leftj Loc: Texas

I agree, Gram E-Bay is the best.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

This is exactly my experience as well. The reputation of being a safe venue to purchase is entirely responsible for eBay's success and continued profitability. I also screen sellers in the same way you do, and if I have any doubts, I stay away. I ask questions, and if I don't get answers that please me, I move along. I've bought dozens of cameras, lenses, meters, and accessories (as well as quite a few other collectible items) and I have been burned exactly one time, for under thirty bucks, because I didn't ask the right question.

Remember this - if an item is listed in "used" condition, like most are, it is presumed to be functional unless otherwise disclosed. Sellers can't get away with the "I don't know anything about cameras" defense if it isn't functioning and that's not disclosed. Overall, it's still my favorite place to purchase used gear, and virtually all the gear I purchase is used. Negative feedback is a powerful hammer as it literally costs the sellers money, but it's one you rarely have to use. I think I've used it twice over hundreds of purchases, and not at all in the past several years.

Andy

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

While I like sellers with high feedback ratings, you do have to do your homework. Sometimes the negative feedback is either beyond their control (shipping speed) or maybe the buyer expected something the item did not have. Either way, it pays to do your due diligence and ask questions where needed...I have sent some sellers information when they have listed something wrong so as to make it easier for potential buyers (novices) who may not be aware of those issues...

rehess Loc: South Bend, Indiana, USA

Is buying from a truly uninformed seller any different from buying from a Goodwill or similar store?
I often hear of people who get a good deal that way.
I wonder what the odds really are.

photoman022 Loc: Manchester CT USA

I buy a variety of products (including photography products) on Ebay and haven't had any real problems. But I seldom buy used camera gear, but I do buy gray market gear -- yes, I know all of the arguments against it, but I'm willing to take the risk. The few times I've run into problems I had my money refunded promptly.

n4jee Loc: New Bern, NC

In eBay speak, "I don't have any way of testing it" often means "I tested it and it doesn't work." eBay is in control and will protect you if the seller has obviously misrepresented the item. If the seller doesn't respond to your request to return an item eBay will step in. Ask questions so that the seller is on record.

Yes, they're crooks on eBay. I once bought an iPad for around $100. I got notification it had been shipped and was tracking it's progress. When I saw it was delivered and I didn't get it, I asked my Letter Carrier if he had left it on the porch as usual. He said he had not delivered any such package to my address. He was upset with the idea that he had delivered it to the wrong address and asked his Post Master to check the GPS record and get a picture of the package taken during processing. The GPS record showed it was delivered to an address about 1/4 mile down the street. The photograph showed that the package was delivered to the address on the label. I accompanied the letter carrier to that address and he asked the homeowner it they had the package. The homeowner retrieved it from the trash and gave it to us. It was an envelope much too small to contain a iPad and contained a piece of cardboard. If you haven't ever sold on eBay, when the auction is over and you are paid, the software invites you to create a shipping label which is already populated with the buyers name and address and your return address. This seller had altered the ship to name to "Occupant" and the address to one just down the street. They also altered the return address to one in Chicago when the shipment originated in So. California. If things had gone as they'd planned, the package would have been picked up the the trash truck the following day and I would have had no proof that it wasn't delivered to me. eBay reimbursed my money in full.

I let the "Golden Rule" be my guide when listing something on eBay. I think the majority of sellers do the same. There are some that will "lie" by omission, so you have to get them to be specific. If they don't respond to your satisfaction, move on to the next item.

eadler

Selling on eBay has been an issue for me. About six months ago I sold a computer. The ad immediately drew scammers. A few were really bad at it. Although it wasn't an auction they offered more than the asking price. One was pretty good. They sent me a PayPal document from a fake PayPal email address that the buyer had released the funds. Sensing that something was wrong I contacted PayPal which indicated that document was a fake. Ultimately I did find a legitimate buyer
Recently I tried to sell a camera. I only got scam artists making bids. In the end there were no legitimate buyers and I took the ad down

ernman111

eBay is, and always has been nothing more than an online flea market... treat it accordingly... :-)

Redeye34

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Will Bill it's not only E-Bay I think almost everything you buy over the internet is broken or out of date. That being said I have gotten some good item too. But the last two haven been positive!

Paul Diamond Loc: Atlanta, GA, USA

As a seller on ebay for 15 years, plus Amazon, Walmart, etc. and a few more years than that just as a buyer, I can offer experience of both buying and selling about 20,000 transactions around the world.

ebay has many sellers you know and respect, based upon the camera retailer names that have been positively mentioned in UHH that also sell on ebay. Pay attention to condition and ask about grey market/USA accepted warranty.

Caution in buying used photo gear is wise. Look at the positive feedback and look at the negative feedback. If the negs are for item never arrived, different condition than claimed, etc. then this seller should be avoided. And, read the 'fine print' in a listing. Ask questions, ask for more pictures, ask for a picture taken with the item, ask for the "shutter activation count", etc. - Some sellers don't physically have the item, can't inspect it or use it on a camera, etc. Avoid them and pawn shops selling camera gear. - I buy on ebay all the time for used camera gear. Because I'm careful, I rarely get a bad item/bad seller. And I get my money back for items that were mis-represented.


Sellers lose money every year to fraudulent buyers - buyer claim never received, when the package was signed for, used and damaged by buyer but returned for a refund, returns an item different than what was purchased and shipped, etc.

Amazon is not better than ebay at customer service/satisfaction. And walmart is far from joining the 'adult' table at dinnertime. However, I deal with all 3.

Horatio

I first started buying and selling on Ebay in 2002. The amount of dishonest sellers has been the reason that I have mostly stopped any business on Ebay. My method is to read the description very carefully and ask as many pertinent questions as possible. Many sellers cannot be bothered to respond to questions.

Ebay and I went head-to-head against counterfeit sellers, with Ebay threatening to cancel my Ebay account and terminate my Paypal account. Ultimately, I won the war. But, it really turned me against Ebay.

Prior to your post, I did not know that a buyer could not leave negative feedback for a seller. That is wrong. When a seller does something wrong, a buyer should have the ability to notify any other buyers, who are interested enough to read the feedback, what this seller does wrong. If you represent and sell counterfeit items as the real product, you should be banned. But greedy Ebay is all about how much money they can make and not what is right. There is a website (ic3.gov) where you can report these people who sell counterfeit goods.

In my opinion, Ebay has lost any credibility with me. Caveat Emptor.

MW

I have had few issues buying on ebay. For starters I only buy frim sellers with nearly 100% positive ratings. In the case of cameras and lenses some sellers are well known from past experience. You should also consider the age of an item — it is in realistic to expect a 50 year old, unrestored roll film camera not to have light leaks or other problems.

Selling is actually more troublesome. I try to answer even silly questions politely but no longer waste time rude, aggressive low-ball queries. Never ship until the payment has been revieved.

Screamin Scott Loc: Marshfield Wi, Baltimore Md, now Dallas Ga

Craigslist is worse than eBay...

bobforman Loc: Anacortes, Washington State

One time I forgot to mark it "no int'l shipping" and, of course, the buyer is in Germany. But his mailing address was in Kentucky, a Xfer point. He stopped payment on Paypal because he hadn't received it but i got Paypal to reinstate when I showed the delivery receipt. Still, it was a mess.

Paul Diamond Loc: Atlanta, GA, USA

Your experience is part of why I stopped selling on ebay outside the USA. No seller can ship to international addresses and accept returns - when it is the seller's responsibility to ship the item from the foreign country back to the USA (postage, customs declaration that it is a customer return, properly packaged, etc. in each country). The ebay listing is easy to use by NOT checking the "international shipping" option and keep your sales in the USA.