You infer that ebay isn't a reputable site.

Post #207,700 by Steve Lowe 5/16/05 4:40:23 PM 5/16/05 4:40:50 PM Reply	You infer that ebay isn't a reputable site. When it is, in fact, one of the more reputable sites on the internet. If you buy something that isn't as advertised, there's a buyer protection program. If you sell something, you get payment before you ship it. There really is little risk beyond understanding what you're doing and what the rules are. As to privacy policy, ebay is a leader there. -- Steve Edited by Steve Lowe May 16, 2005, 04:40:50 PM EDT Expand All History
Post #207,703 by bepatient 5/16/05 4:47:57 PM Reply	I've never had an issue. Even on some things that I had reservations about buying. That said, there are some things I would likely never buy on ebay, like guitars for example. I want to touch it/play it before I buy it. Can't do that on ebay (yet). PC parts (buy/sell), auto parts (buy for friends hopping up Acuras)...been using it for 4+ years on a regular basis. I bought my entire home theater system on a combination of ubid/ebay and haven't had any issues with it. In fact, the ONKYO amp was bought on ebay...the supplier was Crazy Eddy's in NY. If you push something hard enough, it will fall over. _{Fudd's First Law of Opposition} [link\|mailto:bepatient@aol.com\|BePatient]
Post #207,706 by Steve Lowe 5/16/05 4:54:14 PM Reply	My brother recently bought a bass guitar. My brother recently bought a bass guitar on ebay, but the seller had a 10 day trial period specified on the auction. My brother had played several of the same model so pretty much knew what he wanted. He's still got it :) But yeah..that's one reason I've never bought a Carvin guitar. Always want to play them first. I was in San Diego recently and went to the Carvin factory store. I decided that I don't care for their 'rapid play' neck, I prefer something more akin to a Louisville Slugger. -- Steve
Post #207,732 by jb4 5/16/05 6:27:54 PM 5/16/05 6:28:07 PM Reply	Must be nice to have big hands... Louisville slugger, eh? Indeed... jb4 shrub\ufffdbish (Am., from shrub* + rubbish, after the derisive name for America's 43 president; 2003) n. 1. a form of nonsensical political doubletalk wherein the speaker attempts to defend the indefensible by lying, obfuscation, or otherwise misstating the facts; GIBBERISH. 2. any of a collection of utterances from America's putative 43rd president. cf.* BULLSHIT Edited by jb4 May 16, 2005, 06:28:07 PM EDT Expand All History
Post #207,708 by Nightowl 5/16/05 4:58:11 PM Reply	Re: You infer that ebay isn't a reputable site. I didn't mean to infer IT wasn't, I meant the people aren't always. If there were all these protections, why did my brother get ripped off? I consider a reputable site to be something like Sears, Panasonic, or Barnes and Noble, established, known, and reachable if anything goes wrong. I'm sure you can reach the people who run e-bay, but you can't always reach the ones that rip you off. Brenda "The people of the world having once been deceived, suspect deceit in truth itself." -- Hitopadesa 600?-1100? AD, Sanskrit Fable From Panchatantr
Post #207,734 by jb4 5/16/05 6:35:41 PM 5/16/05 6:36:09 PM Reply	I don't know why your brother got "ripped off" Did he use payPal to pay for it? Or a credit card? If so, then there just isn't any way he could have gotten ripped off, unless: 1) He didn't follow the all-to-easy-to-follow procedure for disputing a sale 2) It was a hundred years ago, before they had all the safeguards in the currently do 3) He really didn't get ripped off, or there was some sort of trivial misunderstanding that, by the time the story was told to you, became him getting ripped off. As to number 2); hey, things change. 5 years ago, I'd have never used my cable company to access the internet. BBut today, here I am, sending even more of my green stamps to Comcast (grimble...). You might want to reconsider your stance here, Brenda. Look at all the IWETHEY'ers who are saying that it works. I jumped in before I heard these endorsements; and even if I haden't, just seeing this thread, with the feedback from people whose opinion I have come to trust over the last decade (yes, that even includes you, Beep!) would be all I'd need to give it a try! jb4 shrub\ufffdbish (Am., from shrub* + rubbish, after the derisive name for America's 43 president; 2003) n. 1. a form of nonsensical political doubletalk wherein the speaker attempts to defend the indefensible by lying, obfuscation, or otherwise misstating the facts; GIBBERISH. 2. any of a collection of utterances from America's putative 43rd president. cf.* BULLSHIT Edited by jb4 May 16, 2005, 06:36:09 PM EDT Expand All History
Post #207,760 by Nightowl 5/16/05 11:59:04 PM 5/17/05 12:01:13 AM Reply	Re: I don't know why your brother got "ripped off" Did he use payPal to pay for it? Or a credit card? If so, then there just isn't any way he could have gotten ripped off, unless: How about he just sent the check to the guy and the guy didn't send the merchandise? That is what happened. And the guy cashed the check before my brother got a clue things were gone bad. Then he disappeared off E-bay. I mean if the rule is not to ship till you get the money, how do they keep people from taking the money and running and not sending anything? Edit: he contacted the guy several times before he "disappeared" and was assured the merchandise was sent. But it never was. ...You might want to reconsider your stance here, Brenda. Look at all the IWETHEY'ers who are saying that it works. ...! The difference though, is whether or not I have a need to use it, and I don't. I find most everything I want online in other manners, and don't have to "bid" against anyone else for them. It's kinda like cable TV I guess. It would be nice to have it, I could watch more hockey, but I live fine without it. I'm not saying it doesn't work, either. I'm saying it's not totally foolproof, is all. I don't know when it happened, maybe a year or so back, but my brother lost hundreds of dollars when it did. Brenda "The people of the world having once been deceived, suspect deceit in truth itself." -- Hitopadesa 600?-1100? AD, Sanskrit Fable From Panchatantr Edited by Nightowl May 17, 2005, 12:01:13 AM EDT Expand All History
Post #207,778 by admin 5/17/05 6:40:03 AM Reply	Your brother did it to himself, then. The way they keep people from not sending anything is by using a credit card or PayPal, both of which will give you your money back if the seller never sends the goods. Regards, -scott anderson "Welcome to Rivendell, Mr. Anderson..."
Post #207,876 by n3jja 5/17/05 7:03:47 PM Reply	I use Postal Money Orders. Then if something goes wrong, it's Mail Fraud. Your brother was dumb enough to send a personal check, I assume?
Post #207,879 by Another Scott 5/17/05 7:08:15 PM Reply	That's what I did before I finally got a PayPal account.
Post #207,881 by n3jja 5/17/05 7:11:58 PM Reply	Had that once. Got rid of it. I don't buy or sell often enough on Ebay to warrant having it.
Post #207,882 by Another Scott 5/17/05 7:21:50 PM Reply	Seems pretty painless, mostly. I've only used it to pay for things. I've never sold anything on eBay, though I've been tempted to look into it.... I did get awfully annoyed with them when they insisted that I "Get Verified" and give them a checking account number. Since the payment then defaults to using the checking account (thereby saving them the 3% or whatever the CC company charges), they save money, but the purchaser no longer gets the 'insurance' provided by the card. As long as I'm not in a hurry, I can flip it back to the CC and foil their Evil Plan. But it's annoying. Electronic money transfer by purchasers is a good thing (I remember spending about $50 to Western Union $200 a few years ago). I just wish it were a little more transparent than PayPal. Cheers, Scott.
Post #207,963 by jb4 5/18/05 11:42:52 AM Reply	The purchaser gets "insurance"... ...through PayPal itself if you use the direct-from-checking-account payment method. I still like to use the credit card, though.... jb4 shrub\ufffdbish (Am., from shrub* + rubbish, after the derisive name for America's 43 president; 2003) n. 1. a form of nonsensical political doubletalk wherein the speaker attempts to defend the indefensible by lying, obfuscation, or otherwise misstating the facts; GIBBERISH. 2. any of a collection of utterances from America's putative 43rd president. cf.* BULLSHIT
Post #208,103 by scoenye 5/19/05 4:48:18 PM Reply	They charged me to set up that "free" account Needless to say, that account didn't last long...
Post #207,726 by CRConrad 5/16/05 6:13:53 PM Reply	Naah, she implies it. She wants you to infer it. HTH!

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