Have You Ever Bought or Sold Anything on Ebay?

[Revanchist]

Bought plenty off of there and have yet to have a problem. I think my wife sold some of my own text books on there too and it all worked out well for us.

 

[D_Martin van Burden]

Plenty of success from there for me, too. I'm by no means a super seller or buyer, but eBay has been a good experience for me. I have had nothing but positive feedback and have worked peer-to-peer with reliable people. I make it a point to be extra customer service friendly, and I keep people who work with me well-informed.

Purchases: video games, clothing, electronics
Selling: video games, clothing

Nothing busted or damaged, and you can get a really good price on a lot of stuff. My favorite Lucky jeans were scored for $30, I think, with shipping, compared to paying at least three times as much in the store.

Just take your time to read all the information in the auctions to determine that you get the product of your choice. If you use Paypal to pay and sell your stuff, which is really well set up and easy to arrange, then you'll have no problems.

One word of caution. Don't fall prey to those "I Sold It" type services. I Sold It is a brick-and-mortar franchise that warehouses a lot of stuff and gets it shipped. It's convenient for people who really don't want to fool with shipping their stuff and taking pictures of it, but you easily lose over a 1/3 of your eBay earnings dealing with places like that. Trust me. I just use my shoddy webcam and do a nicely detailed posting, and I save a lot more money this way.

 

[earllogjam]

Alex, Osiris, Breeze, Dee,

When you sell something on Ebay do you need to pay any income tax on your gains? Does Ebay keep track of these things and report to the IRS? Not that I'm thinking about doing anything illegal but just a bit curious.

I am assuming that when you sell something on Ebay that there are no taxes whatsoever for which you are responsible. Not sure how this works with people who use Ebay for a living. Surely they must pay some sort of income tax.

 

[dong20]

Alex, Osiris, Breeze, Dee,

When you sell something on Ebay do you need to pay any income tax on your gains? Does Ebay keep track of these things and report to the IRS? Not that I'm thinking about doing anything illegal but just a bit curious.

I am assuming that when you sell something on Ebay that there are no taxes whatsoever for which you are responsible. Not sure how this works with people who use Ebay for a living. Surely they must pay some sort of income tax.

It depends; from a UK perspecive at least - if you are selling the odd personal item that you own then no (you are allowed a sale of personal goods allowance). If you are in effect a trader then yes, the line between these can be blurry.

As for PayPal, I don't know but I doubt it. But I know HMRC trawl Ebay for high activity sellers, I'd be surprised if the IRS didn't do likewise.

 

[breeze]

I'm not exactly sure but i don't believe individuals pay taxes of any sort. Businesses who sell on ebay may. Its a topic that has been discussed in congress i believe and so far they have decided against taxing some or all internet sales. You might do a search on the topic. I know ebay and others have lobbied against such taxes.

 

[jorpollew]

I used Ebay a few years ago to get several hard-to-find cds that were out of print. I won about 5 cds that were individually sold on auction. The cheapest was $12, and the most expensive was $108.

I was satisfied with the cds and the sellers. If it weren't for Ebay I never would have the complete collection of that recording artist.

 

[sbeBen]

Only bought one item from e-bay. Had no problems. I bought a giant wall clock actually made by a company in the the next County to mine (Shropshire) It was a bargain compared to the stores in Shropshire. It was boxed and brand new. Prompt service too! E-bay was easy to use.

 

[B_Think_Kink]

My dad does regularly.

 

[earllogjam]

It depends; from a UK perspecive at least - if you are selling the odd personal item that you own then no (you are allowed a sale of personal goods allowance). If you are in effect a trader then yes, the line between these can be blurry.

As for PayPal, I don't know but I doubt it. But I know HMRC trawl Ebay for high activity sellers, I'd be surprised if the IRS didn't do likewise.

IRS trawling? How would they ever connect your screen name with your social security number? Even if Ebay is in on the trawling they don't have your social security number. You can also sell under numerous screen names. No, I think it is one of the few golden tax loopholes available to the common man these days. It's like one big untaxable garage sale. Hail to the black market!

Ebay may require you to have a Tax ID number if you sell at a certain level but it seems unlikely that it can be enforced being an international site.

 

[D_Harry_Crax]

I've been using ebay for over 5 years. No major problems just a couple of minor issues in over 500 transactions.

Ditto

 

[Rikter8]

Fair.

Their costs have gone up substantially, and you have to be REALLY careful how you send money or be very specific that you want your item shipped properly.

I cant tell you how many processors Ive bought off of ebay only to have them shipped in a bubble mailer, and arrive crushed.
-Filed a claim and got my money back.

I also bought a Holley Carb, which arrived in a too small box, linkages bent, bowl screws destroyed...but he got it here for half the shipping cost I paid.
-Filed a claim and got my money back.

Or, the seller that takes your money and never ships product...
-Filed a claim and got my money back.

Lets not forget the guy that said "Contact me for other parts"...which only resulted in Mail Fraud.
Lost my money. Ebay couldnt do anything, the US Postal Service didnt investigate, and the US Money order wasn't able to be tracked.

Use the feedback options, and READ their feedback before you bid on any of their auctions. Look at returnability or refunds. Is it New/Refurb'd/Used.
Use a secure source of funding that can quickly get your money back if needed.
Money orders are a loss as are checks or cash.

Selling is costly too. They take a final value fee out of whatever you sell.
Generally small items are not worth listing, unless you have a MASS amount of items to offset the listing costs. (Generally $3.50 to list)

Half.com you will loose your ASS by selling your books there. I lost one whole textbook cost in the fees alone ($15.00 for 2 books).

Ive also found that the 3rd party Sellers on Amazon are another fiasco.
Generally they are slow to ship, or they don't ship at all.

Hope this helps somebody.

 

[earllogjam]

Fair.

Their costs have gone up substantially, and you have to be REALLY careful how you send money or be very specific that you want your item shipped properly.

I cant tell you how many processors Ive bought off of ebay only to have them shipped in a bubble mailer, and arrive crushed.
-Filed a claim and got my money back.

I also bought a Holley Carb, which arrived in a too small box, linkages bent, bowl screws destroyed...but he got it here for half the shipping cost I paid.
-Filed a claim and got my money back.

Or, the seller that takes your money and never ships product...
-Filed a claim and got my money back.

Lets not forget the guy that said "Contact me for other parts"...which only resulted in Mail Fraud.
Lost my money. Ebay couldnt do anything, the US Postal Service didnt investigate, and the US Money order wasn't able to be tracked.

Use the feedback options, and READ their feedback before you bid on any of their auctions. Look at returnability or refunds. Is it New/Refurb'd/Used.
Use a secure source of funding that can quickly get your money back if needed.
Money orders are a loss as are checks or cash.

Selling is costly too. They take a final value fee out of whatever you sell.
Generally small items are not worth listing, unless you have a MASS amount of items to offset the listing costs. (Generally $3.50 to list)

Half.com you will loose your ASS by selling your books there. I lost one whole textbook cost in the fees alone ($15.00 for 2 books).

Ive also found that the 3rd party Sellers on Amazon are another fiasco.
Generally they are slow to ship, or they don't ship at all.

Hope this helps somebody.

Thanks for the helpful info. I didn't realize Ebay charged a fee to sell items.

When you say "filed a claim" is this with Ebay directly or with some third party insurer? I suppose there is an additional fee to have your products insured by Ebay as a seller.

 

[ruperty]

i've been using it for nearly 4 years now and bought lots of things (dvd's, a car, games, instruments, shoes, and other randoms) and never had a problem. i've sold five things and always had a smooth transaction. paypal is your best bet for secure transactions i think - all you need to do is agree to pay and it goes straight from your account (whichever you assign to paypal) and it's easy and fast to set up.

most people on ebay are either their to make money, and do so by providing a good a service as possible, or to buy things without messing people around. look at buyers/sellers history and feedback and you have a good idea of whether everything will go smoothly.

 

[silvertriumph2]

I have not been as active purchasing or buying on Ebay, as have many who have answered this thread. But, I love Ebay!

Over the last 4 years I've had 301 Ebay buys (both on a BIB basis and on a BUY NOW basis). I have a PayPal account and all transactions are done through PayPal with no exception. PayPal also has the up to $2,000 Buyer Protection Program. I have always kept each buy under that $2,000 amount. If I buy more than that with one Seller, then I split some purchases into different "buys" under the $2,000 amount. Check the Seller's site to see if they are a part of the Buyer Protection Program. I don't buy from those who are not.

During the past 4 years, I have purchased all my clothing (except for those that have to be fitted such as suits) on ebay such as shirts, sweaters, underwear, sox, shoes, sports wear, etc. I've never had a bad purchase for any of them. Once I returned an item that was not the size I ordered (their fault) and received the correct size with no problem. I've bought books, CD's, rugs, furniture, electrical appliances, lamps, radios, tvs, vcrs, dvd/cd players/burners, children's toys, auto tires, kitchen knives, pots, dishes, Brita Water Pitchers and extra filters, towels, sheets, sports equipment, antiques, collectables.....you name it and I have probably bought it on ebay. I always check prices at stores before I buy and always get the name brand item (including S/H) cheaper than at a store or discount outlet. And, I don't have to lug it home....that is worth a lot to me!

Just always check out the sellers standing and the sellers feed backs. You can pretty much tell if the seller is a good one that way and if you should do business with them. If you don't feel comfortable with their "track record", then don't buy from them.

I have had only 3 bad purchase experiences, but used the "Disputes Resolution" offered by ebay and PayPal and all problems were solved in
a fast manner and full credit received. I have never been asked to
"return" a disputed item, even when credit was received. This was due to the fact that they were defective in the first place and I just discarded them.

I have never sold on Ebay myself....but I have used a local neighborhood store that does all the Ebay work for you....photos and description of the article, listing with Ebay, followups, packaging, and mailing the article to the buyer... all the work for a 15% fee of the selling price, excluding SH fee. Recently I have noticed that there are many stores that offer tht service...it might be worth it to check it out where you live. To me, it is
well worth it since, I only take the article there, leave it, and then after it is sold, collect the money. I have sold about 8 or 10 things (realizing about $1,500) by doing it that way and have never had any problems.

I hope this helps...GOOD LUCK!

 

[IntoxicatingToxin]

I have sold three things on eBay, and purchased probably the same amount... so no huge things going on over here, BUT... I have yet to have a negative experience with eBay. All of my sales went well, and so did all of my purchases.

 

[Principessa]

I have never sold anything but I have purchased everything from gently used designer shoes to halloween costumes, a used Volvo wagon, new with tags clothing, and various household items. I have yet to have a problem.

Just wondering what other people's experiences have been using Ebay. Good, Bad, Fair? Any unusual stories? What do you usually buy?

I am looking into buying a laptop tablet PC and didn't want to pay retail so I've been hunting around on the Ebay for one but the prospects of getting burned out of more than $500 does not seem appealing.

Also was wondering if anyone has SOLD anything on Ebay and if it is difficult to set up. I have heard of people making a living off the site and was wondering how they do it. What has been your experience selling?

 

[Hoss]

I've never made a purchase there and haven't sold anything either. I know 2 people that use Ebay extensively in businesses they run from their homes in selling collectables. They are happy with it.

Just wondering what other people's experiences have been using Ebay. Good, Bad, Fair? Any unusual stories? What do you usually buy?

I am looking into buying a laptop tablet PC and didn't want to pay retail so I've been hunting around on the Ebay for one but the prospects of getting burned out of more than $500 does not seem appealing.

Also was wondering if anyone has SOLD anything on Ebay and if it is difficult to set up. I have heard of people making a living off the site and was wondering how they do it. What has been your experience selling?

 

[nudeyorker]

I had an ashtray from The Stork Club and it got broken about 10 years ago. A friend (the one who broke it) told me that someone on Ebay was selling one just like it so my friend bought it for me to replace it.

 

[Channelwood]

I bought a car on eBay from 2000 miles away.

Took some care in the logistics, but worked out perfectly for me.

 

[witch]

I buy lots of hobby supplies, beads, trim, felt etc, also witchcraft items, herbs, oils, candles ............. you know how hard it is to find a goats hoof or a bulls penis in walgreen