geekhack Marketplace > Great Finds

Ebay Buying Advice - you asked for it

<< < (5/15) > >>

fohat.digs:

--- Quote from: 127001 on Wed, 27 November 2013, 19:27:33 ---Does the lead time need to be increased?

--- End quote ---

Lead time decreased. There will always be a "lag time" which is impossible to predict due to internet connections. It might be several seconds or several microseconds.

And "real" ebay bids always go in last, after all proxy bids are finished.

JPG:

--- Quote from: fohat.digs on Thu, 28 November 2013, 09:04:23 ---
--- Quote from: 127001 on Wed, 27 November 2013, 19:27:33 ---Does the lead time need to be increased?

--- End quote ---

Lead time decreased. There will always be a "lag time" which is impossible to predict due to internet connections. It might be several seconds or several microseconds.

And "real" ebay bids always go in last, after all proxy bids are finished.

--- End quote ---


Is this auctionsniper.com thing 100% safe? Anyone had a bad experience with it? Just want to make sure since it need my ebay password to work...

fohat.digs:

--- Quote from: JPG on Tue, 03 December 2013, 11:02:20 ---
--- Quote from: fohat.digs on Thu, 28 November 2013, 09:04:23 ---
--- Quote from: 127001 on Wed, 27 November 2013, 19:27:33 ---Does the lead time need to be increased?

--- End quote ---

Lead time decreased. There will always be a "lag time" which is impossible to predict due to internet connections. It might be several seconds or several microseconds.

And "real" ebay bids always go in last, after all proxy bids are finished.

--- End quote ---


Is this auctionsniper.com thing 100% safe? Anyone had a bad experience with it? Just want to make sure since it need my ebay password to work...

--- End quote ---

I have used it hundreds of times over the course of many years. It is absolutely great and reliable and dirt cheap.

Voixdelion:
Sniping is the only way to go - much less stressful than bidding.  I will, however, sometimes place a bid just above the current one as soon as I decide to place a snipe bid.  I will use an outside site for the snipe, and just place the initial bid on ebay as a sort of "foot in the door" strategy in case someone else has a matching snipe bid, that way it goes to the first one who placed a bid in event of a tie. 

Best deals I get though, I rarely am waiting around for the end of auctions past a day.  I like to know what the action is on an item at the time I intend to buy it, so I rarely look to bid on things that aren't ending within 24 hours anyway.  That being said, there are some days that are better for the purchasing and selling of items, and it behooves you to know when the competition will be stiffest if you are looking to sell, and when it is not so busy if you are  a buyer.  It is a good idea to mind your end times if you are a seller, and worth the extra cash to set one where you want it if you like to list things that would end at unfortunate times by the default run time for the auctions. 

Be prepared for everything shady - whether you a re a seller or a buyer returning something take pictures of stuff when you pack it up, before packing and of the packaged item ready for mailing, noting any defects that are or are not present at that time.   If you are a buyer, take a picture of the package before opening it up and of the items condition upon opening.  This effort has ensured my refund from Paypal in record time more than once.   

Check the feedback negatives and neutrals for specific complaints that keep recurring, as this will tell you what to be on the lookout for, whether they are slow shippers or whether they tend to ship items that don't match descriptions or if they tend to lie about conditions. 

I rarely buy on ebay nowadays, though.  I always suspect everyone of being a scammer, since there are so many shady dealings there. If I do need to use ebay for an item I can't get somewhere else,  I try and minimize my risk by thoroughly vetting the sellers reputation and history.   those feedback can tell you quite a bit if you know what to look for.  Often it helps to search the feedback for the item you seek if they are a bulk or big seller, as sometimes problems are linked to a specific type of product and not others. 

That is my two cents on the matter, and I have been known to get some scandalous deals due to being a night owl by nature.  Once I got a PS2 with a bunch of accessories and a carrying case for all of forty bucks when the rest of the crowd was paying 150, mostly because it ended at 2 or 3 in the morning when I was up.  There is a lot to be said for those ending times whether you sell or buy. 

127001:
I'm going to throw this out there:

I have found a great deal of success in buying items from international Ebay listings (listings that don't ship to your country). Most of the time if you contact the seller they are willing to ship to you if you are willing to pay the cost. This really only work for higher ticket items, but sometimes you can get a really good deal on something that isn't popular in another country.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page

Go to full version