Yay! I can help with this
I've been selling and buying on
eBay since 2011, and have had good and bad experiences with both.
If you learn how to pick a good seller, you shouldn't have to worry about dubs, fire hazards, or fakes. It's up to you to choose your price,
whether something cheap that will only last one season, or something more pricey but intended to be used over and over for years.
I'll explain how to pick a good seller. I'm going to be using myself and a random heat lamp listing I found on
eBay as examples to help explain what I mean.
Here's a link to the example listing:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/301658974219
As a buyer you need to:
1) Check feedback for the seller. This is a good place to start to give you an idea of how experienced the seller is and if people like their service.
Example: reuse2savetheearth (216). This is me. I've sold as a hobby and only been really serious about it for two years out of the time I've been doing it.
But, my track record is very good (100% positive feedback)
Example: perky_1956 (5690) This seller has a lot more experience than me. They likely have a business and post some of the things from their store on eBay.
They have 99% positive feedback. With a business, you always get that one ornery customer or a mistake on your part. This is perfectly fine.
I'd stick with a seller in the 90's. There's plenty of top notch sellers to choose from.
2) Read the recent feedback left for that seller.
You can do this by clicking their name. It will take you to a screen with statistics about the seller.
I haven't been doing much business lately, so we'll use perky_1956 again as an example:
They have been doing a fair amount of business with over 400 people leaving positive feedbacks in the past 12 months, and only 5 negative.
This is good.
3) Tracking Information
Packages should be sent with tracking information (
eBay highly encourages all buyers to do this). You can ask if buying from an amateur who doesn't mention if they will
provide tracking info.
4) Check to see if the seller accepts returns.
You can do this by starting at the page with the item description and photo. Scroll about halfway down and you'll see tabs on the left that say
"Description" and "Shipping and Payments." Click "Shipping and Payments." A little further down you'll see the heading "Returns."
This seller does not accept returns. So, you are buying the item "as is." It is up to you to read through their description thoroughly, look at the photos
provided, and ask questions if you have any.
The buyer would still be liable for any damage that might occur if they don't package it well. Or if the item is not "as described," meaning that if they say in
the listing that the heat lamp has been tested and is working properly, but you receive it and find that it has a frayed cord and will not turn on, they are at fault.
5) Interpreting feedback comments:
Many buyers will leave feedback like "Good communication" - means that the seller is willing to talk with their buyers to get any questions
answered / problems fixed and respond quickly. Some will say "As described" - meaning that the seller did a good job of describing the defects and you felt
like you were well informed of the used item's condition and working order.
"Don't buy from this seller!" can be interpreted two ways. Either the buyer did not bother contact the seller to say something like, "I am not happy with my purchase
because of you did not mention the frayed cord on my heat lamp. I would like to return the item for a full refund." Simply leaving bad feedback and not attempting
to resolve the problem is an issue seller's often encountered with ornery buyers
OR The seller said no, and
eBay had to intervene to get the buyer's money back. In this case, the seller deserves the bad feedback.
"I never received my item!" - From my experience this should never happen unless it's the post office's fault. Most of the time a seller can call the post office with tracking
information to locate the lost package. I've tracked down some tough packages before. You just have to sit down and make the call. In a worst-case experience, you may
get a scammer who take your money and doesn't send your item, but this is rare and
eBay will give you your money back as well as punish the seller.
6) Professional vs. Amateur
Sellers with more professional item descriptions and who have 10,000+ feedbacks with 90-ish percent positive feedback are usually very safe. They almost always
accept returns, package things properly, and costs vary depending on if they can sell cheaper because they buy in bulk.
Amateurs sometimes make mistakes (I have and have worked it out with my buyers to correct the mistakes). You can usually tell from their feedback if they
are a trustworthy seller.
7) Contacting the Seller and
eBay Money Back Guarantee
From your buyer page, you have the option to contact the seller and try to work out any problems between the two of you. Be friendly, most of the time it is a mistake and
buyers will be willing to correct it.
If not,
eBay offers a method to inform them of the problem, they will give the seller a few days to get with the program...then, if the seller is not cooperating or not responding, they
take it from there. If the seller is found to be in the wrong, you will get your money back.
Feel free to ask more questions. It takes time to learn to navigate
eBay's system if you're brand new to it. Happy shopping!
