Do you trust ebay?

I have gotten several model kits from ebay, some of which were long out of production. I have gotten some really great deals, and some where a trip to the hobby shop would have only been a few dollars difference.

Every seller I have dealt with was great. Except.......one. It was a 1/350 Bismarck kit where you could have the option of full hull or waterline. The description said: "Brand new in the box and unassembled..." When I got the kit, it was missing the lower half of the hull and someone had started drilling out the portholes. I e-mailed my complaint to the seller, no response. When I went to leave a negative feedback, the seller was no longer a registered user. I don't know if they left ebay on their own, or if ebay bounced them. There was one recent negative feedback where the buyer complained that he paid for the item, but never got it.

Lucky for me, I had planned on building the Bismarck in the waterline display version anyway, so the missing bottom hull half was no big deal. And, whoever started drilling out the portholes did a good job for as far as he/she got. But, it was the principle of the thing. The item was not as described. I always research prices and pay close attention to the seller's feedback. At the time, this seller's rating wasn't really great, but not really terrible either. I kind of figured I was taking a chance. But, I really wanted a waterline version in 1/350 scale of the Bismarck, and that was the only place I could find it. At least I was lucky enough to still end up with a buildable model in the end.

Otherwise, ebay has been good to me so far.

I have been boycotting ebay since I had a problem with a buyer and a seller; I wanted to start a business on ebay but I need to come up with a better plan for making money instead of barely making money.

I have not tried Ebay yet.

I am surprised how people in the US and Europe had embraced the idea of On-line Shopping. Here in the Philippines, people are a bit conservative and reserved when it comes to this. Even though TV home shopping and On-line shopping have been introduced long time ago, thoughts of on-line fraud have certainly dampened Filipinos interest on this means of buying things. Only a few percent of the populace ever practice this. I myself have tried purchasing items on-line but never did get the hang of it. I do like the concept however of being able to buy and sell while at home. I believe that trust (as discussed here) would be the basis of whether this system will last or not. And trust is not something that you get overnight.

I have done just over 100 transactions (99% buying, 1% selling) and I've never had any problems. I only pay by cheque.

I'd say go for it!

Domi

i've used ebay only to buy, and ,allthough i havent used it in a year or so , i always had good experience using it.

I used ebay a few years back to get kits that our local store's distributor didn't bother to send here. Apparently they think no one in West Virginia is interested in anime kits ( aside from that %^$@#%$#@ Gundam ) no matter how many orders are placed. Most of the auctions were from sellers overseas. There was only one case where the items didn't arrive, and the guy sent a replacement package with a few anime video CDs as a bonus to make up for the trouble.

Overall, you should do fine if you follow some logical precautions.

-No pics, no bid.

-If the s&h charges aren't listed, tell them your location and ask for an amount. An honest seller should have no problem giving you a figure, and a dishonest one will ignore you or give you some BS reason why they can't say anything before the sale.

-Check the negative feedback for the seller AND any dissatisfied customers. Sometimes there's a buyer that just wants attention or to make trouble for someone else, and that'll show on their feedback listings.

I haven't dealt with selling on ebay, so I can't give any advice there. The above suggestion about money orders and cashier's checks seems sound, though.

I use ebay with some regularity... generally to sell my unwanted kits. I usually get a fair price for them and the buyers are usually really nice. As long as you use common sense, you shouldn't have problems.

My only concern is deadbeat bidders. I had to list one of my models 3 times to sell it before someone actually paid me!

For alot of us nowhere near a good Hobby Shop, evilbay is the closest thing to that. It's the onl;y real place that I can get the kits I want, or to find rare and out-of-production products. Until someone opens a good shop in my neighborhood, it's all I have. Like traskos said, I trust them, not some of the sellers.

demono69

I haven't bought models on Ebay, but I have indulged my other hobby of coin collecting. I agree with what others have written, and in addition to shipping watch the exchange rate if you are from Canada. The final price can end up more than double what you bid.

I got burned once by a fellow using a creative photograph. Quite frankly I haven't gone back in over a year because the deals weren't that great, there are good shops near where I live where I can see the product, and there are no shipping or exchange hassles.

I can understand the attraction for someone not having resources nearby, but as always, caveat emptor.
Bruce

I do
I only had one problem, but we resolve it with no harm to either party.
I have 224 positive feedbacks. No bads so far.
This is how i get most my kits. (Hobby Lobby not that great)

I have never had a really bad experience with another ebay'er. I did buy something one time and it was damaged...i.e. only the piece of the padded envelope with the return address was returned to the seller. He was able to find another and ship it to me, along with my choice of another item that he had and I was interested in...he sent the other thing to me as well as the original and I did not have to pay for it. As for the models that I have bought I have had no problems. Everything that has been mentioned above is good to look for. I do not buy unless there are pictures either.

Jerry

QUOTE: Originally posted by Erock68 OK, now I'm curious......... Who was ebay Bob?

Here are the ebay Bob threads...

"ok, look at this "pro" and his models, LOL"
http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4118

"He's baaaacckkkk!!!!!"
http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4368

I trust EBAY, it`s some of the sellers I don`t trust.

99% of what I have in my collection is from ebay. Do your homework and keep good emails on what and where you are buying. Ebay and a few good hobby shops works for me.

Dales Aurora Models
http://community.webshots.com/user/dales_aurora_models

I've gotten some good deals on eBay. But, I also researched the buys carefully. (ARII Cessna Floatplane in 1/36 was very nice, as was the Willimas Bros. Sparrowhawk.)

Now, I also started with a tone of experience in buying militaria--where there is much "chaff" amongst the wheat.

Knowledge is key, and the first step to caveat emptor. If I find another Revell 1/35 "UDT Team Boat" (which is a Higgins LCPR), I'll probably snap it up.

Are the prices better? Sometimes, but you have to compare the winning price plus shipping versus the catalog price plus shipping--and reflect that a catalog outfit is also stocking what you want. Maybe you can find a great deal on the accessories for the AFV club LVT-5 on eBay--maybe not. (Yes, I ddi find some P/E for my LVT-5A on eBay.)

No probs with the fish either. But I agree with the no picture no purchase mentality. It's just my philosophy, but I will not even consider bidding when I see a "handling" cost. That could be anything! I've never charged for handling and never will. I'm just thankful somebody bought my stuff. More money for models!

NEVER use your email address as your id & remember that a money order and a cashiers check are just as flimsy as a personal check.

-fish

I agree with the others in that common sense has to prevail; don't buy if feedback ratings are questionable; don't buy if the item has extravagant shipping costs or convoluted shipping instructions. Check the cost of the item versus current market value; don't get caught up in "online fever"-you'll wind up paying 500,00 Mickeybucks instead of the customary 5 Mickeybucks. And as others have said, if it looks too good to be true, it probably is and you should run, not walk, away quickly.
I have only had one bad experience based on miscommunication that was resolved to both partty's satisfaction. Most have been good, some exemplary. I have one gentleman in California whose auctions I frequent and I can always depend on fair market value and excellent service. Most on eBay are like that. There are always a few idiots out there, and you'll find out quickly who they are.

To a point. I've had mostly good experances with them. I've gotten burned twice. Nothing major. A "new" tractor had a bad battery. And a Paasche VL airbrush didn't have all its parts. After buying the parts needed I spent more than if I would have bought it from Dixieart.

All that has been said about ebay is right on the money. Bottom line, don't let a seemingly unbelieveable deals cloud your judgement. If you are only interested in current releases then ebay can provide a great deal. If you also collect like me, it is hands down the best source of old plastic there is!

I have bought only 4 models on ebay and did not have any problems. Like everyone said, check feedback and ask questions. I don't trust "mint in box" when they don't show you a pic of said box.

OK, now I'm curious.........

Who was ebay Bob?

Never had a problem with ebay and have gotten some pretty good buys. Just remember the above mentioned cautions.

ebay Bob!!...Mike, don't get me laughing!!

No.
People are people and will take advantage of any situation that best benefits them. Those that are honest will do their best to make good, those that are not will do their best to not get caught.
I don't like to gamble because despite how well you do, the house always wins. So I would much rather touch, see, feel, smell, roll around on, the item I'm plopping my hard earned money down and know what I'm getting rather than based upon a 72 dpi jpeg I see on a computer screen. Remember e-bay Bob?
Now I'm sure that there are wonderful deals and love stories associated with e-bay purchases but Enron had a pretty shining endorsement too.

Caviat Emptor

Mike

QUOTE: Originally posted by Erock68 demon hit the nail on the head. Read the description, read the Seller's feedback and no pic-no sale. Now, it doesn't mean that, a Seller with 1 or 2 negatives is bad. Do some research and check out WHY the person got a negative. You must also be careful about the shipping charges. What looks to be a great deal often isn't, when you include shipping.

The following is my personal opinion, not reflecting the position of FineScale Modeler

There, with that out of the way...

I have to agree with all of the above.

I have been a member since Oct '98 with a feedback rating of 367 (435 positives, 1 neutral, 2 negatives).

Pictures are a must. It is possible that the seller is not familiar with the product they are selling. The seller describes it as they see it, the buyer might think it's something else and both have different ideas of what the actual product is.

When I was selling items on eBay there were times when people would ask about things I wasn't aware of. For example, there was a book that had been reprinted where they had to omit two chapters due to legal reasons. Except for the two chapters, the book cover/art/etc looked the same.

As a buyer, don't make assumptions about what you are buying. If you aren't sure about something due to omissions in the description -- ask.

As for shipping, always check this before bidding. That awesome bargain may turn out to be more expensive than driving to your local hobby shop or ordering direct from the manufacturer. However, don't expect free or bargain priced shipping. To package something well, there is a cost in both time (packaging, traveling and standing in line at the shipper) and materials (boxes, foam, packaging tape, etc.). Many people don't seem to understand this.

Check feedback. Look for comments regarding accuracy of descriptions and quality of shipping. I've had experiences where the description was 100% accurate, the piece was perfect, but the seller was clueless when it came to shipping. Needless to say some people are careless when it comes to shipping and pieces arrive broken.

I could go on and on about this subject, but I should get back to work.

Remember that although you are on the eBay website, you are still dealing with individual buyers and sellers. Although the format is an online auction and you don't get to physically touch and examine the product, it's not much different than going to a rummage sale, flea market, classified ads, forum trading posts, etc. There are good people and there are bad people. Use common sense, ask questions and if it seems really too good to be true, move on.

demon hit the nail on the head.

Read the description, read the Seller's feedback and no pic-no sale. Now, it doesn't mean that, a Seller with 1 or 2 negatives is bad. Do some research and check out WHY the person got a negative.

You must also be careful about the shipping charges. What looks to be a great deal often isn't, when you include shipping.

I have had great deals with hkmodel and he does offer surface shipping from Hong Kong (along with air for a major raise in price) He has been very honest and I got my Tiger 1 1/16 from him but, the items take quite a bit of time to get here. Usually 1- 2 months (yep 1-2 months because it's surface) If you are looking for anything in particular, he takes email requests too.

So far, I have had nothing but very good experiences from eBay.

I concur, no lookie no buy.

Also do your research on the seller, having negative feedback needs to be researched. Obviously if the person is miss representing product or not delivering, stay away. Sometimes buyers are the problem and lash out at the seller....

I've never had a problem with anything I've bought on evilbay. As long as you do your research on the seller, i.e. check feedback, rating, etc., you should be fine. I also make it a rule never to buy a product that I can't see. No pics, no sale.

demono69