Thinking of joining E-bay

[ameerat42]

H All.

I feel the time has come to (still reluctantly) join E-bay. I have read the full T+Cs but still have a couple of Qs about this.

1) I guess on registering you have to provide full and correct contact details? (I know that you can have a username.)

2) If I join Aus E-bay, will I be able to buy from overseas E-bays?

3) Is a debit card a valid means of payment (on Paypal)?

4) Am I missing something?

Thanks, Am (still shuffling).

[arthurking83]

Yes!

the ebay and paypal sites so far have proven to be solid and reliable(for me) after about 7 or 8 years of use, so there is no problem giving them your peronal details.

Of course the merri-go-round of scams on ebay itself is always the thing to be wary of, so just be mindful of them!

With paypal, you can use any account type that you like, when you set it up, for each account they do a small transaction where they debit $2 from the account you nominate as confirmation you verify the account by typing in some 4digit code, and then they'll credit you back the $2 withdrawal.

I nominated 2 accounts over the years, and just nominated another account the other day and the verifcation proces took about 2 mins and the account was then active immediately for use.

[ameerat42]

Thanks, Arthur.
In the meantime, I remembered that one of my accounts is a debit card with Euros on it. I wonder if that one will be OK? Obviously I'd be using that one for OS transaction.
Hmm! Am.

[kiwi]

Safe as houses eBay and PayPal

I do think you take reasonable precautions about only buying off sellers with good feedback over 100 trades and buy with PayPal protection

[Wayne]

Been using it almost since its inception, and over the years and many transactions both as buyer and seller, I have had few problems, and none that left me out of pocket.

I have got some of my best bargains from ebay in the USA, but a word of warning, is that most US sellers won't sell to people outside USA/Canada, and Ebay now prevents you from being able to buy from a market that your account is not registered in unless the seller specifies they will sell to your location. You used to just be able to buy from anywhere and that is what I would do despite the seller saying they won't sell to AUS, I just buy and get it sent to my USA/Euro broker.

[ameerat42]

Fokes, fanks. But that was my last question: what about a debit card that is already in foreign currency??

(Thanks, int. info Wayne.)

[KeeFy]

You can set your transaction to be in whatever currancy you want it to be. Point to note is that ebay's conversion rates are crappy with about a 600 point spread from midmarket. So try not to buy in other currancies or if you do, consider letting your bank handle the FX (if your bank doesn't charge you exhorbitant FX fees).

Watch out for fake items as paypal will make you jump through hoops to get your money back. I recently had the "privilege" to go through a whole fiasco of 2 fake 32GB sandisk cards. As mentioned, ensure that the seller has high ratings before purchasing.

[ameerat42]

Thanks, Keefy. I've got a debit card already in Euros, left over from a recent trip. You're caught every way, aren't you? Try to "cash it out" and you find that the rates for the card aren't as good as for cash (which aren't flash anyway). I'm glad that you said you can use any currency. It might just work.
Am.

[Art Vandelay]

Also, don't keep a whole lot of money in the paypal account, or the regular one linked to it.
Several years ago I was a very active seller. Got stung by a dodgy buyer and ended up with my account frozen for near 5 weeks.

Besides being wary of dodgy sellers, there are plenty of dodgy buyers to be careful of as well. Generally speaking, deal with higher feedback people or businesses, if in doubt ask questions. Check your getting sensible answers.

[KeeFy]

Also, don't keep a whole lot of money in the paypal account, or the regular one linked to it.
Several years ago I was a very active seller. Got stung by a dodgy buyer and ended up with my account frozen for near 5 weeks.

Besides being wary of dodgy sellers, there are plenty of dodgy buyers to be careful of as well. Generally speaking, deal with higher feedback people or businesses, if in doubt ask questions. Check your getting sensible answers.

I agree with the dodgy buyers as i've heard many many scams pulled like the returned "brick" stories. I generally only ship at buyers expense and it must be tracked (selling within aussie i use express post flat satchel). I also take a photo of the items and a short video of packaging the item and droping it into the box so as to remove any doubt that the item is not inside.

[kiwi]

I dont think ebay is a bargain destination any more either, too many professional sellers and buyers there now compared to 5 years ago even

[Analog6]

I have also found eBay and Paypal to be good, been a member for some years now. I use a Visa debit card on my credit union and just move money into that account when I want to make a payment - I can do it all online so really simple. I have bought from many countries with no hassles.

Just exercise due diligence, only buy expensive items from sellers with good ratings, lots of sold items and ditto for buyers. Yes, this is hard on first time sellers but I got caught once when I disobeyed this rule of mine so never again.

Good luck!

[ameerat42]

I dont think ebay is a bargain destination any more either, too many professional sellers and buyers there now compared to 5 years ago even

Yep, from what I've seen as a non-member this is often true, but what's partly driving this urge, Kiwi, is that I can get a cam from OS for about 1/3-1/2 the prices here.
Hmm! I think to myself.

[KeeFy]

Yep, from what I've seen as a non-member this is often true, but what's partly driving this urge, Kiwi, is that I can get a cam from OS for about 1/3-1/2 the prices here.
Hmm! I think to myself.

There are better places to get your gear. Do a quick google of DWI or Grey imports and you should get some results. As for accessories, yeah it is cheaper to get from fleabay although if you knew what the real cost of it is (i was working in china for 1/2 a year and went to some of the photographic shop areas frequently to pick up items), you'll possibly feel ripped off still. LoL.

[Wayne]

Ebay doesn't present as much of a bargain haven as it did say 5-8 years back with many stay home pro sellers and lots of Asian e-tailers etc, but I still find many bargains, you just have to be determined, fast, have a good strategy and be ready to buy (if buy now - which is where most bargains will be had) as the auctions that run their course have way too much time for people to see them (pushes price up as more people become aware, esp if popular or high ticket items) and leads to people holding off their bids, or using snipers to bid last minute to beat you so you have to use the same tactics or be around at the finish of the auction)

I am often up late at night, and that is when the USA wakes up, so I snatch most good deals with buy now in the middle of the night among using bid snipers and other tools etc to be ahead of most.

[ameerat42]

Who haven't I fanked yet for these interesting replies? Well, I'll still join, but I'll be very aware of what to look out for.

[arthurking83]

..... but I still find many bargains, you just have to be determined, ......

Spot ON!!

I'mnot usually a very determined type of 'ebayer' .. that is I'll let the others find and acquire these bargains.

I jsut knwo what I want, I usually know what it's worth and ebay is simply one of the many ways to get all manner of gear(not just photography stuff).

Finding that bargain is a pretty low priority for me.

But determined is something I recently became.
I've been chasing a particular type of item off ebay now for I think over a year. These things are not all that common, and come up about 1-2 per week, maybe a bit more every now and then but as an average this seems to be about right.
So take approximately 52(maybe more) weeks and about 2 items per week.
I believed that these devices had a ceiling price of about US$300, possibly as low as US$250 and that's what I stuck too.

I would mark these devices in my watch list and then make a bid as the last day or two approached.
I reckon at least 80-100 bids all at or below the US$300 level over the last year.
Got zip! missed about 79-99 of them by that last bid amount, whether that was by $5 or $2.50, but I was determined not to get into a biding war with anyone.. especially not the buyer, or their friends! ;)

Set my price and that was that on my part, no ifs or butts.

I believed that the vast majority of these items were dummy bid to inflate the prices, as many of them would eventually return to be listed again at similar prices!
I still bid on them, again sticking to my predetermined prices.
I remember at one point, I actually had I think 5 or 7 bids all at the same price at the same time.. and then the thought occurred to me(no matter how remote this idea was) that I amy end up winning either all or at least a few of them .. and then what? :p .. where was I going to get the money to proceed? :o .. but again as expected, I lost all of them by at least the min bid amount, and I think a few b just a touch more.

And bloddy 'ell, you wouldn't believe I finally got one! the other day! :D
(TBH, I kind'a feel a bit deflated by it now, in that it was becoming kind of fun with this chook chase .. I may now have to go chasing some other cheapo items)
Strange thing is too .. it wasn't a bargain, just what I think is a reasonable price. Reason I think it wasnt' a bargain is because a day or two later another (concurrent) item sold for $80 less than I got mine!

ie. now that I'm out of the market, no else one wants one.
Overnight with my finally having got one, the market has collapsed and the demand is now back to zero.
I'm still watching them to see how much lower they now go in price!

[Wayne]

Arthur, that $2.50 earlier on when demand was high, could have saved you some $$, and got you the item sooner!

You have to know the item value, and for me if it is a matter of saving $5-10 there is no way I'm going to buy from ebay..
Many people have more than one account, and shill bidding to inflate prices is very common, but again if you know what it is, how much it's worth and are prepared to be quick in deciding to buy, there are lots of bargains. I got a brand new AF200/4 Micro recently at about US$300 below the next cheapest ebay seller, and much more below USA retailers, thing is it was listed in the middle of the Aussie night, I saw it within minutes and snapped it up. It wouldn't have lasted long if I didn't grab it...

[arthurking83]

LOL!

200/4 is one of three items on my hit list of late, and even tho this new purchase will keep me busy for a little while, I still have some money left over to purchase a very cheaply priced one.

Once again both determination and patience is a key factor. Watching and waiting is vital and especially waiting for the Christmas period when a lot of regular joes are off on holidays at which point it gets slightly quieter too, so there's less competition for the auctions.

I also have a few 70-200VR's in sight if the price is right tho and also an "another" portrait lens of some description to play with.


Noter that the demand comment was more tongue in cheek than reality.
Of course I have no idea on how high demand is or really is, but with my luck now that I have one, the market will drop or demand will drop, or Nikon will announce a new updated model in the next few days .. available at some ridiculously low price.
Thing is tho, I woudl have actually been happy to pay just a bit more if I had too, as this is one itme that will stay with me for a long time, if I don't break it, so the actual price is an extremely trivial point.
Had it cost me another $100(which I have to spend), over the course of the next 20 years, that $100 would have been insignificant.

I can't say that I've missed any real opportunities in not having got this item earlier tho either. It's just a new toy to play with now.
I have one or two small and pretty low priced accessories I also want to get for it, and possibly an expensive flash item too(SBR flash system).


For Am: one very important point I note too, is that you don't partake in the goodness that is the Nikon system. And that is a good thing, so having recommended you to join in on the fun will have no impact on my ebay pursuits.
But had you been a Nikon user, the advice may have been different.
As a Nikon user, ebay is a dastardly, evil and treacherous place and a cesspool of scams, sharks, devil worshipping rip off merchants that are eager to drink your blood and carve you up with their cracked 500mm mirror lenses .. Nikonian beware! :D

[I @ M]

I am another in the camp that feels there are not many good deals on new gear on ebay anymore, there seem to be a some good secondhand prices ( or at least there were before I closed my account :D ) and if you see something new that appeals, google down the ( store ) seller and contact them off ebay and buy direct. Most sellers are happy to discount a little and save some of the ebay fees. :D