be careful buying computers

[cruellady]

Well exactly - if you're going to make a large purchase like a laptop or desktop, online or in a shop, you look at the seller's reputation and compare with other's to make an informed judgement.

Being in the jewellery line myself, I was browsing rival UK designers/sellers sites recently, and came across a very chic site, with all the bells and whistles - looked trustworthy. However, running it through Google, practically every shopping/consumer forum had a thread about being ripped off by this site. Any retailer knows you can discount 30% of it to professional grumblers, but the sheer volume of disgruntled posts regarding this site simply replaced the old-fashioned word-of-mouth - 'It's rubbish, stay away'. With eBid, you don't have to muck about searching forums and biting your nails - it's all in one place.

Ergo, in my judgement, eBid provide the most comprehensive information available for buyers to look at a seller's background, and have checks and balances in place to keep out scammers prevalent elsewhere. From my personal experience with the eBid team, I find it difficult to believe eBid would be unhelpful toward any customer on the site if the circumstance the original poster describes is real.

Cru
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[heatemyfather]

The thing that buyers either don't realise or soon forget, is that scammers generally cannot be banned until they've been found out, and that's often too late for those who they've scammed. No way for eBid to know if a seller is a scammer if they sign up with what appears to be totally legal and above board details. If there was some sort of internet credit rating this may solve the problem somewhat, but that would undoubtedly be viewed as an invasion of privacy by ordinary folk (even though their credit rating is already on file elsewhere, and can be accessed by practically all companies who wish to do a credit check). Besides, professional scammer rings would easily get around such measures. Don't be fooled - scams are big business and they know exactly how to go about it, often used to fund larger criminal activities (including terrorist factions).

[cruellady]

Well this is it - scams exist everywhere - not just online! If you're going to spend significant amounts of cash, and you have any sense, you look carefully at the seller's background wherever you are - I get a lot of folk coming to my site via the search engines, and they often buy something small first to see how I perform - many become regulars.


Here on eBid you have a good look at the All About the Seller and Feedback pages; you can get some splendid bargains, and back yourself up with a card payment by Google, PayPal etc (not often available at clearance and car boot sales!), but there's no excuse for running crying to eBid if you've bought on impulse from a zero feedback seller and failed to do a bit of history/background research before hitting the 'Buy' button.

eBid will try to help, but the brutal truth is that you're an adult and should know better if you're in charge of a PC and a bank account.

Cru
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[Spyder1942]

Might as well have given the money to the first person they saw in the street and asked them to buy one for them.

[SalusLibrorum]

I'm probably a bit over suspicious, but I don't think I'd buy anything as expensive as a laptop or other computer equipment from an auction site, or online shop from a source I'd never heard of, not only do you run the risk of getting scammed, it's also a pita if something goes wrong with it.

I think I'd rather pay a bit more and have a B&M shop I can visit or take the goods back to. I bought a Samsung colour laser printer (C500 I think it was) from PC world, which was hopeless - I'm now convinced it had a design fault - but I ended up taking two of them back before finally getting my money back. The inconvenience of trying to do the same thing with an internet retailer doesn't bear thinking about, and the cost of returns would have been astronomical.

[heatemyfather]

I bought a Samsung colour laser printer (C500 I think it was) from PC world, which was hopeless - I'm now convinced it had a design fault - but I ended up taking two of them back before finally getting my money back.

I had a problem with an HP C4180 all-in-one scanner printer - the print head didn't return properly and was printing skewed, a manufacturing defect and a simple matter to return it to Curry's for a replacement. Like you, there are certain things I will not buy (or pay lots of money for) online. Collectible electronics, that's different as they usually cannot be found anywhere but online, very occasionally at car boot sales. One can usually spot a decent honest 2nd-hand computer sale anyway, the description should include details of condition (I would expect there to be some mention of wear and tear).

[stringersystems]

Hi everyone, After reading this thread there are alot of dangers when buying any high-price electrical goods on-line. which makes it's difficult for guys like us, who build them, but nevermind. there are a couple of things you can do to protect or more, re-assure yourself. Do you research on the item, then ask loads of questions, if the answers are inaccurate or evasive be wary. also ask to call them if there trying to sell something real they would be more than happy to talk to you about it (obviously to make a sale) we always are :P. just little simple things. zero feedback doesn't mean scam, it just means be careful

[henrypawlowicz]

Hi
I just signed up to buy! I will in the next two weeks sign to sell! Reading this thread it seems simple to me. I have two E-BAY account's and have had them for several years with over 1000 items bought and sold. Why not list your E-BAY user name and if your are a respected seller there even with 0 feedback here you can correspond through ask a question or contact member. That way you know who you are dealing with! Second if a person is truly a 0 feedback seller with no way of identifying themselves' In the U.S.A. you can use COD if they refuse it since it cost them nothing don't buy. I have used it several times on E-BAY and it works well.
Hank

[cruellady]

Well quite - most of it is just plain old common sense, something that seems to desert folk online - the cost of returning a faulty PC/printer/whatever can be outrageous unless you're using a good seller. As stringersystems says, for high value/risk items, you jolly well ask Qs, and you can use Escrow, and as a seller, you can back up your reputation online, as suggested by henrypawlowicz.

I've bought a shedload of 'pricey-to-return' PCs/printers/scanners/related items and only got one dud (a hard drive promptly refunded and replaced including postage), because I made sure I was buying from folk with a good reputation with attention to detail, and used my nut on any negs they may have received.

I take SalusLibrorum's point about convenient return if you're close to the shop, but PC World don't have a feedback system for previous customers posted on their front door, or next to the item on display. If they did, I wouldn't have made a pleasant income from fixing the probs of their distressed clients in the past :: grins :: Swings and Roundabouts

Cru
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[spiritcat]

Here, Here amcveigh,
I thought for a minute then I was in fleabays forums, you know the one, where everyone was born with feedback of 2750 +

Of coarse, everyone has to start somewhere and everyone deserves the chance to establish themselves and build a good rep.

Where would ebid and all the other sites be if nobody ever sold to or bought from someone with zero feedback?

So yes, caution and common sense are the way to go.

ps, Not been here long myself, but love the peeps and find everyone much more helpfull and freindly than that other place. I'm already very greatfull for all the help I have received here.