Tips for a noob ebay buyer?

[adrian]

So far, I've been real good to myself and managed to save almost $200.

2 out of my 3 classes are pointing in the direction that we'll need some sort of portable computer before October, and I went to ebay, and found a few good laptops on sale.

I know about the reputation part and how to research on the product before you buy, but what else should I consider before making this big purchase?

(btw, the laptop will be a second computer away from my bedroom computer. It'll be for word processing, some java compiling (small stuff, some of the school's computers has less power than the ones I've seen on ebay) and music listening and I know what to get)

[lavagal]

Gosh sakes, DON'T!
As cheap as one can get a clean machine at a retailer these days, why put yourself through the nightmare of buying a computer off eBay?

I have more than 200 transactions on eBay. I have a good reputation there. But in my second to last and last transactions, I almost got ripped off $1200 by a firm that charged me through my PayPal account. I found the transaction right away, called my credit card company, reported the attempted theft and didn't get screwed. Funny. They kept emailing me about it. Pretty darn brazen. One company was "based" in San Diego, the other was in China, and come to find out they were both in China, the badlands of eBay, pirating DVDs, computer parts, mother boards, what have you.

If anything, at least go second-hand here in Hawaii. Don't do this to yourself via eBay. Pay attention to the seller ratings, too.

[Fondoo2]

I'm with Lavagal,for waranty issues alone since even if your a brave sort and diagnose/disasemble your laptop because of a needed part or heat issue the manufacture will not even sell you the needed part,and shipping off your rig to pay some company retail +++ for simple repairs would bite.
I was looking into another laptop and would have went dell since they are a very stable company,getting good reviews for product support and there buying power is so strong=some good value for the $$.
I ended up putting a desktop on a small rolling glass cart instead being a gamer It made more sense
You could call my friend Henry who owns A to Z Computers in Fullerton California he picks up some LT's when he finds good volume overstcks and such.Very nice Korean guy fare/honest.Hon is his main tech if you get a hold of either tell them Tracy refered you cause us small business guys try to treat referals from friends with special care
Good Luck

[adrian]

Gosh sakes, DON'T!
As cheap as one can get a clean machine at a retailer these days, why put yourself through the nightmare of buying a computer off eBay?

I have more than 200 transactions on eBay. I have a good reputation there. But in my second to last and last transactions, I almost got ripped off $1200 by a firm that charged me through my PayPal account. I found the transaction right away, called my credit card company, reported the attempted theft and didn't get screwed. Funny. They kept emailing me about it. Pretty darn brazen. One company was "based" in San Diego, the other was in China, and come to find out they were both in China, the badlands of eBay, pirating DVDs, computer parts, mother boards, what have you.

If anything, at least go second-hand here in Hawaii. Don't do this to yourself via eBay. Pay attention to the seller ratings, too.
That alone has halted my plans.

The buyer I'm looking at is also from San Diego, and I'm not the person to play that game.

I guess my brother got lucky and got a good deal on his laptop (then again, he's on the mainland). I'll try to ask him for some advice.

[Miulang]

I wouldn't buy any laptops or computer stuff off eBay because you never know if the items are stolen. And under no circumstances do I pay for anything I win on eBay using PayPal. I have a friend who used to sell antiques on eBay who used PayPal as the method of payment and she almost got ripped off for about $2,000 by somebody who hacked her account.

Whenever I look for stuff on eBay, if the seller doesn't accept a postal money order, then I don't even bother to bid on the item. With a postal money order, if the seller tries anything sneaky, you can call the Postal Service inspectors in and have them nail the person for mail fraud. You can also check out the seller's rating and see how many negative comments have been logged against the seller.

Miulang

[kimo55]

under no circumstances do I pay for anything I win on eBay using PayPal.



yes. and many other stories to back up this stance:

If someone has a problem with what they bought from you, even at 29 days after the purchase, they can email ebay and paypal and especially if their rating is much higher than yours, they can have paypal PULL that money right out of your account for a refund to them.
rotten system.

[Glen Miyashiro]

I've done more than a thousand eBay transactions (yes, I'm hooked) and used PayPal for most of them. I've never had a problem with PayPal. Then again, my purchases haven't been big-ticket electronics -- I mostly buy specialty and hobby items, and each transaction is rarely more than $20.

[adrian]

Okay, I'm shifting my notebook quest to local and non-ebay places. If you still want to help me, I posted a notebook request here (http://www.hawaiithreads.com/showthread.php?t=5682) a few months ago.

I thought going via ebay was too easy.

[lurkah]

You can also check out Ubid.com (http://www.ubid.com/cat/get_cat_page.asp?CatID=1001), although their inventory consists mostly of manufacturer refurbished items brought back to like-new condition and that are shipped out of Ubid's own warehouse. I've bought computers through them in the past without having any problems.

[Stephen]

You might want to check out the manufacturer websites. My last company bought all of their lap tops refurbished from Dell at a major discount. Just a thought.
Ragin Cajun

[lavagal]

And in today's MSNBC News:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8973616/

So, Doc, we're all trying to help!

Aloha.

[adrian]

And in today's MSNBC News:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8973616/

So, Doc, we're all trying to help!

Aloha.
BUT THOSE WERE iBOOKS! I'd throw away my current computer just to get a chance in that!

I'll try a test ebay purchase by getting a watch (its supposedly a $60 watch for $10 from a local person on Maui) and if I have the will to wait, then I'll wait until the Pearl City Best Buy open and in Nov, maybe they'll sell the $400 laptops (did I give out too much info?)

[adrian]

If anyone wants to know, I made my first bid for a watch.

And that local seller messaged me back and he said that he'll lower the shipping to about $40.

[kimo55]

ah yer well on yer way to life in da big ebay city.
caveat emptor...
40 bux local shipping charge for... a watch.
"watch... out!"

[Miulang]

Adrian: I hope you meant to type $4 and not $40 for shipping. If you really meant $40, you're getting ripped off big time. Why don't you just go get one of those ol trusty Timexes? Some of them are actually very stylish and they last forever (all you have to do is replace the wristband).

Some eBay sellers are getting rich by charging ridiculous shipping and handling fees. And if you don't get clarification before the auction is over and you win the auction, you're stuck paying that ridiculous shipping fee. If it's a local seller, priority mail only costs about $3.75 + insurance for something like a watch, unless he's attaching an elephant to that watch. :eek:

Miulang

[lavagal]

My last eBay purchase, and I'm not sure how many more I'll do, was for a shrimp netsuke and I was charged $26 for shipping for something I one for like $1.99. They tried to grow that to some $1200. amazing. The other one I won I walked away from. At the very least, stick to state-side vendors.

[lavagal]

My last eBay purchase, and I'm not sure how many more I'll do, was for a shrimp netsuke and I was charged $26 for shipping for something I one for like $1.99. They tried to grow that to some $1200. amazing. The other one WON I won I walked away from. At the very least, stick to state-side vendors.

Make that WON, not one. sigh. what can I say????

[Miulang]

My last eBay purchase, and I'm not sure how many more I'll do, was for a shrimp netsuke and I was charged $26 for shipping for something I one for like $1.99. They tried to grow that to some $1200. amazing. The other one I won I walked away from. At the very least, stick to state-side vendors.

Unfortunately, Lavagal, you were also gypped, unless the true value of that netsuke was way more than $1.99 and you got insurance for the true value (or unless the seller was in a foreign country). It doesn't matter where the seller is from: always check their rating and the comments from other buyers. And for sure, check the postage and handling fees before you start bidding. And I wouldn't walk away from too many bids you've won because winning those bids constitutes a legal transaction (so says eBay), so if you default, the seller and eBay can come after you for reneging. For sure, the seller is going to give you a bad rating for that auction.

Miulang

[adrian]

Adrian: I hope you meant to type $4 and not $40 for shipping. If you really meant $40, you're getting ripped off big time. Why don't you just go get one of those ol trusty Timexes? Some of them are actually very stylish and they last forever (all you have to do is replace the wristband).

Some eBay sellers are getting rich by charging ridiculous shipping and handling fees. And if you don't get clarification before the auction is over and you win the auction, you're stuck paying that ridiculous shipping fee. If it's a local seller, priority mail only costs about $3.75 + insurance for something like a watch, unless he's attaching an elephant to that watch. :eek:

Miulang
No, that's for the laptop. Sorry, but I forgot to mention that.

But I did do a few searches this afternoon, and I found a better deal (I believe, it was a 1.5 centrino with 1gb RAM and 100gb HD) for the low price of $0.01. If I had the money in paypal, then I'd play with the other people and try to get it up a few until it'll sell, but the money is in transit right now, and I don't want to do anything stupid. Maybe if I wait a few more days, then maybe I can find one that will sell with a carrying case. :p

EDIT: now someone is trying to get into a bidding war with me for a watch from Japan. I only have $20 in my paypal account right now, and the shipping for thing is $15.

If I don't get it, then I'll just drop it.

[Miulang]

Hint: If you see someone start to just try to outbid you and the auction just began, just bid the highest amount you're willing to pay. Ebay will keep track of the bids and bid for you in the increments specified in the auction, up to the limit you stated. It's supposed to be illegal on eBay, but there have been instances where a seller will bid on something he's selling (under another name, of course), just to get the selling price higher. And bid in weird increments; for instance, don't bid $20. Bid $20.03 or $20.17...any uneven number will be better than a straight dollar amount.

Something else some people will do is just watch the item's bidding prices until about 10 minutes before the end of the auction. At that point, they start slamming their bids in. You can't win on those auctions unless you have your hands on your keyboard the last few minutes, and you're willing to bid whatever it takes to win.

Miulang

[craigwatanabe]

I've purchased laptops off of Ebay with decent results. To determine if the seller is legit or not check out their feebacks and number of transactions.

Look for items that have bids from day one. These are the newbies or the seller himself juicing the bidding.

When bidding I usually track the items closing within the hour and silently wait. When the bid item is coming up to a few minutes before closing there is a fury of bidding. If you have broadband open up four windows and minimize them so you can see four windows on your screen.

As you place your bid you keep refreshing each of the other screens and watch for the successive bid. When I get to the final 20-seconds I place my bid (typically a bit more than the bid increment) to clench the final bid price.

Hawaii is in a good time zone to take advantage of tired mainland bidders. When it's 4am in New York it could be as early as 10pm or 11pm Hawaii time. You have the edge over half of the country.

[lurkah]

When bidding I usually track the items closing within the hour and silently wait. When the bid item is coming up to a few minutes before closing there is a fury of bidding. If you have broadband open up four windows and minimize them so you can see four windows on your screen.

As you place your bid you keep refreshing each of the other screens and watch for the successive bid. When I get to the final 20-seconds I place my bid (typically a bit more than the bid increment) to clench the final bid price.
You open up FOUR screens? Where's the sport in that? :p I usually use just two screens -- one that I constantly update for viewing the latest bid price, and the other window all set for submitting my maximum bid price. Instead of allowing myself to possibly get all caught up in the emotional bidding frenzy of the last remaining few seconds, which might cause me to spend more money than I'd wanted to, I usually just set and stick with a maximum bid price that I'd be willing to spend for the item, and if I got outbid, then it just wasn't meant to be mine, this time.

But I at least give them a sporting chance by waiting until the final 10 seconds before I snipe that item from everybody else and do the Rocky Balboa victory dance around the room. :D

[adrian]

I've purchased laptops off of Ebay with decent results. To determine if the seller is legit or not check out their feebacks and number of transactions.

Look for items that have bids from day one. These are the newbies or the seller himself juicing the bidding.

When bidding I usually track the items closing within the hour and silently wait. When the bid item is coming up to a few minutes before closing there is a fury of bidding. If you have broadband open up four windows and minimize them so you can see four windows on your screen.

As you place your bid you keep refreshing each of the other screens and watch for the successive bid. When I get to the final 20-seconds I place my bid (typically a bit more than the bid increment) to clench the final bid price.

Hawaii is in a good time zone to take advantage of tired mainland bidders. When it's 4am in New York it could be as early as 10pm or 11pm Hawaii time. You have the edge over half of the country.
I just commit a whole window in Firefox to the ebay biddings and enter multiple tabs in it.

But the one thing that I'm having a hard time is that I have a limit to spend. When I bid my max, someone else outbids me, and its usually early in the auction.

I think I need to bid when the auction is almost ending.

[Fondoo2]

be sure to let us know the deal you get

[Glen Miyashiro]

But the one thing that I'm having a hard time is that I have a limit to spend. When I bid my max, someone else outbids me, and its usually early in the auction.You should check out a bunch of sources to see what the going price is. You might be bidding too low.

If you're on a budget, then you need to be patient and not overbid. If you keep on trying, eventually you'll find an auction where nobody else has bid higher than you. Don't go nuts and run up the bid at the last minute; you'll overspend that way. Plenty of fish in the ocean; another one will be along soon.

And from what you've said already I think you know this, but it's worth saying again: pay attention to the shipping charges.

[lavagal]

I just commit a whole window in Firefox to the ebay biddings and enter multiple tabs in it.

But the one thing that I'm having a hard time is that I have a limit to spend. When I bid my max, someone else outbids me, and its usually early in the auction.

I think I need to bid when the auction is almost ending.


check out www.esnipe.com and maybe that can help ya out. Used it all the time.

[pzarquon]

You should check out a bunch of sources to see what the going price is. You might be bidding too low.Make it a point to do an "Advanced Search" to look for auctions of the item you want that have already closed, to see what the actual, market value of the item is. You then know what you might expect to pay, with variations expected due to the level of bidding frenzy.And from what you've said already I think you know this, but it's worth saying again: pay attention to the shipping charges.Weird. Just yesterday I was talking to someone who was very excited to have won an auction for an MP3 player with decent specs for only $7... to find in the fine print specified shipping charges of $97! Eek! It turns out that $100 was about the going price of the thing, anyway, but still... sellers can be sneaky.

Just like the ones that post pictures of iPod boxes and starting bids of "only $50" -- and the winners end up blowing $300 on just that -- the empty box!

[adrian]

Looks like I'll be getting the laptop sometime after my bday (in sept) because trying to spend $200 total for a laptop is stupid (and with the specs I want, its like trying to find food after brudda sam left [eh, where is he anyway?]).

I'll just lurk in the background, see what people are selling and how the operate so that when I'm ready, I'll make a killing.