 2007 #
Useful advice!
I was going to bid on a pair of Nike Shox (I’m almost obsessed about them being that I need good running/aerobic shoes for work) but I wasn’t sure if I was gonna get them after I payed for them (see, I come from a third world country where scam is usual).
Regina on October 26, 2007 #
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