# What is the cheapest thing you bought on eBay?



## Lawrence (Mar 11, 2003)

For example...
I bid on an accoustic guitar against 4 other bidders and won it for .25¢
However...The shipping cost me $30. u.s. ouch!
The good news though was that I didn't have to pay duty because it was only worth .25¢

Dave


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## Jason H (Feb 1, 2004)

That bugs me, I buy things all the time for $0.01 like car chargers and cell phone stuff.


I got a data cable for my cell phone with a ring tone cd. The auction said it included a cd with software, 1000's of ringtones, and 1000's of wallpaper. It had 300 wallpapers, and about 55 assorted ringtones - no software. The auction total was about $.55 and they offered a refund of $0.05


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## Bajan (Apr 11, 2004)

I got an old 10Mbit hub for $2.00 once. Just recently I bought 3 replacement feet for my iBook for about $4.00US.


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## MissGulch (Jul 20, 2005)

dolawren said:


> For example...
> I bid on an accoustic guitar against 4 other bidders and won it for .25¢
> However...The shipping cost me $30. u.s. ouch!
> The good news though was that I didn't have to pay duty because it was only worth .25¢
> ...


The sellers do this so they don't have to pay fees on the higher selling price -- only on the .25 cents. They jack up the shipping and pocket the difference. It's a common trick.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

I got four iPod Nano silicone sleeves from Hong Kong for £0.02. The shipping was $27 USD though.

I didn't mind. The sleeves are pretty good and arrived within 5 days of my ordering them - not bad from Hong Kong!!

They even emailed me because I forgot to tell them what color I wanted.

Take care, Margaret


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Guess I win. $0 for buying nothing and never will on eBay.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

Sinc I would have thought you were an old horse trader - I can't imagine you not being a avid eBay shopper    

Margaret


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Nope, too many I know got burned on eBay and decided then and there it was not for me. I've stuck with that theory from the beginning. Besides, I sold my last two horses way back in '64.


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## Heart (Jan 16, 2001)

I have purchased items from $0.01USD to $2700.00USD. :greedy: 
70+ transactions and going strong.

On the $0.01 purchase it was for some original iMac VRAM and the shipping was $5.00.

SINC, you are better off not getting into the eBay thing, I need less people bidding against me.


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## MissGulch (Jul 20, 2005)

Sinc,

eBay is good and bad, yin and yang. If you're a collector and *must* have that 1951 Howdy Doody lunchbox, there's no other place than eBay. It originally began as a site for collectors. If you're looking for OS 8.5 CDs for that 1996 notebook, there is no other place than eBay. They sell the collectible, hard to find, strange and rare items that can't be purchased anywhere else, except by sheer luck. 

Sometimes the price you pay is higher or the same as retail. Other times you can get a great deal. A few sellers are totally bogus; many more are not scammers but unprofessional sellers. The majority (about 75%) are competent and treat you fairly. I have encountered all 3 kinds. 

The next time you need something really hard to find, you ought to give eBay a chance. Even if you bought it on your own, look at the completed auctions (requires a sign-in) and see how much the items went for. It's useful as a site for information as much as for commerce.


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## Pelao (Oct 2, 2003)

$1.99 for a remote cable release for a camera. This goes for $80.00 new, so looks like a bargain: however, it has not yet arrived so I cannot confirm it was a good deal. Just looks good.

Shipping was quite high for reasons explained by MissGulch: $15.00.

The seller had a good report, I figured the risk was low and the rewards high.


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## simon (Nov 2, 2002)

Best deal I ever got was a Rev 2 B/W (bought when they were worth something too) that I got for a buy-it-now price of $50!! The seller was selling it because it was crashing all the time and he thought the motherboard was toasted - I paid for my own shipping via my UPS account (canadian seller). When I got it, I removed the bad RAM and I used it for a year with no issues before I sold it for $300.

The next close best deal was a 28-105 USM lens I picked up for $25 because the seller said the zoom rings were stuck - I figured I could fix it myself, which I did (why not for $25?) and I have had a well functioning lens ever since that was my lens of choice until I bought my 28-135 IS USM.

350+ transactions and more every week ... 



SINC said:


> Nope, too many I know got burned on eBay and decided then and there it was not for me. I've stuck with that theory from the beginning.


Sinc, using the same logic will you never visit downtown Edmonton because you heard somebody got mugged there? Or visit the West Edmonton Mall because somebody's car was broken into while they were shopping?

I find eBay the perfect spot to locate hard-to-find parts and accessories, new and used items for a usual song and a place to dump the stuff I used to throw out. I made $1,800 for Christmas and the charities I support selling my used computer and camera parts that I collected over the past year. That's not chump change. By-the-way, I have never been ripped off (although I have 3 negative feedbacks all from non-paying bidders of my auctions - tit-for-tat feedbacks, I gave them a negative because they didn't/wouldn't pay so they gave me one too - that sucks). You just have to follow your instincts, ask the right questions - like will you allow for local pickup (even if that's impossible - they don't know that) and see how they respond. Check out their feedbacks and see what other people say especially the ones who give negative feedback - I rethought a good deal even though the seller had a feedback rating of over 20,000 because in every negative feedback they were accused of ignoring the buyer when there was a problem. Check out what the seller sold in the last few auctions, this helps if they are selling a high end something for a great deal but in all their last auctions they bought and sold collector tee-shirts (this is a for sure sign of a hijacked account). Avoid the brand new seller who just opened their account the same day they are selling a high-end something, and especially avoid the brand- new seller who has listed 30 high-end somethings in all catagories. 

The old saying - if it sounds too good to be true works real well in eBay. If you use that plus common sense you will never have an issue - a hiccup or two can't be avoided because you are dealing with people, which as we all know, can be total a$$holes.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

simon said:


> Sinc, using the same logic will you never visit downtown Edmonton because you heard somebody got mugged there? Or visit the West Edmonton Mall because somebody's car was broken into while they were shopping?


You got it half right simon.

I NEVER visit downtown Edmonton unless I absolutely have to. And not because of muggings either. The parking is just plain awful. 

Seriously though, the fact I choose not to use eBay is mine and mine alone. I simply do not trust the site. Good on you though as you obviously enjoy it. May you never get burned.


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

.


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## med8or (Jan 18, 2002)

SINC said:


> Nope, too many I know got burned on eBay and decided then and there it was not for me. I've stuck with that theory from the beginning. Besides, I sold my last two horses way back in '64.


I actually do mediation for ebay, though it's actually with their Dispute Resolution company known as SquareTrade.

Ebay can be scary to first time users, and there's usually a learning curve. I've seen most of the tricks by now, though some catch me off guard.

Some advice not to get burned:

Read the fine print! In cases where S&H charges are high to offset a low bid price, it should be disclosed. Many customer's feel ripped off when they see the postage paid and do the math...but this is how the co's are making money. As long as it's disclosed, all is fair. So read the fine print.

Understand duties and brokerage fees. This was my learning curve. Always have items delivered by USPS. Brokerage fees are about $7.00 or so on average, though depends on the item. UPS can be upwards to $50+ dollars for the same item! If an item on ebay says only ships to Canada via UPS, the item isn't worth it. If you really want this item, email the seller first to see if they are willing to ship via USPS (tracked).

If and item offers insurance, buy it. This might even mean that the seller is "self insuring" their item, but if you don't have it, there is gray space. The seller will say they sent (and they may or may not have). Ebay has now implemented new procedures for non-received items, so this isn't so much an issue any more...but still happens.

Look at feedback and, IMO, almost more importantly, look at the feedback left for others. Immature, or rude comments...stay away from that seller! Feedback itself is an indicator....don't buy if there are a bunch of negatives on a seller's account.....REGARDLESS of how much you want an item. Often people gamble because of a great price on a great item. These typically pay off in conflicts....that I'm mediating. 

Finally, ANY QUESTIONS, email the seller. If an item isn't described well enough, or costs aren't listed, ASK. If the auction is ending soon....I usually would advise walking away, unless the risk is calculated. Keep any emails you may receive, these are binding additions to any descriptions.

For what it's worth......

J


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

So I'm just starting out as a seller on eBay. I haven't sold anything yet, so there's no feedback good or bad. 

How does one go about getting recognized if nobody will buy because there's no feedback?

Sort of like I can't get a job because I don't have any experience and I don't have experience because I don't have a job.

  

Margaret


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## MissGulch (Jul 20, 2005)

winwintoo said:


> So I'm just starting out as a seller on eBay. I haven't sold anything yet, so there's no feedback good or bad.
> 
> How does one go about getting recognized if nobody will buy because there's no feedback?
> 
> ...


What's your seller name? Post a linkie here and I'll look at your auctions. I have sold lots, with tons of feedback. P.M. me if you have questions.


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## CN (Sep 3, 2004)

Hey Margaret,
An option to build up a few (3-5) feedback before you begin selling would be to buy a few items for $0.01 (watch out for shipping). Something really small and cheap. Then you will get a few positive feedback from that. It won't be the best if people really check into your feedback, but most people will be happy to see that you at least have one or two feedbacks. This will usually result in more people actually bidding on your auctions (they won't be scared away) and you will make a bit more.

Alternatively, you can just start off with your 0 feedback (I wouldn't post any big ticket items with no feedback though) and people WILL bid...you will make less (because some potential bidders will be scared off) but I've seen auctions by people with 0 feedback and they still sell their item...they lose a few % of what they might have gotten because people are scared off...but you have to start somewhere. For this reason, I would suggest selling smaller items first (so you lose less money) and then moving up to more expensive items as you gain feedback, so as to lose the least amount of money possible.

Its kind of inevitable that you auctions will get less interest if you have few or no feedback. Theres really nothing you can do about this. Everyone starting out on eBay experiences this. Sell a few small items, build a good reputation, then you'll be fine.

People will bid, even if there are 0 feedback. Some people will avoid the auction, but some definitely will take the chance.


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## winwintoo (Nov 9, 2004)

Thanks CN, I'll try that.

Margaret


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