Advice needed on buying on E Bay

[michael]

i have no idea about E Bay. Is it cheaper to buy bike spares through this site, than say CRC, and is it safe? and simple?

[Vinnydabutcher]

Ebay is both private & retailers selling.

 

You can get some good deals but most US sellers only sell to US addresses.

 

Shipping is pricey.

[Warren911]

I have used ebay a few times.

Never had any problems.

Just look at the shipping details before buying.

Buying from US or Europe sellers is normally very expensive on shipping.

China sellers will sometimes ship for free, normal delivery time 4 weeks.

Sometimes the post office will charge you this side sometimes not. Usually not much.

Edited July 11, 2013 by Warren911

[Warren911]

I have always paid using a paypal account, so paymenst etc are safe!

[Li Mu Bai]

Most Ebay users use paypal.

I have bought and sold many items using EBAY. works well.

Be sure to check thaier shipping methods and their return warantee's. Also check their ratings, dont use guys who have returned several negative ratings.

USA - can find great deals on almost anything, shipping is very expensive. Bought model train kits, snowboards, furniture, electronics, bike parts, dvds - all good

UK - much better shipping prices, can find useful items if you search around.

China - Varying degrees of success. cheap items, but varying quality usually poor. They dont bother packing your item securely, and shipping, whether free or paid for takes for bloody ever. Had several items go missing (SA PO Sticky Fingers?), and have had several items damaged.

Taiwan - Great service so far, good quality items, and free shipping is FAST, and often signed for EMS service. Pretty happy with these sellers.

 

Nice thing with ebay, if your item doesnt arrive or is broken or other problems, you can lodge a case and Ebay admin sorts it out, usually through a full refund. all depending on your own user rating and time spent using ebay.

Edited July 11, 2013 by Li Mu Bai

[RichieT]

I just bought some Mavic hub spares off an eBay supplier, he has loads of positive ratings (this is the thing to look for), and I was most impressed. Paid PAYPAL. Only thing... the local post office sat on my parcel for 2 weeks! So total delivery time was 4 weeks. Thing is the tracking number you get from US is changed once it hits SA so you can't actually keep tabs on it. You have to rely on our local "darlings" to inform you when it hits the PO.

You can courier but that gets costly...

[RichieT]

Make that eBay USA supplier

[V12man]

I just bought some Mavic hub spares off an eBay supplier, he has loads of positive ratings (this is the thing to look for), and I was most impressed. Paid PAYPAL. Only thing... the local post office sat on my parcel for 2 weeks! So total delivery time was 4 weeks. Thing is the tracking number you get from US is changed once it hits SA so you can't actually keep tabs on it. You have to rely on our local "darlings" to inform you when it hits the PO.

You can courier but that gets costly...

 

If you call the Track and Trace call centre with the international number, they will tell you when it has arrived in SA, and what the new tracking number is locally - then you can track it on-line.

[Grebel]

Bought new lenses for my Oakleys off Ebay. Shipping was the same price as the lenses. Two weeks and they were here. Still less than half of the local price and they were polarised.

 

You need a PayPal account though.

[shaper]

Make sure you only buy via the ebay site,no matter if the seller emails you and asks for different way to pay.

 

Ebay is simple, safe and secure. if you are in communications with the seller always try to ensure the item is sent registered so that you have a tracking number, which you can trace internationally and locally.

 

Purchase and wait and keep an eye on the tracking and all should arrive ok.

 

Should things not go well, which is a minority as have shopped on ebay for years without issue.

 

Ebay have a resolution facility, should the goods not arrive or not be as specified, then you can use the resolution centre to clear up any disputes.

 

Also, use paypal to pay for items, they have a purchaser protection plan, so you can claim your money back should the item not arrive.

 

If you are buying from anywhere overseas, expect to wait and wait, as much as 40 days from China. The seller normally specifies under shipping how long to wait based on country. If your item has not arrived by that time, contact the seller first, they either ask you to wait a little longer, else will give you options of resending the items, else re-imburse. They are normally very helpful.

 

Should that not work, then you have ebay resolution and paypal protection.

 

So shopping on ebay is secure and safe and easy... just learn to be patient as items take a long time to arrive. No one sends courier unless you specify and pay for, all comes by post, hence the need for a tracking number.

Edited July 11, 2013 by shaper

[michael]

thanks everyone for the advice. Appreciate it.

[Li Mu Bai]

I just bought some Mavic hub spares off an eBay supplier, he has loads of positive ratings (this is the thing to look for), and I was most impressed. Paid PAYPAL. Only thing... the local post office sat on my parcel for 2 weeks! So total delivery time was 4 weeks. Thing is the tracking number you get from US is changed once it hits SA so you can't actually keep tabs on it. You have to rely on our local "darlings" to inform you when it hits the PO.

You can courier but that gets costly...

What you do is plug the USA tracking number in the track and trace link below, and it will tell you where it is.

 

From Taiwan my items usually take 3-4 days, then it sits here in SA fro a further 9-14 days. Our SAPost has so much to improve upon, downright useless.

http://ems.sapo.co.za/EmsWebSite/index.htm

[Myra]

I've bought several things on ebay, but mostly not cycling related. I would definitely recommend it but, like the others have said, check shipping prices and policies as well as seller ratings before you commit to buy.