Using Ebay for First Time

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Lawrence

Senior Member
Encouraged by others saying that buying off Ebay in China is safe and products are good I am looking at ebay for the first time ever.

However the prices on certain items (for example Rapid straps and eyecups) vary hugely.

What's the rule of thumb here as far as name brands goes or generic products?

Feedback on most sellers seem to be in the very high 90% so that is good.

I just thought that if buying I may as well get a few things at the same time.

Thanks for any input.
 
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480sparky

Senior Member
Some stuff I won't accept substitutes for. BlackRapids straps would be one. A knock-off or cheapie may end up costing you a lens, body or both.
 
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Krs_2007

Senior Member
Very true Sparky, consider what you are looking for. I don't think I would go with a knock off strap like BR. I would get the real deal.
 
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Mike D90

Senior Member
Check their feedback. If it is near 100% positive, and they have a lot of it, then its pretty safe to buy from them. Read the feedback ratings and if there are negatives or neutrals see what the buyer was dissatisfied with. Most of the time its shipping time, wrong item or a damaged item.

Research what you are thinking about buying. I have bought lots of stuff that was from China and some of it is just absolutely junk. A lot of it is actually not bad. Almost none of it is as good as the well known brand it is a copy of but, if you are paying a third of the price, or even less, then it can be a good deal anyway.

I did buy a Black Rapid style knock-off strap called "Quick Strap" with a "K" logo. It is a decent piece and, with some modification just for my peace of mind, I do not fear carrying my camera with it. Its comfortable and it works as I want it too.

A lot of the stuff you get from China is the exact same stuff you would buy anywhere else with a "Made in China" tag on it.

I hate to recommend it because I hate them but use PayPal with a credit card as the payment method. It is the only way to protect what you buy with a guarantee.
 
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480sparky

Senior Member
Mike d90 said:
Check their feedback. If it is near 100% positive, and they have a lot of it, then its pretty safe to buy from them. .......
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Another thing to check is what else they have for sale, and compare that to what they've sold in the past.

If someone has good (and lots of) feedback, and have sold things like knitted baby clothes or yankee candles, but suddenly have listed all sorts of top-end stuff like lenses, expensive stereo equipment, medical devices, etc. for 'bargain basement' prices, it's a sure bet the account has been hacked. A person with 45 feedbacks in the past two years just is NOT going to suddenly list 400 items, all normally selling for more than $10,000 but all listed for BIN for $3,500, is a huge red flag to stay away.

The old adage applies: If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
 
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mikew_RIP

Senior Member
I often buy from ebay including china but they are low value items that i feel Nikon are being stupid over prices with,body caps lens hoods ect,just bought a secondhand bag from a private seller,it was fantastic condition but the seller made a error on size,within a week i had bought it returned it and had a complete refund including return carriage.
It is a gamble 90% feedback i wouldn't touch ime looking for over 99% with a few thousand sales and only low value items.
 
SkvLTD

SkvLTD

Senior Member
Like lens caps. If it works and looks and feels like genuine, who cares whether it actually is or not? Memory cards and say, bodies from China is the only things I'd watch out for.

Else, as of past 2 years, ebay has been practically giving all buyers free rim jobs of safety and protection by shafting sellers where the sun don't shine REAL, real hard. That said, and being an unfortunate victim of sloppily left ratings, please give sellers 5 stars if you get your gear as described and all of that. I'd also say be lenient on shipping time as lots of sellers aren't retailers and have lives just like the rest of us.
 
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crycocyon

Senior Member
I've been on Ebay almost since it started. I would buy from Japan, but not from China. A lot of the stuff from China being offered might look ok in the photos, but they end up being shoddily made and not made to last. If it is something like clothing, sure I might try it out. But for more expensive items I would not. I would not even get a lens cap from China, as I'd rather get the genuine article. So I tend to limit my search to North America (although again I will consider lenses from Japan because the Japanese seem to take extremely good care of their equipment when used). But of course, that's for camera stuff. If it is other items that originate in Europe then I would be looking there too. Feedback of course is important, but check whether it is for buying or selling. Also, look for buy-it-now with offers. You would be surprised how low you might be able to go by making an offer. As for auctions, I usually only bid in the last 5 seconds because if you bid earlier like days earlier then there is plenty of time for others to increase their bids and it just drives up the price unnecessarily. Also, do your sorts from lowest price with shipping to highest and look for those rare examples of items that someone is selling with no reserve and starting with a low start bid. Those tend to stay below the radar because people don't expect them to be so low, until bids drive them up the list for those who look from highest to lowest price (which sometimes I do as well if I am looking for mint items or very rare lenses).
 
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Jonathan

Senior Member
I agree with all of the above. I rely on the feedback I read, how the item is presented (NOT the quality of the seller's English (or I wouldn't buy a thing!)), their 95%+ rating, etc. I haven't yet ended up with a pup. The last thing I returned was a Predator mask my son bought (through me) to use as a paintball mask. He was frightfully excited but when it arrived it looked good but was hard resin and not at all good for any activity (his mistake) but billed as suitable for, say, trick-or-treating (their mistake). It was so hard part broke off on opening. The Thai seller is in the process of refunding and I'll give appropriate feedback when complete.

My second-hand D7100 came from Ebay...

Update: I've checked and the mask was an Amazon purchase, not Ebay.
 
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rocketman122

Senior Member
I buy a lot from asia. everything from a rubber cap for the top spigot on a light stand..
Rubber Cap Hat Cover Nut for 1 4" Adapter Screw Studio Strobe Flash Light Stand | eBay

to a softbox, to slaves, to any photo or computer accessory I need. many japanese and koreans sell used lenses. on the whole they are ok. I bought my tamron 17-35. buying satisfaction..meh.

I couldnt give a rats A how their feedback is. im always protected with ebay and paypal. I dont really care. any problem, I just open a case, escalate it afterwards then get my money back. I noticed many asians selling bags for cheap. mainly lowepro.

iphone case (otterbox copy thats even better-had the original to compare to $6 vs $40, so bought 2) bought a precision (jewelers) screwdriver set. fans for my PC.usb 3 cables and extensions for the motherboard header. transcend usb 3.0 card reader. zipper pull straps. 2nd party (better than 3rd party;)) chargers for my cameras. aftermarket battery grip with extra batteries set. round eyecups for the camera. hood for much less than nikons original. and theyre fantastic build/quality.

I bought these pouches for my slaves to protect them
8 x Velvet Soft Cloth Pouch Bag for iPhone Galaxy I9100 | eBay

so you see, you can buy tons of stuff. just be careful, youll get addicted. at least youll know you werent ripped off, because you paid cheap.
 
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Sandpatch

Senior Member
crycocyon said:
I've been on Ebay almost since it started. I would buy from Japan, but not from China. A lot of the stuff from China being offered might look ok in the photos, but they end up being shoddily made and not made to last. ....
Case in point, my wife bought a pair of eBay sunglasses advertised as being Ray Ban brand. When they arrived, they were clearly a Chinese knockoff -- lightweight and of inferior quality. My wife contacted the Seller who insisted that they were sold to him as Ray Ban. Right. In weeks that followed, a half dozen more Buyers posted negative feedback on the same issue.

Though, this was an exception. We've bought and sold over 100 varied items on eBay with only minor issues on a handful of transactions, mostly from Buyers who have incorrect shipping addresses posted or are slow to pay.
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rocketman122

Senior Member
Sandpatch said:
crycocyon said:
I've been on Ebay almost since it started. I would buy from Japan, but not from China. A lot of the stuff from China being offered might look ok in the photos, but they end up being shoddily made and not made to last. ....
Case in point, my wife bought a pair of eBay sunglasses advertised as being Ray Ban brand. When they arrived, they were clearly a Chinese knockoff -- lightweight and of inferior quality. My wife contacted the Seller who insisted that they were sold to him as Ray Ban. Right. In weeks that followed, a half dozen more Buyers posted negative feedback on the same issue.

Though, this was an exception. We've bought and sold over 100 varied items on eBay with only minor issues on a handful of transactions, mostly from Buyers who have incorrect shipping addresses posted or are slow to pay.
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cmon man...."since it started" and you didnt know? anyone would know buying "ray-ban" from a chinese seller is not going to be authentic. thats like buying 101. a child would know hes not getting authentic ray bans. things like that, dont buy from china. theyre the best counterfeiters around. phones watches headphones electronics are almost always fake. memory cards, be careful. but button style batteries for gadgets, led lights, photo accessories, pc accessories, they cant be beat. you have to know what to buy.

but to others reading here. dont let that stop you from buying tons of other stuff from them.
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crycocyon

Senior Member
Rocket, that was Sandpatch that posted about the Raybans, not me.

BTW I'm not saying I would never buy from China. Clearly some things might be a good deal and they come from Chinese manufacturers. The Yongnuo radio triggers are made in China and I think they are great alternatives to the more expensive brands. But they are pretty simple electronic devices. But, for example, I needed a second battery for my camera and I would not buy a cheap Chinese bootleg version, but only authentic Nikon battery, or grip. I bought a cheap grip for my D7000 made in China and it didn't work. Maybe some do and if you want to save money sure go ahead and try it out. Just be aware that it is more of a risk. Yes as someone mentioned there is the buyer protection anyway and I've had stuff ordered from China or Hong Kong and if it didn't arrive I open a case with Ebay, they contact the seller, and the seller simply refunded my money. So that's ok. But still, we all want each buying experience to be a positive. one, especially if we are just starting out on Ebay.
 
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rocketman122

Senior Member
crycocyon said:
Rocket, that was Sandpatch that posted about the Raybans, not me.

BTW I'm not saying I would never buy from China. Clearly some things might be a good deal and they come from Chinese manufacturers. The Yongnuo radio triggers are made in China and I think they are great alternatives to the more expensive brands. But they are pretty simple electronic devices. But, for example, I needed a second battery for my camera and I would not buy a cheap Chinese bootleg version, but only authentic Nikon battery, or grip. I bought a cheap grip for my D7000 made in China and it didn't work. Maybe some do and if you want to save money sure go ahead and try it out. Just be aware that it is more of a risk. Yes as someone mentioned there is the buyer protection anyway and I've had stuff ordered from China or Hong Kong and if it didn't arrive I open a case with Ebay, they contact the seller, and the seller simply refunded my money. So that's ok. But still, we all want each buying experience to be a positive. one, especially if we are just starting out on Ebay.
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the biggest issue with buying from asia is the wait time. then hoping it doesnt come broken, and works. there is a lot of disappointment as well at times when its not what we thought. people buy and dont know what to expect. but stuff like camera grips, mounts and cables and the like are really a great buy. only problem is the wait. on average it will take 3-5 weeks. sometimes things come really quickly and sometimes youll wait 6+ weeks.

bought my yongnuo 568 flash, bought all my slaves (622n/commlite G430) from asia. you can get ball heads that are very high quality for very cheap. you can get computer parts for cheap where in the stores they charge quite a lot for simple things. I buy a lot from asia. they have a lot of great things. I think [MENTION=9753]Scott Murray[/MENTION] bought the same grip I bought. works fine. does what its supposed to. im sure many bought and it didnt work for them but the majority bought and are happy. shame for you it didnt. but after buying yongnuo flashes, I will say that the nikons are worth the extra money. the yongnuo are great flashes but for a pro, the build quality isnt the best with the yongnuo compared to the nikon. its worth to pay a little more.
 
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carguy

Senior Member
Lawrence said:
Encouraged by others saying that buying off Ebay in China is safe and products are good I am looking at ebay for the first time ever.

However the prices on certain items (for example Rapid straps and eyecups) vary hugely.

What's the rule of thumb here as far as name brands goes or generic products?

Feedback on most sellers seem to be in the very high 90% so that is good.

I just thought that if buying I may as well get a few things at the same time.

Thanks for any input.
Click to expand...
As with most things, common sense and gut instincts should prevail.

If the price is too good to be true, it is. Especially coming from China, beware of knock-off goods. Also, beware of goods priced HIGHER than other places. While I was hunting for a nice used 85mm, my ebay search would alert me of 'new' Nikon 85mm 1.8G glass for the low low price of $600+ shipped from Japan.

If you KNOW you are buying a knock off, I wouldn't spend a dime of 50% of the retail price of the real deal. It's cheaper for a reason.

Be sure the listing includes images of the EXACT item being sold (not so much for goods sold as NEW in box). Be sure the description is CLEAR and states the exact condition of the item. If it isn't laid out, send an email THROUGH ebay and ask BEFORE placing a bid.

Be sure to read the fine print, understand 100% shipping costs, etc.

Review the sellers feedback history.

I would look for sellers at 100% personally, it is very rare I will buy from someone with less than 100%, when I do it is 98% or 99%. Nothing more.

Always use Paypal. Never use paypal and pay as a 'GIFT' - if you do you lose protection for the transaction. Sellers will do that to skip out of the minor fees they are required to pay.
 
Scott Murray

Scott Murray

Senior Member
rocketman122 said:
the biggest issue with buying from asia is the wait time. then hoping it doesnt come broken, and works. there is a lot of disappointment as well at times when its not what we thought. people buy and dont know what to expect. but stuff like camera grips, mounts and cables and the like are really a great buy. only problem is the wait. on average it will take 3-5 weeks. sometimes things come really quickly and sometimes youll wait 6+ weeks.

bought my yongnuo 568 flash, bought all my slaves (622n/commlite G430) from asia. you can get ball heads that are very high quality for very cheap. you can get computer parts for cheap where in the stores they charge quite a lot for simple things. I buy a lot from asia. they have a lot of great things. I think @Scott Murray bought the same grip I bought. works fine. does what its supposed to. im sure many bought and it didnt work for them but the majority bought and are happy. shame for you it didnt. but after buying yongnuo flashes, I will say that the nikons are worth the extra money. the yongnuo are great flashes but for a pro, the build quality isnt the best with the yongnuo compared to the nikon. its worth to pay a little more.
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I have noticed that recently the dial on the grip has not been functioning, it did work but has stopped. I need to look into it.
 
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