How safe is Ebay?

sterculelum

Has anyone got any horror stories? Is it completely safe? What happens if you don't get the item or it's faulty? How long does it usually take for the item to deliver?

Headshot

sterculelum wrote:

What happens if you don't get the item or it's faulty? How long does it usually take for the item to deliver?

if its faulty and the seller does nothing complain to paypal
and it depends where you buy the item from like if you buy it from england 3 days

one time i bought a phone came in 2 days very fast

Ruu_Old

never had a problem and ordered a heap of items off it, both when i was in Ireland and now in the US, i use it more. use your brain when ordering and common sense id say its safe if you understand how it works and checkup on the seller.

dawballz

There's a forum for this type of question.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?forumid=583

seamus

dawballz wrote:

There's a forum for this type of question.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?forumid=583

Yay!

dawballz

It is pretty safe if you buy from a seller with high positive feedback and a high amount of sales. ie. don't buy off someone with 100% feedback and only 2 sales.
You'd be better to buy off someone with 99% feedback and 567 sales.
Try to use paypal too wherever possible.

ambro25

Aside from the earlier, very good and prescient comments (check the seller's "selling profile" made from feedback, value of items previously sold, length of registration with eBay, etc, etc.), it pays to do your homework about any particular item you're interested in:
_ check the specs - do they match the manufacturer/OEM data?
_ chekc the model no. - id.
_ check the RRP
_ always check 'completed auctions' for the same item, to get an idea of what people are bidding min/max
_ description for any 'cute' tricks (as in the fabled "PS2 box" scam - was it a PS2, or a Powerbook? some high-value item anyway)
_ bear in mind import duty & VAT if bidding on item outside EU

... lots and lots more to put in, but can't think of them all right now. I've been using it since '99 (same pseudo, ambro25 - 173 feedbacks), never a bother - 'been through the growth phase, made a ton at flotation, watched/experienced the growth of Paypal before eBay Inc. bought it, etc, etc. TBH, I haven't bought much (leisure/hobby items) not from eBay those past few years

EDIT (already ) - also, and this goes with checking min/max value of completed auctions, fix yourself a bid limit and stick to it. Whatever you're after, there will always be at least one or two on the 'Bay at any one time.

madfistbt

I only buy small stuff on ebay now. I much prefer dealing with companys. About 6 weeks ago I brought a pc, and after 4 weeks I had no pc and no reply from the seller. but I filled a Paypal dispute and got my money back after 4 days of complaining. Just a week ago I brought another pc with the same money from a guy with 78 feedback and 100%. I still dont have it and have had no contact , Im hoping Its not gonna be the same story as before. Apart from this I dont hear anything bad from other people about ebay.

Creamy Goodness

it's as safe as you want it to be.

obiviously all the infomation given above is essential.

but it's not safe if you think everyone is a good seller/trader and all their infomation is 100% genunine.

the same rules basically apply as in any shop: Cavet empor (let the buyer beware)

sterculelum

Cremo wrote:

it's as safe as you want it to be.

obiviously all the infomation given above is essential.

but it's not safe if you think everyone is a good seller/trader and all their infomation is 100% genunine.

the same rules basically apply as in any shop: Cavet empor (let the buyer beware)

No offense, but it's cave emptor. Thanks for the help anyway!

Fobia

I think so long as you use a good payment option (such as PayPal), and you follow the instructions given above, Ebay is pretty safe.

hi

9/10 times ebay is safe but theres always that one time and ill be honest their protection of scheme is sh*t.

i bought 2 football shirts of a dodgy cVnt. after paying thro paypal i discovered he has 23 negative feeback left for him a few weeks later since i had bought the 2 items and was thus kicked off.



i filed complaints and have just managed to receive eur1.40 back from approx eur44. being honest from the start i was getting abrupt email replies from him and i knew something was up. i got bad vibes from the transaction but it was too late, i had paid and was confident in the system getting me a reimbursement.


i asked advice from a solicitor and have considered bringing him to small claims court as it is a matter of principle. he is scottish and i have never seen or met the man in my life so i could be wasting an extra 10 euro to get money from someone who could be completely broke albeit i am only asking for 43 euro.

anyway both paypal and ebay have told me basically tough sh*t since. they bend over backwards protecting sellers with little to lose but nothing about the buyers whom invest their money and their trust and without them their sites would not be possible

Gone West

Just wanted to add my 2 cents. On my personal account, I've 60 transactions, and not one problem. The odd time, a parcel might be a few days late, but thats the worst of it.
However, on another account which I use for buying things for work, I've had some problems. Emailing the seller (always through ebay) straight away will almost always be enough to rectify the situation. 9/10 negative feedback's on ebay are related to this. You should always email the seller ASAP if you discover a problem.

Mimikyu

This post has been deleted.

Solitaryman666

Solitaryman666 wrote:

This post has been deleted.

well SolitaryMan according to PayPals representatives PayPals policy is to only retrieve funds from the sellers account on a granted complaint and in this case the seller didnt have the neccesary funds. Apparently there is limitations on his paypal account in order to force him to refund me which isnt much good as one of the limitations is to prevent him sending money. everyone probably cleaned it out lodging complaints or he took the money and ran

i never looked into whether i was eligible for buyer protection either. i think it may be too late as there is a 45 day opening to claim from buyer proction from time of payment.

i would agree with you that ebay is very safe but like anything else in life only 9 times out of 10. i think you have to lodge a complaint early if something feels not right. if it doesnt arrive on the 3rd week i think its time to lodge a complaint.

i dont mean to take over someones thread but if anyone has more advice to give me on the matter please reply

NotMe

I have 13 transactions now, only 1 went bad and I got a full refund after waiting 5 weeks for the item to arrive.

tman

15 transactions and they've all gone smoothly
i've even bought a record signed by one of my favourite producers from the actualy producer. (for a bargain price, natch!)
ebay

Creamy Goodness

yup i've have 12 transactions (all buying rare cd's) and all have gone smoothly.

blorg

What's the story if you buy something with your credit card through PayPal and you never get it - can you not do a chargeback with your credit card company rather than dealing with PayPal?

Gone West

blorg, this can sometimes be a grey area. It depends on the specific transaction.
You instruct your Credit card company to pay PayPal, and paypal pays the seller.
As far as the credit card company is concerned, they handled it fine, and the onus is on paypal to sort you out. But, it depends on the circumstances.

blorg

FuzzyLogic wrote:

blorg, this can sometimes be a grey area. It depends on the specific transaction.
You instruct your Credit card company to pay PayPal, and paypal pays the seller.
As far as the credit card company is concerned, they handled it fine, and the onus is on paypal to sort you out. But, it depends on the circumstances.

Is that actually how it works? Are PayPal not just acting as the credit card processor, like Worldpay, Realex or whoever? I understand that PayPal would prefer you to work through their system, but I'm not sure that you are actually excluded from doing a straight chargeback. In fact, if you read Paypal's page for sellers about chargebacks, it seems to be phrased very much as if they come from outside PayPal (e.g. "When PayPal is notified that a buyer has filed a chargeback against a seller, PayPal immediately emails the seller..."

Gone West

like I said, its a grey area.
I do know that policy on this changed when ebay bought out paypal.

blorg

Another quote:

In a dispute over a chargeback, the decision is ultimately made by the credit card company and PayPal cannot control the outcome.

I know I'd go through the credit company first if I had to, it puts the onus on the seller to actively work with Paypal (eek!) and prove that _they_ fulfilled their end to get the chargeback rejected (rather than the other way around.)

Have experience of the power of a chargeback with Dell - spent a month with them not budging (computers delivered not as ordered, they would not exchange even though we notified them immediately and didn't even break the seal on the boxes.) One chargeback later and they took them back the next day.

Have also personally done chargebacks on Ryanair and others, TBH it is often easier than dealing with the company yourself, it forces them to deal with it, and if they are actually in the wrong they won't/can't contest it.

A Dub in Glasgo

I have chargebacked through my credit card company for a Paypal payment. Paypal do not like it one bit though and start sending childish and petty emails to scare you.

blorg

Any more details? Did you pay and not get anything?

A Dub in Glasgo

The guy on ebay advertised a Region 1 DVD but when I got the DVD, it was a pirate. Paypal did not want to know as the seller could prove he sent an item (to Paypal, it does not matter what was actually sent - it could be a brick for all they care). They refused to help me so I contacted my credit card company and they refunded the £30. Paypal then sent me various emails threatening to take me to court and they suspended my Paypal account. Stuff them. I now have another Paypal account but I would be very wary of them.

A Dub in Glasgo

A Dub in Glasgo wrote:

The guy on ebay advertised a Region 1 DVD but when I got the DVD, it was a pirate. Paypal did not want to know as the seller could prove he sent an item (to Paypal, it does not matter what was actually sent - it could be a brick for all they care). They refused to help me so I contacted my credit card company and they refunded the £30. Paypal then sent me various emails threatening to take me to court and they suspended my Paypal account. Stuff them. I now have another Paypal account but I would be very wary of them.

id do the same only i think i may have paid for the unreceived items through funds from my Paypal account balance.

Sure Screw them f*ckers paypal it was your money and you were dead right. i bet they didnt threaten the arseh*le who ripped you off

blorg

If you received a pirate DVD I don't see how PayPal would have a leg to stand on, their behaviour is virtually condoning piracy, no?

A Dub in Glasgo

Paypal do not view it as if they took payment from my credit card to pay the seller. They view themselves, alot like ebay, as only a venue which puts buyer and seller together therefore they do not give a flying duck what gets sold and paid for through their system. If the seller can prove that he sent something, the buyer has no chance with paypal. Cut out the middleman and go direct to the credit card company is my advice.

blorg

I agree they view themselves that way, but (unfortunately for them) I don't think that is the legal situation?