Ebay

I see a whole bunch of negative reviews about Ebay. Thank god, I didn’t make my 1st ebay purchase after consulting mouthshut reviews.

People who have lost their hard-earned money on an online deal have every reason to be agitated. So it is hardly surprising to find a whole bunch of negative reviews.

My personal experience, though, is quite contrary. I have bought items totalling nearly Rs. 20000 on ebay, and every single one of them have worked perfectly. Trust me, I am not an ebay employee in disguise!

One of the reasons why people have issues with ebay purchases is because they do not follow guidelines.

3 golden rules apply for any purchase on ebay. Here they are:

1. Always check seller reputation(including both positive and negative feedback for seller) before buying

   
   




2. Always use Paisapay as a secure payment option.NEVER make a deal with a seller independently

   
   




3. Always check the product and use it thoroughly for a day or two, before leaving a feedback.

   
   

I have had problems with ebay purchases on 3 occasions. On one instance, I made a double payment through Netbanking. Within a day of registering the complaint, ebay customer care called up and the amount reimbursed within 2 days. Twice I had problems with seller. In one case, the item had been blocked by ebay, so the money was promptly paid back to me. The last instance was with a product( a usb modem to be precise). The seller was very helpful and went out of his way to help me resolve the issue. The 3g modem is working fine now, with the proper settings being applied.

I will say this about ebay products though. When buying electronic items, it is always best to either buy branded items, with nationwide warranty(as I did with a Asus netbook) or stick to low value items(like a sewing machine I bought).

Some products are cheaper on ebay, than most retail stores, particularly in small towns. It is better to stick to those products only. It also makes sense to check which area the seller belongs to. Choose a seller to suit your needs.

Finally, some products may be cheaper on other online shopping site, or simply the local market. It pays to use our common sense!

A list of some products purchased though ebay:

1. Asus notebook. Runs like a breeze with ubuntu 10.10

   
   




2. Huawei 3G usb modem. Works smoothly on both Windows and Linux, with all SIM cards

   
   




3. A portable sewing machine(china made). Very handy for my family.

   
   




4. A pocket camera tripod. nice cute looking accessory for digicams

   
   




5. 1 kilo whey protein. very good protein supplement and tasty too

   
   




6. Induction cooker(local brand). Very fast cooking like gas oven and I love it.

   
   




7. VOIP calling card. Now I call my relatives outside India at dirt cheap rates.