Would you buy from someone with his ebay feedback?

[VEFF]

His (or her) feedback is a bit shady, but he does have a large number of positives as well.
Would you bid on his (or her) items?

http://cgi2.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewFeedback&userid=

[Ian]

He hasn't had any negatives or neutrals in the past 6 months so I'd buy from him.

[aviationwiz]

Me, no, I wouldn't buy from ebay period though.

[VEFF]

Thanks for your opinions guys.

I noticed the 6 month thing too.
He just seemed to have an attitude problem (sounded immature, unprofessional) in the negatives and replies to his feedback that he left for others, which was also why I asked.
I'll look at his positive comments again.


aviationwiz,

I myself have never bought from ebay (sold one item myself, but never bought).
Up until now I have found alternatives (Hot Deal forums with coupons and PriceMatches and sites like ubid, which used to have great products and selection (e.g. high quality audio gear etc.)

HOWEVER, there are things that ebay is great for
1) Discontinued products that can't be found anywhere else - this is why I am consisdering bidding on the item) and good prices on high quality used and refurbished products.

2) Many sellers on ebay are VERY reputable companies like Sears, Harmon Kardon, Harvey Electronics etc. that sell clearance, demos and manufacturer-refurbished products that are like new with FULL manufacturer warranty.

[hoxlund]

i buy quite a bit on ebay:

http://cgi2.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.d ... d&items=50

[CDRecorder]

I'm not sure whether I'd buy from that seller or not; the bad feedback and bad attitude are a little unnerving for me.

[aviationwiz]

Yeah, almost every response to a negative feedback is along the lines of:

Response from a non-paying Idiotic buyer,Ebay Fraudy Crook,moaner,cry baby

Fraudelent buyer,used stolen credit card therfore refund given,Idiots do not get

Prompt refund given for defective item,idiotic stupid greedy ball burster buyer

Fraudelent idiotic buyer,send fake money order,moaner,cry baby,ebay Joker ass

Idiotic Fraudelent buyer,Uses stolen credit card,Police has been notified,Crook

I would NEVER buy from him, even if I did buy off of ebay.

[Ssseth]

I don't think I would buy from him either...

[BuddhaTB]

I'm currently sitting on 100 feedback on eBay.

A good place to go shopping for vintage stuff or to find bargains.

[MonteLDS]

ebay is way secure. if you email and ask good questions you should be fine.

[hoxlund]

i agree fully, and use some common sense when it comes to the sellers

[jase]

ebay is way secure. if you email and ask good questions you should be fine.

You think so?

I got skanked on ebay for over $180 worth of stuff. Paypal decided they weren't going to pay me even though they state in their T&Cs that you're covered if a seller doesn't deliver. Ebay also stiffed me. My CC company finally paid up but that isn't the point. In my experience ebay's "security" isn't worth the bandwidth it's chewing up.

[VEFF]

Yes it is secure in many cases, but, as jase states, you can get screwed!

Some tips (I know some may of these may seem very obvious):
1) buy from sellers with good reputations (not just positive feedback percentage, since some people get negatives for silly things - I saw one buyer who left THREE different sellers negative feedback because they supposedly "stole packing supplies from USPS..." OR Monte's negative which someone left because Monte was "impatient", but also by reading individual feedback comments.
Also check the feedback of the person who left the feedback for the seller.
This can make a big difference, in my mind at least.
2) ask for photos of the ACTUAL item (if not already posted) - this can not only show the condition of the product, but also show that the seller probably owns it
3) e-mail the seller to get a little feel of the person (optional)
4) NEVER pay by check or money order
5) if it is too good to be true, it probably is
6) research the item (see what similar items have sold for recently, don't trust the MSRP or opinion on quality of product provided by the seller, especially if it is an older or outdated product.
7) If paying by PayPal, pay by CC as opposed to them taking the funds from your PayPal balance, since you can dispute the charges with your CC bank (or do a chargeback with PayPal).
8 ) Trust your instincts (when it comes to negative thoughts at least); it is better to pay a bit more or wait a bit longer for another seller to sell the item, than to get scammed or be disappointed with a subpar product ("not as described").

Ebay is not my first choice by a long shot (I have yet to buy there actually), but there are certain items (older, outdated items, collectibles etc.) or great prices (someone who just needs money or wants to get rid of something quickly because they replaced it [upgraded]) that almost exclusively be found on ebay.


EDIT: Perfect example of #7 is to read jase's post...