Topic: Buying on eBay

[gothamtomato]

I've never bought a camera or lens on eBay, but there's something on there now I really want. I emailed the seller a couple of questions, but they haven't responded (yet), so I'm wondering... should I bid without an answer? Or should I wait for an answer and take the chance of not getting the item?

[DS]

Depends on the price and whether or not the seller knows enough to answer the query. If its dead expensive and complicated I'd wait for an answer. I also wouldn't place a bid until the end of the auction.

My usual tactic for getting ebay bargains is to look for stuff that is obviously listed by people who don't really know what they've got and describe things poorly- asking questions thus often doesn't get me anywhere. This is often a bit of a gamble and I bid for things on the basis that they probably won't work- so I factor the repair / service cost into what I'm prepared to pay. Been doing this since 2000 and only really been stung twice so far- most sellers are prepared to negotiate if the item isn't as described rather than risk bad feedback (for example- I've got partial refunds for lenses that were listed as in perfect condition but had fungus that cover the cost of getting them cleaned)

Hope this helps...

[gothamtomato]

Thanks! This item has a 'buy it now' price, so I'm worried someone will snap it up.

I suppose another one would always come along if that happens. Sigh.

[Pete_R]

If it has a buy it now price, placing a bid above the value of any reserve will remove the buy it now option. So, you could place a bid to remove the option but only place what you're really prepared to pay once you have all the details.

Also, bidding right at the end of the auction (also known as sniping) will prevent anyone having time to think about whether they want to place another bid or not above yours. I use www.justsnipe.com to automatically place bids within the last few seconds. It's a free service for up to five bids a week.

[sapata]

I use www.justsnipe.com to automatically place bids within the last few seconds. It's a free service for up to five bids a week.

That it's amazing... .

Although let's hope it won't be like the Auctiva that started as a free service, and then once they have millions of registered users they started charging for the service.

[original_ann]

I use auctionsniper.  Always makes me chuckle when I nab something at the last minute from 2 people who have been bidding against one another.  (Is that bad?)   

[rkbry]

I use auctionsniper.  Always makes me chuckle when I nab something at the last minute from 2 people who have been bidding against one another.  (Is that bad?)   

It's bad if I'm one of the two people you sniped. 

[Terry]

All's fair in love and auctions.  The only thing that matters is who bid highest.

[gothamtomato]

I've never heard of this sniping thing. This must be why I was never able to get any Fiestaware stacking bowls!

BTW, the seller responded to me and answered the questions, but said because I have no feedback I couldn't bid, but to contact him if I was interested. I guess he wants to sell it outside of eBay, which I wouldn't want to do because I'd have no protection.

[sapata]

I think he wants to make sure that you are a real buyer and not a spoiler, there are quite a few fake account buyers around ebay that would bid just for the sake of having fun and not paying in the end.

It also happens before with me, I sold an item for a first time buyer but took me ages to receive because of paypal wouldn't clear the money until his account was fully verified or something like that...

Try buying some cheap stuff on ebay ( like a roll of film in individual transactions from differet sellers...) until you bild up some feedback, it would be enough to get you out of the  "0 feedback filter".

[Windy]

Sniping software? neat 

Thanks for this, I didn't know such a thing existed. I have lost out on bids because 'end time' is during work hours and ebay is blocked on the hospital network 

[Phil Bebbington]

Thanks for this, Ann. Look great!

[Terry]

gotham, try contacting him and explaining your situation; it may simply be that he needs reassurance that you're genuine and will pay for it if you win the auction.  Sometimes that's all it takes.

[Late Developer]

Like many of us, I'd never heard of "sniping" or the software to facilitate it. I buy very little from eBay as I tend to find few bargains in the pool of stuff I occasionally try to source.

If Terry's suggestion doesn't work, my only suggestion is to bid only as much as you're prepared to pay "for a bargain". If I have to pay store prices, I'll buy it from a store - where I can "try before I by" and I'll at least get the usual consumer protection from chancers selling duff gear.....

[calbisu]

Great this sniping software!! It will save me from waking up in the middle of the night to last minute biding. Usually what I do is wait for the last 10 seconds and then I bid. Sometimes It works sometimes not. I wonder if the sniping software can counteratack when you bid in the last 10 seconds...

I have purchased all my cameras through ebay and I have never had surprises. I find that people in order to avoid being given bad rates mention all defects and blemishes of the equipment they are selling.

[Diane Peterson]

my 2 cents worth...I ALWAYS pay attention to the sellers feedback and if there are negatives I find out why..been burned only once and feel like this has a lot to do with it! though you can't be sure of anything..one time I bought a camera from a woman in the midwest who had perfect feedback..I never got the item and as it turned out 3 other people had the same issue with her at the same time..Ebay said she had just dropped off the planet..but got my money back from paypal..

[Mojave]

Never heard of this sniping software either but I might have to check it out. If it can help me bid on items that close when Im asleep, then Im all for it. Course, now I think we are all going to be sniping each other since Im guessing that FW's are most often going to be the folks bidding on the same gear. 

[LT]

been using auctionsniper.com for ages - it works very well.

[hookstrapped]

I prefer to do my sniping manually.  The thrill as the seconds count down, then you bid, then confirm.  Yes!  Talk about the decisive moment...

[DS]

I prefer to do my sniping manually.  The thrill as the seconds count down, then you bid, then confirm.  Yes!  Talk about the decisive moment...

Absolutely! (If you hadn't guessed already I'm a hopeless ebay junkie)

[Abdul Hye]

I wanted to buy an enlarger and identified a model. I asked the selling of one if it included a timer as none was listed in the description and he replied no. I started bidding on a number of lots. I just lost out on wining one lot.  So I just place a bid on the next item, with the model I wanted,  that was ending without checking the description and won it. I had won the lot that I dismissed. I asked the seller how he used it without a timer and his reply was that he used his watch. I can’t find a timer for this model that is less than what I paid for the enlarger. Soon after that I joined up to a darkroom so I never used it.

I wanted to buy a medium format camera and had been watching Bronica and Mamiya models on ebay and researching prices and the different models. I even went to Photographica, spotted Salvo walking out, to see prices there. I started bidding and lost out on a number of lots and ended up bidding and winning a Kiev 88 TTL. Why I started bidding on it I do not know. I regretted it immediately. I'm waiting for it to arrive in the post.

My tip for bidding on ebay is never bid in anger or get on to competitive bidding.