Tools-EBay-What's your experience?

[Jerry Olexa]

Generally, I've been shy about dealing for tools via EBay but recently, mostly out of curiousity, been trolling the site. Been pleasantly surprised @ some of the deals on tools available. My inexperience (and reluctance) shows but I placed a bid a few days ago on a new power tool that would have to be picked up (over 200 lbs). Even with price of gas, it would be a good deal. I'd save about $200. The seller has a credible rating. What's been your general experience? are there any tricks or pitfalls to avoid for a novice like me? Bidding ends tommorow:) :D An EBay newbie. Thanks, JO

[Bob Noles]

Jerry,

I have purchased many, many tools on ebay, especially neander tools and have had great experience. Be sure to read and study carefully what you are bidding on to make sure it is what you think it is. Study the seller feedback and see what the past offerings have been and what the buyers say about the dealings. Last but not least, check the shipping and watch the "handling fee" tricks that can be game playing to add to the cost.

Not a bad place to beat the prices if you use caution.

[Mark Singer]

Jerry,
I have had very good experiences! I have bought some reconditiond power tools...just like new. I have bought closeouts , hand tools ,...vintage saws etc.
The newer planes like LN often go for over the prives at The Best Things and Fine Tool Journal where they also include free shipping. I alway compare with Amazon, on new stuff. It seems like the better deals are on the old stuff and now there are a lot of bidders so prices tend to get unreasonable. Make sure you know the item....for example Japanese chisels vay in price from $12 to $300 each....don't assume it is the better quality unless you actually know the maker and model. Also check the "Feedback" ,, If a seller has 100% positive and many transactions...you are probably real safe...if they have 85%, read the comments and see what happened.
Mark

[Jesse Cloud]

Jerry,
I've had good experiences buying and selling tools on EBay. Don't hesitate to send questions to the seller. And the feedback is critical. There are some scoundrels out there, but most sellers are totally honest. Having said that, if someone has made a hundred sales and there is one negative comment, don't immediately think he's a crook. Stuff happens.

Most auctions get the winning bid in the last few seconds the auction is open. There are a number of services that will place a bid for you, for instance, I use www.auctionsniper.com (http://www.auctionsniper.com) You get a few free bids, and then the price is very small.

Do read the post carefully. For instance, if they don't say that the tool comes with a battery, it probably doesn't:eek:

Happy hunting!

[Steve Clardy]

99.9 percent good.

[scott spencer]

My Ebay experiences have been good as well. Be patient, and don't let the bidding zealots suck you into the fray if an item goes too high. Note that most of the bidding will take place toward the end of the auction. Read the description well, ask questions if the description doesn't specify something, and check seller feedback. Most people are honest and forthright. Large cast iron items aren't usually cost effective to ship. Get a PayPal account too if you don't already have one.....very convenient.

[Roger Bell]

I have bought a couple hundred hand tools over the bay the last 6-7 years. Most, but not all, have turned out fine. My suggestions include: take a VERY careful look at feedback, take a VERY careful look at the photos. No photos or crummy photos....either ask for more photos or don't bid. Pay close attention to the seller's shipping policy. Some will stiff you after you bid with hidden fees or with inflated S and H costs. Fixed, stated shipping costs are best. The true cost of the item is the bid price plus shipping. So if you are comfortable with paying $9 shipping on a $20 tool, fine. Tools sold by knowledgable folks are generally ok. Go into the sellers feedback and see the items they have sold in the past. Tools sold by those who don't deal in and understand tools have a much higher probability of containing defects or missing pieces, etc. And there are many of these folks selling tools and anything else they dredge up from garage sales.

Ebay takes a great deal of time, which is fine if you have it. It takes a lot of time to check out the listings, to bid, to re-bid, etc. and end up not getting most of what you bid on. So factor your time into the "costs" of the tool. Compared to several years ago, there is now a lot of competition in bidding and therefore the prices are not nearly as bargain-ish as earlier when far fewer people were in the game. This competition, combined with Internet tool forums and the renaissance in hand tool work, has driven prices of some "ordinary" tools, such as Stanley 750 chisels, well into the ozone.

In terms of feedback, almost ANY negative feedback is a red-flag for me. Many buyers fear leaving neutral or negative feedback for fear of having the seller leave them negative feedback in retaliation. So my assumption is that the presence of negative feedback may be the tip of an iceberg. In the end, I factor the risk proportionate to the amount bid.

For machines, I would personally not purchase any cast-iron vintage machine from anyone unless he were a known machine dealer/restorer, or unless his presentation with pictures was compelling, or unless the price was dirt-cheap. I seldom see deals on large, newer machines on Ebay.

Ebay is a sellers market rather than a buyers market. That said, it is still one of the best venues for finding exactly what you want if you know what you want.

[Kent Fitzgerald]

Ebay is a sellers market rather than a buyers market. That said, it is still one of the best venues for finding exactly what you want if you know what you want.

BINGO. Everything about Ebay is set up to generate the highest price for the seller, and thus the most fee revenue for Ebay.

Having said that, it can be a decent shopping venue for the cautious buyer. My rules are: Read everything, assume nothing, and ask questions. Place one bid for the maximum amount you would be willing to pay, and walk away. Of course this means I "lose" most auctions, but I regard money in my pocket as a form of "winning".

[Ron Blaise]

Not all of them:mad: . You just have to be wary of who is selling and the quality of the product. Shipping damage has been my worst enemy, so take care of how the seller packages the item, especially with large items.
Also, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is:rolleyes: .
Ron

[Frank Fusco]

All advice given is excellent. Re-read and believe. I made one tool purchase and had an excellent transaction. The one big caution I would toss out has to do with very low priced NEW tools. There have been lathes, bandsaws, table saws, etc. well under $100.00 when comparable models would normally retail for $500.00+ . Wish I could remember the brand...began with an 'R'. In a nutshell JUNK. It is a buyer beware market.

[Tim Morton]

I have had excellent results with ebay....and the nice thing is that you can go and look it over if you win...let him know you will be bringing payment based on "no surprises". Good Luck!!!

[Julio Navarro]

Ive bought lots of stuf on ebay, bike parts, tools etc. All have been good sofar.

Ive bought parts for my bike that retail would be over 700$ for only 99 plus shipping, so that was a good deal.

But I have also bought tools that I should have known better: Cordless jigsaw for 5.99 (hello, Mcfly???)

[Jim King]

I can answer from the other end of ebay. We sell on ebay and have had a very good experience. Ebay is a good way to get exposure to a constantly new group of buyers who then go to your web site after tryng you out. Only problem so far is one customer said only that the wood was "OK" and we got our only nuetral rating and I dont think he ment it to happen that way as it was a beautiful peice of wood.
http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=bizwood&ssPageName=VIP:feedback:3:us

[skip coyne]

I have both bought and sold since early 98' mostly very good experiance I have gotten some excellant deals and have made some good $$$ .

when you look at feeback dont just look at the numbers and the percent , I like to look at the negitives/nuetrals and see what was said on both sides you can get a idea of the seller from that

heres a tool that lets you actully see the negitives and not just the numbers

http://www.toolhaus.org/

I also like to look at the feedback left.

shipping gouging is becomind a issue on ebay . I won't bid without knowing the shipping costs . also pay by cc so you get the chargeback protection if all fails

[Julio Navarro]

I can answer from the other end of ebay. We sell on ebay and have had a very good experience. Ebay is a good way to get exposure to a constantly new group of buyers who then go to your web site after tryng you out. Only problem so far is one customer said only that the wood was "OK" and we got our only nuetral rating and I dont think he ment it to happen that way as it was a beautiful peice of wood.
http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=bizwood&ssPageName=VIP:feedback:3:us

TOS??
Or am I wrong?

[Rich Tesoroni]

I don't think I've ever bought a complete tool off ebay, but it's great for spare parts, switches, and the like. Missed a 34-33C chuck last week since I'd changed my password and forgot to update the sniper.

Don't think you can avoid negative feedbacks. Had an idiot in Tenn bid on a box of records that only said in four places "no shipping". Another that said I could pick up the item and then jerked me around for over a month.

Like others have said, read the shipping charges info closely.
Rich

[Matt Meiser]

I've bought and sold quite a bit on Ebay. Generally, if the seller has good feedback, it looks like a good deal (but not too good to be true), and there are adequate descriptions and photos, I've done good buying. When I sell, I try to be descriptive of the good and bad. I agree on reading the negatives and neutrals. Many sellers (myself included) have one or two negatives from people who either didn't agree with the description or are just plain wierd. Knowing what happended to me, I look at the big picture to see if it is an isolated incident or a recurring pattern. Also, read some of the positives. I tried to buy a computer cable once and had trouble with a seller with high positive feedback. The seller had a lot of positives from people who had received refunds after never getting cables. I got a refund too, but it was a big waste of my time.

[Mike Henderson]

I've had good and bad experiences with EBay. The advice to check out the feedback is quite true. One thing I've done is to only purchase from sellers who take PayPal. The PayPal people are pretty good at getting your money back if the deal goes bad - just keep good records and copies of e-mail with the seller. Here's my list for buying on EBay:

1. Know your subject - meaning if you're going to buy tools, really know what you're buying, especially if it's collectable stuff.

2. Watch for a while before you buy. See what the item you want is selling for. When you go to bid, you'll have a better idea of what a "good" price is for the item

3. Check out the seller's feedback and pass on sellers with anything more than a few negatives (the number depends on how much business they do - you can't please everyone).

4. NEVER buy from a seller with less than 5 to 10 feedbacks. There are people who make a business of scamming EBay people. They create a new ID and get a couple of positive feedbacks, maybe even giving the feedback themselves with an alternate ID. Let other people find out if a new seller is legit or not.

5. Watch out for the shipping charges scam. A lot of stuff will fit into a fixed rate priority mail box which ships for $8.10 and the PO gives the seller the box. The cost of packing materials is part of the cost of doing business and should be paid by the seller, not the buyer. If no shipping charge is stated or able to be calculated, send an e-mail to the seller and get a commitment on the charges. Keep that e-mail. Pass on items with excessive shipping and handling charges.

6. The pictures often don't show everything. Ask for additional pictures or a specific statement from the seller that the tool has what you want (maybe certain patent dates). Keep copies of the replies from the seller.

7. I only buy with PayPal now because it provides me some additional protection and it doesn't cost me anything.

8. Only bid at the last minute. With a little practice, you can easily bid with 20 seconds to go. There is NO advantage to bidding early - all you do is give information to the people bidding against you. Figure out the max you want to bid and submit that bid with 20 seconds to go, if the price hasn't already gone over that. There are snipe'ing services which will submit your bid at the last minute if you can't do it yourself.

9. Don't get caught in a bidding frenzy. Know what you want to pay and eventually you'll find the item at that price. I was looking for a specific Nutting book but didn't want to pay more than $10 for it. It took months, but I eventually bought it for $5 plus $3 shipping. If you are really specific, you can set up e-mail notification when the item you want is listed.

Mike

[Matt Meiser]

2. Watch for a while before you buy. See what the item you want is selling for. When you go to bid, you'll have a better idea of what a "good" price is for the item

You can also search by checking "completed listings" to get an idea. I often do this when selling something to get an idea of what to set the Buy It Now price at. Probably 25% of the time that will get the item sold right away.

[Frank Fusco]

I can answer from the other end of ebay. We sell on ebay and have had a very good experience. Ebay is a good way to get exposure to a constantly new group of buyers who then go to your web site after tryng you out. Only problem so far is one customer said only that the wood was "OK" and we got our only nuetral rating and I dont think he ment it to happen that way as it was a beautiful peice of wood.
http://feedback.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=bizwood&ssPageName=VIP:feedback:3:us

Sic the Pelacadas on him to eat his face off. :eek: ;)

[Gary Curtis]

My experience in buying a complete shop (140 odd items) on eBay is that prices are generally 120% of old tools bought at Old Galoot-type swap meets.

New tools, on the other hand, are often a real bargain.

Complaints:
a) inflated shipping charges sometimes
b) some sellers don't understand the merchandise thus descriptions can be misleading
c) crazy prices (at times)
d) poor photos

Good points:

a) great selection, an advantage if you live in a small town or on a Pacific Island.
b) ease of electronic shopping - especially money transfer
c) no taxes
d) some very old tools are better than anything new -- most of my chisels are Sheffield steel from the 1930's, as good as it gets. Courtesy of eBay.

So, my feelings are slanted heavily toward the negative. Yet, life is full of surprises. I haven't been on the Internet for 6 months. No computer, no email living in a new house in the woods. My first eBay session this year was last Sunday. I looked at eBay, and just for the hell of it, searched for a Lamello Biscuit Jointer, a $725 machine. SURPRISE!! I won the bidding at $272. New and unused. Go figure. The tool gods were smiling down upon me.

If you know your prices well, you stand a better chance.

Gary Curtis
Trinity County Calif

[Jerry Olexa]

Today found the actual location for the pick up and figured the miles, time and fuel. Suddenly, not as attractive. 4+hr drive each way and $90 in fuel. Today, I got outbid by small amount. So, I'm safe if I want to "walk". My strategy is, as you all said, fix a firm max price and stay w it!! I'll watch and learn tommorrow in the final minute action..Still looks like a good rescource for the future (and a new addiction:) ). THANKS guys. Great advice. I'm in the water...

[Sam Chambers]

Jerry, my eBay experience has been very good with tools, but hit-or-miss with other items like musical instruments. In that market, I've had more than one buyer disappear after they won the auction. As others have stated, there are some things you can (and absolutely should) do before bidding:

1. Take the time to learn how eBay's bidding process works. And ask all the questions you can think of before placing your bid.

2. Check out the new prices for what you want to buy. People do sometimes end up paying more for a used items than they could find new.

3. Always check the seller's feedback rating. Nobody's perfect, but you want to keep an eye out for sellers with negative feedback, especially if it's related to the product not being as advertised. Also, realize that some buyers are just hard to please, and leave lower feedback scores, so always check out someone who leaves negative feedback.

4. Watch the shipping charges! Some sellers offer a low "Buy it Now" price or a low reserve, but jack up the shipping.

5. Pay with a credit card (not a debit card) - one that will help you out if something bad happens.

6. I'm a big fan of PayPal.

7. Be cautious about getting caught up in the bidding war. As others have mentioned, most of the activity occurs at the tail end of the auction period, and it's easy to let the heat of the moment cloud your judgement. Decide how much you're willing to pay for any item, and stick to your budget. If it's a unique or rare item, be prepared for high prices!

Happy Bidding!

[Curt Harms]

I've used Ebay some, not a lot and never sold anything on it. My understanding is that ebay charges a % of the selling price. Some people sell for a low item price (of which ebay get a %) and an inflated shipping price (for which ebay gets nothing.) That effectively reduces the commission. Legal? apparently. Honest? not in my opinion.

Curt

[Rich Tesoroni]

It's sometimes worth bidding early when all your willing to pay is the starting price. Might discourage someone else who's thinking the same.

Rich

[Ian Barley]

I have good and bad experiences. Bargains are sometimes in machines which are specialised and few (often not even the seller) know the real "value" compared to new purchase price. I have also bought stuff that ended as scrap for me.

Fix an idea of value, bid it and then ignore until the auction is over. Don't get caught up in tail end fuss. If you don't win, don't worry, keep an eye out and another will eventually come along.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I have used E-bay.
Got a box of cabinet router bits that are just fine for $30.00
Got a brand new X-Y milling table; same make model as Griz sells for $125.00 I paif $90.00 plus shipping.

Got a telephoto lens that was supposed to fit my camera - I called the seller to be sure - It neither fit the camera nor was it worth a damn (dirt from manufacturing inside the guts on the lens). It was however, cheap. Maybe some day I'll use it as a rifle scope for my pellet gun.

E-bay is a wonfderful place to lose hours and hours searching for the thing you want or need.
Maybe you'll find it and maybe you won't.

Whatever you do:
do not ever use pay pal and never never never offer a bid until you have checked the market out and know that the bid you make is what you are happy to pay - plus shipping.

[Jerry Olexa]

Hmmmm Tell me more about PayPal. I just signed up. Heard both plusses and now, a negative????:confused: :confused:

[Bob Childress]

Jerry,

I don't understand the negative about PayPal. I think it is the bee's knees. In fact, I don't buy anything on e-Bay from sellers who don't take PayPal. I both buy and sell on the site and IMHO PayPal is the only way to go. Never had a flicker of a problem.

Guess Cliff must have had a bad experience, but I've never. Check feedbacks, use PayPal, and know your equivalent prices before you bid. When I'm looking at tools, I'll go check new prices and use the "Note" feature to put it in My e-Bay. Then, if the bids reach a certain percentage of the new price, I just delete it from my Watch list. If it stays below, I might bid on it. Though, for example, I find Festool tools to be generally bid up too high, I did score a lightly used Festool OF1000 router on e-Bay for about half price.:D

[Wes Bischel]

I've had good luck with eBay over the past 7-8 years. The advice given has been good - as with anything, homework is essential. Concerning PayPal, there is one easy way to get around them - as long as the buyer receives a package, the transaction is considered complete and any complaint will not be acted upon. Only had one jerk so far and PayPal didn't do a thing - oh, well, they did send me an email saying they wouldn't do a thing.:mad: :rolleyes:
That being said, I still buy stuff on eBay.

Wes

[Jerry Olexa]

Well today was the big day of my EBay learning experience!! i decided to walk away from final bidding as fuel cost and time outweighed what became minimal savings. Turned out, the final bid plus my expenses exceeded a local source of a floor model by $50. The bidding was interesting. All the major action was in the last 3 minutes when the price went upward quickly and in the last 20 secs, a non bidder (to that point) carried the day and got the jointer. It was new and ended about $100 under retail. I learned a lot and will now form a "watch list" and occassionally play the game. Using your good advice and with a little risk, good tool values can be found!! I have to learn how to do the timing on those last 20 seconds. :D THANKS to all. Good experience!!:)

[Henry Cavanaugh]

Nothing but good things to say about paypal. Many times i say to myself do these people know they can buy this item for less retail new.

[Randy Meijer]

.....4. NEVER buy from a seller with less than 5 to 10 feedbacks. There are people who make a business of scamming EBay people. They create a new ID and get a couple of positive feedbacks, maybe even giving the feedback themselves with an alternate ID. Let other people find out if a new seller is legit or not.

7. I only buy with PayPal now because it provides me some additional protection and it doesn't cost me anything.

I buy a fair amount of stuff on eBay and have gotten "snagged" once or twice by folks with low fedback counts. As a general rule, I no longer deal with anyone who has less than 25 feedbacks. Look carefully at negative feedbacks..... any jerk can post an undeserved feedback; but if you see a pattern of similar comments, run!!

In the two cases where I had problems, PP got me a 100% refund on one item and a 50% refund on the other. Some folks don't like PP; but I have never had a problem with them.

Overall, I enjoy buying on eBay and have found a bunch of very good deals; but as in anything, you have be careful as there are some who would take advantage. Randy

[Sam Chambers]

Well done, Jerry!

[Richard Blaine]

Many good experiences and a couple of burns. Both times it was on shipping damage. The seller would not handle the claim, and the carrier said that the insurance was between them and the seller. They said he paid for it. Well yeah he did, but with my money.

And some people just have no clue on how to pack an item so that it doesn't break.

[skip coyne]

paypal good for the buyer , bad for the seller . in any dispute paypal mostly sides with the buyer . that plus ever increasing fees from a service that promised to be "free forever"when it was rolled out .

google has a new payment service but ebay isnt allowing it (off ocurse they do own paypal )

[Voytek Jarnot]

In the two cases where I had problems, PP got me a 100% refund on one item and a 50% refund on the other. Some folks don't like PP; but I have never had a problem with them.

Wouldn't your credit card issuer have gotten you 100% both times?

[Jesse Cloud]

Sounds like you have the beast figured out Jerry. On Paypal, I like it just because you get closure quickly. As a seller, I hate to have to wait until a check or money order comes in before shipping. As a buyer, I'm bummed that I have to wait for my check to clear before I get my new toy...

Something you might try if you are watching a particular kind of item. You can save a search and have it run automatically. Ebay will email you with results daily. This saves you from having to look every day.

Another great thing about EBay is the increadible variety of stuff they have. My wife loves a ceramic soup tureen we have had for a while, but we broke the ceramic ladle for it. I went on to EBay hoping to find another tureen like it, but there was someone selling the ladle! I guess they broke their tureen.... Go figure.

[John Bailey]

I've bought tools, musical instruments, stereo equipment and outfitted a 40 yr. old sailboat, all with E-bay. I've been burned only one time. The Parks Planer I have was said to be in good shape, but the gear box was completely rusted and froze. It was complete and original, and will make a excellent planer when I'm done rebuilding, but certainly was not as avertised.

I always look at the number of transactions and the feedback. If the seller has less than 99% feedback, I read the negatives and in most cases pass, especially if the number of transactions are low. One seller had a very low rating. I read the feedback and the negative feedback was from the same person, obviously disturbed, under different names. I decided to buy anyway, bought a vintage guitar, and am very happy with it.

John

[tim mathis]

i had 2 problems with pay pal . i have not sold since. any one who wants can check out
www.paypalsucks.com (http://www.paypalsucks.com) i found it too late.

[Scott Vigder]

I found a Metabo 12" CMS for $275 less than any competition on or off eBay, and I would definetly buy from the seller again. It came packaged properly (for an 85lb unit), arrived on-time, and was a painless transaction.

[John Weber]

As far as PayPal is concerned, it's awesome and makes buying and selling on ebay easy and safe. PayPal customer service is better then most and I've never had a problem they didn't take care. I try and only bid on auctions that take PayPal, time and money spent on obtaining a money order often is not worth the hassle.

On S&H, I usually incorporate a fee in my shipping. It varies, and a couple items I sell I should reduce it to make the item a little more in line with actual shipping. But buyers should always look at total cost, if you don't want to pay don't bid. I try to cover at least PayPal fees and some ebay fees in my handling charge, but I'll also try and ship by other methods when possible if the buyer ask. Most of my items sell at a fraction of the Delta list price, but some people still think they should only pay the actual shipping cost - they are free to shop elsewhere. If people ask and are not rude, I'll often do what I can to help out a little.

I once sold a RAS motor for $125 shipped (I won't do that again), this motor had a wholesale cost of $1700, and list price was well over $2000. When the buyer asked for a reduced shipping fee (shipping was fixed at $75 - as it was a big heavy motor), I said no, but I would be happy to refund his payment and keep the motor myself. I guess saving over $1550 was good enough, he wanted the motor. Anyway, most people are great and understand ebay prices are low and operating cost have to be covered somehow.

Just be careful, get the facts and know what you are buying and who you are buying from. I've been disappointed on a few low priced items, but in general my ebay buying experience is very good, and my selling experience is excellent.

John

[Russ Massery]

While most of the items I bought on E-bay were good experence. I had a Bad experence this summer with them. I was bidding on a planer the was local. I could pick it up myself. Well as fate would have it I was outbid at the very end. No bigg deal. But two days later I got a e-mail. Which looked like it came from Ebay. Saying to reply to this email address this is a second chance offer. I had the seller address alreally because. I had asked about payment and if someone would be there to help my load it on my truck. After emailing him about it he said there was NO second offer and there is no such thing. It was a scam e-mail. I contaced Ebay about it. They they were sorry but there was nothing they could do about it. And had no way of know how the scam artist got my email address. I've decided no to deal with them again. All I can say is there are a lot of good legitmate people selling on Ebay. But there will always be people making bad out of good. It's a real shame. I still browse to see what things are selling for. So all I can say is Buyer beware.......

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

Hmmmm Tell me more about PayPal. I just signed up. Heard both plusses and now, a negative????:confused: :confused:
Pay pal is almost constantly settling law suits out of court with agreements that forbid the plaintiffs form discussing the matter.


Pay pal acts like a fidicuary but it is not.
With a fidicuary there are both state and federal laws to protect the consumer. Added to that each state has a division that carries out regulation , control, investigation, and enforcement of the fiducaries and thei relationships with the consumers.
With real fisuciaries you are very well protected.

Pay pal and it's ilk are operating under Regulation E. A fed law with not one enforcement body anythere (that I know of). So when you deal with them all you have to protect you is the contract they signed and your ability to mount a litigation to enforce your contract rights. It is a non-arm's length transaction of the worst sort. In short you are dealing with a huge powerful entity that can out gun, out spend, and out litigate you like it was free.

If a bank screws you you have lots ways to bring them to heel and at no cost to the conumer.

Pay pal has recently absconded with a sum less than $50.00 from a seller who I know personally. This is I am told by others, a very common a phenomena. Theny get your money then they don't give bits of it back. Its too small a sum for the individual person to bother suing over and it is plenty so that it seriously enriches Pay Pal by doing it to many thousands of sellers over time.


The Rules regulating banks are very strict and well established, very well refined. Interpreting the UCC and state versions of it has been the central aspect of so many litigations over the years allowing just about every aspect to have a long and well understood track record with well established meanings. The result is that the UCC is not subject to very many screwy interpretations. Added to that each state has a Division of Banking that closely regulates the industries. They usually provide for strict penalties for rule violations.

Regulation E is different. It is un-developed and is, as I said, the wild west of financial rules. The amount of fraud and cheating and just plain sharp dealing possible under Reg E is staggering. An entity operating under Reg E isn't subject to anything like the state regulation a real fiduciary ( like a bank) is because there is nothing in any state (that I know of) that inheres as a rule making and enforcement body.

I will not do business with Pay Pal.

That is just me electing not to take the walk down the dark and dingy street. It may be a short cut that plenty of folks use daily, but it is still the dark and dingy street where plenty of blood gets spilled and I prefer that it not be mine.

So I'll take the long way home.

[J.R. Rutter]

I was browsing around 6-7 months ago, and came across an SCMI T120 shaper with feeder. But it was a "pickup only" for shipping, so I figured there was no way that I could do anything with it. I was curious to see what it looked like, so I went ahead and clicked on it.

Ever get that electric tingling feeling from a mini jolt of adrenaline when you geta surprise? The location was my little town! Half an hour later, the seller was calling me back on the number that I e-mailed him. He was a retired pro woodworker and didn't have room for the big shaper in his garage. Later that day, I was running my hand over the unworn table casting, oogling the 9.9 HP drive system, and writing a check for the "Buy it now" price.

I guess it was just meant to be!

[Jerry Olexa]

I still think its an interesting option for buying tools particularly if it happens to be near (so you can put it in your truck). There is some risk like most transactions today and "Buyer beware" still holds. The bidding process still baffles me. The so-called "last second"bid usually gets the deal. I've got to find a surefire way to beat that.
I'm new to PayPal and seems its a "necessary evil" to do business w most of the sellers. If over the long haul, it stings, I'll try to find an alternate...Still learning...:) :confused:

[Tim Morton]

I still think its an interesting option for buying tools particularly if it happens to be near (so you can put it in your truck). There is some risk like most transactions today and "Buyer beware" still holds. The bidding process still baffles me. The so-called "last second"bid usually gets the deal. I've got to find a surefire way to beat that.
I'm new to PayPal and seems its a "necessary evil" to do business w most of the sellers. If over the long haul, it stings, I'll try to find an alternate...Still learning...:) :confused:

Hey jerry...while t hey do have "software" availale for those who want to "snipe" an auction at the last second...I am not sure how it works, but heres how I would do it if i found somethign I really wanted and cost was less of an issue than actually owning the item. I keep two windows open...one is the actual auction which I can "refresh" constantly so as to be able to get down to about 10 seconds left....and in another window I would have my "bid now" window open with the amount i am willing to spend..thatway at 10 seconds I would click that "bid now":D And if i REALLY wanted the item...i may have a 3rd window open with an even higher dollar amount....and click THAT window immediately after clicking the second one....BUT, in fairness I ALWAYS place some kind of bid earlier in the day that the item is ending...lets me sleep better that way...:cool:

[Jerry Olexa]

Hey jerry...while t hey do have "software" availale for those who want to "snipe" an auction at the last second...I am not sure how it works, but heres how I would do it if i found somethign I really wanted and cost was less of an issue than actually owning the item. I keep two windows open...one is the actual auction which I can "refresh" constantly so as to be able to get down to about 10 seconds left....and in another window I would have my "bid now" window open with the amount i am willing to spend..thatway at 10 seconds I would click that "bid now":D And if i REALLY wanted the item...i may have a 3rd window open with an even higher dollar amount....and click THAT window immediately after clicking the second one....BUT, in fairness I ALWAYS place some kind of bid earlier in the day that the item is ending...lets me sleep better that way...:cool:

Thanks Tim...I'll try your idea. Maybe beat the system:)

[Bill Pentz]

Generally, I've been shy about dealing for tools via EBay but recently, mostly out of curiousity, been trolling the site. Been pleasantly surprised @ some of the deals on tools available. My inexperience (and reluctance) shows but I placed a bid a few days ago on a new power tool that would have to be picked up (over 200 lbs). Even with price of gas, it would be a good deal. I'd save about $200. The seller has a credible rating. What's been your general experience? are there any tricks or pitfalls to avoid for a novice like me? Bidding ends tommorow:) :D An EBay newbie. Thanks, JO

Jerry,

I've long been an eBay tool buyer and occasional seller. Most of the advice you received is good. I’m a tool addict and have purchased quite a few dozen tools off eBay and sold many as well. Here are some of my buying and selling rules, mostly learned from the school of hard knocks.

bill


Carefully read the item description and check out the pictures
When in doubt ask questions and ask for more specific pictures
Most eBay sellers are good people, but I will not buy from any individual with less than 20 sales, any commercial vendor with less than 100 sales, anyone with an undisclosed location, or any commercial vendor who will not accept PayPal or a credit card. I decline to do business with anyone that only accepts cashier’s checks or money orders.
Stay away from sellers with less than 98% happy customer track records because very few are willing to complain because doing so often gets those who complain bad news negative feedback. When you see someone with lots of transactions giving negative feedback, you can bet things went really wrong. If I was grading a 95% or below feedback rating on someone who sells hundreds of items is an F- vendor, 97% a D vendor, 98% a C vendro, 99% a B vendor, and 99.5%+ and above someone I would want to do business with.
If you are buying something expensive even from a vendor with lots of sales, do a search on past sales to see what range of items they sell (ask for help if you don’t know how to search on past sales). I ended up with a for sure “hot” digital camera from a fellow who had great feedback on the little incense bottles he sold by the hundreds, but every big ticket buyer got burned.
Be aware of the opportunistic resellers. These folks buy up import products on sale often using discount coupons, say from Harbor Freight, then resell for a considerable markup often using brand name product pictures.
Don’t buy used products with a fairly limited life. More often than not what you will get will be pretty well used up.
Decide on what you are willing to pay in advance, then use something like http://www.esnipe.com to place your bid in the last few seconds. When bidding on something available from quite a few sources, esnipe allows you to build a bid list and it will keep bidding until you win an item on your list without you having to constantly monitor and submit new bids. Except for unique items, this saves a lot of trouble and frustration, plus keeps you out of biding wars, plus occasionally yields a great deal.
For big ticket items, always pay with a credit card where you can get your money back if it turns out to be a sham. Sadly, there are lots of scam artists working eBay and you can count on little to no help from eBay or PayPal if you get taken.
Beware of the tons of “spoofers” who will email you with falsified eBay and PayPal notices trying to get your ID and Password information.
Be aware that shipping kills a lot of eBay products. Always pay for shipping insurance as it is a lot easier on both you and your seller when dealing with tools.
When selling tools always be dead on accurate in your descriptions, provide lots of good pictures, and be prepared for about one in ten to bail on their purchase. Lots make impulsive buys, then change their minds or come across a better buy, so want to back out. I found it far better after a few painful experiences to just let these folks back out then re-advertise eating the few dollars in eBay costs versus paying double shipping, getting stuff returned because of often irrelevant or fictitious problems, and getting a bad feedback.

[Bob Huddleston]

Caveat emptor (I learned that from the Brady Bunch!). Buyer beware. I cannot stress enough the need to look at buyer's feedback. The only time I was disappointed was when I did not do a thorough check. Also, there are many "professional" sellers now...not how it started with basically being a big garage sale. But, overall, go for it! Just do your homework.

[Jerry Olexa]

Jerry,

I've long been an eBay tool buyer and occasional seller. Most of the advice you received is good. I’m a tool addict and have purchased quite a few dozen tools off eBay and sold many as well. Here are some of my buying and selling rules, mostly learned from the school of hard knocks.

bill

Carefully read the item description and check out the pictures
When in doubt ask questions and ask for more specific pictures
Most eBay sellers are good people, but I will not buy from any individual with less than 20 sales, any commercial vendor with less than 100 sales, anyone with an undisclosed location, or any commercial vendor who will not accept PayPal or a credit card. I decline to do business with anyone that only accepts cashier’s checks or money orders.
Stay away from sellers with less than 98% happy customer track records because very few are willing to complain because doing so often gets those who complain bad news negative feedback. When you see someone with lots of transactions giving negative feedback, you can bet things went really wrong. If I was grading a 95% or below feedback rating on someone who sells hundreds of items is an F- vendor, 97% a D vendor, 98% a C vendro, 99% a B vendor, and 99.5%+ and above someone I would want to do business with.
If you are buying something expensive even from a vendor with lots of sales, do a search on past sales to see what range of items they sell (ask for help if you don’t know how to search on past sales). I ended up with a for sure “hot” digital camera from a fellow who had great feedback on the little incense bottles he sold by the hundreds, but every big ticket buyer got burned.
Be aware of the opportunistic resellers. These folks buy up import products on sale often using discount coupons, say from Harbor Freight, then resell for a considerable markup often using brand name product pictures.
Don’t buy used products with a fairly limited life. More often than not what you will get will be pretty well used up.
Decide on what you are willing to pay in advance, then use something like http://www.esnipe.com to place your bid in the last few seconds. When bidding on something available from quite a few sources, esnipe allows you to build a bid list and it will keep bidding until you win an item on your list without you having to constantly monitor and submit new bids. Except for unique items, this saves a lot of trouble and frustration, plus keeps you out of biding wars, plus occasionally yields a great deal.
For big ticket items, always pay with a credit card where you can get your money back if it turns out to be a sham. Sadly, there are lots of scam artists working eBay and you can count on little to no help from eBay or PayPal if you get taken.
Beware of the tons of “spoofers” who will email you with falsified eBay and PayPal notices trying to get your ID and Password information.
Be aware that shipping kills a lot of eBay products. Always pay for shipping insurance as it is a lot easier on both you and your seller when dealing with tools.
When selling tools always be dead on accurate in your descriptions, provide lots of good pictures, and be prepared for about one in ten to bail on their purchase. Lots make impulsive buys, then change their minds or come across a better buy, so want to back out. I found it far better after a few painful experiences to just let these folks back out then re-advertise eating the few dollars in eBay costs versus paying double shipping, getting stuff returned because of often irrelevant or fictitious problems, and getting a bad feedback.

Bill, thanks for your valuable advice and insight!! It is a COMPLEX PROCESS and like most business today, has its risks and pitfalls...Appreciate the tip on preventing of sniping. I'll try that service..Thanks for taking the time to teach and help me through the maze...

[Lon LeBlanc]

Curt,

I've seen those vastly inflated shipping charges, too. And, apparently, Ebay has heard plenty from all of us who find that horribly deceptive. They've recently changed the rules on shipping charges that can be applied to a purchase, and you should find that scam starting to disappear quickly.

Lon

[Bill Pentz]

Jerry,

Thanks for the kind words.

We should add to my list Lon's and others concerns on also figuring shipping charges in the total costs.

bill

[Chris Padilla]

I have a record of 46 purchases from unique sellers (some sellers, I've bought from numerous times) and about 6 purchases ago, I finally got burned from a seller with stellar 100% feedback. I dunno what happend but the item they sent me (a curtain rod) was horribly incomplete and severely used and definately not NIB (new in box)...even the second item sent was like that!

I finally got eBay involved and at the end of it all, they didn't do anything because the amount of money involved was under $25. I was out something like $15 so no big deal. I later read feedback by others who also got shafted. Eventually, the seller closed up shop after 4 or 5 more folks gave negative feedback. I don't think anyone was getting NIB curtain rods as proclaimed in the eBay ads.

Anyway, that was my one bad experience.

One thing I do for sure is if I want to purchase something, I always try to see if someone is selling it on eBay. Odds are excellent they are and that it will be at a good price (assuming you do your homework as many have pointed out in this thread).

My favorite auction sniping tool out there is www.auctionstealer.com (http://www.auctionstealer.com) but there are plenty of these type of sites out there and most are free to you with minimal restrictions.

[Jerry Olexa]

I have a record of 46 purchases from unique sellers (some sellers, I've bought from numerous times) and about 6 purchases ago, I finally got burned from a seller with stellar 100% feedback. I dunno what happend but the item they sent me (a curtain rod) was horribly incomplete and severely used and definately not NIB (new in box)...even the second item sent was like that!

I finally got eBay involved and at the end of it all, they didn't do anything because the amount of money involved was under $25. I was out something like $15 so no big deal. I later read feedback by others who also got shafted. Eventually, the seller closed up shop after 4 or 5 more folks gave negative feedback. I don't think anyone was getting NIB curtain rods as proclaimed in the eBay ads.

Anyway, that was my one bad experience.

One thing I do for sure is if I want to purchase something, I always try to see if someone is selling it on eBay. Odds are excellent they are and that it will be at a good price (assuming you do your homework as many have pointed out in this thread).

My favorite auction sniping tool out there is www.auctionstealer.com (http://www.auctionstealer.com) but there are plenty of these type of sites out there and most are free to you with minimal restrictions.


Thanks Chris: More good advice..I'll look into that anti-sniping site also...Let the battle begin:) Thanks

[Vaughn McMillan]

Jerry, as a clarification, you want a sniping site, not an anti-sniping site. In this scenario, sniping is a good thing, and a good sniper can help you win more auctions. I use Bidnapper.com, but there are others, as has been mentioned.

For the record, my eBay buying and selling experiences and advice pretty much mirror what's already been mentioned.

- Vaughn