thought on eBay?

I've bought and sold things on eBay, but never $$$ audio equipment. I have had good experiences with Audiogon and AudioMart but I'm cautious about eBay, if only because many sellers often have little history with audio gear. I'm looking at an item that will likely end up in the $4k range from a seller who doesn't accept returns and has almost no record of selling audio equipment but does have an extensive and excellent record of buying and selling other things.

1) In general, would you guys spend many thousands of dollars on eBay if there are no red flags--or do you say "never eBay" for big purchases?

2) Can anyone explain the reality of eBay's policies? I can see the "money back guarantee" if the item arrives "broken, damaged, or faulty." But I've also heard plenty of horror stories out here about companies that offer similar guarantees in theory but are awful to deal with in reality. I'll add that sometimes "faulty" for stereo gear can be a vast grey area.

So, bottom line: would you make a big audio purchase through eBay, especially from a seller with little visible audio experience?

northman09-12-2021 5:59pm

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barjohn Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 27 posts 09-13-2021 at 11:10am Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete I have been both a buyer and seller on eBay. I have not had a bad experience either way. I have tried selling higher end audio on eBay, Audiogon, AudioMart, Craigslist, & Facebook Market place. Unfortunately, (I list on at least 3 at the same time), eBay sells the item faster. I say unfortunately, because I wind up with less money for the item due to their fees and charges; however their shipping costs are substantially lower than you can get on your own. That didn't make as big a difference as it does now that shipping costs are extremely high.
jnovak Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 422 posts 09-13-2021 at 12:42pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Does the seller have the original cartons? If not, I've gone so far as to construct over size boxes and sent to the seller (including the tape for the outside of carton!). You said that the seller has excellent feedback. You should be good to go with PayPal. The worst case scenario is you get stuck paying the return postage.
audioguy85 Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 2,018 posts 09-13-2021 at 12:42pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete I've been a seller on ebay since 2004...sold plenty of audio gear, as well as bought...last audio component purchased was several years ago, my marantz pm14s1. It was sold by a reputable audio dealer based in New England and was a customer return. It arrived in flawless brand new condition. Yes, there are some occasional jerks that buy my stuff and cause me a headache, but over all I've had great success and 100 % positive feedback.
wturkey Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 773 posts 09-13-2021 at 02:51pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete Buy from eBay, yes. As far as selling on eBay, be careful. The buyer can return the item for nearly any reason. The seller will eat the return shipping fees as well. Also be aware of parts pirates.
dinov Details Discussions Posts This discussion Message User 845 posts 09-13-2021 at 05:14pm Copy Comment URL Report Comment Edit Delete I use email all the time for audio equipment. All of the advice here is excellent. Be careful of international sellers. Read and look carefully at the ad an style of the ad. Ask questions, or even ask to speak by phone. If it’s an expensive item and you can pick it up yourself. A lot of audio stores legitimate brick and mortar sellers use ebay. It’s been great for me until recently florida made them collect sales tax, so now I’m looking for other avenues to buy.