rfmaude41 Loc: Lancaster, Texas (DFW area)

Depends on the Bank / Issuer of the credit card; I have had minor problems with one that I have, but the two others, both w/ Chase, have been EXCELLENT whenever there has been any kind of dispute. I also use PayPal, and have never had any problems with that one either.

rfmaude41 Loc: Lancaster, Texas (DFW area)

In the past 6 - 8 years, I have had only one problem, and it got "settled" in my favor. Of course, I do have my favorite sellers that I have done business with for quite a few years, both domestic and foreign. In Japan, I tend to stick with the same 1/2 dozen or so businesses, in China, only three, in Australia, two or three and in Europe about another 1/2 dozen. So far, with these one or two dozen, have had absolutely no problems. Of course, before ordering, I always look at their "ratings", even he ones that I've already done business with.....

whitewolfowner

Having experience is of course helpful. I bought a lot of gear at photo shows back in the 80's and 90's and learned real quick who you could trust and who was out to be nothing but shysters. After a few years of going, the honest dealers knew me by name and even offered me special deals because I had bought from them before. They would even look for the gear I was looking to buy for me in their buying practices. I personally, not knowing sellers of photo gear would be extremely hesitant to buy form unknown sources. Also, the majority of gear on there is mostly (I know there is some of the better stuff) the amateur and kit lens stuff and much of it even falling apart. For me, I mostly stick to the shops that know what they are selling and are reputable about it or from another photographer that knows what he's got and what he is selling. I would buy form someone on here after well clarifying what they are selling and it's condition so I know what I am buying.

blackest Loc: Ireland

Just bought some m42 extension rings from a german seller , who prefers bank transfer (no paypal fee's) so after the ebay auction i needed the bank details to do the transfer. They forgot to give me the account name, however I had bought some lenses in 2015 from them and had their account name in an old email. Old Camera gear is quite specialised and you do tend to deal with the same group of people a lot of the time. The real bargains tend to come from sellers who haven't a clue what they have :)

jcboy3

I generally do not purchase valuable items from international sellers because of the high cost of return shipping if there is a problem. You must return ship with tracking, and that can be very expensive. Shipping to the US is inexpensive, but return shipping is expensive.

jsenear Loc: Hopkins, MN.

I buy my lens purchases from KEH or new. I would rather pay a higher percentage of a new priced lens because of their conservative grading service. When KEH states it is 'Like New' that is exactly what they mean.

whitewolfowner

I agree completely. Gear is something that is a one time purchase if done smartly. All you need is one dud of a deal to negate out any money saved over the years and you avoid the stress and hassles of trying to get it straightened out; especially when there are a few dealers out there that do business fairly and honestly. That alone deserves loyalty form the photographic world.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Ain't that the truth! But it takes knowledge on behalf of the purchaser...

whitewolfowner

And there are good deals out there between two people that both know what the item is. Any good deal is fair to both parties and that benefits both.

dzn1

There was an earlier posting about single use credit cards for online purchases. Can the poster please elaborate on the process? Who what where when and how?

blackest Loc: Ireland

Few years ago you couldn't use debit cards for ebay in ireland but there was a number of companies which sold prepay credit cards , you could buy vouchers from certain shops say for €50 and you would get a credit card number and a cvv number and you would use it like a regular credit card. A lot of them charged a monthly fee so if you spent say €46 they would take a euro at the end of the month or if you wanted to transfer the remaining 4 euro to another number they would charge a euro for that too. I tended to browse some of the chinese sellers and pick up cheap bits for a euro just to spend the money left on the card.

3v was one company (you only had vouchers) o2 money gave you a card that you could use in a physical location even withdraw cash from ATM's although it was your money you were paying to withdraw.

Paypal is easier , ok the exchange rate is pretty poor across currencies but what you are buying tends to be cheaper than buying locally so it is still a win.

Some banks may offer one time numbers, mine doesn't, but sometimes you can come unstuck e.g if you use a credit card with apple they will usually do a $1 test transaction which uses up the number.

whitewolfowner

Simple, purchase with your credit card and don't go through paypal. Not all sellers will allow it; message them and if they still insist on going through paypal, let them know they lost a sale and move on.

wj cody Loc: springfield illinois

as an ebay member from 1998, things have changed. if you are purchasing something, make sure it is a US model. secondly, make sure to purchase from sellers with a rating of 99% or higher. i and many others on ebay are proud of our ratings. i've had 100% ratings for the past 10 years, simply because i only sell what i have owned or come across exceptional examples to offer the community.

Peterff Loc: O'er The Hills and Far Away, in Themyscira.

Also as longtime ebay members - purchasing not selling - my wife and I generally have good experience, although getting a US model isn't always possible. I don't think they ever made Russian Zenit cameras in the US. Maybe they will now we have a new administration!

More seriously, it's much more complex for my wife when buying antique jewelry (meaning over 100 years old, and by no means all US models, identification is a detail oriented skillset) and many sellers while essentially honest people do not have the knowledge to correctly identify things accurately.

I've never sold anything online myself, my wife does although on a more specialized site than ebay. Every now and again something goes wrong, but very seldom. She is absolutely meticulous with her descriptions and photographs with the goal of exceeding the customers' expectations. She normally succeeds.

One occasion she sold a very nice piece to a collector, and then discovered that the piece (which had been misrepresented on ebay as a genuine antique) was in fact a reproduction, although a nice and high quality one. She immediately contacted the buyer, explained the situation and offered a full refund. She lost a bit of money, the collector was very grateful, didn't even accept the refund, just a credit, and still happily buys from her.

Ebay is fine, but understanding how it works and how to behave and build a good reputation is important. My wife and I both have a 100% record, even though we have both had to deal with some problems, mainly on my wife's side which is more complex than cameras.

It's really about a combination of knowledge, ethics and relationships.

wj cody Loc: springfield illinois

i could not agree with you more. i sell pretty much photographic and digital cameras and lenses. sometimes american and native american art pottery and rugs. have never sold jewelry and can understand why you both need to be meticulous with that. that's a tough thing to sell, more credit to you! my return policy has always been simple, if not as described you get your money back, heck, sometimes i have the buyer keep the item anyway.
i'm pleased to hear from another on line seller - thanks for your reply
cody