Fifty Plus (50+) - E-Bay Buying............

Does anyone have any experience buying from what is probably a business using E-Bay?

There is a seller in Windsor, Ontario, who has a bunch of bikes for sale and I might be interested in one of them.

Never having bought anything on E-Bay I could use any tips anyone has to offer....in the event I find what I'm after.

If the seller has a long and highly positive track record according to his/her eBay ratings, your risk is minimal. If you want to spend serious money on something, consider having the shipment insured.

Yep, I agree. If it's a store that cares about its reputation, then their eBay rating is very important to their being able to get good prices on their products.

I purchased a used bike from a bike shop off of eBay. They were close enough (70 miles) for me to drive over and pick it up. I thought that was a very good buying scenario. They needed to protect their rep as both an ebay and a local seller. And the bike was in very good shape.

I would use paypal to pay for the bike. While some have complained about paypal, they do offer some protection if the seller does not deliver as promised.

Only way to get some input is to post a link to one of the sellers auctions & someone will tell you if it looks legit. Bought much stuff on scambay with both good and bad results.

Oilman,

Thanks. Here is the link....

http://cgi.ebay.com/Jamis-Coda-Sport-2006-NEW-17-inch-frame-No-Reserve_W0QQitemZ290085023378QQihZ019QQcategoryZ98083QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Since the seller rating is good, my main concern is there being some hidden costs or something I just might not think of, never having bought off E-Bay before.

Thanks for all the help guys.

If you go to the seller's ratings and click on each of his last sales which are still in the system, you'll find that everyone got their gear and no one was complaining about it. Most of the sales were clothing. There were three positive feedbacks from people who bought bikes from him. A few people complained that the shipping was slow, others said it was fast.

Nothing there that set off any alarms to me. The only formal complaint in the last 6 months was because something was shipped late, but even that one seems to have been shipped within 10 days.

If you go to the seller's ratings and click on each of his last sales which are still in the system, you'll find that everyone got their gear and no one was complaining about it. Most of the sales were clothing. There were three positive feedbacks from people who bought bikes from him. A few people complained that the shipping was slow, others said it was fast.

Nothing there that set off any alarms to me. The only formal complaint in the last 6 months was because something was shipped late, but even that one seems to have been shipped within 10 days.
+1, the only negative feedback was from a real loser whose rating is -1. (I've never seen a minus one before.) So I would not count that one negative feedback.
PS, be careful about the cost of shipping unless you're in Canada, it's not stated.

Thanks guys. The shipping looks like it would be $60, so that isn't too bad. And it is a long way from
Windsor, Canada to South Carolina.

Thanks again.

The only potential "hidden cost" I would worry about in this case are:

1) getting involved in a bidding war... getting caught up in the emotion. :D

2) possible customs fees imposed by the government on the shipment from Canada.

Otherwise, I would say no problems or hidden costs. This does look like a reputable seller.

Get a free PayPal account, and everything should work out fine.

I just had a rather unique experience on EBay. I broke two rules that I always(?) follow on EBay; I bought from a seller with 0 feedback and I bought from a seller who would not accept Paypal (both errors were simply from not reading the auction listing carefully enough)!

I paid for the auction with a postal money order ( I was nervous, but didn't want to get negative feedback for non-payment). Two days after I sent the payment, I got a message from EBay that the auction was cancelled because the seller had apparently hijacked someone elses EBay ID. I figured my $50 was long gone since there is no way to stop payment on the money order (I checked). Sure enough, all record of the transaction had disappeared from EBay.

Amazingly, my purchase showed up in my mailbox last Thursday and I am very pleased with it. Go figure!!:D

The only potential "hidden cost" I would worry about in this case are:

1) getting involved in a bidding war... getting caught up in the emotion. :D

Get a free PayPal account, and everything should work out fine.
These are both good points to remember. I routinely see people pay more for bike components on ebay that they can buy from one of many very good online sites for less money.

I would say that that the biggest problem would be the shipping from Canada.

East Hill

Thanks guys. The shipping looks like it would be $60, so that isn't too bad. And it is a long way from
Windsor, Canada to South Carolina.

Thanks again.

This is most important. I have been burned by undisclosed shipping several times from Canada. Get a firm shipping cost from the seller before you pull the trigger.

I think they are funding their free health care system with outrages postage fees.

Ha! You should be so lucky as to have a "free" health care system:D .

More important than postal rates is to determine with the seller how the bike will be shipped. In some cases UPS or other parcel service will be better than the post office. Remember, that Windsor is directly across the river from Detroit, so it would be mostly USPS handling the parcel. You should check all the various rates and services online before contacting the seller. In most cases the seller will ship by whichever method you want. Maybe he would even drive across the river and ship it from Detroit.

Ha! You should be so lucky as to have a "free" health care system:D .

More important than postal rates is to determine with the seller how the bike will be shipped. In some cases UPS or other parcel service will be better than the post office. Remember, that Windsor is directly across the river from Detroit, so it would be mostly USPS handling the parcel. You should check all the various rates and services online before contacting the seller. In most cases the seller will ship by whichever method you want. Maybe he would even drive across the river and ship it from Detroit.

Sorry about the swipe at your health care system. All I wanted the OP to do was get a FIRM shipping cost on the item before buying. This holds true for any ebay item with unstated shipping costs. Some sellers not getting their expected bid price will pad shipping to make up for the "loss".

The other thing about hidden costs - OP do you have the(however minor) wrench skills to set the bike up or are you going to have to pay an LBS? The thing about buying this way is you have to get to the total bottom line cost to know if you are getting a deal.

Would have posted this sooner but my computer at home has the flu.

Hey Oilman! No apology required:D

Thanks folks. The site quotes $60 as the shipping, so I assume there would not be any additional costs, but I would check with the seller before I made any decisions.

Also, while I would like a commuter, I'm not the type to get into a bidding war. The bikes are 2006 models
and are probably well priced, but even at these prices it is a stretch for me, especially since I am just looking for a commuter since I don't want to ride my road bike to work.

As for wrenching, I'm sure I could assemble the bike but would probably tale it to a shop for a tune-up, which adds to the price. Meaning it might not be a great deal after all. Maybe a good deal, just not a
great deal.

Thanks again.

Speaking of eBay, when I was reviewing my user profile, I noticed that in 8 days, I will have been a registered member of eBay for 11 years.

How time flies.

I have bought many many parts and frames on Ebay over the last few years. These are some of the rules I work by.
Paypal only!!!!! I have a credit card that is linked to my paypal account and is used only for that purpose, nothing else. I monitor that account closely.
I will not buy if shipping is not stated up front. It may be an accident but usually it is done on purpose to provied a pad.
Shop for things that you want and have done the research on. Know what the part is being sold for elsewhere (add shipping to comparative pricing). If you find something new and interesting on EBAY take the time to research it in all your other locations.
Determine what you would be willing to pay for that item. Do not bid higher, another one will be along in a while, be patient.
If your top price is overbid, be wary of 2nd chance offers. It is possible that someone has tried to drive your bidding up by "shadow bidding"
Look at the seller, try to determine who or what they are. Are they private selling own used equipment, are they a store front or a batch reseller with a long history. One of the bigest sources of bike parts on EBAY are folks who buy a batch of bikes at a good price and part them out as piece sales. If you know what the part is and don't need instructions, boxes and possibly warranty paperwork this can be a real bargin.

Patience is most important. The last frame I bought on EBAY involved 6 months and bids on about 17 frames before I finally got what I wanted at a price I wanted to pay.

Thanks for all the good advice. If I choose not to bid on one of the bikes that prompted my original question, at least I feel I
am better equipped for any future experience.

Thanks again.

Nothing there that set off any alarms to me. The only formal complaint in the last 6 months was because something was shipped late, but even that one seems to have been shipped within 10 days.

Yea, but I didn't care for the attitude in his response. But still, I'd buy from him if the item was right without any fears of getting shafted.

One thing to add, is the insurance for your bike. I bought a new bike from a shop in Washington and it arrived damaged by Fed-ex. I had paid for the insurance, but when I tried to file the claim, Fed-ex only wanted to talk to the shipper. Fed-ex gave me a terrible run around and passed me from person to person before finally sending me a check for the damage. They took my bike to look at the damage and when they were finished they shipped it back to the shop where I bought it. The shop was great and I finally got my bike back and when my check did come from Fed-ex they paid me a little more than I originally asked for. After all was said and done, I ended up with a very nice bike with repairable scratches on the rear drop out. Final savings over same new bike at LBS $400.00 Worth it? heck yes

I have bought many many parts and frames on Ebay over the last few years. These are some of the rules I work by.
Paypal only!!!!! I have a credit card that is linked to my paypal account and is used only for that purpose, nothing else. I monitor that account closely.
I will not buy if shipping is not stated up front. It may be an accident but usually it is done on purpose to provied a pad.
Shop for things that you want and have done the research on. Know what the part is being sold for elsewhere (add shipping to comparative pricing). If you find something new and interesting on EBAY take the time to research it in all your other locations.
Determine what you would be willing to pay for that item. Do not bid higher, another one will be along in a while, be patient.
If your top price is overbid, be wary of 2nd chance offers. It is possible that someone has tried to drive your bidding up by "shadow bidding"
Look at the seller, try to determine who or what they are. Are they private selling own used equipment, are they a store front or a batch reseller with a long history. One of the bigest sources of bike parts on EBAY are folks who buy a batch of bikes at a good price and part them out as piece sales. If you know what the part is and don't need instructions, boxes and possibly warranty paperwork this can be a real bargin.

Patience is most important. The last frame I bought on EBAY involved 6 months and bids on about 17 frames before I finally got what I wanted at a price I wanted to pay.


I gotta ask: how did you find 17 frames in the correct size, materials, and style to bid on over 6 months?
Now if you need a bike(as in you have no bike) 6 months is alot of riding time to miss.

Your advice on being patient is correct. Unless the thing is a real oddball you will get another chance. Wanted to try Samson pedals and one set came up last month. Snagged them with no opposing bids. That is the only pair of them I have seen in a year or so.

Scam second chance offeres almost always arrive outside of ebays system. Via your email.

There are a lot of MBT hardtale frames available during the winter months as this seems to be the best time for the Parts peddlers to buy left over stock and break it down. Having a list of what you would be interested in and checking every 3/4 days helps. Very often a sold frame will be replaced by an identical one the next day. A new trend has appeared this year though. Some of the biggest parts folks appear to be in Hong Kong where they have better access to factory overruns at the end of the season. I am still a little nervous about shipping something like a frame that far.

In my case, the next frame is not the one I am riding at the moment.

Trust nothing, that does not appear on your EBAY message page. In fact just routinely forward anything that is in your email pertaining to EBAY but not replicated in your EBAY message folder to their security division. There are a lot of phishing scams out there that look just like EBAP or PAYPAL pages complete with ads and copyright data.

No offense meant to the seller, but would you buy this bike? Would you believe it would be shoipped if bought? Again no offense meant to the seller. Sounds like he is honest.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Schinn-Varsity-Road-Bike_W0QQitemZ270093091856QQihZ017QQcategoryZ98084QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

No offense meant to the seller, but would you buy this bike? Would you believe it would be shoipped if bought?
No!

I wouldn't buy it either. It's two months old, the wheels are out of true, the seat is ripped, and the shifting is rough? Sounds like it has been treated very rough.

A brand new Schwinn Varsity is $200 from Wally World.

If you were local to this guy and could look at it first, then maybe it is worth $50-$70. But I wouldn't buy it sight unseen and pay to have it shipped. Especially from a person with a (0) eBay rating, i.e. a novice seller.

I saw an eBay buyer get seriously burned this past week. A person put up a 2 year old Specialized Allez Elite for sale. Posted all of the specs for the Elite from Specialized's web page. But it wasn't really an Elite, it was the base model Allez with a triple crank. I recognized it as being just the Allez and sent him an email suggesting that he repost it with the correct specs and name.

But he instead added a small note to the bottom of his listing, stating that it was not an Elite model. So the truth was listed in the ad, but in the "small print". The big posting still said Elite in multiple places, and the Elite's component specs were left in the description.

In the end, someone bid $615 plus $65 shipping for a used Allez Triple that sells for $585 from my LBS brand new with extended warranty, free tuneup, initial fitting, and on-going local support. I wonder if the buyer will ever notice that frame does not sport the name "Elite" and that he does not have a 105 component set?

I saw an eBay buyer get seriously burned this past week. A person put up a 2 year old Specialized Allez Elite for sale. Posted all of the specs for the Elite from Specialized's web page. But it wasn't really an Elite, it was the base model Allez with a triple crank. I recognized it as being just the Allez and sent him an email suggesting that he repost it with the correct specs and name.

In the end, someone bid $615 plus $65 shipping for a used Allez Triple that sells for $585 from my LBS brand new with extended warranty, free tuneup, initial fitting, and on-going local support. I wonder if the buyer will ever notice that frame does not sport the name "Elite" and that he does not have a 105 component set?
I saw a similiar incident with an older Raleigh Record. The owner listed it as a top end "brand" implying this was a high end bike and low weight, claiming it weighed in at 20lbs. I own the identical Raleigh right down to the same paint scheme. The bike was competely original right down to the old style, suicide brake, not aero levers, and friction shifting 12-speed, not index 16 speed. Funny, mine weighs in at about 28lbs. Someone paid about $200 (included shipping) for a 20 year old Raleigh Record, and, to the best of my knowledge, the seller got away with it.
I guess when it comes to ebay, you have to know what you're buying and know it's value or don't bid.

I have bought a couple of bikes on ebay with reasonably good results.

We had a potential new member for our group who wouldn't go to a LBS because she didn't want to spend the $. I bought her a Giant Cypress DX in good shape for less than $200 including shipping. I did the wrenching my self so the deal was not too bad. I was happy enough with it that deal that I found another Cypress, new in box, that I bought for me to use as a commuter. This one cost a little more at $260, but still not bad.

I did have a strange thing happen on the second bike. After I bought it, paid with Pay-Pal, and recieved the bike, I got a email from the bike shop in Denver where I bought the bike saying they were sorry, but it seemed that UPS had delivered the wrong bike to me and it had been signed for. I replied that they must be mistaken because I had the correct bike.

When I think about it, I think there are people hacking into these transactions and these emails are Phishing expeditions. An earlier post in this thread mentioned something similar.

Anybody else have something like this happen?