As both and ebay seller and sometime buyer I offer a couple
of suggestions in
addition to using on-line escrow.... which is certainly the
only way to buy
something expensive safely as you don't get charged unless
you get the goods
and they are good goods.
(1) Read the feedback for the seller - not just the number
of points next to the persons name and look at a couple of
items that seller has sold recently. The few
times I have bought stuff rather than just selling I did
this and rejected
sellers whose feedback sounded fishy. And if the item is
being sold by
someone in your area you can ask if you can pick it up in
person... the safest
way yet, if it is possible.
(2) there are other services besides paypal. I won't take
it cause I don't
want to put my checking account number on the net. Maybe a
little paranoid,
but it is scary. I take BIDPAY and they are reliable though
a bit pricey.
And lots of sellers accept credit cards. I hope the advice
against not
buying things from people unless they have PAYPAL isn't
heeded by everyone:)
Re the camera MIke got ripped off on -
I'm wondering if this was a so-called "Dutch" auction - and
sure would like
to see the item number of one of them myself.
Also let me say that sellers get stung, too. I'm lucky, I
have never gotten
a bad check (hope im not tempting providence here too much.)
but if someone
doesn't pay there is an elaborate procedure one has to go
through to relist,
which is poorly structured - it forces you to use automated
payment reminders
even when you may have sent gentle, polite ones that are
less intimidating
already. No need to get into details here, but it isn't
just "customer
beware".
ebay has gotten so big it has lost its nice yard sale
quality which when
I sell stuff I try to maintain, but it is a struggle.
Certainly with any Pentax stuff I'd probably ask you guys if
you knew
anything about a particular seller before I plopped down the
dough and probably
wouldn't buy anything that cost much on the web anywhere,
anyway.
that being said, I just did buy a small item on ebay that
has not yet been
received and the seller confessed that he had run out of
stock and was
waiting for a new shipment. I'm being real friendly cause I
want that item
so I'm not reminding him that it ain't kosher to run out of
stock in an auction!
He had much good feedback and I spent only $30.00 so I'm
hoping I'm okay.
I didn't realize the ebay insurance for buyers was limited
ot $200 though -
Possibly to avoid insurance scams?
Anyway - go gett'um Mike!
annsan
Norman Baugher wrote:
>
> Don't mean to sound critical, but all I can say is -- escrow service?
> Norm
>
> "Peifer, William [OCDUS]" wrote:
>
> > Mike Johnston wrote:
> > > I recently had the misfortune to be robbed on eBay..... [snip]
>
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