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Ebay - The In's and Out's - by Jackie Connelly-Fornuff

By
Real Estate Agent with Douglas Elliman Real Estate in Babylon NY

Ebay - The In's and Out's

As a former ebay seller of children's boutique clothing, most people think they are getting a good deal when they buy on ebay.

Ebay is not what it used to be when it first started. You could get anything for cheap. Those days are long gone.

What about handbags like Coach, Prada, and Kate Mack? How do you know it's not a fake?

How about those seller descriptions holding you to your purchase? It's not all cut and dry.

Here are some tips that will save you time, money and aggravation.

  1. Whatever you want to purchase on ebay, do your research. Google that item to make sure the price you are paying is in line with the rest of the selling world. Unless it's a hard to find item, why pay more for something than you have to?
  2. If you are looking to purchase high end handbags and wallets, again, do your research. Make sure the seller has 100% positive feedback and only sells these handbags and wallets. Not cars and trucks in the mix. Here is a great starting point to find out how to spot fake handbags. And here is a google search I did for other handbag names and how to spot fakes.

Sellers Description

Ever see in the description where the seller tells you no refunds, no exchanges and shipping is not refundable? That is all crap! If you buy something and it doesn't match up to the description of the auction, you can get a 100% refund. If the seller gives you a hard time and refuses to cooperate, you can always file a Not As Described case on the seller via Paypal. I will tell you this, 99.9% of the time, the buyer wins.

I know someone that purchased a Coach bag and it ended up being a fake because I saw clearly it was a fake. So, she contacts the seller and the seller gives her 50% back not including shipping! I didn't know this was going to happen and I wanted to kick her when she told me this. She accepted the 50% because it said in the seller's description: NO REFUNDS. It doesn't matter what it says in the description. That is all smoke and mirrors. Here are the appropriate steps to take when you have a problem with a seller:

  1. Contact the seller first when you have a problem with the item. Give them 3 days to respond. If no reponse, contact them again telling the seller that if you do not hear back from them in 4 days, you are going to file a dispute through Paypal. Make sure you do it.
  2. You have 30 days to file a dispute from the date of your purchase. If you file after 30 days, you are out of luck and will not get refunded. But, if you used your credit card (which I highly recommend) to make that purchase, then you can file a dispute with your credit card company. Never use Paypal money. Always use your credit card that way you are covered should you go beyond that 30 day period.

I hope you found this useful. So many people think that they have no recourse when it comes to a seller's description. Remember, smoke and mirrors!

Comments(5)

Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Jackie, I used to be on Ebay all the time!  I have to say that Activerain is definitely saving me money :)  Thank you for the information, I wouldn't have known the real thing from a fake.

Jan 20, 2010 01:00 AM
Jackie Connelly-Fornuff
Douglas Elliman Real Estate in Babylon NY - Babylon, NY
"Moving at The Speed of YOU!"

Hi Carole, you are welcome. I actually told a woman in a store a few months ago that her Coach bag was a fake. She was bragging about the good deal she got. When I pointed out why it was fake, she was not happy and since it was months ago at that time, she was out of luck.

Jan 20, 2010 01:15 AM
Jeff Craig
Hang Me Up Photos - Jamestown, NC
Greensboro Area Real Estate Photography

Some good bargains can still be found on ebay.  Caution and research are your best bets when dealing there.

Jan 20, 2010 01:51 AM
Carra Riley & Declan Kenyon
Brokers Guild Cherry Creek Ltd - Westminster, CO
Helping people Transition at all ages!

Jackie---Thanks for the Ebay tips.  It gives new meaning to "if it's to good to be true, it probably is".

Cosmic Cow

Jan 20, 2010 02:06 AM
Jackie Connelly-Fornuff
Douglas Elliman Real Estate in Babylon NY - Babylon, NY
"Moving at The Speed of YOU!"

Hi Jeff! You got it!

Hi Carra! You are welcome! Exactly! A Coach handbag at $25.00 is too good to be true!

Jan 20, 2010 02:10 AM