What am I looking for if buying from ebay?

[beware]

I usually buy my blurays from amazon.com or at stores like Walmart, Target and Best Buy...but doing a quick ebay search I found films supposedly still sealed that I would like in my collection for either half the cost those places are offering or close to it.

I never buy from ebay. What am I looking for, overall, to get the best quality for my buck?

[Batman1980]

You want to look for a seller with high positive feedback. You also want to look for the best price + shipping price available, although sometimes I myself pay a bit more to get it from a seller that's closer so I get is sooner. Oh and try to find out how quickly they ship, some sellers ship right away, others wait a few days to ship.

[beware]

do any sellers have like refund policies if, for example, the disc is defective?

[Nuova]

-Total number of transactions the seller had made and his overall rating
-Return Policy
-Definition of 'new' (some sellers will classify a bluray/game still new even when its out of its plastic wrapping, claiming that it's 'new' because its never been played)
-Photo of actual product, and not a generic one ripped off the internet


You should be fine if you follow these tips

[RyanC]

Originally Posted by beware

do any sellers have like refund policies if, for example, the disc is defective?

eBay and PayPal back you up 100% if the product is defective, so you don't have to worry about that. Just be sure to read the description in its entirety. A lot of sellers list combo packs as new, when in fact they just mean the disc has never been played and they are removing the DVD or DC from the sale.

[Jennifer Lawrence Fan]

And alot of them say no returns accepted.

[bkhage01]

-High-rated seller
-Individualized item description
-Non-stock, self-taken photo (so you can actually see what you're going to get)
-Positive feedback ratings that include comments about fast shipping
-Combine shipping discounts

[Batman1980]

Originally Posted by Michael Bay Fan

And alot of them say no returns accepted.

Or 7 day returns which means if you want to send it back you better do it quick.

[Captain Kirk]

Return policies mean nothing when it comes to Paypal. You have 45 days to get a refund and even longer when funded by a credit card.

High, positive feedback and a detailed description is all you really should be on the lookout for once you compare prices with shipping.

[bkhage01]

Originally Posted by Serendipity

Return policies mean nothing when it comes to Paypal. You have 45 days to get a refund and even longer when funded by a credit card.

High, positive feedback and a detailed description is all you really should be on the lookout for once you compare prices with shipping.

Paypal doesn't cover "changes of mind" but an Ebay seller may accept returns/refunds for that reason. Paypal will cover you if the item is defective or not as described. But a return policy on Ebay can mean whatever the seller wants it to mean. It's worth looking at.

[jm149]

Originally Posted by Serendipity

Return policies mean nothing when it comes to Paypal. You have 45 days to get a refund and even longer when funded by a credit card.

High, positive feedback and a detailed description is all you really should be on the lookout for once you compare prices with shipping.

I agree. Look for top-rated sellers with 100% positive feedback (or close to it).

And sellers who write detailed descriptions and take their own product photos are usually far more reliable, because there is no confusion about the item and its condition.

[newginafets]

Well since everybody already told you what u should look if u want to Ebay shopping i have nothing else to say except that i'm addicted to Ebay

[Jennifer Lawrence Fan]

Originally Posted by newginafets

Well since everybody already told you what u should look if u want to Ebay shopping i have nothing else to say except that i'm addicted to Ebay

I used to be like 5-7 years ago. but since then haven't bought anything. Reason I stopped cause I didn't have a job and no money to spend.

[Petra_Kalbrain]

My opinion on Ebay is that it is a fantastic resource if you want to buy used/opened materials since way too many sellers list opened product as new anyways.

I've read about a lot of people who get a new copy of a Blu-ray sealed in shrinkwrap without digital copies, DVDs, and extra features discs included. And yet, the listing stated "manufacture sealed." The biggest problem is that most people just shrug it off because of the price. They get their Blu-ray (arguably "new") for a great price and don't put up a fight because of the other content missing.

Me? I'd rather spend a bit extra, know I'm getting a copy that I am 100% certain hasn't been handled by anyone than take a chance on Ebay.

[FlickFab]

Originally Posted by bkhage01

Paypal doesn't cover "changes of mind" but an Ebay seller may accept returns/refunds for that reason. Paypal will cover you if the item is defective or not as described. But a return policy on Ebay can mean whatever the seller wants it to mean. It's worth looking at.

Oh yes they will - as long as the buyer is willing to lie. I sold a figurine on there for almost $800 once upon a time and the buyer simply lied and said it wasn't as described and then said it had arrived damaged.

Buyer refused to provide photos, refused to participate in the insurance claim and ultimately told the paypal rep 3 different stories IN WRITING about the alleged condition which varied from a piece broken off totally to just a line she saw with a magnifying glass. The more I asked for photos the smaller the damage became. They STILL gave her a full refund even as the PP/Ebay rep told me he knew she was being untruthful but they were finding in her favor anyway.

To add insult to injury the buyer just threw it back in the box on top of all the packing peanuts and without using the bubble wrap so it came back to me in less than mint condition because the collectible box was destroyed on the return trip. Ultimately cost me $76.50 in postage and fees alone + had to sell it for $200 less with the damaged box. So I was out of pocket $275+ for a buyer's remorse case with a no return policy on my listing.

And that's when I decided I didn't really want to sell any more of my high dollar collectibles on ebay. I decided just to keep most of them and what little I did sell after that I put on craigslist etc.

[Madman2112]

Personally I never buy (or sell) an item unless there is an actual photo of the item.

[memovieaddict]

Originally Posted by FlickFab

Oh yes they will - as long as the buyer is willing to lie. I sold a figurine on there for almost $800 once upon a time and the buyer simply lied and said it wasn't as described and then said it had arrived damaged.

Buyer refused to provide photos, refused to participate in the insurance claim and ultimately told the paypal rep 3 different stories IN WRITING about the alleged condition which varied from a piece broken off totally to just a line she saw with a magnifying glass. The more I asked for photos the smaller the damage became. They STILL gave her a full refund even as the PP/Ebay rep told me he knew she was being untruthful but they were finding in her favor anyway.

To add insult to injury the buyer just threw it back in the box on top of all the packing peanuts and without using the bubble wrap so it came back to me in less than mint condition because the collectible box was destroyed on the return trip. Ultimately cost me $76.50 in postage and fees alone + had to sell it for $200 less with the damaged box. So I was out of pocket $275+ for a buyer's remorse case with a no return policy on my listing.

And that's when I decided I didn't really want to sell any more of my high dollar collectibles on ebay. I decided just to keep most of them and what little I did sell after that I put on craigslist etc.

yup, ebay is all about protecting its buyers now; it doesn't care about sellers at all even though the sellers are the ones bringing in revenue to their company. sellers can't leave negative feedbacks to buyers so a lot of buyers are abusing the system. buyers lie all the time about receiving the wrong item or not receiving anything at all even when they did because they can get away with it. if a buyer refuse to pay for delivery confirmation or insurance and then lied about not getting anything, he/she wins automatically because you as a seller can't provide any proof that you've shipped the item. paypal doesn't honor post office receipts so you're stuck. and to make things worse, ebay wants to get rid of the 20% discount top sellers get for those sellers who are refusing to accept a 14 day return policy. sellers get 0 protection but buyers get all the protection they want.

anyway, to answer the question, finding a top seller who has 100% feedback and who provides detailed description of his/her products is the way to go when finding a great seller to deal with on ebay.

[Snake Plissken]

Originally Posted by Madman2112

Personally I never buy (or sell) an item unless there is an actual photo of the item.

^^this

Digital cameras aren't expensive like they were back in the late 90s. eBay should stop using stock photos and require sellers to use their own photos.

EDIT

also the blanket usage of stock descriptions sucks, too.

[smeesmay]

with paypal buyer protection, there is really no need to fear any seller.. you can always get your money back....

The ONLY thing you really need to look for is the item condition, both at the top of the page and also in the description of the item. When you agree to what is stated there and decide to purchase, paypal doesn;t like to refund money when you do take the time to read what you are actually buying.

[MovieFanatic2010]

ALWAYS read the full description .....Sometimes the listing title will be not what you are actually getting. I bought a "3D" Blu-ray and the listing title said it was the 3D blu ray but i did not read the full description where in tiny lettering it said not 3D....